GotSiS Ch.15: A Bigger Game (Patreon)

28th August 2006

Kamar Taj, Kathmandu

A smattering of gray clouds drifted across the afternoon sky, the breeze smelling lightly of wet soil and the pink flowers that bloomed across the courtyard. Harry tugged at the rolled sleeve of his t-shirt, adjusting the cloth around his elbow.

“I heard what you did up there.” Ana gave him a brilliant smile. “Master Khan told me that it was you who took down the monster almost single-handedly.”

“It was the Ancient One’s plan, not mine.” Harry gave an awkward shrug. “I just did what she told me to. Anyone could have.”

“Your art of understating your involvement baffles me sometimes.” Ana shook her head. “But then again, you are British.”

“So I am.” Harry’s lips quivered into a slight smile. “How’s Hong Kong?”

“There was a spot of trouble a couple of weeks ago with a couple of gnomes,” Ana said. “Nothing much happened. A couple of young ones who had stumbled here by accident. Funny creatures, those things.”

“You sent them back?” 

“Of course. It wasn’t hard once we figured out to locate their dimension and pinpoint their home there. It took an hour or so, but we sent them home. And one of them even gave me a hat which he made from the newspaper. It was adorable.” Ana beamed.

“Interesting.” Harry said. “These convergences are happening more and more frequently now than last year. If I am not wrong, this is the sixth incident this year.”

“It is,” she nodded. “The great convergence of the Yggdrasil nears. The last time it happened was before the Dark Ages— before the time of Agamotto. Much before.”

“And Yggdrasil, being our prime realm of positioning for the greater cosmos, has a great impact on us.” Harry let out a sigh. “Still, the convergence doesn’t happen for what? Another seven to eight years?”

“For us, that is a long time. For the universe? That’s barely a millisecond. These are foreshocks, basically.” Ana pointed out. “Also, Earth is the greatest dimensional nexus in the Yggdrasil and one of the greatest in the Universe. Only a few can compare. We were bound to feel the effects.”

“True.” Harry muttered. “That means more work for us though.”

“Probably why she summoned us masters.” Ana glanced pointedly at the Ancient One who was standing to a side, talking quietly with the sanctum masters. “Word is that old monsters are stirring.”

“Old monsters?”

“Some not heard of since the time of Agamotto.” Ana answered grimly. “Kalkartho was just one of them.”

Harry cast a worried glance at the Ancient One, who, as if sensing it, turned around and gave him a nod. Saying something to Master Rama, she swept up the platform, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Good afternoon,” she said quietly, her voice ringing across the courtyard. “My apologies for summoning you at such short notice. Especially considering some of our numbers are still injured from the battle a few nights ago.”

Her gaze lingered on Master Duff and Master Babic, both of whom stood to a side, slightly pale. After being injured by the Kalkartho, their energy had been severely depleted and they remained lethargic through the day. 

The healers of Kamar Taj has said that they were improving steadily, regaining their strength by each day.

“I shall not mince words today or delve into length about topics you all are already aware of.” The Ancient One’s eyes roamed through the courtyard. “All of you know that Earth is hurtling toward a new age where the cosmic scale is concerned. And this age will not be one without its own challenges. Our enemies stir— some spurred by the prospects of the future— to control and rule one of the most powerful dimensional nexuses in the universe and some, due to recent events.”

Harry shuffled on his feet, knowing some part of the latter’s blame lay with him and more specifically, the Soul Stone— one of the six Infinity Stones, which by themselves were objects of unrivaled power. A power that many would kill for. 

It was a power that Harry knew would attract challenges. Challenges that Earth was not yet ready to face. 

Not to mention, his sudden presence in the universe, according to the Ancient One, had caused a ripple effect. Futures had turned uncertain, and some fates even more so. And while some of it was good, with good came problems.

They always did. It was the balance of the universe itself. Yin and yang.

