Chapter 12: Thy voice is thy weapon…
It was Harbal who came up with the solution, and it was a very smart one too. Since he was the best physician around he was the one who would be called upon if someone got sick and so he managed to convince the Sha'al and his men that someone had brought a communal disease into the harem. Everybody had to be checked for it was very contagious and only a trained doctor could treat it. The Sha'al had panicked for he was terrified of illness and gave Harbal free reins and he would check every human being within the palace and Maglor would sit in the background playing his harp, singing softly.
The odd thing was that it in fact was needed, Harbal did find quite a lot of filth and did take his job seriously too, he prescribed treatments and acted just the way he was supposed to, Maglor was just there to soothe the patients and he did sing in his own language. He had discovered that it didn't matter what language you used when trying the songs of power. He had trained and tested it for more than two weeks and he had found that yes, humans were susceptible to the method. He slowly changed the memories of those present at the orgy, made them believe that only the slaves had laid with the two dancers. He had no way of getting to the queen herself but if she knew her own good she wouldn't protest if her child was born with dark skin and the slaves claimed that a guard or someone like that had to be the father.
The harem was a rather busy place these days, Feng was training them in his technique and they also had the performances to prepare for so everybody were kept busy the entire time. Maglor and Aodh had implemented a sort of mock sword fight in the dance and it was a great success.
But the Sha'al was not slowing down in any manner, he was still partying hard every night and the contacts said he even fucked some of his concubines now. Feng had obviously managed to manipulate his appetites and Maglor did pity the poor women. But the Sha'al didn't care about who he hurt or how, as long as he managed to fulfil his needs. It was very apparent that Feng had contacts and they got daily reports each night, carefully hidden in the bottom of a jar of oil Feng used to smear onto them all. He was after all the emperor's man and shared the news with the rest of the men there. Abu and Abebe were the ones who didn't really understand the severity of it all, they were too young so they were spared from the worst. The sha'al had spent too much money lately, way too much. They said the vaults were almost empty now and the taxes had been raised several times. The result was that the caravans no longer came to the city, and some of the rich noblemen moved away with all of their wealth.
The governing of this country was falling apart and Feng said that the Sha'al's father had been a bastard just like his son but at least he had owned some practical sense and had been very smart when it came to economy. Now his son was emptying out the storages once built painstakingly over decades and nobody managed to convince the Sha'al of the severity of his deeds. The crops had failed for two years now, due to a very bad drought and the emperor had kindly offered to send some of his economic counsellors to the Sha'al to help him prepare for the famine which was sure to come. The sha'al declined, using a language which would have made a less civilized ruler demand his head on a platter.
Maglor was sometimes allowed to leave the harem once again, and what he saw shocked him. He was still being followed by a horde of guards and Feng of course did accompany him but he used his eyes and the city had changed a lot over just a short year. The poverty was everywhere now, and the liveliness of the city had been choked by a sensation of impending doom. And the Sha'al was no longer being praised by the people, Maglor saw them whisper prayers which seemingly were made to make sure that the Sha'al's rule would last forever but Feng did whisper to him that some subtle nuances changed the meaning of the prayers completely. And also his guards had started to feel the pressure now, the salaries had dropped a lot, some of their privileges removed and rumours told that some already had deserted.
Maglor knew that this realm by now was like a giant on legs made from clay and they all just waited for the rain to wash them away from under it.
The queen had taken the idea of the herb to her heart and the child was due to be born exactly when the astrologist said it would be most beneficial. The Sha'al swallowed the lie with hook line and sinker and he wanted a strong son so he did praise her initiative. Harbal did also do his outmost to convince everybody of the fact that Aerhan and Aodh both preferred males and were incapable of sleeping with a female. When the Sha'al came to watch an orgy Harbal gave them some drugs which prevented them from getting an erection when there were females present and both did their best to convince him that they only found men attractive. The Sha'al did buy that too, and Maglor let out a huge sigh of relief. He wasn't sure if his songs had managed to convince everyone in the queen's court of the "truth".
