Adam bolted upright in the bed, startling everyone around him. He looked around wildly for a moment, not sure that he had really broken the spell, especially since they were all staring at him as if they'd never seen him before.
"Incredible," Granamyr whispered. "He broke the spell!" Adora let out a sob of relief and threw her arms around her brother, holding him tight. Adam returned the hug weakly.
"Adam!" Marlena cried. She and Randor had just re-entered the room, and they raced over to embrace their son as well.
"You're alive," Adam murmured as he hugged his family. "You're all alive." He was so relieved that his eyes burned with tears.
"Us?" Randor asked, drawing back slightly, but still maintaining contact by leaving a hand on Adam's shoulder. "You're the one who has been on your deathbed all day."
The words sounded so ominous. Adam shook his head as if to clear it. "I know. You wouldn't believe…" he trailed off, eyes haunted by the lingering feelings and memories. Cringer raised himself onto the bed and Adam let go of Adora to hug the cat wordlessly.
"We know some of it," Marlena said gently. "Granamyr was able to enter into your mind a few times to find out what was going on." For the first time, Adam noticed the old dragon on the other side of the room.
"Granamyr," he breathed in astonishment. "You're here?" The old dragon might consider He-Man worth his while, but-
The old dragon shrugged. "The Sorceress seemed to think it would be important to He-Man that I help you," he explained. Adam missed the tightening of Randor's mouth as the king listened.
"How are you feeling, brother?" Adora asked gently, as she and Marlena both felt for a fever. It seemed to be gone, but Adam was trembling a bit with the effort of sitting up. "I think you'd better lie back down," Adora said, pushing firmly on his shoulders. Adam complied willingly, sinking into the soft mattress.
"I don't know how I feel," he answered her. "I'm too drained to feel anything. Re-living bad memories, arguing with my family," his father flinched at this one, but Adam was staring off, not paying attention, "fighting, confronting Kaspanya…it felt so real." His voice drifted a bit, but then he spoke up again. "I owe all of you thanks. I could hear you. It was your encouragement that kept me going." One day he would explain it better, but he couldn't bear to do so now. He couldn't re-live the memories and fears.
"Prince Adam," Granamyr said, with his frown a bit more pronounced than usual. "You say you came face-to-face with Lord Kaspanya?"
Adam nodded, and repeated what the sorcerer had said to him.
"Is it true, Granamyr?" Randor's voice was full of fear. Adam looked at him, surprised by the normally unflappable Randor.
"I believe the sorcerer is telling the truth, Your Majesty," Granamyr said. "But I also believe we can win this, with Orko's help."
"ME?" the little Trollan asked.
Granamyr nodded. "It is actually quite simple, my little friend. Come with me, and I will explain it." He and Orko began to retreat to another room.
"Wait," Adam called. "Granamyr, who is this Lord Kaspanya, and how did he come by such powerful magic?" Adam's brow furrowed as he tried to remember any legends he had heard. Nothing was coming to mind.
"Kaspanya made a deal with Evil itself," Granamyr began. "Kaspanya wanted power over whether people lived or died. Evil wanted souls. And so Kaspanya agreed to collect souls and pay any additional price, provided that he would be able kill anyone he focused on. With its twisted way of thinking, Evil gave Kaspanya exactly what he wanted—Kaspanya was given this ultimate power. But Evil likes to torture even its own servants, and it placed him into a stone talisman. Only when the talisman was focused by another could Kaspanya use his power to kill. And he could not leave the talisman with this power until he had collected the number of souls agreed upon, or until he collected one that was so powerful, it would pay his debt in full." He gazed upon Adam thoughtfully. "You are a man of unusual inner strength, courage, and determination, Prince Adam. I am not sure any other person in this world could have defeated the spell as you have. Because of you, we have a chance to separate Kaspanya from his magic." Beckoning to Orko, he turned and left the room.
