Chapter VIII: The Forgotten
The next month or so did not go well for the Masters. Skeletor's attacks, which had at first come nearly every day, had now slowed to being fewer. This was a good thing on the level that it meant the Masters were not so terribly overworked. But it was also a bad thing, in that the next of the attacks could never be exactly predicted.
Of course, the Sorceress did her share of prophesizing, and could sometimes discern on what day the next battle would occur. As time progressed, however, even the Sorceress' predictions became less and less. Apparently, something, or more probably, someone, was blocking off her visions. Teelina had a good idea as to who was doing so.
She lay alone in her sleeping chamber, lying on her bed and awaiting the sweet bliss of oblivion. It was not easily forthcoming, and again, she had a good idea why.
Damn that Dereskian Bitch, she thought idly to herself. As if it wasn't bad enough that she can come inside my castle at will, enter my thoughts and know all my deepest, darkest secrets. No, she has to be able to alter my dreams and visions as well. And she has to know everything there is to know about me, even things I don't know myself.
A soft grumble escaped angrily from the back of her throat. What madness ever possessed my mother to take her inside these walls in the first place is quite beyond me. For that matter, why did she allow herself to be impregnated by a Dereskian?! It isn't as if she couldn't have her pick of men, she was a spellcaster, after all.
Teelina sighed, knowing that sleep was impossible for her tonight. She got out of her bed and walked over to the window. The opening was large, almost her entire height and about the width of a normal-sized door. She threw back the shutters and let the bright light of the moons stream into her bedchamber. The Red Moon was full that night, and its maroon light poured over her face, creating a wonderful effect of brightness and shadows.
On an odd, unknown impulse, the Sorceress reached up and removed her feather and beak headdress. Her red hair cascaded down her shoulders; free of its confinement for one of the rare moments she was without adornment. For a wild moment, Teelina considered why she never went around with her hair loose, and then reconsidered that her costumes were the traditional ones of Grayskull's keepers. She flipped her hair back up and restored the headdress upon her head. Not to wear it would degrade the memory of her ancestors. Your mother's ancestors, said an annoying inner voice. Your father's wouldn't care what you wore.
"My father's ancestors don't concern me," she argued allowed, a little disturbed that she was talking to herself in the middle of the night. "They're as dead as every other Dereskian, and have had no say in anything I have done in my life."
But that does not prevent them from still being a part of you, continued the voice. Even if you deny it, Dereskian blood does flow within your veins. You cannot refute that any longer.
As if in agreement, the moonlight suddenly seemed to get brighter, almost as if Eläni herself was listening in on Teelina's mental breakdown.
The Sorceress abruptly closed the shutters and turned her back to the window, walking back to her bed. To the voice in her head, she stated, "I don't have to listen to you. I'm going to bed."
You cannot deny who you are forever, Teelina, daughter of Miranith.
"Watch me," she stately acridly, and then lay back down in her bed, determined to ignore the voice if it spoke up again. It did not. She was alone once again, for the time being.
As she closed her eyes in a pitiful attempt to fall asleep, she idly wondered if Lady Moria was entering her thoughts and supplying that aggravating voice. Almost instantly, she negated that idea. Moria always used her own voice when speaking to her mentally. Though equally foreign and feminine, this voice had been somehow deeper and more. ethereal than Lady Moria's was. Not that the Dereskian Queen's voice was not otherworldly in its own right, but this had been. different.
Oh well, she told herself, yawning. It makes no difference. Even if it was Moria, I still won't pay it any mind. I'm Eternian, by choice if not completely by blood. And that is all that matters.
Eventually, sleep fell upon the Sorceress, and she descended in a world of the dreamless unconscious.
Above the castle, a cloud moved slowly over the red moon, and if one were listening carefully enough, you could almost swear that a cloud could sigh. *******
Alone in her chambers, Lady Moria sat upon her bed, drawing. She looked up at the shining form of the red moon. The ceiling of the personal chambers of the monarchy was indeed a wonderful thing. Any part of it could become invisible at any given time, and the whole was so now, bathing the entirety of the room in a glow of moonlight.
