Chapter 19: Deep deep down…

The battle had been a nasty one, long and bloody and victory had been far from certain but the aid from the people of Rohan had turned the tide and the easterlings had been chased off. The realm of Gondor and the newly established Rohan were now in an alliance and it was a good thing for Gondor had been hard pressed of late. It was obvious that the men from the east did hope to conquer it. If they did manage that it would provide a route north and they could attack also other realms. CeKay had been visiting Rohan for a few years, she was in disguise yet again, this time as a rather brusque human woman who did buy and sell horses and she had become rather fascinated by the rich culture she did encounter and their strength and pride. She had visited the area before but now the tribes and clans had sort of merged into a real nation and found that they were strong when they did stand together. Gondor had been through some hard times, a plague had ravaged the lands and the city of Osgilliath had been lost and fallen into ruins. It was no doubt that Sauron was back for good. Mithrandir had come face to face with him at Dol Guldur but he hadn't really been convinced that it was the fallen maia and not some human magician. Now it was no longer any doubt and the elves did often discuss what they were to do if the former lieutenant of Morgoth tried to usurp the power once more.

In Imladris Elrond did submerge himself with work, he couldn't cope with the loss of his wife and CeKay was worried for him. She was also worried for the twins for their rage had not diminished at all, they would slaughter orcs whenever they came across them and CeKay knew that some of the monsters which had been bred in Angmar and Mordor were larger and more intelligent than the ordinary ones. Meeting them in battle could be fatal if one weren't prepared. The valley did receive visitors quite often, and one late autumn evening a group of dwarves did enter the sanctuary. They were weary and had travelled for a long time and they were welcomed by Elrond who hadn't had any contact with the dwarves for quite a while. They knew that the city of Moria had fallen and that a balrog of Morgoth had awakened underneath it and slain the king there. But the dwarves had more news, they did keep to themselves and didn't share information that often but CeKay became rather interested when they spoke of the city of Erebor and the gem found there. The king Thror did believe that it was a sign from the maker that he was meant to rule and the way they described the gem made CeKay wonder what it could be.

It didn't sound like any gemstone she had encountered before and she did play with the idea that it may be a silmaril but Elrond was rather sure that it wasn't. Even if the gem Maedhros did take with him to his fiery death had travelled through the crust of the earth it wouldn't have had time to become trapped in so much solid rock. This had to be something else and CeKay did get an odd feeling when thinking about it. It did sound as if this was something artificial, something with real power. The dwarves would often talk among themselves in their own language and CeKay did understand it, but she didn't reveal that she did. They were worried, the king who had been a very good ruler had started to change. He had become obsessed with riches, with gold and gems and wealth and he didn't spend it at all. He did hoard it and the dwarves did talk about the settlements in the grey mountains and the dragons which had attacked them there.

They did fear that the greed of the king would attract a similar scourge and CeKay was starting to wonder if they had the ability to predict the future for she felt the same. If it really was true that dragons covet gold that was like banging a huge drum, announcing that dinner is ready. CeKay knew that there were dragons around still, most in the north and she was wondering if she should go and do something about it but decided against it. Most of the dragons were just animals, they followed their instincts and she didn't want to cause the eradication of a whole species just because they were a nuisance. She had seen the effect such actions had before and didn't want to cause a potential ecological disaster. She did remember the people of the planet Arabath prime, the place was a wonderful place, a paradise in so many ways but they had one problem and it was a sort of rodent which did follow a strict ten year cycle. Every tenth year the population would explode and there would be rodents everywhere, the damage they did was often catastrophic. So the leaders did start a campaign to get rid of the plague once and for all. People did kill the rodents in every manner possible and within a decade the species was gone. When the population was eradicated they thought that they would have their crops to themselves and avoid stinking carcasses in the wells and rivers. CeKay did know that this mistake had been done other places as well, when one species was removed the whole web which was an ecosystem did collapse. That planet had transformed from a lush paradise to a barren wasteland in less than two generations and the inhabitants had to leave. She knew that the dragons were created by Morgoth, they weren't a natural species but they had sort of become a part of the system and she didn't want to risk anything. So she did bide her time and made sure that she got news from the dwarven realms quite often.