But as the threat of a bankruptcy crept closer the Sha'al brought more and more followers to his parties and Feng said he tried to buy the loyalty of these men, in every manner possible. Now the followers were allowed to touch the males from the collection during the parties and some even fucked them, right there and then. Maglor was still off limits for the followers, but Adanais and the others were not and Harbal was so angry he almost shat bricks. One of the noblemen had given Aerhan crabs and another was so brutal towards Rial and Kenar both were unable to perform for many days afterwards. Feng told them to be patient, to stay calm but it was hard. Maglor spent one evening sitting on the lap of some man with a huge boil on his cheek and the human did smell so bad he almost retched but he did manage to smile and act like he was flirting, although it cost him a lot. The atmosphere within the realm did effect everybody and everything, slaves were being punished more severely now and Feng told them he had seen many being whipped to death. And at one party the Sha'al had two of his concubines drowned in wine barrels, right in front of the guests. Apparently they had failed to bow deeply enough one time he came by. Everybody was walking on needles now, the Sha'al was acting more and more like a spoiled child and he demanded the most horrific things from his loyal men. He seemed to believe that he was some sort of deity and deserved to be worshiped and many claimed that the nobility of the city now tried to avoid coming to the parties. It was no longer seen as a shortcut to power but a shortcut to being robbed of everything you owned and loved.
The Sha'al had become a true tyrant and Maglor did feel chills run down his back whenever he laid eyes on the human, something was simply wrong within that man's soul. One of the noblemen refused to give the Sha'al all of his precious thoroughbred horses and as a punishment the Sha'al sent men to his palace and gathered all his daughters and wives and sisters and all the women were brutally raped in front of the crowd at a festival. Most of them died afterwards and the nobleman committed suicide even if that was seen as a mortal sin by this people. But the queens due date was approaching fast and the Sha'al was very excited now, he was sure he would have a strong son, one who would be worthy of being his heir and he kept bragging the whole time about his virility. Feng said the queen was suffering a lot, she was not prepared for a pregnancy and the problems a pregnant woman may encounter had descended upon her with a vengeance. She could barely move and Feng said the royal midwife was worried, the queen's baby bump was too large and some had seen two dead doves fall from the skies and land on the roof of the palace wing where the queen lived. It was a very bad omen and the atmosphere was extremely tense as the big day got closer.
Maglor was still afraid that the queen would give birth to a black baby, if she did little could save Aerhan in spite of everything they had done, the Sha'al would most likely execute every black male within the palace and Harbal had prepared. He had made some poison which worked very fast in case things went to hell, if Aerhan or Aodh were accused of having slept with the queen he would assure that they didn't suffer. The poison would give symptoms of a heart attack so nobody could be blamed. Maglor just kept praying every day and the Sha'al did more and more resemble some huge and obnoxious monster haunting his dreams. Feng made sure that the Sha'al remained vigorous and now some of the concubines too were with child. They would of course not become heirs to the throne since they were born out of wedlock but the Sha'al only got his own superiority confirmed thus and he was acting worse than ever before.
The perversities which before had been kept hidden were now shown openly, he demanded orgies during the parties and many of the followers were aghast since they too had to participate and some of them were in fact religious and saw the coupling of male to male as a sin. He kept loosing support and the males of the collection were hoping that he would just drop dead, it would solve many problems. But no, he kept going, sent more and more of the country's men to war and he didn't care that the aquifers were running dry. The palace used an insane amount of water every day, it was thousands upon thousands of gallons of it and the rest of the realm had barely a drop left to spare.
Then the queen went into labor and the palace was in a state of lock down, to prevent anyone from possibly stealing the Sha'al's new heir. Feng had gathered the males of the collection and they were sitting in one of the smaller rooms, everybody feeling nervous. Aodh and Aerhan sat in the middle of the group, both pale and scared and Harbal had been called to help with the birth. It took a long time, they sat there for more than a day, sweating and shaking and Maglor just knew that something was off. When Harbal returned to the harem he was covered with blood and his eyes were huge and he was pale. At first everybody feared that worst, that the baby indeed was born with black skin but the old doctor sat down and he was shaking all over. The queen was alive but the infant was not, that was bad enough but the worst was that the child had been deformed.
