Chapter 3
The next morning, Stephen showed up outside the gates of Kamar-Taj in a pair of black sparring pants and blue gee. He saw Clea stretching on the side of the road. Unlike him, she had on a modern pair of yoga pants and purple tank top.
Clea looked over at him from her Warrior One position and grinned, amused by the choice of his workout clothes. She found his devotion to his new way of life charming.
"You said dress to run... Is this not okay?" He asked, motioning to his attire.
"No, no, it's just very traditional for an American." she said, hoping she hadn't insulted him. In fact, she thought the former doctor was very handsome. "It suits you well."
Stephen smirked, "It didn't use to, trust me."
"Magic doesn't come easy for most of us," said Clea, gracefully transitioning into another pose. "It's not really an art form well-suited for people in the modern age."
"No surprise there." Stephen muttered.
Clea laughed, "I'm guessing you were a skeptic?"
"The worst." Stephen snorted, remembering what a jerk he'd been when he first came to Kamar-Taj.
"Well I'm glad you came around because I can't really picture you in scrubs," she said, walking over to him.
"So, where are we going?" Stephen asked.
"It wouldn't be any fun if I told you." She said, a coy grin spreading across her face. "Are you ready?"
"Lead the way." He said, gesturing to the road in front of them.
Stephen had walked through Kathmandu when he first went looking for Kamar-Taj. He hadn't seen the appeal of any of it; not-to-mention he got jumped just for turning down the wrong alley. But as they meandered through the streets, he saw the shopkeepers and their families setting up for the morning market rush and the holy men walking out to their shrines to light incense and lay out their offerings. There was a distinct pulse and rhythm to the city that Stephen found fascinating- even calming. Everyone had a routine and a role they devoted themselves to. Though he had been privileged to see many realms, realities, and universes, his own still remained favorite. Earth was so varied and intricate and always surprising. This morning, Clea reminded him of that.
Leaving the city, Clea led him up a barely visible trail into a densely forested hillside. Before Stephen could ask where they were going, Clea slowed to a steady walk. It took a moment for him to realize it but they were now on an old stone path. They soon came upon an abandoned temple, overtaken by the forest.
The green foliage and mossy ruins were covered in a layer of dew from the growing humidity. It would only increase as the day went on. Walking over the sacred rubble, Clea and Stephen made their way into the remains of the main shrine, which was just a floor and three crumbled archways. Stephen admired the ancient carvings on the broken pillars that lined the walkway. This place was full of spiritual energy imbued by the mystics who occupied this place long before its abandonment. Clea sat beneath the archway that overlooked the city. Stephen soon joined her.
They sat in silence, taking in the serenity of the view. The sun had risen above the horizon, casting a warm golden light over the city. Clea wiped the glistening sheen of sweat from her forehead with her sleeve before producing water from her small backpack and handing it to Stephen who seemed transfixed by the beautiful scenery.
Noticing her offering, he thanked her before taking a long drink and handing it back. When their fingers grazed one another's, both felt a sharp energy transference pass between them- like a harsh slap or bolt of electricity. Both quickly pulled back in a knee-jerk reaction. To Stephen's surprise, Clea's mandala chain tattoo glowed a faint purple before returning to normal. She felt it constrict around her wrist threateningly, like the grip of a firm hand. Frustrated by its reaction, she gave her arm an admonishing shake. It never had such a strong reaction to someone before. She wondered what it could mean.
"Sorry," Clea apologized, embarrassed. "Sometimes it can be temperamental."
"What is it? If you don't mind my asking." Stephen had never seen magic like that before. The fact that it was clearly hurting her disturbed him.
"A bond," Clea answered. "It's a promise I made linking me to another. The tattoo acts like a contract. It can be a pain sometimes."
Stephen wanted to ask more but could tell Clea seemed resistant to tell him as much as she did. He did not want to press her for more answers. Instead, he made a mental note to do some research on his own.
"I'd be appreciative if you could keep this knowledge to yourself for now." She told him.
Stephen nodded. "Of course."
Clea had learned from past experience to always be cautious with whom she put her trust in. But there was something about Stephen Strange, an ease she felt in his presence, that she was drawn to.
"When I lived in Kamar-Taj, I used to run through the city almost every morning. I'd always stop here to watch the sunrise before heading back." She told him.
"It's beautiful." Said Stephen.
"No one would ever go with me. Mordo and Kaecilius never wanted to. They thought it was a waste of time. You're the first person I've been able to share this with."
