LAST TIME
"A new power comes into play. A power beyond this reality. Yet, no chaos cracks the boundaries of reality. What is this?"
The wind whispered in her ears.
"The endless. The masters of the multiverse." She tilted her head. Her hand moved again and the images in the purple rings distorted again. "And forces beyond Earth are already moving. Moving for what the Sorcerers protect. Moving to get Earth. And this new player…"
A face shone within the ring in front of her. Dark, messy black hair and emerald green eyes, a golden amulet hanging around his neck.
A giggle echoed through the forest. "This is going to be interesting. Very very interesting."
Ch.14 An Astral Battle
20th August 2006
Kamar Taj, Kathmandu
A piercing gong echoed through the silence of the night, ringing through the heart of Kathmandu and the Sanctum Sanctorums around the world. Many disciples and masters of the Mystic Arts were startled awake, their eyes widening, before they rushed out of their beds.
In the New York Sanctum, Harry and Daniel looked up sharply from their work before abandoning it and running toward the gateway connecting the Sanctums and Kamar Taj.
The gong of Kamar Taj was seldom rung, and only in times of dire need. Need, which required the full attention and force of the sorcerers to deal with. Or in other words, a crisis.
"What the hell is happening?" Harry asked Wong, who was standing at the nexus of the gateway to receive them.
"The Ancient One has had a vision." Wong gave them a short bow. "The vision scared her and she declared a crisis."
The doorway to the London Sanctum rippled and Kaecilius and Master Rama rushed out followed shortly by Master Li and Anna through the doorway of the London Sanctum.
"Where's the Ancient One?" Anna blurted. "And what the fuck is happening?"
"The Ancient One had a vision." Wong repeated. "She has gone to confirm her suspicions and said she will join us once she has ascertained the threat and the actions we must take."
"What vision did she have?" Daniel glanced at his wife.
"A large tentacled monster— filled with hate and anger is moving through the astral plane." Wong gave them a meaningful look. "Straight toward Earth."
"E'kolith?" Harry paled.
"No." Master Li cut in. "She would've recognized E'kolith immediately. So, it is not him, hopefully."
"The Ancient One has asked everyone to gather in the courtyard right away." Wong cleared his throat. "If you would…"
The group moved, Daniel and Anna falling into step while Master Li took the lead. The gong rang again as they entered the courtyard. Harry's eyes drifted toward the high tower where Master Perez stood, a hammer in his hand.
The disciples were gathering in the courtyard, clearly having been roused from their sleep. Their whispers drifted in the cool breeze of the night, the moonlight casting shadows on their faces.
A group of masters stood at a side, talking in hushed tones amongst themselves.
"Dan…" Anna whispered. "Who is protecting the sanctums if we are all here?"
"The Ancient One will instruct us. The Sanctum Masters are—"
Daniel was cut short as Harry raised his hand and a loud bang shook the courtyard.
"SILENCE!" Harry yelled. "Fall in line. Prepare your weapons. Whatever is coming will require our full force. Masters, stop gossiping and get to work. Divide into groups so the Ancient One doesn't need to do everything when she gets here."
Master Li gave him a respectful nod and Master Rama stepped down the dias, going to help out with the formation of groups and handling of weapons that were being picked off the rack.
"I can't believe they listened." Anna commented. "Your reputation precedes you, it seems."
Harry frowned. "There's nothing like that."
"Sure thing." Anna snorted before quietening as she caught the sight of the Ancient One striding toward them.
The Ancient One, dressed in her yellow robes, was looking as grim as Harry had ever seen her. She swept up on the platform, watching the disciples and masters as they divided themselves into groups. A moment later, she clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"Master Drumm— Anna, Master Patel, Master Berhe. You're in charge of protecting the Hong Kong, London, and New York Sanctums respectively." The Ancient One ordered briskly. "Take any two disciples of your choice and go. You must protect the sanctums with all you have."
They immediately dispersed, not even questioning her.
"Masters, disciples." The Ancient One addressed the crowd. "As you might have deduced, a threat approaches us. A threat that has the potential to pose great danger to our very existence."