Harbal said that the baby was born with a terribly misshapen head. It had been flat and small and the infant had a cleft palate too so it looked almost monstrous. And it had a tail, and the hands and feet looked like claws and it had most of its guts on the outside of the body, the heart included. It couldn't have lived, and everybody in the room had entered a state of complete panic. Even the midwife said it was black magic, that someone had cursed the queen and the Sha'al had exploded with rage.
Maglor felt a huge relief, Aerhan was safe but what now? The effect was almost instantaneous. The queen was suddenly seen as a burden, as dangerous and the Sha'al did divorce her and she was actually put into a small cell and the door bricked shut. She could receive food and water but nothing more and if it hadn't been for her father the Sha'al would have burned her alive. But many of her court ladies were to suffer that fate and all her slaves. Some were drawn and quartered and the Sha'al did surpass himself when it came to grotesque torture. He was convinced that someone within the court had cursed the queen and caused the baby to become a monster and now someone had to pay. The palace did resound of screams for several days, even some of the guards were put to death since someone said they had liked the queen a little too well, and when the madness did subside the Sha'al had ordered the execution of at least four hundred people. The bodies were placed on stakes around the palace walls and the stench was horrible.
Feng got nervous, the emperor had to be told of this, Sparkling flower was after all his daughter and he was bound by his honour and had to avenge her and possibly rescue her too. The Sha'al would stand no chance if the emperor decided to attack, and everybody held their breaths. The Sha'al had tipped over into madness now, he still demanded parties and orgies and now he developed an eerie fascination with blood and strangulation which made even Feng shocked. They waited for the emperor but what descended upon the city was the plague. It came fast, and with horrible effect and the death toll within the city reached epic scales just after a few days. The plague had probably arrived with some new slaves brought in by a caravan and the Sha'al went mad with fear. He had bought some of the slaves and some had been placed within the harem too, he was horrified and isolated himself completely. He forced his favourite men to spend the time with him and that included his sons in law.
Nobody was to enter the rooms and they all bathed in honey and donkey milk each day for someone had said that it could counteract the plague. Harbal gave all the men of the collection a strange concoction, it made sure that none of them got ill but others did fall ill and die with horrible boils everywhere and in intense agony. Harbal was everywhere these days, he told them that only the priestesses of the temple were safe, they kept cats and used the same medicine and the population of the city was suffering horribly. The Sha'al ignored them, he closed the palace gates, stopped the distribution of food for the poor and left the country to its destiny. The result was that desperate people gathered before the walls, screaming and cursing the Sha'al and he sat there in his isolated rooms and drank and partied and pretended to be a God. But the plague spares nobody, his sons in law did succumb to it one by one, then his other followers and the Sha'al ventured into absolute madness. He demanded human sacrifice now, as if he was some monstrous deity fed by the blood of the innocent and every day some slave was dragged in front of the closed doors and cut down. He thought that the blood would protect him.
The palace was becoming more and more like a madhouse, nobody dared to do anything except lay low and bodies were dragged out almost every day. The plague was the worst kind, it was very contagious and more than half of the ones who got ill died fast. Those who did survive envied the dead for they were often left scarred and weakened and by now there was hardly food nor water to be found anywhere. Desperate people attacked the palace walls every day and got shot at by the guards but that didn't stop them at all. Feng and Harbal worked continuously to keep the men of the collection safe, the Sha'al was so mad now he may demand some of them sacrificed and Feng said that the man had lost whatever wits he once had. Why he hadn't gotten the plague yet was a mystery but Harbal said that the man probably was among the few immune to that particular disease. It was ironic but true.
The queen was alive still, suffering a lot yes, but the few slaves who dared to move around did tell Feng that she hoped her father would come to her rescue, and that kept her going. The males of the collection had isolated themselves now, the luxury they were used to almost gone and fear was their constant companion. They would all sleep in the same room, huddled up like puppies in a basket and Maglor would hold onto whoever lay close to him and try to pretend that things were good, and that they were safe.
