Good News, and Bad

A/N: Pat-reon: HelloDarkness07

---

Tatiana plumps down on my lap, resting her cheek on top of my head, as we both stare at the objects in front of us.

"Is this it? The so-called Magical Gold and Magical Silver!" Tatiana whispers, running her hand over my bicep.

I sigh in content, and say, "Almost. True Magic Gold or Magic Silver, have a lot more Magic than this one. This is just a pale imitation, better than normal Gold and Silver, but inferior to the metal that makes up my Prati Kavach, or your dagger."

There in front of us sat three stacks of metal bars, one for each metal; Magical Gold, Magical Silver, and Vibranium.

Magical Gold is what I'm calling the metal that makes up the Prati Kavach. It smells like Gold, it tastes like Gold, but it is definitely not Gold, and has a lot of intrinsic Magic in it. And if there's Magical Silver, why can't there be Magical Gold?

Sersi had come to the Sanctum just an hour ago, to fulfill the agreement. She had brought Druig's armour, which now rested in Nowhere, and then she had spent 5 minutes transmuting these metals.

I had handed Sersi a chunk of Magic Silver, the remnants of what I'd found so long ago under the Mopane tree, along with my Prati Kavach. She then spent a minute analysing each of them, taking a lot of care understanding the metals. And then, she spent a minute each carefully restructuring the two boulders I gave her into a neat stack of metal bars of Magic Gold and Magic Silver each.

Another few seconds were spent transmuting another boulder into Vibranium bars, with her not even asking me where I found the Vibranium.

And then, after an update over Sprite's condition, she left for the Domo, but not before promising to return some day to learn Sorcery.

Sprite was yet to wake up, she'd told me before leaving, but her body was stabilising. Phastos and Ajak were keeping an eye on her health, while keeping her under constant observation. Phastos was still saying that Sprite had evolved past her original state, and her body, blood, Energy, Soul, everything now reflected that.

Which.. I'm glad. Didn't want my actions to be useless, you know.

Back to the transmuted metals, while Sersi had managed to transmute the Atomic structure, and even the Energy signature, behind the Magical metals, she couldn't perfectly mimic the Magic within it. Or more accurately, she couldn't provide the high amount of Magic that is inherently within the Magical Gold and Silver.

Clicking her tongue in thought, Tatiana says, "So, you should keep the Metal buried underground, in a place with a high concentration of Magic, so that it absorbs it?"

I smile at her thoughts, and say, "Yes, and I know exactly where I'm going to keep them."

"Sanctuary. Figures." Tatiana says, as she gets up much to my guilty relief. Hey, she's hot, gorgeous, wonderful, and I love her, but one can only tolerate the thingy getting squished so much.

I hold her hand as she turns to leave, and say, "Want to come with me? Aplistia misses you, you know."

Tatiana sighs, and says, "As much as I would love to, no. I need to practice some more binding spells. Not all of us can cast the Crimson Bands as frequently as you can."

Well, true. The Crimson Bands of Cyttorak is one of the hardest spells to master, mostly because the Magic of the Crimson Cosmos is a bit.. volatile. Cyttorak doesn't like weaker Sorcerers using his Magic, and so, the spell is harder to control the weaker you are. And while Tatiana is an amazing Mage and Sorceress, her talents in Sorcery place her just a bit above average.

This is why there is an actual physical object, a Relic, called the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. Created around 900 years ago, in Babylon, the Relic was created to bind Dark Sorcerers, used by those who cannot cast the spell.

I remember that Dr Strange used it once in the movie, to bind Keicilius in the New York Sanctum.

Watching Tatiana walk out of the room, and towards the training rooms, I wave my hand, sending the metal bars into Nowhere, and go through a portal to Sanctuary. A smile immediately forms on my face when the Magic here hits me.

So pure, so free, so.. Magical! The entire Island was filled with Magic, and the Ley Lines underneath us just made it that much more apparent. Turning around, I see my Castle standing there in all its glory. A single flex on my telepathy is enough to tell me that the 22 Elves currently under my employ were all on the Island.

