Purity
Chapter 1: Encounter
The Journey was over, the battle was won and the fellowship was dispersed. The remaining had managed to destroy the One Ring from whence it came; the molten mix of hell rising from within the mountain had devoured the band and reduced it to a mere liquid, taking all evil and they, taking the ring's fate as well, perished to the depths of hell. But moments before it had been destroyed, another was born from deep within the bowels of darkness, erupting in a serene light as if heaven itself had opened in the abyss. Silver was the band, indestructible by evil, but pursued by it as well.
Just as precious as the One Ring, but its power did not corrupt the minds of the bearers. Instead, it transported their very being to the Hidden Earth and bestowing them with a new mind, if deemed worthy and pure. Without any previous knowledge of their past, only the strong willed and amiable life forces were able to return from the "Test" which hence they spread divinity and destroying malevolence.
But because the One Ring had been destroyed, the balance between good and evil was lost and now evil was emerging out of their vile origin, the volcanoes of Mordor. New enemies were forming; lives were being lost as the search for the Purity Ring began.
The Purity Ring had already begun to travel as it made its way from creature to creature.
A new ring bearer had been chosen, but not with the wisest decision as of yet. For the chosen was pure at heart, but served at evil's right hand, the hand of the Dark Lord himself. And this is where our story begins…
~*~
The horse's coat shone an eerie glow as the black fur rippled with every trot. The horse was black, pitch black, its eyes were of the same color. Like an endless abyss that seemed to reach to the edge of sanity and back. Odd, yes, fearful, of course, but it only obeyed the commands of its master.
The rider wore a heavy forest green cloak, covering their face with the massive hood that cast a shadow over their features. Their attire was not clearly visible underneath the cloak, which hung loosely over the rather small body compared to the rider to their left. However, their large, dark boots could be seen on either side of the horse as well as the slightly tight, black pants they wore.
Slender fingers were noticeable, gripping fiercely around the reins, wrapped in apparent, bulky gloves. The rider's sword knocked against their boot, allowing easy access if needed. The chain around their neck bounced against their chest and jingled out of the safety of the cloak making itself visible. Rung about the chain was a silver cross, a small diamond planted at the intersection. It gleamed in the light as the two riders's entered a small village.
The much larger rider was dressed in complete darkness. Their horse enormous and much more terrifying than the slightly smaller one at its right. There was no need to carry any type of weapon for anywhere they went fear never followed far behind. And sure enough, this small village was no different for no longer than an instant of being looked upon, the dwellers here backed away from them, cowering in fear.
The more petite rider gracefully lowered their hood, exposing their face. The rider was female, explaining the feminine actions she performed. Her long, flowing hair shone brilliantly like a deep crimson river down her back. Piercing, pale, green eyes and light skin completed the dead look she gave off. Her lips of wine parted as she ran her tongue over her teeth.
The spectators gasped at her identification and recoiled even more so than they already had. The two trotted at a slightly slower pace as to let the four following riders to catch up.
A small child whimpered as they slowly passed him. The female rider shifted her soul-penetrating gaze down to him. She frowned at his cowardness and hissed at him. The sound resembling that of a serpent about to attack its prey. The child jumped out of fear and into his mother's arms, bursting into tears. The woman herself was trembling in sheer terror, completing the horror filled scene, which gave the red-haired rider a twinge of satisfaction, and she chuckled evilly, resuming to gaze in front of herself.
"You have no business here," the town elder spoke bravely, "we are but a peaceful village. Please let us be and continue on your way."
The female snarled and began to approach the elder, but was stopped by the larger rider. He simply turned his head towards her slowly and silently signaled for her to maintain her position for the time being.
"But my lord," she contradicted, but quickly stopped herself and glared at the elderly man.
"You shall regret that order given to Levicia Silverleaf," she spoke of herself. He merely glanced at the enormous being that had stopped Levicia from giving him a horrible fate.
"The Dark Lord is merciful," he said as they continued to trot through the town.
"Is he now?" Levicia asked sardonically. "Burn it," she ordered and laughed sinisterly; she and the Dark Lord galloped out of the village to watch it go up in flames from afar. Shouts and hysterically screams could be heard from within the town.
"My lord, we have been searching for years now and we still have not come to find it. I'm beginning to doubt that such a ring exists," she turned to him.
