The Book Keeper
by TimeAndLife21
Chapter 6
Ten Years ago…
Anaiah was going through the Library organizing some books that the Librarian had left her to do. Some of the students have been leaving books around and that irritated her. Most of the scrolls, tomes and grimoires were ANCIENT! They have to be taken care of.
Even though she was still an apprentice of The Ancient One (even if Anaiah said that she would forge her own path to the Mystic arts) she wanted to excel. So she travels as much as she could around the world (within reason of course) to find many other ways of the Mystic Arts.
She put a book away when she hear the voice.
"Anaiah." A male voice called out.
She smiled slightly. It was her fellow apprentice, Kaecilius. He had come here to Kamar-Taj a few years ago looking for solace, answers, and peace. The Ancient one had welcome him and opened his mind of the possibilities of the world. He took to the studies and worked alongside her. However annoyed she was that another apprentice would take her Master's time away from her, but she hid it well.
"There you are. Stuck in this dusty old place." He chuckled as he walked up to her.
Kaecilius was a tall man, he was wearing yellow and grey robes, signifying that he was a Master of the Mystic Arts. Just as she is. Though she prefered Green and Silver as opposed to the traditional colors. His blond turning grey hair was pulled in a low ponytail and his easy smile as he leaned onto a bookcase, crossing his arms he observed her putting the books away.
"Don't go there. You know I have a job to do and it's to make sure this place is organized." She glared playfully at him.
He raised his arms in surrender.
"No, No, I'm just saying that you should be outside more. Get a little sun. You have been looking pale lately." He spoke as he crossed the floor to where she is.
She was shorter than him, obviously. She didn't like the fact that she was short. Probably because she was stunted of her growth when she was a child and starving on the street for who knows how long… Her memory is funny that way.
"I know that, but I have to put these books away-" She was cut short when Kaecilius took her by the arm and dragged her out to the courtyard, her fighting and struggling all the way.
"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!" She repeated over and over again, but the fellow apprentice didn't give up.
"Anaiah…" He chided her looking down at her gently.
She stopped struggling and sighed.
"Fine, you dragged me out here...now what?' She crossed her arms in annoyance.
He merely pointed towards beyond the wall of Kamar-Taj and she followed the direction he was pointing to.
The sun was setting, and it took her breath away. The haze of dust that covered Nepal beyond Kamar-Taj made it look as if it was fog. The colors of pink, orange and red filled the sky. And it colored the mountains in a pink glow. She was captured by the sight. She knew that every sunrise and sunset was different, but sometimes the simple beauty of them never ceases to amaze her.
"Isn't it beautiful? It caught my eye and I figured that you would enjoy it." He looked down at he smiling gently.
Anaiah blushed a little bit, though Kaecilius was much older than her by 20 years, she couldn't help but admire his handsome face. She always did enjoy looking at the world's handsome and beautiful people, it was something of a hobby for her.
"I appreciate it." She smiled back at him before she turned to watch the sunset with him.
Present...
Anaiah woke up slowly. The memory was painful to her heart. Before Kaecilius began to turn to the darker sides of the Mystic Arts, she and him, along with Mordo and Wong, were well known Masters. They were powerful in their own rights and they were good friends...then Kaecillius learned of the Dark Dimension.
She knew his past. He lost his son, which is always hard on a parent, but not long after he lost his wife. She knew that he was someone to live for something, but when he became a Master, he suddenly turned to read the darker materials of the library.
This unsettled her greatly...she wanted to see that he was just expanding his mind of other branches of Magic...but she could see the changes that slowly took over him. He began talking to her of other dimensions. Many alternate realities. She knew of them, of course, she was the Ancient One's apprentice, but she knew the secrets of her past. Many would be appalled at these secrets, but Anaiah knew that it was a sacrifice she had to made.
Then he came to her one day speaking of immortality. This wasn't the gentleman that took her to see the sunsets and sunrises, the man who made sure she ate food when she was absorbed into her own studies, the man who she seemed to develop something of affection to him, no...this was a man who became...obsessed. He became more cruel, bitter, and apathetic. He had gained a following in Kamar-Taj. She brought up this with The Ancient One and it wasn't a pretty sight.
"You cannot be serious!?" Kaecilius asked in disbelief.
"I cannot let you stay here any longer, Kaecilius...you have changed...and it isn't a good change." The Ancient One spoke painfully.
