Many lights and colours surround me as I fall but float at the same time. I try touching the energy of the portal, but it just goes around my hand, freezing to the touch.
I land on my feet, on a bright grass that looks just like Asgard's - though it has a big burn mark, with the rune of the Bifrost. There are small animals around, similar to the drawings in the books, although a little weirder.
It looks... Pretty.
I can easily feel Father's presence on this planet, thanks to our magical connection, but I will join them later. Walking, I immediately notice Midgard is way bigger than Asgard - no matter how hard I try, I cannot seem to find the end of the horizon.
It had been years since I got to see just a bit of Midgard, while staying in the coven. Just enough to forget most of it. But the air smells different here, in a good way. The sky is bluer, and even though you can't see as many astral objects compared to Asgard's skyline, the cloudy view is not far from being beautiful. I could ask Father to let me stay here for some time; to get familiar with the interesting scenery I never got to see and maybe learn more about the culture here.
Standing still and looking around, a weird noise interrupts the moment. I cannot recognise it, nor where it is coming from. A light under my feet catches my attention and soon I notice a portal (that does not look like any magic I know) is opening beneath me.
Before I avoid it, I fall, landing on some soft cushions.
—How did you get access to Earth? —
A man is sitting in front of me. His beard and grey hairs might be his most recognizable trait; however, he is wearing some robes that do not look midgardian at all. Maybe a magician?
I fix my position on the seat, —Who are you? —
—Doctor Strange. How did a demon like you enter Earth, and why? —
—I am not a demon, —he raises an eyebrow. I sigh, —Not that kind of demon. I came just to look around, why do you care? —
His hands fold on his lap. —My job is to keep an eye on any beings that might pose a threat to this world. You're one of them; your kind is not supposed to leave Hell. —
That is true. Most demons are not allowed to breach the barrier between Hell and other worlds, but you might have guessed that my kind is somewhat of an exception. And, to be real, a lot of demons sneak out of Hell without any repercussions.
—I did not come from Hell. —
He examines me for too many seconds, and his eyes stop on my clothing. —Is your armour asgardian? —
I slightly smile. He knows my people. —So am I. —
He narrows his eyes at me. For a man who talks like he knows everything, he doesn't seem to know who I am. I do not need to take a peek into his mind; it is obvious there are many things he needs to learn.
—Who are you? —
—Star Lokidottir, Princess of Asgard. —
His fingers snap, —Lokidottir, of course. —
Suddenly, we get teleported somewhere else. Standing in an old library, which smells similar to the castle's one, he starts looking around for a book.
—Your father... —he mutters, —I had this same talk with him an hour ago. Neither of you should be here. But, —he takes a black book, and starts passing the pages without looking at me. —How is he your father? —
Many books here look interesting, and since he is not paying attention to me, I find myself wandering off closely. —It is not important. —
He hums. —Not important, but very weird. —
I get teleported next to him, again. He is not going to let me simply walk away. —Can I leave now? —
With a frown, he closes the book. —Yes. But back to Asgard. —he starts walking away,
—No-! —he turns around, watching me cringe at how I sounded. I place my hands on my hips; a stance I have seen Father do so many times. —Look, Doctor Strange, —
Walking up to him, my height is nothing compared to his. That does not stop me. —I do not care about whatever you say regarding Midgard's safety. First; I am not the threat you say I am. Second; even if I was, you are not going to send me back to Asgard with your second hand midgardian sorcery. I can leave by myself when I decide to leave. —
There are some seconds of silence. Strange scoffs, not even bothered. —You sure are your father's daughter. —
This attitude of his is frustrating me by the minute. He does not let me react, instead quickly taking a hair off my head and starting to walk away again.
I do not hesitate to follow him. He starts conjuring some spell, —I'm going to find your father and uncle, I will take you with them, and when you all leave to Asgard you will not come back. —
—That is not going to happen. —
He looks at me with a dry grin. —We'll see. —
As we keep eye contact, he finishes the spell, and some orange sparks jump from his hands. I clench my fists, ready for whatever it is to come. However, he looks at his hands confused.
