The Ashen Keeper

Chapter 36

[Firekeeper POV]

.

.

"Again.", she told Wanda. She mixed stones of different colors and told Wanda to pick up the green ones. It was a very simple exercise. But here, she could not move her body. She was to lift the stones using her mind alone. It helps exercise control over her powers.

Some stones were as big as a cat while others were as small as a fingernail. This allows her to lift different things at once.

The scarlet girl had some difficulties at first, but she eventually managed. Moreover, while the girl was trying to lift those stones, she would randomly throw balls at her.

She was to stop the ball before it reaches her. The keeper would also randomly change colors so that she has to drop all the stones she was carrying before and lift the ones with new colors. To make it harder, specific instructions were given as well.

Like lift two red and three blue stones and many other more. This allows her to stay cautious against any potential threat. Moreover, with the help of books from Asgard, she was getting lessons on the arcane, both from her homeland and of Asgard with Odin's permissions.

She could now weave illusions or use flames to directly attack somebody. These, however, were not the main focus. Her training mostly consists of control for she already had enough brute strength. She has to learn how to use all that strength effectively.

Moreover, she had also discovered something in her disciple. Her powers weren't reflected in mere telekinesis. She holds the power to distort reality itself. She did not like that. Her only disciple's powers were too reliant on emotions.

This meant that her powers wouldn't be constant. She could be strong one moment and weak in other moments. She will soon begin the cut out the source of her powers so that she can use it without fear of possession from whatever was giving reality warping powers to her only disciple.

She also contemplated on whether she should teach her how to use weapons, but basic knowledge would do for now. It is not a good idea to focus on many things at once.

"That will be enough, child.", she told Wanda to stop. Straining is never good. She also did not seem to mind being called child. If anything, she could tell that the girl like it. She obeyed and sat down next to her.

"Wanda, I have some matters to address thee."

"What is it master?" She went red and seems overly excited for some reason.

"It is about the source of thine power. Thy powers come from someone who allow thee to access it. And one day, they can use it control thee. So, I wish to plunder their source of power for thee to use it freely."

It was a matter concerning her safety, but she looks ... disappointed? Maybe she was worried that she could not control her powers yet. That should not be the case.

"My dear Wanda, I am worried for thy well-being and I hath more matters to address thee after solving the problem of thy powers."

This seems to get her excited once again.

"Now, what should we do, master?"

"I hath some help regarding the matter with problems about the state of soul. So first, we will go inside thy soul to solve thy matters from the roots. It was where thy truest form will be exposed so we may solve the matter."

"My ... truest form? No, no, let's go in there some other time. After all, we can always do it anytime. And I am feeling perfectly fine right now."

She understood her worries. "Do not worry, Wanda. By truest form, I meant thy source of power. I will never read the memories of a disciple of mine. Now, hold out thy hand so we may venture into thine soul and solve thy problems."

Her disciple did as she was told and held out her arms. She grabbed her soft hands and ventured inside her soul.

Inside, there was nothing. She supposes it was normal. After all, people usually don't have a world dedicated to dragons in their souls. It was just black with literally nothing.

"So, this is my soul?"

"Yes, child."

"There's nothing here."

"Look again.", she ordered. Somewhere in the distance was something wrapped in a bubble. They went over it to have a closer look at it. It was a man with two long horns. He appears to be asleep.

But, the keeper could tell that there was more to it. The demon was waiting for Wanda's emotions to break down his barrier so he may eventually take full control.

"What is that?", asked Wanda. She appears mortified. Disgusted at the prospect of a random demon in her soul.

"A demon by the name of Chthon. That is the source of thy powers. The demon before thine eyes is what allows thee to warp reality."

"I can warp reality?"

"Doth, thou think that Stark's missiles would fail to explode? Stark is not Hammer Industries and everything from Stark will be checked for correction before actually selling it.

Doth, thou think it to be coincidence when the missile failed to explode in front of two children who are now supernatural? Nay, it was thee who changed the probability of the missile exploding. Thou powers art much more diverse than mine."

"So, can I give back these powers to the demon? I don't want to be controlled one day." Wanda sounded sure of the fact that she will be forfeiting her greatest powers.

"Let there be no worries, dear disciple of mine. Do not forget the fact that I am thy master. What was once thy possession shall always be thine possession whether they already have an owner or not."

"My dear Alduin and the eternal ones, reveal thyselves to this demon.", she chanted as thousands of everlasting ones showed up. Wanda gazed upon them with reverence.

She had to admit that thousands of everlasting dragons facing a single enemy was an unforgettable sight. She had learnt the existence of the multiverse from both the Ancient One and Odin.

If just a simple clone of Chthon could make Wanda suppress the likes of the Ancient One, she could not tell how strong the actual entity might be.

The moment the dragons appeared, Chthon opened his eyes. The moment he opened his eyes, she knew that Chthon's might definitely suppress that of the Lords.

He started speaking nonsense. No, it was not nonsense, it was simply chaos. He speaks chaos itself. After a moment, he started speaking words they could actually understand.

"Look upon the face of Chaos." It was then that she realized that she had never looked at him straight in the eyes. She looked at him in the eyes this time.

"Your heads are held too high. Bow.", he said as he pointed his fingers downwards. Not a single being bowed. The everlasting dragons could not be made to bow with an incomplete power.

The firekeeper's soul is that of the first flames themselves and could not be affected by mental suppression. Only Wanda was tempted to bow but she shielded her disciple using her own soul.

This seems to incur some displeasure from the lord of black magic. He started flaring his might. It seems he has canceled some clones throughout the multiverse to gather his powers. The everlasting dragons responded in the same way. A battle was inevitable.