The plague died down, after about two weeks of absolute mayhem, a merchant who managed to get access to the palace told them that the plague had come from an oasis along the caravan route. There was a colony of marmots there and in desperation some had started hunting them and thus gotten infected. The disease didn't normally harm the animals but it was lethal to people and it had spread to rodents and birds and thus gotten into every building in the city. Now the rain did return, and it washed the streets clean and brought new hope and the Sha'al believed that he was the reason why the gods suddenly showed such pity. He still demanded sacrifice and if it hadn't been for a small group of loyal and very ruthless guards everybody would have fled the palace and left him to simmer in his own insanity.
The city was recovering and Maglor and the others were getting more nervous than ever before for who could challenge the Sha'al now? He was mad as a hatter and couldn't be trusted for a second. Then the news came, the emperors forces were on the way and at first the Sha'al just laughed at it. He believed that they came to help him fight the bandits who by now had simply vanished into thin air. Then he believed that they came to help them rebuild and get things back into order and it wasn't until one of the emperors generals rode up to the palace gate with a letter from the emperor that he realized what this was. The letter was demanding his complete surrender and that the queen was to be returned to her father unharmed and that the city and the realm from now on was to be a part of the emperors lands. The Sha'al went ballistic with rage, he was roaring like an animal and the palace was shut off completely. It was built almost like a fortress and could be defended and suddenly the Sha'al was under siege.
The emperors troops made his army look like toy soldiers, what little resistance they met was merely symbolic and the city was conquered without any bloodshed. The people were beside themselves with relief, some spread flowers under the hooves of the horses the emperor's soldiers rode and others were singing hymns to his praise. The troops had brought supplies, food, water and medicine and it was distributed and the city transformed as the Sha'al still sat there in his palace, stubborn like a donkey. He was convinced that his army would be victorious and nobody dared to tell him that his army no longer existed. Most of the men had deserted and some had switched side too. The army of the emperor was well equipped, had discipline and was well paid too and most of all, the soldiers were treated like human beings, not things. The emperor had sent one of his most powerful men to take over the rule of this realm, Feng said he was wise, just and very kind but also hard when he had to be and the palace had been under siege for days now. There was no food left, little water and everybody were suffering. Maglor didn't need much of anything but the others had started to feel the stress and Harbal was nervous. They had gathered rainwater but it didn't last long and the emperors troops started to attack the palace actively with catapults and a ballista. Feng gave a damn about the Sha'al's orders, he took the men of the collection with him into hidden rooms in the basement and they were safe there. They would have to stay there until the Sha'al was captured and his reign ended.
The Sha'al still believed that he could escape and he did something incredibly stupid. He did send his wife back to her father's emissary but not before he had raped her and then let all of his guards do the same before they cut her hair and blinded her. That was the final straw, the troops had brought special soldiers who were trained as assassins and they had no problems entering the castle over the roofs and killing the guards. They avoided the traps easily for Feng had sent messages telling the emissary of them and the Sha'al was dragged out of the rooms he had barred kicking and screaming.
The men of the collection were allowed to get up from the basement and some of the warriors brought them food and water and Maglor was so relieved he almost wept. Most of the others did weep and the feeling of euphoria was almost unbelievable. They were safe, the reign of terror had ended and for the first time in years they had hope. Feng made sure that they could return to the harem and their rooms and before long they had all the luxury they had missed and now they were no longer locked in. The Sha'al was kept in a cell until further notice and the emissary was officially announced as the new ruler of this realm, on behalf of the emperor himself. The people welcomed him wholeheartedly and Maglor did see that this man was nothing like the Sha'al. He had a keen intelligence and he also had an understanding of other people's thoughts and emotions which was almost uncanny.
When the palace was back in its old order the new ruler ordered a huge victory feast and for the first time they all looked forward to a party. Thasul and Feng made sure that they all looked amazing and the feast was so different from what they had experienced before it was hard to compare it with the Sha'al's mad orgies. Now they just danced and sang and entertained and they were admired and respected and nobody tried to grope at them or shout obscenities. Maglor saw that many found his presence there shocking, now most of the people present were from the emperors court and they had never seen an elf before and he was warned by Feng that many would want to talk to him and learn more of his people. But the joy they all felt was deep and profound and Mhoy Hang as the new ruler was named said that there would be a trial where the Sha'al would have to pay for his crimes. Maglor fell asleep in the arms of Aodh that night, happy and relaxed and for the first time in months he didn't dream of Artemar but of his brothers. He had no idea of what that meant but he knew that things would look much brighter from now on.
