Part 5
Traveler shook his head silently as he rummaged through his unnaturally deep pockets. He took careful inventory of his tools. There was no telling what they would encounter and he wanted to be ready for anything that may occur.
“Is everything alright?” Sara asked as she watched him curiously.
He shrugged as he pulled his hands from his pockets. “Wong thinks this is a mistake,” he answered matter-of-factly as he adjusted the glasses on his nose.
“Do you?” Sara wondered aloud. The enormity of the task had slowly set in as the pair prepared, seeding the doubt that already existed.
“Steven made me responsible for your safety. It will only be a mistake if I fail, and I won’t let that happen.”
Sara smiled as she listened to his speech. She barely knew the man, yet there was something about him that she wanted to trust. It seemed foolish to put her life in his hands, but she was confident that he would protect her.
“Ready?” Traveler asked simply, his mood lightening instantly.
Sara nodded as she stood. There was little for her to prepare. Unlike Traveler, she had no weapons or trinkets to concern herself with. Other than the ring Traveler had given her, which he assured her would protect her from harm, she was completely unarmed.
“Where are we going?” Sara asked as she took Traveler’s outstretched hand.
“According to Wong, Doctor Strange had sensed activity at one of Modred’s old bases and had gone to investigate. We’ll start there and see where it takes us.” As he spoke, Traveler couldn’t help but notice how poor the plan seemed. He would have liked a more concrete course of action, but there was little else he could do.
He flashed Sara a reassuring smile before silently whisking them away to the unknown.
__________
Sara looked at her surroundings in disappointment. She had hoped to see the same verdant meadow she had witnessed during her first trip. Instead, she was greeted by the dark, cold stone of Modred’s ancient fortress. No matter how impressive it may be, it paled in comparison to the flowers and streams she had once glimpsed.
“Is something wrong?” Traveler asked, noticing the disappointment displayed on her face.
Sara gave a limp shrug as she followed along beside Traveler as they began to explore the vast keep. “I was kinda hoping I’d get to see that place again.”
Traveler let out a soft chuckle. “I didn’t have to make a detour this time. When this is all over, I’ll take you there. You’ll love it.”
“You had to before?” Sara asked, confused. She had simply assumed he had chosen to show her the scene.
Traveler nodded. “My abilities only allow me to travel between different planes and dimensions. If I want to travel to a different place in the same plane or dimension I have to travel to a different one first, and then come back.”
Sara silently nodded as Traveler continued to explain the intricate forces that governed his powers and the universe on a whole. He knew that she didn’t care and it would have been better to simply explore the building in silence, but he refused to stop talking. It did not matter that his words were dull and overly complicated, all that matter was that it distracted her from the danger they found themselves in. He knew that if he could lift her mood in such an ominous environment, then it was worth the trouble.
“You seem to know a lot about this kind of stuff,” Sara said as Traveler took a breath.
“Doctor Strange was a good teacher,” he answered with a smile. “He knew it was dangerous for me to blindly jump all over the place, so he made sure I knew exactly what I was doing. It kept me from learning more magic, but it was worth it.”
“It sounds…” Sara’s words were cut short as she ran into Traveler’s outstretched arm. She looked from his arm to his face, but he did not return her look. His narrowed eyes carefully scanned the room. She had begun to hate when he became serious – it always meant trouble.
So far, the keep had appeared empty. What little furniture was left had largely deteriorated and was covered by a thick layer of dust. She had seen nothing that had made her think they were in any danger, but she trusted Traveler.
“Remember what I told you,” Traveler whispered quietly.
Sara simply nodded. He had told her many things and she had no idea what he was talking about, but it didn’t seem like the best time to ask.
Traveler never heard the first strike. There was nothing to hear. A shiny red tendril shot forth out of the darkness behind him. It struck Traveler square in the back, flinging him across the room with ease. His body landed hard on the solid stone floor, coming to a stop as he collided with the far wall.
Sara frantically turned as the figure burst out of the shadows towards her. He looked young, Sara noted, probably not much older than herself. Had it not been for his glowing red eyes and the fact that his left arm ended in a large, grotesquely red claw, he would have appeared just like anyone else.
Sara had no time to react to his approach – he was too close and too fast. The man’s rapidly enlarging left hand slammed into Sara, forcing her roughly into the cold stone wall behind her. She struggled in vain as his grip tightened around her.
The man raised his right hand menacingly before Sara’s eyes. She could only watch in horror as a thick red fluid began to seep out of his skin. The fluid moved unnaturally, as if it possessed a mind of its own. Rapidly, the fluid began to coalesce, taking the form of a short, vicious looking blade. The blade seemingly pulsated as the fluid traveled through it.
Sara stared into the boys glowing, soulless eyes as she waiting for him to strike. The expected blow never came. Instead, Sara found herself blinded as a brilliant green light streaked across the room. The beam hit her attacker, sending him across the room and freeing Sara from his grip. Struggling to see past the spots that floated through her vision, Sara could see Traveler in the distance. A radiant green aura surrounded his body. Suddenly he was gone.
Traveler reappeared behind the man as he struggled to get to his feet. Clenching his teeth, Traveler drove his fist into his back, forcing him back to the hard floor. As he made contact, another green flash temporarily filled the room.
The man kicked out wildly as he lay prone on the ground. His foot connected solidly with Traveler’s ankle, sending him crashing to the ground. It was all the man needed to make his escape. Scrambling away from Traveler, he disappeared in a flash.
Traveler took his time standing. His abilities had allowed him to sense the portal immediately. The man was gone and the threat was over. Brushing the dust off of his coat, he made his way over to Sara. She stood against the wall, her eyes seemingly staring into the distance.
“Are you alright?” Traveler asked softly, his brow furrowed in concern.
“I’m fine,” Sara answered after a moment. “It all just happened so fast. I didn’t know what to do.”
Traveler smiled and nodded. “You did good. Most people break down in situations like that, but you handled yourself well.”
Sara laughed as she shook her head. “I didn’t do anything. I almost got myself killed.”
“It just takes time. Trust me, you make it through your first fight and the next one seems like nothing.”
Sara raised her gaze to look at Traveler. She didn’t believe she could ever learn to accept a situation like she had just endured, but he seemed so certain.
“Let’s go back to the Sanctum. Maybe I can show you a few moves while we wait for Doctor Strange to return,” Traveler suddenly announced with a smile.
“No way!” Sara shouted, her voice echoing through the empty stone room. “You said we were going to find Strange. All we gotta do it follow that guy and he’ll lead us to him, right?”
Traveler sighed as the smile slowly disappeared from his face. “I can track him, but I still think it would be better if we went back.”
“You said I did good,” Sara countered quickly. “I can handle myself out there. I don’t need to go back.”
“You did,” he replied apologetically. The fierce resolved that Traveler had seen in her eyes had returned. He knew that whatever doubts the fight had filled her mind with had disappeared.
He extended his hand to Sara once more, the smile returning to his face. “Fair enough. I trust you. Are you ready to go find him?”
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