Yes, another story. I had a plotbunny. I will get on to my other ones, but I feel a need to start this one. I hope it has the originality that some other similar stories lack. Please read and review!
J.R.R. Tolkien owns all of Middle-earth. I've taken quotes from the movie, and those belong to Peter Jackson. The Draenei and Centaurs I've taken from World of Warcraft, so they belong to Blizzard. I've just plucked those races and put them in a different setting, so no other WoW events will be in here. Note that I haven't even played the game anyway. The Drows are based on the ones from Dungeons & Dragons. Atarimae, Slyan, and other characters you don't recognize belong to me.
The Draenei will be sort of Japanese with architecture and clothing and stuff, the Drow will be more Indian (from India, not America), and the Centaurs will be like Vikings. And Draenei is pronounced DRAN-eye. The fairies will be sort of like the Roma people (otherwise known as Gypsies).
A Tale of Thirteen
Chapter 1- The Council of Elrond
Atarimae had been in Rivendell for 2 hours, but it seemed a bit longer. The Council of Elrond was set to start soon, but the Centaurs and perhaps some others had not yet arrived. Atarimae snorted and rolled her eyes. Centaurs, honestly... Atarimae was a Draenei, a race unique in appearance. This particular one had blue skin, glowing whiteish eyes, and horns curling around her head. All Draenei also had horse-like feet, furry and hooved (Atari's fur was gray), but only from the knee down. Draenei also had long, muscular, lizard-like tails. She was garbed in a beautiful Elf dress, generously given to her by Elrond after her arduous journey. Her clothes were in desperate need of a washing, and her armor needed to be repaired. Her hair was black and pulled into a thick long braid that reached her rear. Her mount, a creature called an elekk, was in the stables, though no one was quite sure what to make of him. He was about the size of a large horse, and was strikingly similar to an elephant, though he was a little smaller and he had huge tusks and horns coming out of his head. His name was Akane.
Draenei had never been official enemies with the Centaur, though they held a mutual disdain for each other that surfaced whenever possible. The Draenei considered Centaurs to be nothing more than stupid creatures that should be avoided, not because they were dangerous, but because they were uncivilized. Centaurs, in turn, thought that Draenei were nothing more than snobby freaks that sat in their little pagodas and looked down at the commoners.
Atarimae turned around when she heard a presence behind her. "My lady," a slightly unnerved she-Elf said, "it is time for the Council." Atarimae smiled and followed the Elf to the designated spot. She was not surprised that so many were in attendance. This was a matter of epic proportions that concerned all races of Middle-earth. Most races were in attendance- Dwarves, Elves, Hobbits, Men. The two Centaurs were there also, and they both glared at Atarimae, who glared fiercely in return. Atarimae sat down in the seat farthest from the Centaurs.
The centaurs were both male and both were the most muscular males in the room. They both had thin brown fur on their upper bodies. Their lower bodies were those of horses, with impossibly large hooves. Their lower body fur color was dark brown, and it was very thick. On their chests were white tattoos, and they were both wearing large bracers with spikes on them. They both had black hair in their head drawn into high ponytail. They had earrings on their ears (which were a bit droopy). They both had rather large nostrils and hardened faces with a few scars.
Impatience swelled inside Atarimae as she waited for Elrond. She even resorted to tapping her tail. She stopped when she heard the sound of high-heeled footsteps. When the figure revealed herself, Atarimae raised her eyebrows. The figure was Slyan Elemmiire, a Drow. Her skin was black as night. Her hair was white as snow, and fell loose and messy past her shoulders. But her eyes may have been her most striking feature. They were dark violet and seemed to grow with an inner light. Her ears were also pointed like an Elf's, but a little bit pointier. She also was wearing an Elven dress similar to Atarimae's.
Slyan didn't want to be here. She would have no qualms with making an alliance with the Dark Lord himself to save her own race, and myself of course. The other races be damned. They oppressed their women too much. The Draenei were the only other tolerable race. She glared as the Elves in the circle stood up.
"What is THAT doing here?" one of the Elves next to Prince Leg-something-or-other said.
"I am your better, so you should speak to me with respect, Elf," Slyan said arrogantly.
"Excuse me, Drow? You should have stayed in your musty old cave! No one wants you here!" Legolas yelled.
"Mir dosst ooble' , Darthirii!" Slyan said in her native tongue. She jumped as a loud voice boomed.
"Quit your arguing!" the Wizard, Gandalf, told them. They didn't listen as the Men rolled their eyes.
"Sit down, all of you. This is a serious council, and I'll not have your foolishness ruin it!" Lord Elrond yelled at them. Slyan immediately silenced herself and sat down. The Elves were another story.
"But my Lord Elrond, she cannot be trusted. Drows are despicable, barbaric creatures that live to kill, and take what isn't theirs!" Legolas said angrily. Elrond looked at him with a hard look on his face.
"That is not the point!" the Ranger said. "We are here not separate, but equal! We must get past our differences so we may be allies in the fight against Sauron! Only together will we prevail!"
