Chapter 23: The servant of death
The great city was transformed, no other word could describe it. The streets were almost empty, the noise and the liveliness reduced to a mere echo of what had been. A sour stench of bonfires lay over the entire area, some did burn herbs to chase away the stench of the mass graves while others believed that it could save them from the contaminated air.
Maglor had never encountered anything like this, he hadn't even heard of something this terrible and he wondered if it was some remnant of the dark vala and his horrible dark arts. The rumours had been bad enough but at first everybody just shrugged and felt convinced that it was all exaggerations, that did happen when uneducated and superstitious people tried to explain such phenomena. Then it became all too clear that it was real, that this was a real plague and not some minor problem. The empire had many emergency plans ready, orders to be sent out to prevent the spread of contagious diseases and the emperor did react immediately the moment the royal physicians did confirm that this indeed was serious. But it was too late. The disease was already there, sneaking inn with the traders and the travellers and it took little less than a month to cripple the entire society.
At first just a few got sick, and it didn't seem too bad at all, more like a bad cold than anything else and then, when people started to relax it hit with full force. Maglor had spoken to the head of the royal healers and this wasn't like any other plague they had encountered before. They knew of the bubonic plague which gave people huge swellings of the lymph nodes and dark bruises under the skin before agonizing death was a relief, they did also know of the lung plague which wasn't any better. But this killed so fast and so efficiently they had no idea of what to do. It was like the lung plague but way worse and the sick did die terribly, with sky high fever and cause of death was suffocation.
The emperor opened clinics everywhere, everybody who knew a little about healing was ordered to help out and everything was very well organized. But it didn't help. It was like a flood, getting into every nook and cranny and even the palace wasn't a safe place now. The healers spoke of miasma and burned incense and sweet smelling herbs until the entire palace complex was covered in smoke the entire day long. It didn't help. Maglor knew of only one person who had a different opinion, an elderly healer he had met in the city as he was out there to help bring supplies to one of the hospitals. The man was walking with two canes since his back was very bent and he didn't exactly look like somebody with great wisdom. But he had some theories which made Maglor listen, he had seen how the healers and priests would succumb to the disease just days after they started working and the old man said it was because of the coughing. The sick would cough and wheeze and the disease was in their fluids. Most would laugh at this idea but the old man did run one of the smaller hospitals and everybody who worked there covered their face with a very dense veil made from tightly woven silk. None of the workers had caught the plague yet and Maglor knew that the old healer was right somehow.
But the disease swept over the land like some angry God, killing at will. Some did survive but were left weak and unable to do much since their lungs were damaged and others tried to flee but that only helped to spread the disease. The capital was shut off, the gates closed. Nobody allowed to enter or leave and outside of the walls thousands did gather in the belief that they would be saved if they entered the city. But it was just as bad on the inside as on the outside and the horrors Maglor did watch every day made him question his sanity more than once. He had never witnessed such behaviour from humans before. He saw infants abandoned by the road, elderly people who had been left to die as if they were vermin. Murder and rape and pillaging did become the norm, every ounce of moral seemed to be drained from the masses as the panic and the feeling of doom did overwhelm them all.
The palace wasn't spared, the number of deaths did rise by the hour and the emperor and his family were put under quarantine. Maglor remembered the words of the old healer and he did create the rules for the quarantine. Some did protest but Khailen did listen to him and made sure that the new ideas were being followed.
Still many died, it was impossible to shield off the entire complex, many didn't accept being prevented from seeing others or having to make due with just one or two servants and the result was easy to see. They died, by the dozens. Hoyan did die as did the boy who had helped avoid the assassination attempts at Ayjun. Yanjem hadn't been at the palace since he had retired to a property outside of the capital and he did succumb to the disease rather fast. As did many of the other members of the royal family. Their blue blood didn't protect them at all and Maglor could only watch as children and adults were carried outside to be burned, one by one.