I smirk, —I told you it's not happening. —
He shakes his head, —No, it was happening, but I can't locate Loki. I think he has already left Earth. —
My smile gets bigger, and with a shrug, I start looking for the exit. —Tragic. I will be leaving this place now, when I see him in Asgard I will tell him you say hello. —
Surprisingly, he is too concentrated to stop me. I cannot find the exit, only entering deeper into the book labyrinth, hoping for the best. It is not as big as the one back home, but there are some books that I had never seen before.
A tingle runs down my neck, familiar enough to make me turn around immediately. At the end of the hallway a manifestation of Father starts to appear. He is getting closer. I am in trouble.
My mouth spouts out the first thing I can think of, —I was worried and came here looking for you, Father. —
—No need to lie. —he looks around in what I read as panic, —I don't care that you didn't listen to me, okay? But now I need you to. You have to stay on Midgard, Star. —
I frown. —What?—
Father has never been a fan of Midgard, for obvious reasons. Why would he want me to stay here? Why is he acting so strange? His suit looks kind of damaged, and his hair is a mess; no small midgardian errand would cause that.
—Odin is dead, —
Oh.
—And he had another firstborn that is now on her way to take the throne. Violently. Asgard is not safe for any of us anymore. —
He finally notices where I am, and starts walking around in a frown. I follow in confusion; Odin's firstborn is supposed to be Thor - at least that is what history says. Then again, history has kept many secrets.
I look at him, —Someone needs to protect Asgard, Father. I will guess you are not there, but I could go and defend our throne. —
Turning around, his tired eyes find mine. —The throne is not worth fighting for anymore. —he sighs, —And, technically, it was never our throne. —
Again, he looks around paranoically. I should ask where he is, because he does not look comfortable in that place. Before I can make the question, he starts disappearing,
—Stay here and don't cause trouble. I will come for you when it's all over. —
He's completely gone, and I am alone again. Or so I thought; right behind where he was, Strange stands in expectation. —Did you talk with your father? —
If I have to stay on this planet, I have to be smart. The wizard will not let me go very easily - he does not trust in me, I can tell. However, if I make him think keeping me here is safer for Midgard than sending me to Asgard (or Hell, in the worst case) he might feel obligated to let me stay. Or, I could threaten to become a bigger threat.
Keeping the distance, I straighten up. —Odin is dead, —I repeat Father's words, waiting for a reaction from the wizard. There is not one. —And his true firstborn is taking over Asgard. It would be dangerous for me to go back. —
—You would most likely die, correct? —I nod. —And why should I care? —
I cannot control my reaction, my frowning face giving too much away. He notices, and smirks. I cross my arms. —I am in line for Asgard's throne. My death could cause some imbalance, even in Midgard. —
He raises his eyebrows, —The death of a demon would affect two civilizations? If you want to convince me to let you stay, you should try harder. —
Some books on the shelves catch my attention again. The titles are varied, all of them relating to types of magic and their history, but none of them seem to talk about dark magick and demonic witchcraft.
Except for the one he is still holding.
I swiftly take the book from his hands. —I am a demon. You're right. And I can tell you do not have a lot of information about us and our magic, am I right? —he does not answer. I skim through some pages of the book, —But you want to know, don't you? —
—What's your point? —
It's my turn to smirk. —If you let me stay, Doctor Strange, I am willing to teach you everything I know. —
—Everything you know. —he chuckles, —You're a kid. —
I point the book at him, grinning, —A kid raised with demon magick. Also, I'm technically a young adult. —
His face shows doubt, which means my plan is working. Huffing, he starts leaving the book labyrinth, well aware that I am following from close. —What if I say no? —he asks without looking at me.
I shrug, —I would stay here anyways. I am sure I can live on Midgard on my own. —
He laughs.
—You wouldn't survive a day. —
We get teleported back to the cushions, and a cup of tea appears in front of me. I put the book down and take the cup, waiting for Strange to continue.
He finally gives in. —I can give you a place to stay, if you don't cause me any trouble. You will teach me about demons and I will teach you about Earth. —
Grinning, I take a sip of tea.
A portal, just like the one before, opens next to us. A man comes out of it, with robes similar to Strange's. He looks at me in confusion, —Who is this? —
Strange does not take his eyes off me. —A new addition to the team. Star Lokidottir, this is Wong - we work together. —Wong nods as a salutation. Strange leans forward and puts his hand out, which I immediately shake. —It's a deal. —
I nod, —A deal. —
—Welcome to the Sanctum Sanctorum. —