Slyan rolled her eye. It was a romantic notion, but almost impossible to put into action. The races putting aside their differences and actually cooperating was like thinking the Ainur would come down and actually do something. It seemed that Legolas cared for the opinions of the Ranger, and he and his companions sat down.
A Centaur smirked and muttered, "About time..." Slyan turned towards him, smirked, and snapped her fingers.
The Man, Boromir, turned and said, "Is something burning?"
The smaller centaur looked at his leader and exclaimed, "You're on fire!" Both centaurs freaked a little bit and scrambled the put out the fire with their hands. When it was out, they both looked at Slyan.
"Sorcery!" the leader, Barak Kodobane, exclaimed.
"Drows are gifted with a natural affinity with fire. It bends to our command," Slyan smirked at Barak.
"Ar you quite finished?" Lord Elrond asked. Barak grumbled something but calmed down and paid attention to Lord Elrond. With that, Lord Elrond began.
"Strangers fr-"
"Wait for me!" Elrond halted at a small, squeaky voice. They all turned around as a small figure flew out of the trees and sat down on the only empty chair, breathing heavily. Thing was, the creature was only about a foot tall.
"So good of you to join us, Annamaria," Elrond said to the fairy, smiling a bit.
"Sorry, Elrond. I ran into a tree on the way here," Annamaria told him, giggling. Annamaria had brown skin and dark brown eyes. Her ears were 3 inches long, big in proportion to her body. They stuck out sideways and a bit upwards from her head. They were very pointed, and had large loop earrings in them. On her back were 4 small, iridescent wings that shimmered green. Her clothes were a bit tattered, but still in very good condition. She wore a soft cream colored shirt under a brown corset, with red frills at the top of the shirt. On her hands were brown gloves that went past her wrists a little bit. She had on a light brown skirt that went to a little above her knees, with brown and green embroidery above red frills at the bottom. Over the skirt on the top was a large black belt. Annamaria wore large, black, lace-up boots that went a bit below her knee. Finally, on her head, was a brown bandanna that covered her head, but not her hair, which was brown and tied into two fluffy pigtails.
The Dwarves sputtered. "A fairy? A fairy would dare show itself in the presence of a Dwarf?" Gloin sounded outraged and surprised at the same time. He got out his ax and prepared to swing. Then, Elrond grabbed Gloin's wrist.
"What is the meaning of this?" Elrond asked.
"Fairies are horrible creatures! They delight in playing foul tricks, and stealing all the Dwarves' shiny treasures!" Gimli, Son of Gloin, said. He said the last part a bit sadly. "They are evil tricksters!"
Annamaria smirked a little bit as Elrond spoke, "Have you not listened to anything that has been said? We must get past our differences or Sauron will crush us!" The Dwarves sat down, though a bit hesitantly. Elrond began his little speech again.
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old, you've been summoned her to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. Each race is bound to the fate, this one doom," Elrond said forcefully. He looked toward the Hobbit sitting next to the Wizard. "Bring forth the Ring, Frodo."
The young Hobbit hesitantly walked toward the stone column and placed the Ring on it. "So it is true..." Boromir said to himself. Frodo walked back and sat down next to the Wizard. Almost immediately, all could hear a hushed whisper coming from the Ring. Some even looked around to see where it was coming from. It stopped, and Boromir stood up.
"In a dream," he started, "I saw the eastern sky grow dark, but in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying, 'Your doom is near at hand. Isildur's Ban is found..." He reached toward the Ring, his face blank. All looked a bit uneasy. "Isildur's Bane..."
"Boromir!" Elrond cried. Slyan quickly started the arm of Boromir's shirt on fire. This snapped him out of it a bit, but then Gandalf stood up and began speaking in a language none could understand. But they all understood something- that language was evil. All of Imladris grew dark, and Elrond put his hand up to his face in agitation. Gimli grabbed for his ax. Legolas looked decidedly queasy. Boromir looked around wildly, the fire on his sleeve put out, and sat back down, surprised. Frodo looked in awe and fear at the scene before him.
"Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris," Elrond told Gandalf.
"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond, for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West. The Ring is altogether evil," Gandalf responded, his voice a bit hoarse. Boromir shook his head and smiled.
"It is a gift," he told them, "A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring? Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe!Give Gonfor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!" By this time, the Ranger was looking rather agitated.
"You cannot wield it. None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master!" the Ranger said. Boromir looked at him with contempt.
"And what would a Ranger know of this matter?" Boromir questioned.
Legolas stood up. "This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."
Boromir turned around in awe. "Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?"
"And heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas told him.
Oooh, heeheeheehee. This is getting good, Annamaria thought, and giggled.
Boromir looked at Legonas, then at Aragorn. "Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king," he spat with contempt.
"Havo dad, Legolas," Aragorn told him. Legolas did as he was bid.
"Yes it does. Your father, the Steward, is just that- a Steward. The people need a king to give them hope, and to lead them. All your father will lead them to is death," the Draenei, Atarimae, said.
Boromir glared at her. "How dare you-"
"SILENCE!" Elrond shouted. "This is not the time!"