There was a small silence. Randor found it difficult to accept what Granamyr had just said. "Courage" and "Adam" were not usually spoken in the same breath. Then again, Adam had saved his life today. He looked on his son with new eyes, his thoughts racing.
"Do you think the wizard was telling the truth?" Marlena asked her son. Adam had closed his eyes, and for a second they all feared that he had slipped back into the coma-like state. Then his blue eyes slowly opened.
Adam hesitated to worry his family, but he tried hard not to lie, and he certainly couldn't lie about this. "Yes. I can still feel the spell. Kaspanya's waiting for another chance."
Adam's eyes drifted shut; he was so very tired. But something else was wrong. He strained to rouse himself again. "Orko said Skeletor has Teela and Man-at-Arms," he remembered slowly. "Is that true?"
"Yeah, and he said He-Man had to surrender or he'd use the talisman on them!" Orko exclaimed, his arms waving about in excitement.
"Orko!" Marlena chided. Randor shot a hard stare at the Trollan.
"Ooops," Orko said, covering his mouth.
"What?" Adam asked, sitting up again. The motion set his head spinning slightly. Adam couldn't even resist as his father gently pushed him back down.
"We're trying to get in touch with He-Man right now. He'll handle this. You need to rest." Randor looked even more upset than before, and Adam couldn't figure out why. 'Maybe he's more worried about Teela and Duncan than he wants to let on,' he thought.
"Your Majesties," the Sorceress ventured. They turned to her. "I believe it might be appropriate for the two of you to return to the palace. Adam should stay here, so that I can fortify him with the power of Grayskull until we resolve this, but given the absence of both Teela and Man-at-Arms, I believe you are needed at home."
Marlena wanted to stay, but Adora promised her parents she would keep an eye on Adam, as did the Sorceress. Comforted by this, the queen finally allowed herself to be convinced that it was best to go, but resolved to return first thing in the morning.
As soon as the royal couple left the room, Adam turned to the Sorceress. "I have to go after Teela and Duncan. But when you tried to enter my mind, and when Granamyr used his magic in full force, I was frozen. I couldn't move at all. Is it safe to become He-Man?"
The Sorceress shrugged and looked to Granamyr, who had just re-entered the room with Orko. "At this point Adam, you may know more about Kaspanya's magic than we do," she replied slowly. She noticed Adam's face pale at the realization that he had spoken of his transformation in front of Granamyr. 'It's all right Adam,' she informed him telepathically. 'He knew from when he entered your mind.'
Granamyr nodded his great head. "You are the first person to survive the talisman this long, and the first to wake up at all," he said. "We are in uncharted territory. But if the two magics do conflict, it would most likely cause you unspeakable pain."
"Let me handle this, Adam," Adora said. She lifted her sword.
"FOR THE HONOR OF GRAYSKULL," she shouted. A swirl of lights surrounded her. "I AM SHE-RA!"
Adam hesitated as he watched her transform, weighing what he had learned. He already knew what he would do, in spite of any risks. He had sworn an oath to protect the innocent, and he would do so at any cost.
"I can still feel a connection to Kaspanya," he finally said. "But I have faith in the power of Grayskull to prevail, should the two powers conflict."
"Adam, no one is questioning which is more powerful. The problem is that the conflict would take place within your body," the Sorceress cautioned. "If you can still feel a connection to Kaspanya's power, this could be very dangerous. The talisman cannot be used on Teela and Duncan so long as it is focused on you. They are not in immediate danger. Let She-Ra handle the rescue." The princess of power nodded, her eyes pleading with her brother to relent this once.
"I can deal with pain. I can't deal with harm coming to Teela or Man-at-Arms," he answered resolutely. "If Skeletor can't use the talisman against them, he'll find something else." Adam slowly got to his feet. He knew he was being stubborn, but he couldn't get rid of the thought of Teela and Duncan in Skeletor's dungeon, or the image of them dead outside Castle Grayskull. It might be foolish, but he had to see that they were all right. He raised the Sword of Power and shouted, "BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!" In a flash of light, his body was transformed, and at first he felt nothing but the familiar wash of warmth. "I HAVE THE POWER!"
