UNTOLD STORIES The Aqua Ancient's
Earlier book under the book Reign of Rulers
Based off Characters from Babylon 5, Lord of the Rings, and Characters of the authors own
Based off Settings, Places from Lord of the Rings, and Surface
WELCOME: This is BOOK FIVE, this book covers the life of Kathren of K'ha'dum as stated in "Reign Of Rulers", this story covers the life of Kathren, Asron, the Nazgul, and some of the Prophecy.
Please Review, need insight...all comments welcomed.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter One: Transformation
Chapter Two: Alquarious Unrest
Chapter Three: Returning Back To Form
Chapter Four: Water-Life…Arrival of Asron
Chapter Five: Flying Dutchman
Chapter Six: The Fall Of Angmar
Chapter Seven: Restructure
Chapter Eight: Return To The Flying Dutchman
Chapter Nine: Confrontation And Final Hours Of Davy Jones
Chapter Ten: The Curse Fulfilled
Chapter Eleven: The Coming Of The Prophecy
Chapter Twelve: First Prophecy...Jake
Chapter Thirteen: Second Prophecy...Bri Delenn Mir Sheridan
Chapter Fourteen: Bri Delenn's Turmoil
Chapter Fifteen: Last Battle Of Kathren
INTRODUCTION
Every story tells of great darkness and triumphant hope. The planet K'ha'dum is no different, K'ha'dum is actually seven billion years old, but life did not begin until the early times, about two billion year years when simple sulfur rich species took root in the volcanic brecha. K'ha'dum was becoming an alive planet with a atmosphere, weather patterns, and geology. K'ha'dum began to develop single-cell life in the rich oceans, and the planet was only two billion years old. By the time K'ha'dum turned four billion years old, the development of aquatic life was present…fish, green planets, herbivores and carnivores were present, but by the time K'ha'dum turned five billion years old, life began leaving the oceans. The atmosphere became rich and plants began to develop. Creatures crawled out of the ocean and became land breathers. Life had blossom, K'ha'dum is a lush, green planet, but like ,most planets, once in a while a gigantic rock crashes into the planet and just like clock work, a comet plowed directly into the northern oceans. The hit wiped out three forth of the life underwater and completely wiped out all the life above the waves. It took one million years for life to recover on its own, but as plants grew back. And simple fish ruled the seas, something else was under the waves. A humanoid species was born, K'ha'dum never seen this species…it must have came from the comet! It took at least seven generations for the species to achieve complete rule and knowledge. the aquatic aliens were 2100 years old. Even though the aliens were old, about the age of the Human race, there were only seven of them ever born. All called the same name…Kathren, no one know why they all call themselves Kathren, one possibility could be that during development of their race. The first one was probably named Kathren and like we all call ourselves Human's, that's the name they chose. With the planet being about 6.9 million years old, K'ha'dum is just a baby compared to Earth which is about 5.4 billion years old, Minbar which is about 7.8 billion years old, Vorlon which is about 10.1 billion years old, and Z'ha'dum which is about 30.9 billion years old, but to Kathren of K'ha'dum, she envisioned her world being as old as time itself!
CHAPTER ONE Transformation
As Kathren walked the long shoreline looking at the ocean that gave her life, she wonders why evolution only allows them one child per life?
Kathren was the type to wonder all the time. Kathren hated being alone. Her mother died only five minutes after her birth, died to a freezing to death. Kathren never did ask why she looked so alien to her mother, covered in pale white flesh, with two legs and twenty digits. Being only a five year old, one does not boggle their mind over such things. After the death of Kathren's mother, Kathren left the sea and went upon the silent dry land to forever mourn.
Dry land was odd to Kathren, which under the waves there was no trees, no cool breeze, no sound of water falling over basaltic rocks, no majestic snow capped mountains, no warmth of the sun. Life about sea level is odd indeed.
Kathren, sad enough to say knew little about her own race, all she knew was that there is only one mother, one child, and that her mother was a fish. One thing Kathren did know was that her name was not only Kathren, but more like Kathren Eastmar, Kathren's mother was called Kathren Southmar, and Kathren's grandmother, whom she never met would have been called Kathren Northmar. The names are tracked through the polars of north, south, east, and west. Using this system, one can track if they are the first, second, third, forth and so on. The middle name is dictated on a cold aspect. For example, Kathren's mothers middle name was Colddeath. Once again no one really knows why they call themselves deathly names, it's just so! Kathren's full name is Kathren Deprofit Eastmar, destroyer of prophecy. Kathren did not understand why she was called this, so she decided to only call herself only Kathren.
As Kathren looks at the might foamy ocean, the urge to enter it is so overwhelming, but since her mothers death, she has not the will to enter it. Kathren actually has a equal fear of the mighty ocean, she knows that she should be changing, but life above the waves is much more pleasing. As she looks across the mighty western ocean, a storm is brewing over the furthest island. Kathren's mother told her that a group of indigenous people live there on that sea star shaped island, they are called Numenorean's, lords that fell from the sky. They are rude, evil, and downright unclean. Ruled by kings, the Numenorean's fight against their own kind.
As Kathren looked about the land she stood in, she wondered if this valley had a name? and if anyone lived here? Kathren's mother told her that this land was uncharted, lost…like the Uncharted Terrain. As Kathren walked the story road that made up the beach, she wanted to leave this land and venture beyond the Green Mountain's.