“Starting tomorrow, you masters shall have something additional to do in conjunction with your regular duties.” The Ancient One announced. “If anyone has some problem with what you’ve been assigned, you can take it up with me in private later. One thing that I can assure you is that these duties won’t be continuous to the point of being a burden, and yet something you would have to dedicate your time to.”

Harry raised his eyebrows but said nothing. While many masters and disciples had a life outside of the mystic arts, most were limited to a day job. Some had families to take care of but they were far and few in between. 

The reason for it was simple— Kamar Taj was a place of healing for most, designed for people who were lost to regain a purpose. Several of them had lost nearly everything they could and had nowhere to turn to. It was one of the reasons most practitioners chose to learn the mystic arts and become guardians of reality— to find a purpose. Something to dedicate their life to. Something greater than themselves.

As far as explanations and motives went, it wasn’t a pure one. But, it worked. It was what had protected Earth since the Age of Agamotto, ensuring its safety against cosmic horrors that would’ve made most run in terror. 

“First and foremost, we must recover what was ours. Relics and artifacts of great power which are said to be lost.” The Ancient One turned her gaze around the courtyard. “Relics like the Crystal of Cyttorak, the Rings of Vishanti, the Staff of the One, and most importantly perhaps… the Amulet of the Right.”

The last name caused a stir. Every sorcerer had heard of the Amulet of the Right. It was one of the most powerful relics to have ever existed, one said to grant the power of gods to its wearer. While the other relics were undoubtedly powerful, few compared to the legend that surrounded the Amulet of the Right.

“These relics once belonged to the Sorcerers and were used to protect the Earth and reality as we know it. And there is no reason they shouldn’t continue doing so.” She took a breath. “Now—” The Ancient One proceeded to name a few masters, before clapping her hands, ceasing the whispers before they spread. 

“Those whom I have named will carry out the task of finding and retrieving the relics which have been lost.” The Ancient One said, her voice sharp. “We most definitely are aware that they exist. They are just hidden or buried— or perhaps even stolen by others in the past.” Her gaze sharpened. “Find them and bring them home if you can. They would be a great aid for the battles to come. The masters of the sanctum shall join you in this— albeit with a special task.”

“Master Rama, Master Drumm, Master Li.” The Ancient One glanced at the masters. “Will too join you in this endeavor and dedicate their expertise and energy to finding these relics. And alongside them, finding relics which… are believed to exist but have never fallen into the hands of sorcerers. Some of them may stem from folklore or even mythology— The Spear of Longinus, Ark of Covenant, the Gandiva, the Shield of Achilles, the flying throne of Kay Kāvus amongst others are all legendary artifacts in mythology.”

This time, murmurs spread through the crowd.

Nearly all names she spoke of were familiar to most people in the world, let alone sorcerers. But even for them, they were but myths and stories till now.

‘And yet the Excalibur sits in her office, gathering dust.’ Harry frowned. ‘The most legendary sword in the world has been in the office of the Sorcerer Supreme since the fall of Camelot. And if one story is real, so could be the others. After all, myths stem from some amount of truth. Twisted and glorified and yet, the truth.’

“Even if we find a few relics, it would be a quest worth doing.” The Ancient One added. “Masters and those whom I named, I shall wish you luck. Always remember that even the most far-fetched myths always stem from some amount of truth.”

She smiled at them for a moment before her expression turned serious and she stepped forward

‘These were smaller tasks. Now comes the main one.’ Harry steeled himself. 

“Now, the rest of you shall have a bigger task.” The Ancient One took a deep breath. “Our enemies stir not only beyond the boundaries of Earth but even within. Earth-based dimensions have posed us problems in the past. So, it shall be in our best interest that we take a more vested interest in them. Thus, starting next month, a group of Sorcerers, on a rota basis, will join the wardens in protecting the Outer Gates.”

Many froze in their place while some shared worried glances.