The trial was held a few days later, the men of the collection were treated like professionals now, as employees more than slaves and thus they were allowed to go where they wanted. Maglor and the others were watching from a veranda and the Sha'al was dragged out in front of Mhoy Hang naked and in chains. The man was shouting cuss words and obscenities but nobody cared. He was no longer one they feared, he was something they loathed. The emperor had been told of his daughter's fate, she would survive but was damaged for life and the response was one they all had expected. The Sha'al was to die but everybody was eager to find out how. It ought to be spectacular and frightening and even though the emperor was renowned for being very merciful and humane this was a case where he had to show strength and determination to remain respected. The punishment was one nobody there had even heard of before, it was so bad it made even Maglor cringe for he doubted that even Morgoth would have been so cruel. The Sha'al was smeared all over with honey, and a small boat was brought forth. He was tied into the boat on his back and then they pushed a rather thick tube up his arse so he couldn't control his bowels. This made the man scream and howl in agony and few if any showed any signs of feeling pity. The boat was then covered with canvas and only the man's head did stick out and they force fed him a mixture of sweet beer and honey. Then the boat was left in the sun.
The guards did give the Sha'al more beer to drink, and kept feeding him honey and as the day went by he had to relieve himself and now the true horror of this punishment showed itself. He was laying in his own filth, which attracted flies. And soon the boat was buzzing with them, and the flies attracted other bugs and the man was screaming in desperation since the insects started to lay their eggs on him. Snakes were coming in from the basements to hunt the mice which were tempted by the scent of the honey and where there is mice there is rats, and there were some holes in the boat through which the rodents could enter. The man was prevented from dying from thirst, but he did die slowly and horribly due to the bugs and the rats eating him alive while the temperature also cooked him. Many walked by and spat on the man and Maglor and the others also paid him a visit. Maglor had sworn that he would kill the Sha'al, now he just stepped back for nothing he did could ever serve justice as well as this.
The man was alive for more than a week, he was fat and large and stronger than one would have expected and thus he lasted for a long time. The last days he lay there moaning and begging for mercy and some came with more mice and rats and more honey which they poured into the holes. One man even brought a whole jar or ants and dropped it into the boat. When ten days had gone the Sha'al was unconscious, he was bloated and stinking and his body was more or less dissolving itself so Mhoy Hang ordered one of his guards to kill the man the way they killed sick or injured cattle, by hammering a chisel through the forehead and into the brain.
Afterwards the boat was thrown into a dry riverbed where it was left to rot along with its disgusting content. The Sha'al's reign had ended and now there were officials everywhere, trying to repair some of the damage the Sha'al had caused. The aquifers were empty so people were brought in to build aqueducts and pipelines and some started to rebuild the buildings which had fallen into disrepair. The temples were renovated and the palace buzzed with activity. Maglor and the others had little to do these days, they just trained and relaxed and soon they realized that Feng was right when he said that they would be regarded as very precious by their new master. Artists of any sort were held in high regard by the emperor for art was what separated man from beast and Feng was being told that some new teachers would arrive soon to teach the men some new skills they would need. This time they all looked forward to learning something new and when Maglor did sing now it was songs of joy, of hope for a better tomorrow.
The last remnants of the Sha'als rule were removed, his insignia erased and his palace was to be completely rebuilt to better suit the new ruler. Mhoy Hang did call the men of the collection to him one evening, and he managed to impress them all with his kindness and polite way of addressing them all. Mhoy was not very tall but he was very elegant and perhaps somewhere in his fifties but he did look younger and his hair was very long and braided carefully. Maglor did notice that he had very long fingernails and Feng explained that it was a sign of prestige. If you did physical labour it would be impossible to follow that fashion so it showed that the person was of high status. The Sha'al's concubines were freed, each and every one of them. Some were in fact pregnant and they were taken to the emperor's court to be taken care of until their babies were born, after that they could choose what to do with their lives. The wives were sent to the emperors own harem to serve there and the collection of pretty young men was also dissolved. Most of the male slaves were given the choice of joining the army and most of them did grasp that opportunity with glee.
