CHAPTER TWENTY Minas Morgul, rise of the Nazgul
As Smaug and Mira look at the Tower of Morgul, Smaug lets Mira get off. "Ah, the Tower of Sorcery!" Mira walks to the doors of Morgul. "We need to be very careful, according to Ren, the orc's are mad here!"
Smaug looks at the doors. "I don't think we are welcomed!"
Mira looks at the doors. "I hope they haven't gone!"
Smaug looks at Mira. "Why me Lord Witch-King? My I call you Witch-King or do you prefer Er Murazor?" Says Smaug nervously.
"Don't worry, just act harsh and you will fit in!" Says Mira sarcastically.
"Yes my lord." As Mira goes to the door it begins to open. "Well maybe they're expecting you?" Says Smaug ironically.
Mira does not even flinch to Smaug's saying. "Are you ready?"
Smaug looks at Mira, "No, but we have come so far to go back so quickly!"
Mira nods, "Well lets go." Smaug and Mira enter Minas Morgul and the doors close slowly behind them. As Smaug and Mira look back, they are entrapped in a pale green building. As Smaug looks at Mira, Mira and Smaug look forward to see one Nazgul standing before them, Mira hold her breath in fear.
As the Nazgul holds his distance, he looks at the dragon, but he then looks at the Witch-King of Angmar. "The hour is late my lord, you've come in a great time needed my lord, I surrender my power back to you!"
As Mira stops, he can see through the Nazgul's black cloak, it looks like he wears a crown of the Easterling, Mira stands before Khamul, second in charge of the Tower of Sorcery. "Who do you serve Khamul?"
Khamul looks at the Witch-King, "I serve the Lord of Sorcery, the Lord of Angmar."
Adunaphel comes running out, she has waited to see the Witch-King so long, but as she see the dragon, she joins Khamul. "What is that?" As Adunaphel points at Smaug.
Smaug walks forward, "What do I look like to you?"
Adunaphel moves back, she is shocked to hear it talking. "It talks!"
Smaug laughs. "All dragons talk, I am special though." Smaug says with much charisma about himself.
Adunaphel looks at the dragon, "What is special about you?"
Smaug say in a dead loud roar. "Behold...you stand before Smaug the Dragon Lord!"
Khamul says, "Smaug? Smaug the Magnificent!"
Mira looks at Smaug, "This is Smaug my friend, but I've come to you in the hour of need! Asron has sent you to your death, he sends you to Tsiegret'lop." Khamul looks confused at the Witch-King of Angmar. As Mira looks around he looks for the other six. "Where is Ren, where is the other five?" As Mira looks around.
Khamul sill can't believe the Witch-King was able to bribe Smaug, and second, Khamul can't believe that the Witch-King was able to escape Minbar, this worries him. "Hence my regards, but I saw you fall at Minbar, according to Lord Anubis, you were killed!" Says Khamul in a loud voice, sort of angry.
Mira thinks up a story to be closely related to the quote by Gandalf. "Died, yes I died, but not in vengeance did I. When I finally defeated the darkness in my soul I felt myself going out of all memory and time. It was a defeat I suffered, but the hatred of myself almost consumed me, but as I left all memory and time, I gazed at the life I could have had and saw the problem, but I then felt life back in me. I've been sent back with a new form, but same potentials. I've released the hatred from myself and now I've become a white sorceress."
Khamul looks at the Witch-King, this is what he feared. "So tell me...my lord," says Khamul harshly. "Whom do you serve now?"
Mira knows he is now treading a thin line. "I once served our master Asron, but what he did to me changed all that!" Says Mira harshly back to Khamul.
Adunaphel looks at Khamul, but then back at the famed Witch-King of Angmar. Adunaphel wants to test him. "My lord, you know I've only wanted to serve you, unveil yourself, prove your worth my lord, Asron warned us that a prophecy of the past comes to kill us."
Mira looks at Adunaphel, the only female Nazgul among the nine. "Prove my worth, show myself, you dare question the power of your lord?"
Smaug looks at Mira, he hopes that this place is not affecting him, hoping the Mira is acting. Adunaphel removes her ring and feels herself dying. "If you are powerful, if you are the White Sorcerer prove it, I sacrifice myself to your hand." Adunaphel falls to the ground, she uncloaks herself and her morgul-self is very displeasing to view. For a Numenor she has not evaporated yet, but her form is failing her. As Adunaphel looks at her lord, Mira looks at Smaug, he does not know how to save her, but as Smaug looks at Adunaphel, Mira walks to comfort her, hoping to help her. As Mira walks to Adunaphel, he unveils himself, Khamul sees that his form is young, fleshed again...this is not the great sorcerer he remembers, but if this new restores flesh, Khamul is willing to undergo the change.
