Post by zimraphel on Nov 8, 2008 14:04:08 GMT -5
Almost from the second he shook himself out of his daze, Blackstar aggressively pressed for more information about the na'dante. As He-Man ate the meal Elhanu set before him (his growling stomach had finally, embarrassingly, given him away), the Eledhrin plied him with one question after another. His drive to learn everything he could about his enemy bordered on the obsessive side of single-minded; it was obvious that last night's carnage and battle yet haunted him, as their echo had haunted the Sorceress. He-Man listened and did his best to answer the questions put to him, but his knowledge was limited and at last he had to admit it. "Look, you know everything I know," he said, "everything the Sorceress told me."
"Is it possible to speak with her?"
He's still not satisfied. "At this great a distance, I'm not sure."
"So how will you return to your world if you can't communicate with her?"
His host was nothing if not persistent.
"When it's time for Battlecat and I to go back to Eternia, I will use the Sword of Power to unlock the Portal so we can step through to Castle Greyskull; it takes only a second. If it became necessary, I suppose there'd be no problem in letting you step through with us, except--" He-Man paused around a draft of ale. How do I phrase this? "I think that sword of yours would have to remain behind. It's powerful enough to interfere with the transfer and I don't know how to compensate for it."
"You think the Starsword will render your Eternian magic unstable." There was a tense silence. "Perhaps you're right. And when the swords come into contact with each other....well, maybe they're not as compatible as you think. Did you ever stop to consider that instead of sealing the rift they might tear it wide open and allow more of those....things to go free? Did it occur to you that their combined power might be too much for human hands and kill us both? I didn't have to run that na'dani through; I could have unleashed a wave of power that would have utterly vaporized it. Do you know why I didn't?"
He-Man thought about it for a moment. "There were people with you."
A sober nod told him he was right. "I can't always control the Starsword. Enough of my etteva died without my stepping in to help."
"Look, I'm sorry ab--"
"Your apologies don't bring people back from the dead and they certainly don't do anything for the families of the men I lost," Blackstar snapped. "They are sworn to die for me, if I require it, but I would rather not. Perhaps you'd better speak to this Sorceress of yours again."
"I can go back through the Portal tomorrow." His appetite suddenly gone, He-Man carefully set his fork down. More than ever he wanted to return home and put this cheerless world behind him. The Adam side of him was homesick for spring, for familiar faces, and could hardly care less what happened to these people. But He-Man knew how wrong it would be simply to leave; there would be consequences, and he knew Adam knew it, too. "You're welcome to come along if you want."
Blackstar seemed strangely reluctant to say yes. "This Castle Greyskull of yours, it's a place of power, yes?"
"Well, yes. It's a crossroads for an infinite number of dimensions, but why would you want to go there? I thought--"
"I don't want to go there, Eternian. I merely asked you if Greyskull was a place of power."
"The Ancients created it as a both an interdimensional doorway and repository for their vast knowledge."
"Did your Sorceress tell you that the Sagarese also have places of power?"
"She doesn't know very much about this world, I'm afraid," He-Man replied. "She is bound to Castle Greyskull's physical plane of existence, and that lies in Eternia. As guardian of Greyskull, she cannot do as the Ancients did and roam the universe as she will. When it comes to other dimensions, other worlds, she has to rely on whatever knowledge is already available."
"And yet she can speak across the worlds. She can receive messages, can't she?"
Not for the first time, He-Man wondered where the other man's thoughts were running; he was an utter cipher. "Sometimes, yes."
"And if there is sufficient power?"
"Yes, but I don't unders--"
"I know of a place of power," said the Eledhrin, "and someone who might be able to speak to your Sorceress."
In the predawn darkness, He-Man awoke to the sound of Elhanu's voice politely but firmly telling him to get up and be ready to travel within the half-hour. Teeth chattering, he ate and dressed by candlelight, then made his way down to the main hall. Just outside the doors, he was reunited with Battlecat, who had little of interest to report. He had been given food and was allowed to sleep by the fire, but grumbled that the company could have been better.
"Sour fellows." He jerked his chin toward the two guards standing just inside the doorway.
He-Man laid a reassuring hand on his companion's neck. "Don't take it personally, Cat."
"Is that him, the Eledhrin?"
Almost as if on cue, Blackstar emerged from the house, flanked by two warriors of the etteva. He was wearing his right arm in a sling and looked as if he hadn't gotten much sleep. His eyes found He-Man and Battlecat, and he nodded approvingly.
"I hope you slept well enough, Eternian," he said.
"As well as could be expected in a strange bed on a strange world. He-Man nodded. "You know," he added, "you can call me by name."