A smile was prominent upon Moria's features as she sketched. She knew all to well about the Sorceress' recent lack of dreams, and she knew its cause. As Teelina most likely thought, it was indeed she who had been preventing her dreams of late. Her reasoning was simplistic in nature. Now that it was apparent to the "Masters" that the Dereskian was very much alive, kicking, and aiding Skeletor, an all-out affront would most likely be planned.
It wouldn't happen, she knew. Not even the Eternians were idiotic enough to face her head-on. No, they would plot something more indirect, something that would hit her in a way that nothing else would. It would take them a while to figure out how to do it, but Moria knew they could only come to one solution: To get to the mother, you go through the daughter.
She had known they would ask the Sorceress what her weaknesses were. And, she had hoped, that, if Teelina obeyed their unwritten law, she would say that Lady Moria had no weaknesses. That had all gone according to plan. Teelina would be forced to stick to her promise. Moria knew that, and it did not worry her.
Nevertheless, that left the Ancient Dereskian with the problem that eventually, the "Masters" would clue in to her weakness. Had she not already revealed to them how deeply she cared for her child's well being?
The white-haired woman sighed softly into the darkness. She would cross that bridge when it came, and in the meantime, she would continue helping her child increase her power. Not for the first time, Moria considered allowing her child access to her share of the Collective. That idea was negated almost immediately. Moritënia was strong, yes, but not quite strong enough for that. Lady Moria shuddered almost involuntarily. It would hurt her child deeply, to be suddenly weighed down by the communal energies and memories of the Dereskïgiä. It could also quite possibly drive her very nearly to insanity. Moria remembered all too well how that had almost happened to her after the War of Three Days.
However, in her case, the death of her sister had already driven her to the verge of madness. With the added incentive of the Collective, she had tipped very dangerously over the edge. That time, the only thing that had stopped her from destroying herself was her lust for revenge. .If Moritënia ever came that close to insanity. Eternia would very quickly be doomed.
Lady Moria smiled softly in the moonlight. Her child was indeed a very formidable young spellcaster. With a bit more training into the Ancient Majicks, she could very easily defeat her mother in a few short years. Moria shook her moon-colored head softly. Enough of such idle thoughts. She had work to do. Humming softly to herself, she continued sketching and writing in her books, smiling as the figure on the page gradually came into semblance of reality. ********
Teelina awoke slowly, stretching and taking in the beauty of the early morning calm. She had not dreamed of anything this night, which, she supposed was better than what it very likely could have been. Though a small sense of relief was apparent within her, she was also mildly upset. It had been nearly two weeks since she had last Seen anything of importance, and Skeletor was due to attack at any time.
She knew that it was Lady Moria who was blocking her visions, as it could possibly be no one else. However, she had no way of knowing whether or not she could do anything to prevent it. Moria's power was far greater than her own, a fact which she did not admit lightly.
Sighing, she got out of her bed and made it up quickly. She dressed once again in the gold and turquoise regalia that her mother had been so fond of.
Her mother.
Teelina froze in her daily morning rituals and took a deep breath. She had been young when her mother had been killed. She did not remember much of that time. Of course, she knew it had been Moria who had killed her mother, and that the death had not been unprovoked. She remembered also that shed had been too young to take on the responsibility of Grayskull's mantle on her own. She had had a mentor who had acted as regent in her stead, only until she was old enough and mentally prepared.
It suddenly dawned on Teelina. Perhaps she would have an idea of how to take on Lady Moria. She rushed out of her bedchamber and flew to the throne room. Her mentor had once told her that if she was ever needed, she could be reached mentally.
The memory came unbidden into her mind. As long as you wear this mantle, and as long as the throne of Castle Grayskull is yours to protect, I can always be reached. I will dwell in your mind, Zoar. Zoar? The use of that name puzzled her before she realized. Her mentor had only known her before Moria had given her this name. It had been so long ago, and Lady Moria had visited her so frequently that the name Zoar had all but disappeared, barring its use as the name of her falcon form.
