Sunday August 20th, 2017.
I've revamped part of this story and replaced some parts due to how they didn't jive with what I wanted to write later.
All of the Hobbit belongs to J.R.R Tolkien, Peter Jackson, and the Movie studios that made it all possible.
My OC and all things affiliated belong to me.
Chapter 1: Vengance of a bloody type
Bena Tolome. Ex-slave and recent escapee, was running for her life.
She had slipped her chains and escaped her place of imprisonment, killing the guard and taking his machete. It had been hers a lifetime ago; now it was all she could do to keep it from slipping her sweaty grip as she ran through the Forest of Anjeal.
After three days of running, hiding for a few hours of respite, countless backtrackings and mud baths to throw her pursuers off her trail, they had managed to pick up her trail once again. Bena was racing through the Forest, her feet barely touching the ground as blood dripping from a slash in her cheek.
Her lungs burned with every breath dragged past her chapped lips. But she pushed herself even faster as the baying of the hounds and shouts drew even closer. The trees were becoming sparse now and foliage was thinner. This made it easier to run but it also made it easier for her chasers to see her. An arrow flew past her and another buried into a tree ahead of her.
The trees stop altogether meeting the edge of a great plain where grass sways in the wind. Bena tumbled head over heels; not having seen the rock in her path. She scrambled up, fear racing through her heart.
'Just a little further' she thought to herself. Marius and his men wouldn't dare follow her out to the Plains. But it was not to be. A howl split the air making Bena look back in terror. One of the hounds had pulled ahead of the rest and was closing fast. There was no time to move before it crashed into her, its claws digging and ripping through the flesh of her back.
Bena howled in pain before managing to roll over and throw the beast off. It landed a few feet away and regained its footing quickly before charging at her. She only just managed to get her machete out in front of herself. The hound; unable to stop, impaled itself on the blade.
The feel of relief was replaced by a horrible realization. They had caught up to her. Bena was now surrounded by a dozen men, all fresher to the fight and had more weapons than she did at the moment.
She whipped around; frantically seeking a hole in the ring of advisarys, but finding none in the circle of drawn swords and taught bowstrings held in the hands of leering, sneering men.
One steps forward. Marius; a tall black mustached fellow dressed better then his fellows. Put away his blade and held his hands out as if to calm Bena. He made soothing noises as if to calm a wild animal.
"Come on Kitty... come on back girl. Come on back and Fredrike won't hear about how you ran away. I'll even give you a week free of fighting!" He said that like it was the greatest offer in history.
She snarled at him, making sure to keep an eye on the other men.
Marius tutted at her.
"Now, now Kitty. Every minute you don't except my offer I take away a day from that week and add two more beasts to your fighting.
Again Bena's lips drew back over to-sharp canines as an even louder snarl ripped from her throat accompanied by the sound of tinkling beads as she shook her head back and forth; dreads vigourusly flying about.
The slavers face, which had been coaxing and encouraging, fall's into a nasty smile. Bena tensed.
"Your funeral. Lads?"
Bow's twanged; arrow's hitting the Magess injured back and the slavers fell upon her with their swords. It didn't matter because now red had overtaken the ex-slave's vision. A berserk rage that made her faster than the swings and stabs. Screams and roars echoed across the grass covered prairie making the animals of the forest quiver with fear in their little homes.
Late afternoon fell upon a bloodied plain with the sun shining on the slavers bodies, whose glassy eyed stares seemed to be fixed on a crimson covered figure scavenging amongst her former masters, saving the best for last.
Bena stood over Marius; taking a perverse sort of pleasure in how his face had froze from the sudden pain of being relieved of all four limbs and having a dagger buried in his heart.
This man had been one of her chief torturer, chaining her to a pole and making her fight the various feral animals that roamed the Southern Waistes and Deserts, with only her bare hands or a shard of pottery. That was only one of the things that she endured at his hands. He had always taken joy in torturing her ever since she killed his brother Killian in her capture.
Bena patted him down; looking for a specific item.
The escapee knew that Meister trusted no one but His Right-hand-Man to carry the key's; while keeping a set of fake key's on himself so that any slave that tried to escape would undoubtably go for the Meister himself. It was just a game to them, a sport for when they grew bored of torturing the Magess.
