Chapitre 2: Chapter 2 - The inevitable first step.
Stephen wasn't sure what to expect when he buzzed the person in, he'd waited by the door but did not expect a pale BOY with medium length blonde hair and icy blue eyes. He seemed to be around 10 or 11, to say he was disappointed would be an understatement, he half expected the high voice he'd attributed to a kid to have belonged to a woman, the intercom having altered her voice after he'd heard mention of Kamar Taj. The boy stared at him seeming to be conflicted over what to say, the random twitches and occasional shake of the legs didn't make him seem like anyone who could help him even if he disregarded the alarm bells his age rung. After one drawn out awkward silence the boy seemed to make up his mind.
"I need you're help" the voice was determined if nothing else, but Strange was definitely not in any sort of charitable mood.
"Listen kid whatever you're selling I don't want it, and whatever you've heard it's wrong, I can't help you I can't even help myself, go home." He said shutting the door form hunched over disappointed in himself for getting his hopes up.
Lancelot knew that Strange would be a mess when he got there but he had hoped that he'd be given a chance to explain, but Lance couldn't give up having come so far, he knocked on the door. Strange opened the door looking slightly irritated.
"Take me with you to Kamar Taj"
"No" Strange went to shut the door again, Lance's twitch was acting up his face contorting in his nervous state.
"I'll pay you" Strange looked at him in a patronising manner.
"It'd cost a lot more than you'd have, I barely have enough for a one way ticket myself"
"I'll pay for the both of us, I have money" opening the rucksack he showed Strange it's contents. Once Strange saw inside he quickly ushered him in realising that the doorway wasn't the best place to have this talk. He lead the kid into his kitchen before getting a glass down and filling it with water. The boy popped onto one of the chairs at the counter which seemed like a good choice with how shaky he was on his legs, Strange thought he might collapse any moment. He handed over the glass of water worried slightly about how pale the boy looked.
"Thank you" the kid said.
"I'm going to need you to walk me through what brought you to me today kid before we go any further, I'm tired, confused and frankly not up to dealing with whatever this situation is." He said gesturing to the bag. Strange was offering the kid a bone, let him talk a bit then when he seemed calm he'd go call child services or the police.
"I'd rather not tell you every secret I have but I'll explain as much as I think I can." Lancelot said taking a sip of the water.
"My name is Lance Steel and my life is in danger, there are political and economic forces that would force me back into the danger knowingly and unknowingly. I stand in the way of a certain person from getting what they want, they've already killed to get to it and they will do so again. What I need to do is disappear completely, so I made a patch job plan took all the money from my houses' safe and ran. I honestly don't know how I got to this point I should've been caught an unfathomable number of times but I made it to here, while I was making my plan I found rumours of a place in the Tibetan mountains I can't explain how but I know that if I can get there I'll be safe. When I saw you're questions about KaMar Taj online I looked you up. From my research you seemed to fit the profile of someone who would be able to take me to Kamar Taj. Getting there with you will be difficult but it would be impossible alone. Even if I was able to get to Tibet my skin colour and inability to speak the language would put me in danger, I'd be plucked from the street for god knows what within minutes of being on the streets alone." Taking another sip he breathed in.
"I know you're running out of money and I know you seek healing, I can promise you that if you go to Kamar Taj you will get what you seek and more. I'll use every pound I have if that's what it takes to get there. I'm not asking you to believe everything I've said but I'm asking you to give this a chance. I'll give you £50,000 right now, you can put it in you're bank account, you then take me to Kamar Taj and if you don't get the healing you need from there then we'll return you can hand me over to child services and go back to you're search with enough money to look for more leads. You'd be an overpaid babysitter at worst"
Strange was taken aback by the story, the name was clearly bull and the story was tenuous at best. However he was desperate and a desperate man does not make rational decisions all the time, he would obviously be taking more risks than the kid was making it sound like but he had few options and with his money running out soon he'd be left with nothing. Letting out a sigh he made a half decision.