There was a pause, then the Eledhrin replied in a quiet, wistful voice, "No, I don't think so. My people have often used the word 'he-man' to signify a macho, blustering moron. Do you really want me to insult you?"
How odd, thought He-Man, and strangely familiar. Queen Marlena had once confided a similar observation to her son long before she began to suspect his dual identity. Such an odd name for the Champion of Greyskull, she said. Where I come from, it generally isn't considered a compliment. "It's entirely up to you," he said. "You haven't yet told me where we're going."
Nor would he, except to say that their destination lay some six hours' ride to the northeast and was a place of power.
Dawn had barely touched the horizon when they set out from Dha'Alasia, a party of five. He-Man stole a sidelong glance at the two warriors assigned to protect the Eledhrin and heaved an inward sigh of relief that neither Tharada nor the axe-wielding Kendric had been chosen.
They followed a well-travelled road through woods whose color and life stood in sharp contrast to yesterday's quiet horror. For a time, He-Man watched the landscape slide past, yet slowly, inevitably, his thoughts began to slip inward, to the questions he must remember to ask the Sorceress--what a fool he felt like for not having remembered to ask before! But he also knew that he needed more from her than information. Barely twenty-four hours had passed since he left Eternia, yet in that time he had known fear and worry and desolation. And he knew that more of the same surely lay on the path to come.
His travelling companions, Battlecat included, were a uniformly grim lot. If he'd cherished any hopes of engaging the Eledhrin in conversation, those hopes died the moment he caught a glimpse of Blackstar's taut, pain-lined face. In the absence of lively company, all He-Man had for comfort were his own thoughts.
Near midmorning, the woods began to thin out.
"We'll be there soon," Blackstar said. They were the first words he or anyone else had uttered in hours; the sound of them startled He-Man out of deep thought.
Beyond the trees, the ground fell away from the road on one side. He-Man and Battlecat were led to a vista where they might have an unobstructed view of the country they were now entering.
Before them, the ground gently sloped downward into a valley bisected by pastures and new-mown fields of winter wheat and barley, and beyond, by a sluggishly meandering river. And all of it lay partially in the shadow of a solitary tree whose branches swept the clouds. It was the most massive--impossibly massive--living thing He-Man had ever seen. He heard himself gasp and Battlecat grunt in amazement.
"How faraway is it?"
"About an hour's ride," came the reply.
As they moved down into the valley, He-Man began to sense the Tree's power. It felt neither threatening nor overwhelming, no more than a subtle omnipresence hovering at the edge of his consciousness. And he quickly saw he wasn't the only one who felt it; the two warriors of the etteva visibly relaxed their hypervigilance and even Battlecat seemed a little less gruff, but it was in Blackstar that the change was most clearly marked. The strain all but disappeared from his face and he became a little more talkative; it occurred to He-Man that when he smiled, he didn't seem quite so old.
As they crossed the river, He-Man could begin to discern the buildings of a town or village--given the surreal proportions, it was difficult to tell which--situated on the southeast slope of the Tree. Blackstar told him the name of the town was Kal'en Haran, and no, they weren't going to be stopping there. "The people will kill us with their hospitality," he said. Then his brow furrowed and he added hastily, "They mean well, but there's no time. No time."
Not long after, they rode in under the shade of the Tree and up a path which took them to its very roots, roots each the thickness of a great oak, gnarled and twisted together and green in places with velvet-dark moss.
He-Man dismounted and paced back and forth to try to work some of the stiffness out of his legs. Just as some of the sensation began to return to his limbs, Blackstar approached and told him to follow. Only him. The two warriors were to stay behind with the horses and Battlecat was visibly exhausted, though he would have accompanied He-Man without complaint if He-Man required it of him.
"It's all right, Cat," He-Man told him. "Go ahead and rest. I think it'll be safe enough."
With a grunt, Battlecat plopped down on the grass. "Next time I'll let you carry me."
He-Man grinned and ruffled the big cat's fur before setting off after Blackstar. Battlecat might grumble, but he could easily carry three times his own weight without noticing.
Steps had been set into one gnarled column of roots, apparently without the use of either mortar or nails. And there were hundreds of them, rising without end. His legs aching with the strain, He-Man climbed up after the Eledhrin, who didn't pause even once to see if he was following. Apparently, he was accustomed to the exercise.
Just as he was about to ask how much farther, a figure silently and abruptly appeared on the steps above them. A woman. Robes of carnelian and dark gold fell from her shoulders in silken folds. She had high, wide cheekbones and skin like pale twilight; her hair was a deeper shade of the same, intricately braided and spilling in a jewelled cascade down her back. He-Man stopped and stared slack-jawed at her, his question all at once forgotten.
