Part seven, honestly I have no idea how long this will go on.
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No not now, not here' But Methos knew that the presence he felt was another immortal and that this other immortal had 'felt' him as well.
The tall rider raised his sword and suddenly an eerie silence fell over the battle field.
"I am Lucianus Arimonas in the name of Sauron the dark lord. Show yourself and fight."
Theoden and his men looked confused, so did Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn. Methos looked at Duncan and knew that his lover having only just recovered from a serious injury would not be in any condition to fight. He turned towards the rider.
" My name is Methos"
A shiver ran through Aragorn as he realized that Methos was going to fight Sauron's Marshal. "This is not your war, Methos, let me…" Before he could reach the other man, he was stopped by Duncan.
His dark face showed no emotion as he turned to face the man he loved more than anybody. "Watch your head!"
While Methos slowly made his way down to face the challenge, Aragorn struggled against Duncan's grip. "What are you doing? He might die!" Sadly Duncan looked at him. "Do you remember when I told you about the game? Methos has no chance but to fight. Lucianus would not have fought against you."
As Methos walked through the doors the moon broke through the cloudy sky and its pale, silver light made the setting of the fight even more unreal. There was still no sound, not even the noise of somebody walking. No one moved except the tall rider who dismounted and threw away his cloak. He walked towards the other immortal and lifted his sword in an ancient greeting.
Methos raised his sword in a reply and waited.
Legolas had the feeling to watch two mythical figures. Two gods and the ever ongoing battle between good and evil. He shivered.
Duncan watched seemingly emotionless as the other immortal launched forward and the deadly dance began. His face betrayed none of the feelings that were tearing him appart. Fear and guilt for he knew that Methos had only gone down there because he had just been injured. He felt a hand on his arm and met Aragorn's concerned gaze. "Will he win?" "Methos is one of the best, I don't know any who could beat him." "Yet you are afraid?" "One thing I've learned is not to take anything granted." Aragorn saw the pain that crossed Duncan's face. "I've lost to many…"
Methos was sweating, the other man was good, very good. He had expected this though, he had not expected however the calling he felt in one part of his soul. Something deep inside him answered to the darkness that surrounded the other man. Whispers of past times and voices he only heard in his dreams seemed to reach for him. 'You are on the wrong side. You are Death! ' No' he screamed in his mind to silence the voice that told him to join the shadows. 'I am not Death! Not anymore!' 'If you join us, you'll be stronger than you have ever been. Power beyond your imagination will be yours!' 'I am not this person anymore! I will never join you!' But no matter how hard he tried his movements became slower and the interior conflict destroyed his concentration. He stumbled over a fallen orc and fell down. The other man's sword hung over him and for a moment every movement seemed to stop.
Frozen in shock Duncan watched as the challenger raised his sword to perform the final and lethal stroke. "Methos no" he didn't recognize his voice full of pain and fear.
'Come to me and finally we will be united again and forever my brother… You never belonged to the light, you are a part of me… You belong to me… You are mine.. Mine…' Kronos' voice filled his head, his face danced in the darkness, shadows seemed to be around and as if immobilized by his brothers calling he just watched when his opponent raised his sword. "Methos no…" Duncan's cry penetrated the darkness that had began to surround him and brought him back into reality. He saw the sword swinging down and ducked away, juming up and grabbing his own fallen sword in one swift movement. Before Arimonas had turned back Methos had stabbed him in the stomach and Sauron's marshal fell on his knees.
Methos looked up to the castle's walls. Duncan stood there and for a moment the old immortal closed his eyes knowing that only the other's love had saved him.
Then he raised his sword and stroke.
The first tiny flashes of the quickening flared over the rocks, only moments streames of light started to penetrate Methos' body who stood there his sword raised.
Frightened beyond reason the orcs backed away from the sight. Aragorn and Legolas watched in horror as the slender body of Methos was racked by flashes until he finally fell on his knees his sword still raised.
The flashes slowed down and Duncan looked at the elf. "Cover me, I have to go and get him." He ran outside, urged his groggy friend to get up and brought him back to safety.
Legolas didn't need to shoot once. The orcs had been frightened beyond reason by the flashes and backed away.
"They will come back, but for tonight we can rest in peace."
Aragorn's word made Duncan shudder, the ranger could not know, this but ‚rest in peace' held another meaning for the immortal.