That brought pause to the Sorceress. Just how long has Lady Moria been manipulating me to what she wants me to be? She asked herself. She could not remember a time when the threat of the Dereskian Queen had not hung above her head. In fact, the very first thing she actually remembered was-
Teelina fell upon the floor as the memory suddenly hit her, hard. She had thought long ago that this memory, long since repressed within her mind, had all but faded.
She was lying in her crib, not more than a few days old. She was awake, but her eyes were closed in the sort of half-dreamlike state that newborns live in. Then, a sound, barely audible at all. Footsteps coming down the corridor. The door to her room opening. The sense of a slender hand passing over her face and eyelids. And then, the voice as cold and unfeeling as ice locked forever in a glacier.
"Look well after your people, Zoar the Sorceress, while they are still there to look upon. For I swear upon the family I never had, I will be avenged. If I have to destroy this city to ruin, I will be avenged. You, and your children, and your children's children will know my name, and they will fear me."
Teelina crumpled in reality, lying on the floor with her legs painfully beneath her, the grip of memory strong around her.
The feeling of lips upon her cheek, cold and forbidding, with an acrid familiarity that made her want to cringe. And then, those words.
The Sorceress shuddered as the memory began to slowly fade from her consciousness, but the words stayed, lingering within her mind. She could almost feel the Dereskian Queen's eyes upon her as her whispered words of long ago echoed within Teelina's mind.
You will never be rid of me.
Slowly, agonizingly, the haunting memory began to fade. Teelina lay on the floor there for a long moment or two, before getting to her feet, her knees shaking. No wonder it unnerved her to have the Dereskian Queen so close to her. Her first memory was of the elder woman tormenting her.
Almost idly as she sat in her throne, preparing to contact her mentor, Teelina wondered if Lady Moria would ever stop haunting her thoughts and dreams, both in day and night. Somehow, she doubted it.
You will never be rid of me.
She shook her head roughly, trying to shake it clear of those oppressing words. She needed to concentrate. Teelina's mind slowly began to calm, and she reached out with it, searching for her old teacher.
The Sorceress' mind passed over ands through most of Eternia, bypassing the dark hemisphere warily. She did not know if Moria was aware of what she was doing, but if she wasn't, Teelina was most certainly not going to broadcast the fact over Snake Mountain. She came upon the Sands of Time, and likewise passed it by.
As it happened, she did not locate her old friend and mentor. Instead, her teacher found her.
*Somehow I sense that you are trying to get my attention, Zoar.* Her mentor's voice was as it had always been, calm and soothing in her mind.
The Sorceress smiled softly. * Your senses are evidently still sharp, my teacher.* A contented sigh broke past her lips. It was refreshing, talking mentally to someone who was not arguably 'evil.'
*Dear Sorceress,* came the voice, *You should know by now that you no longer have to call me 'teacher.' My name is Kodec.* There was a slight pause. * I sense that your name has also changed, Sorceress. Am I correct?* The voice held a slight chuckle.
*You are,* the younger woman answered. *I am now known as Teelina.* She could hear a small gasp of surprise. *What is it, Kodec?* she asked, confused.
The older woman's voice trembled a little. *That is not an Eternian name, dear Sorceress. Who gave it to you?* The redhead could hear a small amount of concern in the tone of her voice.
The younger woman paused. *It's about that that I wished to talk to you,* she said softly. *The Dereskian Queen has returned.* She let the information sink in for a moment.
*She gave you that name?* asked Kodec, somewhat unsurprised. *That I might have guessed. Why you choose to go by it is quite a different matter.* In reality, Kodec sat in her own meditation chambers. She was a fairly young- looking woman, with somewhat long brown hair and eyes that tended to flux between green, blue, and brown. She was clothed in white silken robes, which were generously cut, allowing full freedom of movement, if she so chose.
*Why I choose to go by it is not the reason I'm contacting you. The fact that she has returned is.* Teelina's mind voice was somewhat sharp in tone, unintentional though it was.
Kodec's brow furrowed. *There is no reason to get angry, Teelina, if that is what you wish to be called. The Dereskian Queen has been 'back' as you so term it, ever since she 'left.' One cannot return if one was never gone in the first place.* The elder woman smiled softly. *What is it you really wish to discuss?* the voice pressed.