This could spell the end of the empire if the whole royal family did succumb to the disease and Khailen and his nearest family were completely isolated. Maglor had ordered that nobody were to approach the wing of the palace where the emperor now lived. Food and other items were to be left outside in an open yard, all items were to be washed and cooked and the servants who carried the items out into the yard wore clean gloves and a face veil. It was seen as ridiculous by many but it did seem to work. Everywhere commerce and trade did stop, the society came to a grinding halt and even the presence of the royal troops did nothing to stop the decay. Fleeing your area was now punishable with death but that didn't stop people, they would die anyhow so the hope of somehow escaping the plague became an obsession. Hundreds were killed but it didn't stem the tide at all, the troops got ill too and chaos was the ruler these days.
Some people didn't get ill, even if they were surrounded by the dead and the dying and now a new horror did emerge, the superstition which did rule the rural areas lead to some reactions which were gruesome. Some believed that the flesh and blood of those unaffected would save them from the plague, so many who hadn't fallen ill were killed, often hacked to death by desperate people who genuinely believed that acts of cannibalism could save them. Others were accused of having caused the plague and burned alive or crushed under heavy stones and then there was the unholy belief that you could cleanse yourself of the plague by having sex with a virgin. Hundreds of young girls and even babies were being raped and the horrors did spread. The emperor tried to end the horrific believes but to no prevail.
Maglor had hidden his identity for many decades, he had worked in the shadows and few knew of his presence and only the emperor knew he was an elf but the rumours had been spreading and many did firmly believe that the emperor did have a demon at his service and that this demon would keep the emperor healthy. And some did believe that they too could reap the benefits of this, if that demon was found and caught. The loyalty which had been the foundation of the empire was gone, it was every man and woman for themselves and the palace was in fact being attacked , not once but several times.
The guards did fight back and they did so with lethal force, even noblemen from the court tried to get access to the royal chambers to seek this thing they saw as a possible cure and Maglor was both scared and aghast. The reports they did receive from the empire told of utter devastation and in many areas just few percent of the population was left alive. The empire had received a blow which could turn everything upside down.
The autumn hit early that year, with cold temperatures very early and for some reason that did stop the plague, all of a sudden there weren't any more outbreaks and it did die down on its own. Some priests did claim that it was all because of their devotion and constant prayers but Maglor had realized that it was for some other reason. The cold weather had killed off the mosquitoes and he was pretty sure that the insects were to blame for the rapid spread of the disease. The warm spring had lead to a myriad of the small blood suckers and they flew around and entered even quarantined areas. And then the disease spread with the coughing of the infected people. The royal rooms were so sealed off not even bugs could enter, and the incense they burned there was a special kind, very expensive with a rather potent odour, it did chase away even spiders and flies.
The emperor was alive, his son was alive and well and so were several others of the family but many had died too. Khailen was a widower now and he had only two concubines left of a whole harem. The court was reduced, out of about eight hundred noblemen and their families only a little over a hundred remained and the economy and infrastructure of the empire was in ruins. Khailen did what he could, he made sure that the storages were opened so people could eat, he did send whatever troops he had left out to make sure that law and order was restored and he worked non stop for weeks to get an overview of the situation. Maglor did help him, it was crucial now that the empire did regain its strength before its enemies did grasp the golden chance they had been served. But luckily the surrounding areas had been struck by the same plague and were unable to create any trouble just yet.
So now the main thing was saving the harvest, seeing what could be salvaged of the commerce and trying to keep people safe. For a while the situation was still dire, some had a hard time returning to the normal way of life and the punishments were harsh and fast, the soldiers given the right to be both jury judge and executioner if they caught somebody committing serious crimes.
The army was decimated too but luckily the survivors were capable men who had good training, they did do what needed to be done without asking questions. Maglor was proud of them and for months the work was all that occupied his thoughts.
It took more than a year before the situation was back under control, the fact that the empire had been so well controlled before did play a great role now and messages and mail did travel just as fast as before. Taxes were being lowered and help sent to the areas where it was needed but the main problem was simply the lack of work force. Too many had died and villages and farms had to be abandoned, simply because there weren't anybody there able to do the work. Some previously poor people did take over properties previously owned by the wealthy and they tried to make their own fortune thus but many came to the conclusion that it was hard, way too hard. A huge farm couldn't be run by just a couple of adults with some kids as helpers and the fields had to be abandoned, one by one. The population had to grow before the things returned to what they had been.