She paused meaningfully, looking at every disciple and master who was gathered in the courtyard.
"This threat has not been seen or heard of since before the time of Camelot." She gave them a piercing look. "It is known to feast upon worlds, consuming them and leaving them naught but a barren landscape. It drains the very life force of its victims leaving nothing but ashes in its wake. In worlds it was, and still is, feared to be the equivalent of Apocalypse. An unstoppable force of nature."
"What is it?" A voice breathed, drifting in the breeze.
"It is an ancient monster." The Ancient One took a deep breath. "Kalkartho."
Silence settled over the crowd as many frowned, muttering amongst themselves at the unfamiliar name.
Harry, on the other hand, felt the blood drain out of his face. He had read about the creature in the Book of Cagliostro. Specifically in one of the parts that were copied from the Darkhold itself.
Kalkartho was a cosmic destroyer with an insatiable hunger and no mercy or purpose other than to feed.
Feed on worlds and on the life force of its victims. It was a monstrosity that could traverse between the Astral plane and the physical plane at will and attack worlds with absolute impunity. It was said that it could consume a hundred thousand souls in the blink of an eye when it was in the physical plane and no countermeasures worked on it.
Kalkartho was once said to be a part of the dark dimension— the realm of Dormammu. But it escaped— or was lost from it and continued its feeding.
"Many of you won't recognize the name, I am aware." The Ancient One said. "For most believed it to be a myth. A fantastical tale told to warn Sorcerers of old about the dangers of the universe. But it is very much true, unfortunately. It will come to Earth through the Astral plane which it can traverse at will."
The Ancient One took a deep breath. "Once here, it will be entering the physical plane in order to feed. If it does, our only hope will be to contain it. I will try to make sure that it doesn't come to pass but if it does, we have to focus on cutting our losses and protecting the world."
"And if we can't contain it?" Mordo asked from the front of the group of disciples.
"Then we hope that humanity survives the encounter somehow." The Ancient One replied grimly and turned around to look at the Sanctum masters. "Master Li, Master Rama. Divide everyone into two groups and arm yourselves. We've till sun-up until the monster nears Earth. It will loom over Europe and we will try to redirect it toward the uninhabited parts of Scotland. I will give further instructions to individual groups soon. Till then, Master Drumm, Master Potter, follow me."
Harry and Daniel rushed after the Ancient One as she strode into the inner sanctum, toward the gateway connecting Kamar Taj to the Sanctum Sanctorum
"Master Drumm, once I ascend into the Astral plane to fight the monster, you will be in charge here." She walked through the door of the New York Sanctum. "I need you to be prepared to cast and hold the world-shield spell in case the monster tears through it. It will be our only hope in case this causes a ripple effect."
Daniel nodded.
The Ancient One walked up to the Cloak of Levitation, which bowed in her presence somehow. With a snap of her fingers, the glass around the relic vanished and she held out a hand, which the cloak took before wrapping around her shoulders.
"Harry, I need you to contact your friends at S.H.I.E.L.D." She turned around, the red cloak fluttering behind her. "Tell them to clear the airspace over the whole of the United Kingdom. If there is any airplane or even a satellite, it will be short-circuited due to the astral battle about to take place. Advise them that if possible, they should cut the power to save electronics and limit the damage."
"Yes ma'am." Harry whipped out his phone and walked toward the window.
"Also Harry," The Ancient One called. "Take any relic you wish to. I recommend the Dragonfang."
Harry's eyes widened and he nodded at her smirk.
The Dragonfang was a sword forged in the heart of a dying star using the bones of an Ancient Dragon by the dwarves of Nidavellir— thus, Asgardian in origin. It was a sword that had been brought to Earth during the time of the great Agamotto by Odin himself.
As The Ancient One and Master Daniel left, Harry dialed Coulson's number. The phone rang twice before it was picked up.
"Hello." Coulson's voice rang through the other side. "Yes, Harry? Is it something urgent?"