Some, like Holar, were sleeping in the Elf Quarters, while others, like Kultur, were spread all around the Island, either working, or just relaxing.

Leaving them to their work, I bring out my Staff from the Nowhere, and simply send my magic through it. Immediately, two giant holes are dug into the ground, each of them in cuboidal shape, 50 feet wide and long, and 100 meters deep. The land that was supposed to be in there, now floats upwards, and stays there.

I point my staff towards one hole, and conjure two of the dragon corpses into existence over the holes. Pointing the staff at them both, I send a force of concussive magic at their stomachs, blowing holes in them, and then drop them into the holes.

Blood begins flowing out of the holes in the stomachs, and seeps into ground, once more making me thank my idea of making Nowhere timeless. And then, I conjure the Magical Gold and Magical Silver out of Nowhere, and drop them all in the hole too, right on top of the Dragons.

Another simple flex on my magic sends the dirt back down, with just a small bump on the ground to show that something is buried there. 

I then lean down, and gently touch my Staff on each of the lumps, carving Runes into the ground in a circle that forms around the two mounds. These Runes will make it so that Time flows 100 times faster in there, than it does outside, but only underground.

2 years, that's how much I give the buried metal until it is an exact replica of the natural Magical Gold and Silver. 

So now, I can move on to the next project. After keeping the Vibranium buried in the cave which held the Heart Shaped herbs, right underneath the herbs in fact, I go back to the Sanctum, but not before checking up on my dragons.

Time to study the Eternal Armour, and see if I can use it.

---

"Crucio." I calmly state, pointing the Elder Wand at the transfigured statue of myself, wearing the Eternal Armour.

The crimson coloured spell splashes on the armour harmlessly, not even making the statue move.

"Stupefy." I cast.

The red coloured spell flies out of my wand and hits the armour. Only this time, it gets pushed back a bit, making the statue wobble.

"Okay, when you said the armour is inconsistent, I didn't think it would be this inconsistent." Tatiana says, coming forward from her spot.

I turn back, and say, "Right? Fucking annoying, this thing is."

And it is, both annoying and inconsistent. Where some spells just splash harmlessly on the armour, with not even a little bit of Magic leaking through, some spells behave as if the armour isn't even there, directly hitting the statue.

Others, meanwhile, treat the armour as if it is a piece of cloth, and tear through it. Like the Piercing Hex, it bores a hole through the armour, and then hits the statue.

"I don't think there's any pattern for it though. It is as if some spells just behave one way, and others another." Tatiana voices, as she takes out her own new wand, Elder, Phoenix Feather, made in Rome by one Ollivander family. Pointing it at the target, Tatiana slashes her wand in an upward arc, sending a bright green beam of Magic through the wand.

The Greek Severing Hex hits the statue, and cuts it in half, while leaving the Armour completely intact.

Nodding, I say, "No pattern whatsoever."

The list of spells I've tested on the armour is too damn high, and there is actually no pattern over which spells do what. Although, it doesn't happen that one spell has two different effects. The Crucio always splashes harmlessly on the armour, the Imperio always hits the target directly, the Bombarda sends the target flying, but hits the armour first, and so on and on.

But, as I said, I cannot guess which new spell will do what.

Hell, even different elemental spells of the same element work differently. Fulmen spell goes straight through, while the Fulgur Flumen chars the armour. Incendio harms the armour, while Fiendfyre has no effect. Some Dark spells do one thing, others do another. Some powerful spells do one thing, others do another.

Thankfully, however, whatever damage is inflicted upon the Armour is repaired by either the Reparo charm, or the Eye of Agamotto that I have borrowed from Master Ayesha. 

And no, I wasn't going to look into the future with it. I was just using it to repair the armour if it got too damaged, which only happened twice.

It was fairly easy, reversing time. But it was also easy getting addicted to reversing time. And so, I was just using it to repair the Armour, making sure to wait between used. The delay so that I don't mess with the Continuum.

Once for the Fulgur Flumen spell, and another time after the white flames of my Kasha form burnt the Armour too much.

