A coming darkness threatens the lands of Middle-Earth, two deadly fronts that would soon collide in a deadly match to determine who is stronger enough to rule Middle-Earth. Sauron is getting ready, his army is almost close of completion and once he is ready, the Witch King shall send his army to face the Forsaken and Gondor is going to be part of it.
Not just the Witch King is ready for a full frontal assault, a quick rise of power is rising inside Isengard as an army of Uruk-Hai is ready to launch an attack against the men of Rohan. King Théoden is force to abandon his home and take refuge with his people into Helm's Deep, the only stronghold that could stand a chance against Isengard, but the cost of defending this place is a risky gamble. However, not just the forces of men are ready to stand against Isengard, help came to assist from Elrond and Galadriel to send a small army of elves to help reinforce Helm's Deep. Haldir takes the command of the elves of this operation, they go through the enemy lines and are on their way to Helm's Deep to join a fellow elven friend and the future King of Gondor.
While this invasion is underway, three other elves who are part of this are no longer here and are off in Rivendell. Vereesa and Lor'themar stays in Rivendell, organising a strike force to help Glorfindel on a strike against the orcs in Arnor, but after what has been happening inside Northrend, things have begun to change.
Arthas Menethil has begun his fight against Agandaur who is waiting for him somewhere in the north, massing an army of orcs on an invasion against the men of Vrykul. Agandaur faces the civilisation of the Vrykul by attacking their borders and trying to claim something that is hidden in Northrend. Arthas plans to find what he is looking for, but first, he takes his forces somewhere in the north and attacks a checkpoint area.
Arthas and his undead warriors battle against the orcs in the snowy fields, he fights through this checkpoint until his side is left standing and once they are all dead around him, he begins raising them back up to join his side. All came back from the dead except for one who survives thanks to Arthas, but only because he wants information regarding Agandaur and his plan in the north.
"What is Agandaur planning?" Arthas asks the captain while keeping his right hand over the side of his face "Tell me his plans. Now!"
The captain responds, but struggles to answer his question "He's… Searching… For something… Deep in Northrend…"
"What is it?"
"A… Dragon..."
"Dragon? There aren't any more dragons in Middle-Earth."
"Agandaur has found one…"
Arthas sighs "Guess I don't need you anymore." He moves his hand away and decapitates his head with his sword. He looks back at the orcs that stands near him "We move to the east, get your forces ready to move."
"Yes, master."
While Arthas takes his leaves, he soon stops when hearing the voices of the Nazgul from the power of the ring he wields. He hears them, saying "You cannot hope to maintain the full power of the Dark Lord. You will join us, it is your destiny."
Arthas looks forward and starts walking with the others, but ignoring them is not going to maintain the dark powers that flows through his body. His appearance has already been consume in darkness, seeing his armour, his cape and hair changing to a darker look the more he wields or use the power of the ring.
In the eastern lands of the Vrykul, the enemy has launch a siege against Drak'Tharon Keep in the Grizzly Hills. The Vrykul have held onto this fortress for a few days now since Agandaur and his army came through the borders, attacking the lands and sending most of his forces to this keep. The one in charge, named Brita, stands alongside her archers on the wall, firing her arrows down at the orcs as they come storming the steps and entering the interior. She and her archers on the wall drew their swords and began moving inside, joining the others on defending the interior against the orcs.
Outside of the keep, Agandaur and a few captains stands beside him on mounts, having Agandaur the only one with a horse while the other captains are on wolves. They watch the army storm the keep while another piece of his army was moving off elsewhere, attacking the Grizzly Hills and invading other settlements nearby.
As the fight continues, a horn goes off from somewhere else, coming from behind Agandaur and his forces. When they look back, they see another army charging towards them, under the command of Arthas who has come for Agandaur.
"Go and bring me his head." Agandaur said when staring towards Arthas
"Finally." One of the captains said and rides out on his Caragor with the other two towards Arthas and his army.
The back end of the Orc army turns around to face against this rampaging force that comes running straight at them. Most of the orcs turn around to face Arthas while the rest continues the attack to push through, but with the army splitting in two, this may become a serious mistake on both fronts.
