448

Visiting the Ancient One

"Her name is Ancient One." Forseti said.

At this time, Ancient One had completely abandoned her former name and now only referred to herself as "Ancient One". Her head was already bald, and most of the time, she resided in Kamar-Taj beneath the Himalayas, much like depicted in the movies.

"Ancient One?" Krueger wondered aloud, while Starhawk and Yondu looked equally puzzled, having never heard this name before.

Forseti explained, "The Ancient One is almost reclusive. Even on her own planet, her existence is unknown to ordinary people. It's understandable that you haven't heard of her."

He looked at Starhawk and continued, "But she is undoubtedly a genius sorcerer. If she agrees, you may have a chance to return to your normal state."

"Fantastic!" Though Forseti wasn't entirely certain, Starhawk couldn't contain his excitement. "We can finally be separated!"

No one but them understood the agony of their merged existence.

Starka and Aletta, step-siblings who grew up together, were childhood sweethearts. As adults, they fell in love and married each other.

However, a chance encounter with the ancient statue of the Eagle God cursed them, merging them into the current Starhawk, unable to manifest separately.

This fusion granted them powers beyond mortals but brought endless challenges. Since becoming Starhawk, this deeply connected couple hadn't experienced the unique joys of married life. They sometimes longed for children but were unable to conceive.

Over the years, Starka and Aletta sought solutions many times to break the spell but to no avail. Now, as the sun god of Asgard, Forseti didn't promise a solution but gave them newfound hope.

"The Ancient One you mentioned, where is she now?"Starhawk asked eagerly.

Forseti stood up. "She resides on Earth. Since you're eager to break this curse, let's go see her."

"Wait," Krueger suddenly spoke up. "Take me along... I want to meet this legendary sorcerer you speak of."

Forseti nodded, then contacted Heimdall to open the Rainbow Bridge, transporting them along with Yondu to Earth.

In a flash of Rainbow Bridge light, they appeared in the Himalayas.

To avoid disturbing humans, they chose a remote snowy plateau, pristine and picturesque.

"This place is truly magnificent." Yondu smiled, surveying the serene snowfields. "If I ever tire of battle, I might settle down on this planet."

"And start a family?" Forseti quipped.

"Haha," Yondu chuckled.

To reach Kamar-Taj from their landing spot, they had to traverse a seven-kilometer snow-capped mountain. However, this was no challenge for them, and soon they crossed the peak, arriving in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu.

Kamar-Taj, the sanctum of the Ancient One, nestled in a corner of Kathmandu.

As an old acquaintance of the Supreme Sorceress, Forseti had considerable rapport with Ancient One. Thus, upon arrival, they easily met with her.

"Long time no see, Ancient One," Forseti greeted.

Ancient One smiled in return, then turned her gaze to Starhawk behind Forseti.

As one of the most accomplished spellcasters in the Nine Realms, the Ancient One sensed something amiss the moment she laid eyes on Starhawk.

After scrutinizing Starhawk for a moment, Ancient One furrowed her brow and spoke slowly, "You... are not alone."

Realizing the Ancient One's perceptiveness, Starhawk couldn't contain his joy. "As expected of the Ancient One. You're right; I am indeed not alone!"

Forseti found their conversation somewhat cryptic and intervened, "Ancient One, allow me to introduce Starhawk, a friend I met on Centaur, with whom I fought against the star invaders during the battle of Thanos."

"As he said, Starhawk is actually two individuals, Starka and Aletta. They were affected by unknown magic, which transformed them into their current state... I believe you may have a solution to revert them to their original forms, hence bringing them to Kamar-Taj."

Ancient One nodded, then turned to Starhawk, asking, "Tell me what happened."

Starhawk recounted Starka and Aletta's ordeal, explaining how their merger had complicated their lives.

Ancient One listened attentively, asking probing questions until she pieced together the full story.

"Ancient One, do you have a way to separate us and return us to normal?" Starhawk asked anxiously.

"You mentioned touching a statue of the Eagle God. Was that the catalyst for your transformation?" Ancient One inquired.

"Yes."

"Is the statue still intact?"

Starhawk shook his head. "It was destroyed during the recent battle at Acturus Star. The location where it stood is now in ruins."

Ancient One frowned, deep in thought. After a prolonged silence, she spoke again, "I have a method to separate you, but it carries risks and may result in the death of one of you."

"This..." Starhawk hesitated.

Starka and Aletta's foremost desire was to live a normal life as a couple. If the separation resulted in permanent death, it would be worse than their current situation.

"At this juncture, my healing magic may offer assistance," Forseti suggested.

Ancient One replied, "Separation will be a violent process. It will require a healing spell so potent that it borders on resurrection."

"As long as it doesn't cross that line, I'm confident," Forseti affirmed.

Resurrection, though a miraculous spell, wasn't recorded in the holy tome's seven-tiered spells—a regrettable omission, in Forseti's view. If the holy shield spell could exist, why not resurrection?

However, the tome made no mention of resurrection. Was it truly absent, or was there an alternate approach? Forseti pondered deeply.

---