Of the Three Unforgivable Curses, the Imperious Curse ignores the armour completely, the Cruciatus is fully defended, while the Killing Curse not only damages the armour, but also kills the Target.

Sighing, I say, "I'll have to modify this too, if I hope to ever use it. But I can't do it yet. I'll have to study it for a much longer time than I can safely give it."

And so, it will have to remain in the Nowhere for now.

Tatiana shrugs, and says, "You could always cut up pieces of Dragon Hide, sew it together, and use your new Magical Gold to enchant the new armour. If the Magical Gold behaves even a little bit similar to ordinary Gold, then it will be excellent in carving symbols."

Huh, true. Gold is soft, and so far, Magical Gold has proven the same. Well, it is still in the Nowhere, but from what I've seen in the bars, it is soft too.

"An excellent idea, but it will have to wait. I have something else I need to do first." I say, with a large smile on my face.

"You're going to tell me even if I don't ask, aren't you?" Tatiana asks, as she sits down on a chair with a sigh.

Chuckling at her, I say, "My dear Tatiana, I am going to make Elves free from their enslavement!"

"Huh. I didn't think you would be ready this soon." Tatiana says, not even questioning if I'm sure.

I nod and say, "I've been ready a few years now, I've known what the problem is and how to solve it for that long too. I just.. I didn't have all the necessary preparations done with."

The problem with the Elves is three fold. Physical, Magical, and Psychological. Body, Magic, and Mind. 

Their minds have gotten used to being Enslaved, used to following orders, and expecting orders. Their Magic has gotten used to using mostly household spells. While they can use their Magic for other purposes, their multitasking just shines when it comes to serving.

And their bodies.. well, it's not a problem per se, as far as their Enslavement is concerned, but I do find them too thin, and tiny.

Standing up, I ask, "Would you like to witness something that hasn't ever been done before, my dear Tatiana?"

Rolling her eyes in fondness, Tatiana smiles and says, "I doubt it will be quick, and one of us has to stay in the Sanctum to guard it. Or have you forgotten it, Master of the Sanctum?"

Oh, yeah. "It didn't cross my mind, to be honest. I'll call for you when the process is complete, okay? It will take me a few hours to be done."

Tatiana nods, and says, "Fine. But if it is going to take more than a day, I better find you in bed tonight."

I nod, happily accepting it. Like I'm going to miss sleeping beside my Tatiana.

Sigh. 

Creating a Portal, I appear on Sanctuary, already at my destination. The Cave which housed the Heart Shaped Herbs, and the transmuted Vibranium.

I've tested the Herbs a lot, even if I haven't actually used it yet. The flower is definitely Magical, and has a blessing of the Goddess Bast cast upon it. The Blessing just turned whoever consumes it into a champion of Bast, as long as they pass the test.

But the Herb itself, or the Magic within it, is what enhances the strength and reflexes so much. I wasn't interested in it though, at least not just the Herb. If I do have it, I'll take it along with some other Strength Ritual, modifying both to gain higher benefits.

Despite the 7 herbs that I've taken in all these years for testing purposes, there are still 16 plants still present, and a total of 52 flowers. And I need just two plants for my purposes.

Taking them and storing them within the Nowhere, I apparate once more, this time appearing in front of a small pond, which had a small stream coming from up the mountain, in the form of a tiny waterfall. The pond was yet to be occupied by anything more than a few fishes, and was used frequently by other animals, mundane and magical, as a source of drinkable water.

This isn't the only Pond here though, there are literally hundreds of fresh water Ponds, lakes, and rivers on Sanctuary. This one wasn't even unique, except for being exceptionally well lit by the skies above, thanks to the lack of thick trees surrounding it.

I just chose this particular Pond at random, to be honest.

Which is why I'm surprised when I see a group of Unicorns standing near the treeline, just staring at me. 

Walking forward, I smile at the Unicorns and say, "I'm guessing that you know what I'm going to do today."