"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it," Gandalf said. Elrond stood up.
"You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed," Elrond said. Most of those present looked a bit uneasy. Frodo glanced at the Ring.
Gimli stood up and grabbed his ax. "What are we waiting for?" the Dwarf said as he swung his ax toward the Ring.
Slyan exclaimed, "No!" But it was too late. Gimli's ax shattered into bits, and he fell back. Frodo jumped and acted as if his head was on fire.
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Gloin, by any craft that we here possess," Elrond said. "The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this," Elrond concluded. No one volunteered.
Atarimae snorted. "Good luck with that," she said snarkily. Elrond turned to look at her and his eyes practically screamed, Can it, beotch.
"One does not simply walk into Mordor," Boromir piped up after his silence. "Its Black Gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The Great Eye is ever-watchful. It is a barren wasteland riddled with fire, and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with 10,000 men could you do this. It is folly." Boromir concluded his mini-rant.
Legolas stood up. "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond just said? The Ring must be destroyed!"
"And I suppose you thing you are the one to do it!" Gimli bellowed.
"And if we fail what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!" Boromir asked.
"Well, we're obviously all doomed, aren't we?" Annamaria quipped only half-jokingly.
"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an elf!" Gimli hollered as he stood up.
"Ji tlu ol, Hargluk!" Slyan yelled at him back.
"Quit speaking in tongues, you witch!" Gimli looked about ready to throw his other ax at her. Pretty soon almost everyone was up and yelling at each other.
Frodo then started to look more uncomfortable than ever, and he was fidgeting an awful lot. Atarimae didn't fail to notice this. "I will take it!" Frodo yelled. He couldn't be heard over all the arguing. Barak arched his back and let out a loud, inhuman bellow that probably could have been heard for miled. The birds darted out the trees as fast as their little birdie wings would allow. All quieted instantly and looked at the Centaur.
"The Halfling speaks," Barak said simply. Frodo looked at him with gratitude, and a little fear.
"I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though... I do not know the way" he said a bit shyly. Gandalf had a resigned look on his face, as if he had been expecting and both fearing this moment.
"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear," Galdalf told Frodo. Aragorn stood up and walked to Frodo.
"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword," Aragorn said as he bowed before Frodo.
"And you have my bow," Legolas said valiantly.
"And my ax," said the Dwarf. The Fairy fluttered and landed atop Legolas' head.
"And my fluttery wingies!" Annamaria said. Legolas batter her off his head and she stuck her ongue out at him.
"As well as my naginata," Atarimae said. Most of those present looked at her as if she had grown another head. "It's similar to a spear..." they all nodded in understanding. "Loosely..." Atari muttered.
"And my staff," Barak said as he went to Frodo's side. They all looked at Slyan.
"What, now? I'm volunteering for some suicide mission! No way!" Slyan said. Elrond came up to her and whispered in her ear. Slyan paled considerably. "My whip, too," she said angrily. She then started muttering about evil half-Elves and their meddling ways. Elrond looked quite pleased with himself.
"What use is a Fairy on a quest such as this?" Boromir questioned angrily. "And a she-child at that. She cannot be any older than twelve!"
Annamaria faintly glowed red in her anger. She flew right over to Boromir and hovered so her head was equal with his eyes. "For you information, little mister, I am old enough to be you great great grandmother! And I am an Earth Fairy, therefore I can bid all manner of greenery to do my will, which make me a wee bit more useful than your little stick!" She kicked his nose and sat atop Frodo's head (he was a bit surprised).
Elrond smiled at her. "True as that may be, to the other Fairies you are the equivalent of 12 in mortal years. And you have barely started training with your talents, correct? And while we're on the subject, why did the Queen send you?"
Annamaria glared at him. "Because she really doesn't care what happens to any of the other races. They aren't her jurisdiction."
Boromir strode up to Frodo. "You carry the fates of us all, little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."
Just then, everyone heard a rustling sound coming from some nearby shrubbery. Then a rather chubby Hobbit ran out and stood beside Frodo.
"Mr. Frodo isn't going anywhere without me!" he said.
"No, indeed it is hard to separate you, even when he is summoned to a secret Council and you are not," Lord Elrond said, clearly amused. At that time, two more Hobbits ran out into the bunch from behind a couple stone arches.
"We're coming too!" one of them exclaimed."You'll need to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!"
"Besides, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission. Quest. Thing." the smaller one said. Gandalf looked at them amusedly.
"Well that rules you out, Pip," the other whispered to him, though those present could clearly hear it. Elrond looked upon them all.
"Thirteen companions," the Elf lord said, "You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring." Overall, it was an epic, golden moment. The kind you real about in tales of... epic, goldenness.
"Great!" Where are we going?"
Blech A little over 6 pages. My longest chappie ever! You peeps better be happy! Read and Review, please. I'm not the type of person to say, "I won't post the next chapter until I get 15 reviews!", because I think you should write because you love it, not because of other people. But, BTW, reviews are great motivators...
Mir dosst ooble', Darthirii-
Ji tlu ol, Hargluk- So be it, Dwarf