As Grayskull's magic grew stronger and flooded him completely, he felt pain unlike any he'd ever experienced before. It felt as if a river of fire were pouring in or out of every pore, as if he could actually feel every cell in his body screaming in agony. The sword clattered to the floor as Eternia's champion fell to his knees, gasping.
"He-Man!" She-Ra rushed to his side, but so great was his pain that he pushed her away. He couldn't bear to be touched. He closed his eyes and willed himself to be still, to allow Grayskull's magic to work within him.
"What do we do?" Orko asked worriedly.
"Hush, Orko," the Sorceress whispered, holding up her hand. "This is a battle between two powers, and there is nothing anyone can do. Keep quiet, and let He-Man focus Grayskull's magic inward."
Ever so gradually, the pain subsided, until at last it was bearable. He-Man was able to open his eyes. He mentally searched for Kaspanya's presence, but he could no longer sense it. He climbed shakily to his feet, accepting the hand She-Ra held out to him.
"Are you all right?" She-Ra asked him gently.
He-Man nodded, flexing his arms gingerly. "I'm weak and sore, but I'll be all right by the time we get to Snake Mountain. There is one more thing I have to do, though…." He pointed his sword towards Cringer, who was transformed into Battle Cat in a flash of light.
He-Man looked to the Sorceress. "I can no longer sense the connection to Kaspanya. Does that mean the spell is completely broken?"
"I doubt it, He-Man. I believe it more likely means that he has withdrawn, quite possibly taking most of his power back to the talisman itself. But I am sure that he maintains some sort of connection so that he can attack again."
Granamyr smiled. "Leave Kaspanya to Orko, He-Man. He knows just what to do."
"I hope," Orko muttered shakily.
Skeletor had placed Teela and Duncan in a hidden cell, and put two of his henchmen on watch—Webstor, who clung to the ceiling above, and Trap Jaw at the door. The two prisoners were chained and gagged.
"What was Skeletor so giddy about when you checked in?" Webstor asked in a bored tone. They'd been down there for more than three hours.
"You web-brain, the talisman's glow is back. It means Prince Adam's dead, and Skeletor will be able to use the talisman on He-Man when he gets here," Trap Jaw explained. He wondered how anyone could be so stupid. They all knew Skeletor's plan.
"Oh, is that all?" Webstor asked. "I'm surprised he didn't die right away. He's supposed to be a coward."
"Yeah, go figure," Trap Jaw answered thoughtfully, scratching his metal jaw with his laser attachment.
Teela and Duncan looked at each other in horror. Teela felt her eyes well up and spill over. She wanted to scream out her rage and despair, but the gag prevented any significant noise. 'It's all my fault,' she thought. 'My best friend. Adam…no, no, no…please don't let it be true.'
Duncan's face was wet as well, but he tried to stop crying, to be brave for his daughter. 'Sorceress,' he called, closing his eyes. 'Sorceress.'
'Man-at-Arms, I am here.'
'The talisman glows again. Is…Adam…is he…?' He couldn't even finish the thought through the sense of loss he felt.
'He-Man is on the way, Duncan.'
Duncan's tears overflowed, this time from relief. 'Teela,' he said to the Sorceress. 'She needs to know he's okay. I can't talk to her.'
'I understand.'
Duncan watched as Teela's face took on a startled expression. Hope suddenly returned to her eyes as she looked at her father, and he could tell that even under her gag, she was smiling.
She-Ra summoned Swift Wind from Etheria, while He-Man contacted Mekanek and Stratos on the communicators, and asked them to meet him and She-Ra outside Snake Mountain. Then the twins, Orko, Battle Cat, and Swift Wind left Castle Grayskull—and stopped short at the end of the drawbridge.