For several centuries thing seemed to be rather peaceful, the easterlings did attack the borders of Gondor and Rohan every now and then but were driven back, the line of kings did continue and CeKay did pay attention to the things which were going on in the realms. She was pleased to find out that the king of Mirkwood was keeping things together admirably, his son was growing and was becoming a very sweet young ellon who did visit Imladris a couple of times. It was on one of those occasions that CeKay did follow the young prince back to the woodland realm, just to see how things were going. She was a part of his guard and tried to act the part but she was curious about the state of the realm. The problems hadn't diminished, the forest was sick and dying and there were spiders everywhere. Big nasty hairy ones which made her skin itch, they simply shouldn't be, it went beyond all natural laws. She had been curious about the so called Arkenstone for a long time now and she did volunteer to deliver a gift from Elrond to the dwarven king. It was a very beautiful glass mosaic which could be used as a window and since she was a female and not one of the elves of the woodland realm she was accepted and allowed to visit.

The city of Erebor was grand indeed, and she did admire the very unique architecture of the dwarves, she knew how they were thinking and managed to charm her way into the society in a way few elves ever had. CeKay was very patient, she had to wait for a couple of days before she was allowed to meet the king and when she finally did she immediately knew that something was off about him. This was a being who was obsessed with something and she could tell from the way his son and grandson did act that they too were worried. And then there was the gem, set into the pillar behind the throne. CeKay had no problem keeping a poker face, she never allowed emotions to overrun her systems and she didn't reveal her shock at all when she first laid eye on the treasure. She had in fact seen things like that before, and she knew what it was too. It was a gemstone, but not a natural one and it was extremely ancient, and not of this earth.

CeKay wondered how it had been possible but there was of course a chance that the ship which brought her to this world wasn't the only one to ever crash there. Or this could be a relic from some ancient accident, a war or a deliberate dumping of a corrupted object. It was a technology which had been abandoned a very long time ago, even the people who had been behind her creation had moved beyond it rather fast but for a while it had been very popular to store energy and information in such large crystals. The downside was that they often were radioactive, or gave off energy waves which could wreak havoc upon sensitive systems. She had no doubt that this thing was responsible for making the king go slowly insane, the energy from it felt just wrong and she knew that she had to investigate this. The king would never allow anybody to touch the gem but she could do it unseen. She did deliver the glass mosaic to a thrilled king who just loved the beautiful artwork and then there was a small banquet which she did thoroughly enjoy. She did exchange some words with the king's son and grandson and felt that they both had more common sense than their sire, he was obviously only interested in increasing the wealth of the realm.

She learned that Erebor for a long time had been a very important part of the trading business of the area, they would exchange their metal work for things made by humans and elves and they did in special need things like fruits and vegetables since they couldn't grow that inside of the mountain. They did also need things like wool and fabrics and lots of barley and wheat for the brewing of ale. And they did also get a lot of honey from local bee keepers. It was a very efficient and well controlled economy and everybody by the Long lake did rely upon each other. But the old pattern was changing, the king wanted riches to pour into the city, and he didn't want anything to leave it. That caused problems since you cannot trade with nothing and many were displeased and afraid that this meant the end of their prosperity. CeKay did learn that many of the female dwarves had been told to give up their jewellery and the gold smiths and gem experts did no longer create things which they could use to get what they needed from the outside world. Now everything went into storage and CeKay did feel the atmosphere within the city and knew that the dwarves were on the verge of rebellion.

That night she sent forth a small cloud of nanites, they flew like dust through the air and reached the throne with little problems. She had programmed them to gather as much information as possible from the gem and when they did return to her in the early hours of the morning she was in for a shock. The gem was really extremely old and it had ended there when this planet was still lifeless. The valar hadn't descended yet and the gem had been a part of a ship ruined by the blast from a supernova. There was some information within it yet, but it was terribly corrupted and also very primitive, she didn't understand much of it but she did realize that it was a thing with a certain flair of malice surrounding it. The energy was indeed dangerous to living beings and even though it wasn't conscious it had been a part of the computer controlling a war ship. It shouldn't be out there on display but CeKay knew that she couldn't convince the king of the folly of having it there. She couldn't steal it, that would trigger a war or worse and she was unable to replicate it. It was simply too unique. The stay within the very hot bowels of the earth had changed it a lot and even with her skills she couldn't recreate the odd glow and the beauty. She could only hope that the king would be able to overcome the effect the gem had on him.