"Exists it does," his slithery voice hissed like a thousand cobras.
"I shan't doubt you my lord," she bowed her head apologetically before raising her hood to conceal her face once more. "Are you returning to Mordor?"
He nodded in response and began to ride away from her.
"Then you shan't mind if I wander off the pathway?" she called after him.
"Do as you wish," he waved her off, his way of telling her to be careful. Levicia smirked and turned her horse around, riding swiftly at his speeds in the opposite direction of the Dark Lord. The wind whipped past her fast approaching figure like ribbons. As she neared a river, she could feel the air surrounding her become more humid and the atmosphere moist. She slowed her speed and allowed her steed to drink before she continued to cross the river.
"Drink, Portal," she spoke to the horse," you've had a long journey." Whilst they continued, Levicia had dismounted Portal and was now on foot, walking around aimlessly. As she cantered around, she allowed her thoughts to wander back to her past. She could never recall any memories of her parents as she had spent most of her life out in the wild without a home. She had concluded that they had cast a spell on her and abandoned her at a young age. She thought this because she couldn't remember anything about her origins.
No matter now, she was the first in command to the Dark Lord. He was her favored child, and most trusted as well, because of her ruthlessness that she displayed. For this he allowed her to keep possession of her soul instead of trading it in for loyalty to him.
Free to do as she wished as long as she returned to him for accompaniment to distant lands.
Levicia opened the front of her cloak, coming out of her thoughts, as she was beginning to feel quite warm, but she left her hood donned so that, hopefully, they wouldn't be able to identify her.
She stopped in her tracks and looked around her, finding that she had wandered into unknown territory to her. She growled realizing she'd made herself lost in the forest. She heard a few leaves rustling and spun around on her heel, gripping the handle of her sword.
"Are you lost, me lady?" a voice asked. Jumping down from a few trees above a dark haired male appeared.
"I believe so, but tis nothing I cannot handle," she glared. Apparently without her cloak shut, he was able to see her curvaceous body and recognize her as a woman.
"Your complexion seems pale, are you feel well?" he asked.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
"I am Aragorn," he replied.
A surge of rage pierced through her body at the mention of his name. She recognized it as being a member of the fellowship, the cursed fellowship that had stopped her lord from regaining the ring lost to him. She drew her sword from her side and held it in front of herself in a ready stance.
"The Fellowship," she hissed.
"Please, me lady, I do not wish to enter combat with you," he tried to reason with her, not quite understanding why she'd mentioned the fellowship.
"Well, than I believe it will be a flawless victory," she suddenly leapt at him, swinging her sword around to strike him. Aragorn barely managed to sheath his sword to block her attack before she sliced him in two. Pushing her off him with all his force, he sent her tumbling back, her hood whipping back and revealing her face.
A river of dark crimson flowed out of the hood and framed her facial features. She glared death at him and ran towards him again, bringing her sword down on him again. Holding off her attack with much force needed, he looked into her pale eyes that seemed to scream bloody murder and were filled with rage for him.
"Levicia," he growled. He once again was able to push her away, but not with as much strength as before. He spun around and whipped his sword directly after him. Levicia bent back and barely managed to avoid having her throat slit, but the tip of the blade hooked onto her chain and ripped it off her neck.
She brought her sword around before he had a chance to recoil his own and knocked it out of his hand. Aragorn kicked at her hand and sent her sword as well behind her. She growled and jumped a few feet back away from him, letting out a banshee's cry that pierced through his skull. He threw his hands up to cover his ears in pain before his eardrums burst, wincing at the shrillness.
She brought her fingers to her full lips and whistled for Portal, jumping on the saddle when he raced past. She wrenched her sword out of the ground when she rode past it and retreated to deliver news to her lord, never realizing that her necklace had been left behind next to Aragorn's sword.
Aragorn sighed in relief and dropped his hands to his side; nearly coming to death was a frightful experience. He made his way to his sword and sheathed it, standing back up to leave. Just as he was about to take a step away from the site of battle, he saw something glimmer in the sunlight.
Bending back over, he lifted it from the dirt to see that it was a cross necklace. Remembering that he'd broken a chain that hung around Levicia's neck, he slipped it into his pocket and glanced in the direction that she'd left before mounting his horse and riding back to Rivendell.