Kathren decided that she would map this land by wave direction and follow the projection of the sun. There she would be able to create her map. As she began to draw in the Uncharted Terrain, she paused…now what to call this island? Hmm she wondered…I know Alquarious, due to the fact that the oceans gave her life, so honor the ocean. As Kathren kept walking the stony beach, she came to the furthest reaches of the Uncharted Terrain. As Kathren looks up, she gazes upon the foothills of the majestic Green Mountain's, she was tired and nervous. Her mother had warned her to never leave the valley for creatures exist outside the valley that can consume you. But her worries weren't big teeth creatures, her worries rested on the beach less, rugged terrain of the Green Mountain's. As she started a fire using electricity that began to develop in her, it was evident enough to her that she was changing quicker then ever. As the sun set and the stars came out to play in the vast black sky, Kathren listen to the waves crashing against the rocks. As the wind picked up, lightening filled the sky followed by crashes of thunder. As it began to rain, Kathren took refuge under a tree, and only mist hit her. As the rain beat the ground with a vengeance, torrents of mud trickled around her fleshy feet. As Kathren propped her head upon a rock, there she slept, listening to thunder and the sound of waves crashing against the rocks.
The following morning, the storm had passed and the sun was out in a cloudless sky. The sound of calm waves splashed against the rocks. As Kathren awoke, she looked at the gigantic tree, and then at her slimy hands. Mud was caked against every part of her body. She really hated being unclean, it makes her like the Numenorean's. As Kathren unburied her legs out of the mud, she looked at the Green Mountain's, a gigantic landslide had washed down the mountain and the lush green forest would be a great landmark, so Kathren took out her map and etched in Baldy Mountain. As she looked for her pack of food from home, it was gone…washed away from the landslide, as Kathren paused for a second she was concern that she would starve without her food, but as she looked around the rocky beach there was no vegetation, there was food in the sea, bur she feared the sea and anyway she was a strict vegetarian. She had no taste for other flesh. As Kathren washed her arms and face, she only added more mud to her body. The water here was tainted by Baldy Mountain. As Kathren looks at herself, she can't believe how muddy she is, there is no point washing off, so she packs up her belongings and looks to the boulder beach.
As Kathren climbs over the boulders, she looks at the mountains, they seem to stretch onward forever. As Kathren comes to a waterfall, it too is muddy, but Baldy Mountain is now behind her. As Kathren keeps going, the walk is hard. The rocks are covered in organic sea plant life. So about noon Kathren finds a steady rock and sits and eats some of the salty sea grass. The taste is okay, not like her own food in the valley, but since she was hungry, she would eat it. As she filled up on sea grass then she continued her walk-n-mapping. As she looked back towards Baldy Mountain to place herself, she could not see the mountain anymore. She knew she was going southwest, for the sun was to the right of her. As she continued, the island of Numenor remains visible, blue sky over the island. Even the West Aqua was calm. As Kathren looked at the lush Green Mountain's there was clouds appearing in the southwest. Kathren was not to happy for another storm, she was just drying off, and the mud was finally flaking off.
As Kathren looked ahead the boulders disappear…replaced by black sand. As her feet land in the black sand, it is hot! Kathren rushes back to the boulder. As Kathren looks at the sand, she touches it, it's still hot, but cooler under the sand. So Kathren waits for the sun to go down, but she can't wait, so she travels on the wet sand where it's not too hot. As she maps the smooth looking mountains, she still calls them the Green Mountain's, as Kathren continues at a quicker pace, the Green Mountain's dissipate, but as the clouds fill the sky, the smell of sulfur fills the air. As Kathren stops for a second the ground trembles and there is a sound of a deep, angry rumble. Kathren freezes wondering what that noise was.
As the ground shakes again the sound of an explosion fills the air. As Kathren looks to the East, she sees red fluid shooting up in the air. She looks at this odd formation, Kathren has never seen a volcano before. As the volcano explodes, lava cascades around its summit. As Kathren takes out her map, she draws in the cone shaped figure. She wonders what to call it…she decides to call it Fluid Peak. Kathren did not know this was a volcano, and that volcanoes can be dangerous, she did however make the wise choice not to investigate it, the need to finish the map before she changed was greater then the desire to have a closer look, so Kathren continues to walk to where the west side falls into the ocean…she's come to the end of the southwest, time to go east.
As Kathren looks across the ocean, she knew once she passes this point where the land jetties out pointing directly west she would be the furthest away from home. As Kathren looks out across the water, she knew once she passes this point she will have to deal with the South Aqua, she decides to call this point, Point Remember. As the sun is directly overhead, she looks at the passage of the West Aqua, the ocean gave her birth. Even the island of Numenor was just a hazy ripple against the horizon. As Kathren looks at the small stream of yellow colored water flowing out of the rocks, she cups some up and drinks some of the water, but it is hard with sulfur. As Kathren spit's the water out, she can't believe that all the water taste like sulfur or mud here. She's so thirsty, so Kathren leaves Point Remember to walk northeast.
As she walks around the point, she looks upon the South Aqua. As she looks across the water, she can't see no islands anywhere here in the South Aqua, just open sea. As Kathren walks down the black sand beach, the land is almost flat, the air smells salty. As Kathren walks due northeast the sun is finally setting again, but it's not the sun that stops Kathren. Lava is her new problem. As the black lava lies over the beach, it's sharp, and hurts Kathren's feet. But with light from the sun disappearing, Kathren decides to camp on the edge of the lava flow.