There would never be people peeping from behind the walls again, and that was a freedom in itself. The collection would not be ended though, but their tasks had changed a lot and it was odd but it wasn't until now, when they were safe, that they all realized that they had been living in absolute horror for years. The weight of their destiny had lain on top of them the entire time until they had become blind to it and only now when it was gone could they fully appreciate this new life. But they all were scarred, for some reasons quite a few of them started having breakdowns and Harbal called it belated stress. The body didn't have the opportunity to react while the danger was there but when it was over the reactions burst forth. Rial and Kenar still slept together, for they had gotten so used to it they no longer managed to stay apart. Abu and Abebe were terrified that the ghost of the Sha'al would return to haunt them and Kherfem had horrible nightmares every night. Noolar would spend entire days in the pool, frantically scrubbing away at imaginary stains on his skins and then he would collapse into exhausted tears. Maglor found it hard to understand but the human mind was probably more complicated than that of an elf.
Adanais was the one with the worst reactions, he would go completely catatonic and just sit there, staring into nothing, trembling all over. Harbal said they all needed to cleanse themselves from the terrors they had been trough and the mind needed time to do that. Mhoy sent them all off to one of the Sha'al's summer palaces in an oasis a day's ride from the city, and the change of environment was like a breath of fresh air. They were still slaves, at least on paper and they couldn't leave but they were able to at least pretend that they were free men. Here they could just relax and enjoy the luxury and Maglor and some of the guards did take long rides through the desert. The Sha'al had owned a huge collection of the best horses ever bred in the country and Maglor had been given a few too, from admiring noblemen. Now he finally had access to them and he was amazed by these lovely animals. Most of them were grey or white and they had a dish shaped face with huge eyes and wide nostrils and they seemed to fly over the sand. He had barely ridden better horses ever and his control of the animals made Feng suggest that he could help the emperor chose the best animals for further breeding. Horse breeding was big business also in the emperor's realm and it was said that there was a breed even better than this one, and that these animals were made from gold and was sweating blood. The emperor was trying desperately to get his hands on some but he had failed so far.
The evenings were dark and warm here, and they spent them with song and dance and now Aodh started to think about asking for permission to return home. It was a thought which never left his mind and Maglor knew that the emperor probably would allow the man to return home but he feared what Aodh would find. It had been so long since he was taken, and even if his family was alive getting back north was dangerous and a very long journey. The rest of them uttered no such wishes, they had been there so long they all felt that they belonged within the collection. They had no other home and they were all part of this odd brotherhood now. The idea of the emperor breaking them apart was terrible and even Maglor felt that he preferred this now. He had an odd sensation of waiting for something, but he had no idea of what that could be.
Then one day a priestess entered the palace, and everybody was in shock for what was a holy woman doing there? Maglor and the men of the collection was having a late breakfast when she entered and even the guards bowed down with their faces turned towards the floor. The woman was perhaps somewhere in her late forties, rather voluptuous and she had shaved her head except from one long braid at the back of her head. She was naked, not even wearing any sorts of jewellery but she was covered head to toe with gold dust and odd patterns had been drawn onto her skin in black and bright blue. Her eyes were bright blue, and it was most peculiar since she obviously was of the race indigenous to this region and they had dark eyes. The priestess stared at them and she had a tiny smile on her face, a huge black cat was following her and the animal purred and stared at the men with golden eyes. Harbal was bowing so deep his forehead almost hit the floor and even Feng bowed his head in respect. The woman sat down in a chair and Maglor could only compare her to a queen, full of regal elegance and power. " I am Iatha, just that. It means the enlightened one, I am a seer"
Harbal was swallowing, his eyes large with reverence. "We are honoured by your presence"
Iatha cocked her head. "The Sha'al was like a boil on the arse of this world, and I am in awe of the fact that you all have managed to survive him. He was evil, but also stupid"
Feng had to grin. "That sums him up pretty neatly yes"
Iatha smiled and the black cat walked over to Maglor and started to rub itself up against his legs. "I have come to share my visions with you, I have seen much and I will give you this gift for you all deserve it. "
They all fell silent, staring at the woman who elegantly crossed her legs and tilted her head, she had a catlike elegance and Maglor realized that cats were sacred to these worshipers of the great Goddess. She let her gaze wander over them. "You will all serve the emperor, and serve him well. He is nothing like the Sha'al and for most of you the future looks bright. There is happiness to come, even love. You have little to fear"
Aodh swallowed visibly, his eyes downcast and his face a bit pale. "Most revered one, will I ever return to my family?"