Chapter 1: Encounter
The Journey was over, the battle was won and the fellowship was dispersed. The remaining had managed to destroy the One Ring from whence it came; the molten mix of hell rising from within the mountain had devoured the band and reduced it to a mere liquid, taking all evil and they, taking the ring's fate as well, perished to the depths of hell. But moments before it had been destroyed, another was born from deep within the bowels of darkness, erupting in a serene light as if heaven itself had opened in the abyss. Silver was the band, indestructible by evil, but pursued by it as well.
Just as precious as the One Ring, but its power did not corrupt the minds of the bearers. Instead, it transported their very being to the Hidden Earth and bestowing them with a new mind, if deemed worthy and pure. Without any previous knowledge of their past, only the strong willed and amiable life forces were able to return from the "Test" which hence they spread divinity and destroying malevolence.
But because the One Ring had been destroyed, the balance between good and evil was lost and now evil was emerging out of their vile origin, the volcanoes of Mordor. New enemies were forming; lives were being lost as the search for the Purity Ring began.
The Purity Ring had already begun to travel as it made its way from creature to creature.
A new ring bearer had been chosen, but not with the wisest decision as of yet. For the chosen was pure at heart, but served at evil's right hand, the hand of the Dark Lord himself. And this is where our story begins…
~*~
The horse's coat shone an eerie glow as the black fur rippled with every trot. The horse was black, pitch black, its eyes were of the same color. Like an endless abyss that seemed to reach to the edge of sanity and back. Odd, yes, fearful, of course, but it only obeyed the commands of its master.
The rider wore a heavy forest green cloak, covering their face with the massive hood that cast a shadow over their features. Their attire was not clearly visible underneath the cloak, which hung loosely over the rather small body compared to the rider to their left. However, their large, dark boots could be seen on either side of the horse as well as the slightly tight, black pants they wore.
Slender fingers were noticeable, gripping fiercely around the reins, wrapped in apparent, bulky gloves. The rider's sword knocked against their boot, allowing easy access if needed. The chain around their neck bounced against their chest and jingled out of the safety of the cloak making itself visible. Rung about the chain was a silver cross, a small diamond planted at the intersection. It gleamed in the light as the two riders's entered a small village.
The much larger rider was dressed in complete darkness. Their horse enormous and much more terrifying than the slightly smaller one at its right. There was no need to carry any type of weapon for anywhere they went fear never followed far behind. And sure enough, this small village was no different for no longer than an instant of being looked upon, the dwellers here backed away from them, cowering in fear.
The more petite rider gracefully lowered their hood, exposing their face. The rider was female, explaining the feminine actions she performed. Her long, flowing hair shone brilliantly like a deep crimson river down her back. Piercing, pale, green eyes and light skin completed the dead look she gave off. Her lips of wine parted as she ran her tongue over her teeth.
The spectators gasped at her identification and recoiled even more so than they already had. The two trotted at a slightly slower pace as to let the four following riders to catch up.
A small child whimpered as they slowly passed him. The female rider shifted her soul-penetrating gaze down to him. She frowned at his cowardness and hissed at him. The sound resembling that of a serpent about to attack its prey. The child jumped out of fear and into his mother's arms, bursting into tears. The woman herself was trembling in sheer terror, completing the horror filled scene, which gave the red-haired rider a twinge of satisfaction, and she chuckled evilly, resuming to gaze in front of herself.
"You have no business here," the town elder spoke bravely, "we are but a peaceful village. Please let us be and continue on your way."
The female snarled and began to approach the elder, but was stopped by the larger rider. He simply turned his head towards her slowly and silently signaled for her to maintain her position for the time being.
"But my lord," she contradicted, but quickly stopped herself and glared at the elderly man.
"You shall regret that order given to Levicia Silverleaf," she spoke of herself. He merely glanced at the enormous being that had stopped Levicia from giving him a horrible fate.
"The Dark Lord is merciful," he said as they continued to trot through the town.
"Is he now?" Levicia asked sardonically. "Burn it," she ordered and laughed sinisterly; she and the Dark Lord galloped out of the village to watch it go up in flames from afar. Shouts and hysterically screams could be heard from within the town.
"My lord, we have been searching for years now and we still have not come to find it. I'm beginning to doubt that such a ring exists," she turned to him.