Khailen did his best to encourage this, he did promise that every couple who did get married and started as farmers would receive a sum of money and two oxen, and a cow for each kid they bore, girls and boys alike. Even single mothers were being rewarded now for every baby born was precious beyond words. The orphanages were being emptied and the temples did no longer receive children to be trained to become priests or monks but it was a small price to pay.
The people there had always been strong and they did raise from this calamity rather well, still Maglor was nervous. He had rebuilt his network of spies and he was worried about the dark maia, and his followers. But for years nothing happened, it was peace and the land did sort of bloom, new inventions were introduced and with them new ideas. Maglor did still hide, he was a secret and would often pretend to be a scribe or even a musician and he had become a master at hiding his features. He was attending a feast when he heard the first worrying news, of a man who was trying to gain followers, eager to topple the entire power structure of the realm. It was just rumours at the moment but one of the emissaries who were at the feast mentioned that the man came from the desert areas to the south west and that he called himself the son of sand.
That made Maglor freeze up, he suddenly remembered the dream and realized that this was no mere rumour. This was real and a threat and he asked the emperor to investigate further as they met in privacy later that evening. Khailan did agree, it could be serious and they sent out men to check this out. Maglor was very nervous as he waited for an answer and when the riders did return after several months the news was the worst one imaginable. The son of sand was none other than Gioy Han, Khailen's half brother who had been exiled when his mother tried to murder Maglor. The man had become a powerful leader among some of the nomadic tribes of the desert areas and even worse, he had fallen under the spell of the dark maia. Some said that Sauron had been utterly destroyed but the belief was still there, many did see him and his previous lord as their saviours and Maglor did fear the fanatics.
Something had to be done and Khailen did organize for a military campaign to crush the rebellion in its infancy. The area where Gioy Han ruled was far away and very remote and there weren't that many ways to get there except the use of horses and camels. Maglor was shocked to hear that Khailen wanted to go, he did strongly advice against this but for once the emperor refused to listen. Abh Hay was a grown man now, and a very capable one too and he was informed that he would rule in his father's place. If Khailen didn't return he was the emperor, simple as that.
Maglor did realize that Khailen was afraid of Gioy Han, he had been a lad when the other son of Yanjem was sent away but he did remember the cruelty and harshness of the boy and also, he knew that his half brother had the chance of taking the throne if Khailen and his family was wiped out. It was better to grasp the snake by the head and cut it off than grasping it by the tail and risk being bitten. Too many of the royal bloodline had died in the plague, Khailen had few blood relatives left and none with a real claim to the throne.
So they left, and Maglor did follow. He didn't like leaving the city now but he had to, he had made sure that only the best of the emperors soldiers did join the campaign and he did also make sure that their weapons were the best and that the group wasn't too large. Khailen was a trained warrior in his own right, he had been in battle and he was a very fit man even if he no longer was a youth. He was confident and didn't complain even when the journey became less than pleasant. They used no wagons, no luxuries at all since it was to be a quick attack and this meant little rest and hard work. The riders all had horses of the breed Maglor had created, long legged slender horses with a metallic shine to their coats and great endurance and they were trained for battle. Still Maglor had his doubts, their opponent had every advantage on his side since he knew the area and his people.
Maglor was angry with himself, he should have sent someone to keep an eye on Gioy Han but it had been forgotten and maybe everybody had sort of expected the plague to kill him. As they rode towards the great desert Maglor also felt troubled by something else, old memories. This was what had been the realm of the Sha'al and he didn't want to remember and yet he had to. The desert was a shock to the emperor, he had never been in such an environment and they soon realized that this would be hard, way harder than expected. The lack of water was a problem, the heat too and even worse, they did not go unnoticed. If there were people there loyal to this rebel then he already knew that they were coming. Maglor didn't like it at all, as a matter of fact he did try to urge Khailen to turn around but he was ignored. Khailen saw a threat to his realm and his family and it had to be eradicated, sooner or later. Maglor had a bad feeling about this, a very bad feeling and he listened to the soldiers when they chatted by the camp fires and knew that their opponent had received the same training as they had. Gioy Han wasn't some peasant turned rebel, he was a royal prince and he had been raised well, by the same tutors who had raised Khailen. He had gotten military training too, tactics and strategies and it made him very dangerous indeed.