Arthas charges in with his army at the front, clashing through the army of orcs, fighting alongside his once enemy, but now he fights with them as weapons of war against the real enemy. He fights his way through till the end, eventually coming across a captain who calls out to Arthas.
"Hey dimwit! If I see my Blood-Brother brought from the dead to serve you. I am going to lose it!" This captain roars then draws out a poisonous spear and throws it towards Arthas.
Arthas blocks the spear with his sword and starts moving through the gaps in the battle to reach this Uruk captain. This captain threw a few more arrows, but misses Arthas and was force to change weapons to a poisonous sword to clash against Arthas' sword. Arthas battles on with this captain for a time, but once he was badly hurt with Arthas' serious attack through the chest with his sword, he was close of losing, but somehow, he had more strength to continue the fight with Arthas for a while longer.
Meanwhile, Agandaur watches the battle from where he is by himself, but he turns his attention to the left when an Uruk on a wolf approaches him. "Milord!" The Uruk shouts out to him "We've found the dead dragon's nest."
Agandaur looks back to the battle then to the Uruk and takes the reins of the horse "Show me."
Arthas finally brings the captain back down to his knees and wraps this up by cleaving him in half through the waist. Once he was dead, he looks to the right and notices his captain was nearby, fighting another captain and not doing so well. This Uruk captain knocks the hurtful captain to the ground, punching him to the face a couple of times and ends it by firing a crossbow at close range through the head. Once he is dead, the Uruk captain turns to Arthas and shouts out to him.
"Man filth! You –" He stops when an Olog-Hai captain interrupts him by swinging a strong mace across the side of this captain, sending him flying to the side and collapsing on top of undead Uruks where they began swinging like crazy until this captain is dead.
"These captains don't shut up!" Said the Olog-Hai captain who looks towards Arthas. He looks out and continues fighting against the others.
Arthas smiles and looks out, quickly blocking an Uruks attack and counters by sending his sword straight through the neck. After it was dead, he quickly begins to raise the dead around him, using the power he has to raise a large handful of dead Uruks that surrounds him. He looks forward and charges forward, fighting against the others that began moving away, preparing to flee into the east through the Grizzly Hills.
The enemy is on the retreat into the Vrykul territory and allowing Arthas' forces to regroup and resurrect the fallen. As for the Uruks that are still inside Drak'Tharon Keep, they still press on while not realising that they have lost backup outside. They only last for a while longer against the Vrykul, knocking them back to a point where they finally lose the fight after Brita kills the captain and brought the attackers to death.
Arthas looks out towards Drak'Tharon with his army behind him, moving over the bodies and killing any survivors that are still alive. While Arthas looks at the keep, an Olog-Hai captain walks up to Arthas and asks "Do we attack the fortress, kill everyone inside?"
Arthas looks back, disgusted at what he heard and responds "No. You take your army and claim Carn Dum." He turns towards the east where the enemy Uruks are fleeing "Leave Agandaur to me."
Agandaur arrives to an icy prison where his servants have already taken care of the Vrykul nearby that tried to stop them. He comes inside the cave, covered in ice and snow and blood that spills over the icy floor. He makes his way through the end of this cave, finding his Uruks who have begun breaking the ice to free the legendary firedrake of Sapphiron. Long ago, this ancient dragon was found by the dwarves in the Second Age, a dragon that has eaten a dwarf king and eaten one of the second rives of the dwarves. This dragon was a target for the dwarves and for the Vrykul as they both work together to bring this dragon down since it has become a threat to both kingdoms. The dwarves manage to bring the dragon down while the Vrykul surrounds it and brought it to defeat, here, they slain the dragon and left its body inside the ice where it remains here for a very long time.
"Sapphiron." Agandaur mutters the name while looking at this icy dragon where half of the body is still lodge inside the ice. He looks at the Uruks "Get this dragon out of the ice, now!"
Agandaur hears a commotion happening behind him and finds two of his dead Uruks laying on the ground with Arthas standing before him, standing there, breathing heavily and cover in the blood of the fallen Uruks.