"I have been expecting you since yesterday," she said to Blackstar.
"I didn't get your message until close to midnight," he replied,"and I didn't really feel like another night journey. Besides, I had a guest." He half-turned and motioned to He-Man. "He knows what happened two nights ago. He's told me it will happen again. Soon."
For the first time, the woman's gaze fell on He-Man and focused there. With a slight gesture, she motioned him forward. "How do you come by this knowledge?" she asked in a low, softly-accented voice that reminded him of the Sorceress. "How do you know about the na'dante?"
"I was told by the Sorceress of Greyskull."
"Greyskull?" Her eyes narrowed a little in recognition. "That is a very long way from here."
"Not so faraway that his Sorceress couldn't feel the na'dani break into this world and die." There was a hint of accusation in Blackstar's voice. "You never said anything to me about these creatures."
She glanced at him, saw the sling and frowned. "What did you do to your arm?"
"It's nothing, just a sprain."
It was obvious she didn't believe him. "Before you leave my physician will--"
"I've my own physician and he's looked at it already."
"What you have is a battle-surgeon."
"Tell that witch-doctor of yours to keep his potions to himself, Mara. I fell in the dark during the fight with the na'dani. It's hardly the worst that could have happened."
Remembering what he'd seen and heard last night, He-Man knew that last part was a lie. He said nothing.
"In any case, I didn't come here to argue with you about my cuts and bruises," Blackstar added. "The Eternian is asking for our help--mine to help close the dimensional rift that allowed the na'dani to escape and yours to help speak with the Sorceress."
"I need more information from her," He-Man explained, "and there are some questions to be answered."
"What sort of questions?"
As succinctly as he could, he explained about the swords and the doubts the Eledhrin had expressed about their joined power. "I offered to take him with me through the Portal, to give him the chance to speak with the Sorceress himself, but--"
"There would have been....difficulties," Blackstar said, before Mara could speak. "I thought there might be answers enough to be found here."
"And if I do not know the answers?"
"Then a link must be created with the Sorceress of Greyskull. Is it possible?"
There was a long pause. "What you ask may be difficult."
"Yes, but it's necessary. Can you do it?"
"You mean, will I do it?" She nodded. "Normally I would not, but I myself would like to learn what the Ancients knew about the na'dante."
He-Man anxiously cleared his throat. In all the time they had been standing at the head of the stairs, no introductions had been made.
After a meaningful pause, Blackstar seemed to grasp the problem. "I'm usually not this terse with guests. The lady is Marralassë na'ré Sensanari. Later, if there's time, I might introduce you to the Harani king. He's probably already huffing that I'm on his turf and haven't yet paid my respects."
Mara told them to follow. There were more steps, a turn, then at last a landing. And beyond that, in the very wall of the Tree, the roots had split to reveal a narrow opening. Within lay a seemingly unfathomable darkness. He-Man froze when he saw it; he knew it was a place of power, but like the Abyss it restrained him with both terror and awe.
"Do not be afraid of it." Mara cupped her hands together and from them a pale golden light began to glow, to assume the shape of an orb and rise gently away from her to light the darkness within.
Drawing a deep breath, He-Man quickly stepped through the opening after her. He found himself in a corridor roofed and walled by an impenetrable thicket of roots; before he could fully study his surroundings, Mara pressed on ahead, taking the light with her.
"There's nothing to see." Blackstar nudged him impatiently. "She's not going to wait for us, you know."
The way before them twisted in a labyrinthine network of corridors and rough-hewn steps that led down into what must be the very heart of the Tree. The air was cold, and smelled of moist, mossy earth and age; the root-bound walls seemed to sigh and pulsate with a steady rhythm not unlike a heartbeat. As he moved through the throbbing half-shadows, He-Man felt all awareness of time and place begin to melt away from him; somehow it seemed he had always been here, in perpetual movement toward some vaguely-defined destination.
I will never see daylight again, he thought.
At the next cross-corridor, the walls opened up into a circular chamber. Above the hypnotic heartbeat of the Tree, He-Man thought he heard the faint drip of water; as the light-orb ascended to the center of the chamber, he saw its glow reflected in a pool of dark water.
"This is the Well of Falas," Mara told him, "the reservoir of the lifeblood of the Tree, and Womb of the World. For those who possess the Sight, its waters may bring power and vision."
From a niche set in the wall, she took a shallow wooden cup; at the edge of the pool she bent and dipped the cup into the black water. Her slight movement cast no reflection, and left no ripples.