A soft grin tugged at Stephen's lips as he turned his gaze from the now-bustling city to her. He thought she looked almost ethereal bathed in warm sunlight. "I'm glad you did. Thank you."
Clea adjusted her place in the archways so she was facing him, her back resting against the mossy pillar.
"I thought this would be a good time to ask you about my mother. About how she died."
Stephen nodded, realizing it was probably easier for her to talk about it in this private place of hers. The fact that she was inviting him here was a big leap of faith on her part. In a way, he felt honored.
"I suppose I should start at the beginning," he told her. "Before I came to Kamar-Taj, Kaecilius discovered how your mother had achieved eternal life."
"She drew power from the Dark Dimension," Clea finished for him.
Stephen's brow perked up in surprise. "So you knew?"
Clea nodded, keeping her gaze steady on the horizon. "I figured it out long before Kaecilius. It was one of the things she and I would always fight about."
Stephen couldn't imagine the Ancient One actually fighting with anyone. He figured their arguments must have been very one-sided. He could only imagine being the daughter of the Ancient One must have been incredibly frustrating for her.
"Kaecilius felt it was a betrayal," Clea went on. "He couldn't understand why I never told him."
"He thought she was keeping the secret of immortality for herself." Said Stephen. "It caused him and his disciples to break from Kamar-Taj and steal the incantation that would summon Dormammu."
Clea remembered how, when she and Kaecilius were alone, he would spiral into a rage- arguing how her mother could have protected his family from the men who killed them, how she could save her daughter from ever having to know age or death, if only she had decided to open the world to the Dark Dimension.
He would not listen to reason and she had tried so hard to lead him back to the light. It was only a matter of time he turned on her mother and Kamar-Taj. Perhaps if she hadn't of left, the Ancient One would still be alive.
"You were with my mother at the end?" She asked Stephen, her voice hitching slightly.
Stephen looked into her eyes. They were vulnerable but wise beyond her years. He couldn't imagine the kind of life she had led, what she had seen growing up. He wished he could understand her better.
"Yes. I was with her," Said Stephen, finally.
"How did she die?" She asked.
Blunt-force trauma to the parietal and occipital lobes he thought automatically before cringing at how awful that sounded. What could he possibly say to her?
"Please," She asked, sensing his hesitation.
Stephen's heart constricted in his chest, realizing there was nothing he could do but tell her the truth.
"Kaecilius and his disciples had attacked the New York Sanctum. We were losing badly and your mother came to defend us. Kaecilius found an opening in her defense and threw her out of the Mirror Dimension. She fell five stories, there was nothing the doctors could do."
Not even I could have saved her, Stephen thought somewhat selfishly. It wasn't fair to say- it was something the old Stephen Strange would have thought. So he kept it to himself.
"I was able to talk to her in her astral form while she was in the OR. She told me she'd seen it coming, that every possible future led her to that single outcome. In her last moments, we watched the snow fall, and then she slipped away."
Clea saw the deep sadness in Stephen's eyes and knew this was incredibly hard for him to tell her. She had read about the car accident and his hands- his whole life, up until his disappearance, was laid bare on the Internet. The Ancient One taught him the ways of the mystic arts and helped him see his life still had meaning. Clea could tell she meant a lot to him.
"I'm sorry," she told him, wiping a few errant tears from her eyes.
"I'm sorry too."
Clea reached out to him then. She hesitated before finally placing her hand on his shoulder. Her bond slowly constricted around her arm but she fought through the pain. It was worth it to comfort him. When she pulled away, they sat in reflective silence until the sun was fully raised in the sky.
"Master Strange?" Said Clea, finally summoning up the courage to ask the one question she dreaded most. "What happened to Kaecilius?"
"He and the rest of his disciples were taken to the Dark Dimension by Dormammu." Explained Stephen.
Clea turned away from him, feeling as if she were going to be sick.
"So he will live forever?" She asked.
"He will, but at a price." Stephen said, feeling this would be some sort of consolation to her. Little did he know, Kaecilius's punishment mattered very little to her at this moment.
"Yes. All magic has a price." She said, quietly.
She had rung up quite a tab herself over the years. It seemed she was paying for it now, and would be forever now that Kaecilius was gone. Mordo would have been furious with her if he were still around.
"We should head back." Said Clea, standing up and removing her sling ring from her backpack.
Stephen knew something was wrong, but felt it wasn't his place to ask. She opened a portal back to Kamar-Taj and the two sorcerers leapt through into the library.
AN: Another update! Yaaaay! If you're into my story please review, favor and follow.