As Kathren works on her map, she draws Point Remember. As Kathren looks at the lava flows, and decides to label them the Western Badlands. As Kathren puts away her map she goes to sleep. But the mid of the night an explosion wakes Kathren up. As Kathren stands up, she sees Fluid Peak spraying a fountain of lava in the air. As rocks rain down upon Kathren, Kathren freaks out, the sky is falling on her. As she runs to a tree she watches steaming rocks tumbling around her. Meanwhile, the red flows of lava run down the flanks of Fluid Peak and begin to travel to the ocean. As Kathren looks at Fluid Peak, the smell of sulfur runs down to her, it's very strong, almost breath taking. As Kathren cough's from the volcanic ash and gasses, a noise of popping, crackling, and swishing…something is coming. As Kathren looks up the hill, a red glow becomes bright as day and streams of lava trickle slowly down towards Kathren. As Kathren watches clueless of what this stuff is, a glowing rock falls near her foot, and even standing near it and uncomfortable…Kathren jumps back from it. It finally dawns on Kathren that this stuff is hot and more of it is coming down the hill. As the red glow lights up the landscape, there is a groan and an avalanche of lava fly's down towards Kathren. As Kathren turns and runs to the ocean, she takes the plunge into the ocean and watches the red hot lava consume the trees and the rest of her belonging and flows towards her. As the lava enters the ocean it explodes and super heats the ocean. The hot water stirs around Kathren, so Kathren flees away from the hot rock and swims into the deep South Aqua. As Kathren swims towards the shore of Alquarious in pain, she is washed to shore on the other side of the Western Badlands, Kathren drags herself up upon the sandy shore panting hard. As the reality of the burns come to Kathren, she feels her legs they are literally boiled, the skin begins to blister. As Kathren lies there crying, she feels her skin stretching back in place, the blisters had healed. As Kathren looked at Fluid Peak, the lava continued to pour into the ocean. As Kathren falls asleep, the lava flows safely away from Kathren.
As Kathren awaken to feel the sun against her face, she looks at the Western Badlands and the cooling lava. Fluid Peak is covered in clouds. So Kathren gets up and looks around and looks down the beach. The sand is white. The sand is not really hot, it's warm. As Kathren continues to walk and map the land, her legs ache. As Kathren looks at her legs, they are blotchy with scales. She is still transforming. As Kathren rushes to a small creek, she washes her legs and with no salt, the scales go away.
As she continued, the wind picks up. As Kathren looked northeast, the scene was shocking…no vegetation, no water…just dunes of sand as far as the eyes can see. As Kathren looks at the endless dunes she calls it the Dunes of Wind. As Kathren walks knee deep in moving sand, Kathren is beginning to cross these dunes. As Kathren looks at another mountain range, she is beginning to believe that leaving the Uncharted Terrain was a mistake. As the rocks return to the beach, the mountains return. As Kathren climbed up the mountain foothills, the cliffs rise high above the ocean, but the beach is still sand, but with trees lying down on the shore. Kathren had to climb over them. As Kelsey goes on she does not want to camp out on this shoreline with these cliffs. As the sun reached high noon, she could see the end of these high mountains that she decided to call the Sandy Mountain's. As Kelsey exit's the cliffs of the Sandy Mountain's, her legs were tired. So with the sun casting over the dunes, Kathren started a fire using drift wood and her supernatural electricity to start a fire. As Kathren looked at the South Aqua, she can't believe she entered it, she seen what the ocean has in order for her. The ocean wants to reform her. As Kathren rest, she watches the stars, and meditates with the sound of the ocean.
By morning Kathren looks at the ocean, she really does not know how far away from home she is really. As Kathren gathers herself, she looks down the beach, it's a easy trek as far as she can see. As she walks looking at the dunes, she is amazed to see these dunes. The amount of sand that makes up the dunes is amazing, but with an active volcano, and spewing lava it's evident why none of her family ever left the Uncharted Terrain.
As Kathren begins to travel the long road through the dunes, she was amazed at its vastness, surely this dune was twice the size of the Dune of Wind. There was so much sand everywhere, that even the sky was hazy from the wind blown dust. It was final then…This was to be called the Dunes of Sand. As Kathren looked down the long beach, the beach was one narrow strip, with visible mountains in the distance. The mountains were Kathren's new goal to reach, reach those hazy mountains and be on firm ground. As Kathren counted her steps, the beach was indeed long and hot! There is no fresh water. By high noon, Kathren needed to drink, and the South Aqua teased her. Ironic, all that water, and not one ounce is drinkable! As Kathren stumbled through the Dunes of Sand she was wearing out, but those hazy mountains lingered in the distance as a cold reminder that new dangers linger in the unknown peaks. By high noon Kathren had reached the edge of the Dunes of Sand and was finally at the mountains she had been chasing for hours.
As she rest, she finally came up with a name for those mountains…the Hazy Mountain's. The Hazy Mountain's were much different then the Sandy Mountain's, or the Green Mountain's, the Hazy Mountain's never were wave cut by the South Aqua, they were about a half a mile away. There was no sand near these mountains, only bare black rock.
As Kathren continued, she began to miss home, miss the lush green forest, the roaring waterfalls, the crashing waves. It was now evident why her relatives never left the Uncharted Terrain, the land outside the valley was tainted by uncertain forces. As Kathren ran the thought out of her mind she came to a steep point. She was standing upon the sea cliff looking directly 200 feet down to the violent turning water. The water upwelled so much that she decided to call this Point Boiling. Even though the water was not actually boiling, the ruff current and wave actions caused a continuous mist and with the water being pushed up, it looks like the water was boiling. As Kathren mapped this, Kathren looked out across the water to a lush green land spit. As she looked north she saw a bay. That is where she wants to camp tonight.
As Kathren writes on her map, she notices that she is going northeast again following the spine of the Hazy Mountain's. As Kathren stopped and looked up the Hazy Mountain's the sun was a blood red. The air on this side of the Hazy Mountain's was fresh, clean. As the dust and sand on the other side of the Hazy Mountain's made a boiling sandstorm, she was lucky, she got out of there in time.
