The Ancient Sorceress ~Loki x Bucky AU~

Chapter 86

"Mastery of the sling ring is essential to the mystic arts. They allow us to travel throughout the Multiverse. All you need to do is focus." Mordo paced around the scholars, watching as they practiced making portals. "Visualize. See the destination in your mind. Look beyond the world in front of you." Strange couldn't help but glance at the others around him, embarrassed and frustrated at his pathetic spark in front of him. "Imagine every detail. The clearer the picture, the quicker and easier the gateway will come." Mordo noticed the Ancient One approaching and ordered for the students to stop.

"I would like a moment alone with Mr. Strange." Mordo nodded his head and dismissed the others, leaving Strange, Master Hamir and The Ancient One alone in the courtyard.

Strange was visibly frustrated. His mind continued to beat him while he was down, comparing his flaws to everyone else's flawless performances. He threw his hands up in desperation, "My hands..."

The Ancient One smiled, "It's not about your hands."

"How is this not about my hands?" Strange's tone was sharp.

"Master Hamir." The quiet man walked in between the two, revealing that he was without his left hand. Strange bit his tongue instantly. Master Hamir demonstrated how to create a shield for Strange, proving that anyone could do it, even with missing limbs.

The Ancient One thanked him and turned back to Strange. "You cannot beat a river into submission. You have to surrender to its current, and use its power as your own."

Strange's brow rose in confusion, "I control it by surrendering control? That doesn't make any sense."

"Not everything does. Not everything has to." Strange blinked, allowing his reality to weigh on his shoulders. "Your intellect has taken you far in life, but it will take you no further. Surrender, Stephen." He closed his eyes taking a deep breath. She rose her hand in the air, a glittering sling ring wrapped around her fingers. "Silence your ego and your power will rise. Come with me."

Stephen turned to see a portal opening up to a destination unknown to him. At first glance it looked bright, maybe a sunny warm time of day. But as the circle widened, howling winds tossed snow left and right. The sky was as white as the snow on the ground. Grayish mountains peeked out behind the winds. After a quick assessment, he had a guess at where he was.

He had to yell to be heard, "Wait! Is this-..."

"Everest. Beautiful." She smiled out at the lower tips of the mountain. Stephen's body immediately reacting to the extreme temperatures.

"Yeah, right, beautiful. Freezing but...beautiful." He really was amazed that with just a wave of her hand, she had brought them to the highest peak on the planet.

"At this temperature, a person can last for 30 minutes before suffering permanent loss of function." She paused giving him a second to let his guard down a bit more. "But you'll likely go into shock within the first two."

It took him a second to realize, and he turned, his heart erratic as he noticed her retreating form. "What? No! No, no, no." Stephen tried to jump through the portal with her, but landed hard against the rocky surface underneath him. His body was already numb from the cold.

He gripped the rock next to him, using it to help him up and looked for any sort of sign that someone may still be there with him. As he wrapped his arms around his chest, the freezing metal of his sling ring dug into the skin of his palm. He situated himself to face where they had come from, raising his trembling arms to wave about in a circle.

Little sparks once again flashed in front of him. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on his intent to get back to the compound immediately. He didn't want to die. He didn't think The Ancient One would actually let him die, but yet he didn't want to take any chances with her.