The Book Keeper

By TimeAndLife21

Chapter 14

Stephen didn't think much of Master Lucia when he first met her. She had a dreamy look on her face, and was rather blunt yet strict about her rules of the Monastery and was very informative in the Mystic arts, especially about some of the relics that have been placed here. But in his experience as a doctor, he could see something odd about her. Something that was lying underneath the surface. The small tics that she had. The way she spoke was...out there to say the least. The way everything seemed so...clean here in this monastery. Not even a speck of dust. With only her as it's occupant. He made her out to be just someone who prefered the hermit lifestyle.

The fight that was happening in front of him proved him wrong. He was banging on the large barrier shield to intervene but it was no use. Anaiah was defending herself against Master Lucia with the skin of her teeth. Her scythe and her cross the only weapons she was using and Lucia had a rather terrifying weapon. The Snake Sword of Valentine. The best way to describe that relic was that it acted as a bladed whip and Anaiah was toe to toe with her.

The woman was grinning psychotically and laughing as she was bearing down on Anaiah who just barely blocked the sword's blades with her scythe.. It truly sent chills down his spine. It was a complete 180 degree change of the woman's personality.

"Come on now, young disciple! You need a bit of a push!" She laughed maniacally as she whipped the sword around and slashed at her.

The sword wrapped around her neck and…

Six Days Earlier…

"Mordo…" Anaiah shook her head.

"You are serious?" Mordo crossed his arms and looked at her with a look that a disappointed parent would give to a child.

Stephen was actually excited to travel to a different part of the world using the sling ring. He had traveled to Everest (which was not really a destination he would go to anytime soon) and of course using the sling ring to get books from the library (Wong still glared at him from time to time for doing that...again). But of course, in order to go to the Swiss Alps, one must be dressed appropriately. Heavy furs and clothes in the summer heat and he was ready to just drop dead. Anaiah was dressed similar to him, but not as heavy.

"I hope that Master Lucia won't eat him alive or worse." Mordo spoke to her.

"Mordo, I have it taken care of. Don't be such a mother hen." Anaiah rolled her eyes.

Mordo sputtered indignantly.

"I am not a mother hen!" Mordo spoke getting his teeth.

Even though Stephen is thankful for the hand of friendship that Mordo had extended out to him, he had to admit that he has a tendency to be a mother hen. But he was thankful nethertheless. Mordo then turned to Stephen with a worried look in his eyes.

"Just be careful around Master Lucia. She can be a bit…" Mordo was having difficulty finding a word that wasn't 'Strange.' Given the fact that Stephen's last name was Strange, the puns that Stephen had been handing out to Mordo had exasperated the poor man.

"Eccentric to say the least, Extraordinary at best." The Ancient One spoke as she entered the room.

The three of them turned to The Ancient One and she smiled at them.

"I hope you enjoy your little break from here, but please don't trouble Master Lucia longer than you have to." The Ancient One spoke gently, yet Stephen could hear a bit of warning behind those words.

"Don't worry, we will only be staying a week. Nothing More, and nothing less. It'll be nice to see her again. It's been a while." Anaiah spoke as she lifted her pack onto her back and was ready to go.

Mordo stood next to Stephen and spoke lowly.

"Just be wary around Master Lucia." Mordo warned.

"Why? Is she insane?" Stephen joked.

No reply was given.

"You cannot be…"Stephen was about to speak before Anaiah grabbed him by the coat and was forcefully pulled through a portal.

"Bye!" Anaiah spoke before she closed the portal.

The next thing he knew was the biting cold hitting his face. The heat that was previously killing him at Kamar-Taj suddenly was replace with snow coming down in waves and his body was adjusting to the rather sudden change of boiling heat to the sudden cold.

"Strange!" He heard Anaiah's voice over the snowstorm.

He turned himself to see her waving at him, her feet deep in the snow.

"Let's move! She's expecting us!" She shouted at him.

He then moved quickly. Following her closely. She seemed to know the path to wherever this place was so he kept a close eye on her back as she led him to wherever this place was. He struggled a bit as he was doing his best to move his feet through the snow until he felt Anaiah's hand wrap around his thick padded arm and pulled him upward.