As Kathren hurried to the cove of the bay, she was glad to be in a forest again…trees, shrubs, grass, and flowers. It reminded her of home. As her heart was singing with joy, the sea cliff gently lowered down to sea level. As Kathren turned the bend, her feet hit a muddy mess. It was a marsh! A marsh is a natural point where once the sea had covered this point, but with moving sediments and organics, it creates areas that are only five feet above the sea level, but these micro islands are cut by moving salt water that cuts channels within the organic peat. A delta is usually mistaken for a marsh, but can be distinguish if the flowing water is fresh and not salt, also, all deltas are created by streams or rivers.
As Kathren looks at this marsh, she realizes this is no place to camp so she rolls up her pants and steps down into the marsh channel. The bottom of the channel is gravel so she simply walks across it. The water is slow moving and not really that deep. As she comes to the first marsh island, she climbs up its muddy banks and finally climbs up to the top, which is only five feet. The top of the marsh is spongy feeling, saw grass cuts her legs and hands. This place is horrible Kathren thinks. As she keeps walking across the island in the marsh she comes to the next channel, it's moving quite rapidly, but she has to cross it, so she jumps down into the channel and the water comes up to her knees. It's very cold, as the current rushes by her, she tries to keep her balance and reaches the next island. It's lower then the first, only about three feet. As she climbs up onto the island she shivers from the cold water, but as she continues, determent to reach the other side, another channel, but it's calm like the first channel. As she jumps down, she is submerged completely. This channel is deep. As Kathren swims back to the shore, she has to climb a cliff. As she grabs roots she pulls herself up to the dry land. As she throws herself down, gasping for breath, she knows she swallowed the water and even breathed it in. Kathren coughs violently to expel the water from her lungs and gasp as her chest tightens. That's been twice since she plunged into the South Aqua.
As Kathren remembers her genealogy of her parents, she quickly looks over her body for any changes. there is none on her legs, only thing weird happening with her legs is that the wounds from the saw grass is healing rapidly! As Kathren sighs a breath of relief, she looks down to feel the ground, but to see her hands have turned scaly. Kathren jumps to her feet and looks in terror at her hands. Blue-green scales plate her once clear white skin. As she dries off her hands, the scales fade away. As Kathren double checks her hands, and arms, there is nothing but flesh. Personally, Kathren does not want to change, she wants to remain fleshed, land dwelling, and air breathing. Even though the stories state she is safer and better suited for the ocean, she wants to explore the land before she is forced to the sea.
As Kathren looks for the sun, the sun is gone, disappeared behind the Hazy Mountain's. So Kathren decides to setup camp here on the east shore of this bay. As she starts a fire with her electricity she goes through her soaked belongings. The only thing dry is a special paper that can be wet and won't dissolve…that is her map. The paper was given to her by her mother, Kathren Colddeath Southmar, even though her name is Kathren Deprofit Eastmar, she only knows so little what the last names mean. why is she called Deprofit, and her mother called Colddeath? Kathren remembers her grandmother was called Dreadnot, what is up with the odd names? The only fact Kathren has is that the middle name is how they will die. Kathren's grandmother died from a battle with the Numenorean fleet of dreadnots. Her mother drowned in fresh water, giving birth to her in the coldest month of the year, hence is why Kathren Deprofit was born with flesh, and not like her mother…a freak! The last words of Kathren Colddeath Southmar to her daughter was this:
"My child, I know you do not understand yet, but you will. I sacrificed my body and life so that you will have a normal Humanoid flesh life…for awhile."
Kathren Deprofit Eastmar interrupts her mother, only being a few minutes old, the species of Kathren is born aged to five years, and possess all the knowledge of the family. "What do you mean, are you okay mother?"
Kathren Colddeath Southmar interrupts her daughter. "Don't speak my child…listen…my time grows short…I sacrificed myself to fulfill my prophecy…to have my child become fleshed, not to dwell in the family. Please forgive me, it's the only way you can achieve your forthcoming my child. I call you Kathren Deprofit Eastmar. That is your name, I curse you to live a life between two worlds, the flesh and scale, I want you to see the world, but mostly, you will be the last if you don't bond our family with the one who will save you."
Kathren Deprofit has tears in her eyes. "Who…how will I know?"
Kathren Colddeath begins to choke… "You will." Kathren Colddeath Southmar dies.
As Kathren looks at the fire burn the debris from the swamp. Kathren looks at her hands. "I am waiting mother, and have left the Uncharted Terrain to seek out the one, but my form is failing." Kathren can't believe she's talking to herself. As she wipes the tears away from her face, she looks at her map and the work that's been already done. This island is gigantic and every bend is its own danger, but what worries Kathren the most is that this is the warmest part of Alquarious, and the water is freezing cold! What will it be like up north? As she looks at the bay she decides to label it as the Bay of Change due to the fact that this is where she mutated. The marsh was called, Dimlit Marsh. Kathren hates this marsh. As the sky goes black she puts out the fire and goes to sleep.
The night seemed to be short for Kathren, as the sun rose nine hours later, Kathren was completely worn out. But as she felt her clothes, they were dry. There must been a dry spell last night. As Kathren looked east towards the pink sky, the sun had not crested the unnamed mountains yet. So Kathren puts away her map and studied the mountains…they had snow on them…snow, but it is still summer! But anyway these mountains are much higher then the Green Mountain's at home, these were craggy mountains, trees hugged their foothills, but not the snow crested tops. But as Kathren admired these mountain's, she noticed the abundance of waterfalls. As Kathren sipped the water gently, the water was pure and cold. Kathren took her carrying jug she found one day on the beach at home and filled it with water.
She had admired Numenorean items. Most of the clothing she wore came from Numenor, none of her family wore clothing, there was no need for them. The only skin they had to protect was on their faces, Kathren had a whole body to protect so finding a shipwreck of items helped Kathren survive, even the special paper was from Numenor. But as Kathren thought to herself, it's odd that the Numenorean's have not colonized this island? Maybe it was cursed, maybe Kathren's ancestors were once Numenorean, and they came to this island, but the island turned us into freaks! Whatever the reason, Kathren could not conceive an answer, so she continued.