She had to return to the elven stronghold a few days later and she couldn't find any excuse to stay, although she did wish that she could have spent at least a few weeks there. There had been so much to learn and she did find the dwarves to be both hospitable and kind when you knew how to approach them. But that old computer core did worry her, it was like a weight in her mind and she had a sneaking feeling that it would bring misfortune and death. It didn't belong there, simple as that. It was a thing which never should have been unearthed and she was sad that dwarves sometimes dig a bit too deep. She did return to Imladris after a month in the woodland realm and tried to forget about the whole thing but she couldn't.

In Imladris Elrond was busy with his work and Elladan and Elrohir were out with the dunedain rather often now, Glorfindel did sometimes join them and CeKay was impressed by his skills. He was a formidable foe and he would often kill more than twice as many orcs as the twins, even if they also were phenomenal with the blade. There hadn't been any more trouble up north, Angmar was beaten down and the so called witchking was gone, or at least that was what everybody did believe.

In spring they received news that the king of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand had died in the fortress of Helms deep, the dunlendings had put them under siege and the king had frozen to death but his nephew was now the new king and CeKay did hope that the proud people would manage to drive the enemy out of their realm. She wanted to go there but she was needed in Imladris since many came to learn different skills and she was still famous for her woodcarving skills. She didn't want to reveal who and what she was but she knew that Glorfindel was suspicious. He was more than an elf now and he had to feel that she was something else. The leader of the wizards did settle in the old fortress of Orthanc and when Mithrandir did visit he did speak highly of his leader. CeKay did only see him from a distance once when he did visit Imladris and she felt a sort of distaste the moment she laid eyes on him. He was probably very wise and all but she felt that he was pompous and full of himself and too proud of his position as the white wizard. She didn't trust him but kept that to herself. She had seen before that power does corrupt, even those who ought to be above such problems.

Then news came from the woodland realm, the treasure of Erebor had indeed caused a disaster. A dragon had come and the city was abandoned and left for the dragon. The Arkenstone lost and the dwarves were now homeless. Some went for the blue mountains and others were roaming around, in despair and poverty. CeKay was not shocked when she learned that Thranduil hadn't tried to kill the dragon, he knew what a dragon could do and he was a leader. He had to think about the safety of his own people first and foremost and since the dragon already had entered the city it would have been folly to try and fight it. It would just have meant more lives lost for nothing at all and she knew that the dwarves probably felt rather bitter and angry but she could understand his reasons. The dragon had been a massive one, probably one of the many the dark lords had been breeding back in Angband and you would need something very special to be able to fell such a beast. Rumours said that the leader of the humans of Laketown had tried to take the dragon down with a special made arrow but he had failed. CeKay was not surprised, dragons are tough and you have to have some wicked skills to hit a vulnerable point. She was wondering if she should go over there and try to get rid of this flying menace but decided against it. She would have loved the challenge but she felt that it wasn't her job to interfere right now. The king had lost the treasure and perhaps it was for the best? There could be a chance that this would give him his sanity back and return everything to normal and she suspected that the city would be held by that dragon for quite a while.

She did contemplate going over there to see but one day a rumour reached Rivendell and it was one which sent her instincts into overdrive. Some said that the dark servants of Sauron had been seen again and that was bad but a traveller claimed that something way worse was out there too. Something which was hunting in the darkness and threatened to eradicate entire villages. Whatever it was, it was never seen in daylight and both people and animals were found dead. Most believed this to be just nonsense but CeKay felt that there was something to it. Sauron would need all hands on deck if he was to regain his power and if there were former slaves of Morgoth out there this would be the perfect time to summon them. Spreading terror and confusion was after all his favoured method and CeKay did feel that it was well worth checking this out. If people were killed it was serious and she didn't want to allow dark forces to spread. The traveller said that the menace had come from the north whatever it was and so CeKay did leave Imladris one late evening. She did travel as an elf at first, then she changed into a more human appearance and as she passed through villages and farms she got the rumours confirmed. There was something out there and it was obviously feeding on travellers and locals alike. The affected area was not large and it was a very mountainous area near the ettenmoors, with deep valleys and dark woods.