As Mira looks at Adunaphel, he speaks quietly to her. "Hen Numenor. U Mira. Losto!" As Khamul listens carefully he notices it's the language of the north. As Adunaphel listens to the sweet words, she feels herself being relaxed. As Mira touches Adunaphel, he thinks to himself. As Mira closes his eyes, Adunaphel feels life coming back to her, as Mira lifts his hand, the morgul view leaves her, her flesh, he beauty comes back to her. As Adunaphel opens her eyes she looks at Mira, she can see him completely, no longer living in the dreaded shadows. As Adunaphel stands up she looks at Khamul, she can't see him, he is a shadow, an daunting figure, as she looks at Smaug, she notices that Smaug is not black, but instead he is gold! As Adunaphel feels her hands, she feels the magic of the Numenor race come back to her, as she looks up to Mira, she smiles and the bows.
"My lord, I trust your power." Adunaphel looks at the ring of Umbar, when she wore it she was known as Adunaphel the Quiet. As she walks to the ring, she is afraid to touch the ring, afraid to wear it, as she looks at Mira, Mira watches. As Adunaphel picks it up, she looks at it, "I serve no master no longer, I serve my people, the people of the Numenorian race. I am Adunaphel of Umbar of the race of Numenor." Adunaphel looks at Khamul, but as Khamul looks at Adunaphel, he walks to Adunaphel.
As Khamul touches Adunaphel, he can't feel anything. "Did it hurt?"
Adunaphel looks at Khamul. "No, no it did not hurt, I feel as if cold has been lifted from my body, I can breathe once again!" Adunaphel looks at Khamul, she hopes she is still trusted.
As Khamul looks at Mira, "Asron has order us to go to Tsiegret'lop. He sends up to our death! Khamul looks at Mira, "But your return is quite timed!"
Mira looks at Khamul. "Yes it is, but believe me, you should have know I was coming!"
Khamul nods, "Yes, you contacted Ren, he told me that you were coming to help us, but then I get a message from Asron, it was the order to fly to Tsiegret'lop, this is why we are not gone yet."
Mira sees three other Nazgul come out of the shadows, it is Ren, Akhorahil, and Dwar. As they stop about 15 feet behind of Khamul, Khamul turns to face the three Nazgul. As Khamul looks at them, Ren and Akhorahil approach Khamul, Khamul watches. "Stop where you are." Khamul looks at Dwar. "Dwar, go get Uvatha, Ji Indur Dawndeath, and Hoarmurath, tell them to hurry...war is coming!"
Dwar looks at Khamul, "Yes my lord!" Dwar looks at Mira and Adunaphel. He turns to go and find Ji Indur Dawndeath, Uvatha, and Hoarmurath.
As Khamul looks back to Mira, his mind is made up! "You have my sword my lord, release me from this shadow's curse!" Mira nods, but points at Khamul's ring. As Khamul looks at his ring, he touches it, he can't part from it. As Khamul closes his eyes, he takes the ring off and throws it against the wall. As the ring falls to the ground, the sound of metal clings to the floor. As Khamul feels it getting cold, his legs collapse and he falls to the floor. As Khamul gasps on the floor, he feels as if he is going to die here in the cold...alone. Adunaphel was correct, there is no pain, but it is very scary! As Khamul looks around, he sees a bright light approaching him. As the light envelopes him, he begins to feel warmth coming into him, and as the light begins to fade away, he is able to see the Witch-King, Adunaphel, and two other Nazgul. As Khamul stands up, he feels the strength in him. "Never in my life do I appreciate my own spirit unlimited," Khamul looks at the ring of the Easterling's. "I took this ring without question, I accepted the empty promises of Asron, how long have these dark days are mine?" Khamul slowly walks to the ring. "I am Khamul, ruler of the 'dead' race Easterling's, and I call myself a ruler, no longer do I withstand within the reign of rulers." Khamul looks at Mira. "You are correct, Asron the deceiver is no king of rulers, he trying to be the reign of rulers."
Mira nods, Ren finally comes forward. "My lord, thank you for coming, I did as you asked."
Mira smiles, "Thank you Ren," Mira looks at Khamul. "So what will it be my lord? Do we march to Tsiegret'lop or do we march elsewhere?" Mira keeps her patients.