As the land was low, Kathren found herself walking to a point again; looking directly to Boiling Point. But this point was the furthest point in the South Aqua, so it was final, this would be called the Southern Most Point. As Kathren left the Southern Most Point she continued directly east. Kathren noticed that only five areas on this island go directly east, south, west, or north. Kathren has gone almost every direction except north and west. As Kathren looked at the distance mountains, a new chain appeared in front of her, they were not really high, they were more like foot hills, and Kathren was ready to take them on. As she drew closer to the mountains, they were no where close to the ocean, like the Hazy Mountain's, she passes right by them.
But as she reached the other side, the trees were gone, a flat plain of meadows and a strong coastal breeze blowing from the east. As Kathren looked back to the mountains, the east side had no trees, only bare rock, blacker then night! As Kathren looked down, stumps of splintered wood, burnt, there was a fire here long ago. As Kathren reached the furthest point on the east side, she could not believe how easy this portion of the trek was. Kathren decided not to name this point, leave it nameless, but then looked back at the mountains, they just sat out there so majestic to such beauty on the west side, and destruction on the east side. Then the name came to her, Solitary Mountain's, but Kathren did not stop there, with such destruction on this side of the Solitaries, she decided to call the open meadows Windy Meadows, for there was a constant breeze. As Kathren went around the unnamed point and walked due north, the wind gently swished against the grass, so yellowish green.
As Kathren walked quietly near the Windy Meadows, the meadows began to turn into hills, and the gentle breeze turned into a windstorm, gust over 60-70 miles per hour battered Kathren as she turned towards the Solitary Mountain's, the beach was narrow, the wave huge with swells. This was a sunny day, but a cloudless storm brewed! As she climbed about twenty feet above sea level, she saw it…a narrow passage leading out of the Windy Meadows between two gigantic mountain chains. On Kathren's right the Solitary Mountain's and on Kathren's left, a new mountain range, with snow also! Kathren thought to herself, have I came to the north already? She looked at the sun, it's still above her, not behind her, she is at the same location as if she was at the Sandy Mountain's, so she is no where near the north, but actually still in the deep south. As Kathren draws in the mountain's and labels Windy Pass, Kathren is becoming dehydrated due to the dry wind. As she looks at the bay, the water is actually grey and there is white caps. So she labels it Stormy Bay. As she looks at the mountains, they tower higher then the Solitary Mountain's, she was going to call them the Windy Mountain's, but decided to call them Coastal Mountain's, for they seem to go on forever on the coastline, stretching far east.
As Kathren walking the rocky beach line, the wind dies down and the ocean becomes calm. The trees returned, and berry bushes covered the trail-line. As Kathren continues down the clear coastline, she looked up to the Coastal Mountain's, a sea cliff loomed over her for an estimated 10,000 feet, maybe higher in places. The Coastal Mountain's seem to touch the sky, high cloud form around their summits. As evening dawned on Kathren, she has put some great distance in today, she estimates about twelve miles, which is very close to the average distance. As the sun began to sink behind the Solitary Mountain's, Kathren is tired from the walk. As Kathren sips the cool water, she eats the berries from the Coastal Mountain's, there is a berry in these mountains that does not grow in the Uncharted Terrain, it taste great, a little tart, but great though. As Kathren goes to sleep, this is one of the most comfortable sleeps.
As the morning wakes Kathren, the sight is foggy. The Coastal Mountain's are fogged in. Kathren knows that fog is dangerous to walk in, mostly if you can't even see the ground below your own feet. As Kathren continues heading east, the sun breaks through the fog and the mountains appear. Kathren is amazed by the sheer beauty. As she continues, the fog has dampen her clothes, but the coolness seems not to bother Kathren, it's actually more enjoyable. As Kathren walks further down the beach, the Coastal Mountain's come to an end and a deep valley appears. The valley runs due north and does not end there. Kathren does not know if she should call these mountain's a new name, so she leaves them unnamed for now. As she goes on, knowing time is against her, she comes to a series of mountain's, not as high as the Coastal Mountain's, Kathren is worried these geological structures will complicate her travel. As she comes to the foot hills, there is no problem, actually these mountains have the same build as the Coastal Mountain's, but since they are not attached to the Coastal Mountain's she does not label them Coastal. Instead she ponders on the name, many suggestions, but none fit these mountains.
As the mountains begin to turn around the bend, the end of the South Aqua is present, she's reached a point. As Kathren looks at the ocean, a name finally surfaces…Point End. The end of the South Aqua. As Kathren looks at the South Aqua she smiles, she defeated its grasp, the South Aqua tried to change her, it failed, then thinking about her mothers last name…Southmar, these mountains were the southern most mountains, so she would call these lonely mountains the Southmar Mountain's. As Kathren looked at the Southmar Mountain's she smiled… "This is for you mother…you gave your life to give me a chance to see this!"
As Kathren looked at the South Aqua, she knew once she turned the bend she would be the furthest away from home, and be face-to-face with her birth name ocean, the East Aqua. As Kathren walked around the corner, she looked at the ocean of the east…the color changed from deep blue-grey to blue-green…like her scales! Kathren relieves she is one with the ocean, but in her heart this seemed not to be what her mother told her to expect. As Kathren studied the ocean she felt the urge to enter, but knowing the results she stayed away. As the Southmar Mountain's ended, Kathren looked upon a lush green forest, with plenty of hills. Kathren smiled, no major volcanoes or mountains to deal with.