Bearing the cup in both hands, Mara made a clockwise circuit of the pool, her body swaying slightly as she took one measured step after another. He-Man watched her move through the ritual as she completed the circuit and took her place on a root-shelf that was a seat set against the wall. In a single long draught, she drained the cup.
"Bring me the Sword of Power," she told He-Man.
Sliding the weapon from its scabbard, he gave it to her. She set the sword across her lap, her palms resting flat above it, lightly stroking the metal with her fingertips. The sword glimmered under her touch; she nodded, hummed softly to herself. Then, in a voice which filled the chamber, she called, "To this place I summon Teelana, Sorceress of Greyskull. With my voice, in my body, speak!" Her head sagged forward. She sat silent, unmoving, as the echoes of her voice died around her.
He-Man listened and watched, counting the heartbeats of the Tree, yet nothing happened.
"Wait," whispered Blackstar. "Sometimes it takes a while."
The moments passed. Without warning, Mara's still form twitched, then convulsed; He-Man heard a gasp and wondered if she was in pain. Perhaps he should....
A hand grasped his arm. "Don't interfere."
Mara slowly lifted her head and blinked. Her eyes scanned the chamber as if seeing it for the first time; when she saw He-Man, her face lit up in recognition. "Is that you?"
"Yes, it is."
"Why have I been summoned here?" It was no longer Mara's voice, but that of the Sorceress.
"I'm sorry, but it's important."
She nodded. "What is this place?"
"It's called the Well of Falas," he told her.
Again she nodded and closed her eyes. "Yes, I see the place in this woman's mind. A tree hallowed by the Ancients, a place of power."
He-Man sensed he didn't have much time. "Sorceress, the Eledhrin is with me."
Opening her eyes, she turned slowly to Blackstar. "I am very glad to know you have survived."
For once, the Eledhrin seemed at a loss for words.
He-Man then told the Sorceress how he'd found the na'dani, and how its dark power appeared to defy death.
"Did it do much harm before it was killed?" she asked.
Before Blackstar could devastate her with the truth, He-Man said, "There was a little damage, not much." Already he could sense the other man's outrage and knew he would have to answer for his words later. "But I don't think we can wait any longer."
"Why the delay? Has something happened?"
"No, but we're not certain our two swords are compatible."
"Even if they are," Blackstar added, "the sum of their combined power might be too much to control. We could be consumed by it, or it might rip open the rift it's supposed to seal. Such power--"
"These things are a possibility, Eledhrin," came the reply. This was Mara speaking now, her voice eerily doubled.
And then the Sorceress, a single voice, in response, "What you have been asked to do is difficult. I know that both of you are afraid, but of your power you should not be. Your swords were both born of the Ancients' fire and forge. You must not be deceived by their outward appearances, for they are of the same matter. I-I am sorry I cannot offer you more. I cannot hold this link--"
And then came the darkness. Without her strength to sustain it, Mara's light-orb dimmed and dissolved.
Then to the sound of muttered cursing, a second silvery light appeared in the palm of Blackstar's hand. The new light didn't have the strength of the old and looked somewhat precarious. He-Man began to search his pockets for the tinder box the Sorceress had given him. Nothing. Then he remembered he'd left all the supplies outside with Battlecat.
"You weren't thinking of striking a match in here, were you?" a voice asked.
Having forgotten where he was, He-Man apologized.
They skirted the edge of the pool to the root-shelf where Mara sat motionlessly, her head slumped to one side.
"Is she all right?" He-Man asked.
"Give her a few minutes," came the reply. "She's always a little tired after a powerful working."
Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of their voices. She sat quietly for a moment, then slowly turned her head to gaze at He-Man. "I hope that was helpful," she murmured.
He thanked her and said it was.
"This Sorceress of yours is very powerful." Mara carefully sat forward, alternately blinking and closing her eyes. "Yes, very powerful. I saw many things through her mind. I should like to speak with her again." She started to stand, too soon. He-Man, who stood closest, caught her up by the arm.
"Sit down," said Blackstar. "You don't have to rush this."
She turned to him, contemplating the light hovering above him. "I see your skills are improving."
Despite her obvious exhaustion, she would sit and rest only a few more minutes before trying to stand again. She managed to stay on her feet and insisted she felt fine, though when they left the chamber she had one hand on He-Man's arm.
It was already midafternoon when they emerged from the tunnel into the open air. He-Man was grateful to be free of the darkness, though at first he squinted painfully at the pale autumn sunlight. Behind him, there was a soft hiss as Blackstar extinguished the orb.
They began to descend the steps into the valley, Mara now recovered enough that she could walk without help.
