Rand and the Ring: Chapter 4: The Battle for Illian
Essenia, Illian:
Barond Lamonos was loading cargo for trade in new and yet undiscovered ports of this world.
This world...it was hard to believe that they had been transported to another world, another realm. Shaking his head, Barond loaded the final crate and got ready to set sail when whistles and bells starting going off. The last time he'd heard them did be when the Forsaken attacked that night when they first arrived here.
Looking towards the city, he tried to spy the reason for alarm. Up from the docks, it appeared that a few hundred soldiers were marching towards him...
"What? Why they be heading towards..."-Barond started asking aloud before turning and looking towards the open water.
There, he saw many ships, of many sizes and of differing designs. Possibly hundreds, it was a naval invasion, the likes of which were told from those who'd been in the cities where the Seanchan had invaded and consequently conquered.
He looked back to the soldiers making their way to the docks, then to his boat, then back at the incoming fleet of ships.
"I do be an unlucky man"-He said before deciding to try and make it as far from the shore-line as he could before the battle began.
The Corsair ships of Umbar launched smoking balls of fire towards the southern side of the city, in great, sweeping arcs. Homes and businesses crumbled to ruin and burned, people were tossed aside if they were unfortuanate enough to be close when a ball of fire hit.
Companions and defenders of Illian did their best to mitigate the destruction caused by the numerous ships but there were soo many...
Boulders and the very limited stock of dragons' eggs were hurled back at the invading ships, the dragons' eggs to devastating effect. Some troops organized evacuations of the civilians while others began barricading all but the main streets in preparation of an invading army.
After an hour or so however, it did not seem like they would be doing such, as they seemed intent to simply level the city from afar. The soldiers knew that this couldn't be the case however, as the enemy could not possibly have unlimited ammo to hurl at them. So they prepared and waited for the battle to come.
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Essenia, Tear:
Rand had, after talking to the High Lords and Ladies of Tear, finally managed to have some 'free' time to just sit and relax in his chambers within the Stone of Tear. He was currently re-reading the Tales of Jain-Farstrider again. He couldn't help himself, especially now that he knew that, at least, some of his favourite childhood book's tales were actually true.
Someone was knocking on his door again...
"What's the emergency!"-Rand called out.
"Sorry, me Lord, but we've received an...emissary..."
*Huh? I wonder what the deal is...*
Putting his book down, Rand sighed and walked over to the door. Opening it, he asked why the person couldn't wait.
"I understand, again i apologise lord Dragon, but this fellow is...odd"
"Explain"-Rand inquired of the man.
"It's difficult to explain sir...it seems he can use..."
"Ehem, use some kind of...'power' and says that he was sent here by his friend, Gandalf?".
"Right...very well, lead the way to him if you would please."-Rand said with a look behind him, already missing his chair and book.
Radagast waited patiently for the leader of these strange people. Gandalf had asked him to come here and talk with a young, red-haired lord of some kind.
He wanted to return to the woods and his animal friends as soon as he could...
The doors to the chamber opened, the man that brought him to this room was followed by, whom he suspected, was the very person he'd been waiting for.
"Hello sir, I...i'm the Dragon Reborn or Highest lord of Tear or King of Illian...or Ruler of Essenia...my name is Rand Al'Thor. Please call me Rand".
Radagast could sense that this boy was different...as if he was a 'Wizard' himself.
"Hello...Rand, i come with a message from Gandalf, though i must say that i do not care to be a messenger. Gandalf has requested your assistance in a matter of utmost importance. He would like you, and i as well i suppose...to meet him at Orthanc. There we will meet with Saruman the White and-"-Radagast was saying when Rand interrupted.
"Hold on, do you really expect me to just up and leave my nation, to somewhere i've never heard of, just because you asked?"-Rand said...in a bit of a huff.
"Already we go against everything to include you in our meeting, and yet..."
"Give me an actuall reason to go, other than it's 'important'"-Rand said.
Radagast stared hard at the boy, true, he wasn't much of a people person, but to decline going to a wizard council...
Radagast sighed.
*I suppose the boy just doesn't have a clue about us...then again, most do not*
"I must say, over the past three thousand years that we've been here to help and assist Middle-Earth, you would be the first, out-side of our kind, to be invited to our council."-Radagast ended up saying in a serious manner.
"A reason to go...i'm still waiting. Also, don't assume im as young as i look."-Rand said, seemingly getting annoyed.
"Gandalf didn't say much, just that it was very important and that, in all likelyhood, you may be able to help us save this world"-Radagast said.