CeKay knew that this was a dangerous mission, she could sense that something was very wrong about the atmosphere there and the few people she did encounter were terrified. Most closed doors and windows when she did pass by and the very nature there spoke of fear and something unnatural. She was rather sure that this was something out of Angband, a survivor or more of the servants of Morgoth and she wondered which one this was. The few people who did dare to speak said that the dead were found ripped apart or drained of blood and CeKay also learned that whatever it was, it was very careful not to be seen. It never attacked when there were several people in a group and it was very swift and silent. CeKay was sure that this was a rogue maia, someone not as powerful as Sauron but bad enough and she realized that the best way to handle this was to present herself as a possible target. She had to grin to herself, whatever it was, it would get the surprise of a lifetime.

The most travelled road there was also the one from which most people had disappeared and CeKay did prepare well. She left the horse she used with a friendly farmer and then she did take the shape of an elderly woman, the type who travels from place to place to beg or tell people their fortune and she made sure to make her own appearance slightly worn and not very attractive. She did also release a small swarm of nanites, they were invisible in the air around her but they would act as an extension of her own power. She set out on the road in the hour after sunset, moving slowly and using a cane. Most travellers would never go alone but she had chosen a look which would look natural for a lone wanderer. Nobody wanted to be associated with a potential witch and CeKay had noticed how superstitious some groups of people had become. It was not a good sign but there was little she could do about it.

CeKay moved along the dark road and it was very quiet there, too quiet. In her systems she had several combat programs stored for many possible types of warfare and this lack of sounds were a clear warning. There should have been night birds, frogs and other creatures and this place was so quiet it was very eerie. CeKay would have felt chills down her back if she had been a biological entity, with natural instincts. As it were she just felt sharpened and ready. She pretended to take a small break, hitched the small bundle of old rags she carried higher onto her back and she caught a whiff of a very unpleasant smell as she turned her head a bit. It did remind her of wet dog, and raw meat and she prepared. She remembered the various creatures of Morgoth and the werewolves were nasty stuff. Not really wolves and not really men but something in between, usually half mad with confusion and agony. The original dark lord had tried to copy Eru, to outdo him but whatever he did create, he could only make copies, mere bleak parodies of the creatures born of Eru's mind.

There was another scent too, of old rotted blood and CeKay knew that she was up against two opponents, not one. She pretended to be walking on, but she prepared underneath the ragged cloak. Her outer layers turned into armour and she was rather sure that light was something these creatures would fail to appreciate. The nanites were prepared as well and CeKay managed to make a very believable scream as she felt something collide with her with considerable force. There was a movement of air and something came from the opposite direction too, large and shapeless in the darkness, like a giant bat, just less substantial. CeKay decided that it was time, something was trying to tear into her, the cloak was rags already but the armour was stronger than any known substance on this world and she hissed as she turned the lights on. The nanites formed a cloud of intense lights, sharp specks of sheer energy which burned like miniature suns and the two attackers did shriek and staggered backwards.

CeKay had seen the infamous Charcharoth, the giant werewolf which had been Sauron's pride and joy, this had to one of his offspring but it was not very impressive. CeKay had seen old wolf pelts worn and eaten by moths which were more imposing. This creature was skinny, looked as if it had severe mange and missed most of its teeth. It did cower, trying to protect its eyes against the light and CeKay felt like laughing. Her right hand did stretch, formed a blade and she decapitated the beast with one blow. It collapsed and she felt that she had done something which was more of an act of mercy than anything else. The other creature had backed off, apparently way more in control of itself than this poor parody of a werewolf. CeKay did transform herself again, now she became very tall, imposing, glowing from within with veils of sheer light dancing around her. To anybody not familiar with her she would appear to be a maia or even a vala and the creature did shriek and sort of shrink. It stared at her and CeKay saw that it was a female. Once upon a time she had to have been wonderfully beautiful, a temptress with skin like milk and lips red as blood. Now she was mere skin and bones and her eyes were sunken and milky white. CeKay had to scoff, the vampire was blind! She had used that poor excuse for a werewolf as a guide dog!

CeKay knew who this was, the words had spread back then and she had heard who the maia had been. An important ally to Sauron, one who probably had hid and laid in hibernation until now. But she wasn't what she had been, time had done its terrible job and Thurinwethil had probably been left with too little power to preserve her form very well. It was a trembling and pathetic creature CeKay was staring at and even though she was strong enough to feed upon humans she would be no match to an elven warrior. CeKay tilted her head, she waited.

