'Ello! Sorry I haven't been doing so well with updates, & my IYFB fic was taken down! But I got inspiration for this, & had to write it!
Summary: A Kirin without a kingdom, a council to decide the worlds fate, & one Wizard who has much to explain. You don't need to know anything about the Twelve Kingdoms to read this fic, I just borrowed the world & the Kirin species.
Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR or The Twelve Kingdoms, but whoever does is so durned lucky! though I do own Koden, Naiku, & any of Koden's yohma.
Fanart: I drew my characters so I wouldn't have to explain what they look like so much, they are at the following addresses- http:www.wormbaby.biz/i/166252.jpg http:www.wormbaby.biz/i/166253.jpg
The Thirteenth Kingdom-
Chapter one:
"...are you?" A faint voice was asking through the mists of sleep. "Who are you?" It asked again, this time awakening the being. It blinked a few time, it's violet eyes clearing. What it saw made it blink again. A rather tall, old-looking man with a gray pointed hat and a long gray beard squatted on the ground, the beard & his hair everywhere & the long staff laid at his side stared at the being. Or should I say, her.
After a few moments the man asked again, & the woman finally realized what he was asking. In a hoarse, but still melodious voice, she answered.
"Koden...I am Koden."
"A fitting name. I am Gandalf the Gray, very nice to meet you Lady Koden." He smiled merrily & offered the still lying girl a hand. Koden took it gratefully. Her ankle-length hair was an off-white color(cream color) with short ash grey strands hanging by her eyes. An emerald in the shape of a diamond adorned her forehead & a strange mark, violet in color, under her right eye. Her kimono-like outfit was violet as well, with white lining & sleeve cuffs(thingies!). When she was standing she realized she did not know where she was, or how she had gotten there.
"Wh...where am I?"
Gandalf looked rather thoughtful & answered, "Middle-Earth my dear, Rivendell to be exact." None of that helped the lost girl, but the last thing she remembered was falling from a cliff & landing in....a Shoku! The sea, Kyokai, had 'portals' everywhere, & her being a Kirin she could easily pass through. So she was in a whole nother world, & she couldn't even think about how far an ocean might be.
After this thought, she looked up again at the nice man, & her eyes showed panic & despair, two very un-kirin like things. Well, she wasn't a normal Kirin though, she was a Kirin without a country or kingdom. She could travel anywhere without worrying about her duties. She had no real purpose. Yet.
Gandalf looked taken aback, when understanding shown in his eyes. "You are not of this world, eh Taiho?" Koden was shocked.
"You know of the Kirin?"
"I do. I have been to your world, & I am the one that summoned you here."
"But...why?" she asked, completely confused.
"To attend a council. One that may decide the fate of this world."
"So, I am here to go to this council? &...very well." She sighed in defeat. "But I must know the reason for this council."
Gandalf looked at Koden, seeming to judge her words. After a moment he began the tale, of the ring of power & it's long journey. When he had finished, a great wisdom shown through the violet depths of the Kirin.
"Very well, when is this council to take place?" She asked calmly. Gandalf thought a moment...
"In about 5 minutes actually." He chuckled when Koden fell over.
"Then why don't we go?!" she yelled.
"As you wish, outside now, we only have to go down a few hallways & we'll be there." He shooed her out the door & down 5 different hallways until they reached the place in which the council was to be held. Already everyone else was seated, only one seat remained next to a small being, a hobbit. As Koden entered, all eyes turned toward her.
"They stare because you are a woman, it is very strange for a woman to attend a council such as this." Gandalf whispered covertly in her ear.
"I see." she answered, it was almost the same in her own world. A dark haired elf stood & bowed, he seemed to be the ruler here. The other elves stood, quite shocked Lord Elrond would bow to a human woman. Koden was also caught off guard, but bowed in return.
"It is an honor, Taiho. I have not seen one of your kind for over three thousand years. It is a blessing upon this world to look upon one such as you." Elrond stated & bowed yet again. Almost everyone now was looking at the violet-eyed woman completely confused/shocked.
It was then when she felt it. Something she had not felt in over ten thousand years. In a time that now only the Kirin remember, there were not twelve, but thirteen kingdoms. The thirteenth was a small, but healthy Island called Ai, located in the Blue Sea. Koden was it's Kirin, & one day the Yohma, very powerful ones, overtook Ai & it was completely destroyed. Koden though, survived & began to wander throughout all the kingdoms. Ai was eventually forgotten.
The thing Koden felt now, was when a new leader was found. But that was impossible! Ai was gone, there couldn't have been a leader...unless...
"Koden? Are you alright, my dear?" Gandalf's concerned voice finally broke through the shock of feeling her master for the first time in ten thousand years.
"I am..." She said, her eyes wandering to the humans who were now seated. When her eyes rested on a scruffy-looking man, with dark shoulder-length hair, & wise blue eyes. "I see.....so that is my fate...." she muttered in a wavering voice.
"Koden.....so it is as I thought," Gandalf muttered, smiling softly at her. It was then that she came out of the daze she was in.
"Sit now, Gandalf, I will stand here." Koden stood behind Frodo, & with a disapproving look, Gandalf sat down. & with that the council began....
I hope you enjoyed this!!! please review & tell me what you think!
Definitions-
-Kirin(pronounced 'key-rin')- A holy creature that chooses the new leader of it's kingdom. Kirin have the body of a horse, but have a horn; they can take human form.
-Shoku(pronounced 'show-kuu')- A portal that connects two worlds(not sure of the exact definition, but this is close enough).
-Taiho(pronounced 'tie-ho')- The respectful title the people of the kingdoms use for the kirin.