Strange Nights ( Dr Strange #1)

Chapter 21 : Atlantis

"Have you got anything?" Y/N asked Tony, impatiently shifting on the heap of rubbles.

"Quite distant from what we have come across before," he replied, still fixed on analysing the energy given of the shimmering wall of light, "But this will do." The portal looked quite stable than before.

Across the cave the rubble shifted and Wanda, Stephen and Thor burst in from their hunting trip.

"Okay," he said, putting off one of the screens, "it's bending both time and space continuum. The rules are pretty same - don't do anything impactful, keep interaction with the aliens to minimum and come back as soon as possible. Won't be able to hold it open for much long."

"So there really is a space-time continuum?" Y/N frowned.

"Of course," Tony affirmed.

"Oh. I thought the science fiction writers made that up."

"So do they."

"Only two of us will go," Stephen added earning a look of dismay from Tony.

"What if they don't speak English or any other language we know?"

Stephen smiled slightly, but went on in the matter-of-fact tone, "There are spells for that. We'll hear them in English and they'll hear us respond to the in their own language. Language won't be a barrier. And our clothing will be whatever suitable."

Y/N looked down at her blue halter robe and black boots. "What if they are nudists?"

"Y/N," he cooed, "we're going to find the well and get our work done. We don't have to blend with the people. If it helps, we won't change out of our mage outfits."

She let out a shaky breath and looked forward at the impending disaster.

It was like stepping into total darkness with no idea if you would find solid ground beneath your feet or only miles of air. Y/N could feel Stephen's hand gripping hers, but nothing else. It was similar to apparting but lasted long. Then abruptly they slammed hard on the ground.

Neither of them could move for several moments, both concentrating on catching their breath, adjusting to an atmosphere that felt thickened, humid, and chilly and held a faint smell like sulphur.

"Witches," Stephen murmured, finding his balance in the darkness. Standing on the rocky slope, below, he observed, an enormous valley. Mountains, like the one they stood upon, encircled the valley completely, their high peaks jagged and inhospitable in the gray light just after dawn. The trees, thanks to his vampire eyesight, he could see nearby were peculiar, usually tall and spindly with sparse growth; in the valley below, the distant trees appeared to be squat and gnarled, with scant but very large leaves that seemed to glow dully. It was quite similar to the place in Y/N's dream.

But the thick air he sensed was pulsating with a peculiar energy. It made him feel drained.

She felt unnerving numbness like someone had sucked all the power out of her. Until now she hadn't realised how accustomed she had grown to the chaos.

"You alright?" Y/N breathed heavily. The words were barely out of her mouth when the ground beneath them shuddered. She would have trembled back to the ground if Stephen hadn't caught her arms. She held unto him, for what felt like minutes, as the tress and boulders crashed and the grounded withered in pain. Once it ended, absolute silence stretched for a while before the creatures of the night rose to life.

He pulled Y/N behind him at once he heard fleeting footsteps and ruthless male voices, furious with urgency approaching them at an alarming pace. It felt quite an effort to conjure up the shields. There was a flash of dim light and Y/N winced in pain.