"Your Majesties!" She-Ra exclaimed. "Are you back so soon?" She cast a nervous glance towards He-Man. How would they explain Adam's absence?
"Yes, She-Ra, we turned back when we heard He-Man's voice on the communications line," Randor said. He-Man watched his father carefully, trying to gauge his mood. The King had been acting a bit oddly, and He-Man felt that it was due to more than the fact that his son had nearly died. Randor could be difficult to read when he put on the royal act, and he was playing it to the hilt right now—back straight, shoulders relaxed, chin up in the air. But He-Man's eye finally caught the twitching muscle in Randor's jaw, the same spot that twitched when he himself was angry. "Could I speak to you a moment, He-Man?"
"Of course, sire." He-Man dismounted and resisted the urge to moan aloud as his muscles protested. He followed Randor slowly until they were a dozen yards away from Marlena and She-Ra, who both watched them with open concern.
"I want to know what problem you have with my son, He-Man."
"I beg your pardon?" He-Man was sure he'd heard wrong.
"I've watched you for years now. If Teela is in danger, you appear. Grayskull, you're there. The palace, the queen, Man-at-Arms, me…if Skeletor lifts so much as a finger against us, you are suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, there to protect us. But not Adam. This is not the first time my son's life has been threatened in some manner, although it was by far the most serious. And where were you? Nowhere to be found." Randor's voice was getting louder; the women could hear him easily now. "You can never be 'found' when Adam is in danger. Now that Teela's been captured, you're dashing off to the rescue again. But where have you been all day when we needed you, when Adam needed you?" Randor stood there, rigid, eyes staring directly into He-Man's in challenge.
He-Man had not a clue what to say. He couldn't tell Randor the truth, nor could he deny the truth of the king's statements. He couldn't very well point out that there was nothing He-Man could have done anyway. Randor obviously didn't care about that.
Adam had grown accustomed to making excuses for his absences and actions, but as He-Man he was rarely had to do so. He couldn't seem to come up with a valid excuse. Intermingled with his indecision was shock that Randor had even noticed that He-Man never rescued Adam—at least, not that anyone had seen, although Adam made sure he told stories of He-Man "showing up" to help him. Randor's observation was insightful, and Adam had never prepared himself for it.
She-Ra, too was shocked into speechlessness. The honor that prevented either of them from killing another living being also kept them from lying. Instead, they kept their answers truthful but vague, and the swords' magic protected them from being questioned too closely. For the king to suddenly be on this line of questioning meant that the swords' power over his mind was fading for some reason. It meant that he was now believing what he had personally witnessed, not what Adam had told him over the years when he said things like, "He-Man showed up and took care of it." She glanced at her mother, and saw something akin to…relief?
For a full minute, He-Man simply stared back at Randor, trying to think of something to say. Then, without warning, the king's face grew blurry, and before he knew what had happened, She-Ra was holding him up on one side, Battle Cat on the other.
"Easy, brother," She-Ra whispered into his ear. "I've got you."
"He-Man, are you all right?" Marlena asked, worry evident in her voice.
He-Man shook his head a little to clear it, but the action did not help. His breathing was harsh and his heart was pounding rapidly. He-Man deliberately slowed his breathing, leaning heavily on Battle Cat. After what seemed to be an eternity, he straightened up to look at Randor, who was trying to ascertain if He-Man was truly unwell, or if he was being played for a fool.
"King Randor, I assure you I have nothing but the highest respect for your son," He-Man said, his voice not quite as commanding as normal. "I came as quickly as I could." That, at least, was the truth. He turned to his mother and offered her a smile. "I'll be fine, Your Majesty. Thank you for your concern."
Randor studied He-Man for a moment. His normally clear, blue eyes did seem a bit glazed and shadowed, and his mouth was drawn tight as if he were in pain. Randor realized that he'd never seen Grayskull's champion in such a condition before.
