Legolas had offered the diary for only Aragorn to read but the Man had declined saying that he was too close to him for him to care. So, Legolas started reading the entries for both to listen.
" 'Journal of Adam Edward Strickland'," he began. "No dates. You Stricklands have to learn how to be a bit more organized."
"Read the damned entries," Aragorn said bitterly.
" 'Entry one: Today, Thomas' brother, Edwin, gave me this nifty journal to write my thoughts in for my birthday. Thomas, himself, gave me something to actually fill this book with: a plan for a brand-new company to uphold justice. He promised me that he'd always be there to help me, even if we're bankrupt, starving and running from the law.
" 'That vow he made was similar to the one he said to me almost ten years ago in the park that day, when we had barely known each other yet felt like we had spent a lifetime as friends. Barely a week before that, he and I literally crashed into each other in an attempt to by the same album. Since then, we've been inseparable; much like brothers.
" 'No, Brotherhood would be an insult to our bond. It runs much deeper than that.'
" 'Entry two: We've finally set up shop! It can barely fit the necessities for a law firm made of two young amateur lawyers but it'll have to do. It's so cramped in here that I can barely move! But, Tom and I have high hopes for us. Let's have trust in Fate and hope that she'll give us some good fortune.'
"Ah, this is interesting... 'Entry three: Today, I met the woman of my dreams. My angel's name even sounds heavenly: Glorian Firal. Her hair danced so lively when she walked and her eyes held such intrigue that they made my heart stop. I can't keep my mind off her so much that I even find it hard to write in my journal. And I owe it all to the man to introduced me to my love: Thomas Grayfield. I only hope that I can repay him... someday.'"
"Your dad introduced my dad to my mom?" Aragorn exclaimed loudly.
"Apparently," he laughed, "but this next entry says how he introduced my dad to a friend's friend. Must be my mom. I think we'll skip over that one." He flipped the page. "Here we go. Oh, this must be a few years after that entry.
" 'I finally gathered up the courage to ask dear Glorian for her hand in marriage. Miraculously, she said yes! ..."
"No shit," interjected Aragorn.
"... We look forward to spending our lives together. But, first things first and planning the wedding is definitely first on the list. Tom's helping here and there, of course, and I get to put my opinion in about certain things but we all know that Glorian's the one who's going to be planning the wedding. Business is booming so I'll be able to provide many things for the celebration, hopefully all the decorative things she wants. Why do women like ribbons and frills so much?'
"Good question. I don't think anybody knows for sure.
" 'Entry six: It's been six months since my own wedding and I'm now serving as Best Man for Tom's. Only fair since he was Best Man at mine, isn't it? Ha ha ha. It really was no surprise when one of his friends asked him who it was and immediately replied, "Adam, of course... Right, that's what I forgot to ask you. Do you mind?" I laughed and said that I'd be honored. I don't think I'll ever let him live that down. But I think his marriage will definitely be a happy one; he's a good man and wouldn't hurt his family.' Not on purpose, anyway...
" 'Entry seven: Edwin's been in town for barely a week and he's already suggested that we move our headquarters to somewhere a bit more urban. He's said that he's already found a suitable piece of land downtown. We arranged to have a touring next week of the piece of land.
" 'Four hours have passed since my pen last touched this book but I feel as if I need to write this down before I forget; like it's drastically important for me to remember the dream that I just had even though it's three in the morning.
" 'I dreamt about the world as was before skyscrapers, urban sprawl or even the widespread use of refined raw products. Everything was so lush and green that it seemed like a paradise. And across a field, near a flowing river, a shining city of white stone rose up from the ground in front of a range of mountains like a white spike. But before I could see it for all its magnificence, I was whisked to the north, to a small forest and into the presence of a beautiful, glowing woman.
" 'Her face was young and her smile kind but her eyes showed a deep wisdom with the knowledge of dozens of lifetimes. She didn't say anything when I was standing before her.
" 'The forest melted away from us and we were floating above the white city. I watched countless days go by and saw the city expand to across the river. But, with sadness, I saw the city and many others that had developed throughout the land lose their brightness and valor, I suppose. Something good and pure disappeared from these cities. The woman was still with me, her eyes still on me.
