Night in the Himalayas. Towering snow-capped peaks, like enormous silver spires, pierce the heavens, glittering under the moonlight. Stars are scattered across the night sky like pearls on a velvet cloth, mysterious and alluring. In the distance, under the cover of night, the lights of a small village glow invitingly, illuminating the snow and creating an atmosphere of tranquility.
Unlike the hustle and bustle of the day, the nights here are especially peaceful. The village, nestled in the mountains and far from any city, doesn't know the glare of bright neon lights. Only a few windows are lit with a warm glow against the backdrop of falling snow and soft shadows. This ancient and serene village seems immersed in a peaceful slumber.
In an inconspicuous corner of this settlement lies one of the oldest and most mysterious organizations on Earth – Kamar-Taj. From the outside, it's an unremarkable house, but inside, it's a true magical world. Under the protection of powerful spells, Kamar-Taj is vast and full of secrets, like a separate dimension hidden from the ordinary world.
In the center of Kamar-Taj stands the sanctuary of the Sorcerer Supreme. Outwardly, it's almost indistinguishable from the other buildings, except that it's slightly taller and adorned with more ancient motifs. Inside, in a modestly furnished room, the Ancient One and Noah sat facing each other. The Ancient One, with a gentle smile, poured him a cup of strong tea, and a thin wisp of steam rose between them.
"Thank you." Noah carefully accepted the cup from the Ancient One's hands and took a small sip. The warm, fragrant tea warmed him. Although, of course, he didn't feel the cold due to his enhanced resilience.
The Ancient One sat on a wooden chair, smiling, and at that moment, Noah thought she resembled a kind grandmother. And by age, she could very well be one. Despite the harsh Himalayan frost, she wore her usual simple attire – a loose, magical robe. Kamar-Taj was indeed a school for hardened sorcerers, as the other students also didn't seem to care much for warm clothing.
"Ancient One, I came to ask what you think about the Celestials."
Waking up early in the morning, he had gathered the borrowed books and returned them to the Kamar-Taj library, but his main intention was to speak with the Ancient One and gather new information. During his first visit, he had told her about the Celestials. Back then, she was aware of this race's existence but didn't know they planned to use Earth as an incubator for a new generation of Celestials. The Time Stone, which she possessed, proved powerless against these beings and didn't allow her to see their plans.
A considerable amount of time had passed since then, and he hoped she had found some useful information. Even though she might not know much about the Celestials, she had encountered the Eternals.
Noah wanted to learn about those who were scattered throughout the world. Finding them wasn't easy. He only knew of a couple of Eternals whom he had recently met in New York and another who had become a celebrity in India. Finding the rest was quite problematic; they were deeply hidden.
The Ancient One nodded slightly and pulled a white sheet of paper from her sleeve. He noticed several lines written in black ink, but he was more surprised by how she managed to produce the sheet from her sleeve. Accepting the paper, he saw it was A4 size and filled with neat handwriting, perhaps even calligraphy. The lines were clear and confident, as expected from a master like the Ancient One.
"These are the locations of those strangers you call Eternals. I helped you find them."
"Also, I spoke with their leader, Ajak. She is indeed, as you said, opposed to the emergence of the Celestials."
Noah glanced at the addresses on the paper and nodded slightly. With this information, everything became much simpler.
"During my conversation with Ajak, I mentioned you as someone who could help them confront the Celestials. When you decide to meet with the Eternals, visit her first. She will be ready to assist you."
Confront the Celestials? The Ancient One clearly had high hopes for him. Although he didn't possess such capabilities now, perhaps he would be able to do so in the future.
However, why should Ajak believe the Ancient One's words? She had lived for many years and was well aware of the Celestials' power. Would she believe that there was someone on Earth capable of opposing them? Perhaps the Ancient One showed her some glimpses of the future?
Noah could only guess what they talked about. He wasn't planning to contact the Eternals right now. He needed to deal with Hydra in the near future. Moreover, he had altered the plot of "The Avengers": Loki was captured, and he didn't know whether this storyline would unfold faster or slower, or not at all.
Although he sensed powerful fluctuations emanating from the Tesseract, which could indicate that the events of "The Avengers" would still occur, and Thanos was already making his move. He decided it was best to postpone meeting with the Eternals until after the events of "The Avengers" transpired.
As Noah was about to ask a couple more questions, the Ancient One spoke first:
"Upon learning about the Celestials' actions, I sought the advice of the Vishanti. I asked them to guide me towards a solution to this problem, but they advised me not to interfere too much."
She took a sip of tea, and Noah pondered. Were even the Vishanti apprehensive?
"The Vishanti possess supreme wisdom, and their words hold meaning. Of course, I won't completely ignore this problem. If necessary, I will intervene."
Noah listened silently to her words. Essentially, this was a warning that he would have to do most of the work himself. It seemed the Vishanti were wary of the Celestials, and the Ancient One wouldn't be able to directly help in solving this problem. But this didn't bother him too much. He had planned to gain enough power to handle this himself anyway.
"Thank you for all this information, Ancient One." Noah slightly lifted the sheet of paper with the Eternals' addresses and bid her farewell.
Before leaving, he stopped by the library and borrowed several ancient books for Gwen. He chose them carefully and was sure she would enjoy them.