Namor was glaring down at me. Namor, the guy who who was in the class hundred-plus-range in terms of strength. Who'd killed my father, at least in this lifetime, based on paranoia and prejudice against the Surface World. Namor, who routinely outfought people way more powerful than me, who ruled seventy-five percent of the Earth's Surface, and could command legions of Atlantean Warriors equipped with energy weapons and mechanized combat vehicles that would make even a guy like Victor Von Doom think twice about pissing him off.
And I had managed to blunder my way into his throne room because of the Drawbacks I had taken that will consistently dump me into places that are hazardous to me in some way when I try to Planeswalk. I would have to think fast and attempt to talk my way out of this if at all possible. If I had to fight my way out of her, I wouldn't make it.
Of course, when it comes to guys like Namor, the old maxim generally tended to work out in your favor. That maxim being, 'when in doubt grovel'. Respect stoked these guys' egos like nothing else and could possibly be the difference between horrific pain and death and getting out of this fix. Immediately, I dropped to one knee and affected my most respectful tone as I tried my luck at talking my way out of this.
"Apologies, Your Majesty, but it seems that I have not quite gotten the hang of teleportation magics. My name is Jan Kowalski, and I am with the Avengers. I was using a teleportation spell that would let me walk between two different realities, after returning from a Mission sanctioned by Captain America, and must not have corrected for multiversal drift properly. Again, you have my most sincere apologies." I answered.
"You claim to be a Sorcerer and have breached the Court of Atlantis by Accident, then? I find that highly unlikely. At the very least it would have tripped our security." Scoffed Namor.
"It is true, Your Majesty. There are ways that such mishaps could bypass most defenses, especially when multiversal travel is involved. I do happen to know a few wards that would catch such a thing, but see no sign of any such present here." I responded, still being deferential and respectful.
"We had few enough Sorcerers in Atlantis in my Grandfather's day, let alone in this Modern Age. Unlike my illustrious Grandfather, my Court has had to make do without a Royal Logomancer for decades now." Frowned Namor.
"That is unfortunate, Your Majesty." I offered.
"It would be. For you. It would have meant that I had no way to verify your claims. However, you also claimed to be an Avenger on a Mission Sanctioned by Captain America. The Captain and I are friends of Old, and I yet have ways to contact him to verify your story." Decided Namor.
"Of course, Your Majesty. That is most wise." I nodded, still in groveling mode.
"In the meantime, you will be a Guest of Atlantis. While you are here, as recompense for your lapse in judgment, you will be erecting those wards you mentioned around the Royal Palace. It is my will that such a mishap not happen again without my own person being aware." Intoned Namor.
"Of course, Your Majesty. I can get started on that at once, however, I will need some supplies to properly erect the Ward Scheme." I informed.
"Whatever you require, my Seneschal Lord Vashti will see you receive it. Now, attend to your task." Ordered Namor.
And that was how I spent the next two days, forced to erect anti-teleportation wards around the Royal Palace, along with wards that block Multiversal Travel. This was the sort of job that I could charge millions for from people on the surface, but since the Alternative was getting my face beaten in by the King of Atlantis, I was more than happy to do the work.
The work was all things considered, not that difficult. I could shortcut a number of issues by creating a Dimensional Stability Wardstone that could be used as a keystone to anchor the whole setup. Crafting that required certain materials, such as electrum, but the Atlanteans had perfected the art of Seafloor Mining decades ago and Lord Vashti saw that I had what I needed. I wouldn't be lacking for any of the requisite reagents necessary to carry out Namor's orders.
Just crafting the Dimensional Stability Wardstone took a day, as it required very precise inscriptions and spellwork. Once I had it placed, however, which had to be done at the exact Geomantic Center of the Palace Grounds, which in turn required an injection to allow me to breathe the water in the submerged sections of the palace, the rest of the Ward Scheme could effectively be finished in a few hours of work.
Fortunately, since the Injection of the Water Breathing Serum lasted for twenty-four hours per injection, I was able to finish warding the palace, including the completely submerged sections, within the time frame of a single injection. Good thing too, because I wasn't too sure about those injections. While I knew Namor wouldn't try anything while I was a Guest, there was something to be said for not injecting random chemical cocktails into your body when you didn't know what they did.