He suspected that Gandalf may have discovered the location of the 'Ring' but, he did not know for sure. Saying that it was to save this world was...more or less true.
"Gandalf also mentioned you had an ability to...create a portal of some kind that enables instant travel between cities?"-Radagast said, intrigued at the thought of the return trip taking less time than it should...especially since his friend, Gwaihir('the great eagle') had already left.
The 'boy' started laughing, after seemingly debating with himself...
"I already saved one world, what's one more?"-Rand said shaking his head and chuckling to himself.
*'already saved one...what's one more?'*
Seeing the look on this old, long-bearded, brown-robed man; Rand figured he should say a bit more after that little outburst of his.
"Sir, i'm a walking prophesy of salvation from the forces of Shadow in the world i'm from."
"I've already battled and defeated the Dark One, the enemy of the Creator. And as the Creator's Champion i am fated to battle the forces of evil through-out every age that it arises to threaten the entire world."
"So, when you say important...i think that the entire world will be destroyed otherwise!"
The old man looked sceptical after initial widening of the eyes, though thats realy all Rand could go by as his features were all covered with hair.
Turning away from the old man that started to say something as he opened the door and motioned a guard to come inside.
"Who am i?"-Rand addressed the soldier.
The soldier seemed to get what he was asking...
"You are the Lord Dragon, Highest Lord of Tear, King of Illian. The one who was prophesised to save the world...and eventually did by defeating...the Dark One. You're our saviour, sire. Some think you are the Creator himself, clothed in flesh to save us, though, i prefer to think of you as the Creator's greatest warrior-"
"That's more than enough, slow down there man!"-Rand was just wanting the first half or so of what the man was saying...anything that linked him and the Creator together made him feel uncomfortable. Though the recent saying that he's the 'Creator's Champion' he had to admit, was a neat fit after the Last Battle and understandable. He knew that he wasn't some 'divine' being, just the chosen thread in the pattern to defend the Wheel in times of need.
One of his greatest problems before and after the Last Battle was that the Prophet, Masema, creating a religion around him in Ghealdan...it had created many problems for him since.
"At any rate...i'll need time to set things in order before we can head out. After i talk with the Lords and Ladies here, i'll need to go to Illian and do the same there. After that we can head out from there..."-Rand informed the, somewhat, startled-looking 'old man'.
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Essenia Illian:
The rain of fire-balls had stopped falling from the sky several hours ago. The relief was short-lived however; as the newly arrived 'refugee's' seemed to rise up and attack the defending soldiers.
This caused a number of riots to occur within Illian. Though the Illian civilians should have known better, some of them did end up causing confusion, by joining the initial riots of the infiltrators, among the ranks of soldiers as they were the very people they were trying to protect.
The 'refugee's' were actually enemy soldiers in disguise, catching the defenders off-guard.
The following mayhem disorganized and disrupted their defensive formations to the point that most of the enemies coming off the ships were not harassed as they came ashore and formed ranks.
Any nearby civilians that were caught by the enemy were either killed or hauled off to the waiting ships to be used as slaves.
Every city-block that the enemy troops went through ended up in flames after quickly grabbing whatever, or whoever, they wanted.
In the main thoroughfare's large groups of soldiers battled in intense melee, typically with the defenders outnumbered as the enemy would usually retreat unless they held numerical superiority.
"For Illian and the Lord Dragon!"-was a regular cry of the defenders as they tried to hold back the enemy while, at the same time, being wary of anyone not garbed as a soldier.
All the while people ran about screaming and running past them, most to get away from the enemy while some were mixed in as the enemy. It was all a very hectic struggle to say the least.
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Barond lamonos hid behind a crate, waiting for his chance to run again.
He'd learned his lesson about hiding in a building hours ago.
These invaders burned everything they passed after pillaging and dragging people away to their ships.
*Those poor people*- Barond thought, mostly of the women that would most likely suffer rape.
As the last of the invading soldiers passed by, Barond ran out from his hiding spot and into the street to find another alley-way.
As he ran, he looked to the sides, seeing to the left; goods and people being carted off and several of which pointed at him and hollering something; to his right, a few soldiers had turned around at the shouts from the others to see him running.
*Bloody Ashes!*-Barond thought as he entered the alley-way that he could now see dead-ended at a brick wall.
Turning around, three soldiers stood at the entrance with cruel smiles, weapons at the ready.
"I do be one unlucky man"-Barond thought for, what he could only assume, the last time.
