Young God | L. Laufeyson

45. Wizards on Earth

Thor and Aurora arrive at the mysterious 177A Bleecker Street, both staring at the huge yet simple building. The auburn-haired girl is not sure how to feel about Loki's kidnapper. They seem to be powerful but their intentions don't appear too bad, considering they sent the two the address. The God of Thunder knocks twice at the blue door and before his fist meets the wooden surface for the third time, Aurora and Thor suddenly get transported into the Sanctum of New York.

The air only rushes shortly into Aurora's ears and the little wind blow disappears as soon as it has come. Looking around, she notices that they're not even on the first floor but rather on a higher floor of the Sanctum. The dark room looks rustic like in a museum, many ancient antiques captured behind glass surround them. Thor and her share a glance, both are not sure what to expect.

"Thor Odinson." A foreign voice greets them and the two turn around. A man in a big cloak hovers in the air, the sun that shines through the Sanctum's symbol merges his shadow with his face. Aurora frowns, watching how the stranger flies towards them.

"Well, that's some badass, epic introduction." Aurora whispers to Thor who lifts his umbrella and holds it against the man in attempt to threaten him. Yet, the man only shakes his head and just now when he's close, Aurora can see the features of his face. His grey eyes beam a solid calmness while his beard is anything but ordinary. The grey strands in his black hair are eye-catching and his pale face is shaped angularly in a remarkable way.

"God of Thunder. You can put down the umbrella." The man reveals his peaceful intentions and glances at the auburn-haired girl. "Who are you?"

"Aurora Reyes." She smiles friendly but he remains confused. This name doesn't ring any bells. "Half Celestial, half human. Loki's... current girlfriend? It's complicated."

"I won't question this any further." He responds, not believing that the villain has a girlfriend. As soon as Thor puts down the umbrella, the three of them land on the other side of the floor with a much brighter light. The tension from before vanishes and the atmosphere slightly loosens up.

"So, Earth has wizards now?" Thor asks in a casual way as he is particularly interested in the antiques in front of him on the table. The prince picks up a few ancient pens but fails to put them back; Thor clumsily struggles while they clash together.

"Oh, boy." Aurora mutters and shakes her head.

"The preferred term is 'Master of the Mystic Arts'. You can leave that now." The man in the mysterious cloak refers to Thor's struggling, ending the embarrassment for them all.

"All right, wizard. Who are you? Why should I care?"

"Where's Loki?" Aurora asks impatiently, relieved that this stranger doesn't seem to have bad intentions.

"My name is Doctor Stephen Strange, and I have some questions for you before we talk about Loki. Take a seat." Right after his introduction, Doctor Strange teleports the three of them with a whoosh into three seats, sitting face to face with them. Aurora and Thor still have to get used to the new location. A little warning would've been helpful. "Tea?"

"I haven't had Terran tea for years now." Aurora glances with a smile at the sudden cup of tea in her hand, smelling the old, familiar liquid. As she takes a sip, she immediately spits it out and Stephen and Thor stare at her. The auburn-haired girl coughs, waving some air towards her mouth. "Still hot."

"I don't drink tea." Thor rejects his offer.

"What do you drink?"

"Not tea." A dry smile crosses Thor's lips and in the next second, a huge mug of cold beer appears in his right hand. The God of Thunder observes it with confusion.