Almost every single person who had passed through the halls of Kamar Taj knew that the Ancient One possessed the ability of foresight which allowed her to anticipate threats before they arrived and act on them. 

If she was arranging a guard duty for the Outer Gates, it meant something was on the horizon. Something that the Wardens— a small group of capable fighters and magic users, would not be capable of handling alone.

The Wardens were a small group of people whose sole purpose was to guard the Outer Gates— a culmination of nexus gateways for the pocket dimensions that overlapped Earth. 

The Outer Gates were a pocket dimension in themselves, existing in the form of a castle, that moved with the nexus point. No one knew how it had been formed or who made it but the gates had existed since the end of the war with frost giants. It was a doorway to all pocket dimensions that the sorcerers of old and other powers helped create, in order to maintain peace.

But while this was done to maintain peace, it also led to the problem of creatures, and in some cases, monsters of those dimensions slipping through the doors with ease. That was what the wardens were meant to prevent. To not let any creatures or monsters come through the outer doors into the real world.

Or as Harry had heard some sorcerers put it: over-glorified prison guards.

While the wardens fell under the purview of the Sorcerer Supreme, they were not sorcerers in the strictest sense. The wardens were primarily fighters, armed with relics and rudimentary battle magic, allowing them to battle and slay threats that may come through any of those dimensions. While some of their numbers had once learned at Kamar Taj, they essentially did their own thing and trained new recruits, whenever they got one. 

The only place where the sorcerers came in with them was when the Ancient One visited the Outer Gates, to check for any faults and strengthen their integrity. The only time the other sorcerers tended to visit the Outer Gates was when they learned about its existence or in times of great need.

Great need, which the Ancient One had foreseen, and was putting up a guard duty.

“As I have said,” The Ancient One continued, her voice breaking through Harry’s thoughts like a stone breaking the surface of still water. “Our enemies stir and with them, dimensional boundaries flicker. This might lead to creatures of all dispositions slipping through, some of which might cause the Wardens great problems.”

She swept her hand through the air and an image of a castle appeared, hovering in the air. “These are the Outer Gates. The castle has six floors, and each floor has multiple doorways, every single one of them leading to a different dimension. The higher one goes… the more dangerous the dimensions get. And the top floor has a single door that leads straight to the doors of the demon Mephisto— the doorway of Hell.”

The castle vanished, her chilling pronouncement lingering in the air like an afterimage. Mephisto was the worst of Earth-bound demons, the Hell Lord. While the other demons and hell lords were no kinder, they relied more on trickery for amusement than elongated plots to take over humanity that Mephisto did.

The demon and his minions had killed more sorcerers than any other monster had until he had been sealed by Solomon and Cagliostro, allowing the demon to only act when summoned. 

And yet, whenever he was summoned, something which happened every few years, either by accident or knowledge falling into the wrong hands, Mephisto caused trouble for the sorcerers.

“At least six sorcerers will be needed to guard the gates effectively.” The Ancient One pursed her lips. “Two masters shall go every day, taking with them four apprentices. All of it will happen on a rotational basis. Considering our numbers, this means you will have this duty about thrice a month. Master Perez will make a schedule. If any of you are to miss a day, do inform in advance if possible or ask someone to fill in for you.”

Perez gave them a nod from the sidelines, before removing a small diary and making a note.

“If anyone has any questions, do feel free to ask either the Sanctum masters or myself.” Her eyes latched onto Harry’s. “Master Potter, a word if you would.”

Harry arched an eyebrow before making his way toward her, ignoring the handful of stares he received and the rising chatter as masters began to converse with each other.

“Come with me.” The Ancient One snapped her fingers and Harry found himself in the inner sanctum, seated on a wooden armchair, the Ancient One sitting in front of him.

“Now, Mr. Potter.” She smiled slightly. “I have a special task for you. A very very special task, and perhaps one very vital.”