By the end of the two days of bonded labor for the Crown of Atlantis, I had managed to erect a ward scheme that should completely block all but the most powerful of teleportation and dimensional travel effects from breaching the palace. Sure, there would be people who could overpower the defenses. Victor Von Doom, Doctor Strange, those sorts of Sorcerer Supreme-level guys, but the Wards were designed to inflict damage on them as they pushed past them, while also raising the alarm.
It was a nifty bit of spellwork if I said so myself, and Namor must have been impressed with it because when I headed back to the Guest Quarters I had been given in the Palace, I found myself suddenly invited to dine with the King. It was also made clear by the Page who delivered the message that Namor would not be taking no for an answer.
I was given what was apparently considered proper attire for a Young Atlantean with Sorcerous Abilities to wear. In actuality, it was little more than a set of leather clothes that I never would have worn otherwise. An open Leather Vest, Pants, and Boots, along with a sea silk sash with bits of coral and shell woven into it in an arcane pattern. I looked like a Pirate, but not just any sort of pirate. I looked like a throwback out of the Hyborian Age. The small electrum medallion didn't help matters.
There was nothing for it, though, and I had to simply roll with the punches. For a people as technologically advanced as they were, Atlanteans sure did love their Barbarian Chic. It probably didn't help that their King routinely went around in the same sort of stuff, or worse. The less said about scalemail briefs the better, after all. Fortunately, it didn't seem like Namor was inclined to start being hostile now.
The Table of the King of Atlantis was set lavishly. Steaming crab legs, swordfish steaks, lobster tails, you name it. At least so long as it came from the sea, anyway. Namor himself sat at the head of the magnificently laid-out table, and to his right, was a sight that lit up in my third eye like a Christmas tree in a way that only another Sorcerer Could.
She was blue-skinned, petite, and had blue hair. Unlike the other Atlanteans, I had interacted with, who utilized Air-Breathing Devices or Serums to traverse the parts of Namor's Palace that weren't filled with water, she showed no discomfort at being in the air-filled parts of the Royal Palace. That alone would have given away what she was, but when you added in the fact that she was clearly magical as well, there could be only one answer. This was a Siren, one of those rare Atlantean Offshoots who could manipulate magic through song as easily as they could breathe. Given how Sirens were fully amphibious as well, that was saying something.
"I see you've noticed. This is Adira, your arrival has drawn attention to my Court's Lack of a Royal Logomancer. She will be taking up those duties to rectify that lack." Intoned Namor.
"Jan Kowalski, a pleasure to meet you." I bowed.
"His Majesty has had me look over your ward scheme. I must say, it is quite good work. I sensed hints of no less than four separate mystical traditions woven together with bits of Enchantment. Tying it to a Keystone to anchor the Wards was interesting, and with the Geomantic tap you enchanted into the Keystone, they are quite potent too." Offered Adira.
"High Praise indeed." I grinned.
"However, are you not worried that the Keystone forms a rather large point of failure?" Questioned Adira.
"There will be points of failure in any security system. I think the fact that I whittled them down to a single point of failure that can be protected by troops is quite a feat, myself." I pointed out.
"You would leave the guarding of a Keystone to Common Soldiers?" Queried Adira.
"The Atlantean Royal Guard is hardly common. Besides, do they not now have you for magical backup?" I asked.
"This is so. It still seems like a potential risk, however. Perhaps I would feel better about this if we added a supplemental ward scheme to filter out any who may attempt to break the wards by destroying the Keystone." Mused Adira.
"Multi-layering wards like that can get fairly tricky and begin creeping up on power requirements awfully fast." I pointed out.
"You did add a Geomantic Tap, I believe that should cover power requirements." Retorted Adira.
"True, but there's always a baseline level of volatility when playing with geomantic energies. One wrong move, too much stress on the system, and the whole leyline erupts." I returned.
"Enough! Quibble over the details of your arts some other time! For now, the Kitchens have prepared a feast and it would be a High Crime indeed to let it go to waste." Cut-in Namor, only half-joking.