He looked up and saw that there was a ill-paved road ahead and Anaiah was pulling him towards it. They made it to the road and it was easier for them to make their trek through the snow. Though, the road looked like it hadn't been tended to in years. By now, his body was starting to cool down too much, too fast. And he really didn't want hypothermia.

"Where is this place?!" He shouted at her over the howling winds.

"Not far now!"She turned to him smiling.

Her cheeks were red with the snow blowing onto her face but her eyes had changed color again. That same dark emerald green. Usually her eyes would turn such a color when she would be using magic. But she seemed to be more...alive in this storm? Maybe the temperature shock was getting to him. She shook him to get his attention again and pointed with a gloved hand up the road.

Up the road, maybe a little less than a mile, was a large stone-like castle. The words come to him immediately.

"That is not a cabin!" He shouted at her as he looked closer at it.

She said it was a cabin...but that was anything but.

"Come On Doctor! Let's pick up the pace before we freeze!" She shouted back at him as she moved forward.

He too picked up the pace as his body was struggling to stay warm in the freezing cold. If it wasn't for Anaiah keeping her hand on his arm, he would have fallen to his knees sooner. He lifted his head, squinting his eyes against the wind and snow, they were getting closer and closer to the castle like building. By the time they reached the wooden doors, the both of them were huddling by the door. Anaiah reached for the large metal knocker and knocked rather loudly. Almost instantly, the door opened and while Stephen was in shock, Anaiah grabbed him by the arm (again) and walked into the suddenly warm castle.

He fell to his knees to try and orient himself again. The trip from sweltering Kathmandu to the cold Swiss Alps and then coming into a suddenly warm place of shelter, he was adjusting to it. After a couple of minutes taking some deep breaths to ease himself into the weirdness of traveling in such a short time, Anaiah kneeled in front of him and chuckled.

"Adjusting?" She smiled down at him.

"You've been doing this longer than I have, you have the advantage." He said before sitting back on his heels.

"True, but I hope that this transition will be the first of many. Now let's get these heavy coats off, I'm roasting again." She spoke before standing up and taking off her pack and the heavier clothes.

He did so, his hands shaking all the while, and Anaiah would take the heavy coats from him and hung it on a row of hooks that was by the door. He then looked at his surroundings. He could tell that they were in the entryway that would lead into the inside of the place.

"Are you sure that this is a cabin?" He asked sarcastically.

"Hehe, this is an abandoned Monastery. Master Lucia had lived here for many, many years. Some say she lived just as long as The Ancient One." she spoke as she motioned him to follow her.

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow skeptically as he followed her down a long corridor.

"Well I don't know everything about the older masters. So it could be true or not." She shrugged.

The stone walls were lined with tapestries. There were many symbols on them, though many of them feature animals like elephants, tigers, wolves, eagles, and more. They reached the end of the corridor and it opened up into a large open space. It was completely different to what it looks like outside. Giant stained glass windows, which featured mostly different types of animals, was lined amongst the walls. The space in front of him looked very much like a giant ballroom of sorts. It was like a mish-mash of a modern century ballroom mixed with a church like feel of the monastery. The floor was made of stained wood, but they were intricately painted with natural wood colors and there were designs on them. Along the sides of the large space was a long and burning fireplace. Which must be the central heat for this open space and it lit up the room with a rather soft light. There was a giant staircase in the middle of it all that lead to the upper floors.

He had to admit it was rather breathtaking. The mixed space and themes worked together even if they must be centuries apart. He looked up and saw a giant glass chandelier that glittered in the low light. He was so entranced by the beauty of this place he didn't notice someone standing by his side.

"Many who come here are always taken aback by the strange beauty of this place, I hope you enjoy your stay here." He heard a light airy voice beside him.

He jumped a little bit, and he most definitely did not let out a squeak of fright, as he turned to the source of the voice.

It was a woman. She looked to be in her late thirties, but Stephen had learned to understand the weirdness that was the Mystic arts, so she must be older than she looked. She wore a blood red tunic dress with a cream laced bodice. The borders of the dress were intricately embroidered with black and silver. Her skin was pale as the snow outside, and her hair was a platinum blond maybe lighter. It was pin-straight and not a hair out of place. She was the same height as he was, but he wasn't sure if she was wearing heels or not.