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6th September 2006

The Triskelion, Washington DC

“What is that you’re reading?” Coulson’s voice cut through the silence of his office and Harry looked up from his book, raising an eyebrow. Coulson gave him a placating smile. “You looked troubled, that’s why I asked. I am certain it is not a book of do-it-yourself house decorations.”

“It… isn’t.” Harry waved his hand and the book’s cover rippled, revealing its cracking dark leather and aging pages to Coulson. “It is a book of Sorcery.”

“And you looked troubled reading it.” Coulson tilted his head, trying to read the cover. “I am sorry, but what language is that? It looks close to English…”

“It is Ancient Gaelic.” Harry said. “It is the book of Doombringers.” 

“Sounds ominous.”

“It does.” Harry gave him a wan smile. “If your boss reads this, I am willing to bet that he won’t have a night of good sleep knowing what’s out there.”

“Director Fury is a… careful man. But he has humanity’s best interests at heart.” Coulson leaned on his desk. “But what’s got you so troubled?”

“The magic mentioned in the book is… not the kind of magic you’d want to use or in some cases, even read about.” Harry said slowly. “But I have to.”

“And why is that?”

“The Ancient One— the Sorcerer Supreme, has tasked several of the sorcerers with various jobs.” Harry grimaced. “If she thinks these things are important, we all know they might be playing a role in the near future— or be a cause for concern.” 

“And what did she ask you to do?” 

“She told me to find a book.” Harry closed his eyes. “A book, which, under certain circumstances, can spell the doom of all existence.”

“Must be a very special book.” Coulson said dryly.

“Phil, it is the Book of Dark Magic.” Harry rubbed his face. “It is pure Evil, created from the essence of the Elder God of Chaos— A being with no mercy, who was cast away by greater powers before humans roamed the Earth. On top of it all, the bloody thing is supposed to be sentient and nigh indestructible.” 

“That sounds concerning.” Coulson’s face twisted into a frown. “Why does she want you to find a book that can unleash the magical version of the apocalypse?”

“She wants to secure it and put it somewhere no one can reach, of course.” Harry waved his hand as if brushing Coulson’s worries off. “This book has been lost for ages and cannot be found, tracked, or scried. And yet, it keeps popping up in history from time to time, falling into the hands of those who have no business with such a thing.”

“Tell me its name or an instance where it popped up in history. Maybe SHIELD can help.” Coulson walked around his desk to his computer. “We have kept a compendium of history and a lot of historians on payroll. If there is even a whisper of the book or its name, we will know.”

“It won’t be of any use.” Harry rolled his eyes. “Whenever the book comes into play, it usually leaves a big mess in its wake. And since the earth isn’t a pile of ash and you didn’t know of magic’s existence, I would say that the sorcerers in the past cleaned it up pretty well every single time.”

“That’s somewhat reassuring.” Coulson said quietly. “Something tells me that you sorcerers deal with these kinds of things every now and then. World-ending disasters and cosmic horrors.”

“Stopped one two weeks back.” Harry snorted. 

“The day you told me to clear the airspace above the UK, right?” Coulson pulled a file from a drawer in his desk. “I do have a few questions about it if you do not mind answering them. It might clear a few things up for us.”

“If I can answer, I will answer.” Harry shrugged. “Fire away.”

“What was the threat you faced that day?” Coulson picked up a pen from his desk. “And how bad was the threat it posed?”

“It was a monster that goes by the name Kalkartho.” Harry paused. “And the threat it posed if we hadn’t intercepted it was… very bad.”

“As in, level a city bad or devour the Earth bad?” Coulson turned the file around. “And did I get the spelling right?”

“The spelling is correct.” Harry blinked. “And… it could devour every life on Earth, yes.”

“Omega class then.” Coulson made a note in the file. “NASA picked up some strange readings a few hours after you warned us. Their origin was beyond Mars’ orbit. The closest description they could give was an electromagnetic storm that resulted in two deep space satellites getting blown. Did it have anything to do with this threat?”

