The Ancient Wizard

In the moment a feeling of being in warm water, total weightlessness.

Nothing.

Opening my eyes does nothing just true black a near indescribable black a void is a better description, the total absence of light.

The next realization is I can't tell where my arms or legs are as if they don't exist which is a weird and distressing feeling then begins to compound when I quiet my thoughts and realize I don't need to breathe.

I can't feel my skin or the fine hairs on my body telling me I'm actually in water.

I begin to search my mind to see how or what led me to be here. I begin to remember myself but feel detached and then it hits pain.

Total pain a kind to all the nerves being activated at once where every thought and in addition action feels pain.

Recoiling as quick as possible realization comes.

I am dead.

A period of time that can't be actually quantified passes and a dot appears of light and seems to be growing almost exponentially.

Then another epiphany occurs, the light is not growing. I'm moving closer to it. Within what can be described as seconds I pass through the light.

Coming upon a world of gold and white and a point that is brighter than a million suns I have drowned within.

A voice presents itself but not a single voice but what feels and sounds like an infinite multitude of voices speaking in relative unison but with some delay and discernible.

"Interesting little one who has traveled the void and still retains intelligence."

Fear is the only thing that comes but on a fear of a lion or a tiger that has cornered you but some existential dread, more easily described by analog of Lovecraftian horror.

A threat and power so beyond any form of familiarity that it's easily mentally destructive.

All this happens in a fraction of a second but I try to persevere.

A pitifully weak " hello" escapes. I

n a moment the light weakens and an elderly man walks forward and seems to sit on the air or space surrounding him.

A gentle smile on his face "better?" he asks.

I relax and respond with what I think is a nod but am unsure of my physical state yet he seems to understand.

"Good don't need you breaking so quickly after arriving now do we?" and slight chuckle leaves him "many questions that are not said but kept with you, Good."

He continues "I am something you would consider the One above all this form is easier on you due to the fact that your comprehension is only in 3 dimension and a 4th of time which is only linear but I'm getting beyond the need of this meeting.

You have somehow left your universe and entered the Inter-Omniversel void which is supposed to be impossible and if you did you should have been destroyed due to its in hospitable nature to all but the mid-tier of cosmic beings."

With a shift in position to leaning forward clasping his hands together and leaning on his knees states losing the gentle smile.

"You are a very improbable existence that is so improbable that you could be the only one to happen to come upon the entire span of the multiverse" sighing at the end " which is why I am going to give you a gift and let you make a few wishes but there is a catch."

I am now in shock let alone awe and if I had a body it would have lost my dignity in many ways.

Responding to him still pitifully weak "Ok, the catch is'' he laughs "Relax boy you have nothing to worry about but I just want to have a, if you would an on the ground recount of what is happening in the world as thought of by its inhabitants and maybe watch your adventure."

My excitement grows. "What do I get to do" I ask quite intrigued.

leaning back he says "You I will go to a chosen world to get some further semblance of strength and from there things will change though I may be the one above all, I am unfortunately quite detached from the many universes that exist and the many God like being don't always report to me how their world is going.

When you have a multitude of worlds with every possibly of everything the numbers just even with omnipotence and omnipresence, things do get out of hand."

He finishes with a sigh.

"Also a few of the worlds are infuriatingly troublesome" 'Marvel and DC?' "yep" sigh nothing is ever easy there and I have to intervene or send an attendant to deal with it and you know how well that goes most of the time.

I chuckle amongst myself.

I think back and seem to remember the marvel comics and the cinematic universe was heavily kneecapped in power.

"That has to be awful…. Am I going there?"

Fear courses through my veins.

"No the living tribunal is doing…. Ok but that would be like throwing you into a meat grinder of 40k both are unpleasant but for vastly different reasons.

The Wizarding world of harry potter would be better not crossover or anything like that for now and you can pick and choose what and when you arrive its going to be a spin off of the original so don't worry things will change anyway."

He begins looking at me directly almost asking to say something, while his eyes pierce my soul.

I build the courage to speak and ask "Any limits to what I can ask for" His posture straightens "Not really you can be whatever you want and as powerful as you want to be."

I nod my head appreciatively when inside excitement and anticipation is eating away at my core. "Okay, well could I start in the distant past like ancient Samaria cause learning how magic and rituals were done there would be cool."

The Gentleman rubbed his beard and thought well if you're going to be a part of the story you'd need to live quite a long time….Uhm.. actually the rituals could fix that ok yes"

"Alright and in regards to my magic can I be as powerful as the ancient Gods who I believe were just powerful mages of their time easily surpassing Merlin"

"You are correct about that in regards to the Greek and Egyptian gods '' the Sumerian gods were slightly different but that doesn't matter. What else child?"

"Could I have a wand made of Yggdrasil and a core of Níðhöggr that could be blood bound to me."

The Grandpa looking man nearly falls off the chair laughing after that statement after what seemed an eternity of his laughter he quieted down.

"That is quite the wand that you want. It would be more powerful than the Sorcerer supreme by many times possibly even challenging Rune King Thor. Sorry but no" he states resuming his seriousness while remaining genial.

Feeling sad and trying to rethink my ideas he offers something else "How about the world tree not the tree of a universe still far more powerful than any wand wood ever to be or will ever be and we can even take a core from Akatosh which would give you dragon tongue as well which will be a great boon as well. Dragon shouts will work and will also fortify and broaden your soul magic. Agreeable?"

"Yes!, yes!, yes!"

"Actually can I create a pocket dimension for the magical people to live as you know they disappear as time goes on with the rise of humanity and maybe save the elves and many races of people?"

"Quite the humanitarian aren't you well this is a request in good faith and for the preservation of life also saves me from intervening with the elves again and helping them leave anyway, sure and I will give you a Fragment of reality to produce the magic within this pocket dimension so that it can be self- sustaining though it should be known that you will be fully responsible for what is created there "

"Wait I will create it?"

A sly smile creeps upon his lips

" Oh yes, you will learn runic magic, a masterful thing, but we have had enough time together do you have any other requests?"

"Will I keep my memories?" I ask hopefully but extreme worry dripped through my every essence. "Of course that is the fun part, good luck little dragon, haha, I will be watching from afar. I only expect greatness from you."

The Grandpa disappears in a blast of light so great I could swear it was the birth of a universe, I could almost feel it burning through my non-existent body. Moments later I awake in a small forest with the sound of water sloshing nearby.

I sit up looking around and adjusting to the brightness.

Dizziness and nausea take me quickly but I push through getting up and moving toward the water I see my face.

Touching it I see that I look to be about 5 years old with the typically darker skin tone for the middle east.

Talking to myself "I'm actually alive and it was real … Thank you" is all i can say before crying for joy.