"You can sleep on the sofa tonight, in the morning I'll tell you my decision," he would put it off. He couldn't rightly make a decision while half drunk and hopped up on pain killers. He was tempted to agree right there, but the rational part of himself told him that he had to wait not jump in as he was.
He didn't talk to the kid after that just slunk off to his bedroom and collapsed into his mattress, sleep claimed him soon after that.
Lancelot just sat there having watched Strange walk off he felt a bit disappointed, he had been hoping that he'd get an answer tonight. If strange had rejected him he of course had a backup plan. He knew there was a sanctum in the US so he'd just post on notice boards until he got a reply, of course he'd still stay at Strange's. Strange would go to Kamar Taj with or without him and he'd swiped a key out of the bowl by the door when he'd entered. It would've been dangerous though and he wasn't certain that he wouldn't be found out or lead to some shady place by an internet creep. Resigning himself to wait he lay down on the clearly expensive and rather uncomfortable sofa. Despite this sleep came to him easier than it had done for a long time, he felt safer in an apartment with a man he knew only from visions of the future than he had at home with his family.
The next morning Strange awoke from his sleep groggily, he lay there for a few minutes just waking up before he got up to get food. He ignored all his usual morning ablutions and headed directly to the kitchen as he'd done everyday since the first unsuccessful surgery. When he entered however there was a kid sitting there eating a bowl of cereal with a glass of water next to him. The sight of Lance kickstarted Stephen's mind and he remembered what happened last night. Remaining quiet he went about getting some coffee and food, Lance just watched as he did so the only sound that of his spoon hitting the sides of his bowl as his hand trembled slightly. The silence stretched on for far longer than either was comfortable with, but neither knew what to say, Strange was thinking over the boys proposal. Eventually Lance just came out and asked.
"Ok, you're lucky I'm desperate enough and broke enough that I agree"
From there they had to make plans, it wouldn't be easy getting him along but with money all things are possible. So by the next day Lance was down 5G's and up one very realistic passport and minimal faked identification in the system that wouldn't stand up to even the most simple checks. Luckily though airports weren't that hard to get through with a good passport and no weapons or contraband. In that time Lance and Strange talked very little, Lance weary of saying something to make Strange go back on his word now that he had the money and Stephen not really knowing how to talk to the boy.
Strangely enough though it was the next day in the taxi to the airport then they started bonding. An old green day song came on and both started humming along, the two found a mutual love for old music and while it wasn't a completely natural conversation the two found a nice enough rhythm to relax. Getting through the airport was nerve racking but far less eventful than either expected. Before either knew it they had arrived and they disembarked. They spent the next few days searching for Kamar Taj and staying in local hotels that seemed in no way safe, they would have been mugged many times but Stephen had a good eye and always diverted them from any would be muggers and found semi-safe places to stay. Their patience however wearing thin as the days went on, more so for Strange who wasn't certain he'd even get what he came for, the frustration that no progress to finding Kamar Taj was being made had their frustration rising. It was the fifth day when Stephen's eye failed them and the muggers got the drop on them. Three of them, two in front and one behind, they looked familiar but Lance was too afraid to really think about it. Stephen couldn't protect him, with his injured hands he couldn't even protect himself.
"Please I don't have any money" Stephen said, he really didn't at this point, but I did some pounds, some yuan but I wasn't speaking, I made myself small trying to hide.
"You're watch" the one who looked Caucasian said
"Please no" Strange had some attachment to this watch, Lance had seen him stare at it every now and again. One of the, went to grab Strange but he punched him in the face before crying out in pain his injured hand taking more damage than the mugger.