One of the Unicorns, the biggest male present I notice, takes a step forward, and lifts his front right leg up. I frown, and ask, "Are you sure? I can do it without your blood, you know."

The Unicorn in turn takes another step forward, and whinnies, lifting his leg up once more.

Sighing, I approach him, and after petting his neck a couple times, kneel down. Taking a syringe out, I start taking the golden coloured blood out, wondering what good deed I have done to get this opportunity not once, but twice in my lifetime.

The first one was when I had gone to ask for a freely given Unicorn Horn, which I had actually gotten after a few days of begging. And now, I'm getting freely given Unicorn blood. This time without even asking for it.

Done with extracting just half a litre of the Unicorn's blood, I take a step back, bow, and say, "Thank you. I promise I will not misuse this Blood."

The Unicorn whinnies once again, and the entire group turns around, and runs away, far faster than any normal horse. I watch them disappear into the woods, and sigh. This just tells me that I am on the right path, if even Unicorns want to help me.

I place the Unicorn blood filled Syringe inside Nowhere, and turn towards the pond of water. With a wave of my hand, I create a portal right under the waterfall, sending the water directly into the sea. This way, until my work is done, no new water will enter the Pond.

Another wave of my hand summons all the fishes within the pond out, and on to the ground. Guess I'll be feeding the Nundus personally later.

Touching the pond with the Eye of my Staff, I focus my Magic through it, freezing all the water within a few seconds. Replacing the Staff with my hand, I store the Block of Ice in Nowhere, stuck in ice form for now.

I point my Staff at the land which once held the water, and shoot Magic out of it in short bursrs. This causes Runes to be carved on the pond's walls, as well as the floor. These Runes will purify the Water of any dirt, trash, or grime. 

One of the Wakandan plants that I had stored in Nowhere, appear out into the air, and floats down gently. Immediately, the ground is dug up a bit, as the Heart shaped herb, with 9 flowers on it, is planted into the pond's bed.

And then, after I melt the Ice back into water to fill the lake up, I get down to the final part. A Potion.

Taking a cauldron out, I take around half a litre of the pond's water in it, and start a fire underneath. One by one, I crush the Heart Shaped herbs of the second plant, the actual flowers, into a thick paste, and stir it into the water. Then, I add a single drop of the Unicorn's freely given blood after each flower.

A total of 7 drops of Unicorn blood and 7 flowers are added to the Water, turning the contents into a dark purple, almost brown, colour.

After the seventh drop of Golden Unicorn blood, I conjure a bar of Vibranium, and using Galadmagol, shave some of it into the liquid. 

I keep stirring, for a few more minutes, until the liquid goes from brown, to a silver colour, the Vibranium completely mixed now, and then, stir in the opposite direction. I add a few more ingredients, including the blood of Kultur, and end with one more drop of Unicorn blood.

Finally, the end result is a cauldron full of Potion, that is Gold in colour, darker than Felix Felicus, but lighter than actual Gold.

Snuffing the fire out, I pick the Cauldron in my hands, and walk towards the pond, the heat not even bothering me. Stopping at the shore, I whisper, "Elder Goddess Oshtur, Elder Goddess Gaea. My race of Mages have done a crime against magic. They created Life, but enslaved it, not allowing it to grow. Please.. allow me to fix my ancestors' mistakes. Allow me to turn the House Elves into an independent Race of Elves."

The wind caressing my face is all the answer I get to my pleading, and all the answer I need, as I lift the Cauldron high up, and empty it into the pond of water.

With a golden splash, the golden potion splashes into the water and starts spreading out. The little bit of sunlight that comes from the west causes the pond to glow a bit, and I feel the Magic within the potion spreading into the lake.

Gently, the water starts spinning around in a clockwise direction. And then, the purple of the Plant buried under the water joins in, which mixes with the gold of the water. The Runes that I had carves on the walls of the pond glow with a purple light, as more and more Magic is added to the Pon.

For a minute, I stay still, watching this happening with wide eyes, since I wasn't causing this. When the water stops, right before I can snap out of my shock, it is now turned into a silver coloured liquid once more.