As Kathren continues northward, she entered the forest, the forest is dense, but the only thing stopping Kathren is the fall of the sun. As Kathren takes out her notes she works on her map. She called the forest the Eastern Forest, and the foggy mountains far away in the west the Misty Mountain's. As Kathren finishes up on details, the night sky is darker then usual, the stars are veiled. As Kathren sleeps it begins to rain, hard. As Kathren wakes, she takes shelter in the forest, but the rain makes the ground like mud, and Kathren sinks to her waist in mud. As Kathren tries to escape the swampy mess, she slips and falls into the mud face first. The mud splashes all over her face and gets into her hair. As she rubs the mud out of her eyes, the mud enters her mouth. As Kathren tries to climb a tree, the mud makes her fall back into the mud bath. As Kathren scrambles out, the mud is caked all over. As the rain ends, Kathren lies in the mud, not cold, only feeling quite dirty. As the mud hardens, Kathren tries to fall asleep and does so before midnight.
By first sunlight the storm has cleared and the sun rose over the East Aqua with much splendor. Kathren looks at the ocean, it's brown, dirty from the land…just like she is. As Kathren goes to a stream, it's murky with soil. All the water is, tainted with mud. So Kathren began to head north, the Eastern Forest was enormous, but the beach was littered in tree branches and organic mud. As Kathren began to gain elevation, the Misty Mountain's were visible, for they were getting taller and heavy with snow. As Kathren rested in the middle of the Eastern Forest. She found some berries and ate them. This land was almost like the Uncharted Terrain. Heavily forested, and mountainous. Before high noon, Kathren began her trek to the north. The air became colder closer to the mountains she got. Kathren did not know how close she was until she saw a dark mountain in front of her.
The sky around the peak was cloudy. It was snowing hard up there. The Eastern Forest was becoming thin, and rocks filled the foothills surrounding the mountains. As Kathren cleared the Eastern Forest and stood facing the gigantic crap, Kathren wrote the name of the range with cold bitterness…Angmar she writes. She only remembers the name from a old memory from one of her ancestors, one of them has been here. As Kathren writes down the name of the place, she then looks at the creepy peak, Mount Dum, Kathren wanted to stay far away from it. As Kathren proceeded tired up north, ice covered everything, she was entering the Ice Wastelands.
As she followed the beach, even the beach rock was coated in ice. Kathren was really thinking about going home. But as the sun broke through it got warmer and Kathren walked further. But freezing cold she was, tiring out due to the fridge temperatures. As Kathren drew closer to the cold mountains, she labeled them exactly what they were, Cold Mountain's. As Kathren dug into the cold rock she draped some hot rocks she warmed up with her hands and laid them upon her. As the sun set quickly, Kathren shivered violently throughout the night. As Kathren tried to sleep, she heard a grunting sound and the sound of ice cracking. Something was coming! As Kathren watched in the pitch-black ice field, a large object moved towards her, limping, bent over. As the creature stopped, steam escaped its body. It was about five feet tall with fur. As the creature began to approach Kathren, Kathren watched nervously, she had never seen anything so big before. As the creature stopped only six feet away, Kathren laid motionless. The creature looked at the well-battered clothes in the ice and noticed the design was Numenorean. As the creature watched Kathren, it spoke. "Hello?" Said the creature with a man voice, so dry and raspy, bitten from the cold.
Kathren looked at the man. "Who--who are you? Says Kathren in a shaky voice.
The old man literally jumps up with joy! "Your alive!" The man waddles over to Kathren. He looks at the poorly dressed woman. "My lord, you must be cold!" Kathren nods. The old man sheds off one of the coats of fur. "Here." Kathren refuses. "Here, please take it." Kathren puts on the long coat. It is super heated from the old mans body. "What are you doing way up here?" Suggesting to the way Kathren is dressed.
"I am an explorer. I've been following the coast for seven days, mapping it." Says Kathren, her shivers are calming down to a tremble.
The stranger seems surprised, "Mapping, mapping all K'ha'dum?"
Kathren does not understand. "What is K'ha'dum?"
The stranger looks around, "all this, this is K'ha'dum, unless you come from Numenor?"
Kathren looks up to face the well bearded man. "You know Numenor?"
The stranger laughs, "Do I know it?" He laughs again, but more softly. "My father was once a Numenorean, but we were banished from Numenor based on sorcery."
Kathren again is unsure what he means. "Sorcery?"
The stranger nods, "Ya, being different." Kathren gasp, thinking this man knows her secret.
Kathren looks down, "I know what you mean." Kathren waits for a interruption, but none come. "What ocean birthed you?"
Now the stranger is confused. "What do you mean…I wasn't born from any ocean, I was a child of my mother and father."
Kathren realizes he is not of her kind. "I don't know my father, I did have a mother, but she died giving me life in fresh water."
The stranger sits down, it's obvious that he has not had any humanoid contact in a long time. "You have a strange way of looking at life my dear." The stranger looks around wondering if she came from the Angmar Mountain's, he can't tell. "What's your name if you don't mind?"
Kathren smiled, glad to be warm now. "Of course not, I'm called Kathren of the Eastmar, you are?"
The stranger reveals his crown. "King Ren of Waw, protector of the old realm of Angband and Angmar."
Kathren hears the words Angband and Angmar and a gut feeling tells her to beware. "Angband…that place seems familiar? Is it near here?" Ren shakes his head, "No, it's down south, only Angmar is up here in the Wasteland…You say you're making a map, if it is accurate I can show you." Kathren takes out her map of the land. Ren looks at it and is amazed how accurate it's. "It's here, between the Solitary Mountain's. This gapping hole." As Ren points out. "If you look west of the mountains near the Dimlit Marsh, the entrance is there, but I warn you…don't go there, my previous lord dwells there, banished from the Wastelands by the power of Mount Dum."