"Exists it does," his slithery voice hissed like a thousand cobras.
"I shan't doubt you my lord," she bowed her head apologetically before raising her hood to conceal her face once more. "Are you returning to Mordor?"
He nodded in response and began to ride away from her.
"Then you shan't mind if I wander off the pathway?" she called after him.
"Do as you wish," he waved her off, his way of telling her to be careful. Levicia smirked and turned her horse around, riding swiftly at his speeds in the opposite direction of the Dark Lord. The wind whipped past her fast approaching figure like ribbons. As she neared a river, she could feel the air surrounding her become more humid and the atmosphere moist. She slowed her speed and allowed her steed to drink before she continued to cross the river.
"Drink, Portal," she spoke to the horse," you've had a long journey." Whilst they continued, Levicia had dismounted Portal and was now on foot, walking around aimlessly. As she cantered around, she allowed her thoughts to wander back to her past. She could never recall any memories of her parents as she had spent most of her life out in the wild without a home. She had concluded that they had cast a spell on her and abandoned her at a young age. She thought this because she couldn't remember anything about her origins.
No matter now, she was the first in command to the Dark Lord. He was her favored child, and most trusted as well, because of her ruthlessness that she displayed. For this he allowed her to keep possession of her soul instead of trading it in for loyalty to him.
Free to do as she wished as long as she returned to him for accompaniment to distant lands.
Levicia opened the front of her cloak, coming out of her thoughts, as she was beginning to feel quite warm, but she left her hood donned so that, hopefully, they wouldn't be able to identify her.
She stopped in her tracks and looked around her, finding that she had wandered into unknown territory to her. She growled realizing she'd made herself lost in the forest. She heard a few leaves rustling and spun around on her heel, gripping the handle of her sword.
"Are you lost, me lady?" a voice asked. Jumping down from a few trees above a dark haired male appeared.
"I believe so, but tis nothing I cannot handle," she glared. Apparently without her cloak shut, he was able to see her curvaceous body and recognize her as a woman.
"Your complexion seems pale, are you feel well?" he asked.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
"I am Aragorn," he replied.
A surge of rage pierced through her body at the mention of his name. She recognized it as being a member of the fellowship, the cursed fellowship that had stopped her lord from regaining the ring lost to him. She drew her sword from her side and held it in front of herself in a ready stance.
"The Fellowship," she hissed.
"Please, me lady, I do not wish to enter combat with you," he tried to reason with her, not quite understanding why she'd mentioned the fellowship.
"Well, than I believe it will be a flawless victory," she suddenly leapt at him, swinging her sword around to strike him. Aragorn barely managed to sheath his sword to block her attack before she sliced him in two. Pushing her off him with all his force, he sent her tumbling back, her hood whipping back and revealing her face.
A river of dark crimson flowed out of the hood and framed her facial features. She glared death at him and ran towards him again, bringing her sword down on him again. Holding off her attack with much force needed, he looked into her pale eyes that seemed to scream bloody murder and were filled with rage for him.
"Levicia," he growled. He once again was able to push her away, but not with as much strength as before. He spun around and whipped his sword directly after him. Levicia bent back and barely managed to avoid having her throat slit, but the tip of the blade hooked onto her chain and ripped it off her neck.
She brought her sword around before he had a chance to recoil his own and knocked it out of his hand. Aragorn kicked at her hand and sent her sword as well behind her. She growled and jumped a few feet back away from him, letting out a banshee's cry that pierced through his skull. He threw his hands up to cover his ears in pain before his eardrums burst, wincing at the shrillness.
She brought her fingers to her full lips and whistled for Portal, jumping on the saddle when he raced past. She wrenched her sword out of the ground when she rode past it and retreated to deliver news to her lord, never realizing that her necklace had been left behind next to Aragorn's sword.
Aragorn sighed in relief and dropped his hands to his side; nearly coming to death was a frightful experience. He made his way to his sword and sheathed it, standing back up to leave. Just as he was about to take a step away from the site of battle, he saw something glimmer in the sunlight.
Bending back over, he lifted it from the dirt to see that it was a cross necklace. Remembering that he'd broken a chain that hung around Levicia's neck, he slipped it into his pocket and glanced in the direction that she'd left before mounting his horse and riding back to Rivendell.