The clouds of dust raised by the fearsome battle began to dissipate. She gazed up at the emerging heights of Castle Grayskull and felt a blush of pride; she had once more successfully defended the castle from attack. Above and beyond its importance as a stronghold of magic, she had a fierce loyalty to the ancient structure, and she knew a part of herself would die were it ever to be taken.
Ahead of her, He-Man prepared to call open the Jawbridge. Teela had sent the remainder of her army back to the royal palace after Skeletor's defeat, but she wanted to check in with the Sorceress before going home. Partly because she liked to see the job through to its end, but partly...
She stumbled over some loose rocks in the path. A crater beside her still smoked, showing the source of the treacherous footing. It had indeed been one of the more bitter conflicts she had yet experienced.
A glint of metal caught her attention. She knelt down and brushed the rocks aside to reveal the blade of a sword. She pulled it from its burial and held it up, noting the peculiar shape and feel of it. She had never seen its like, a substantial observation coming from someone who had devoted her life to the art of combat.
She wondered at the appearance of such an unusual weapon, but one lesson she had learned was that in the vicinity of Grayskull anything was possible. Perhaps the Sorceress could shed some light on it. She pushed herself to her feet and hurried to join He-Man in the castle.
He-Man and the Sorceress halted their discussion when she entered the throne room. She didn't mind, too much. He-Man had to have his secrets. If Skeletor ever discovered that he had vulnerabilities, all of Eternia would pay the price. Teela reluctantly admitted that she would probably be unable to resist a truth spell, should she ever be subjected to such a thing, unlike someone with the mental training of the Sorceress.
Speaking of whom, Grayskull's guardian looked exhausted. She slumped over one arm of her throne. Her rocky perch couldn't be very comfortable, yet she appeared to be on the verge of falling asleep where she sat.
"What happened?" Teela cried.
"Skeletor...attempted to create a gate into the castle...by routing it through another dimension," the Sorceress explained. Her accented voice reached them easily, magnified by the acoustics of the room. "I managed to stop him. Thanks to you."
He-Man grinned. "That's what we're here for." Battle Cat growled an agreement. The two of them were covered in grime from the fight, but neither seemed the worse for wear.
Teela turned the strange blade over in her hands. Another dimension? "Sorceress," she said slowly, "could something have come through Skeletor's portal? Before you closed it?"
He-Man turned to look at her in surprise. The Sorceress shook her head. "Let us hope not. There is no telling what kind of monster Skeletor might have summoned."
"If the possibility exists," He-Man said, "we'd better be careful. I'll be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. If you need me..."
"I know."
The two women watched as Eternia's hero rode away. Teela turned to go as well, but something made her stop. She had come here for a reason. Now that the battle was over and she faced the prospect of returning to the palace, to her everyday life, her confusing emotions surged once again to the fore of her mind. "Sorceress, I..."
"Yes, Teela?"
The Sorceress was willing to listen, to give her the attention she craved, but it wouldn't be fair. Not now. Not while Grayskull's guardian was in such desperate need of rest. Perhaps another time. "I wanted--I mean, I've been thinking about some things, and I wouldn't be comfortable discussing them with my father or Queen Marlena. You're the only woman I feel I can confide in. So I was hoping that some time I could come by and just...talk. If that's all right with you."
The Sorceress straightened, as though a burden had been lifted from her. Tension and weariness seemed to drain away from her ageless countenance. "I would like that very much."
Teela felt a rush of relief. "Good. Well. I'd better get back to the palace. Until later, then." She spun about and left the castle, her heart lighter than when she had entered.
She stowed the outlandish sword on her sky sled and prepared to depart. She spared a glance back at the crater. Something triggered a chain of reasoning in that part of her mind that made her so good at her job. Swords didn't wield themselves. At least, not without magic, and the Sorceress would have sensed that.
She stepped closer to the spot to investigate. She made certain to stay away from the precarious edge of the Abyss. The memory of when she had fallen in and become trapped on a narrow ledge for hours made her shiver. She would never make that mistake again. She wouldn't wish that kind of fear on anyone...
Wait. She examined the laser damage, noting particularly the way the rock had crumbled near the dangerous edge, and came to a horrible conclusion. She forced herself to kneel next to it and gaze into the bottomless depths of the chasm. She could see nothing.
She risked a glance at the castle, hoping the Sorceress wasn't watching her antics. If she were wrong, she would feel foolish. But if she were right, she might just be saving a life. "Hello?" she called into the gaping blackness. "Is anyone down there?"