Well, this is the second, and hopefully the last, rewrite/update on this story. The last rewrite was more of a 'error-fixing-and-taking-things-out' rewrite and not a total revamp. I'm doing this mainly because PhoenixRaider pointed out that I needed a stronger start and when I looked back I realized how sketchy it was.
Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR or the song lyrics. This song, The star's lullaby, is from Ronin Warriors. Sereina is mine, as is the old man and his tower.
A/N: This story takes place in 2951 of the third age, about 60 years before the Fellowship is formed. This is rated R for later chapters. The last one will be bloody and the whole story will be darker.
My Time in Mordor
Chapter 1: Star's lullaby
I am so impossibly very lonely
I call to you to look at me
Nothing but frozen nights within my reach
The stars lullaby
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Sereina looked up at the cloudless blue sky, quietly singing along with Christina Scabbia, the lead singer of Lacuna Coil. After checking her watch, which read 7:35, she decided she should head back down the hill and go home. She was at the bottom of the hill when the song, along with her train of thought, changed. Yesterday she had heard that Sean, the guy she liked, was going to ask her out. She had liked Sean for about three months now, or around the beginning of July, when she had first met him when he moved in across the street.
From the first time he had met her he had been nice, which was unusual because people were usually wary of her appearance. She was actually fairly normal with the only exception being her eyes, which were a strange golden color and had a tendency to reflect like a cat's eyes. For many years she had no friends and had been quite depressed.
Sereina was about halfway home when she stepped through a cold patch of air. Her smile instantly vanished as the CD player in her hoody's pocket skipped two songs and launched into A Current Obsession, skipping a verse in the process. An uncontrollable shiver ran up her back as she looked around. Something about the landscape wasn't right and, after turning around, she realized what it was. Behind her were mountains and a setting sun that hadn't been there before. As she tried to still her racing mind she closed her eyes and let a breath out slowly. A slight calm came over her until a shriek rang through the sky. Her head shot up at the harsh noise and her mouth dropped open at the scene before her.
Hovering not 20 feet over the grassy plain was a huge beast that slightly resembled a wyvern. It had a huge body, which included a long neck and tail, and wings that had to span at least 40 feet. Sitting calmly atop the strange beast was a black cloaked figure. It was a man or, she though, something in man's clothes. Just the sight of him sent fear racing through her veins like ice and she found herself rooted to the spot. As the beast descended it let out a hoarse roar that broke her out of her stupor. Not really caring about the consequences she turned and fled.
As she ran across the uneven ground she heard a low hiss and felt air waft past her. A foul odor traveled on that air and made her want to gag. The CD player bounced annoyingly against her leg and skipped into the middle of Waves of Anguish. The headphones had fallen to her neck but the volume was up all the way so she could hear the chorus of the song very well. She was so distracted by the music that she didn't notice a dip in the ground and fell forward.
As she tried to regain her breath and balance a cold hand, probably the black cloaked creature's, closed around her neck and pulled her up roughly. There was a slight pause before the creature hissed, "Good, you're a virgin." Sereina could hear a slight sneer in the voice and wondered for a second what her virginity had to do with anything. Secondly she wondered how it knew.
The creature carefully moved its hand from her neck down to her shoulder and was keeping her shaking form from falling or getting away. Seeing she wasn't going to move, for her fear had once again frozen her, it put a strong arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. As she was moved closer she could smell decay and felt a biting cold and started to pull away. Before she could move very much a sense of calm came over her and she relaxed. She realized it wasn't a true calm, only a warped version, but couldn't fight it. She felt so calm that as it completely picked her up she leaned her head against its shoulder. The thing dressed as a man, for she was sure it was no human, walked back to its winged steed, fully confident that it was going to its fell home when a bright flash made it drop it's capture. The false calm dissipated as soon as he dropped her and she rolled off to the side, not wanting to be caught again.
As the light faded she could see in its posture and the way it moved that it was not happy to lose her. It caught sight of her and took a step forward just as a fireball zoomed past its head. It jerked back and hissed angrily as it looked around for the source and pulled out its sword.
She looked around as well but only saw grass and the occasional tree, which someone could easily hide behind. Another fireball flew through the air and almost hit the beast, causing the cloaked creature to let out one of its horrible shrieks. It was then that she realized that the man-like being was making its way over to her, probably thinking it would grab her and then depart. Before it could reach her another fireball flew across the plains and hit one of its sleeves. Instantly it dropped the sword as the sleeve caught fire. Even though it beat at the sleeve with its other had the flames spread rapidly. Realizing the futility of its actions it pulled off the long black cloak to reveal equally black armor. It wore a helm so she still couldn't see its features. Angrily it grabbed its sword and held it straight up in the air. It started to chant in a harsh language and as it did so a low rumbling filled the air. Suddenly it spoke three words loudly in the strange language and she heard a crack along with a 'get down' ring through the air.
Sereina immediately dropped and was surprised to see blue lightning streak over her head and at the directions of the fireballs. Instead of hitting the assailant the lightning broke uselessly against a tree.