The woman looked at him with sadness in her eyes. "You have two choices my friend, two possible futures. You can chose to return to your home in the north or you can chose to stay here"
Aodh frowned. "And what will happen if I chose to return home?"
The woman sent him a small smile, it was melancholic. "You will die, and many others with you. You will meet your children yet again but you may bring doom to everyone you know up there. If you stay here you will never see them again, but they will live, and have children of their own and your blood will live on"
Aodh was pale, his eyes large and dark. Maglor had to embrace him, to show his support and understanding. Iatha sighed. "You all will live long and prosperous lives within the emperors court, if you chose to serve him."
Everybody looked at each other, it was good news indeed and some sighed with obvious relief. She stared at Maglor. "You on the other hand, you are of the eternal,, your path leads to places far from here but the lifespan of a human is but a blink of an eye to you. Much will crumble and fall and empires will rise and fall before your task is fulfilled"
Maglor felt nervous. "What task are you talking about?"
She smiled, the smile was almost sinister in a way." The reason you are here, nothing happens by coincidence beautiful one, we all have a role to play. "
Maglor frowned. "I was destined to be here?"
She nodded, the cat came over and jumped into her lap, purring. "Yes, everything happens for a reason son of fire. I have this to say to you"
She closed her eyes and her voice suddenly dropped, it sounded as if someone else was speaking through her mouth and the effect was horrifying. "The one who followed will lead, the nine deceived will bleed. The one forged in fire betrays all upon which the eye rests, and forth the wave will spring, bringing deception and lies. Beware the bringer of false gifts, for his words are poison and his gaze that of a serpent. The eye will find these realms, and covet them. "
Maglor stared, he understood close to naught of this and the woman smiled slowly, her eyes dark. "There will be a day when you will see the meaning of this, stay here in the east son of fire, and prepare. Make these realms strong, make them prepare to resist. The deceiver will return, and with him darkness and despair"
Maglor felt his stomach drop, he knew she was speaking the truth and she smiled again, got back up. She made a gesture and suddenly she held a small packet in her hand, it hadn't been there before and where it came from was anybody's guess. She handed it over to Maglor, it was heavy and cold and he frowned. Iatha caressed his hand. "You miss him my friend, and no, you will never find another love quite like him but one day you may come across his spirit once more. The soul of a human has to face many lives to be complete, look for the one carrying a turquoise bracelet."
Maglor blinked, his heart made jump in his chest. "What? But…when?"
She turned around, prepared to leave. "Many ages of men will pass before your paths will cross beautiful one, and no, that person will not know. But you will recognize that soul, even if the body is different"
He felt an odd sensation of relief and yet he also felt despair. How would it be to yet again face Artemar, but as a completely different person? She gestured to the cat which sprang up onto her shoulder and she left without saying another word. Harbal cleared his voice. "We have been blessed guys, the priestesses rarely seek out people to tell their future."