Maglor saw him as a real threat, and didn't underestimate him but Khailen was too ruled by his own anger and his own fear to be thinking clearly. Maglor decided to take action, he did notice that the small army had attracted many beggars and there were kids among them. He knew how to persuade others into doing him favours and he did easily buy their loyalty with food and sweets. The kids could run around everywhere without anybody thinking it was suspicious and they had been given free reins when it came to obtaining information.
Maglor was generous towards these small lads and soon he knew a lot about their enemy which was disturbing to say the least. It was clear that Gioy Han was going to invade the empire but not in a full on attack, even an idiot would see that such a route of action would be futile and also very stupid. No, he was going to smuggle his people inn, and attack the palace itself and it was a sinister plan it did reveal that he knew everything which is to know about the palace security. Maglor was shocked and scared and he did also learn that their enemy already knew of the presence of the emperor. They were in grave danger for the exiled prince had many warriors and they were used to the desert and its special challenges.
Maglor did tell the emperor of this but Khailen did press on, he didn't want to turn around like a coward and he refused to believe that the warriors of his half brother could be superior to his own. Maglor was sure they did head into a disaster and he was desperate to find a way out. So he did use his songs, he hadn't really used the songs of power for years now but he had the gift still and at night he would spread confusion among the guides and the soldiers and lead them off the course. He could only hope that this would confuse the enemy and he also knew in which direction he was to lead them now. The mountain ranges were not that far away now and if one did follow them one would reach the Orocarni after some weeks. If need be one could seek refuge there, Maglor knew the dwarves would recognize him and he kept them going in that direction for over a week before somebody did react.
Khailen didn't understand that it was the elf who had manipulated the guides, he just ordered them to take another course and Maglor was aghast, he knew that they were being followed now. The sands told him so, the few bushes and trees did sing of others behind them and the wild animals too were aware of other people in the area. It wasn't until one late night that they did see for themselves that they were in danger. Suddenly bonfires did bloom from every hill around them and Maglor knew that they were surrounded. There was nowhere to go but nobody wanted to go down without a fight. The soldiers were tired and confused and yet their discipline did kick inn, they were gathering in combat formations and Maglor knew that this was what Gioy Han would anticipate so he managed to convince Khailen that he should take control of the troops. He ordered them into another strategy, one the troops of the empire never took. They just mounted their horses and rode, straight forward towards the enemy and the good horses were an advantage now. The enemy used the small and extremely fast lithe horses of the desert tribes, these were taller and if not as fast way more fierce tempered.
Maglor rode in front with Khailen behind him, the emperor was wearing the same gear as the other soldiers and one of the officers had volunteered to be dressed up as the emperor and rode in the middle of the group, well guarded. Maglor knew that the man would be a target and he was very brave to take the role. They met the enemy head on and it was obvious that the soldiers of Gioy Han hadn't expected this at all for they failed to form a proper formation and before long they were all through, some did fall but most of the soldiers did manage to break out of the circle and Maglor did lead them towards the mountains now. They had to ride hard and fast and yet again he did thank that old man for the foal he had received. These horses were able to run for days even without much water. Khailen did finally accept what Maglor did say and they chose a new tactic. The main bulk of the soldiers would head back towards the borders of the empire with the false emperor and they would act as if they were in a hurry. Just ten soldiers would continue towards the mountains and act as if they were deserters. It was the only chance they had and Khailen was not very happy about it at all. The soldiers they sent back towards the borders would most likely be killed but they were all willing to lay down their lives for their emperor.
Maglor did lead the small group away from the main troop at night, and some soldiers pretended to be chasing them but called the chase off when the day became too warm and they returned to the main troop. Maglor did only hope that they would make it but he wasn't betting on it. Gioy Han wouldn't let go of the chance to kill his half brother and raise a claim to the throne. The smaller group did ride hard and they did rest at a small oasis but only for a short hour to let the horses rest. Khailen was worried for his son back home and for the larger group but Maglor was adamant, the survival of the emperor was more important now than that of a few soldiers.
