Under your spell 🔞

Seventeen

The following morning, Thea gets cleaned up and dressed in the garments that were in the small wardrobe of her room. She thought she looked ridiculous, but couldn't deny it, they were comfortable.

Someone came to her door, bringing her to the ancient one, and she smiled, seeing Strange there too... 'How'd you sleep?..'

'Not bad. At least its better than the streets..'.. He said, smiling back.

'Is it just me, or do you feel ridiculous in these things?..'. She asked quietly, and he chuckled at her.

'Not just you..'... He leaned in to her... 'Suits you better, than mine do..'

'Ok, that's weird. Don't compliment me again..'...She slapped the back of her hand to his arm... 'I still prefer the asshole..'.. They both laughed, and stopped when they noticed others looking at them... 'Wow, tough crowd..'.. She said quietly and he sniggered.

The ancient one joins them, indicating for them to kneel with her, and talks with them... 'The language of the mystic arts is as old as civilisation. The sorcerers of antiquity, called the use of this language 'spells'. But if that word offends your modern sensibilities you can call it a 'program'. The source code that shapes reality..'

Thea watches from where she kneels on the floor, as the ancient one waves her hands, and golden sparks appear in front of her... 'We harness energy, drawn from other dimensions of the multiverse..'... She moves it so it begins to form a sigil... 'To cast spells..'.. She snaps her fingers, and more lines appear... 'To conjure shields and weapons, to make magic..'.. She pushes it out in front of her, and Thea was in awe.

'That's so cool..'... Thea says, watching it, feeling the breeze of it on her skin.

'But even if my fingers could do that, my hands would just be waving in the air. How do I get from here, to there?..'.. Strange asks.

'How did you get to reattach severed nerves, and put a human spine back together bone by bone?..'.. The ancient one counters.

'Study and practice, years of it..'... Strange sighs.

'You can do this Strange..'.. Thea gives him a reassuring smile.

The two of them were dismissed, told they could explore the grounds and shown where the library was, so they could begin their study. They head off, and go in search of books, texts that could help speed up his recovery.

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Stephen found himself to begin to enjoy his time at Kamar-Taj over the next few weeks, even if he felt he wasn't making progress. Every morning he would meet Thea for breakfast, with the other students, and they would discuss what they had found in the books they had from the library.

The way she was always positive, encouraging him to keep trying with the spells, helping him, he couldn't understand why her of all people, was there for him. He knew that if she decided to leave, he had to go, but she stayed, so he could learn.

Walking through the courtyard, he saw her practically skip alongside him and he shook his head smiling... 'Guessing you found something?..'

'No, but I spoke with Nat. Turns out I was right..'.. She grinned at him, adjusting her hold on the books in her hands.

'About what?..'.. He couldn't help it, her enthusiasm was addictive.

'My matchmaking skills. That's another 3 couples I'm responsible for. I'm 9 for 9 now. Want to round it up to 10..'.. She laughed, as they walked through the halls towards the library.