*She's been blocking my visions, Kodec. Lady Moria has been aiding Skeletor in his planning, made it even more difficult for the Masters to defeat him, and he's started attacking us when we least expect it. Without my visions, we have no idea when he'll strike next. And the Masters are tiring,* Teelina explained, her tone growing almost frantic.
The older woman sighed mentally. *Firstly, I find it odd that you call her by her given name, but I won't bother asking. Your main problem right now is that she is blocking your dreams?* Teelina nodded. *Then I would suggest getting her to cease doing so.*
*And how am I supposed to do that? Say 'please?'* Teelina asked bitingly.
*It wouldn't hurt,* Kodec answered. *Or, if that doesn't work, you could always seek out her place of residency and undo the procedure yourself* she suggested almost casually.
In reality, the Sorceress' eyes widened considerably. *Go to the chambers of Lady Moria?! Are you mad?! She'd kill me!* Kodec laughed softly.
* She would not, Teelina. She'd probably think it amusing to have you in her chambers.* The image of an eye winking came and went in the mind of the younger woman.
An elegant voice, so far foreign to this conversation, began to laugh gently. *Of course I would. Though I wish you luck finding my place of residence.* In reality, the two original participants' eyes both widened in sheer shock.
Within her personal chambers, Lady Moria Vadorian smiled. Despite Teelina's efforts to escape notice over the Sands of Time, Lady Moria had indeed discovered Teelina's probe, and knew who it was she was looking for. She had dropped in on their conversation as it started, and the two of them had been none the wiser.
*What do you want?* Kodec asked angrily. *We were trying to have a conversation,* She sneered in reality.
Moria's smile widened as she sat in her chambers. *Kodec Ugnor, is it not? Very nice to meet you. As for what I want, a little more respect from the two of you would be appreciated. After all, it is not very nice to talk about someone behind their back, now is it?* Her smile widened as she sensed Kodec's rage.
*It is also not very nice to but into a private conversation, Lady Moria,* Teelina commented, annoyed.
*You're quite right, Teelina,* answered the eldest of the three women. * I simply wanted to make you aware that I know what you are doing. You may draw your own conclusions as to what, if anything, I shall do about it. You may carry on.* As Moria departed, there appeared to be a sudden void in the conversation that neither of them had noticed before. Their talk ended shortly after.
Teelina once again sat in her throne room, not really any better off that she had been before the discussion. All she had really learned was no good to her, as she had absolutely no idea where Moria's chambers would be located. The Sands of Time was a rather large place.
She held her head in her hands and attempted to will a vision upon herself. The only result of that action was a rather painful headache. Apparently, Moria was not simply going to stop interrupting her visions unless she did something about it. Teelina stood from her throne and sighed. At least she knew now what she had to do.
She walked along the corridors of Grayskull, contemplating. For her to be able to find Moria's residence effectively, it would most likely take at least the better part of a day. Could she really leave the walls of her home unprotected for that long? On the other hand, she argued to herself, if I don't get Lady Moria to stop blocking my visions, Grayskull could be in more than danger than simply an invasion from Skeletor. What am I supposed to do?
Teelina extended her hand and put it gently on the stones of the walls, as if expecting them to help answer her questions. Moria knows that I need her to stop interrupting my dreams. She knows I'm considering entering her home to remove her control. If I do so, she will have the advantage. A rather annoying part of her mind argued that Moria would have the advantage wherever she was.
"I need a little help," she asked the stones softly, resting her head against the cool walls. "If I don't do something, Grayskull and the power within it could be in very grave danger. But if I leave this castle, what is to stop someone else from entering?"
She closed her eyes and waited. She did not know what she waited for; a sign, a hint, even a whisper. Whatever it was she was expecting, it was most certainly not what she got.
A familiar hand fell upon her shoulder, and, almost angrily, Teelina whirled around. She stared into the same amethyst eyes that had haunted her for centuries, and her mouth dropped open.
\\Good evening, Teelina,\\ Lady Moria said softly, a faint smile upon her lips.