But that's not all. The Runes that I had carved into the pond bed and walls, have.. just disappeared.

Suddenly, something hard slams into my back, sending my crashing into the water. Involuntarily, I swallow some of the water, as I regain my balance. I turn around to shoot a spell at whoever attacked me, when suddenly I realise..

I'm no longer inside the water.

"What the fuck?" I mumble, looking around at the.. Paradise, all around me. Because I can't describe it in any other words.

I was still in a forest, but it was most definitely not the forest that I had been involuntarily dunked in. The skies were blue, the forest green, and the Earth brown. But there was just something.. something about this.. sight, that made me feel as if I'm in some Divine place.

Unicorns of different sizes ran all around the forest, while multiple Phoenixes, Dragons, Thunderbirds, and even Thestrals, flew over my head. For a while, I stay mesmerised by this new vision I found witnessing. This.. this is what I hope Sanctuary becomes some day.

A Sanctuary.. a Paradise for Magical Creatures.

And then, I open my eyes, suddenly finding myself drowning in the water of the pond. Widening my eyes, I point my palm upwards, and cast, 'Ascendio!'

With a mighty pull, I get propelled upwards, and fly out of the water, landing harshly on the ground. 

"Cough.. cough!" I cough, spitting out water, from my mouth and my nose. The taste was.. strangely sweet, not like any flower I've ever tasted before.

"Fuck." I whisper, realising exactly what had happened. I.. got pushed into the Pond of Enhancement, that I created for the Elves.

I could feel it in my bones, even now. I was.. better, stronger, more.. Earthly.

Shaking my head, I look around, trying to find any signs of the one that pushed me in. But, finding nothing, I promise myself to come back to it later, and apparate towards the Castle. I need to check myself over first.

This.. this was a Ritual, a quick Ritual, but a Ritual nonetheless. One designed to make Elves better thinkers, better Magicals, and grant them a stronger body, on par with a normal human's at least, despite their small size.

And someone.. something.. forced me to take part in it, with me having no idea what the effects will be.

---

Good news is, there are no adverse side effects. The Ritual did have some effects though. Some marvelous, mind my pun, effect.

I'm stronger by a mere 20% over my original strength two hours ago, faster by 25%, my brain is still the same, and my Magic is also mostly the same. 

Somehow, my connection to the Earth had improved, granting me around 70% better efficiency when it comes to Elemental spells. Earth, Fire, Wind, Lightning, Water. I am stronger in all these Spells by 70% each.

All in all, I got the benefits that I'd expected to get from the Heart Shaped Herb, and some more. The Heart Shaped Herb definitely didn't give anyone efficiency in Magic spells, since Bast.. wasn't known for her Magic.

I have no sure data on who pushed me in, but I have a few guesses. One being Elder Goddess Oshtur, and another being Elder Goddess Gaea. I invoked the two in my Ritual Spell, so that they could bless it. 

But, what would two Elder Goddesses even get by making me stronger by just around 40% overall?

It's not even much. 40% increase is not much, when you take into account my original strength. I just went from just under Sabertooth level to just above Sabertooth in terms of strength, senses, and Instincts.

Shaking my head, I focus back on the pond, which was still silver in colour, with the waterfall now once again flowing into the Pond. The spells I had carved into the wall make sure that whatever Water goes out of the borders of the Pond turns back into normal, pure Water, although of a superior quality. More pure.

"Kultur. Holar." I call out, calling for the first two Elves that I put under my employ while in the past.

With a simultaneous pop, the two Elves come into existence in front of me, one old as fuck, and one relatively young. Holar was around 90 years old now, while Kultur was just above 40, and in his prime. Elves don't live much, at least for now, and the oldest Elf lived to be around 120 years old.

Nodding at them, as they silently look up at me, I say, "I have a task to give you two."

"Anything, Master." Kultur says, bending down.

I ignore the title, and say, "One by one, you will have every Elf under our employ spend one minute in this Pond. When more Elves are brought in, they should first be brought here for Bathing too."

The two Elves look at the silver pond, and Holar asks, "May Holar be asking.. why?"