" 'A forest to the northwest came into my view. Trees vanished, buildings were built around it and they fell or burned. But a strong beam of light kept shining through. Finally, skyscrapers rose up around us. The piece of land that was formally a forest was built over with another glass skyscraper and the light faded.
" 'But, the skyscraper crumbled and the land was available once again. I looked back at the woman and she was wearing normal clothing. With a final serene smile, she vanished.
" 'Right when she disappeared, the sky grew dark and monsters flooded the city. The light that was hidden under the ground shone once again but was poisoned under the hand of the darkness.
" 'A gaunt, dead face appeared in the light and chilled my very bones. I am eternally grateful that its eyes were closed but it still horrified me.
" 'I woke up drenched in cold sweat but was comforted by the sight of my darling wife behind me. I attempt to go back to sleep in hope that I'll understand what this dream means...'
" 'Entry eight: We met Edwin today at the empty site. Immediately, I recognized it as the place in my dream and I told Tom as we approached them. But what really shocked me was the young woman who was with Ed.
" 'It was the same woman from my dream! Her blonde hair - that looked remarkably like Tom's - was tied up, but she looked exactly as she did in my dream! I asked what her name was and she said, "Gabriel Lewis." She was a graduate of the university Edwin taught at with a major in archaeology.
" 'According to Ed, she heard about us and thought that we should build on this land. When I asked her for a reason, she just shrugged and said, "It feels like a perfect place to build your headquarters on." When I mentioned something about a beacon of light, she just looked at me strangely and changed the topic.'
" 'Entry nine: As per to what Edwin recommended, we installed a security system so technologically advanced that it would be able to burn a mouse inside to a crisp if set to a certain level. Needless to say, we're having quite a bit of fun with it. Luckily, we installed it so that only we can be able to access that level of security and control it.'
"Hey, Aragorn, look at this!" He held up the page for him to see. "Over here, in the margin. What does that look like to you?"
Aragorn examined the tiny pictures in the journal. "It looks like the double helix of deoxyribosenucleic acid. But what's it doing there?"
Legolas shrugged. "Maybe your dad was studying a bit about bio and needed to write down what DNA is and this was the nearest thing? Anyway, continuing..."
" 'Tom, like me, was really confused about why we needed such high security for our firm. Sure, we've made a few enemies along the way, but have we made so many that we need this?
" 'His response was like a riddle. He said, "You will need this defense to guard against the Darkness that looms over the horizon. Like the lantern that holds the candlelight within that guides weary travelers through the night, this building will be a defense for the Light." He put down an envelope sealed with wax and left. Even Tom was confused - and slightly worried - about his brother's behavior.
" 'Inside was a map and a letter. The map had curved, curious designs on it and it looked like a sort of blueprint for the land below the ground under this building. Without knowing what the words say, we dare not try to follow the map.
" 'The letter was far more understandable. It was just warning us to watch out for any signs of disturbing patterns of any sort. In other words, keep on our guard. It also advised to safely hide the map in the securest place we could find. Tom hid it in our secret control room for security.
" 'The thing I found the most interesting was that he called us Thranduil and Arathorn at the end.'
"Why does Fate torture us like this?" he wondered out loud. "It's bad enough that they lost us in the War of the Ring, but having to take up a job of guarding the Light when you should be at rest? Fate does indeed have a cruel sense of humor."
Aragorn was standing near the windows, looking out at the barren city and said nothing.
" 'Entry ten,'" continued Legolas after clearing his throat, " We got our first taste of true evil today. A monster that walked with two legs and hunched forward tried to break into our offices. Thank god it was late and Tom and I were the only ones in the lobby at the time.
" 'It's skin was dull like paper but tough as the skin of a crocodile. It carried a dirty, crude sword, of all things, and had dozens of visible stitches and piercings. A true creature of malevolence.'"
"An Orc? Our fathers actually faced an Orc before!"
" 'It tried to kill us, of course. But we managed to kill it first with the swords that were supposed to be decorating the wall. We both watched it disintegrate into nothingness and I realize now what horror is truly like.'