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I hope in the next chapter Aragorn and Legolas will find some time for themselves (and the story finally lives up to its ‚R' rating ;-))
---
No not now, not here' But Methos knew that the presence he felt was another immortal and that this other immortal had 'felt' him as well.
The tall rider raised his sword and suddenly an eerie silence fell over the battle field.
"I am Lucianus Arimonas in the name of Sauron the dark lord. Show yourself and fight."
Theoden and his men looked confused, so did Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn. Methos looked at Duncan and knew that his lover having only just recovered from a serious injury would not be in any condition to fight. He turned towards the rider.
" My name is Methos"
A shiver ran through Aragorn as he realized that Methos was going to fight Sauron's Marshal. "This is not your war, Methos, let me…" Before he could reach the other man, he was stopped by Duncan.
His dark face showed no emotion as he turned to face the man he loved more than anybody. "Watch your head!"
While Methos slowly made his way down to face the challenge, Aragorn struggled against Duncan's grip. "What are you doing? He might die!" Sadly Duncan looked at him. "Do you remember when I told you about the game? Methos has no chance but to fight. Lucianus would not have fought against you."
As Methos walked through the doors the moon broke through the cloudy sky and its pale, silver light made the setting of the fight even more unreal. There was still no sound, not even the noise of somebody walking. No one moved except the tall rider who dismounted and threw away his cloak. He walked towards the other immortal and lifted his sword in an ancient greeting.
Methos raised his sword in a reply and waited.
Legolas had the feeling to watch two mythical figures. Two gods and the ever ongoing battle between good and evil. He shivered.
Duncan watched seemingly emotionless as the other immortal launched forward and the deadly dance began. His face betrayed none of the feelings that were tearing him appart. Fear and guilt for he knew that Methos had only gone down there because he had just been injured. He felt a hand on his arm and met Aragorn's concerned gaze. "Will he win?" "Methos is one of the best, I don't know any who could beat him." "Yet you are afraid?" "One thing I've learned is not to take anything granted." Aragorn saw the pain that crossed Duncan's face. "I've lost to many…"
Methos was sweating, the other man was good, very good. He had expected this though, he had not expected however the calling he felt in one part of his soul. Something deep inside him answered to the darkness that surrounded the other man. Whispers of past times and voices he only heard in his dreams seemed to reach for him. 'You are on the wrong side. You are Death! ' No' he screamed in his mind to silence the voice that told him to join the shadows. 'I am not Death! Not anymore!' 'If you join us, you'll be stronger than you have ever been. Power beyond your imagination will be yours!' 'I am not this person anymore! I will never join you!' But no matter how hard he tried his movements became slower and the interior conflict destroyed his concentration. He stumbled over a fallen orc and fell down. The other man's sword hung over him and for a moment every movement seemed to stop.
Frozen in shock Duncan watched as the challenger raised his sword to perform the final and lethal stroke. "Methos no" he didn't recognize his voice full of pain and fear.
'Come to me and finally we will be united again and forever my brother… You never belonged to the light, you are a part of me… You belong to me… You are mine.. Mine…' Kronos' voice filled his head, his face danced in the darkness, shadows seemed to be around and as if immobilized by his brothers calling he just watched when his opponent raised his sword. "Methos no…" Duncan's cry penetrated the darkness that had began to surround him and brought him back into reality. He saw the sword swinging down and ducked away, juming up and grabbing his own fallen sword in one swift movement. Before Arimonas had turned back Methos had stabbed him in the stomach and Sauron's marshal fell on his knees.
Methos looked up to the castle's walls. Duncan stood there and for a moment the old immortal closed his eyes knowing that only the other's love had saved him.
Then he raised his sword and stroke.
The first tiny flashes of the quickening flared over the rocks, only moments streames of light started to penetrate Methos' body who stood there his sword raised.
Frightened beyond reason the orcs backed away from the sight. Aragorn and Legolas watched in horror as the slender body of Methos was racked by flashes until he finally fell on his knees his sword still raised.
The flashes slowed down and Duncan looked at the elf. "Cover me, I have to go and get him." He ran outside, urged his groggy friend to get up and brought him back to safety.
Legolas didn't need to shoot once. The orcs had been frightened beyond reason by the flashes and backed away.
"They will come back, but for tonight we can rest in peace."
Aragorn's word made Duncan shudder, the ranger could not know, this but ‚rest in peace' held another meaning for the immortal.
----
I hope in the next chapter Aragorn and Legolas will find some time for themselves (and the story finally lives up to its ‚R' rating ;-))