Apologies for the lengthy delay with this chapter; real life and personal commitments have been pretty much devouring all of my free time at the moment, so it's been really difficult to find any spare time to write anything more to this. Hopefully things should ease up a bit soon to allow a quicker return next time.
I hope this makes up for the delay a bit; my deepest thanks to everyone who's read this and left a review or favourited or followed the story: it gives me such a boost and reminds me why I will see this through to the end. Hope you enjoy this chapter and that it keeps you all eagerly waiting for the next one!
Talion didn't think, he just acted. In the blink of an eye, three throwing knives went flying through the air; none of them hit, glancing off Khamûl's shield, but they bought the time the Gravewalker needed to cross the gap between them. Longsword clashed with spearhead as the two warriors locked blades.
"I thought the Nine wanted me under their thumb!" Talion opined, staring into the faceless, formless void beneath the horned helmet. His answer was a snarl like the grinding of stones and then he was shoved back as Khamûl's shield boss hit him full in the chest. The spearhead slashed out and Talion leant back, narrowly avoiding the ensorcelled blade carving a trench through his abdomen. Khamûl stabbed out again faster than expected, and Talion hissed as the sharp edge cut a line across his cheek, drawing blood.
"The Witch King's folly is naught to me!" the Ringwraith snarled. "I will not tolerate a rival to my place, least of all a low-blooded dreg of Gondor like you! Nor will the Dark Lord suffer Celebrimbor's ambition any longer! Lord Sauron wants you both destroyed...and his will shall be done!" the Black Easterling bellowed as the butt of his spear slammed into the earth twice. "To arms, sons of Rhûn!"
At this, Talion felt something seize his ankle hard, trying to drag him down. He looked round and to his horror, saw a skeletal hand clad in a gauntlet similar to those Khamûl wore clawing at his thigh. All around him, more warriors in the scale armour and full helms of the Easterling legions, tainted by the sickly necrotic green hue of sorcery began to drag themselves out of the frozen ground. Talion kicked out, freeing his foot from the gauntlet and lashing out with his marked hand, hearing a keening screech as he seized the helmet's closest cheek guard and the new Ring's magic banished the long dead warrior's shade back into the peace of death.
"In life, Khamûl commanded the armies of an entire nation. In death, they fight for him and their true master still!" Celebrimbor cursed, leaping back from another pair of hands clawing their way up through the snow, but there was no time for Talion to answer as the phalanx of undead Easterlings rose to their feet, locked shields, lowered their spears and drove him steadily back towards their master.
"Rhun has served the will of Mordor for countless generations, longer than you have walked in Middle-earth, Ranger! And the day is coming when both our lands will purge the filth of Gondor from Middle-earth!" the Black Easterling snarled as Talion rolled away from a trio of spears stabbing at chest, shoulder and throat. He ran forward, vaulting over the closest undead Easterling, Celebrimbor's hammer swiping out to clout the armoured warrior about the face, freezing him to the spot. With a roar of fury, Celebrimbor brought his hand smashing down to the frozen earth and the undead Easterlings lost their formation as magical fire exploded from the point Celebrimbor's hand touched the ground, setting the dead warriors ablaze. Talion lunged forward, sword sweeping up and decapitating one burning Easterling warrior, armour and bone crumbling into ash, banishing another, only to then cry out as a falchion carved into his back like a sliver of ice. Whirling on his heel, Talion extended a hand and a ghastly shriek preceded their attacker's dissolution into little more than mist as Celebrimbor drained the life out of the revenant, Talion groaning as he felt life flowing back into him, wounds closing up, fresh strength reasserting itself...
And then the sensation of rejuvenation was lost as Talion felt something sharp sink into his back and pain bloom from his lower spine. His hand darted out and pulled free something chitinous and wriggling; holding it to his face, Talion saw it was a spider the size of a plate, though unusually it was not the pallid white colouring of Shelob's hatchlings he'd encountered in Cirith Ungol. No, these creatures, for more were crawling across the frozen ground towards him, emerging from the ground around the Nazgûl's feet were jet black, all hair, chitinous plates and clicking mandibles, and a red marking on their bloated abdomens that resembled the Eye of Sauron...