They had ridden for a couple of days when they yet again found that they were being followed and Maglor got worried again. The followers had many extra horses and knew the terrain and it was a huge group too. The mountains were still days ahead of them and the desert didn't provide them with any sorts of protection. The soldiers suggested that the emperor and Maglor would ride ahead and that the soldiers could try to hold back the enemy but Maglor refused, they were just eight, not even a match for those who did chase them. They could see the dust from their followers when Maglor did notice something new, over them a shadow could be seen. It was an eagle and yet again he did remember the dream. Follow the eagle.
He pointed at the bird. "Follow it, now!"
Nobody did question his order and they rode as fast as the horses could carry them towards the dunes up ahead. As they did round one of the dunes they saw that it was an old ruin underneath it and Maglor immediately knew that this was their chance. It had been a grand building once upon a time and it was still impressive with arched hallways and thick walls. They could defend this place for days. Maglor did place the soldiers around and he knew that this would be tough to say the least. But he did send off two of the horses carrying bags of sand so the tracks did look as if they were carrying riders and the animals were smart and would run to the mountains. If they were lucky the enemy would believe that the emperor had fled.
The enemy did arrive just after sunset and Maglor knew that they had only one chance. They had good bows and he was a good archer, they had to get rid of the enemy soldiers from a distance. Khailen wanted to fight but Maglor did forbid him from entering the battle, the emperor had to hide for his survival was the most important thing, One of the soldiers had found a hatch in the floor and it did lead down to a cellar which was cool and dark and Khailen was placed there with water and food and they closed the hatch and pushed sand back over the hatch, it was not very likely that the enemy would find it. Maglor was ready to fight and he knew that their chances were small. He also knew that Gioy Han was out there somewhere and the man would remember the elf, not that Maglor ever had faced the lad in person but everybody within the family had known that the emperor had an immortal in his service.
The soldiers came in a full frontal attack, wise since the sand behind the ruin would make it hard to make any headway. These were indeed fanatics, many would fall but the defenders had only a limited number of arrows and if it came to hand to hand combat they would be slaughtered. Maglor wasn't afraid of death anymore, it didn't really mean that much to him but he had a task and he didn't want to fail at it. The shots were lethal, each arrow did kill but the enemies kept coming and Maglor saw a rider behind them, calmly awaiting the inevitable result. He felt a surge of rage, of intense despise. Gioy Han was not a good person, he was a terrible human being in every thinkable manner and the only difference between him and the Sha'al was that the latter was stupid and spoiled. Gioy Han wasn't, he was very intelligent and as wicked as his late mother.
The arrows were spent, Maglor did draw his sword and prepared to fight for his life, if Gioy Han did catch him alive he was sure that the horrors of the Sha'al's harem would be mild in comparison. The enemy soldiers did all wear a symbol on their uniforms, a darkened hand and Maglor felt sick seeing it, they were worshippers of Morgoth for sure and it did explain the willingness to face death. The eight soldiers were expert fighters but it wouldn't mean anything when they faced at least a hundred men. The walls did give some protection but it was far from ideal and Maglor didn't see any way out of this. He knew that they had only one chance, they had to keep the enemy out of the ruin until it got really dark, then they could sneak away but it was a faint hope.
That was when they heard a roar, it was a wild fierce sound filled with malicious glee and a shadow did seem to fall from above. It did hit the oncoming warriors like an avalanche and Maglor just gaped. It was an elf. An extremely tall ellon who seemed to glow from within and Maglor did immediately realize that his was one reborn. He had the powers of a maia and Maglor did recognize the elf from the dream.
He did swing a war hammer with horrifying effect, the armour of the attackers was made to ward off sword blows. It offered little protection from blunt force trauma and the warrior did crush heads and chest, laughing like a madman. Maglor saw that the elf was wearing the garb of a desert dweller, but the seemingly simple clothes couldn't hide the fact that this was one amazingly strong person.
Maglor's head went into a sort of lock down, he couldn't believe it. This could only be one person and he couldn't believe it, it was impossible. The ellon fought with a sort of cruel efficiency he normally only would anticipate from orcs and yet the warrior did take great pleasure in the fight, white teeth were bared in a sneer and golden eyes did almost glow in the falling dusk. This was an elf and yet not completely elf, not any more. Maglor remembered what he had heard about this particular elf, a former slave of Angband, one they couldn't break and transform into an orc. How strong had this individual been to be that defiant? Maglor had no concept of it and he knew that the demon he saw fighting out there bore his name with pride.