At that moment a whistle blew behind the three men, taking their attention off of him.
Taking the opportunity he launched himself at the invaders.
Jumping and kicking one backwards, then giving the next a solid right upper-cut, before grabbing the arm of the last that had turned to try and stab him.
He'd fought many times before, as most ship-bound people often did. Pirates and disagreements with others aboard the same vessel was fairly common. Repelling boarders and the occasional mutinies tended to give experience to veteran traders and sailors alike. If not, one would not last long on the open seas.
He wrestled with the invader, for what was likely only a minute or so, though it seemed much longer, before he was able to use his superior weight after getting on top of him on the ground and forcing the man's own blade into himself.
He was breathing heavily.
Looking to the sides to see why the others had not made a move towards him yet, he realized that his country-men were fighting a pitched battle against them in the street.
Grabbing the invaders blade, he left the mouth of the alley to join in the fray, for if they lost here...he'd likely die soon after.
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"Alright Radagast, i'm ready to head to Illian, are you?"-Rand asked the rhetorical question to the old man as he'd been very impatient...
Smiling, Rand embraced Saiden and wove the threads needed to create a Gateway to Illian.
While waiting for his 'Honor Guard' to go through, he watched the old man inspect his 'portal'.
This...Rand al'Thor was a bit of an enigma for Radagast. As soon as he'd asked that redundant question, he'd practically began glowing, followed by this portal opening.
As his troops marched through, something odd caught his attention, it sounded as if there was a feint scream on the wind, though there wasn't really any wind, followed by yelling...
Rand started to hear yelling at the other end of his Gateway.
Thinking that his 'Honor guards were arguing, once again, about who should be protecting him, he went and stepped through to the other side to end their petty squabble.
"How many times do i need to tell-"Rand was saying as he realised that what he thought was happening was simply not the case.
Signs of war was in the air.
Distant screaming and feint sounds of soldiers clashing could be heard outside...
"My lord! Illian is besieged!"-Rodrivar Tihera said running back towards him.
Noticing that everyone was through the Gateway, Rand dropped the weave.
"Then allow me to turn the tide Captain!"-Rand said as he mentally prepared himself to kill the invaders.
"Sir...it's a mess out there"-Rodrivar states carefully.
Walking out of the 'Travel-room' he went to the far end of the adjoining hallway to look through one of the arched openings to the view of the city.
The sounds of battle increased, though still feint, but it was the sight of half of the city on fire that caused him to nearly lose it.
Illian, even if they could put the current fires out now...would likely be a burnt ruin.
Radagast came up from the rear of the group to peer outside...he didn't seem to like what he saw either.
"My sincere condolences, Rand al'Thor"-Radagast said solemnly...and a bit aggressively?
"Captain"-Rand said in a cold, angry voice...
"Yes, what are your orders Lord Dragon!"-Rodrivar said, he knew that Rand would be fighting soon, he'd been there with him for years. Being Rand's body guards' leader more often than not
"I'm going to try to put as much of that fire out as i can...i need to be closer..."-Rand seemed distant by the end, as if talking in his sleep.
Before anyone could do anything to stop him, Rand jumped from the arched opening, only to land in the air somehow...and proceeded to run down an invisible ramp.
"Blood and ashes! After the Dragon, with me!"-Rodrivar yelled, running down the hallway further to find a set of stairs...
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Barond couldn't believe his turn of luck! Out of nowhere an elite group of soldiers, Tairener's by the looks, had shown up to save the day-his at least...
It looked like they'd attack him till he gutted a man that tried to attack one of them. After that, the one he saved just nodded to him and they continued on their way down the street.
Apparently they were in a hurry, there sure weren't that many of them...then again, it was hard enough to march more than a company down a street.
He figured his best chance of survival would be to stay with them, at least for now.
After a while he found out why they were in such a hurry-they were the Lord Dragon's personal bodyguard! The king had finally returned and was somewhere in the streets...
The mass of water swirling that was crashing through and against buildings on one whole side of the street a ways off was the first thing he noticed before they reached him.
The second thing he saw were the mangled and dismembered corpses in a section of a destroyed street. The sight had turned his stomach as where the vets he followed merely grimaced-they'd seen the like before.
Upon reaching the same street where the suspended water crashed through the air, they found the King surrounded by a wide ring of Companions
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Rand was having a difficult time channeling flows of air to direct water through buildings around the edges of the burning inferno.
*Why didn't i bring Callandor!*-He admonished himself. And though he could go back and get it...he couldn't bring himself to leave now that he was here.