The clearly Asian one behind went to grab Lance but he ran to the side trying to get past the man but there was no was told so, Lance was trapped but he wasn't going down easy. When the man got close Lance kicked the man in between his legs the man crumpled and Lance went to run past but before he could get fully out of the man's reach his arm was pulled back. The fear set in, he could feel the world contract and his twitch get worse his legs buckled and his body went limp held up only by the mans vice like grip. The flow came upon him like a tsunami energy coming through his arm where the man was touching him his mind swirling as images passed through his mind, fight after fight in the street. There was no technique simply pure violence, the flow wouldn't stop it kept coming through the link. The world was a blank to Lance as all he saw were the images. Then it stopped the man who he'd been touching was dead on the floor, the body was desiccated and as Lance touched the face it split into ash in the wind where he touched. Taking a look around he saw a figure in a black robe take down the last standing attacker before straightening up.
"I hear you're looking for Kamar Taj" said the robed figure pulling back his hood to reveal the man beneath, he looked upon the corpse of the figure Lance had drained and grimaced.
"What have you done?" His voice accusatory and filled with horror.
"I don't know, I didn't want to hurt him, I just got scared" Lance's voice held a tremor, looking back at the corpse he went paler and keeled over vomiting on the street. The tears came next, he saw the man fight his entire life in a single moment he knew the man better than anyone else and he killed him. Everything he had pushed down was coming up and he cried, his grandfathers death, his fear at being so far from home, the betrayal he felt everything came up and he cried. He didn't even notice as Strange approached the man was uncomfortable but he didn't know how to comfort the boy. The robed figure was even more unsure. As Strange began stroking Lance's back he soon found the boys small arms wrapped around his midsection. The situation reminded Strange that despite his apparent maturity, Lance was 8 he was still a child, so young he shouldn't be seeking refuge from god knows what in an unknown and clearly dangerous land.
It was a while before Lance stopped crying and when he did he simply fell asleep the two grown men just waited unsure how to proceed. Once Lance was asleep though they began to move the man, Mordo as he revealed himself to be took him along to a nondescript door and they entered. Strange was lead to the one known as the ancient one and allowed Mordo to take the child to someplace to rest. Usually Strange would be more attentive to the child's care but things started happening fast and he quickly became confused by the situation feeling bombarded as things started happening around him almost in an effort to confuse him.
Lancelot did not sleep peacefully his dreams were plagued by illusions of the man and ash covered worlds intermittent with images from the man's memories. He still remembered the fights the man had fought to survive and memories of picking the pockets of unwary passerby's but there was no emotion attached to those memories nor any defining self in them it allowed him not to be consumed by the memories, to retain his sense of self through it all. Lancelot felt guilt at a certain amount of relief he felt that the man whose life he'd taken was a murderer, not completely by choice but the path the man had walked was one steeped in blood, what started as his efforts to survive had quickly become something he looked forward to the man became a monster and Lance hated the fact that that made him feel better.
"It's nice to see you awake Mister Silvers," Lance's head swivelled to see who had spoken. Seated at a table a bit away drinking her tea looking up from her book was the woman who Lance's visions told him was the ancient one. It was hard to believe that the most powerful being on earth was this thin woman, there was no great presence or aura of power if anything she looked exceedingly normal.
POV CHANGE
"I killed him didn't I," my head hung with shame, I pushed it back but my dreams were plagued with the mans face. The man would charge but before he reached me he would crumble to ash that would suffuse my being leaving me alone covered in ash it was everywhere covering every inch of skin. I couldn't let it rule me, the fear, the guilt but I found my mind drifting.
"I'm afraid so" the ancient one said looking solemn she must have seen more death in her long life than I could possibly imagine. I needed to change the topic now wasn't the time to deal with that problem I still had others to solve.
"I…I'm not really sure what to say, what do I call you, Master, mistress, Ancient one, sorceress supreme?"
" Mister Silvers would you care to tell me what you sought when you came to my doorstep." The ancient one ordered ignoring my question. I considered what to tell her carefully, while I could lie I'm certain she would see right through me and would send me away if she was dissatisfied by my answer.