Rog of Gondolin sneered again, laughing. "Come son of Fëanor, let us cut the head of this snake"
Maglor snapped out of it, he grasped the hilt of the sword and ran forth, old instincts did awaken again and he knew that no human being is as good as an elven warrior. They did fight side by side, a horrifying unit of slashing blade and crushing steel and they moved forth very fast. The darkness had fallen and Maglor saw that Gioy Han suddenly reacted. The man spurred his horse forth and rode straight towards them, sword raised. Rog did grin, a wide horrifying grin which made Maglor doubt his sanity and the huge elf did spring forth. Maglor remembered having been told that Rog was the last one to fall, that his house killed more orcs than anybody else that fateful day and he knew that he was fighting alongside a supreme warrior. One fuelled by a hatred and a rage none other had any chance to understand. Gioy Han did try to ride Rog down, a huge mistake. He did underestimate both the speed and the strength of the elf and the war hammer did strike the large horse the man rode straight in the chest. The horse fell, dead in an instant and the man tumbled to the ground, shocked and stunned.
Gioy Han got back onto his feet. His soldiers did hesitate, they didn't know what to do now and Rog did bare his teeth again. Maglor did understand why this elf and his house had been the subject of mistrust and doubt for the teeth were no longer those of an elf, neither were the eyes. This was a feral being, someone half orc in some ways but still not a slave of darkness, instead a nightmare fighting for the forces of light and Gioy Han had probably never really realized that elves aren't human. He had of course believed that there was a way to exploit the elven immortality just as the Sha'al had but he hadn't seen the carnage a well trained elven army can create. He hadn't witnessed the silent elegant dance of death across countless battlefields and the discipline and superior weapons and armour.
Gioy Han tried to appear strong. "Stand down or my men will kill you both"
Rog laughed, it was a melodic laughter, filled with dark mirth. "Your men are food for the worms little human. Any servant of the dark one are going to pay the ultimate price"
Maglor saw that Gioy Han lost it, he wasn't brave and he wasn't really a man with good self control, he did charge. Rog just spun out of the way and it soon became a cat's play with a wounded mouse. The men didn't receive orders and they didn't want to interfere with the fight their leader had engaged in unless he ordered them to do it. That was the downside with this type of loyalty, it was bought and paid for and not really based upon respect nor love. A real leader would have caused a very different reaction but this one was feared by his own army. Not a good situation during a stand off.
Rog was snickering and Gioy Han was snarling like a beast. "Cursed be your bones, stand and fight."
Gioy Han was panting and Maglor felt that Rog wanted to kill this one, why he didn't know. Rog started to move even faster, impossibly fast and the huge hammer did swing and hit the man's knee. The sound of bones being crushed was sickening and Gioy Han screamed in agony. He fell down and tried to get back up and Rog did swing the hammer again, at the man's back. He fell down, paralyzed. Maglor walked closer, feeling disgusted. "Your little scheme is over son of a cursed soul. The emperor lives"
The man spat. "Oh you are so clever aren't you? The men you sent back, they were all begging for death in the end but I knew that my half brother wasn't among them. The idiot is too goddamn noble! It should have been mine!"
Rog did caress the handle of the hammer before he did bring it down once more, straight between the man's legs. The soldiers there just stared, petrified and frightened by this creature which fought like nothing else they had ever encountered. Gioy Han screamed again. "Kill them, kill them both, now! It is an order!"