The vampire did shiver. "I…I feel you…Who…"

CeKay did feel something akin to pity, this was creature which had chosen evil, who had turned its back to the light and sought darkness and yet it was alive and she could feel the despair and confusion the maia had felt. Falling for sweet promises and lofty visions was easy enough, in special for those who hadn't truly experienced life the way mortals do. CeKay did wrap a cloud of nanites around the maia, it would feel like a welcome warmth and she made sure that Thurinwethil couldn't move nor do anything stupid. "Tell me, do you regret what you have done? Who you have followed?"

The vampire did sigh. "Are you an envoy from…them? I…"

She seemed to shrink. "I cannot be free, he has me still. I can hear his voice, calling me. He will have me undone if I do not obey"

CeKay did slide a bit closer. "No, he cannot undo you anymore than he can undo himself. If you regret you will be welcome to return to the blessed realm"

The pathetic creature did hang its head, the once thick black hair was brittle and thin and it was hard to believe that she had been powerful and feared. "I wish I could go back and change it all. I wanted power, and influence, I wanted to do whatever I wanted to. I became a slave without knowing it, yes I regret it. I regret it all"

CeKay did nod. "Good, then allow me to cleanse you of his influence and send you back to the vala you originally served"

Thuringwethil did gasp. "I was a servant of Nienna, believe it or not. Please, do it. I cannot bare this anymore"

CeKay did use her immense energy to separate the soul from the corrupted body Sauron had created for this maia, whence it was free she wrapped it in an orb of sheer energy and sent it off to the west, It would travel fast and arrive at the halls of Nienna, she was rather sure that the vala would be glad to have her former servant back. Sauron had a tendency to really twist your wishes against you. The carcass of the werewolf she did dissolve completely, then she checked the surroundings one last time for any remaining enemies but there were none. It was obvious that the vampire had been heading southwest, towards Mordor. She had perhaps hoped that Sauron could restore her but it was more likely that the dark lord would have taunted and teased her and used her for his own benefit, as before. CeKay got her horse and turned back towards Imladris, in a short time there would be nothing more than legends left of the problem which had plagued the area.

The valley was rather peaceful and CeKay felt that she didn't really do anything useful at this very moment so she did stay for only a few months before she did head out again. This time she did travel eastwards and she quickly did take on a male appearance. She wouldn't be safe as female and she did notice that the tribes and peoples were being influenced by someone or something which gave them rich promises and painted grand images of a bold future but she wasn't in doubt even for a moment that the dark maia was spinning his webs again. He wanted to enslave humans to become his new army and as she did travel she did her best to discourage them. She spread small rumours, a few words here and there, playing on the superstition of the tribes and cultures and if she could persuade even one tribe of the futility of following Sauron she would have done a good job. Her ability to gather and process information was very valuable now. She had been in these areas before and now that knowledge came in handy. She knew the history of the peoples and could act in a manner which did create respect.

She had arrived at a rather large city when she realized that she had reached an area where the influence of Sauron was rather large, here people did honestly believe that the lord of Mordor would bring them both glory and wealth and allow them to conquer the lands to the north and west. She used her ears for all they were worth and realized that it was all due to the new advisor of the ruler of the area. He was said to be a magician of great powers and the commoners were convinced that he would lead them to a great future. He had already changed a lot there and CeKay did see how this advisor already had started to transform the society into one where the army became the most important thing. CeKay did understand that this was no ordinary person, it had to be a creature of considerable power and she stayed at inns and bars and listened and after a few days she was sure that this was a maia. It was no human, that was for sure but who? She knew that Mithrandir and Aiwendil had been accompanied by more than just Curumo and she started to fear that this was one of the other Ishtari. But they had been two and it wasn't that easy to corrupt a maia? It did take a lot, and there hadn't been that much time since the group arrived in middle earth.

She had to get to the bottom of this and she rented a room at a relatively good inn and started to search for the energy which was so typical for a maia. They felt very different from other beings since they were mostly energy and she felt a small tingle of that energy near the palace. But it didn't come from the palace itself, and that was the odd thing. It came from the area behind the fortress which did consist of barracks, stables and dungeons. The energy was so very faint and also strange, it held a different frequency than normal and CeKay got curious. She waited until nightfall, then she did sneak out into the streets in camouflage mode and set a course towards the palace.