The only good thing was that Illian was filled with channels that criss-crossed the city. If it had been Tear that burned...this would be impossible.
Drenching the un-burnt side of the streets, he moved block by block, hoping to save at least a portion of the city.
Now and again, he'd come across groups of invaders making their way towards him...they were quickly eliminated without mercy, nor the chance even to draw their weapons...
Throngs of screaming people had rushed about him, some had even tried to attack him...
*wait, what happened to them?*
Finally, truly looking around himself he realized that Companions had found him at some point and had encircled him in a large opening-giving him room to do what he was doing-putting out the fire.
*How long have they been there? How long have i been doing this?*
It didn't matter, he had to save the city from burning to the ground...
*Why is it getting soo dark? Did i walk into a cloud of smoke?*
"We got you lord Dragon, rest now, we'll take care of the rest"-someone said as Rand drifted into sleep.
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Demetre and Rodrivar discussed the incoming army coming in from the southern shores across from Illian.
"What do you recommend Rodrivar?"-Demetre Marcolin asked, defering to his Tairen counter-part for his strategic actions during the Last Battle.
"Consolidate our forces on the Western flank with a quick, diversionary force in the East."-Rodrivar stated
"It would be nice to get reinforcements from Tear, but with Lord al'Thor asleep, that doesn't seem to be an option anytime soon."-Rodrivar said sadly.
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Ballin Elamri began to worry as his appointed meeting with his king had failed to take place. He understood that Rand al'Thor was generally busy but it'd been a week since he'd last seen him.
Usually, twice a week, al'Thor would show up and he'd give him the latest report on what he'd been doing in Gondor.
It troubled him greatly, to where he began imagining all sorts of terrible reasons for his king's absence...to the point that all the books of the lgreat library of Minu Tirith could no longer hold his interest.
"Sir Ballin, you seem very distraught since i last seen you, has something happened?"-Faramir asked as he entered the large room.
The two had a loose relationship from having similar interests in the lore contained within the books held here. Ballin had also shown an interest in the songs that Faramir knew too. Either one of them could often be found here when they had spare time.
"Aye, my king has failed to get my reports, lord Faramir..."-Ballin said sadly.
"I fear what reason it may do be. The king declared war with the Umbar after he learned of their slaving ways..."-Ballin told Faramir.
Faramir was somewhat startled at first, then relieved as it explained why the numbers of Haradrim had drastically declined in Ithilien.
"You fear something has happened...that something bad occurred in your homeland because of the lack of contact?"
"Do not worry friend, in time, i'm sure you'll see your king again..."-Faramir tried to console the depressed man.
"I do no worry about my king, it do be Illian i worry of."-Ballin informed the younger Faramir.
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"Push them back!"-a Companion shouted.
The Umbar had crossed the river and were currently pushing Illian's defenses back towards the charred remains of the southern side of Illian.
They had been fighting for a while now, but it seemed they were in slow retreat from the invaders...
Boom!
Six concussive blasts hit somewhere behind the enemy lines...
"Glory to the king! Kill the invaders!"
"Charge!"
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Rand woke up disoriented and confused...
"Wha...what happened...where am i?"
"You seemed to have passed out from using too many incantations..."-Radagast said somewhere nearby.
"Me lord! You're finally awake!"-Rand's personal attendant exclaimed.
Rand was tired...it was a distant and familiar feeling...he'd used too much of the one power and nearly burnt himself out.
A soldier nearby interrupted his thoughts-"My king, when and if you are able, we could sorely use reinforcements from Tear"
The soldier had spat out, speaking of calling for aid from a former rival nation.
"Report"-Rand said as he sat up, swaying slightly, as he messaged his forehead.
"The main invasion force from Umbar crossed over to our shores early this morning...they are pressing us back into the remains of south Illian"
"How long have i been out"-Rand asked
"Roughly a day and a half, sire"
Rand had a splitting headache...
*A day or two while the attacks have increased? I-*-Rand was starting to admonish himself
(again)
when Radagast interrupted his thoughts of self-loathing.
"Rand al'Thor, i may be able to restore your vitality, but it will only last for a short time. Also, consequences could arise if you push yourself like you did last time. However-"-Radagast was saying...
"Do it"-Rand commanded.
So apparently...the rest of this...i was logged out when i went to save after editing...
(So F'ing frustrated!)
Soooooo, i'll add a part 2! and upload at a later date...
Ideas/suggestions are welcome btw...