"Arthas…" Agandaur said when facing him and drawing out his sword "Why do you insist on fighting me? You cannot stop your destiny on becoming a Nazgul and becoming one of them. The ring has already been taken a hold on you, you will submit to the Dark Lord Sauron and when you do, everything you have accomplish will mean nothing. This land and the fallen kingdom of Arnor will fall, just like everything else in Middle-Earth."
Arthas charges and battles against Agandaur in this icy cave while the Uruks continues there job on breaking the ice to free the dragon Sapphiron. In this fight, the two fight an even match against one another for a while, but the two ends up delivering little cuts on their bodies, having Arthas with a cut across his face while Agandaur has a cut on his left arm. The two backs away from one another then attacks each other once more, they continue this way until Agandaur pushes him back and unleashes lightning from his left hand, knocking Arthas off his feet.
Agandaur looks to the Uruks behind him then looks to Arthas and aims his sword at him "Kill him!"
The Uruks turn towards Arthas and drew weapons to attack. Arthas got up and surprises Agandaur by using his wraith powers to appear in front of one of them. He sent his blade straight through one of them then beheads them and does the same thing to the others, using his wraith vanishing powers to slay them at a quick speed like a wraith until there was just him and Agandaur. Once they are down, Agandaur hits him again with a lightning attack from his arm and sends him back onto the floor. He is sent back to the floor and Agandaur attacks while he is down, only to stop when Arthas blocks his sword from touching his body. He kicks Agandaur back then jumps back up and continues the attack, but this time, when Agandaur attacks with that lightning again, Arthas avoids it this time and lands a serious blow against Agandaur. Arthas slices the left arm off of Agandaur and sent his blade straight through the chest of him, bringing him down to his knees and spilling his blood over the icy ground.
"No…" Agandaur mutters "How is this possible? How can you withstand against the Dark Lord?"
"I don't." Arthas responds "Your service to the Dark Lord is no longer required anymore."
"What? How is that –"
Arthas stops him from talking by sending his blade straight through his mouth and go through the other side. He pulls the sword out then beheads him and sent his head rolling onto the floor. After he lays there on the ground, he sighs deeply after the long fight with him, which took him several minutes to kill him. "It is finished." He looks up at the dragon Sapphiron that still remains dead and stuck in the ice, but got the front row seat of this match between the two. Arthas approaches the dragon and places his hand that has the ring on it, onto the dragons head. "We've got work to do."
Elsewhere, tensions grow in Arnor as an army of men of the Dunedain arm themselves for war as the orcs from the north are getting closer of reaching to a limit where they are ready to go to war with Arnor. The defenders have acquire all they could get to organise an army that could stand against them, but it is not enough for the forces of men to fight alone. The elves from the east have already brought as many as they can, but it is not enough to defeat the armies of orcs. However, thanks to Calia Menethil, she returns to Fornost, telling the others that she has the dwarves of the Blue Mountain to join them, joining the forces of men and elves on the defensive in Arnor. The only thing they need now is Arthas to return, but as far as they know, they believe he will return with the army they need, but they have no idea that he will return as an enemy to Middle-Earth.
Back inside Rohan, the Uruk-Hai have overpower the forces of men and elves by driving them back inside the keep of Helms Deep. They have already breach through the walls, slaughtered all of the elves except for Legolas and is so close from breaching through the last gate where Aragorn and Théoden lies, holding off as long as they can until reinforcements arrive. Right now, King Théoden begins to doubt that help is ever coming since he has lost this old fortress to the armies of Isengard.
Meanwhile, in the city of Osgiliath, the forces of Gondor have regain the lost territory from the Forsaken and Varian plans to hold it against any incoming attacks from Mordor. Just as they hold on, they get reinforcements from the Ithilien Rangers and Faramir who has come to deliver Gondor a mighty gift that could help them face the enemy. He came here with two Hobbits and Gollum too, bringing them here to Osgiliath to take the One Ring from Frodo and plan to use it as a weapon against Sauron and Sylvanas.
Varian arrives to Faramir after he found out that he is here, once here, Faramir orders his rangers to fortify the walls and the buildings while he orders some men to watch over the prisoners. He keeps them away from Varian, knowing how he would react if he told him about what the Hobbits hold.