About halfway down, she paused and lifted her hand. "Listen," she said.
Hurried footfalls, punctuated by ragged gasps, told of the presence of someone just below. Moments later a man came running, mostly stumbling, up the endless steps. When he saw the Eledhrin, he fell to his knees, his face a mask of terror and disbelief, and in one word he blurted out his awful message: Rocha.
"Is it possible to speak with her?"
He's still not satisfied. "At this great a distance, I'm not sure."
"So how will you return to your world if you can't communicate with her?"
His host was nothing if not persistent.
"When it's time for Battlecat and I to go back to Eternia, I will use the Sword of Power to unlock the Portal so we can step through to Castle Greyskull; it takes only a second. If it became necessary, I suppose there'd be no problem in letting you step through with us, except--" He-Man paused around a draft of ale. How do I phrase this? "I think that sword of yours would have to remain behind. It's powerful enough to interfere with the transfer and I don't know how to compensate for it."
"You think the Starsword will render your Eternian magic unstable." There was a tense silence. "Perhaps you're right. And when the swords come into contact with each other....well, maybe they're not as compatible as you think. Did you ever stop to consider that instead of sealing the rift they might tear it wide open and allow more of those....things to go free? Did it occur to you that their combined power might be too much for human hands and kill us both? I didn't have to run that na'dani through; I could have unleashed a wave of power that would have utterly vaporized it. Do you know why I didn't?"
He-Man thought about it for a moment. "There were people with you."
A sober nod told him he was right. "I can't always control the Starsword. Enough of my etteva died without my stepping in to help."
"Look, I'm sorry ab--"
"Your apologies don't bring people back from the dead and they certainly don't do anything for the families of the men I lost," Blackstar snapped. "They are sworn to die for me, if I require it, but I would rather not. Perhaps you'd better speak to this Sorceress of yours again."
"I can go back through the Portal tomorrow." His appetite suddenly gone, He-Man carefully set his fork down. More than ever he wanted to return home and put this cheerless world behind him. The Adam side of him was homesick for spring, for familiar faces, and could hardly care less what happened to these people. But He-Man knew how wrong it would be simply to leave; there would be consequences, and he knew Adam knew it, too. "You're welcome to come along if you want."
Blackstar seemed strangely reluctant to say yes. "This Castle Greyskull of yours, it's a place of power, yes?"
"Well, yes. It's a crossroads for an infinite number of dimensions, but why would you want to go there? I thought--"
"I don't want to go there, Eternian. I merely asked you if Greyskull was a place of power."
"The Ancients created it as a both an interdimensional doorway and repository for their vast knowledge."
"Did your Sorceress tell you that the Sagarese also have places of power?"
"She doesn't know very much about this world, I'm afraid," He-Man replied. "She is bound to Castle Greyskull's physical plane of existence, and that lies in Eternia. As guardian of Greyskull, she cannot do as the Ancients did and roam the universe as she will. When it comes to other dimensions, other worlds, she has to rely on whatever knowledge is already available."
"And yet she can speak across the worlds. She can receive messages, can't she?"
Not for the first time, He-Man wondered where the other man's thoughts were running; he was an utter cipher. "Sometimes, yes."
"And if there is sufficient power?"
"Yes, but I don't unders--"
"I know of a place of power," said the Eledhrin, "and someone who might be able to speak to your Sorceress."
In the predawn darkness, He-Man awoke to the sound of Elhanu's voice politely but firmly telling him to get up and be ready to travel within the half-hour. Teeth chattering, he ate and dressed by candlelight, then made his way down to the main hall. Just outside the doors, he was reunited with Battlecat, who had little of interest to report. He had been given food and was allowed to sleep by the fire, but grumbled that the company could have been better.
"Sour fellows." He jerked his chin toward the two guards standing just inside the doorway.
He-Man laid a reassuring hand on his companion's neck. "Don't take it personally, Cat."
"Is that him, the Eledhrin?"
Almost as if on cue, Blackstar emerged from the house, flanked by two warriors of the etteva. He was wearing his right arm in a sling and looked as if he hadn't gotten much sleep. His eyes found He-Man and Battlecat, and he nodded approvingly.
"I hope you slept well enough, Eternian," he said.
"As well as could be expected in a strange bed on a strange world. He-Man nodded. "You know," he added, "you can call me by name."
There was a pause, then the Eledhrin replied in a quiet, wistful voice, "No, I don't think so. My people have often used the word 'he-man' to signify a macho, blustering moron. Do you really want me to insult you?"
