Hello everyone! I am so sorry for how delayed this chapter is. Many things have happened and I was nervous about writing Morgoth correctly. Anyway, let me know what you think!

I said nothing and Airawende said nothing. The breath in my chest was causing ripples of pain across, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. I could not even feel anger anymore. It was like all my emotions had just evaporated despite the burning fury from only a few minutes ago.

Silence stretched on only punctuated by our breathing and an occasional whimper when the pain was too great for me to bear silently. I was tempted to break the silence, but my stubbornness would not let me. I know it wasn't truly her fault, but if only she would just do what they wanted, then maybe we wouldn't be in this situation! I sucked in a deep breath and choked on the pain it caused to flare. Who knew burned skin was so extraordinarily painful? Even more then when Tar-Mairon broke my bones.

"what's that?" Airawende asked into silence.

"what's what?" I asked feeling annoyed. If there was her way to break the tension and silence without saying anything useful then I was seriously going to be incensed.

"that noise" She whispered. I scowled into the darkness.

"There is no noise" I snapped and then yelped as our door creaked with the turning of a key.

"I knew there was a noise" she whimpered.

"Shut up" I tried to glare at her general direction in the darkness. I grimaced at the sudden flood of light suddenly bathing our cell and heard Airawende suck in a pained breath. The glow wasn't even coming from a torch. It was like pure glimmering white, almost rainbow in quality, light shining bright from far above. I blinked in terror at the wave of power that seemed to crash like a wave on top of me as I looked into a beautiful but terrible face set under the light.

It was coming from a crown. A strange juxtaposition. Dark and ugly metal set upon a fair and terrible visage, but with the most beautiful light and feeling emanating from 3 gems upon it. I felt like I could not focus on them or the face at the same time, but I was afraid not to look at the face yet irresistibly drawn to staring at the light.

"To think my lieutenants could be so enamored by such dirt. Yet they are young upon Arda Marred. Ancient but not as I am. A creator" I trembled at his voice. It was indescribable. Terrible, beautiful, frightening, seductive, reassuring, and everything one could imagine. I got the feeling he was not talking to us when he spoke, but rather to himself as if he was considering many things. I didn't dare utter a word and I could feel Airawende trembling as she tried to imperceptibly scoot closer to me. I do not think we could do anything that this being wouldn't notice. I couldn't even call him a person because of the utter power he seemed to emanate. It made me want to weep and despair while praising him at the same time. He must infinitely more powerful than Tar-Mairon. He wasn't even looking at us.

I started as the light fled with his exit feeling suddenly bereft and a lot weaker. I wanted the jewels that the light came from desperately and strangely. I also, strangely enough, wanted that flood of power to come back over me. I could not feel the aches of my body when trapped in its terrifying hold.

I heard Airawende curse in surprise and then I felt arms hoist me up. I couldn't see anything without the light, but I tried to jerk away instinctually. It was unsuccessful and I felt a hand smack into my face. I collapsed feeling darkness encroach me again, but this time unfortunately, I did not fall into it. I could hear Airawende calling my name as me we were forcibly dragged from the cell.

Torch light finally bloomed ahead invading the cold air. I blinked in confusion. Did fire always flicker? My head ached from that blow. Orcs were dragging us down the hallways. Why were they so strong? My mind felt jumbled and I could see Airawende was faring similarly. I could see a black eye already forming.

"Airawende" I wheezed out and she looked up. Our eyes locked in fear and I tried to smile, but it felt like I couldn't move my facial muscles. She looked so bizarre staring at me that I laughed. She blinked and then laughed too. Suddenly we were both laughing hysterically being dragged along. I tried to stop myself, but I could not. The laughter kept bubbling up. I laughed when the hallway got bigger, and I laughed seeing Airawende's shoulders shaking with laughter even as they had their hands around her.

"isn't it funny?" I chuckled asking the orcs who each had me by an arm. They did not respond, but to growl deeply. I giggled insanely thinking about orcs being in my world. In the sunlight and at a park looking confused. I have not thought about the old world in forever. Tar-Mairon is not there so I don't want to be there either.

The laughter immediately shut off as massive doors opened, and the terrible power crashed over us. It was the throne room. Tar-Mairon had me kill in this room. I briefly thought about the power that I had when holding the knife. He wasn't here now, but the light was back! Held by the beautiful and terrible visage of earlier. I swallowed, but he wasn't looking at us. The effect merely came from being in proximity to him. I trembled.

"not laughing now?" The orc rumbled mockingly. I stared up at him as they kept dragging us forward. I started struggling despite the futility. I didn't know what was going to happen, but I knew I didn't want it to. I tried to push back weakly as I was dropped by the throne. Airawende wasn't struggling at all and I narrowed my eyes trying to push back even harder. Somehow, we had switched. I had counseled her not to fight back and now she was not, but I was. I wanted Tar-Mairon. She let them put a chain around her throat that was attached to the throne and I grimaced as one of the orcs held me down so the other could do the same. My eyes followed the glowing light as the chains snapped around my throat. It had turned away from me.

"Haldamire" I glowered at the familiar voice of Langon. He smirked at me from above "allow me to help you" I tried to bite him, and he looked amused "or don't, but I shall help you anyway." I tried to pull away from him even as my eyes kept being drawn the gems. I tried to hiss, but it was abruptly cut off by a gag.

"best not to speak here" he said holding a finger up to his lips and giving me a condescending look. He appeared evil with his filled in black eyes. He patted my head and went to Airawende. I looked back for the light and realized it seemed to tower above me. The being had sat down on the throne.

"Little pets" the voice rumbled and I felt a hand tangle in my hair lightly for a moment.