Khamul looks at Mira, he keeps quiet for a second, but reality comes to Khamul that marching to Tsiegret'lop is suicide. As Khamul looks at Ren he has made a decision. "I don't like to be ruled, I don't like to be tricked, and I defiantly don't like to be used." Mira thinks that ruled, used, and tricked is the same thing, but he says nothing about it. As Khamul keeps on talking, Mira is the only one who is holding his breath. "And overall I have been deceived!" Khamul looks at Mira. "We will march to Barad'dur, tonight I deal with Asron and his falling empire!" Khamul turns and looks at the other Nazgul. "Go and get released, you will know what I mean when you feel your old-self." Khamul turns to leave and goes on to his dorm, as Mira watches Khamul leave, Mira then looks at Akhorahil.
As Akhorahil looks at Mira, he walks to his old lord. "Release me my lord, I grow tired of the shadows!" Mira point to Akhorahil's ring. Akhorahil looks at his ring. "I must release my hold on the Numenor race, I will be powerless!" Akhorahil takes off the ring, his gem eyes are dimming, life is running away like a morning dew against the hot Arizona sun. As Mira goes to Akhorahil, he touches him and releases the curse from him. As Akhorahil feels the cold flowing away from him, he looks at Mira, he can't see like anyone else, thus is why he was called the Blind Sorcerer, he has the Eyes of the Well, sorcery gems.
Ren comes up to Mira, "My Lord please liberate me, I become weary of the darkness, reinforce my greatness." Ren takes off his ring of Barad-Ungol, aka the Cirith Ungol, Passage of Spiders. As Mira touches Ren, Mira releases Ren from the curse. His red ruby gem ring falls to the ground as Ren feels the years finally catch up to him even though he is the second youngest among the nine. "Thank you my lord, I can see again." Ren picks up his ring and looks at it, as the worn down ruby glimmers in the pale light, he hands it to Mira. "Murazor, I can't go on ruling with the passage of spiders, please keep it as a token of my gratitude!"
Mira looks at the ruby, he's never been much interested in rubies, but as Mira closes Ren's old fingers around the ring, Mira speaks softly. "No my old friend, it is yours, your protection, if you part from the ring, death will find you. You keep it my Fire-King!"
Ren remembering that name nods. "Yes my lord." Ren turns to dress into some dark robes, but he first wants to put on his old uniform.
As Mira watches Ren disappear, Uvatha and Hoarmurath come forward to face the Witch-King, Dendra and Ji stay behind, they fear losing their power. As Uvatha looks at Mira's young face he does not see the once hatred for life that was once in his eyes. "Forgive me Er Murazor, but you seem different since the last time we met!"
Mira looks at the thin small man trying to remember who he is, as his mind races through the names and titles, the name Uvatha comes to mind. "How unwise Uvatha to doubt me, but you are correct."
Uvatha looks at Mira. "I am correct?"
Mira smiles, "yes you are correct, my name was once as you call it, Er Murazor, the acclaimed Witch-King of Angmar, I was defeated at Minbar, but I came back through this memory, this ring, it is bonded to my name...Er Murazor. I am called now Mirabilia the Witch-King of Angmar." Mira is becoming annoyed with Uvatha's resentment to him. "Do you want to be free?"
Uvatha at first pauses, but the pain of the shadows converts him. "All I wanted was the truth!" Uvatha removes his ring. "Go ahead, show me the truth." Mira touches Uvatha and breaks the curse. As Uvatha looks at Hoarmurath. "I now remember my name...Uvatha the Messenger, Lord of Khand of the south."
Mira smiles, "Breathe the free air." Mira looks at Hoarmurath. "And you sir, are you ready?" Say Mira calmly.
Hoarmurath, an individual who upholds secrecy looks at Mira, "You say that Asron sends us to our death, that if we march to Tsiegret'lop we will die! But if we leave the shadows then we leave our chance of immorality! Going against Asron is as doomed as going to the dead city of Tsiegret'lop!" Hoarmurath looks at Uvatha, "But if it releases us from this death of name than lets get it done!" Hoarmurath removes his ring and hands it to Mira.
Mira looks at Hoarmurath's ring, it contains a diamond encrusted in silver. As Mira looks at the weak Ice King, Mira touches Hoarmurath's shoulders and releases from the cold spell. As Hoarmurath looks at Mira, the dark room in lighter, no longer in the shadows is Hoarmurath. As Hoarmurath. As Hoarmurath rises from his knees he looks at Mira. As Mira hands back the ring of Urdar to Hoarmurath, Mira looks at Ji Indur Dawndeath and Dendra Dwar. Mira knows that these Nazgul are high up on the ranks. Dendra Dwar is the third Nazgul also known as The Unforgiving. As for Ji Indur Dawndeath he is the forth Nazgul also known as The Outcast, Ji Indur is very unpredictable. He is known for his bloody conflict at Mumakan. As Dendra Dwar and Ji Indur Dawndeath walk forward to Mira they both remove their ring. It is now done.
END OF CHAPTER 20, NEXT CHAPTER 21