How odd, thought He-Man, and strangely familiar. Queen Marlena had once confided a similar observation to her son long before she began to suspect his dual identity. Such an odd name for the Champion of Greyskull, she said. Where I come from, it generally isn't considered a compliment. "It's entirely up to you," he said. "You haven't yet told me where we're going."
Nor would he, except to say that their destination lay some six hours' ride to the northeast and was a place of power.
Dawn had barely touched the horizon when they set out from Dha'Alasia, a party of five. He-Man stole a sidelong glance at the two warriors assigned to protect the Eledhrin and heaved an inward sigh of relief that neither Tharada nor the axe-wielding Kendric had been chosen.
They followed a well-travelled road through woods whose color and life stood in sharp contrast to yesterday's quiet horror. For a time, He-Man watched the landscape slide past, yet slowly, inevitably, his thoughts began to slip inward, to the questions he must remember to ask the Sorceress--what a fool he felt like for not having remembered to ask before! But he also knew that he needed more from her than information. Barely twenty-four hours had passed since he left Eternia, yet in that time he had known fear and worry and desolation. And he knew that more of the same surely lay on the path to come.
His travelling companions, Battlecat included, were a uniformly grim lot. If he'd cherished any hopes of engaging the Eledhrin in conversation, those hopes died the moment he caught a glimpse of Blackstar's taut, pain-lined face. In the absence of lively company, all He-Man had for comfort were his own thoughts.
Near midmorning, the woods began to thin out.
"We'll be there soon," Blackstar said. They were the first words he or anyone else had uttered in hours; the sound of them startled He-Man out of deep thought.
Beyond the trees, the ground fell away from the road on one side. He-Man and Battlecat were led to a vista where they might have an unobstructed view of the country they were now entering.
Before them, the ground gently sloped downward into a valley bisected by pastures and new-mown fields of winter wheat and barley, and beyond, by a sluggishly meandering river. And all of it lay partially in the shadow of a solitary tree whose branches swept the clouds. It was the most massive--impossibly massive--living thing He-Man had ever seen. He heard himself gasp and Battlecat grunt in amazement.
"How faraway is it?"
"About an hour's ride," came the reply.
As they moved down into the valley, He-Man began to sense the Tree's power. It felt neither threatening nor overwhelming, no more than a subtle omnipresence hovering at the edge of his consciousness. And he quickly saw he wasn't the only one who felt it; the two warriors of the etteva visibly relaxed their hypervigilance and even Battlecat seemed a little less gruff, but it was in Blackstar that the change was most clearly marked. The strain all but disappeared from his face and he became a little more talkative; it occurred to He-Man that when he smiled, he didn't seem quite so old.
As they crossed the river, He-Man could begin to discern the buildings of a town or village--given the surreal proportions, it was difficult to tell which--situated on the southeast slope of the Tree. Blackstar told him the name of the town was Kal'en Haran, and no, they weren't going to be stopping there. "The people will kill us with their hospitality," he said. Then his brow furrowed and he added hastily, "They mean well, but there's no time. No time."
Not long after, they rode in under the shade of the Tree and up a path which took them to its very roots, roots each the thickness of a great oak, gnarled and twisted together and green in places with velvet-dark moss.
He-Man dismounted and paced back and forth to try to work some of the stiffness out of his legs. Just as some of the sensation began to return to his limbs, Blackstar approached and told him to follow. Only him. The two warriors were to stay behind with the horses and Battlecat was visibly exhausted, though he would have accompanied He-Man without complaint if He-Man required it of him.
"It's all right, Cat," He-Man told him. "Go ahead and rest. I think it'll be safe enough."
With a grunt, Battlecat plopped down on the grass. "Next time I'll let you carry me."
He-Man grinned and ruffled the big cat's fur before setting off after Blackstar. Battlecat might grumble, but he could easily carry three times his own weight without noticing.
Steps had been set into one gnarled column of roots, apparently without the use of either mortar or nails. And there were hundreds of them, rising without end. His legs aching with the strain, He-Man climbed up after the Eledhrin, who didn't pause even once to see if he was following. Apparently, he was accustomed to the exercise.
Just as he was about to ask how much farther, a figure silently and abruptly appeared on the steps above them. A woman. Robes of carnelian and dark gold fell from her shoulders in silken folds. She had high, wide cheekbones and skin like pale twilight; her hair was a deeper shade of the same, intricately braided and spilling in a jewelled cascade down her back. He-Man stopped and stared slack-jawed at her, his question all at once forgotten.
"I have been expecting you since yesterday," she said to Blackstar.
"I didn't get your message until close to midnight," he replied,"and I didn't really feel like another night journey. Besides, I had a guest." He half-turned and motioned to He-Man. "He knows what happened two nights ago. He's told me it will happen again. Soon."