"Yes, very." Harry answered. "Phil, listen carefully. I need S.H.I.E.L.D to clear the airspace above the whole of the United Kingdom within an hour. That also includes any satellite you wish to save. Oh, and it would be wise to cut the power to the city if you can."
There was silence on the other side for a few moments. "Can I ask why you are making such a request?"
"You remember how I told you I protect Earth against threats that are more mystical in nature?" Harry said. "Well, a battle in the astral plane is about to take place. And the consequences of it might be the sudden blow-out of every electronic item in a certain radius."
"Should we prepare—"
"Phil, believe me, you cannot do anything." Harry sighed. "I am telling you to do the only thing you can do. And I repeat, any plane in the air would crash if they are above the United Kingdom. We will try to mitigate the effects as much as we can but—"
"There is only so much even magic can do." Coulson said. "I have questions, but I suppose they can wait."
"Yes, they can." Harry agreed. "You have an hour, give or take. Once you are ready, call me. And if you aren't… Well, we Sorcerers will make the call we must."
"We will clear the skies, don't worry. Director Fury will have the prime minister on line in ten minutes if needed." Coulson replied. "And Harry? Good luck with whatever you're about to face."
"Thanks." Harry said and cut the call.
Turning around, he walked down the stairs, nodding to Master Berhe on his way.
He stopped at a blank stretch of wall, tracing his fingers across it in a practiced pattern. After a moment, a section of the wall silently slid open, revealing the chamber beyond— The armory of the New York Sanctum.
Every Sanctum had one to store mass weapons— shields, swords, staves, axes, and the like and also house the most powerful relics. Like the Dragonfang for instance, which was housed in a glass chamber at the center of the room.
It was one of the most powerful, and not to mention, beautiful swords Harry had ever seen. Walking up to it, Harry opened the glass case and picked up the relic, feeling it thrum in his hands.
The blade instantly repelled his magic, giving Harry the urge to put it back down. It didn't want to be wielded by him.
"I need you for today." He told the blade, pushing a little of his magic to combat the resistance. "I need you for a battle to protect Earth against a monster. Please allow me to wield you for today."
The blade's magic thrummed, a glow glinting off its edge as if contemplating what to do next. A moment later, the resistance faded and Harry nodded contently as he felt his magic run down the length of the blade.
With a twirl of his fingers, a portal formed in front of him and he walked out into the courtyard of Kamar Taj where the Ancient One was relaying instructions, and planning for the battle.
The Cloak of Levitation fluttered, flapping at her ankles as she moved.
"—And the Sorcerers who remain on Earth will be divided into two. One group will set up a containment spell and the other will prepare a banishment spell. I am unsure if the Kalkartho can be held in the mirror dimension. But we must try."
She took a deep breath. "Mordo, Wong, Kaecilius. I need you three to work alongside Master Perez and Master Monroe to set up the Gyre of Gateways for our last resort."
"Last resort?" Mordo asked worriedly.
"Opening a portal to another dimension." She replied grimly. "Its home dimension."
"Which is…" Kaecilius drawled.
"The Dark Dimension." Harry said and everyone turned to him.
"You want to open a portal to the dark dimension!?" Wong's eyes budged from his skull. "That is the realm of the dread Dormammu!"
"And Kalkartho's home world." Harry said. "It is said that Kalkartho was lost from it eons ago while Dormammu was consuming a solar system into his wretched darkness. There is a chance that the Kalkartho will go back home if it gets a way to do so. A way provided by us."
"And how do you know this?" Kaecilius asked suspiciously.
"Because I looked up Kalkartho?" Harry gave him a frown. "There is not much information on him. Took me only a couple of minutes to read through it."
"Was there anything that might be helpful?" Mordo asked. "Is that why you got that sword?"
"It is a tentacled monster. Sword means I can cut those tentacles down." Harry rolled his eyes. "And there are a few things that this sword cannot cut through. So, it was a safe bet."
"That is very much true." The Ancient One nodded. "Why don't the three of you prepare for the portal spell? If everything fails after all, it will come down to you to save Earth."
