Author's Note:

You may have missed three updates before this.


Scribe

He bent over the book, his eyes watering just a little. The rays of the morning sun filtered through the stained glass windows. His brothers in faith would soon awaken. But the book was far too interesting to seek either rest or worship. He would lie, of course, even if it meant that he would sin by lying.

The writing on the book was ancient. It took him three nights to decipher the writing. It bore a fascinating tale, too wild to be anything but a fantasy. It spoke of nine heroes who carried a ring bearing the essence of a fallen dark lord. It was ultimately destroyed and peace reigned soon after.

One particular section interested him the most. There were four lines, sort of like a poem that explained the dark powers the ring seemed to possess. Entranced, he traced the fading words on the old paper and absently whispered them in the silence.

Almost immediately, the sunlight outside darkened. The air grew stifling and the silence gathered around him. His head throbbed as the words whispered in his mind. And then it was all gone just as quickly as it had come.

He sat up and glanced at the window. The sunlight was glowing bright and the birds sang on the trees outside the monastery.

He shivered and dropped the book in a drawer. Then he slammed it shut.


Author's Note:

I have always wondered if the writing in Dark Speech would have an effect through the ages, long after Sauron's defeat. The part of me that like horror and mystery says yes.