I took a seat at the foot of the table, opposite Namor's position at the head of the table, while Adira moved to take a position to Namor's right. I noticed that it was only the three of us at the table right now. That was interesting because there was no way that three of us would eat all this food. It made me think that we were waiting for someone. As I grabbed a fried whitefish that had been spiced and salted expertly by the Palace Cooks, I decided to ask about that.
"I cannot help but notice that there is more food than all three of us could hope to eat, Your Majesty." I remarked, taking a bite of the Whitefish and washing it down with a sip of beer that seemed to be made from seaweed.
"You are wondering about the largesse of my table?" Questioned Namor, taking a bit of meat from a crab claw.
"It was an observation, Your Majesty. Perhaps Lord Vashti will be joining us at some point?" I queried.
"He will not. This spread is not to his taste. In his old age, he tends to prefer simpler fare." Refuted Namor before taking a sip of his own glass.
"At almost one-hundred-seventy years old, Lord Vashti needs to be careful about such things. That's already well over the average life expectancy of an Atlantean." Pointed out Adira, cutting into a swordfish steak.
"I suppose it will remain a mystery, then." I shrugged, taking another bite of whitefish.
"For now, anyway. However, your service, while required to repay your breach of etiquette, has been exemplary. Adira assures me these wards will more than fulfill your debt to the Court of Atlantis. I believe that a boon may be in order." Informed Namor, taking a bite of crab claw meat.
"Your Majesty is most generous." I offered, taking another bite of whitefish.
"I am. Think carefully about what you would ask of me. I can bestow riches upon you, technologies that are advanced compared to those on the Surface World, or even lost treasures sunken and forgotten. Choose wisely, however." Cautioned Namor.
For a few moments, I wasn't sure what to ask for. I could try asking for a sample of Orichalcum to try and use my powers of Amestrian Alchemy to deconstruct, comprehend, and reconstruct, but I doubted that Atlantis still had any, and if they did, then it certainly wouldn't be given away like that to me. Then, I thought about asking for a sample of the Water-Breathing Serum for a similar reason but quickly dismissed that as well, since I could already create Alchemical Potions that could do the same thing, I just hadn't had a reason to brew any yet. I didn't need riches, as I had plenty of my own money.
It was a conundrum, one that I mulled over as the dinner continued. It wasn't until roughly twenty minutes later, when Adira mentioned learning spells from the Nine Sacred Scrolls of Atlantis that I twigged onto something that I might want. After all, those pre-dated the Hyborian Cataclysm, so they should have some neat spells if you had the capability to learn them.
"You want to learn the Logomancer's Art?" Asked Namor.
"Just a few spells. I know that my service likely does not cover learning the breadth of such an ancient and illustrious mystical tradition." I tried.
"Indeed. Perhaps from one of the lesser scrolls, My King? Rituals, Potioncraft, Cantrips, Lesser Spells, and so forth should be able to be copied down for him as a boon without cheapening the Office of Royal Logomancer." Advised Adira.
"Very well. The Ninth Scroll, then." Agreed Namor.
"Fortunately, my predecessor, Royal Logomancer Amra, had written down a procedure to transfer the knowledge from the lesser scrolls. I can have the apprentices deliver the copy to you by the end of this dinner." Informed Adira.
"Thank you. And thank you, Your Majesty, for this generous boon." I thanked.
The dinner continued on with more small talk for another forty minutes or so before a page arrived. He handed off a bound sheaf of papers to me that glowed like a spotlight to my Third Eye. That was the copied Ninth Scroll, which immediately went into my Bag of Holding. However, he also whispered something to Namor, whose face split into a magnificent grin as he nodded.
"It seems our fourth has arrived. He will be along shortly." Explained Namor.
Five minutes later, Captain America walked into the dining room and I realized that Namor must have gotten in touch with him while I'd been erecting the Wards he'd ordered me to put up. Cap sat down at the table after exchanging pleasantries with Namor for a bit before turning to regard me.
"I see Namor's gotten you into local fashion." Remarked Cap.
"Yes, well, I couldn't say no. Literally." I muttered as I could feel the embarrassment redden my face.
"Literally even." Intoned Namor.
That caused me to flush even more crimson, which in turn elected a large, loud, belly laugh from Namor. It wasn't something I'd ever associated with the King of Atlantis, and the shock that must have clearly shown on my face was telling because Namor laughed even louder. Adira giggled at that, and even Cap cracked a smile.