For the first time, the woman's gaze fell on He-Man and focused there. With a slight gesture, she motioned him forward. "How do you come by this knowledge?" she asked in a low, softly-accented voice that reminded him of the Sorceress. "How do you know about the na'dante?"
"I was told by the Sorceress of Greyskull."
"Greyskull?" Her eyes narrowed a little in recognition. "That is a very long way from here."
"Not so faraway that his Sorceress couldn't feel the na'dani break into this world and die." There was a hint of accusation in Blackstar's voice. "You never said anything to me about these creatures."
She glanced at him, saw the sling and frowned. "What did you do to your arm?"
"It's nothing, just a sprain."
It was obvious she didn't believe him. "Before you leave my physician will--"
"I've my own physician and he's looked at it already."
"What you have is a battle-surgeon."
"Tell that witch-doctor of yours to keep his potions to himself, Mara. I fell in the dark during the fight with the na'dani. It's hardly the worst that could have happened."
Remembering what he'd seen and heard last night, He-Man knew that last part was a lie. He said nothing.
"In any case, I didn't come here to argue with you about my cuts and bruises," Blackstar added. "The Eternian is asking for our help--mine to help close the dimensional rift that allowed the na'dani to escape and yours to help speak with the Sorceress."
"I need more information from her," He-Man explained, "and there are some questions to be answered."
"What sort of questions?"
As succinctly as he could, he explained about the swords and the doubts the Eledhrin had expressed about their joined power. "I offered to take him with me through the Portal, to give him the chance to speak with the Sorceress himself, but--"
"There would have been....difficulties," Blackstar said, before Mara could speak. "I thought there might be answers enough to be found here."
"And if I do not know the answers?"
"Then a link must be created with the Sorceress of Greyskull. Is it possible?"
There was a long pause. "What you ask may be difficult."
"Yes, but it's necessary. Can you do it?"
"You mean, will I do it?" She nodded. "Normally I would not, but I myself would like to learn what the Ancients knew about the na'dante."
He-Man anxiously cleared his throat. In all the time they had been standing at the head of the stairs, no introductions had been made.
After a meaningful pause, Blackstar seemed to grasp the problem. "I'm usually not this terse with guests. The lady is Marralassë na'ré Sensanari. Later, if there's time, I might introduce you to the Harani king. He's probably already huffing that I'm on his turf and haven't yet paid my respects."
Mara told them to follow. There were more steps, a turn, then at last a landing. And beyond that, in the very wall of the Tree, the roots had split to reveal a narrow opening. Within lay a seemingly unfathomable darkness. He-Man froze when he saw it; he knew it was a place of power, but like the Abyss it restrained him with both terror and awe.
"Do not be afraid of it." Mara cupped her hands together and from them a pale golden light began to glow, to assume the shape of an orb and rise gently away from her to light the darkness within.
Drawing a deep breath, He-Man quickly stepped through the opening after her. He found himself in a corridor roofed and walled by an impenetrable thicket of roots; before he could fully study his surroundings, Mara pressed on ahead, taking the light with her.
"There's nothing to see." Blackstar nudged him impatiently. "She's not going to wait for us, you know."
The way before them twisted in a labyrinthine network of corridors and rough-hewn steps that led down into what must be the very heart of the Tree. The air was cold, and smelled of moist, mossy earth and age; the root-bound walls seemed to sigh and pulsate with a steady rhythm not unlike a heartbeat. As he moved through the throbbing half-shadows, He-Man felt all awareness of time and place begin to melt away from him; somehow it seemed he had always been here, in perpetual movement toward some vaguely-defined destination.
I will never see daylight again, he thought.
At the next cross-corridor, the walls opened up into a circular chamber. Above the hypnotic heartbeat of the Tree, He-Man thought he heard the faint drip of water; as the light-orb ascended to the center of the chamber, he saw its glow reflected in a pool of dark water.
"This is the Well of Falas," Mara told him, "the reservoir of the lifeblood of the Tree, and Womb of the World. For those who possess the Sight, its waters may bring power and vision."
From a niche set in the wall, she took a shallow wooden cup; at the edge of the pool she bent and dipped the cup into the black water. Her slight movement cast no reflection, and left no ripples.
Bearing the cup in both hands, Mara made a clockwise circuit of the pool, her body swaying slightly as she took one measured step after another. He-Man watched her move through the ritual as she completed the circuit and took her place on a root-shelf that was a seat set against the wall. In a single long draught, she drained the cup.
"Bring me the Sword of Power," she told He-Man.