"I came here to ask for sanctuary as well as healing, I know of the mystic arts I've seen what's to come or at least one possibility, I'm mature for my age but I'm still 8 bloody years old and my life is being threatened by my very own family with the only place that I can seek refuge being a magic temple that I had no idea how to get to. I should've been captured as soon as I left home but I wasn't and somehow I've been winging it along and it's working for some reason." I let out a sigh the frustration was too much. I should be a playing football with friends, watching tv or doing any dozen other things kids my age do but instead I'm hitching a ride with a strange man from a dream to learn magic from monks and not just that but I killed a man. His body became ash in the wind I'd taken his life and that wasn't coming back, it was just gone, that was what lay heaviest on me but I pushed it aside again to refocus.
"Mr Silvers Kamar Taj has what you seek we can offer all this but whether we are willing is another question." Her face remained impassive and I couldn't read her expression at all.
"I don't know what you want from me, what can I do to persuade you should I make a donation to the temple is this like a pay for some lessons I mean you're monks but you have to get money somehow right?" I did have about £60,000 left, if that's what it took I wouldn't mind.
"While the offer is appreciated, you'll find that those with magic have very few material needs that magic cannot compensate for."
"I'm willing to take you in, but you must accept that while you talk like a person much older you are however a child and as such must follow my instructions completely."
"Of course"
"Well now that, that's done how about some dinner?"
She quickly put on a kind face and suddenly she went from mysterious to gentle her smile conveying warmth. She gave a wave of her hand and baked beans on toast was before me, honestly I was more surprised by the food choice than the food conjuration I expected some kind of rice based dish. To be fair though the monetary was in Tibet but when you can teleport I suppose you can eat whatever you want. I assume she served baked beans to make me feel more comfortable, I was glad that I would be able to taste a bit of my home even when I was so far away.
"So what happens now?"
"You eat, and while you do I'll explain how you're stay shall progress." This seemed reasonable enough and I was feeling a bit peckish so I dug in heaping beans on the toast and taking a large bite.
"As of the moment you're still too young to participate in any of the physical training that most acolytes partake in. It is also important that you receive supervision, I believe that you will be best placed as an assistant librarian, you may help Wong with any duties he has and he shall assign you books to read. When you finish one he shall give you another, if you prove to be truly diligent and determined to learn you will be permitted to join in the practical classes on accessing personal energies and usage of sling rings. Offensive magics will not be taught to you until you have reached a suitable age or until we trust you enough to permit you to learn." I nodded along, the plan seemed more than reasonable and I appreciated that while she considered my age she gave me the decency not to talk down to me.
"Thank you" She then went on to explain the rules of the sanctum and inform me that practicing magic I was not ready for could have unforeseen consequences. As I finished my meal there was no sitting around she stood up and walked to the door.
"Follow me Mr Silvers I shall lead you to you're room, in the morning I shall have Wong come get you and you may begin you're education."
"Thank you" I repeated, I wasn't certain what else to say. I was grateful for the chance, I knew that what she offered was beyond generous, if I took advantage of what I was being offered I could spend most of the day learning for the next few years, if I didn't take advantage however I would remain watched at all times with no access to anything dangerous and would soon be thrown out. While the ancient one seems kind she couldn't help every child in the world, she would give me a chance but would not allow me to stay if I proved to fall short of her minimum expectation.
My room was small but the bed was surprisingly comfortable, at first I felt slightly uncomfortable the rooms walls pressed down on me. I'd say I felt claustrophobic but the it faded as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was surprised how quickly I fell asleep, I'd assumed the excitement of the day and my nap earlier would've meant that sleep would elude me. I assumed it was a magic pillow. No evidence or anything I just liked the idea that it was.
Thanks to the magical pillow I awoke well rested at exactly 5.30am, definitely magic pillow.