"Did you believe all of Ungoliant's spawn seek to overthrow the will of Lord Sauron?!" the deathly voice barked, a tone that sounded almost like amusement, as the Ringwraith watched as Talion struggled to tear off the black and red-marked spiders crawling over him, sinking fangs into the exposed flesh of his neck, arms, cheeks...
"Those who haunt the boughs of Mirkwood, who prowl the heights and hunt within the boundaries of the Hill of Sorcery, know better than to cross the master of Dol Guldur and his...and so they serve as most willingly!" Khamûl bellowed as he lunged forward. Talion didn't have time to dodge away, his reactions slowed by the preternatural spider venom; he was sent flying as Khamûl charged at him with phenomenal speed, the shield boss colliding into his sternum. His head ringing as it hit hard ground, Talion rolled as the spearhead entered his field of vision, lancing for his throat; he dodged aside at the last instant, the spear stabbing into the ground where it would have pierced his windpipe to the floor had it struck seconds earlier. Another spider he hadn't managed to dislodge sank its fangs into his back and Talion felt his head spinning again as the venom took effect.
"Kill him!" the Ringwraith demanded and Talion rolled aside, giving ground as half a dozen undead Easterlings, all that hadn't been burned back into oblivion by Celebrimbor's fires formed a semi-circle in front of him. Talion dodged back from one spearhead thrust at his heart, parried a falchion clutched in the skeletal grasp of another revenant before taking its wielder's arm off at the elbow and banishing his attacker as it clawed at the stump of its sword arm, staggering as a shield blow to the side cracked his ribs, recovering enough to decapitate the one responsible...
"Burn him!" Khamûl roared, looking at a point over Talion's shoulder...
"TALION, BEHIND YOU!" Celebrimbor yelled in warning. Talion reacted without thinking, rolling to one side, feeling incredible heat pass inches from his back. Getting back to his feet and whirling around, he saw Khamûl's pet drake, having seemingly had its fill of caragor meat and still hungry, was closings it jaws, having set the underbrush and the ground Talion had occupied second before ablaze, growling angrily at missing its prey and rustling its wings in a threat display as it crouched low to the ground, looking like a snake ready to strike. Talion held his ground, staring into the reptile's beady yellow eyes.
"Try me you scabarous wyrm!" Celebrimbor challenged as the drake lunged, its long jaws opening to swallow him whole...seconds before rows of serrated teeth could clamp shut on his chest, Talion dodged aside and the drake's fangs snapped shut on air. Having lost sight of the Ranger, the beast pushed off the ground, hoping that taking to the air would allow it to find and descend on its prey...just as Talion hoped. Barely a foot from the ground, he lunged, and the drake shrieked in agony as his sword sliced off its right leg just below the knee, the scaly clawed foot hitting the ground, red-black blood spurting from the stump across the ground. Unbalanced, the beast crashed to the ground; racing up its tail and back, Talion brought his sword stabbing down into its spine between the two wings, leaving the drake crippled. Unable to do more than writhe and thrash helplessly, the drake reared up, trying to twist its head around to bite or breathe fire at its attacker...and Talion beheaded the creature with a single stroke. His feet hitting the ground as its fiery blood caused its corpse to disintegrate, its flaming blood splattering the other undead Easterlings. As they fell back burning, Talion charged forward, vaulting over one and then there was nothing between him and the Ringwraith.
Talion had been a fast runner all his life and with Celebrimbor's power increasing his agility, he was able to build up a fair amount of speed as Khamûl went on guard, crouching low behind his shield. Raising his blade above his head in both hands, Talion put his full strength into the cut; it was a blow with enough power to decapitate a ghul matron with a single stroke. Urfael hit the shield in the centre of the bronze boss with an ominous crack of metal splitting...and Khamûl staggered back, the shield on his left arm coming apart in fractured pieces, each hitting the ground with a distinct thud as it hit the frozen earth.
