The Ashen Keeper

Chapter 71

'It is time to go.', she thought to herself as sun was starting to set.

She eventually got up from the fireplace as the others watched her.

"Teacher! Where are you going?", hollered Thor with a mug of mead in his hands. The good doctor was forced to drink alongside him.

"I shall look for a route to go next. Enjoy thyself for we will head out first in the morning.", she said that as she left them behind. Everyone went back to enjoying themselves. Nobody, not even her noticed Loki's eyes as he watched her leave from the group.

Inside the spaceship, she checked up about facts on different planets. She could have gone straight to Nidavellir but she did not want to go back after simply journeying to another planet. She have so much more to teach her disciples.

Thor has become a much more reliable person, but he has yet to become a king. Wanda emotional issues hasn't still been solved. As for Loki, it was complicated. he still had too many things to solve.

"Teacher ...", said a voice as she heard someone came in. She saw back to see that it was her least outgoing disciple.

"Is there anything thou happens to need, my dear Loki? Why not enjoy the sweet fruits of victory?"

He shook his head at this smiling faintly.

"You know, I have never really wanted to become your disciple. What about you, teacher? Why not enjoy your fruits of victory? After all, I did less compared to you."

"That is because I am your teacher. I am not your leader but your teacher. And all of you have still so much left to learn. I do not mind the fact that you do not wish to become my disciple. Thou art free to do anything according to thy wish. And thou hast yet to answer one question of mine."

"Well, there is no particular ... reason but it is just like you said, I want to become free from the presence of a lot of people."

"Oh really, doth thou wish to be free and art thou simply lonely?"

"Teacher, I don't really think those two words have anything to do with each other."

"When there no one is there to tell thee when to wake up in the morning and when there is no one to tell thee when to sleep, tell me, is that freedom or loneliness."

"I believe it depends on the circumstances.", he replied.

"As witty as ever, my dear Loki but even thou cannot deny that this is the situation for people. When a child finally grows up, nobody is there to tell them what to do.

Some take that as freedom while others take it as loneliness. Everybody have different circumstances but what about thee, oh God of Mischief? Art thou freer than anyone or lonelier than anyone?

Doth thou take the initiative to isolate thyself or did others do not want a god of mischief? What did Loki in his younger years do? Can thou recall that?"

"Oh, I remember very well.", he started to raise his voice.

"I remember when little Loki was told that he could become a king but guess what? Little Loki was never meant to be. He was a trophy. A thing to show off. After all, what else could scream great greater than adopting the son of your enemy.

He was raised to be a character in the background. Everyone shunned him. You see, people hated magic. They think it is the act of cowards and when I use it, they immediately degrade me thinking that I will betray them one day.

I suppose they weren't wrong anyway. I always thought that by showing my competency in magic, they would be proud of me. A worthy ... prince of Asgard. I am no Asgardian, but it is my home. I thought they would feel proud to have a prince proficient in magic but they find shame in it.

But whatever, it may be. I am quite proud of you. You are good at both ... physical force and magic unlike us. I wish to be like you when I first saw you."

"Look at thee trying to comfort others with the words thou wish to hear. I am sure that thy mother who taught you magic will always be proud of you. She may no longer be here but I believe that she will always watch over you.

Thou lost thy mother and yet wake up every morning without a 'good morning'. Thou goes to sleep without a 'good night'. So thou shall live without an 'I'm so proud you.' Because in the end, everyone is by themselves and that is all we need.

However, why reject companions when we are all here for you to engage. So many things you can do yet thou limit thyself to magic. Thou wish for more physical force? Then, I shall fulfill that wish. After all, that is my duty as thy master.

So, go ahead Loki. Enjoy thyself and remember that thy brother is always there for thee."

He rolled his eyes at that but obediently went back anyway. Loki's problems were the biggest among her disciples. There was his past but she somehow thinks the present also have an effect.

As strange as it may be, Wanda wanted to spend her future life with her. Thor has a kingdom to rule along with his little girl, Jane. Loki's future destiny however was to be a prince of Asgard, essentially wasting his future years doing nothing.

Also, she has a hard time imagining Loki spending the future with anyone else. After all, he doesn't seem like the type to devote his life to anyone other than maybe his brother. But he couldn't stay with his brother forever.

If anything, she imagined that he would try to marry himself somehow if he could but that was not for her to say. Look at her, worried about her disciple's future lives like a mother.

She dispelled those thoughts about her. Now, she must choose a place to go before going to forges of the nine realms.