"I am sorry, but what spell will we even use to open the portal?" Kaecilius frowned. "The knowledge to access something as forbidden as the dark dimension is something only you possess."
"Master Perez is aware of what is required to open the portal and so is Master Minroe." She replied. "The Gyre of Gateways is a powerful relic. But what you have to work on is widening the portal enough and changing its position to send the Kalkartho back. Kalkartho is a massive creature."
"Yes, Ancient One." Mordo nodded and Wong bowed. "We will get to work right away."
The three of them departed to the New York Sanctum to retrieve the Gyre of Gateways.
"Now, did your friends agree to help us, Master Potter?" The Ancient One turned to Harry.
"Didn't even take much persuading." Harry shrugged. "Coulson is a smart man."
"That's good. It saves us quite a bit of preparation to protect the mortal world."
"Can I ask what it is that you are planning?" Harry frowned.
The Ancient One smiled. "For today's battle? Or for the three of them?"
"Both."
"Ah. Wong, Mordo, and Kaecilius… alongside yourself are some of the best students I've had in a long time." She closed her eyes. "In several possibilities, I had seen until your arrival, any of them could've been my successor. They all have great potential."
"The Sorcerer Supreme." Harry whispered. "And what about now?"
"Most of those possibilities crumbled." She sighed. "Alongside many other changes. But, they also changed for the better. Your arrival created a ripple effect in this timeline. Some good, some bad."
"Like the Kalkartho?" Harry glanced toward the dark sky.
"No. It is most curious for something like this to go unseen." She ran her fingers over the eye of Agamotto. "But then again, it is possible that it is due to you using the stone."
"Which blurs the visions when seen using the time stone." Harry sighed. "Of course. What do you need me to do now?"
"You'll be with me," she inclined her head. "In the Astral dimension, battling the Kalkartho at the front lines. There are two teams, each divided into two parts. One team will remain on the ground in the physical plane while the other will go to space through the Astral plane."
"Wait." Harry held up a hand. "Space?"
"Yes, space. In the Astral plane to intercept Kalkartho on its way to Earth." Her lips tugged into a smile. "It won't be any different than here on Earth except for the change of scenery, Mr. Potter. You needn't worry."
"Right. And what about their sub-parts?" Harry asked. "I heard about the team staying back… but not about the one going to the Astral plane."
"One part of the team will create an Astral shield to halt Kalkartho away as long as possible. The other team— which includes both of us, has one job. Take down Kalkartho by any means possible before it enters the physical plane."
"Any means?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"If you're referring to the stones, yes." She nodded. "I'll be using my own to get us more time if needed. It is not something I fancy but if there is a choice between protecting Earth and keeping a secret, I'll choose the Earth any day."
"And what of these relics?" Harry glanced pointedly at his sword and her cloak. "You think that spells won't suffice, do you?"
"The cloak is for me to fly in the physical plane if needed. In case Kalkartho comes through, I'll battle him everywhere I can." She said grimly. "As for your sword—" her lips quivered into a slight smirk. "You'll find out soon enough if one of the possibilities I have seen comes to pass."
20th August 2006
London Sanctum, London
Everything in his sight was immersed in a golden tinge as if the world had been dipped in honey. The London sanctum stood a few feet away, the logo of the Sanctum Sanctorum shining like a beacon in the golden world.
Harry glanced at the amulet on his chest which was glowing like hot iron, fiery orange lines running down his arms, bleeding into the hazy silver sword in his hands. The Dragonfang had retained all its properties in the Astral plane and was traversing with him, floating near his body even when Harry left it.
"You all know what you have to do." The Ancient One's voice reverberated through the Astral plane. "We will have a little over half an hour to prepare. If your astral form is injured during the battle, the tether to your mortal body will pull you back before irreparable damage happens. If we fail and Kalkartho passes into the physical plane, you all must return to your physical bodies and be prepared for battle."
"Yes, Ancient One," they replied, leaving slight ripples in the golden world.
"Good then," she said. "Follow me."
She flew toward the sky and they followed, the buildings of London blurring past them, turning into specks on the ground. The lights from the city twinkled like stars in the sky as they rose through the clouds.