At least their stay with me had some benefits, even if I didn't spend a lot of time with them. They know I don't punish the elves, ever. And so, they were encouraged to ask questions. Sometimes, though, Kultur still follows orders without even doubting my words.

Conditioning, I'll tell you. It is a bad, bad thing.

Nodding at Holar with a smile, I say, "You can always ask why. As for the reason, this Pond is a creation of mine. It will make you stronger, smarter, better at Magic, and grant you a better connection to the Earth by the blessings of Mother Magic herself. This way, you won't depend on me for too much stuff, and will only disturb my important work when absolutely necessary. And it will make you not depend on me for providing you with Magic."

And this way, it won't seem as if I'm forcing them to do this because I want to free them. While Blinky knows of my goal to free the Elves, these Elves don't. Gods, I miss Blinky too, I wonder how she's doing?

Well, I'll make sure they won't miss me. A benefit of having Time Travel in my hands.

Holar nods slowly, as it it made sense to him, and says, "Master's work be utmost importance. Holar will carry out the order to ensure Master isn't disturbed."

Kultur nods rapidly, and says, "Kultur be bring every new Elfling here, Master! Elfsies become strong, and Master becomes a stronger Mage!"

Well, whatever floats your boat my dear Elf.

Nodding at the two, I point at the Pond, and say, "Now, let's start with you two. Who would like to dive in first."

Without a by your leave, Kultur pops over the pond's surface, and drops down into the water, sending the silver liquid flying out. As expected, before it can hit us, the liquid turns into regular water, and a wave of my hand evaporates it.

I see Kultur stay still, as his body starts getting dragged down by the dense water, while Holar fidgets on my side.

He slowly asks, "Is Kultur fine?"

I pat my hand on Holar's head, and say, "Don't worry. When I went through with it, even I was submerged underground for a minute. He will wake when his time is up, and it is your duty to pull him out."

I've already tried taking another dip, and found that it doesn't work. One person just gets one dip into the Pond. Any additional dips have no benefits, except for cleaning your body up nicely.

When Holar pulls Kultur's struggling form out, I smile, seeing changes already, some visible, and some subtle.

Kultur had grown bigger, with his scrawny arms increasing in their mass. His long nose had gotten a bit shorter, while his skin colour had gotten a bit darker, almost greenish brown. He looked similar to just skin and bones before, but now he looked like a properly fed Elf.

Even Blinky didn't look this good!

Kultur looks up, amazed, and says, "You.. you be great, Master Athreos! Kultur feels steonger than ever before!"

Smiling, I say, "That was my goal, yes." I then turn towards Holar, and say, "Well, Holar. It is your turn now."

Soon, every Elf on Sanctuary will be enhanced, stronger. Their minds will slowly go from the dumb that they are now, to at least semi competent. And then, they will finally be free!

All through the use of my Trickery!

---

The next year goes by well enough, with no problems to speak of. There was the occasional Sorcerer going Rogue, but no one dared to attack my Sanctum. 

According to Tatiana, it was being speculated in Kamar Taj that I was being groomed by Master Ayesha to be her successor. That I was going to become the next Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar Taj. And this is why Sorcerers are afraid of attacking my Sanctum.

Hell, Witches are afraid of attacking my Sanctum. And those bitches rarely even debate about challenging normal Sorcerers.

But, I know it is nothing but poppycock. I am not Sorcerer Supreme material, I don't like responsibilities of that degree. Sanctum Master is the highest I'll go, and if she even tries to hand the title on to me, I'll fuck right off.

Best of all, Master Ayesha knows it.

Sanctuary was running smoother than ever, with the Elves now fitting in with their new selves very well. They're still Elves, the same personality with a tendency to please the Master, ergo me, but now, they were more free with their words, free with their actions.

Before, every Elf did their work, slept, and ate food, and that's it. Now, they still do the same, but I've noticed the Elves speaking with the Magical Creatures when they believe I'm not there.

Not a conversation, but like one speaks to their pets.