Talion gave a cry of triumph...which was promptly cut short as the haft of Khamûl's spear smashed into his chest, winding him. Clutching the long weapon in both hands, Khamûl swung low with it, and Talion hit the ground hard, the Ringwraith having swept his feet out from under him. Before Talion could get back to his feet, the spear came stabbing down and Talion cried out as he was brought down with a quick jerk, Khamûl having pinned him to the floor by impaling his cloak with the spear. Before Talion could try to tear it off and get up, Khamûl planted a foot on his chest, the Nazgûl kicking away the sword in the Ranger's hand and drawing the blade at its own hip, a curved sabre whose green-tinted blade gleamed malevolently in the faint light.
"It is known that the only way to slay an Orc for good and all is to remove its head...so let us see if the same works for you!" Khamûl snarled as he raised the sword high above Talion's neck, about to bring it down, the last thing Talion would see before darkness, and he hope, Ioreth and Dirhael...The sword came slashing down...and inches from Talion's throat, a pair of curved blades intercepted it, sweeping the sabre up and driving its wielder back. Khamûl screeched in rage at the interruption, and then a blinding flash of light caused the Ringwraith to retreat as a woman's voice cried out "Slink back to the shadows, spawn of Sauron! He is not yours to claim!"
"GIVE UP THE RANGER, SHE-ELF!" Khamûl roared in fury, gesturing at the elf with his left hand, a ring of silver, ruby and jet gleaming on an extended finger.
"If you want him" Eltariel shot back as she went on guard "come and take him!"
With another hateful shriek of rage, the Black Easterling charged forward and Eltariel ran forward to meet him, pausing for an instant to kick Talion's sword back towards his grasp before turning to face her enemy. Fingers closing around the hilt, Talion slashed up, snapping the haft of the spear keeping him trapped, before Talion rolled back to his feet, ripping the spearhead pinning his cloak to the ground free, ready to join the fray. He charged forward as Eltariel lunged at the Black Easterling, the Light of Galadriel forcing Khamûl to give ground. The Ringwraith screeched in pain as the illumination of elven magic seared him, raising his arm to cover the horned helm and Eltariel lunged forward, her elven short swords lancing into the Nazgul's chest. Eltariel ducked as Khamûl's sword swept out at her head and as Talion had seen in Minas Morgul, the sabre fell to earth as the elven woman's blades sheared through Khamûl's sword arm at the elbow. Howling in anger, Khamûl recoiled and staggered back, pointing at them both in turn with his remaining hand, the missing limb slowly beginning to regenerate from the swirling mists emerging at the stump where Eltariel's blades had cut in.
"The next time we meet" Khamûl vowed, every word dripping with menace "I will not be denied my prize, Gravewalker! Your head WILL adorn the gates of the Dark Lord's tower! And as for you, she-elf, interfere in matters not your concern again, and your head will be sent back to Lothlorien with an apple stuffed in its mouth, as a warning what will happen the next time Galadriel meddles in Lord Sauron's affairs!". With another keening screech and an explosion of green mist, Khamûl was gone, his spectral form fleeing back in the direction of the fortress. Talion let out a brief sigh of relief, and then nodded in thanks to Eltariel as the elf sheathed her blades, watching the fleeing Nazgul disappear from view.
"Another time I've saved your life, Ranger" Eltariel mused wryly. "You should hope I don't start keeping count, otherwise you may find me calling in a few favours". Talion gave the elven assassin a dirty look but chose not to to reply. Fortunately, her back was turned, staring down the valley towards the distant fortress where their enemy had fled.
"Khamûl was a master of warfare in his time. After this setback, he will no doubt increase the defences of that fortress ten fold. A direct assault would be suicide" Eltariel opined. Talion nodded, but his eyebrow raised at the comment.
"You know I have done this sort of thing before" Talion groused as he made his way north towards the campsite he'd been directed to come to after he'd sent his message to the fortress's new masters. "Every fortress in Mordor has fallen to my armies before now, including that one! It was merely ill fortune and bad timing that led to it falling back into the hands of Sauron's minions!"
"And even if you take it back, what will stop it from simply falling back into the grasp of its new master once more?" Eltariel questioned. Celebrimbor gave her a baleful look and raised a hand to silence any further protest.