Maglor had to sit down, what he had been told had shocked him but he already knew that she was telling the truth. Aodh was still pale and he grasped a jug of wine and emptied it rather vigorously. Maglor walked over and hugged him again, Aodh sobbed. " I can never see them again now can I? but I can live knowing that they will be safe"
Maglor nodded and Harbal clapped his hands. "Friends, this is a lot to digest but we have things to do. We cannot skip training just because of this little visit, no matter how welcome it was. Come on, we have to stay sharp"
Everybody got up and followed Feng, he was as usual very impatient and forced them through some rather difficult routines but he did also praise them when they did things the right way. Maglor had a hard time concentrating, he remembered the battles of old, when he had fought alongside other elven warriors, trying to defeat the great enemy. He had survived when Beleriand sank beneath the waves but he had had no contact with his people since that terrible day when he had thrown the Silmaril into the sea. He knew that Morgoth was conquered but evil rarely rests and it is hard to eradicate. He feared for the future of middle earth.
That evening they all dined by the pool and when they were finished two men entered the harem. Feng introduced them as teachers and Maglor sensed that these two had several roles. One was very old and frail, he was being carried by two servants and he was obviously unable to walk for his legs were crippled and seemed to be almost dead. His name was Hoy Yan and he was to teach them all how to follow the strict etiquette of the court. He was also a master of poetry and Feng explained that poetry was seen as the highest form of art. The other man was much younger and he did look very feminine, as a matter of fact they first almost believed that he was a woman, a rather flat chested one but the face was very beautiful and he wore makeup. His name was Rhabay and he was to teach them the ways of the theatre, since women were prohibited from being actresses all female roles had to be played by men and thus everyone had to learn how to move and behave in a feminine manner. Noolar looked delighted and Maglor felt a sting of joy seeing this. For someone like Noolar this had to be like a dream come true. After the introductions Rhabay divided them into two groups, the ones able to play female roles and the ones who just couldn't because they were too masculine and Maglor ended up in the last category with Aerhan, Kherfem and Aodh. He was beautiful but way too tall. Rhabay did show them some small tricks and it made most of them laugh and when Rial and Kenar tried to copy him that made everybody break into tears of laughter. Even Demetry had problems staying serious even though he usually was able to keep calm no matter what.
That night they were singing and laughing and drinking and Maglor had way too much to drink. He and Aodh ended up in bed together and they spent some very passionate hours there before they both passed out due to fatigue and alcohol. Maglor suddenly knew he was dreaming, he was sitting on a horse in the desert and the animal was shining like it was made from metal, it was pawing the ground, eager to go. In the north there was a huge cloud covering the horizon and as he sat there it grew, got darker and darker and a foul stench of sulphur and death filled the air. The air cracked and a wind started to pick up the sand, yet it was calm around him, as if he was an island in the middle of the eye of a storm. Then the skies caught fire, flames reached towards the heavens and in the middle of it all he saw a dark figure, shaped like a man and yet it was no man but something way more terrible. A horrible weight fell upon him, like it was trying to push his very fëa to the ground and the dark figure changed its shape into an eye, a giant flaming eye staring directly at him. He could not hide, could not run and a ghastly voice kept chanting in black speech, words he never had heard before but he knew their meaning. The eye didn't blink, didn't waver and he felt the voice in his head. "You cannot hide from me spawn of the fallen one, I will rule, I will conquer and the world will end in flames!"
Maglor jerked and he felt a hand on his shoulder, it was cool and held such power but it was a gentle power, one with benign intention. The hand was almost covered by a blue sleeve and he couldn't turn his head to see who it was. "Remember what your father taught you, remember who you are. Your voice is your weapon, and yet you wield one even more terrible, one yet discovered. We will meet son of Fëanor, until then gather influence, gather power, and before all else, remember!"
Maglor opened his eyes with a yell and Aodh grunted and work up too. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "What is the matter? Is the Sha'al giving you nightmares?"
Maglor just panted, he tried to control his breathing. Now he knew what she had meant, now he knew what would arise in the north. "No, something worse, way way worse my friend"
Aodh tried to grin, his eyes already glassy with sleep again. "I find that hard to believe, who could possibly be worse than the Sha'al? "
Maglor leant back into the pillows, his head spinning. "Sauron, our enemy will awaken yet again!"
He stared up at the roof and knew that yes, he did really have a task ahead of him, to prevent the lands of the east from falling into enemy hands. And it was a task he couldn't fail at, for if he did the world was doomed.