All in all, the new Elves were evolving very fast, which is just.. perfect!

With good, however, must come bad. And this bad is something I've seen coming for a loong time.

"I.. I want to leave." Tatiana whispers to me one night, as we sleep side by side.

Sighing, I feel tears pricking at my eyes, as I whisper, "I can't say I'm surprised. You've been feeling smothered for four months now."

"You promised not to use your Telepathy on me." Tatiana accuses, lifting her head up from my chest.

Smiling softly, I kiss her on her nose, and say, "I don't need my Mind Arts to tell me how you feel. I know you, Tatiana. I can read your feelings on your face better than you can hide them."

Tatiana puts her head back on my cheek, and asks, "You aren't angry?"

I sigh, and say, "Anger.. is not something I'm feeling right now, no. As I said, I already expected these words to come out of your mouth, I just.. I thought I was ready to actually hear them, but clearly.. I'm not."

"I'm sorry, Athreos." Tatiana whispers, as I feel her hugging me tighter.

Closing my eyes, I say, "It's not your fault, Tatiana. Your life went too bad at every turn, which caused this to happen. This is the fault of those people who took advantage of your trust."

Her parents, Herpo, Ptolemy. Almost every authority figure in Tatiana's life made it miserable for her, they gave her a fear of trusting people.

And as much as she loves me, Tatiana doesn't trust me, not completely.

Lifting Tatiana up so she's face to face with me, I kiss her lips gently, and say, "I just want you to promise me. Promise me, Tatiana, that if you ever think you're going to be in danger, that you will come straight to me, to Sanctuary."

Tatiana closes her eyes in content, and nods. She says, "I promise. I will come straight to you if I ever feel endangered."

For a few seconds, we stay hugging, not one of us wanting to let go. Suddenly, something crosses my mind, and I ask, "How would you like to go through with a Body Enhancement Ritual? One that I myself went through four years before we met."

Tatiana looks up, smiling in amusement with tears in her eyes, and whispers, "I'll do it."

Smiling back with tears in my own eyes, I kiss Tatiana and hug her close. She will leave in a few days, which means I have a few days to take care of everything to ensure her survival out there.

Tatiana.. she's too independent to stay in one place for more than a year at a time, as I said. And she still stayed with me for over four years. That's progress, but her anxiety has been eating up at her for the last four months.

She desperately wanted to get away, not just for a few days or something. But away, away.

In some ways, I had loved how similar Tatiana is to me. And in others, like this particular time, I hate it.

The first woman I actually loved in this life, and she was just as psychologically fucked up as me.

We go to sleep together, embracing the presence of each other, knowing that this might just be the last few days we have together.

---

A/N: This.. was already coming. The way I wrote Tatiana, she has a lot of trust issues. And Mason, well he told her to his face that she won't be privy to all his secrets. And so, Tatiana hates that, even if she loves him.

Her trust issues, her entire life spent in Alexandria, and the troubles she faced in those years have forced her to adapt to a traveller's spirit. She needs new places, new sights, new people, every few years.

And now, her time limit of staying with the Sorcerers, including Mason, has come to an end. 

Just to remind you that this is not at all sudden. Mason already said when Ayesha asked him about her, that Tatiana won't stay in Kamar Taj, or even affiliated with them, for too long. She will help when it's needed, but she won't stay.

So yes, Mason already expected this break-up, and he was prepared for it. But being prepared doesn't mean you're actually ready to be broken up with.

The Elves didn't get Bast's blessings, they got Oshtur and Gaea's, thanks to Mason's Prayer. They've become stronger yes, but it's nothing like what happens to T'Challa. They just got some of their much needed Mass back, and their minds are slowly, very slowly, becoming more efficient.

Feel free to ask questions if there are any more doubts?

PS: Yes, I've already decided on whom I want to pair Mason with, and no, it won't be in the future. It will happen now, in the past itself. But there are still more than a few chapters to go before that.

PPS: My goal of beginning Canon MCU(2008+) before Chapter 100 will definitely not come to pass lol.

Thank you for your support! Tata!