"Forgive me. It is simply that you were being so obsequious these past two days that I couldn't help but needle you." Grinned Namor.
"I thought you would kill me if I wasn't!" I Protested.
"I wouldn't worry about it. It's not so bad. Not compared to the hoops he had Reed Richards jump through the first time he came down here." Chuckled Cap.
"I had heard of that. Is it true that you made him do some ridiculous dance while claiming it was cultural?" Questioned Adira.
"I did. Reed needs to be humbled from time to time. It is merely a fact of life. More to the point, I am not Victor Von Doom, I do not require bowing and scraping as he does. Remember that should you find yourself in my court again." Confirmed Namor.
"Well, maybe a little bowing and scraping, as a treat." Smirked Cap.
"Quite." Huffed Namor.
"Moving on, that mission you sent me on to grab technology from other Universes we can reverse-engineer worked. It was a pain, but I figured it out." I reported to Cap, changing the subject.
"We'll do a full debrief when we get back to the Mansion. For now, though eat up. We'll be leaving after dinner." Informed Cap.
"Right, by the way, what's this spice blend your cooks used on the Whitefish? Can I get the recipe?" I queried, nodding at Namor.
"It's a blend I picked up in France during the War." Shrugged Namor.
"Not that stuff Frenchie used to bust out on covert missions with the Resistance?" Asked Cap.
"The same. I figured you would appreciate it, Captain." Nodded Namor.
"War? Which War?" Questioned Adira.
"Both Cap and Namor fought in World War Two. On the surface." I clarified.
"You mean the cause of your first Exile, My King?" Queried Adira.
"Indeed. My Grandfather was not pleased I intervened in the affairs of the Surface World while he was indisposed." Confirmed Namor.
"You did what you felt was right." Offered Cap.
"As you always do. One of those points of commonality between us, even after so many years." Affirmed Namor.
Dinner continued with more small talk for another forty-five minutes or so but eventually wrapped up. Cap and Namor said their goodbyes before Cap led me down the corridor and into a hangar bay where what looked like a submarine with fold-out wings was sitting. Cap must have noticed my confusion because he was happy to let me know that this was a copy of an Atlantean Submersible Jet that Tony had put together. As we boarded, however, now clear of any eavesdroppers, Cap turned to me.
"That couldn't have been easy. Having to play nice and do a favor for the Man who killed your father, even if it was over a misunderstanding. It speaks well of your character, you know." Spoke up Cap, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Yeah well, the prospect of having my face punched in by the sort of guy who can tangle with the likes of the Hulk does tend to put things in perspective." I grumbled.
"Still. You did good here." Praised Cap.
"Sure, I can manage diplomatic well enough. I just have one question, though." I shrugged.
"Ask away." Nodded Cap.
"What's the date?" I asked.
It turned out, that I hadn't missed the Floating Superhero Poker Game that Jen had invited me to as a sort of pseudo-second date. That was still happening tomorrow. For now, though, Cap had me strap in while he started up the pre-flight checklist. Five minutes later, we were undocking from the Atlantean Royal Palace's Submersible Jet Hangar. The Palace control center cleared us for launch as the doors to the hangar ground open.
And then we were heading out of the City of Atlantis, heading Northwest for the Coast of the US and New York City. . .
XXXX
AN: The next chapter is already up on my Patreon, so check the link in the threadmarked post if you guys feel like throwing me a couple bucks to get chapters in advance. Everyone who does is super appreciated and I can't thank my patrons enough.
All right, here's the next chapter. It's a bit of a bridging chapter, largely involving Jan having to play nice with the guy who killed his Dad or be beaten to death. Thankfully, Jan had the presence of mind to grovel and drop Cap's name, which meant that all he had to do was agree to two days of free mystical labor for Namor and keep any feelings about his Dad's death to himself and he would eventually get out of that situation. If he'd hauled off and acted emotionally about things, he'd be dead.
At any rate, the next chapter will involve the debrief with the rest of the Avengers. Jan wasn't the only one who was busy, either. The others have news to share with him too.
Stay tuned. . .25