The next month or so did not go well for the Masters. Skeletor's attacks, which had at first come nearly every day, had now slowed to being fewer. This was a good thing on the level that it meant the Masters were not so terribly overworked. But it was also a bad thing, in that the next of the attacks could never be exactly predicted.
Of course, the Sorceress did her share of prophesizing, and could sometimes discern on what day the next battle would occur. As time progressed, however, even the Sorceress' predictions became less and less. Apparently, something, or more probably, someone, was blocking off her visions. Teelina had a good idea as to who was doing so.
She lay alone in her sleeping chamber, lying on her bed and awaiting the sweet bliss of oblivion. It was not easily forthcoming, and again, she had a good idea why.
Damn that Dereskian Bitch, she thought idly to herself. As if it wasn't bad enough that she can come inside my castle at will, enter my thoughts and know all my deepest, darkest secrets. No, she has to be able to alter my dreams and visions as well. And she has to know everything there is to know about me, even things I don't know myself.
A soft grumble escaped angrily from the back of her throat. What madness ever possessed my mother to take her inside these walls in the first place is quite beyond me. For that matter, why did she allow herself to be impregnated by a Dereskian?! It isn't as if she couldn't have her pick of men, she was a spellcaster, after all.
Teelina sighed, knowing that sleep was impossible for her tonight. She got out of her bed and walked over to the window. The opening was large, almost her entire height and about the width of a normal-sized door. She threw back the shutters and let the bright light of the moons stream into her bedchamber. The Red Moon was full that night, and its maroon light poured over her face, creating a wonderful effect of brightness and shadows.
On an odd, unknown impulse, the Sorceress reached up and removed her feather and beak headdress. Her red hair cascaded down her shoulders; free of its confinement for one of the rare moments she was without adornment. For a wild moment, Teelina considered why she never went around with her hair loose, and then reconsidered that her costumes were the traditional ones of Grayskull's keepers. She flipped her hair back up and restored the headdress upon her head. Not to wear it would degrade the memory of her ancestors. Your mother's ancestors, said an annoying inner voice. Your father's wouldn't care what you wore.
"My father's ancestors don't concern me," she argued allowed, a little disturbed that she was talking to herself in the middle of the night. "They're as dead as every other Dereskian, and have had no say in anything I have done in my life."
But that does not prevent them from still being a part of you, continued the voice. Even if you deny it, Dereskian blood does flow within your veins. You cannot refute that any longer.
As if in agreement, the moonlight suddenly seemed to get brighter, almost as if Eläni herself was listening in on Teelina's mental breakdown.
The Sorceress abruptly closed the shutters and turned her back to the window, walking back to her bed. To the voice in her head, she stated, "I don't have to listen to you. I'm going to bed."
You cannot deny who you are forever, Teelina, daughter of Miranith.
"Watch me," she stately acridly, and then lay back down in her bed, determined to ignore the voice if it spoke up again. It did not. She was alone once again, for the time being.
As she closed her eyes in a pitiful attempt to fall asleep, she idly wondered if Lady Moria was entering her thoughts and supplying that aggravating voice. Almost instantly, she negated that idea. Moria always used her own voice when speaking to her mentally. Though equally foreign and feminine, this voice had been somehow deeper and more. ethereal than Lady Moria's was. Not that the Dereskian Queen's voice was not otherworldly in its own right, but this had been. different.
Oh well, she told herself, yawning. It makes no difference. Even if it was Moria, I still won't pay it any mind. I'm Eternian, by choice if not completely by blood. And that is all that matters.
Eventually, sleep fell upon the Sorceress, and she descended in a world of the dreamless unconscious.
Above the castle, a cloud moved slowly over the red moon, and if one were listening carefully enough, you could almost swear that a cloud could sigh. *******
Alone in her chambers, Lady Moria sat upon her bed, drawing. She looked up at the shining form of the red moon. The ceiling of the personal chambers of the monarchy was indeed a wonderful thing. Any part of it could become invisible at any given time, and the whole was so now, bathing the entirety of the room in a glow of moonlight.