For a moment the man-like creature froze and seemed to be listening to an unheard voice. No more fireballs flew and after a few moments it turned to her. For some reason she felt as though it were about to say something, but instead it turned and mounted its steed. With a hiss the two were off the ground and flying east.
Sereina waited a while before a figure stepped out from a tree and walked towards her,
"What a fell couple. I am sure that Sauron will have no kind words for Khamul when he returns. But, how rude of me, you must be exhausted from your encounter with such an evil. My home isn't too far from here and I can easily teleport us both."
Sereina stared in slight shock at the man, her mind reeling from her current predicament. A small chuckle escaped the old man as he closed the last few feet between them. "Now, come child, I mean no harm. If I did you would still be in the arms of that foul creature and flying to meet his master." With a gentle smile he offered her his hand.
Realizing what the man said was true she took the hand and was suddenly gone from the field. A slight sense of nausea overcame her and she sat down heavily on a stone floor.
Her CD player was still running and after listening for a while she realized that the CD had skipped back to number three. It was also then that she realized how tired she was. The adrenalin had run its course, leaving her tired beyond all reason.
Forcing her mind out of its slight stupor she got a good look at the man. He appeared to be around 60 or 70 and was tall and very thin. He was standing over by the fire and trying to light a fire and keep his beard away from the sparks in the process. Soon her attention moved to the room and she looked around. The room was large and had two chairs and a thick rug before the fireplace. When the old man had finished lighting the fire he sat down in one of the two chairs and sighed.
Sereina stood up. "What was that...that thing that attacked me?"
"You look exhausted and I don't think you would be able to stay awake for the story of Khamul, his brethren, and their master. Sleep now and I will tell you everything tomorrow." After he said this he stood and motioned her to follow.
Sereina followed readily enough, wanting only an explanation or sleep. Realizing she wasn't going to get the former she would settle for the latter. Sereina looked around as they made their way through many corridors and up an equal amount of stairs. Finally the old man stopped before a plain wooden door.
"This will be your room. Some time tomorrow I will come and explain everything. Do not come looking for me, you will only get lost." The last sentence came out sterner then the rest and Sereina nodded. With a good night he left, leaving her to enter her room alone. She pushed the door open and squinted against the torches that had flared up when the door opened. She cast her gaze over the room, only really seeing the large canopy bed. As she walked across the room to is the pulled off her sweater and head set and threw them to the floor.
There was barely a minute between when her head hit the pillow and when she fell asleep.
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As Sereina awoke she expected to hear the beeping of an alarm clock but only got the muffled chirping of birds. The first thing she noticed was how stiff she was. Her legs and even her back hurt. Carefully she rolled out of bed, the memories of yesterday running through her head. The memory of the cloaked being made her shudder slightly. Wrenching her attention away from the strange man she looked around the room.
When she had come in the night before she had only had eyes for the bed and had ignored all else. On the either side of the bed were two windows covered with heavy black curtains. A writing desk was at the opposite wall, close to the door and on the adjacent wall was a wardrobe with numerous dresses in it.
It was several hours before the old man came and during that time could do little but wait. She found some food that had been place out, ate it, and then carried the writing desk's chair over to the window and sat. Finally there was a knock on the door and when she answered it the old man motioned her to follow him. Instantly he started to talk.
"You were brought here as a sacrifice for the Dark Lord Sauron." The old man said these words in a grim tone. Sereina flashed a look of disbelief at the back of his head but waited for him to continue. "That creature that came to get you is one of the most powerful beings Sauron has at his disposal. If I am correct I do believe it was Khamul, as I said last night. He is the second of the Nazgul, Sauron's undead servants."
Now they were winding up what seemed to be a tower as the stairs kept going around in a tight curve and never seemed to end. "In the long run though, it is Sauron you should be wary of."
"Sauron?" Sereina echoed, confusion in her voice. She swore she had heard that name before but she couldn't quite place it.
The old man nodded. "Sauron. He is the leader. He is also a Maia, the equivalent of a demi-god. For the last couple thousand years he has been trying to conquer the world. at the moment he is gaining power again, though no one seems to realize it.
"He will probably sent his Nazgul after you again soon so I wish to show you incase I am unable to help you." Finally they reached the top of the stairs and the old man pushed open a door and they entered a small room with an alter at one end. The only thing on the alter was a thin white candle which the old man picked up.
"When Sauron sends the Nazgul after you this will be the only thing that will stop them. Thousands of years ago the father of all the Gods and Goddesses, Eru, blessed this candle so it would repel the undead. No matter how long it is lit it will never burn out. If you wish I will allow you to take it to your room."
Sereina gave the candle a thoughtful look and nodded her head slowly. "If I can I would like to. I don't know if I could make it up here in time."
A small smile tugged at the corners of the man's mouth and he handed her the candle, which she took gratefully. Once again he motioned her to follow him and they went back to her room. Sereina thanked the man once more and closed the door when he had left.
Turning away from the door she walked over to the desk and set the candle gently on the desk.