“That was me, actually.” Harry smirked as Coulson’s head snapped toward him. “We battled the Kalkartho in the asteroid belt.”

“I think I will regret asking you this… but how did you do it?” Coulson asked. “How did you survive in space and do the impossible of reaching beyond Mars and returning in a matter of hours?”

“Oh, we were not in the physical plane.” Harry waved him off. “We were in the Astral plane— a plane that runs parallel to the physical plane, encompassing it. It is the plane where the soul can exist outside the physical body without constraints.”

“Soul. As in… soul?” Coulson brow creased.

“The truest essence of a sentient being.” Harry said. “It is what gives a body’s existence meaning. It is the fundamental life force.”

Coulson seemed to be dumbfounded for a moment, looking pensive. Then he pulled himself together, rubbing his jaw.

“Is there anything else you wish to tell me about the fight with the… Kalkartho?”

“Not really, no.” Harry said. 

Coulson opened his mouth before closing it and shaking his head. 

“I don’t bite, you know?” Harry smirked. “If you have a question that I don’t want to answer, I will just tell you so.”

“No, it is not that.” Coulson said. “Tell me, Harry. If there’s a soul… what happens after death?”

“Ah, after you die, the link of your astral form— your soul is severed from your body.” Harry replied. “You see? What truly keeps us alive is the link that exists. Once the body stops working… as in dies, the link gets broken. As for the soul after that? It really depends on the person. Everyone gets a choice. To either get judgment, be reincarnated, or well, just take a break and live on in the soul realm.”

“Soul realm?” Coulson raised an eyebrow.

“It has many names. The Spirit world, Fields of Asphodel, the Duat… honestly, they are just extensions of the Astral plane, usually forbidden for sorcerers to tread into without permission of higher deities.”

“So all those afterlives. They are real?” Coulson asked. “Heaven and hell too?”

“Very much so, yes.” Harry said. “Remember, when you deal with all this stuff, assume that most myths are real because all myths stem from some amount of truth. Some more so than the others.”

Coulson nodded, his gaze still pensive and worried.

“Hey, don’t delve into this too much. It is mind-boggling at the best of times.” Harry patted Coulson on the shoulder.

“Of course,” he gave Harry a slight smile. “Why don’t we go for a drive?”

“Only if we get Lola.” Harry grinned.

Within a few minutes, Coulson’s red Chevrolet Corvette roared through the streets of D.C., as the agent weaved between cars, keeping a close eye on the road through his aviators.

“So, aside from magic, what do you do?” Coulson asked over the roar of the wind. “You know? As a pastime?”

“I watch movies or if the mood strikes me, make some enchanted object.” Harry said. “Some work and well, some don’t.”

“Anything you can lend us to use?” Coulson's lips quirked up.

“Nope.” Harry said. “You all have enough trinkets as it is if the stuff lying around your office is anything to go by.”

“They are collectibles.” Coulson’s eye twitched. “Vintage stuff.”

“Vintage spy stuff.” Harry corrected. “Stuff straight out of James Bond, I swear. Do you have your own Q?”

“We have a team of them.” Coulson said. “And their head is not even British. But they make good stuff. But nothing can beat the classics, can it?”

“They are the classics for a reason, I suppose.” Harry shrugged. “What do you do when you are not on SHIELD work? Any special lady?”

“Not right now.” Phil gave him a sad smile. “The line of work I am in takes a lot out of relationships. But I do love listening to a cellist in New York.”

Harry hummed. 

“So, these things you make.” Coulson said after a moment. “What do they do?”

“All sorts of things. I made an array of self-cleaning brooms and dust cloths a couple of months ago. Several of them. They do all sorts of things for me. There is this another relic I made.”

Harry pulled out a small case from his pouch and removed a pair of sunglasses from within. 

“Sunglasses?”

“Actually, they help you see clearly, no matter the time of day or the state of light.” Harry smiled. “Also, it has a zoom-in feature. Hasn’t really been useful, to be honest.”