A flash of light drew his attention as tendrils of lightning snaked through the clouds below him. Thunder rumbled, echoing through the Astral plane.
Golden figures blurred past him and he looked up, shaking his head. 'Can't fall behind here.'
He willed his Astral form to go faster, passing several disciples in an orange-tinged flash.
This high up, the moon seemed bigger, its silver light shining with a golden tinge of the Astral plane. It looked more beautiful than he had ever seen. The red cloak of the Ancient One contrasted sharply against all the light, looking like a beacon as it fluttered behind her.
Harry followed before he nearly jumped out of his skin as a small bit of metal flew through his astral form, before hurtling into the night sky.
'Was that a satellite?' Harry looked around, only to see more bits of metal floating in the sky. 'Space pollution. Humans have left nothing clean.'
Below him, huge spirals of clouds floated over the tiny, almost indecipherable pinpricks of light— a sight he had only seen on television. This was Earth from space.
Harry kept flying, watching as a huge piece of golden-silver equipment with a blinking light hurtled past the Ancient One at a frightening speed, but she didn't even pause to blink, staying on her path.
Within a minute, when Harry felt that the number of satellite debris had cleared up considerably, the Ancient One stopped and turned around.
By now, the whole of Earth was visible, alongside the moon and the fiery sun which threatened to blind him as he glanced toward it.
"The ones who have to shield." Her voice had the disciples and masters stopping in their tracks. "This is where you must work. Make the shield as big as you can and as strong as you can. Master Li will be in charge of this. Make sure to work in conjunction with power numbers. Master Li will hammer out all the details."
"Yes, Ancient One." Master Li bowed.
"The rest of us… we've got to keep going." The Ancient One said. "And we have to go fast. The further away we intercept the Kalkartho from Earth, the more time we will have to fight."
Her Astral form shot into space and Harry followed, leaving behind a fiery trail of ripples. Around him, five more figures followed the Ancient One— all Masters from those Harry recognized, each wielding a relic. These included the Wand of Watoomb and the Staff of the Living Tribunal.
'She is hoping to take Kalkartho down by a play of power instead of numbers.' Harry deduced.
Harry pushed himself further, flying closer to the Ancient One, leaving a trail of fiery images in his wake.
"How far are we hoping to go? Mars?" Harry asked
"As far as we possibly can, Master Potter." The Ancient One replied. "As far as we can."
'Right.' Harry fell back with the other masters. 'I should probably prepare something to intercept it as soon as we meet. Something powerful. And unique.'
Fiery orange lines flew from his fingertips, shaping into a spell, runic letters being written by themselves over its edges.
'Let's see how powerful I can make a spell of my own on the fly.' Harry smirked to himself. 'Time to put my knowledge to the test.'
He felt a shiver of power run down his hands as the Soul Stone pulsed.
"By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth," Harry whispered. "Lend me your power to forge an Astral blade."
The construct pulsed and Harry felt a connection snap into place, its presence running through its entire Astral form.
The Hammer of Hoggoth is yours to command, Master Potter. A voice not his own rang in his mind and suddenly, he knew how to cast the spell. Lend it your power and it shall bear fruition.
Harry felt the connection fade as the construct he had made disappeared into nothingness, alongside the idea of what he had been trying to achieve.
'What spell had I been trying to make?' Harry frowned, straining at his thoughts but he came up blank. 'Blimey. Hoggoth took the spell I had been creating and gave me his own. A spell for a spell essentially. That's what I get for trying to bargain with higher powers.'
The Ancient One glanced over her shoulder toward him, raising an eyebrow.
'She probably felt it.' Harry offered her a nod. 'Well, I'll have to make do with the Hammer of Hoggoth now, I suppose. It was not an unfair exchange if I am being honest.'
Something moved in his field of vision and Harry squinted. Something was swimming through the Astral plane in the distance, causing golden ripples as it moved through the asteroid belt.
'The Kalkartho.' Harry felt his heart clench as the dark blob seemed to become bigger and bigger with every passing second. The monster was still several hundreds of thousand miles away by Harry's estimation and yet, it could be seen and it was causing visible ripples in the Astral plane.