The gathering of buildings was a bit odd, this structure had been rebuild and added to in many ways and it was an architectonical oddity but a strong fortress nonetheless. But it wasn't pretty and it wasn't modern, the palace itself was perhaps splendid and great but the rest did look rather menacing in the dark.

CeKay did listen to the soldiers who did gather around the bonfires to keep warm, she made a mental map of the structure and realized that there were very old and deep dungeons underneath the entire structure. It was a remnant from an even older fortress which had stood there before and these days it wasn't a place anybody dared to tread. It was sealed off and mostly forgotten, some people didn't even believe that the dungeons did exist anymore, claimed that time had made them collapse ages ago. But the odd energy had gotten stronger as she got closer and she had to find out what this was about. If one of the two wizards who had travelled east had gone rogue she had to find out.

She slipped down into the basements, found her way through winding corridors and dark passages and the energy was strong now but subdued and oddly shifting. The locks and bolted doors were no hindrance to her, she got through as if they were made from paper and the lower levels were indeed abandoned years ago. The dust was thick and so were the layer of old cobwebs. Nobody had been down there for decades, or so it did seem. She was still in camouflage mode and invisible to the naked eye, but she felt that whoever was down there would be able to see her anyhow. She was very careful as she found her way along empty cells, some did contain the sad remains of the poor souls who had been chained down there and abandoned and she cringed and moved forth. It had been a hellhole and it had not gotten any better with time.

The creature which did inhabit one of the inner cells did shock her. She had seen Gandalf and knew that the Isthari had been forced to take the form of elderly men when they did enter middle earth. This however was a young being, or at least it did look that way. Very lovely and very much in trouble. The energy of a maia is very specific and yet this one was oddly subdued. The flame was on the verge of dying out and the figure did hang from his chains and looked terrible. CeKay realized that he had been tortured and utterly broken, this was one maia who was no stronger than a normal mortal man. She was shocked and felt a strong surge of pity, whoever it truly was, this person was suffering terribly. There was no food or water there and no way the person could have reached any even if there were something left for him. He was naked and the body twisted and bloody.

CeKay did hesitate, she felt the energy in the bars and the chains, all was enchanted. She made a grimace and sent a small spark of energy to the maia hanging there. He lifted his head, there was no hope in his eyes and he was obviously in pain. "Who….there?"

CeKay did make herself partly visible. "Who are you?"

Her voice was weak, like a whisper in the wind and the maia groaned. "A ghost, how befitting. I am…lost and forlorn."

CeKay knew that magic was lain upon everything there, if she did touch the bars or the chains the enemy could feel it. "What is your name"

The maia groaned. "I was known as…Pallando. I was…a servant of the valar. Now I am…a plaything"

CeKay didn't reveal her shock, she made her voice soft, soothing. "For whom? "

Pallando closed his eyes. "My…brother. He…he has betrayed us all. He was…"

He did sob. "He was a servant of darkness, but hid it so well. None of us suspected it"

CeKay sighed, she had been afraid of that. "How did he bind you here?"

The maia did hang his head. "I…he used magic, and poison. And now I am unable to use my powers, or change my appearance."

CeKay realized why the energy was so weak. Alatar had probably stolen all the power Pallando had possessed and become very powerful.

"What did he do?"

Pallando did shiver. "He…he let the soldiers have me…then he chained me here, for eternity"

CeKay would have growled. "What does he want?"

Pallando lifted his head again. "To rule, to be stronger even than that goddamn traitor. "

CeKay wasn't shocked. "So, he wants to overthrow Sauron and take his place?"

Pallando nodded. "Yes, you are no ghost are you. Who are you?"

CeKay did make herself more visible. Now she did look like an elleth, but with the ethereal qualities of a maia. "My name doesn't matter, but I am a friend. Alatar is leading the ruler here into becoming his pawn right?"

Pallando nodded slowly and with obvious fatigue. "Yes, the ruler has long since seized being an ordinary man. He is a slave to Alatar now, he cannot be saved for my former brother has seized his soul. All that there is left is a shell, which he does control completely."

CeKay tilted her head. "So, how do you destroy a maia?"

Pallando gasped. "You cannot, he is so very strong. He has my strength too, not only his own. He is almost a vala like that"

CeKay wasn't shocked at all, she was already trying to come up with a plan. "The ruler has to go, that is rather clear. But Alatar has to have a weak spot right?"

