Doctor Strange - This One Summer

Akuma

Akuma

The Masters of the Mystic Arts were on edge over the next couple of days. They were wary of Hazel and wary of each other. They still had little to no idea what they were going to do to sate the Main Guest, and the Guests were getting stronger with each passing minute. But they still had hope. The Guests were still afraid of the Sorcerer Supreme, and any attempt they'd made to take Hazel away so far was thwarted. Perhaps Hazel was getting stronger than her Guests.

The possibility was a small comfort. For a time.

It's simpler than you think.

"What's that?" Hazel raised her head. The Ancient One glanced back at her with a confused look.

"I'm sorry?"

"Didn't you say something?" Hazel's eyebrows drew together and tilted her head.

The ground trembled. Hazel and the Ancient One turned to look out the open doorway to the courtyard, where the rows of spellcasting students began to scatter as the wall on the other side of the plaza began to crack and contort, revealing a black, outreaching mass of mist and root. A figure burst forth from the wreckage-a hulking, grotesque, writhing, hexapedal monster with paws the size of dinner plates and an overwhelming amount of worm-like protrusions all over its head, shoulders, and back. Its countless eyes glowed in varying shades of green, yellow, and blue as it searched the courtyard of acolytes. It reeled its head back and let out a loud, long roar like a wolf howling at the moon.

"Kul do vekah," Hazel swore under her breath as the Ancient One took her arm and pulled her deeper into the sanctuary, out of the intruder's sight. "Giin, what do we do?"

"Go upstairs," the Ancient One instructed firmly, slipping the ribbon bindchain off her wrist and giving it to Hazel. "Hide. Don't let anyone find you, mindoran?"

"Wha-no!" Hazel gripped the other's wrist. "You're not thinking of fighting that thing without me, are you? You have no idea what it can-"

"I don't need to know what it can do to know that if it finds you, it will kill you." The Ancient One pulled her arm out of Hazel's grasp. "Please, Haalaan. Just do as I say."

Hazel reluctantly turned away and began moving slowly, as if she was minding her own business. The Ancient One let out a tiny sigh of relief before heading back to the courtyard. The acolytes were already conjuring shields and spells alongside the masters; they were strong in mind and body, and refused to give their home up without a fight. However, when the Ancient One appeared in the courtyard, she gave Mordo a meaningful look.

"They need to get inside," she said, not needing to indicate the acolytes.

Mordo nodded and began shouting orders for the acolytes to retreat inside and let the masters handle this. If this otherworldly horror touched a single one of them, they were at risk to be taken by the Main Guest. They were losing enough as it is.

"Go to the other sanctuaries and warn the other masters," Mordo ordered, driving even the most reluctant of acolytes to retreat. With him, the Ancient One, and the other resident masters at Kamar-Taj fighting, the sanctuary's defenses were compromised. They needed the masters of the other sanctums to be alert and forewarned of any possible attack.

Once the acolytes were safely away, the Ancient One faced the beast. It paid her little mind at first, keeping its head low to the ground as the tendrils around its face tapped the ground tentatively. Once it noticed her, it wheeled around and growled at her. She felt cold all the way through. Just before it charged at her, the world around them began to refract like panes of glass.