'Up close, that thing will be humongous. Probably the size of a hill.'
"Prepare yourself." The Ancient One's voice rang through the Astral Plane as the Kalkartho became more visible and the ripples flew past them. "The monster nears. We must try to destroy it before it reaches Earth."
Harry glanced past his shoulder toward Earth but the planet was barely visible— a small bright dot in the distance. In the distance, Harry could only make out more Asteroids all around them, some as big as mountains.
"We will set a perimeter here." The Ancient One stopped in a relatively empty region, devoid of Asteroids. The Kalkartho was now looking as huge as a house— a huge mansion kind of house, despite the distance. "Spread out. Kalkartho is a big creature but not really intelligent it seems. Master Potter, stay with me."
The other masters flew away, leaving behind golden trains.
"What did you do, Mr. Potter?" The Ancient One raised an eyebrow. "Did you perhaps make a bargain on our way here?"
"I did." Harry nodded. "Well, I wasn't exactly going for a bargain—"
"With whom?" She cut in sharply.
"Hoggoth."
The Ancient One breathed a sigh of relief. "Try not to make such bargains on the go, Mr. Potter. Stick to spells you are aware of and you know. And if you're making your own spells, use your magic, runes, or even the stone. But do not call upon powers unless there is no other way possible. You're fortunate that you chose Hoggoth to get power from and not someone else."
"Understood." Harry winced.
"Be careful in the future." The Ancient One warned. "I won't discourage you from making spells or relics. But make them under the powers which you can control."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Now, you better be prepared to use what you received. It may improve our chances of besting the monster." She drifted away. "I will prepare to strike from above. Good luck."
"Same to you." Harry murmured, shifting his stance to prepare himself.
The Kalkartho was coming straight toward him, covering almost all his field of vision. It seemed to be nothing but a humongous mass of black, fluid matter with several malevolent purple eyes that could move around its body at will.
Raising his hands, Harry drew a runic circle in front of him, his hands moving as if he had practiced the spell a dozen times.
"The Hammer of Hoggoth!" He intoned, and the construct pulsed with power. "Allow me to wield you!"
The lines twisted, forming a huge bluish warhammer made of pure energy in Harry's hand.
'That is a powerful spell.' Harry felt the hairs on his arm rise. 'Let's make it more powerful'
Harry closed his eyes remembering Hagrid's warm eyes, and the amulet on his chest pulsed, heat racing down his body into the spell.
The Hammer grew in size and height till its head was bigger than an eighteen-wheeler truck. The hammer pulsed with orange lines, wrapping and twisting around its blue interior.
The power of Hoggoth and the Soul Stone in one single spell.
Flashes of multi-colored lights soared toward the Kalkartho as it neared, as big as an elephant against an ant. Its tentacles were as thick as trees and fluid as they lashed outward, extending toward them. A few tentacles disintegrated as spells stuck true, exploding into dark smoke, which dispersed in seconds only for more to be created.
With a flick of Harry's wrist, his spell was unleashed, the hammer slamming into the Kalkartho. In a brilliant flash, the monster was blown back several miles, dark smoke billowing out of its body.
The Astral plane trembled and a pair of tentacles shot toward Harry, who moved out of the way, drawing the DragonFang he had stuck on his hip. In a flash of silver and orange both the tentacles were severed and exploded into smoke.
A flash of pure golden lightning struck the monster from above, courtesy of the Ancient One.
"It is barely injured!" Her voice echoed over the ripples the Kalkartho was causing. "And healing fast."
Harry cursed under his breath before cutting down another tentacle that threatened to slam into him.
The Kalkartho surged forward, swimming toward Earth, using its tentacles to intercept the spells thrown at it by the others.
'Drastic measures.' Harry pointed the Dragonfang at the monsters, remembering his time with Hermione and Ron.
A surge of power, more powerful than Harry had ever channeled, ran through his Astral form, down the length of Dragonfang.
