It was so empty it was frightening. I have no words to really explain the feeling of emptiness despite being here with another person. If you call Gothmog a "person". The air seemed charged somehow, but I never saw anything odd as he carried me. It was just empty hallways. Though I felt some cooler breezes brush past me, it didn't change much because of Gothmog's heat. I could feel a grimace across my face at the alien feeling, but also expanding hope at the cooler breezes.
"Are we going outside?" I squeaked out. I looked up and met the red gaze.
"Briefly" he said simply, and I could feel a flutter of excitement. Who cares about this Ancalagon when I will finally be able to see outside again? The last time I was outside was at the Ren Fair. Had it been years? Or is my sense of time distorted? I gripped his upper arm in excitement peering around with more interest. I could not shrug the creepy sensation away, but my excitement was overpowering it by quite a bit.
I wiggled excitedly but settled down with a faint sense of fear as his grip tightened infinitesimally. I almost shouted in pain as blinding light hit my eyes. I was not expecting the daylight to be so burning and bright. I had been underground for far too long. My eyes watered painfully as I tried to open them and take in the outside. We were not outside long enough for me to really take in the scenery before we went back into another passage. At least I now knew there were some paths outside. I tried to turn and look but the daylight was gone before I really felt it. I sulked folding my arms angrily.
"We are almost there. Be respectful" Gothmog said warningly. I stared at the floor still sulking about missing the outside due to my eyes watering from the brightness. I did nod quickly so he didn't get mad, but he ought to know I wanted to see the outside.
I covered my mouth in shock and terror inadvertently leaning back in Gothmog. He placed a hand on my shoulder and I glanced up to see him smirking at the immense being.
"Whaaa…tt?" I choked out as a long serpentine head arched up over us. I was smaller than its pupil. My mind almost couldn't comprehend the size of it. I couldn't even get the entire body in my line of sight because it was so big.
"Airawende" Gothmog said gently squeezing my shoulder "meet Ancalagon. The Black Dragon of Doom". This was "Ancalagon"?! I felt myself getting light-headed at the sheer magnitude. I tried to stammer out something, but I'm pretty sure I failed.
"He's not fully grown" Gothmog said leaning down to speak in my ear. The head lowered right in front of us until we both stood in front of the pupil. Oh my lord. I was smaller than it's pupil, by a lot.
"I have excellent hearing" rumbled a deep voice and I felt even more light-headed realizing that the Dragon had obviously heard Gothmog whispering.
"Well met, my friend" Gothmog said more cordially than I had ever heard him sound before. I rapidly moved my hand up and down trying to fan myself. Ancalagon rumbled a greeting that I missed the words too until I realized that I should say something because Gothmog was squeezing my shoulder.
"hi" I squeaked.
"She's as frightened as those little mice you send up here to distract me" Ancalagon bared a tooth the size of 5 or 6 of me put together.
"She won't be for long. Just don't breathe any fire while she's here and try to avoid touching her. She's more fragile than Mairon's glass work" Gothmog said warningly. Why did he sound so much friendlier to this thing than other humanoids? Jeez.
"Your assessment of how long lived her fear will be may be inaccurate" He grumbled squinting a giant eyelid. I felt myself pale at the scrutiny. I don't think the brief walk outside was worth this terror. Not to mention how blinding it was.
"Don't underestimate my pet. She's managed to forget orders before and suffered the penalties more than once" Gothmog said almost challengingly. Ancalagon made a grumbling noise. "I know you desire knowledge. She can read the books that you are to big to read" Gothmog patted my head and I shivered. He wanted me to read books to this creature. This dragon. My head was clearing up and I could make out the outline of wings tightly folded to the humungous body. He made more grumbly noises. "Get to know each other. I will return later"
I looked at Gothmog in horror. He was leaving me here? I stared at the dragon and he stared back.