Once in a while they'de stop drugging one of the slaves and wait till they made the eventual break for freedom. Then after the poor unfortunate soul was dragged back, the Meister and Marius would through him/her to the pit of Scorpios. Giant scorpions with three heads that looked like a cross between an Aligator and a snake. Their venom paralyzed the whole body with the exception of the vocal chords, then slowly brought the victim's blood to a boil. Bena had to sit and listen to the screams and pleading for the pain to stop.
"Ahh, here you are."
Bena had found the key's hanging around his neck, but for now all her attention was focused on a small bronze key with a yellow stripe on it. She ripped the whole band of Marius's throat and with shaking hands, slotted it into the keyhole of the padded iron collar encircling her neck.
One turn to the left.
The collar had been made by one of her fellow Mages year ago when she was apart of the Stalosian Peacecorp. Back then it was common to have magical dampeners so the offenders couldn't run off.
Two the right.
But this was the one reserved for the worst of them. Runes were inscribed for magical inhibition and any extra sensory talents. Effectively rendering the prisoner unable to use any and all magic, dulling his or her senses down, so all they were was a half blind, deaf and weak version of themselves.
But during the almost 50 years of captivity, Bena had worked in the wee hours of the night; strengthening her body and senses preparing herself for the chance to escape. During those years she had watched as the world slowly died and beasts roamed and killed indiscriminatly without any magical being to guide and keep them. Men killed any with even a hint of magic or special ability. Now all that was left was a nomad or two that survived on the Plains and Seas. There was also the city where she had escaped from; Knochen.
Another three to the left a push up and-
(Ka-chink.)
Bena's whole body trembled in anticipation as she grasped the collar on either side of the key and pulled.
It popped open while several symbols glowed once, then disappeared. The Magess sank to her knees sobbing in relief and joy. Almost half a century of torture; of helplessness..
So many pain filled years and now... Freedom.
It starts out slow; the return of power barely noticeable until the night's noise becomes a battle of sound in Bena's ears and her eyes start to sting from the light now pervading her sight.
A power long denied rushed through the Bena's body, making her gasp through the tears then scream to the skys as bones vanished and regrew, skin tearing open then knitting back together and Magik screamed down newly regrown and opened pathways. The withheld Magik adding to her body's strength and gifting her with abilities she would not discover till later.
What seemed like an eternity of pain was only a few short minutes as light danced all around her kneeling, screaming form, zapping in and out before dying down leaving a whole and healthy Magess.
Bena fell over from her kneeling position gasping for air; Magik having been the only thing holding her up during the ordeal. Her whole body ached and trembled with phantom pains, even that was fast disapearing in the realization of her magic finally back where it belonged.
A grin spread across her face even as she lay there. Her magic was back. Her magic was BACK!
A loud whoop sounded across the plains; scaring some of the crows that had been circling. Bena was up in a flash and started dancing around; her dreadlocked hair flying about her shoulders as she whirled in circles, laughing and chanting.
"It's back, it's back, it's back. IT'S BACCKKKKK!" This continued for a good ten minutes before her foot hit the collar
A fireball suddenly hit the collar; making it glow white hit before giving a shriek and melting into the ground. Bena glared at it then looked around at the bodys. This would be messy.
She smirked. What better way to clean up; then to use her magic for it.
The Magess threw her arms out and from her body burst a wall of fire, devouring all in it's path. It completely immolated the body's and weapons, leaving nothing but ash and puddles of metal. The fire then dissapated as soon as it had come.
Bena smiled, though this was a more sinister and bloodthirsty one. She murmered to herself while watching the sun set.
"Prepare yourself Meister. Vengance is coming."
(Author's Notes)
Q: Bena's Age?
A: I've mapped out a timeline and after the arrival her age will be around four-and-a-half centuries old. Not to old not to young.
Middle Earth arrival- The year will be 2928; a couple years after Bungo, Bilbo's father dies. Bilbo will be 36 years old; orginally Belladonna die's in 2934, but i've decided to let her live. (I took these date's from LOTR Wikia.)
I've decided Bena's spellword's will mainly German maybe some other one's thrown in later because of the next chapter.
Please remember that this AU in some part's as far as who die's and who doesn't.
I could really use a beta who is knowledgeable about the varius subject's of Middle earth and another who could check my grammer and writing for any mistakes.
The pairing has not been decided yet but it won't be Legolas, Thranduil, Thorin, or the two nephew's. I kinda would like to do Bard but for now I'll stick with a non-pairing.
As of August 20th and October 16th I have re-edited this story and thrown in more backstory for Bena. Hope you like it.