A smile was prominent upon Moria's features as she sketched. She knew all to well about the Sorceress' recent lack of dreams, and she knew its cause. As Teelina most likely thought, it was indeed she who had been preventing her dreams of late. Her reasoning was simplistic in nature. Now that it was apparent to the "Masters" that the Dereskian was very much alive, kicking, and aiding Skeletor, an all-out affront would most likely be planned.
It wouldn't happen, she knew. Not even the Eternians were idiotic enough to face her head-on. No, they would plot something more indirect, something that would hit her in a way that nothing else would. It would take them a while to figure out how to do it, but Moria knew they could only come to one solution: To get to the mother, you go through the daughter.
She had known they would ask the Sorceress what her weaknesses were. And, she had hoped, that, if Teelina obeyed their unwritten law, she would say that Lady Moria had no weaknesses. That had all gone according to plan. Teelina would be forced to stick to her promise. Moria knew that, and it did not worry her.
Nevertheless, that left the Ancient Dereskian with the problem that eventually, the "Masters" would clue in to her weakness. Had she not already revealed to them how deeply she cared for her child's well being?
The white-haired woman sighed softly into the darkness. She would cross that bridge when it came, and in the meantime, she would continue helping her child increase her power. Not for the first time, Moria considered allowing her child access to her share of the Collective. That idea was negated almost immediately. Moritënia was strong, yes, but not quite strong enough for that. Lady Moria shuddered almost involuntarily. It would hurt her child deeply, to be suddenly weighed down by the communal energies and memories of the Dereskïgiä. It could also quite possibly drive her very nearly to insanity. Moria remembered all too well how that had almost happened to her after the War of Three Days.
However, in her case, the death of her sister had already driven her to the verge of madness. With the added incentive of the Collective, she had tipped very dangerously over the edge. That time, the only thing that had stopped her from destroying herself was her lust for revenge. .If Moritënia ever came that close to insanity. Eternia would very quickly be doomed.
Lady Moria smiled softly in the moonlight. Her child was indeed a very formidable young spellcaster. With a bit more training into the Ancient Majicks, she could very easily defeat her mother in a few short years. Moria shook her moon-colored head softly. Enough of such idle thoughts. She had work to do. Humming softly to herself, she continued sketching and writing in her books, smiling as the figure on the page gradually came into semblance of reality. ********
Teelina awoke slowly, stretching and taking in the beauty of the early morning calm. She had not dreamed of anything this night, which, she supposed was better than what it very likely could have been. Though a small sense of relief was apparent within her, she was also mildly upset. It had been nearly two weeks since she had last Seen anything of importance, and Skeletor was due to attack at any time.
She knew that it was Lady Moria who was blocking her visions, as it could possibly be no one else. However, she had no way of knowing whether or not she could do anything to prevent it. Moria's power was far greater than her own, a fact which she did not admit lightly.
Sighing, she got out of her bed and made it up quickly. She dressed once again in the gold and turquoise regalia that her mother had been so fond of.
Her mother.
Teelina froze in her daily morning rituals and took a deep breath. She had been young when her mother had been killed. She did not remember much of that time. Of course, she knew it had been Moria who had killed her mother, and that the death had not been unprovoked. She remembered also that shed had been too young to take on the responsibility of Grayskull's mantle on her own. She had had a mentor who had acted as regent in her stead, only until she was old enough and mentally prepared.
It suddenly dawned on Teelina. Perhaps she would have an idea of how to take on Lady Moria. She rushed out of her bedchamber and flew to the throne room. Her mentor had once told her that if she was ever needed, she could be reached mentally.
The memory came unbidden into her mind. As long as you wear this mantle, and as long as the throne of Castle Grayskull is yours to protect, I can always be reached. I will dwell in your mind, Zoar. Zoar? The use of that name puzzled her before she realized. Her mentor had only known her before Moria had given her this name. It had been so long ago, and Lady Moria had visited her so frequently that the name Zoar had all but disappeared, barring its use as the name of her falcon form.