She had very pale blue eyes. Like the color of the daytime sky. But as he looked a bit closer, he noticed that she wasn't really looking at him, but seeing past him. She just might be blind, if he was being correct.

"Master Lucia!" Anaiah spoke up before walking past strange and going to the woman.

So this was Master Lucia. She wasn't all that he thought she would be.

"Anaiah, it is wonderful to see you again." she spoke in that airy voice again.

She lifted her hands and they twitched only a little before she placed them onto Anaiah's face.

"You haven't visited for a while. I was starting to get worried that you've tired of me." She spoke softly.

"Not really, I've been pretty busy lately." She said shyly.

"I can see that, You have brought an apprentice here. The Ancient One is taking in strays again?" She said as her head turned towards him.

He felt insulted.

"Master Lucia, please be considerate." Anaiah frowned.

"Of course, my dear." She admonished before taking her hands off of Anaiah's face. "Doctor Stephen Strange… what an interesting apprentice that she has taken in." She tilted her head as she walked back up to him again.

It took a lot of effort to not insult the woman in front of him. She looked up at him and tilted her head again, her rosebud lips pursed in concentration. She squinted her eyes as she apparently observed him. She then started to walk around him like some sort of doll to be admired.

"Hmm...never have I seen such a raw talent...and power. Very studious as well. That is rare in an Apprentice." She said rather eerily before stopping in front of him.

She raised her hand open-palmed to his face and he was just about to raise his hand in defense until Master Lucia spoke.

"Do not be afraid Stephen Strange… I am merely observing your spirit." The woman spoke as she shook her head just a little before speaking again. "I see...Arrogance and Pride. But I also see a broken man who seeks to heal his hands, no matter the cost."

He gritted his teeth and sneered at the woman. Who was she to tell him who he was and what he was like?

"But...I see something else as well." She said as she slowly put her hand down to her side. "Something...interesting. I wonder Stephen Strange...what is it that you want in this life? Your return to your career? Or something much more than just regaining the use of your hands?" She spoke in that light voice.

He couldn't help but be startled at that statement, but before he could recover, Master Lucia spoke again.

"Anaiah, you can take him to the West Wing where the guest rooms are at. You may tell him the rules of the Monastery. You both are welcome to go anywhere in this place, except for the East Wing." She spoke as she turned and walked away from the both of them.

"What's in the East Wing?' He asked.

"It's forbidden." The Master turned and looked at him. Her face unchanged from its dreamy mask but her eyes held a slight hardness. "I pray that your curiosity won't kill you if you break my rules."

She then turned to Anaiah, "Please make yourselves comfortable. I will have dinner served to you soon."

The woman then walked off. Stephen watched as she turned a corner before he turned to Anaiah.

"What the hell just happened?" He asked her.

Anaiah just shrugged.

"I think she likes you." She commented.

"Likes me? She just insulted me." He sneered.

"Master Lucia isn't…" Anaiah struggled to find the words. "She's a bit hard to understand. She may seem odd in many ways, but she doesn't lie."

Somehow, Stephen believed her.

"Well, let's go to the West Wing. That is where our rooms are at." She spoke as she took him by the arm again and led him up the grand staircase.

"So...where is the Library?" He asked.

Anaiah just laughed as she led him down the halls, unaware to the both of them, Master Lucia was in the shadows observing. She hadn't felt a strong presence in the longest time. Morwyn, who is the current Ancient One, was one of the strongest. Yes, Lucia has been around just as long as Morwyn not longer, but longevity and immortality came at a price. As well as other such Magics that she had used to sustain herself over time. She knew her price when she was a young Sorceress in a growing world. It was why she confined herself in this monastery, training ones who would become to be Master Sorcerers or Sorceresses. She would choose weather the Strays that Morwyn brought in have talent, power, and most importantly, humility.

This Stephen Strange was someone who has raw talent, untapped power, and while he did have humility, it was buried deep inside. Not to mention his arrogance, ego, and pride is practically the size of the moon. But...he has potential. This particular stray hasn't an idea what is in store for him. Morwyn had spoken to her about him. How he was a broken man after his arrogance cost him his hands. Losing everything he had. Yet, he held onto the hope that he could regain use of them. Even if training in the Mystic Arts could be used to regain use of them again.