Pallando sighed. "He is fond of luxury, and he and the ruler has great parties. "

CeKay did almost sneer. "Great, I have to get close to them both to be able to evaluate their strength, the ruler is just a human being and no match to me but Alatar does make me worried. What can you tell me about the court?"

Pallando moaned. "Can you access minds?"

CeKay nodded. "Yes, but not as well as an elf or one of you"

Pallando closed his eyes. "Then look into mine, I will give you all the information I have. "

She did focus on the energy which was his and images and thoughts did stream into her memory banks, she did store it all. The maia groaned again. "Can you help me?"

CeKay did stare at the chains. "Everything here is enchanted yes?"

He did nod. "Does he check on you at all?"

Pallando shook his head. "No, I am all but forgotten. He left me with enough energy to keep me alive but naught more"

CeKay grunted. "I can get you out of here, but it will be unpleasant and you will be like a mortal afterwards, at least for a while"

Pallando did shudder. "Please, even that will be better than…this"

CeKay wondered if she should do as she had with Thuringwethil but decided against it, she needed his help now, his knowledge. He had to stay there, at least for a while. "It will be unpleasant. You maiar are not bound to the flesh are you?"

He shook his head. "No, not really"

CeKay would have taken a deep breath if she had needed to. "I cannot touch anything here, but I can use powers he doesn't know anything about. It will not take long but it will be strange, and I may not succeed."

He managed to look at her, with pleading eyes. "Please, even if I do die…"

She focused, gathered her nanites and they fled through the bars and as they started to rapidly dissolve the physical form she gathered the energy which was his very being. It did look as if the maia was dissolving into a mist and then reassembling on the other side of the bars and she forced the energy back into the new body. Pallando did gasp and fell to his knees, the body was rather similar to the old one but without the wounds and bruises. He was weak though, and confused and she did grasp onto him. "We have to get out of here. Close your eyes and relax. I will make sure we are unseen"

She did carry him through the dungeons and up towards the light. She did wrap them both in a camouflage layer and she didn't stop even when they passed over the court yard. She carried the maia all the way to the inn and there she removed the camouflage and changed her own appearance back to the salesman she pretended to be. He was shocked by her powers and CeKay made him some clothes and then she did made some small changes to his appearance. He had been very blond and of fair skin but now she made him look dark skinned with dark hair and she did also change his general body shape. Now he was low and lean and looked like the local people. Pallando stared at himself and he was gaping. "Are you sure you are not a vala?"

She nodded. "I am. We have to make a plan. I cannot let Alatar suspect anything until it is too late, I have to get in there and do some exploring before I can do anything. "

Pallando was blinking. "How? He is very alert, and also suspicious of everybody and everything."

CeKay nodded. "Yes, but he does enjoy the parties doesn't he? He must allow servants and workers to do their jobs. The parties does include dancers right?"

Pallando smiled slowly. "Yes, they do. Great dancers as a matter of fact"

CeKay did tilt her head. "I am gonna go shopping for some grand clothes for you, and some for me. You are henceforth known as Habaddar, and you are the owner of the wonderful Cedana, the most talented dancer ever"

Pallando had to snicker. "You can take that sort of shape?"

CeKay nodded. "With no problems, and I know dances which are very exotic. "

Pallando made a grimace " The ruler is rude, and he does take what he wants. Are you ready to take the risk?"

CeKay didn't even hesitate. "Yes, believe me, I can protect myself, in manners he won't even understand. "

Pallando did stare at himself again. "I doubt that he will suspect that I am not some human, I have little energy left. But what can you truly do? He is cunning, and his mind is set on power"

CeKay sat down and smiled "I am sure he is yes, and that is what I am intent on exploiting. So, now, let us eat a little, then I will get you some appropriate clothes, and then you are to present the ruler with a most unusual gift."

Pallando nodded slowly. "Alright, he has to be stopped, one way or the other"

CeKay leaned back, her eyes did glow for a second or two. "Yes, we cannot fight both Sauron and another enemy at the same time. "

She did order some food being brought to the rooms, then she went through the information Pallando had given her, yes, she had a plan. First the ruler, then the corrupted maia. It was the only way. If fate was on her side it would be a rather quick fix, messy perhaps but elegant. The next days would be very intense indeed.