"By the Ancients," he murmured. "I can see you're not well, He-Man. I'm very sorry for…accusing you like that. I hope you understand, it's just that I love that boy, and I almost lost him today."
He-Man's face softened for just a moment before pain gripped it again. "I understand, Sire," he said softly.
"Your Majesties," She-Ra said, watching her brother's face closely, "I wondered if you would be interested in a little trade…"
A short time later, He-Man, She-Ra, Orko, and Battle Cat were on their way in the attak trak. The king and queen had been taken back to the palace by Swift Wind. He-Man breathed a sigh of relief, as he was able to lie down and rest in the back of the vehicle. They were almost to Snake Mountain before he came up to sit next to She-Ra.
"You know, I think Father's beginning to figure us out—or at least you," She-Ra said. "If he's starting to question the coincidences and why he hasn't actually seen you save Adam, then the swords' magic is not affecting him as much. He's beginning to see the truth."
"This morning I would have laughed at that idea," her brother responded. "Now, I think you might be right. I just don't know what to do about it."
"What do you mean? If he figured it out, the Sorceress wouldn't erase his memory, would she?" the princess asked, alarmed.
"I don't think so," He-Man responded, "but that's not what I meant. I'm concerned that if we aren't the ones to tell Father, his pride will be so stung it'll take him forever to get over it."
"I don't know him as well as you do, but I think we're going to have that problem even if we are the ones to tell him," She-Ra agreed.
Orko chimed in. "Maybe if he figures it out, he'll be so proud of himself that he won't be mad," he suggested hopefully. The twins exchanged glances, their expressions clearly indicating that that particular idea was highly unlikely.
He-Man, came the Sorceress' voice. 'Teela and Duncan are not in the usual dungeon. Battle Cat will have to track them down.'
'I understand.'
"That's far enough, Trak," He-Man said, spotting their two allies. "You'd better wait here."
"How are you feeling, He-Man?" She-Ra asked as they got out of the vehicle. She noticed he was moving much more slowly than normal.
"I'm better," he said, refusing to admit that every movement caused pain. It was just a stiffness that would work itself out, he assured himself. As they approached Stratos and Mekanek, he saw She-Ra staring at him again. "I'm stiff, but I'm much stronger," he assured her.
After everyone had greeted each other, He-Man explained the plan. Mekanek, Stratos, Battle Cat, and She-Ra were to sneak into Snake Mountain to free Teela and Man-at-Arms. He-Man would surrender in order to draw their attention. Orko would follow He-Man at a distance, to assist with the destruction of the talisman at the proper time.
"I don't like this, He-Man," She-Ra finally said. "With what you've been through today, putting yourself in this position is asking for trouble."
Stratos raised an eyebrow. "What happened to you today?"
"Nothing," He-Man said, glaring at his sister. "Let's just say I'll be glad when all this is over."
"You're in no condition to be taking on Skeletor single-handedly," She-Ra insisted.
"I agree with She-Ra," Battle Cat rumbled. Stratos and Mekanek looked alarmed. For two of He-Man's staunchest supporters to be arguing with him was highly unusual, especially in front of others. In fact, neither Stratos nor Mekanek remembered it ever happening before. Perhaps there was something really wrong with the champion.
"I have no choice," He-Man stated in a dangerously quiet voice. A muscle in his jaw twitched, and She-Ra thought of their father. He-Man suddenly didn't look quite as weak as he had a few moments ago. "Skeletor wants me in exchange for them. I know we cannot trust him, but I will not put Teela and Duncan at risk. They aren't in the normal dungeons; they're hidden. If we go in there without me surrendering to them, and don't find Teela and Duncan in time, Skeletor might harm them. Surrendering to them will buy you time to find them and rescue them." 'And I have to get that talisman or Adam will be a prisoner forever,' he added silently.
There was silence. No one liked it, but they all knew he was right. Besides, no one was going to argue with the most powerful man in the universe when he was angry…not even his sister.