"You three stay here." Faramir said "Don't go anywhere." He turns back and goes to meet with Varian in one of the ruin buildings
Sam looks to Frodo and whispers "Frodo… You have no choice, we can't let these people interfere in our quest."
"Sam… I can't put on the ring." Frodo whispers back to him "If I do…"
"If you don't… Gondor will be destroyed."
"…"
"Faramir." Varian calls to him "How goes the north?"
"It's been quiet, but I have something that needs to come to my father." Faramir says to him
"What is it?"
"I found prisoners that needs to be with my father. I wish to send my father a mighty gift." He turns back towards where Frodo, Sam and Gollum are "A weapon that could change the tide of war."
"Faramir." Varian places his hand over his shoulder, which got him to look back to Varian 'I've heard about your brother. He was a good man."
"I know… I hope this will help my father."
"And maybe more reinforcements." Varian said
"I'll be right back." Faramir turns back and walks to the prisoners.
Varian turns back, but stops and looks back to Faramir who walks away. He looks forward and walks away, leaving the situation to Faramir and the men who are with the prisoners right now.
Sam looks over and notices Faramir walking towards them, he looks back to Frodo, still insist on using the One Ring, but Frodo still declines this offer. Once Faramir arrives, he says to the three "We've took back the city, but the enemy will return. It is time to go on the offensive, starting with the Ring of Power." He looks to the rangers who watch over them "Take them to my father."
Sam quickly protests this order and calls to Faramir as he was about to walk away "You want to know what happen to Boromir?" He asks Faramir, which got him to stop and look back towards him "Do you want to know how he died? He tried to take the ring from Frodo! After swearing an oath to protect him, he tried to kill him. The ring drove your brother mad!"
Faramir was stun at first after hearing this from Sam, hearing that his brother rejects everything he swore to protect and chose the ring over anyone else. But of course, he rejects this, since he knows his brother more than any of them put together.
Before Faramir could respond to this, something else happens when Varian looks up at the sky, hearing the screech of a cry that sounds similar to a Nazgul but from a drake. They could see it, flying towards the city with someone on board, a being they never thought they would ever see make an appearance. The Banshee Queen, Sylvanas, comes forth on this drake, armoured up and ready to let loose a gust of fire upon the men of Gondor. She swoops down over the city, attacking some of the rangers on the buildings with the claws from the drake and sometimes it let loose a gust of fire down onto the streets to burn some of the men.
"Everyone get into cover!" Varian cries out while drawing out his sword and looking up as the drake flies past him and flies over the city
Faramir looks to Frodo and Sam and Gollum, ordering them to stay where they are while he goes out to help fight against Sylvanas and her drake. So far, the rangers are unable to pierce through the armour the drake wears that covers most of its body and was difficult for them to target small spots that could hit the flesh. But as things progress badly for Gondor, things become worse for Frodo because the darkness of the Eye of Sauron, gazed upon this city, almost has its eye upon Frodo.
Frodo falls into a hypnosis as he starts coming out of cover and heads up the steps near him. Sam calls for him, but was getting no response from Frodo and he just keeps walking. Sylvanas did get her eyes upon Frodo, confused when seeing a little Hobbit, so far away from his home and is all the way out here on the battlefield. She flies closer to investigate and when she gets closer, Frodo stands on the middle of this bridge, lending his hand up to show to her the One Ring that she always dream she would want to see. Her eyes widen when she flies closer to Frodo, stunned at this discovery as she have never thought she would ever find the One Ring, and now it is right here, right in front of her that is right for the taking.
"I've never thought I would gaze upon the One Ring." Sylvanas speaks out while lending her right hand out to Frodo and shows him the bright blue light of the power of her New Ring. She smiles to Frodo "We both want the same thing, don't we? To destroy an enemy who has been intimidating us for the last time. Give me the ring, and I will destroy Sauron."
Frodo remains silent while still in a stasis right now. He closes his eyes while moving his hand closer to the ring to put it on, but Sylvanas sends her drake to come closer to him to grab him by the claws of the drake. Just as things are about to end in a close, Sam comes to the scene and saves the day when he grabs Frodo, stopping him from putting on the ring. The drake misses the target and just when the two Hobbits are on the ground, Faramir fires an arrow and manage to hit an open area to hit the flesh of the drake. Sylvanas loses control and flies back, quickly flying back while letting off a banshee scream at whoever shot her pet drake.
Varian shouts out the words "Fire!" Then a barrage of arrows came flying over his head and attacks the drake, forcing Sylvanas to withdraw from Osgiliath, but even though she could still fight, she decides to retreat.
Sylvanas retreats and gives Gondor the victory they desire, but as she flies back to Mordor, her face was still smiling, because she now knows where the One Ring is. Once she returns to Mordor, she has all the reasons she needs to begin her final plan to unleash her wrath upon the forces of Gondor and take the One Ring for her own.
Meanwhile, Frodo falls off the bridge and down the stairs with Sam, but just when they fall to the bottom, Frodo draws out his sword, getting on top of Sam and held his blade against his neck. The two Hobbits pause in this position with Frodo aiming his sword to his friend while Sam remains there, petrified and scarce.
"It's me…" Sam responds to him "It's your Sam. Don't you know your Sam?"
Frodo finally comes back into reality and realises what he is doing. He moves off of Sam, dropping his weapon onto the floor and sits back against the stone wall behind him. He starts panting as he sits back against the wall, feeling confuse as he forgets why they are here. "I can't do this, Sam." He shakes his head slightly
"I know…" Sam slowly gets back up off the ground "It's all wrong. By rights, we shouldn't even be here." He looks to Frodo then looks out at the view of the city and straight to the mountains where the lands of Mordor lies. "But we are… It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't even want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing this shadow is… Even darkness must pass and a new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo that I do understand, I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, but they didn't, they kept going because they were holding onto something.
"What are we holding onto, Sam?"
Sam looks to Frodo and grabs him to help him up off the floor so he could say these words to him face to face "That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it's worth fighting for."
Faramir stands nearby and heard that speech, which made him think for himself and not for the lust for power of any man who comes close to the One Ring. He comes over to Frodo and Sam, he crouches down in front of them and says to them "I think at last we understand one another, Frodo Baggins."
"You know the laws of our country." Said one of the men "The laws of your father. If you let them go, your life is forfeit."
Faramir looks to his friend who looks grief in his face and responds "Then it is forfeit." He then looks back to Frodo and Sam "Release the prisoners."
Meanwhile, after the Battle of Helm's Deep was over thanks to Gandalf who brought the armies of Rohan down upon the armies of the Uruk-Hai. Thanks to this victory for Rohan and the defeat of Saruman the White, they now could look upon what is ahead of them where the real darkness is rising inside Mordor.
"The Banshee Queen's wrath will be terrible, her retribution swift for Sauron and anyone who is against her." Gandalf says to the others while looking out at the horizon in the far distance where they could see the rumbling of the volcano of Mount Doom. They could see the darkness growing inside Mordor, an army ready to declare war on Sauron and everyone else. "The Battle for Helm's Deep is over. The battle for Middle-Earth is about to begin."
Inside the darkness of Mordor, Sylvanas returns where she takes control of her armies and calls upon her loyal elf friend Alistra who was waiting for her. After she lands her drake and gets off, she walks off with Alistra to follow her by her side.
"I want you to call off the attack on Nurnen." Sylvanas said while she keeps walking and looking forward
"Were not going to take back what we lost?" Alistra asks
"It doesn't matter anymore." Sylvanas stops and looks to her "We don't need it anymore. They can't do anything to us anymore. I have what I desire and what I desire is in Gondor." She looks forward and starts walking "I want everyone ready."
"Everyone?" Alistra looks to her
"Yes! I want the full house to destroy Gondor and anyone who ever gets in my way." Sylvanas stops when looking up at the sky when seeing the Balrog of Tar-Goroth flying over the sky and comes landing down right in front of her. She only took a step and lost her hood when the Balrog causes a tremor and a gust of smoke that surrounds the area. She smiles to the Balrog and responds "Let's get to work."