Synopsis
It was long ago. Ages before the recording of this man. Part may seem legend, others possibly true. Whether the faith of your being is small or great, is of little concern to me.
For what I'm about to tell to you is neither tale nor story which I write. It is forgotten or trifled history. History which contains hidden sadness and revenge. Deep, unfathomable and terrible wounds festered by want of blood or healing love. This is the sad love chronicle of Waenorëion and Celebraug.
There are many accounts of battles, wars and hunts with both named and unnamed dragons and fell beasts. I bring you one of the first recordings of a once unknown and unnamed dragon that even the wisest have forgotten or lost record of.
I myself do not know when the events of this account exactly took place; all I know is that they did. First told on the walls of the Blue Mountains and slowly passed down over the centuries, through Professor Tolkien's fingers and here into my lap.
I hope you forgive me in the way I record these events. "Unfortunance" if there is such a word, has had it that Tolkien was no alive long enough to submit this wonderful piece of Middle-Earth's history; but that instead it all be ado by me.
Though I do not know the exact age and time when the terrible dragon became existent in Middle-Earth, I do have a strong affirmation of what points in time he appeared between. My confirmations point between the first and second age. For Celebraug the Dragon was the first and only son of Glaurung, the Worm of Morgoth. I furthermore do not know, nor the historians or scribes before me have recorded, the younger and maturing years of Celebraug. But it is known that not long after the deaths of Glaurung the Golden and Turin Turumbar son of Hurin that a slender and glistening winged shape flew from the regions surrounding Thrangorodrim; flying towards the south-west and to Ered Gorgoroth (The Mountains of Terror). This was Celebraug the Young.
Being not afraid of the eyes of sages and talebearers, Celebraug flew into the sky, before the eyes of elves, men, and dwarves. In his mind, he had no reason to be afraid of fear nor of pride and so continued on his flight.
The Eagles of Echoriath (The Encircling Mountains), being under the great Thorondor, King of the Eagles; saw Celebraug as he flew over the plains of the Anfauglith and it was said that the old and noble were enchanted by the beauty of the young dragon. For Celebraug's beauty showed more radiance and fair face then that of most elves in Beleriand and Middle-Earth. But if the prudent and younger eagles had been still alive today, they would probably have said they would sum up Celebraug as being both innocent and crafty. And a fitting sum for Celebraug it would have been. For some dragons, though not many, mature in understanding of mind like men do so also it was with Celebraug the young. And also, the young dragon was yet, somewhat inexperienced with the knowledge of the world, his mind yet retained the spirits and ways of Glaurung his father.
Thorondor, who was keen in sight as well as keen in reading the hearts of creatures as one looking through transparent veil, saw not only craftiness and weak wills in the dragon's heart, but also evil and a upcoming doom. The enchanting beauty of Celebraug blinded all reason and understanding of those much younger then the King of the Eagles. They did not understand that all dragons have hearts of impending evil and even more so; any great winged creature flying out of the Northern regions and from Angband was assuredly to have been touched or sent by the hand and power of Morgoth. But the young did not heed nor listened to the warnings of Thorondor. The older gave heed to prudence and caution and thus abandoned the want for more sights of such a rare beauty.
Shortly thereafter the sighting of Celebraug's coming, though hearing the warnings and wisdom of the old eagles, a group of the younger folk of both gender, followed unknown Celebraug to unseen doom that awaited for them all. The young dragon, Celebraug, has so far not been known on what mission or purpose he was on. But what I have gathered from the ancient Silmarillion volume, the only interpretation for Celebraug's flight was an escapade. I at first surmised that Celebraug, he being young and at that time, small, was out for solitude to exercise and grow. For the dragons of the western marches of Middle-Earth sought solitude in the Northern boundaries and in Withered Heath. But Morgoth grew his dragons beneath Thrangorodrim and they grew four times as fast under his power and influence.
It amazes me that the young did not give heed to prudence and discretion. They should've, as did their elders, give account that this dragon, flying from the Northern Regions was up to ill for the free peoples of Beleriand and was more then likely, on a mission to cause mischief and terror within the lands. But it comes about in times, sadly, that beauty matters more then the future. So it was with the young eagles.
This group that accompanied and were accepted by Celebraug did not follow his head for desire of offspring, but only to be in companionship of the one who they delighted to gaze at.
Celebraug went to the dark mountains of Ered Gorgoroth. Everyone in Beleriand knew of these mountains and the reason for their name. Though most of the elves had forgotten it, a few including the Miar, remembered of those mountains holding a dark and forbodeing creature. None had dared to venture into those mountains, not even the powerful Miar and seers did not give into curiosity. Those mountains sat in silence without a twittering of a bird, or the leap of a squirrel in a pack of shrubs. Clouds similar to the cold regions of Angband, crowned the peaks of these mountains; giving warning enough of a doom that awaited those who entered.
Celebraug had been told of the evil and power that dwelt within. But knowing the duties of Morgoth did not call to him at that time, he flew into the valleys, with his eagle companions following after him like a sheep to the slaughter. Their flight into those mountains was not for long before they all espied a great gaping cavern whose mouth lay flat with the earth. The sides along it's mouth were smooth as glass and slick as ice. All the grass and vegetation that had been once around that area, was now gone leaving only bedrock as smooth as the sides of the cave itself. Tracks dotted the landscape in that valley, everywhere though the young dragon and his companions could not make sense of it. Alighting near the edge, Celebraug and the eagles peered into the cave and smelled a sweet odor ascending from it.
Without hesitation, the allied group flew into the underground passage, to discover the substance of this sweet aroma. As they flew downwards, their keen sight saw tunnels to the sides that put off doors of solid darkness, letting no secrets meet them.
Their flight down was cut off short as they all collided into a net that was in their way. The eagles had not been watching for any disaster ahead of them; being still entranced by the beauty of Celebraug. The net caught many an eagle in awkward fashion, some twisting their wings in different directions, some immediately broke their bones, while others lay harmless but with no strength to be able to release themselves. The young dragon was entrapped himself and let out a burst of fire from his lips and nostrils, immediately melting the net he was entangled in. But once he had finished Celebraug felt more cords drop around his body and bind him up. Fire once more lit the dark passage and screams and cries of deliverance from the eagles echoed off the walls. But more cords were dropped around them, and a slow intricate net was weaved over them all. Celebraug kept himself busy by trying to free himself, but more cords entangled him. Where one cord was burned off, five more replaced it. Soon his mouth had been almost tied shut leaving only his nostrils to burn off his captivity. Celebraug then felt something spat into both his nostrils that clogged the passages of fire within him, so that he could hardly breathe, much less with fire.
His attention then turned back to his companions and it was a strange thing that came to his ears. For he heard the cries of the eagles slowly die off until much time had passed and the last cry was silenced. Celebraug then looked around with his eyes to see where his enemy lay. But then a hard prick landed in his spine and Celebraug became drunk with darkness. He tried to shake this off, but more pricks landed on him until finally he felt darkness meet him and a sweet poison overtake his bones. The last thing he saw before he collided with oblivion, was that his vision was spinning and the cords around him tightened.
This is the end of the story of Celebraug the Young. Now I tell you the story of Waenorëion and how he met Celebraug the Terror of the Peoples.