A beam of pure, unbridled energy hammered into Kalkartho, and the Astral plane shook like a leaf, its effects undoubtedly felt even on Earth a million miles away.
The sword thrummed in his hands as the beam tore through the creature, sheering several tentacles, a huge chunk of its body disintegrating as it flew back in a trail of black smoke.
'What the hell?' Harry blinked, watching as the smoke cleared to reveal the Kalkartho being reformed into a smaller, about half of what it had been before.
But it was still very much alive.
"My word." A gasp rang from somewhere to Harry's right. "Can you do it again?"
"No, please don't." The Ancient One's voice rang. "Not one like that. We do not want to shatter the Astral plane, do we?"
Her hands were glowing, a spell shaping between her palms. The red cloak fluttered behind her as if there was a breeze blowing through it.
"Master Potter, create an Astral banishment spell." The Ancient One unleashed the spell in her hands, tearing through several more Kalkartho tentacles. "Since it is weakened and the Astral plane is trembling we can push it out into the physical plane. It won't survive in the vacuum of space!"
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
"If it doesn't die, we can crush it using the asteroids." She replied. "The rest of us will bind it just in case."
"Right." Harry turned around and flew backward, putting distance between himself and the Kalkartho to get space to work in.
Spreading his arms, Harry spun his fingers, creating a circle about the size of a football field. Drawing his hands into mudras, more lines began to fill in with the circle, crisscrossing into an elaborate design until nothing but a hexagon remained in the middle, the size of a dinner plate.
"Right." Harry muttered, glancing at the Kalkartho.
Glowing blue bands of energy were wrapped around the dark creature as tiny specks— the masters and the Ancient One flew around it.
Closing his eyes, Harry drew upon his memories.
'For Master Hamir.' Harry felt a slight rush of power run down his arm, and he drew fiery orange runes along the edge of the golden hexagon, before drawing a single one in the center.
The whole spell pulsed, shining brightly, casting light into the vast darkness of space. With a wave of his hand, the construct flew forward like a net being thrown.
It wrapped around the Kalkartho, glowing blindingly, and Harry averted his eyes as he felt ripples hammer into him, ringing in his whole being.
And then, it all disappeared.
Harry blinked open his eyes and looked around, but the only thing he could see was the golden forms of the masters in the distance. Kalkartho was nowhere to be seen.
The Ancient One flew forward, the other masters following her.
"Well done, Mr. Potter." She beamed. "You did it."
"It worked?" Harry breathed.
"You had made a perfect banishment spell. Of course, it worked."
"Well— not the spell." Harry hesitated. "I knew it'd work. I was talking about Kalkartho being destroyed."
"Ah, yes, that worked too," she nodded. "Master Khan, Master Ricci, would you please head back to Earth and inform the others that the threat has been dealt with? I need to have a word with Master Potter on the way. Oh, and tell Master Li to hold the shield for the time being."
The man bowed and flew away from them, Master Ricci following him.
"Where are the rest?" Harry frowned. "There were seven of us here."
"Stuck by the Kalkartho," she replied. "Since they were in their Astral form, they were pulled back into their body on Earth. But it won't be pleasant when they wake up. Nothing a little rest cannot cure."
Harry hummed. "And how'd you know it would work? The Time Stone?"
"It was an educated guess, yes." She smiled. "After all, there had to be a reason why it traveled through the Astral Plane and fed in the physical plane. Plus, the Kalkartho was already causing ripples, weakening the boundaries between the physical and the Astral plane. You didn't help matters."
"I did what I thought was necessary." Harry shrugged as the Ancient One started to fly toward Earth at a sedate pace. "Plus, it destroyed half of the monster."
"That is true." She nodded. "I had hoped you'd make the use of the sword and spells instead. But I am not complaining. It worked in the end."
"I didn't feel the sword was going to be much help anyway." Harry frowned. "No offense but I am not a great sword fighter."
"The possibility where you used it to the fullest didn't come to pass— though you did use it to focus the energy of the Soul Stone into a single blast." She turned toward him. "The Dragonfang is a powerful sword, Mr. Potter. One not to be underestimated in the right hands. Even if the wielder is not versed in the art of swordsmanship."