“SHIELD has something similar.” Coulson glanced at the sunglasses. “Allows us to view heat signatures and night vision. Expensive, but worth every penny.”

“I did want to add a feature to allow it to see through walls.” Harry muttered. “But it didn’t work, unfortunately. I’ll figure it out. Probably increase the zooming capacity as well.”

“What’s the scope now?”

“Three times. Fairly useless, if you ask me. But then again, one can layer only so many enchantments on a single piece of glass.” Harry sighed. “My dicta-pen— a pen that writes as you speak, holds a lot more promise in the market. If I sell that, it would become a multi-million dollar business within a week, through students alone.”

“Sounds gimmicky, but why not.” Coulson gave him a slight grin. “Speaking of students, what of your education? You haven’t studied beyond high school.”

“Coulson, I can manipulate reality. What exactly will I gain by learning that stuff? Also, what do I do with the degree? I don’t need a job.”

“Yet you do come to SHIELD.”

“It is a good day out.” Harry shrugged. “Plus you are fun to be around.”

Coulson’s face closed off suddenly. “Yeah, there is a little something I want to tell you about that. Director Fury is sending me away on a special assignment for a little while. I do not know how long it will go on but I am the only one he trusts to oversee the mission.”

“Must be a special mission.” Harry commented. “What are you going to do?”

“That’s classified, I am afraid. Classified even above my level, only restricted on a need-to-know basis.” Coulson replied quietly. 

“Ah.” Harry pursed his lips, pushing down the irritation that rose. “Call if you need help.”

Coulson’s jaw twitched. “It is not like that. Not what you’re thinking.”

“I am not thinking anything.” Harry waved him off. “I recognize the need for some things to stay secret. You are a spy at the end of the day, Coulson.”

“That’s not it.” Coulson looked slightly flustered as if unsure what to say. “Can you take us someplace quiet? Some place—”

Coulson stopped short as Harry swept his hand, which glowed golden. A second later, the air in front of them cracked and Lola drove through a wall of mirrors that appeared out of midair for a moment. The agent looked around wildly as all the traffic around them disappeared, the sounds of the city of DC vanishing.

“Where are we?”

“The mirror dimension.” Harry said. “No one can find us here. What’s troubling you? If it is me, I am not upset. Just frustrated”

“No, it is not you.” Coulson brought the car to a stop and unbuckled his seat belt before stepping out of the car. “Can you tell me something?”

“Depends.” 

“You said that after death, the bond of the soul is cut from the physical body… which leads to actual death.” Coulson’s eyes glimmered with worry. “Am I wrong?”

“No.” Harry said. “Also, you should not delve into it.”

“So, is it possible to… say, remake the bond?” Coulson asked, ignoring him. “To… reforge it with some outside factor?”

Harry paused, contemplating the question.

“Once the link is severed, no. Not unless you have soul-fire.” Harry said. “Something only Skyfathers and some very powerful beings possess. And even for those beings, using such power always has a price. And not to mention, limits. As for any other attempts at reviving someone dead will always turn out to be an abomination. Necromancy is a forbidden art for a reason and even then, it is fundamentally flawed.”

“But what if… what if something is used—”

“Coulson, give it to me straight. What are you on about?” Harry snapped.

Coulson took a deep breath and turned away from him. “I… it is a project that Director Fury is undertaking. In heavy secrecy, of course. It basically operates on the theory of rejuvenating a body completely. Like a reset, you know? In theory, if you’re injured and dying, or… shortly dead, it can remake your body and revive you… and on lab rats, it has proven successful.”

“That’s not reviving. That’s healing, basically.” Harry blinked. “You heal the body of a dying person. And, he gets well.”

“No.” Coulson leaned on Lola’s hood. “It is a procedure we are creating to administer after the pulse stops. There’s a special compound injected, followed by a procedure that does it. After death.”