Nobody moved and Rog smiled. He was a beautiful elf, the long thick black hair braided back and the features reminded Maglor of an eagle for some reason but at the same time there was a sort of savage will in there which was far from elven. "They will not obey you now, they have faced the thing they thought they served and it has shown them the truth. Isn't that right lads? I am what you will become if you follow this path you have taken, a demon! A nightmare, death incarnate"
The men seemed to shrink and Rog tilted his head, the golden eyes were almost dragon like for a few seconds and Maglor did yet again wonder what horrors this elf had survived in order to become so changed. "So the rebellion ends now, we do not want any Morgoth worshipping morons roaming freely"
Rog didn't hesitate, Gioy Han had time to scream, that was all. The massive hammer did make contact with the skull of the man and Maglor had to turn away, the head did explode and blood and brains did colour the sand red. Rog did shake the hammer and the insane grin became even wider. "Get going now. Go! Or else I will gladly let you share his fate"
The warriors did scatter, running like scared chickens, getting their horses and fleeing as if from a charging dragon. The tall elf did howl and the horses screamed and ran like mad, then he laughed and Maglor didn't really know what to think about this. Rog turned to him and the grin became a more mundane one. "So, Maglor Fëanorion, the guardian of the east. I am pleased to meet you, I think"
Maglor swallowed hard. "You are Rog of Gondolin"
Rog nodded and cleaned off the hammer with some sand. Maglor was stunned by the elf's physique, he was way more muscular than normal but if he had been a blacksmith that wasn't that odd. "That I am, or was. Now I am an emissary of the valar, or their chosen one or whatever you decide to call it. I wasn't fit for Aman, not anymore. "
Maglor saw that the eight soldiers now started to get the emperor out of the cellar. "Are there more like you?"
Rog did attach the hammer to the belt he wore. "Yes, one more. Glorfindel, also of old Gondolin. He was chosen because he is such a noble and unselfish person, a true hero. He is helping out in the west at the moment. I was chosen because I am good at slaughter"
Maglor didn't know what to say and Rog did whistle. "It will be needed, believe me. I am here to help you. Sauron isn't gone, the ring he wore is lost but will be found eventually. We have a task ahead of us"
Maglor frowned. "What task is that?"
Rog did pull the hood of his tattered tunic over his head again and a huge black horse came trotting through the sand. "Hunt and kill everyone who is a follower of him or his former master, we have to make sure that the real power of the east never falls into the hands of their followers"
Maglor swallowed. "There haven't been that many before?"
Rog nodded. "No, but there will be. Some of the followers of the cult of Morgoth did spread it from the fallen island, there are followers in many realms and they are hiding, waiting for the right moment to spread and strike. We have to find them and eliminate them. We have some millennia I think but eventually there will be a final fight. I happen to have a huge advantage, I can feel the dark miasma spread by the cult and feel if somebody is a follower. Call it a gift if you like. "
Maglor saw that Khailen was brought up into the ruin again, he did look shocked and the men did explain the happenings to him. Maglor did manage to smile. "My liege, this is Rog of Gondolin, a nobleman from a fallen city"
The emperor did stare at the huge elf with eyes like marbles, his chin did almost touch his chest. He was used to the beauty of Maglor and this elf was beautiful too but also absolutely terrifying. It was like staring at a tornado heading straight for you. "Ah, I am very honoured to meet you"
Rog did bow his head, the emperor did barely reach his shoulder and Maglor was stunned by the aura of sheer violence which did surround the tall noldo. "The honour is mine, now, this isn't a place to stay, shall we find a better place to spend the night?"
The emperor nodded and they did find their horses and mounted them. Maglor did turn to Rog. "What now?"
Rog shrugged. "We return to the city, I am very eager to witness its marvels. From there we do work in secret, you have contacts and I have…the remedy"
He did pat the hammer almost lovingly and Maglor felt a chill running down his spine. "What are you?"
His voice was hoarse and Rog just grinned again. "What I am? A person who has learned from the enemy, we cannot fight the darkness Maglor, not without becoming just as dark and corrupted as it is. But I learned, I saw and I learned everything about the dark lords, all they knew, and I used it, everything they did towards me, everything they did to break my will only made me stronger. I took it all Maglor, I took it all and turned it against them and it is what I am, a mirror image of them. Namo couldn't contain me, I was too dangerous to keep in the halls but I agreed to return to Ennorath, to become his servant, to weed out the dark souls who may spread the darkness further."
Maglor could only nod, he knew that this was the truth. Rog had become the opposite of an orc, just as terrible, just as violent but with a soul and a conscience. And it made him that much more dangerous, that much more unpredictable. He did truly wonder what the future had in store for them now, with Rog by his side things would change a lot and he felt a sort of thrill. Finally he had met one of his own race, someone who could understand. Maybe the years to come would become better than he had feared. Yes, he felt hope again. Only time would show if he was entitled to that feeling.