Harry hummed, glancing around occasionally as they flew.
"Want to see something beautiful?" The Ancient One's voice had him stopping as Earth loomed closer. "And learn something?"
"Why not?" Harry smiled tiredly.
The fatigue of battle was creeping up on him.
"The eye of Agamotto serves as more than a focus and a container for an Infinity Stone. It is a powerful relic that gives its wielder the power of true sight. The power to peer through dimensions and see reality in its truest form."
"Oh."
"Follow my motions." The Ancient One twisted her hand into a mudra and Harry followed, the golden form of the amulet on his chest slowly moving like the Ancient One. "Channel your magic through it. And see."
Harry glanced toward the Earth, and quickly averted his eyes as a burst of multi-colored lights threatened to blind him, shining brighter than the sun. Slowly, Harry glanced at it through his eyelashes, his eyes widening as he took in the sight.
The sight of the Earth in truest form, with all the dimensions stretching over it, forming bubbles and connections represented in multi-colored lines. Through the Earth, a white tree of pure power ran, stretching as far as Harry could see.
"The Ydgarssil." The Ancient One said. "One of the most prominent dimensions that exist to interact directly with the physical plane."
"And what about that?" Harry pointed to a pure golden shimmer floating high above Earth.
"The Omnipotence City— city of gods." She replied. "In myths, also known as Olympus, Swarglok— and even El-dorado."
"Oh." Harry breathed, tilting his head. "And is that—"
"The world shield, formed by the Sanctum Sanctorums, yes." She nodded. "Crafted by the mighty Agamotto and maintained by his successors. Which I am about to strengthen."
"The Astral Shield they made." Harry glanced at the shield being held nearest to them. "That's why you told Master Li to hold it."
"Indeed." She smiled. "Now, if you would be so kind as to help me, it would save me some energy."
"Of course. Let's get to work." Harry nodded. "Because once I get home, I am sleeping for the rest of the week."
AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the chapter!
Yes, I wrote something out of the MCU, delving into the comics. Originally, Kalkartho was faced by Stephen Strange and Wong, and sent wandering into the Magenta Dimension, away from Earth. Obviously, I didn't go down that path, instead, defeating the monster (after building on its lore more.)
The Astral Plane also shook due to the battle because it isn't a very stable dimension for battles like the mirror dimension is. Use of something as powerful as the Soul Stone can send powerful ripples cascading through the plane.
Now, to my plans.
Oh, I have a lot of plans, out of which, a few might be built on and several might be trashed too. But, I do plan to have a lot more Sorcery in this than the mainstream MCU did. For it, I will dig into comic books but you don't have to worry about not having read them. If I am using such an element, I will create enough lore for you to follow without problems.
Though, if you have questions, feel free to ask.
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Dr. Stranger: Strange is a while away. I wouldn't worry about him just yet.
Blaze1992: Out of the ones you listed, I can only confirm that you will see Guardians of the Galaxy. One more is a surety, in fact, written into the next chapter already.
Walter: That is an interesting question and a complicated one. What makes the Avengers so special was their varied skill set. The only one with real power on the team are Thor and Hulk to be honest and they are the equivalent of a battering ram. Harry on the other hand, is a sword.
I'd say that right now, he could take on Avengers Thor and win though he would lose against the Infinity war Thor. At his absolute peak, with the soul stone in tow, he could hold off a sky father like Odin for several minutes and, if he plays his cards absolutely right, win.
Ph03nx: Iron fist may make an appearance but I give no guarantees.
Trife: A lot will change but not all changes will be immediate. Once the events begin to roll (phase 2 and beyond) the changes and impacts of Harry's presence will become glaringly visible.
Leicontis: Honestly, I absolutely adored Peggy. She was a wonderful character and a lot of fun. I had even contemplated having Captain Carter instead of Steve Rogers in the fic. But, have decided otherwise.
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Thank you for all your reviews.
A huge thanks to Nanu, Anax, and Mughil for betaing this chapter!
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