Lucia smiled. She enjoyed broken things. But she enjoyed getting those broken things 'fix' themselves. She probably won't be able to fix Stephen Strange in seven days, but she just may be able to kick-start him, and Morwyn will finish him up. She will have fun with this one. Yes, she will. And she is looking forward to see who Stephen Strange will truly be in the future.

TAL21: GAH! Finally! I had to go through a couple of drafts of who I wanted Master Lucia to be. Finally I based her off of Luna Lovegood in looks in a way, but her personality thought similar to Luna, is not who she seems. If the beginning of the chapter gives any hints to you, Lucia is dangerous, but that aspect of her personality hasn't come out just yet. And yes, there will be some humorous interactions between her, Anaiah, and Stephen, but Lucia will be testing him. And you guys will get to see a few objects that I have pulled from other 'Dimensions'. You'll probably think that I'm a little crazy that i'm doing it, but when you really think about it, it can be put into the Marvel Universe quite well if you use it correctly. That is what fanfiction is for! Now, I won't be doing seven chapters for those seven days, but I'm thinking about three more chapters for this arc and then getting into the movie once again. I hope you guys like Master Lucia so far, I like her already. :D And Yes, I did give The Ancient One a name. Deal with it. XD Now onto the SHOUT OUTS!

Sparky She-Demon: You will be meeting Aries eventually, probably until after the movie arc is over. The concept I came up for him is pretty funny actually, given the fact that I based him off of a couple of characters personality wise. XD You should totally see the Animated Doctor Strange movie. You will not be disappointed. Trust me, it is a precious gem for Marvel's Animated Movies. As for Rannoch the deer, the name actually came from David Clemment Davies book the Fire Bringer. If you ever have a chance to read it, do it. It's an amazing read. :) And You can get the Doctor Strange Soundtrack off of iTunes or Amazon. I have the entire soundtrack and I listen to it daily. I'm addicted to the sounds that it produces. :) And Yes, Lucia will provide some humor, but at Stephen's expense. XD

JinxWriter: Lucia doesn't really see the future. She could tell who has potential to change the future for better or worse, but to actually 'seeing' the future isn't plausible for her. She likes to see who she could transform under her tutelage, even under a specified amount of time. Stephen is in for a shock that is for sure. And before you ask, She has rejected to train Kaecillius (as well as many others for reasons unknown to many) because she could see what darkness lies in his heart and even warned the Ancient One about it, but was dismissed. She did warn her after all. But Lucia i would say is neutral in many things. But training those who don't show promise or even great things in their futures, she would reject. Personal preferences take hold of what she likes and doesn't like. Oh and there will be some heartbreaking to heartwarming stuff coming up in the next couple of chapters. Your hear will probably hurt from reading it. XD

CJ/Oddball: Anaiah and Stephen will get to gather eventually, but yeah, they actually are a bit of a funny couple to say the least. She doesn't really put up with his crap, but see the mask that he holds for himself, as for Stephen he's still holding onto the piece of past that is Christine. Its not as prominent, but it's still there. As for the heat, Anaiah never really tolerates heat that well. She prefers cooler temperatures that she could handle by at least 15 degrees. Any colder and she will be uncomfortable about it. Mordo never really liked Master Lucia, true she was a Master, but being around her makes him nervous overall. As for the Doctor Strange soundtrack, I recommend Amazon or iTunes to get the music. You will not be disappointed. :)

TAL21: That's it for the Shout Outs. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter a bit. The next chapter will be a bit of a time skip to the second day that they are there and Stephen was already put to work reading some rather interesting tomes, books, and scrolls of different styles of magic wielding techniques from other countries and the like. So there's something for you guys to look forward to. :) Please leave Detailed and long reviews! I enjoy speaking and chatting with my readers because that is how I roll. XD I love hearing from you guys and it makes my day (and night) to read your comments on this story. I'll see you guys later in the next chapter! :D

Question Time!: Who has the best facial hair? Thor, Tony Stark, Stephen Strange or Peter Quill?

KEEP ON READING AND WRITING! :D