That brought pause to the Sorceress. Just how long has Lady Moria been manipulating me to what she wants me to be? She asked herself. She could not remember a time when the threat of the Dereskian Queen had not hung above her head. In fact, the very first thing she actually remembered was-
Teelina fell upon the floor as the memory suddenly hit her, hard. She had thought long ago that this memory, long since repressed within her mind, had all but faded.
She was lying in her crib, not more than a few days old. She was awake, but her eyes were closed in the sort of half-dreamlike state that newborns live in. Then, a sound, barely audible at all. Footsteps coming down the corridor. The door to her room opening. The sense of a slender hand passing over her face and eyelids. And then, the voice as cold and unfeeling as ice locked forever in a glacier.
"Look well after your people, Zoar the Sorceress, while they are still there to look upon. For I swear upon the family I never had, I will be avenged. If I have to destroy this city to ruin, I will be avenged. You, and your children, and your children's children will know my name, and they will fear me."
Teelina crumpled in reality, lying on the floor with her legs painfully beneath her, the grip of memory strong around her.
The feeling of lips upon her cheek, cold and forbidding, with an acrid familiarity that made her want to cringe. And then, those words.
The Sorceress shuddered as the memory began to slowly fade from her consciousness, but the words stayed, lingering within her mind. She could almost feel the Dereskian Queen's eyes upon her as her whispered words of long ago echoed within Teelina's mind.
You will never be rid of me.
Slowly, agonizingly, the haunting memory began to fade. Teelina lay on the floor there for a long moment or two, before getting to her feet, her knees shaking. No wonder it unnerved her to have the Dereskian Queen so close to her. Her first memory was of the elder woman tormenting her.
Almost idly as she sat in her throne, preparing to contact her mentor, Teelina wondered if Lady Moria would ever stop haunting her thoughts and dreams, both in day and night. Somehow, she doubted it.
You will never be rid of me.
She shook her head roughly, trying to shake it clear of those oppressing words. She needed to concentrate. Teelina's mind slowly began to calm, and she reached out with it, searching for her old teacher.
The Sorceress' mind passed over ands through most of Eternia, bypassing the dark hemisphere warily. She did not know if Moria was aware of what she was doing, but if she wasn't, Teelina was most certainly not going to broadcast the fact over Snake Mountain. She came upon the Sands of Time, and likewise passed it by.
As it happened, she did not locate her old friend and mentor. Instead, her teacher found her.
*Somehow I sense that you are trying to get my attention, Zoar.* Her mentor's voice was as it had always been, calm and soothing in her mind.
The Sorceress smiled softly. * Your senses are evidently still sharp, my teacher.* A contented sigh broke past her lips. It was refreshing, talking mentally to someone who was not arguably 'evil.'
*Dear Sorceress,* came the voice, *You should know by now that you no longer have to call me 'teacher.' My name is Kodec.* There was a slight pause. * I sense that your name has also changed, Sorceress. Am I correct?* The voice held a slight chuckle.
*You are,* the younger woman answered. *I am now known as Teelina.* She could hear a small gasp of surprise. *What is it, Kodec?* she asked, confused.
The older woman's voice trembled a little. *That is not an Eternian name, dear Sorceress. Who gave it to you?* The redhead could hear a small amount of concern in the tone of her voice.
The younger woman paused. *It's about that that I wished to talk to you,* she said softly. *The Dereskian Queen has returned.* She let the information sink in for a moment.
*She gave you that name?* asked Kodec, somewhat unsurprised. *That I might have guessed. Why you choose to go by it is quite a different matter.* In reality, Kodec sat in her own meditation chambers. She was a fairly young- looking woman, with somewhat long brown hair and eyes that tended to flux between green, blue, and brown. She was clothed in white silken robes, which were generously cut, allowing full freedom of movement, if she so chose.
*Why I choose to go by it is not the reason I'm contacting you. The fact that she has returned is.* Teelina's mind voice was somewhat sharp in tone, unintentional though it was.
Kodec's brow furrowed. *There is no reason to get angry, Teelina, if that is what you wish to be called. The Dereskian Queen has been 'back' as you so term it, ever since she 'left.' One cannot return if one was never gone in the first place.* The elder woman smiled softly. *What is it you really wish to discuss?* the voice pressed.
