Stephen Strange Holmes: A Journey of Magic and Faith

Chapter Sixteen: The First Battle

Stephen half-stumbled back into the foyer of the New York Sanctum. He collapsed by the door and forced himself to think about what just happened. The man who'd fallen out dead from the London door . . . wasn't John. As cruel or heartless as it was, Stephen was just grateful that it wasn't John. Yes, the John Watson who was guardian of another London Sanctum was practically a stranger but . . . losing any John Watson would have been a reason to grieve. The man was as much Stephen's brother as Sherlock.

What about Wong and Mordo? He'd have to find a way back or some other form of contact.

He forced himself to his feet. He'd find the guardian of this Sanctum, ask for his help. Daniel Drumm, wasn't it? He returned to the foyer and mounted the grand staircase. He wasn't sure where to look so he just started wandering. "Hello?" he called.

He paused at a room at the end of the central hall. Three floor to ceiling windows stood in a bay window design in a study-like room. But instead of looking at the city, or even all three being the same scenery, each window showed a different place. The one on the left showed a shadowed forest with shafts of golden sunlight. The middle showed an ocean of crashing waves. The third looked out on a dry plain with a distant mountain.

Stephen carefully opened the double-paned window holding the ocean. He was greeted by cold, water flecked wind. He closed the window, spying a large knob directly to the right of the portal. A quick glance showed that it was the same for the other windows. A thought inspired by a Ghibli film Mordo introduced him to invited him to twist the knob. Runes lit up as he turned it, and the ocean was replaced with a desert of giant sand dunes. "That may prove useful," he murmured.

He continued onward in his search. He mounted another, smaller flight of stairs. "Hello?" he called again, his voice echoing. He blinked as he found himself in a gallery, very similar to a museum. Though without the information cards. He could feel the power emanating from the artifacts within the glass cases and sitting in more open areas. These were all relics. A fascination seized him when he stood before one particular relic. Unlike the others with glass shelves within, it was merely a hollow case. But the relic itself was nearly the height of a human.

A rich, dark red cloak with gold shoulder clasps the size of Stephen's palm floated within the glass casing. Its high collar seemed to perk up at the sight of him, almost like a dog recognizing a familiar face. While the outer cloth was thick and durable, with fanciful embroidery and piping, the lining could have been a silk. But the lining's pattern was so intricate, Stephen couldn't quite make it out.

Without thinking, Stephen pressed his hand to the glass. The cloak pressed its left shoulder patch to the opposite side. "You were Dr. Strange's relic, weren't you?" he murmured.

The cloak tilted, much like a dog trying to understand before moving up and down in its version of a nod.

Stephen smiled, sadly. "I won't force you to choose me as well," he said. "Though if you'd have me, I'd be grateful." He turned. "No need to rush your decision. I'm needing to find the guardian of this place. Maybe another day or so and we'll get better acquainted."

The Cloak of Levitation banged against the glass in frustration. It knew the man! It knew that man and what was about to happen now! It didn't time travel and merge with its younger self just to see its friend die!

Yet . . . there was something different about the man. His heart was younger. He was a bit less sure of himself and his abilities. He wasn't cocky and arrogant. He . . . he didn't even remember it.

He did to some extent, but he didn't remember why it had chosen him.

Well. That currently wasn't important. What was important was that the Cloak would forever pick Stephen Strange. And, if things unfolded anything near to what happened last time, it would have to be ready to save its friend's neck. Literally.