Anaiah was standing to the side with Mordo. Both were shocked and appalled. Kaecilius was a wonderful student and like a brother to them. And The Ancient One treated him like a son to her. But now it has come to a head. Many of the people that Kaecilius had spoken to, has been questioning that why shouldn't they obtain immortality? They have the secrets of the Mystic Arts, why not go beyond that?
"Is it not a right to expand the possibilities?" Kaecilius mocked.
"What you are proposing is never to be done. You cannot bring back your wife and son, Kaecilius." The Ancient One said softly.
Anaiah saw the mask breaking on Kaecilius' face. She saw the hurt, the sadness, the anger...and it rose to the forfront.
"I came to you to understand why my Wife and Son's deaths happened. And I wanted to be able to bring them back to me but you are standing in my way…" Kaecilius spoke darkly.
Anaiah sucked in a sharp breath, her heart broke. Death is a natural thing. Even she knew that she wouldn't live forever like the Ancient One, but she would accept it if it would come to her.
"You cannot stop death from happening Kaecilius… it is a natural thing that comes in many forms. Why are you fearing it?" The Ancient One asked.
"Why are you stopping me? Do I not deserve the answers to why this happened to me?" Kaecilius spoke coldly.
Anaiah closed her eyes and turned away to leave. She could hear the faint words of the Ancient one banishing him from Kamar-Taj as she left.
Before Kaecilius left however, he came to her.
She stood ramrod straight with cold eyes. The man in front of her was a stranger. A man bent on the Darker Arts and he told her of his plan.
She was told of the Dark Dimension and that the Inter-dimensional being, Dormanmu would grant him everything he ever wanted, including immortality.
"Come with me, Anaiah, perhaps you can unlock the secrets of your past." He smiled cruelly at her.
She rejected him. And told him that if he didn't leave, she would kill him herself.
"My offer stands…" He spoke before he and a multitude of others left with him.
Her past was a sore spot for her. She had no memories before she came to Kamar-Taj. She couldn't even remember how she came to Tibet and how she got there. The only thing linking her to her past was a necklace.
She turned her head to the side table where the necklace lies...it was a leather necklace with a single pendent on it. The pendent was a silver ore and it was molded into when seemed like a silver coin the size of an american fifty cent piece; engraved onto it was a tree of life. On the back however, was old norse engravings.
"Never lose sight of who you are."
There was no name. There was nothing other than that specific wording that hit her heart so very deeply. Perhaps she will eventually find her past, but until then, she will wear the necklace when she feels the need to.
Lately though, since she has been training Stephen Strange, she had the faintest notion that she should wear it.
The sun was rising, she noted when she turned her head towards her windowstill. She rose up and grabbed the necklace and placed it around her neck. The pendant fitting snugly in the hollow of her throat, the leather warm against her neck. She felt invigorated as she stared out into the distance.
Something was changeing. She didn't know what it could be, but she knew that since Stephen Strange's appearance to Kamar-Taj, she felt...hope. It has been revolving around him. Every little change had started with him. Perhaps...this change is something that she could welcome.
"Anaiah…" She heard the voice of Mordo behind her.
"Hurry up! It's time to put our Doctor Strange though the wringer." He smirked at her through her door of her chambers.
She turned to the sunrise and then back at him again smiling.
"I'll be there…"
TAL21: Okay, there is some interaction between Kaecilius and Anaiah, though in past tense. Sorry, no action here. XD So you an see that Kaecillius and Anaiah had some sort of relationship, it didn't really develop into a romantic one, I would say that yes, Anaiah had feelings for Kaecilius, but she didn't act on them because she was so focused on learning more of the Mystic Arts. I really wanted to have something that would connect Anaiah and Kaecilius, so this worked out in a sense. XD You also get to look into a bit of a mysterious past that she has. That hint is in there and I will give you a cookie if you can guess correctly, just a warning, it is not what you think. XD And now I have reached 100 follows on this story, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! :D Though the follows greatly outweigh the Reviews, I still appreciate you guys. So, no Shout-outs this time, but if I can get at least five reviews a chapter, detailed of course, I can do my shout outs because i enjoy interacting with my readers. :) See you guys in the next Chapter!
Question Time!: Given the Timeline of Doctor Strange, what are your theories? I personally believe that it was between a bit before Iron Man 2 and a little after Civil War. If so, what are your thoughts on it?
Keep on Reading and Writing!