*She's been blocking my visions, Kodec. Lady Moria has been aiding Skeletor in his planning, made it even more difficult for the Masters to defeat him, and he's started attacking us when we least expect it. Without my visions, we have no idea when he'll strike next. And the Masters are tiring,* Teelina explained, her tone growing almost frantic.
The older woman sighed mentally. *Firstly, I find it odd that you call her by her given name, but I won't bother asking. Your main problem right now is that she is blocking your dreams?* Teelina nodded. *Then I would suggest getting her to cease doing so.*
*And how am I supposed to do that? Say 'please?'* Teelina asked bitingly.
*It wouldn't hurt,* Kodec answered. *Or, if that doesn't work, you could always seek out her place of residency and undo the procedure yourself* she suggested almost casually.
In reality, the Sorceress' eyes widened considerably. *Go to the chambers of Lady Moria?! Are you mad?! She'd kill me!* Kodec laughed softly.
* She would not, Teelina. She'd probably think it amusing to have you in her chambers.* The image of an eye winking came and went in the mind of the younger woman.
An elegant voice, so far foreign to this conversation, began to laugh gently. *Of course I would. Though I wish you luck finding my place of residence.* In reality, the two original participants' eyes both widened in sheer shock.
Within her personal chambers, Lady Moria Vadorian smiled. Despite Teelina's efforts to escape notice over the Sands of Time, Lady Moria had indeed discovered Teelina's probe, and knew who it was she was looking for. She had dropped in on their conversation as it started, and the two of them had been none the wiser.
*What do you want?* Kodec asked angrily. *We were trying to have a conversation,* She sneered in reality.
Moria's smile widened as she sat in her chambers. *Kodec Ugnor, is it not? Very nice to meet you. As for what I want, a little more respect from the two of you would be appreciated. After all, it is not very nice to talk about someone behind their back, now is it?* Her smile widened as she sensed Kodec's rage.
*It is also not very nice to but into a private conversation, Lady Moria,* Teelina commented, annoyed.
*You're quite right, Teelina,* answered the eldest of the three women. * I simply wanted to make you aware that I know what you are doing. You may draw your own conclusions as to what, if anything, I shall do about it. You may carry on.* As Moria departed, there appeared to be a sudden void in the conversation that neither of them had noticed before. Their talk ended shortly after.
Teelina once again sat in her throne room, not really any better off that she had been before the discussion. All she had really learned was no good to her, as she had absolutely no idea where Moria's chambers would be located. The Sands of Time was a rather large place.
She held her head in her hands and attempted to will a vision upon herself. The only result of that action was a rather painful headache. Apparently, Moria was not simply going to stop interrupting her visions unless she did something about it. Teelina stood from her throne and sighed. At least she knew now what she had to do.
She walked along the corridors of Grayskull, contemplating. For her to be able to find Moria's residence effectively, it would most likely take at least the better part of a day. Could she really leave the walls of her home unprotected for that long? On the other hand, she argued to herself, if I don't get Lady Moria to stop blocking my visions, Grayskull could be in more than danger than simply an invasion from Skeletor. What am I supposed to do?
Teelina extended her hand and put it gently on the stones of the walls, as if expecting them to help answer her questions. Moria knows that I need her to stop interrupting my dreams. She knows I'm considering entering her home to remove her control. If I do so, she will have the advantage. A rather annoying part of her mind argued that Moria would have the advantage wherever she was.
"I need a little help," she asked the stones softly, resting her head against the cool walls. "If I don't do something, Grayskull and the power within it could be in very grave danger. But if I leave this castle, what is to stop someone else from entering?"
She closed her eyes and waited. She did not know what she waited for; a sign, a hint, even a whisper. Whatever it was she was expecting, it was most certainly not what she got.
A familiar hand fell upon her shoulder, and, almost angrily, Teelina whirled around. She stared into the same amethyst eyes that had haunted her for centuries, and her mouth dropped open.
\\Good evening, Teelina,\\ Lady Moria said softly, a faint smile upon her lips.