It was a bit early but I was full of energy and pretty excited to get started on the path to master of the mystical arts. Along my path to ultimate power I consulted my map and decided to make a pit stop for some breakfast. Getting lost along the way through the winding corridors wasn't fun but the map lead me to my destination in the end and the room was set up like a buffet in a way. After a hearty meal of weetabix with sugar and some tea that was certainly not my favourite Yorkshire brand I was satiated and ready for the day. I didn't see Strange in the room and all other acolytes and masters seemed to have their own groups and while some would look over and give a little wave none approached my table. It was looking like it might be a hot day but luckily I was dressed in some white robes that I found in the closet of my room, really gave a nice breeze as you walked cooling one down. Everything so far had been very independent, I was surprised that this amount of autonomy was given to a kid but I wasn't gonna bring it up. At 6.30 the other acolytes we're starting to file put into the courtyard so I decided that I should make my way to the library and report to Wong. Thankfully on my way I encountered a few kind acolytes who were able to give me some directions, most spoke English thankfully others seemed to respond to my very basic and crude attempt at Tibetan. I arrived at the library about 15 minutes after I'd left the dining hall the few detours didn't take too long. Wong was sat behind the desk pouring over a tome written in some kind of language I've never seen before.
"Hello Master Wong, I'm Lancelot I was told that I'd be helping here."
Wong looked up and seemed to assess me his eyes taking in every detail observing every twitch of the face and every shake of the legs. The man really was quite intimidating I wasn't sure whether he was annoyed or irritated his face was impassive.
"I will make the rules clear, you are to help tidy up putting the books put them back on their shelves you will help fetch books when someone asks for one and you will guide people as they wish but only with my approval or if the person is wearing a red robe. While there is nothing to do you will learn to read Sanskrit, Latin, Sumerian and Greek. Once you have learned Sanskrit you may begin reading the introductory books for acolytes and I shall help unlock you're mystical potential. Until you have accomplished the first goal you are not to read any of the books. If any go missing you will be the first person I will suspect, do you understand this?" Feeling far more nervous than when I walked in I simply nodded my head along.
"Good, here is the manual to how the library is arranged look it over and memorise it by the end of the day. Lunch is a at 12.30 I expect you back here after at 13.10, yes?" Nodding again I went over to one of the free tables to look over the manual. It was more complex than I was expecting, the library was massive and the books were sorted by separate disciplines like energy manipulation, rituals, elemental magic, scrying and then sub-divided by dimension that it draws energy from before being ordered by alphabetic title. The reason was because many books had no known author, some hadn't even had titles but were ascribed one by the discoverer. Seeing the quantity of knowledge held within the walls of this library I was truly humbled, I'm certain that even the ancient one in all her years had barely touched upon the well of knowledge. To master all the disciplines would be impossible. Over lunch I ate with Wong and was able to ask some questions that I had been curious about , I mean it'd be impossible to learn everything in the library so what qualified one as a master? Apparently masters were proficient in at least three aspects of the mystical arts and most had great martial skill though some did pursue a more scholarly route. The ancient one's complete prowess while unknown is suspected to be adept at many of the mystical arts and at master level for divination, dimensional manipulation, astral interactions, alchemy, spell-casting and the mental arts (telepathy and telekinesis). Beyond this she focuses heavily on her martial prowess and her dimensional energy manipulation which is at a level where she is in the top 3 sorcerer supremes in ability. When one considers how essential accessing dimensional energies are for most sorcerers the achievement is astounding. She knew more arts than this but no one still in the monastery had ever seen her fight at full power. Her efforts to protect reality were not known to any other than herself, the enemies the sorcerer supreme faces were at a level that normal masters would be destroyed immediately. After lunch I started familiarising myself with the layout of the library walking around it to memorise the locations of all the different. As dinner came around Wong lead me to the hall and I had tarragon chicken, I hadn't noticed at lunch but Wong was the only person at dinner in a red robe.
"Master Wong, where are the other masters do they not eat with the other acolytes?"
"Many masters have chosen to protect regions around the world, guarding one of the many sanctums across the world. The ones in Kamar Taj usually eat in their own quarters summoning their meals to them, it is common for them to forget to eat due to their learnings."
"Will I start learning Sanskrit tomorrow?"
"If you have memorised the layout of the library today you may begin, I will give you a book to read in Sanskrit and a Sanskrit to English dictionary, you will have to figure out the grammar and sentence structure on your own."