"I will make such an example of those who stole that fortress from me that all of Mordor will hear of it and know the folly of challenging the Bright Lord! You doubt me?! Come and see for yourself!"
Silenced by Celebrimbor's rage, Talion and Eltariel fell into step behind the elven wraith as he marched away, heading towards the mountain camp where their followers were gathering. They walked in silence for a time before a thought occurred to Talion. "Khamûl truly seems to despise you" he noted.
"I have faced him more than once before" she replied "but in truth, he has had a loathing of my people for many generations now. For years, Khamûl has served as castellan of Dol Guldur, commanding one of Sauron's greatest fortresses outside of Mordor; under his command, the Orcs of Dol Guldur, often bolstered by Easterlings from Rhûn, have clashed with King Thranduil's forces for decades. When Lady Galadriel and the White Council drove Sauron out of Dol Guldur, Khamûl was forced to flee into exile with his master back to Mordor; he has hated us and been more determined than ever to retake his seat of power ever since. Khamûl stands high in Sauron's favour; of the rest of the Nine, only the Witch King himself stands higher in the Dark Lord's esteem. If Khamûl succeeds in bringing the Dark Lord that ring and your head, Sauron will grant him anything...including perhaps even the power to retake Dol Guldur for himself"
"He will not get the chance" Talion vowed. "I have his measure now, and unlike Suladân, Khamûl does not have the advantage of being on his own ground. We know this region and that fortress well; it is an advantage we can exploit against him" Talion insisted, but Eltariel did not look convinced.
"For your sake, I hope that is true. In life, Khamûl was a brilliant and ruthless general. As one of the Nine, he is one of the most foremost tacticians Sauron has at his disposal. If he fells you both and gains the power to retake Dol Guldur...Mirkwood, Dale and Erebor are still weak from the clashes around the Lonely Mountain. If Khamûl retakes Dol Guldur, they will be in little position to stop him, and Sauron will have the opportunity to carve a significant beachhead outside the boundaries of Mordor!"
As they reached the camp, Eltariel took her leave; although Talion's presence as the Bright Lord and the power of the New Ring should have been sufficient to keep the Orcs in line and herself safe, there was no telling how the Orcs might react to her presence. Instead, she took to higher ground, watching as Talion strode into the heart of the camp and the new Ring pulsed with energy, the runes cut into its circumference flaring bright as the master called the servants to his side. Looking round him, Talion saw familiar faces, all trusted and loyal; Ur-Edin Warbringer, Bagga the Drowned, Hork the Carver, Bubol of the Spiders, Zathra the Crow and many other lesser captains, not vaunted enough to have held the positions of Warchiefs when the fortress had first been conquered, but still competent enough to do what was required of them.
The gathered Orcs formed a circle around their master and Talion, spreading his arms wide, began to speak, Celebrimbor's withered visage spreading across one half of his body and their voices melding together as they addressed their armies so far.
"You have come far and suffered much, but your loyalty to me has remained ironclad, and it shall not be forgotten, nor go unrewarded! The fortress in the valley below is ours by rights, and now we are gathered, we begin the campaign to reclaim it! There are tasks that will be required of each of you, roles to be played to weaken the fortress defences, sow confusion and dismay amongst its defenders and cripple and slay its commanders, but hold true to the vision of the Bright Lord and we WILL KNOW VICTORY! WE WILL TAKE BACK THAT FORTRESS, WE WILL BUTCHER EVERY LAST RANK CUR WHO DARED TO STEAL IT FROM OUR RIGHTEOUS HANDS IN SAURON'S NAME, AND PLUNDER AND GLORY SUCH AS YOU HAVE NEVER KNOWN WILL BE YOURS! ARE YOU WITH ME?!"
A cacophony of cheers and affirmative bellows came as the Orcs and Ologs gathered stamped their feet and beat fists against chests and weapons against shields and breastplates and the Bright Lord smiled, confident that they would do what was needed.
"Command us, Bright Lord. What would you have us do?" Bagga the Drowned asked and both Talion and Celebrimbor gave a predatory smile worthy of a hunting caragor as they laid out their plans for the coming battles.
Next time: The battle to retake Seregost begins...