CHAPTER FIVE: A VISITOR AT THE GATE
"When a Sorcerer Rings the Doorbell"
Third Person | Elvaris Estate, Malibu Hills
It was a quiet morning.
Velmir sat cross-legged on a wide silk cushion in the central courtyard, sipping a perfectly chilled lemongrass-and-honey drink while watching two squirrels argue over a cherry blossom branch. Their acrobatics were spirited. The winner had excellent form.
The wind was lazy. The garden smelled like lavender and grilled toast. Somewhere in the distance, water trickled over polished stone. His apron read: I COOK THEREFORE I AM.
He was midway through folding dumpling wrappers when the doorbell rang.
[Alert: External life signature detected. Energy presence: Moderate to High. Probability of Kamar-Taj affiliation: 94.8%.]
Velmir paused, blinking.
"…Wait, someone actually used the bell?" He wiped his hands on a towel. "Classy."
He walked toward the front entrance, humming a Ghibli tune, the scent of garlic butter and jasmine rice trailing softly behind him.
He opened the door.
Standing there, in full ceremonial yellow robes, was a woman with a shaved head and a gaze that seemed to reach straight into the soul. Ancient. Calm. Balanced.
The Ancient One.
"Hello," she said, voice clear and cloud-soft. "I sensed something curious while meditating. May I come in?"
Velmir tilted his head.
"…Would you like tea or dumplings first?"
✦ The Tour
The interior of the Elvaris estate was spacious and tranquil. Wooden floors smoothed by hand. Murals painted in ink and starlight. Light streamed in from garden courtyards where birds sang and cherry blossoms drifted like slow confetti.
Bookshelves lined the halls—half Earth fiction, half strange texts in languages from nowhere. The air held hints of baked bread and sage.
Velmir walked beside her, barefoot and relaxed, gesturing casually as they passed through the home he'd built but rarely showed.
"That's the east garden," he said, nodding. "Best for cloud watching after a spicy lunch."
"That room over there has the piano. I can play Merry-Go-Round of Life with my eyes closed now."
"Oh—and that hallway leads to the kitchen-slash-dojo-slash-magic-theater."
The Ancient One said little. But she observed everything. Occasionally, she smiled.
This was no fortress. No temple. No bunker.
This was a home—and it hummed with something rare.
Presence.
✦ Over Tea and Food
They sat on the back veranda overlooking a small lake. Birds glided low across the water. The table between them held a steaming tray of dumplings, bowls of jasmine rice, braised tofu, sweet red bean rolls, and a delicate mushroom-herb broth.
Velmir poured tea with the careful grace of someone who enjoyed the ritual more than the result.
"You cooked all this?" she asked, accepting a cup.
"I cook everything," Velmir said, pride creeping into his smile. "Great Sage says calories don't matter for dragons. But flavor absolutely does."
She picked up a dumpling, took a bite.
Paused.
Smiled—just a little.
"Impressive."
"I know, right?" Velmir leaned back, pleased. "I call it Dragonfire Style. Every bite makes your soul cry."
✦ The Truth, Lightly Seasoned
A few moments passed in silence, broken only by the soft tap of chopsticks.
Then she spoke.
"Your energy is… unusual," she said, setting her cup down. "Not dangerous. Not volatile. But not native to this world."
Velmir didn't flinch. He picked up a mushroom.
"I'm not from here," he said. "Different path. Different version of this universe."
"And your knowledge of the future?"
"…Fragments," Velmir admitted. "I remember what could happen. Doesn't mean it will. Time's slippery like that."
She studied him quietly.
"And your energy work? The way you bend elements—even energy we don't recognize?"
Velmir placed his chopsticks down with care. His tone stayed calm.
"In my world, a celestial died," he said. "Its energy soaked into the land. Monsters evolved. Humans learned to shape it. And I—learned to be born from it."
She accepted the answer with silence, then nodded once.
"And the name Elvaris? The noble lineage?"
He tapped his temple.
"Paperwork makes everything easier."
✦ A Walk Through the Estate
After lunch, they walked the path around the lake. Dragonflies buzzed lazily in the sun. Cherry trees bloomed early this year. At the far end of the lake, a young deer drank from the water, unafraid.
"This place feels… alive," the Ancient One said.
"Side effect," Velmir replied, stretching his arms. "Magicules plus vibranium-rich soil equals a mildly enchanted lawn. Not cursed. I checked."
She gave him a side glance. "You say that like most people accidentally bless the ground they walk on."
Velmir smiled. "I'm not most people."
✦ Before the Goodbye
They returned to the front gate as the sun cast warm gold across the hills. The wind stirred softly through the trees. A shimmer of magic hovered faintly in the air, undisturbed but always watching.
The Ancient One paused at the edge of the portal she had summoned.
"I won't report you," she said. "Not to SHIELD. Not to Stark. Not to Kamar-Taj."
Velmir inclined his head. "I appreciate that."
"But you'll have a role to play. Soon." Her voice was softer now. "The timeline won't stay quiet."
He glanced toward the horizon.
"Yeah. I've seen the signs. Stark's close. Banner's running. Loki's… probably bored and scheming."
She stepped into the golden light.
"Until then… cook well."
Velmir grinned. "Next time, I'll make you the crimson pepper udon."
She vanished with a whisper of sparks and silence.
✦ First Person | Velmir (Later That Night)
I sat on the roof that evening, legs dangling over the edge, sipping a strawberry smoothie like a philosopher with a sweet tooth.
The land was quiet again.
The stars above blinked in lazy patterns. Wind chimes sang somewhere behind me, soft and aimless.
[Great Sage: Social interaction recorded. Emotional readings: Positive. Hospitality subroutines: Effective.]
"Thanks, Sage."
[Request: Can we cook for Nick Fury next time?]
"…What is wrong with you?"
[Curiosity.]
I laughed. It echoed off the trees like a question the sky couldn't answer.
Yeah.
The world would come knocking soon.
But for now?
I had dumplings.
[END OF CHAPTER FIVE]