So that was what happened. The next morning Wong set out some books on a cart and instructed me to return them to their proper place, he followed me along ensuring they went to the right place. Afterwards he seemed pleased by my effort and handed over the promised learning materials. The book looked newer than many others I had seen in the library, it had a red cover with an owl on the front. Opening up the dictionary The first two words had no meaning but the other words on the book came out to roughly translate to 'philosophers stone' I tried transliteration on the first two words and what I got was 'Hari Paota.'
"Really?" Wong looked up at my exclamation.
"I'm in the heart of the collective of the most magical knowledge on the planet and my first task is to be able to read a children's story about a fake magical world" the disbelief and amusement really came out as I emphasised the word children's.
"It's for all ages not just children" Wong said defensively.
I chuckled at that, "but why?"
"Motivation, it's a good book, once you start reading you will want to finish so you'll read faster."
It was at this moment that Stephen walked in garbed in his white robes.
"Mr Strange"
"Uhh stephen please, and you are?"
"Wong"
"Just Wong? Like Adele"
He hadn't noticed me at my table yet but I couldn't help but he amused by the comparison.
"Or Aristotle, Drake Bono Eminem"
Wong's still impassive face made it all the more amusing to watch Stephen flounder at what to say.
Wong then recommended two books to start with Maxim's primer and Vivec both in Sanskrit.
"How come he doesn't have to learn to read Sanskrit first?" I shouted out with indignation. Both turned to me at that Wong looked mildly amused though for him that was the same as a full blown belly laugh. Stephen just seemed confused before he recognition kicked in.
"Lance? Good to see you're alright"
"Mr Silvers please do not shout, this is a library"
"Come on, why can't I use google translate too?"
"You are not yet allowed in practical classes, you have no need to read them urgently so it allows you to learn a useful skill faster as you focus on one thing." While annoying I understood the logic behind what Wong was saying and though I still thought it unfair I couldn't join the classes yet I would acquiesce on this point for now. I would just have to finish learning Sanskrit faster.
Stephen collected his books and left, leaving me to refocus on my work. I met up with him again at lunch time, he seemed different to when we were travelling here. Far less end of the world depressed, almost hopeful though it was clear that at the moment he was only learning to heal his hands. I knew that when it came to a head though that he would be step up.
"So Lancelot Silvers huh?" Stephen sat down with me a smirk adorning his face. Wong sat next to me looked up, but on recognising Stephen went back to eating his noodles.
"Saw past my clever ruse did you?"
"Well Lance Steele is more a name of a por- I mean it was fake not very believable. A search for Lance Silvers on the internet brought up a news article from England for a missing child a 'Lancelot Silvers' set to become the new Earl of Nottingham." Bringing the fork of pasta to my mouth I nodded.
"Doesn't matter now, I'm here I got where I needed to be" my face twitched under the scrutiny.
"Seriously how did you know that Kamar Taj was a magic temple, you're not even a little surprised or in awe it's like you've known for a while." I could tell it was bugging the man, probably not used to things he couldn't figure out, he wanted a proper explanation to rationalise it.
"Magic!"
Ok probably not the most helpful response but I honestly didn't have a good explanation for him.
"Haha fine you can keep it to yourself for now, one day I'll figure it out."
"I'm sure you will Dr Strange" talk quickly devolved into our experience so far in the temple, alas lunch break was short and so back to the library I went, I was determined to get my Sanskrit to an acceptable level in 2 weeks maximum. I knew I could do it, it was just a matter of putting in the proper effort.
I was gonna get that magic.
L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
Crimson_Night
Crimson_Night Authors note : I’ll try to update every few days, I have plans for his future progress my biggest worry is making him op too soon.
The events of Dr Strange in this world take place years before the avengers it always seemed strange how powerful and self assured Strange was in Thor Ragnarok I figure that he was too natural when dealing with Thor acting almost like someone who had been interacting with such being for years.
— Un nouveau chapitre arrive bientôt — Écrire un avis
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone