Chapter 1:Imladris, TA 1999:
Lord Elrond was in his hall when he saw that a group of envoys from Numenor has arrived. Twelve men cladded in armor which was coloured in sliver approached him. The Lord of Rivendell had not been expecting visitors but here they were with a letter for him. "Lord Elrond!" said one of the men as he approached with a letter in his hand. He stretched out his arms towards Elrond, bowed his head in respect and handed it to him. "A letter from his Majesty Alaric." He continued. Elrond was not sure what to make of this for he had been paying regualr tribute annualy to the Numenoreans in return for their protection. "What is it now? " A thought ran through his mind. "What does the letter say?" Elrond asked the man who handed him. "That, I do not know sir but we came to deliver what we had to." He replied and the man gestured towards his comrades and all twelve of them bowed farewell to Elrond and left. They did not wish to stay and rest even for one night despite Elrond offering them to. Elrond then headed towards the balcony where he opened the letter and to this surprise, It was a letter of invitation, Inviting him and his family to the coronation of Prince Philip. "Philip is ready to become a King now, Last I saw him, He could not weild a sword. How times change... " He thought as he stood there on the balcony looking down at the scenic beauty of the valley.
At the same time, Elariel approached her father who was at the balcony. "What are you thinking father?" She asked as she laid her head on his shoulders and wrapped one of her arms around his waist. "Nothing my dear, Just enjoying the view." He replied with a smile. Elariel was a beautiful girl. She had the silver hair of her mother which always reminded him of his wife. Elariel's eyes are what made her stand out as her blue eyes are among the most beautiful among Elves. Those who look at it say it reminds them of the ocean. Her sharp jawline and cheekbones also stands out, Making even her older sister, Arwen, jealous of her looks. As the evening sun was coming down, Father and daughter stood there on the balcony watching the sunset. "Do you wish to come with me to Philip's coronation?" Elrond asked his daughter. "Philip?" Elariel suddenly unwrapped her arms and her eyes were widened in disbelief. "Really? Philip?" She asked again. Elrond nodded at his daughter. "Of course I will, Philip is a friend of mine." She said as she drowned herself in the sunset.
Laugaricio, Byzantium, TA 1999:
The Byzantine Empire faced a crisis 10 years ago which saw massive hordes of barbarians pouring into the Empire's borders which saw it's almost total collapse. For a time, It seemed the Comitates of the Empire would not be able to stand against the invading barbarians but they managed to do just that. The Comitates liberated several cities near the border and have prevented the invaders from reaching into the heartland, Buying enough time for the Empire to muster it's resources and manpower as Byzantium was fighting a war against the Sabites who dwelled north of Byzantium. The invasion saw three cities sacked and burned along the borders which caused great panic and chaos. That too, Happened at a time when Emperor Constans was on his deathbed and the question of Imperial succession loomed large. But as fate would have it, It was Valerian, A cousin of Constans who would be named by Constans to take the throne as he had no living heir. Valerian is a skilled veteran and an experienced administrator. At 17, He served in the army and climed up the ranks and was given power to command an entire army divison. The 10th Comitates, This unit of 30,000 men was battle hardened and was awarded with numerous battle honours during his time in command. After serving in the army, He was appointed to the position of the Prefect of Constantinople, Where he gained his administrative experience. He was no stranger. After assuming the Imperial title of "Flavius Valerian Augustus". He set out on his duty, Mustering even the reserve divisions of the army to put an end to the crisis. Soon, Byzantine soldiers were on every part of the border and now only one stronghold stands on the way and the promise of peace is near. The city of Laugaricio.
The Byzantine army was now at the gates of Laugaricio. They surrounded the city and began making plans for a siege. The army was led by Octavian, The only child of Valerian and the heir to the throne of Byzantium. Octavian arrived at the head of 3 Comitates divisons with 90,000 men under his command. He knew despite his superiority in numbers, The city was heavily fortified for it was a Byzantine city and it fell unexpectedly to the barbarians during the crisis. It had been out of their control for 2 years now and it was time to put it to an end. With over 500,000 inhabitants, The question was how?
Octavian soon began ordering the construction of a wall of circumvulation around the cutting the city off. It took a week to complete and despite the harrasment from the defenders with stones and arrows, The wall was complete. Octavians siege engines were ready to fire but he was in a dilemma as to wether he should destroy the city or not. The city after all was a Byzantine city and it's population mainly Byzantines and Elves. The barbarians' 2 years in control has been a reign of terror as horrible things have happened to the population. Countless atrocities were committed and many women were dishonored. Octavian at first was willing to offer amnesty if the barbarians surrendered without a fight but with what they have done to the population, He removed the thought of amnesty and gave the order to fire. Soon, Flaming bolts and explosive stones were hurled at the walls from the catapults. The defenders stood no chance. They could not defend from the walls for the Byzantines would not approach unless a part of the wall is breached. For three days, The bombardment continued and soon, The walls were breached. Comitates began pouring through the streets and the streets were a bloodbath. Even Octaivius could not control his soldiers for his soldiers were hungry for revenge after what these people had done to the Byzantines. Not one barbarian was spared and soon, 40,000 barbarians lay dead. Octavius had achieved victory but the city lay in ruins. The city would be rebuilt again but for now, It's inhabitants will be given a place to stay in cities in the heartland of the Empire. During the 2 year reign of terror, The Byzantines learnt that a particular terrible tragedy had occurred, Eleven women were dishonored and sold to other barbarians. Though many managed to hide in the tunnels, Those unlucky were left to the mercy of the Gods.
Constantinople, TA 1999:
As Octavian made his way back to Constantinople, The news of his victory reached before him and he was given an apllause from it's inhabitants as he entered the gates of Constantinople. Flowers were thrown at him and cheers from all parts of the city were heard. He simply sat on his horse and admired things around him as he rode to the palace. Constantinople is a beautiful city. It is often referred to as the jewel on the Bosphorus as it sat on the Bosphorus strait. The city is built in marble and stone and columns can be seen everywhere in the city. It's golden domes were an architectural sensation to an outsider. The beauty of Constantinople was rivalled only by that of Ravenna, The capital of Nilfgaard on the banks of the river Alba. The city of Golden Towers as it is widely known is an Elven city inherited by the Nilfgaardians who built on it and whose beauty still radiates well into the Third Age.
"Finally we have peace!" Octavian announced as he walked into the hall of the palace. "We heard. Congratulations, You make us all proud and the people love you even more." Irene, Empress of the Byzantines and mother to Octavian said as he approached him. Irene placed her palm on Octavian's cheeks and looked at him straight in the eyes before kissing his forehead. "You are as handsome as you are brilliant." She said slowly. Indeed, Octavian was a handsome boy, He had clear, bright eyes, His hair was slightly curly and inclined to golden; His eyebrows met. His ears were of moderate size, and his nose projected a little at the top and then bent ever so slightly inward. His complexion was between dark and fair and his jawline was sharp and strong. "I'm proud of you, Octavius." She continued and brushed his hair before making her way. Octavian stood there in silence and smiled at himself for he has indeed brought peace to the Empire again.
Somewhere in Middle-Earth, TA 1999:"Our time will come again... " A voice came from the shadows. He was no man but a goblin? A shaman? An Orc? Zeno cannot make out for he was hooded and in the shadows.
"What do you mean by that? Do you mean Sauron will rise again?" Xeno asked raising his voice at the shadows. "If so, Tell me, When is he making his return."
"Ooooo... Hahahahahaha! The man wants to know hahahahaaha!" The hooded figure gave out an eerie laugh."That will come my friend, And when he does come, No one can stop us. Not even the world's greatest powers."
The Grey Havens, TA 1999:"Here we are. Middle-Earth. Who would've thought we would be travelling across the sea to a new continent when we joined the army?" Kylian looked across from the deck of the ship towards the Elven city.
"I know, Right? But I heard the Elves of Middle-Earth are different to the ones we see on the Continent. And so far, I noticed the difference in architecture. Look at those arches." Arzes said as he joined Kylian looking towards the city. Kylian turned his head towards Arzes "Where's Aldirn?" Kylian raised his eyebrows. "Sleeping." was the response.
"Middle-Earth, We have arrived." A thought ran on Kylian's mind as a sea of ships with black flags with a golden sun approached the harbors of The Grey Havens. The Nilfgaardians were here to set up an embassy to connect the Continent with Middle-Earth. This was just the beginning.
So this is just the first chapter and it's my first time writing a fanfiction so I hope you enjoyed it. I know many people will be unhappy with the way I've bended the lore but again it's just a fanfiction and this is just what I have imagined. Let me know what you think and criticism is much appreciated. Thank You for reading.