Kathren looks at Ren. "Then why are you here in this forbidding land?"
"I was ordered to wait here for a king of the twilight moon. When you're young, you're given a destiny…I got side tracked a little."
Kathren smirks, she knows how he feels. "I understand, I too have a destiny…I am to wait for the prophecy. Maybe we are waiting for the same people?"
Ren shakes his head. "To be honest, I don't think so."
Kathren writes on her map the letters A N G B A N D between her beloved mountains. Then looks at the emptiness. "Are there others here like you?"
Ren nods. "Yes, a few, but you'll find none here in the north, this place is forsaken!"
Kathren nods. "Thank you for your help. And thank you for the chance to warm up." Kathren takes off the coat and hands it back to Ren.
Ren looks at it. "No, you keep it. If you plan to journey the north, you'll need it!"
Kathren smiles. "Thank you King of Waw…anyway, where is Waw?"
Ren gets up and looks north. "Once you pass these mountains you'll come to a bay of ice…that's Waw…my ice Wastelands…feel welcome to look around." Ren heads south to Angmar. "Oh if you by chance see the twilight moon, please send him to Angmar?"
Kathren looks at Ren. "If I see him I will do that." Ren waddles slowly off to Mount Dum to rest. As Kathren watches him, something in her mind tells her she has just met one of the ancients. Ren too is curious if Kathren is one of the elders as stated by his lord and master Melkor? Ren can only guess.
By the following day the sun rises early over the ice land. Kathren has survived her first night in the Wastelands. As day light reveals the surroundings, the sky is cloudy, Angmar's sky is black. A wicked storm is brewing again. As Kathren looks at the gift from the ancient named Ren, she feels the soft texture of the coat. it keeps her warm. As she packs up her stuff, she heads towards the Cold Mountain's. The water in the Numenorean container is frozen. Kathren is now weary to even want to drink it, it's water from Angband, and she liked it!
As Kathren walked carefully on the beach around the point she sights a little, she is leaving the East Aqua and this is her birth water. But with the cold breeze, Kathren says goodbye and calls this point, Point Easterline. As the beach turns to ice the trek turns dangerous. Kathren hates to do it, but her shores slip on the ice, so she takes off her shoes and steps onto the ice. The ice is so cold she jumps around. Then as Kathren thinks, she will use her disability of being a fish, the scales will act as a shoe and help keep her traction, but there is a slight problem…she needs salt water and the ice covers the North Aqua. Ice is fresh water, so Kathren takes out a rock and tries to break the ice, but the ice is too thick, she can't break through. So Kathren puts on her shoes and slips and slides on the ice. Hitting the ice is becoming a nuisance for Kathren, but after hours of careful treading, she reaches a rocky shore.
With cuts and bruises, they don't heal rapidly. No salt water, no rapid healing. As Kathren takes in a deep cold breath of air into her lungs, she looks upon a glacier field. Welcome to the northern wasteland. As Kathren looks out to the North Aqua, it's frozen. Ren was not joking, this is a fate-less land…wasteland. As Kathren continues to cross the ice field, snow now covers the ground. Kathren looks at the new mountains and wonders if it connects to the Green Mountain's…she is unsure. As she continues to walk, the sun is moving fast, the days are becoming shorter, the nights longer. But since cold is no longer a factor for Kathren, she presses on. As she enters the cove to the bay, there is only ice. So she calls the bay and the surrounding ice the Waw Wasteland. As she looks at the mountain's she labels them the Glacier Range.
Kathren had never seen a glacier up close, but as she climbed out of the glacial cut valley, she came face-to-face with one gigantic glacier. Kathren never bothered to name the others, but this glacier was old and name worthy. So she called it the Waw Glacier, since it did overlap the frozen ocean. As Kathren thought of climbing over it, it was just too dangerous, so she went around it. By the time she was on the other side, most of her energy was well spent, and she found a spot to rest next to another overlapping glacier. As the sun subducted over the unnamed mountains, Kathren decided to name them the same, the Glacier Range. Altogether, ten glaciers, no wonder why the water is so cold in the South Aqua, the North Aqua is one gigantic snow ball!
By the following morning Kathren heated up some water with her hands, but even her electricity was running out, she hasn't changed since her arrival to the Wastelands, maybe this is the cure? If it is, she does not want it. As the sun rises, Kathren knows time is against her. So she begins moving again. Her walk takes her along the Glacier Range. As the gravel becomes thicker, the sea cliff is her best friend. By mid morning she reaches the furthest point. She labels it, Northern Point. As she goes southwest the direction of home she passes a gigantic peak and calls it Glacier Peak, for it is in the Glacier Range. As she travels down-slope, heading back to sea level, she notices she has entered another Ice Wasteland.
As Kathren travels through the ice wilderness, she can see another cove, glacier less. Also the mountains are lower, so she calls them the Icy Range. As she comes to the western most part of the range, another tall, odd ball mountain, so she calls this one Ice Peak. As she enters the cove of the frozen bay, she does not know what to call it, so she studies it and decides to call it what it is…Ice Bay. As Kathren looked for the sun, it was about noon, she can probably get far up the sun, it was about noon, she can probably get far up the next point.
As she rushes to the next point, a rumble shakes the ice, then grey clouds peer over the unnamed mountain range. A fountain of lava shots up in the air…so very far away…another volcano. Kathren sees the volcano and panics. Her encounter at Fluid Peak almost killed her, she has no love for these things, so she runs, tripping due to running on ice. As she falls, she is knocked out.