“How many minutes?” Harry raised an eyebrow. “Because I am assuming that—”

“The serum has to go in within seven minutes of death. Ideally three.” Coulson turned around to face him with hopeful eyes. “Can it be… done? Is it even possible?”

“The link of the soul isn’t immediately severed once the heart stops.” Harry said. “That’s why you can restart the heart. But once a certain time has passed, the bond is severed. Medically, that’s when the brain dies completely.”

“Oh.” Coulson leaned back. “And— no, that’s it. So, it is healing, basically?”

“If medical science has evolved to that degree, yes.” Harry agreed. “But… what are you using? And why?”

“It is a special compound.” Coulson said, his face unreadable. “And it is one of Director Fury’s contingencies.”

“Contingencies?”

“Director Fury has always known about the threat up there.” Coulson pointed at the sky. “He knows what we might face. And he is not a man who puts all his eggs in a single basket.”

“And what forms do these contingencies take?” Harry narrowed his eyes.

“Avengers are his plan A. They have always been.” Coulson rubbed his face. “For them, he has a whole set of special things. I am not privy to all of it but I know that this project is one of them.”

“He wants to be prepared in case one of us dies?”

“Its objective is to revive a fallen avenger if needed.” Coulson nodded. “And you cannot tell anyone I told you this. I’d lose my job and lose his trust.”

“I won’t tell anyone.” Harry promised. “Plus, it is not like you’re doing a bad thing, is it? Advancing medicine and saving lives is never a wrong cause. Maybe you can scale it to a point that it can be used by normal hospitals to save lives.” 

“I am just relieved to hear that we won’t be breaking any laws of the universe.” Coulson looked away. “You know? Accidentally spelling our doom by violating something we didn’t even know existed?”

Harry chuckled but the humor didn’t reach his eyes.

Fury was also pulling moves and making plans. SHIELD and the Ancient One both were. Plans that involved Harry but ones he wasn’t totally privy to.  It was like Dumbledore all over again. 

They had good intentions but were not forthcoming with information, playing things close to their chests.

And Harry didn’t like it one bit.

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AND… DONE! Hope you all liked the chapter!

So, yes. As I said, more Sorcery and introduction to Marvel Universe. Those who recognized it, kudos. Those who didn’t… Well, it is an introduction to a companion series of Marvel, set post Avengers named ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ 

Till the first two or three seasons, it is also largely canon-compliant with the main universe. Plus, it has our favorite, Phil Coulson in the main role with some other, really great characters (including Ghost Rider in one of the seasons). 

But if you haven’t seen it, you need not worry. While they will have a role to play, it will be much more like the appearances of Happy Hogan— seldom, somewhat important, but hella fun. 

If you are curious, feel free to look up the characters and basic storyline of the first couple of seasons on the net. If you don’t, it is still fine. They are technically a while away and till then, all you need to know will be said or described.

Now, as for the Outer Gates thing— it is pretty simple. I explained it in the narration already. It is basically a doorway/entry to all dimensions based on Earth. It DOES NOT have gateways to the bigger dimensions like the Dark Dimension, K’lay, the Death dimensions, or even the Ydggarsil.

As for the Yggdrasil, it is the prime realm that the Earth falls in. Think solar system for the magical side of Earth. That is what the universe as a whole is more concerned about than the physical plane. The other planets for them(Jupiter, Mercury) are basically big asteroids, nothing more.

Now, coming to the wardens… while the Sorcerers are the magical equivalent of Interpol/ SHIELD, the Wardens are basically prison guards/watchmen who protect the Outer Gates. That’s where their jurisdiction starts and ends. If some creature escapes any other place than the Outer Gates, the Sorcerers will deal with them.

The Wardens are only there to fight things that come through the gates— which are mostly held close by enchantments.

A huge thanks to Mughil and Enigma for betaing this chapter!

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Stay Happy! Stay Safe! Keep Smiling! Keep Reading!

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