Sliding the weapon from its scabbard, he gave it to her. She set the sword across her lap, her palms resting flat above it, lightly stroking the metal with her fingertips. The sword glimmered under her touch; she nodded, hummed softly to herself. Then, in a voice which filled the chamber, she called, "To this place I summon Teelana, Sorceress of Greyskull. With my voice, in my body, speak!" Her head sagged forward. She sat silent, unmoving, as the echoes of her voice died around her.
He-Man listened and watched, counting the heartbeats of the Tree, yet nothing happened.
"Wait," whispered Blackstar. "Sometimes it takes a while."
The moments passed. Without warning, Mara's still form twitched, then convulsed; He-Man heard a gasp and wondered if she was in pain. Perhaps he should....
A hand grasped his arm. "Don't interfere."
Mara slowly lifted her head and blinked. Her eyes scanned the chamber as if seeing it for the first time; when she saw He-Man, her face lit up in recognition. "Is that you?"
"Yes, it is."
"Why have I been summoned here?" It was no longer Mara's voice, but that of the Sorceress.
"I'm sorry, but it's important."
She nodded. "What is this place?"
"It's called the Well of Falas," he told her.
Again she nodded and closed her eyes. "Yes, I see the place in this woman's mind. A tree hallowed by the Ancients, a place of power."
He-Man sensed he didn't have much time. "Sorceress, the Eledhrin is with me."
Opening her eyes, she turned slowly to Blackstar. "I am very glad to know you have survived."
For once, the Eledhrin seemed at a loss for words.
He-Man then told the Sorceress how he'd found the na'dani, and how its dark power appeared to defy death.
"Did it do much harm before it was killed?" she asked.
Before Blackstar could devastate her with the truth, He-Man said, "There was a little damage, not much." Already he could sense the other man's outrage and knew he would have to answer for his words later. "But I don't think we can wait any longer."
"Why the delay? Has something happened?"
"No, but we're not certain our two swords are compatible."
"Even if they are," Blackstar added, "the sum of their combined power might be too much to control. We could be consumed by it, or it might rip open the rift it's supposed to seal. Such power--"
"These things are a possibility, Eledhrin," came the reply. This was Mara speaking now, her voice eerily doubled.
And then the Sorceress, a single voice, in response, "What you have been asked to do is difficult. I know that both of you are afraid, but of your power you should not be. Your swords were both born of the Ancients' fire and forge. You must not be deceived by their outward appearances, for they are of the same matter. I-I am sorry I cannot offer you more. I cannot hold this link--"
And then came the darkness. Without her strength to sustain it, Mara's light-orb dimmed and dissolved.
Then to the sound of muttered cursing, a second silvery light appeared in the palm of Blackstar's hand. The new light didn't have the strength of the old and looked somewhat precarious. He-Man began to search his pockets for the tinder box the Sorceress had given him. Nothing. Then he remembered he'd left all the supplies outside with Battlecat.
"You weren't thinking of striking a match in here, were you?" a voice asked.
Having forgotten where he was, He-Man apologized.
They skirted the edge of the pool to the root-shelf where Mara sat motionlessly, her head slumped to one side.
"Is she all right?" He-Man asked.
"Give her a few minutes," came the reply. "She's always a little tired after a powerful working."
Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of their voices. She sat quietly for a moment, then slowly turned her head to gaze at He-Man. "I hope that was helpful," she murmured.
He thanked her and said it was.
"This Sorceress of yours is very powerful." Mara carefully sat forward, alternately blinking and closing her eyes. "Yes, very powerful. I saw many things through her mind. I should like to speak with her again." She started to stand, too soon. He-Man, who stood closest, caught her up by the arm.
"Sit down," said Blackstar. "You don't have to rush this."
She turned to him, contemplating the light hovering above him. "I see your skills are improving."
Despite her obvious exhaustion, she would sit and rest only a few more minutes before trying to stand again. She managed to stay on her feet and insisted she felt fine, though when they left the chamber she had one hand on He-Man's arm.
It was already midafternoon when they emerged from the tunnel into the open air. He-Man was grateful to be free of the darkness, though at first he squinted painfully at the pale autumn sunlight. Behind him, there was a soft hiss as Blackstar extinguished the orb.
They began to descend the steps into the valley, Mara now recovered enough that she could walk without help.
About halfway down, she paused and lifted her hand. "Listen," she said.
Hurried footfalls, punctuated by ragged gasps, told of the presence of someone just below. Moments later a man came running, mostly stumbling, up the endless steps. When he saw the Eledhrin, he fell to his knees, his face a mask of terror and disbelief, and in one word he blurted out his awful message: Rocha.