As the volcano jets out lava, the eruption is almost four miles away over tall mountains and vast ice. As Kathren wakes, she hurts, she hit her head bad. As she looks at the direction of the sun, it's low. Kathren looks back at the volcano and shakes her head…how silly, it's so far away and I am afraid of it! The ground shakes and lava jets out again, Kathren's had enough and gets up and scurries northwest up the coastline. She decides to call these mountains the Guard Mountain's as Kathren staggers up the coastline following the unnamed chain of tall snowcapped mountains, she is more concentrated on getting away from the volcano. Kathren presses on, but can't go any further…it's to dark. As Kathren lies warm in the ice and snow, she wishes she was home on her sandy beach, protected by the lush Green Mountain's, but the reality of the North Aqua is getting to her, heck she is even hearing the sounds of waves in her head. As Kathren falls asleep to the sound of waves, the sun will rise again in only ten more hours.
By the first sun light, Kathren opens her eyes to a cloudless sky. At first she thinks she's dreaming, but lying in the snow can restore reality whenever in doubt. As Kathren eats the last of her food she knows she needs to find food, and water soon. As Kathren eats she hears waves again. She stops chewing and listens, as she looks out across the water all she sees is ice, no waves. She thinks she's losing it finally. As she follows the unnamed mountains again, the waves are getting louder and louder. As Kathren looks out across the ice, she sees water, salt water. Amazed, she rushes to it, and then abruptly remembers the disability, but the need to touch it is overwhelming, but she controls herself. As Kathren thinks, she wonders if the melting ice means she's closer to the West Aqua, the road home! Kathren runs on the soft sand and rock. No ice. She runs nonstop until she runs out of breath, so she walks and then sees it.
Another point, maybe it's the turn to go home? As Kathren walks to its shoreline, she realizes that she is as far north as she will ever be, but as she looks around the corner, she does not see Numenor, or home, she has reached a disappointment. Kathren writes on her map, Cape Disappointment. As Kathren turns the corner, her head hangs low, she is upset and worried, she'll never see home again. As the vegetation comes back, Kathren stops to eat the tender shots of grass. Fresh food is so good when you have none.
As Kathren turns the bend and notices she's going due south, she looks out to a island. At first she is not sure what it is, Kathren rubs her eyes, she looks upon a lush green island with two arms visible…she found it…Numenor! As Kathren drops to her knees in glee, she looks out across the ocean and sees a boat sinking. As Kathren watches in terror, she enters the water of the West Aqua and swims to the drowning boat. As a tall man jumps into the ocean, Kathren senses no others, he's alone. As Kathren swims to the man, she supports him to keep him breathing as she drags him to shore. Due to current moving to the south, Kathren lands near the gateway to the Uncharted Terrain. As she looks at the man, he is coughing on some salt water, but other then that he's fine. As he lies on the beach, Kathren drapes the robe from Ren over him to keep him warm.
As Kathren gathers wood for a fire, the gentleman watches her. He can't believe his eyes, he sees a woman, but she looks like a fish. As she recalls all the ancients and myths one ancient comes to mind. All Numenorean's are told of the Western shore inhabitant by a ancient who has the power to change into a mermaid and turn others into fish too. As he looks at the blue-green scales and light turquoise fins, he watches her closely. As Kathren starts a fire again with her hands, this shocks the Numenorean greatly…she is a sorcerer also! A fish sorcerer? As the sun begins to set, Kathren studies him. "Are you a Numenorean?" Says Kathren gently as if not to scare him.
The Numenorean nods his head. "Yes…what are you?" Referring to the scales and visible fins.
Kathren looks down upon her scaly hands. "Oh this? A long story."
The Numenorean relaxes, "Well go on, we have the night."
Kathren nods and smiles. "Best way to explain it…I am a freak, my humanoid creature form is just half of what I am. My family is born with scales, fins, and gills, only flesh is upon their faces. I was born as a humanoid creature who turns into this every time I get wet. My people have many abilities, some like electricity to start fires, or to heal, there are probably others, I just don't know them."
The Numenorean nods gently. "I understand," the Numenorean exposes his long, skinny fingers. "I too am a freak, but one powerful freak. I know magic and thus I have been outcaste from my home, my rule taken away, my title removed."
Kathren interrupts the Numenorean. "If you don't mind…do you have a name?"
The Numenorean looks at the ground, one of the ancients care this much, he must be blessed! "Er Murazor."
Kathren smiles, "It's a nice name, what does it mean?"
"Black Prince." The gentleman of Numenor looked at Kathren, "I am also called Twilight Moon." Kathren's eyes widen. "I'm sorry, does that name mean anything to you my lord?"
Kathren nods her head. "Yes, you are being seek by a Lord of Waw called Ren. I am to send you to a place called Angmar."
Er Murazor looks shocked. "Angmar, the Iron Home, what is there?"
"Mountains and wastelands." Kathren points to the coat. "Take the coat, it will guard you from the cold, and if you're a good sorcerer, then the cold spell of the north won't harm you." Er Murazor gets up. "Don't go yet, you don't know the way."
Er Murazor replies. "I beg'n your pardon, but how would a fish know where Angmar is?"
Kathren smiles, "I know, I've been there, I walked this whole island, I know everything about it except what lies in the middle." Kathren pauses, and then stands and touches Er Murazor on the hand. "Rest now," the Black Prince falls gently to the ground and enters a meditative sleep. "Listen to my voice Murazor, head northward, follow the ocean beach, don't stop till the robed man finds you." Kathren looks at her scaly skin, "You will awaken at the first light, you will forget what you saw, only remember what you heard." Kathren gathers her belongings and leaves Er Murazor on the shore. Kathren, being one-third changed enters the water and swims the rest of the way home.
END OF CHAPTER ONE
Babylon 5, Characters, names and all related indicia are trademarks of J. Michael Straczynski
Lord of The Ring, its characters, names and all related indicia are trademarks of J.R.R. Tolkien