" 'Entry eleven: I'm a father! Glorian and I are now parents of a beautiful baby boy named Aaron. I haven't been the same man as I was before the attack and I worry that I'm not suited to be a good father. After I told Glorian about my dream, I could tell that she was changed as well.
" 'How can we let our son grow up knowing that such a demon exists? How can we let him live under the threat of being attacked by it? We can't let that happen. We have to keep our defenses strong. We can't let Aaron know, for his sake.'
" 'Entry twelve: It's been almost three years since I had that dream with the face of evil and saw that woman before I even knew she existed. I had another one last night with that same feeling of déjà vu.
" 'I dreamt of a young man, barely older than fifteen or sixteen. He was handsome and full of nobleness with a beautiful sword in his hand. Something about the boy was so familiar though I don't really know who it was.
" 'On the edges of the bright scenery, a shadow crept in. It surrounded the boy, leaving nowhere for him to escape. As it approached him, dark, gruesome creatures rose up from the ground and threatened him with their blades.
" 'The boy tried to fight off the beasts, but he eventually failed and felt the bites of hundreds of swords. The Darkness spread to the whole world and I saw nothing but black.
" 'Now that I'm awake, I know now that I need to do everything I can to prevent that from happening. These dreams aren't just dreams so I know that something is telling me to act. Before it's too late.
" 'Starting tomorrow, I'll constantly be on the lookout for updates for our security system and put in heavier security underground. I'll be damned if I let the bright innocence of this world disappear without a fight.'
" 'Entry thirteen: The last time I wrote in here was so long ago... too long. It's been so long that I've almost forgotten about my dream. That's what started my intensive work habits in the first place. I can't believe how that single dream has changed me.
" 'Looking at our updated security system, I still think that it isn't good enough. That boy in my dream and his gruesome death are still in my memory and this system isn't good enough to protect the Light nor him.
" 'Wait... That boy... It was Aaron. The boy was the exact image of what my son looks like now but without the sword. My god. How can my son be involved in all this? How can such a kind soul like Aaron be thrown into this, if I can even call it, war? Is he the one doomed to die rather than somebody not tied to Tom or me?
" 'I find that it doesn't matter anymore. For that boy's sake - Aaron's sake - I will create a defense for him to live in peace behind.'
" 'Entry fourteen: This will be the last time I write in this journal for a very long time; perhaps even forever. I can feel the Darkness creeping into this city. I don't have much time so I hope to write all I need to write.
" 'Over the years, this building has hidden many secrets. Some are trivial, others deciding the fate of others. But Tom and I have installed a secret for the ones who will save our world. Hopefully, they'll discover this place and use both ancient and modern power found in this building to their use against the Darkness.
" 'We have two hidden rooms: one in our main office and one on the other side of the building. In the secret room by the office, there are many weapons and tools you may use in case of emergency. The one on the other side is the security room with access to every system we have hooked to the main matrix. The map is located there. Although Tom and I can open the security doors, I know that you will somehow get in.
" 'For whomever reads this, please seek out my son, Aaron Strickland. Tell him this: he is my son and I truly love him, even though I may not have realized it or shown him. That is my only request.
" 'I'm sorry, Aaron. Forgive me.' And it, for some reason, ends with the mark of the royal crest of Gondor." He closed the journal and stared at it, remembering the man. "So he knew. Maybe not until just before the Invasion, but he knew."
Aragorn didn't reply once more and had tears in his eyes yet had never felt more joy in his life.
"All this time," he choked out, "I always thought that my old man didn't love me because I was getting in the way of business and he didn't want me alive." He pulled a weak grin. "Now I know that he was just trying to keep me safe from the evils that exist. It was the only way."
"Yeah," Legolas sighed. "They both did it for the protection of what's good and pure in this world so we wouldn't have to." He thought of his own parents sadly. "Too bad that we were destined to do this before we were even born."
With a renewed sense of hope and strength, they prepared themselves. They looked at each other blankly for a moment before Aragorn finally spoke.
"What are we here for, again?"