Here's the next chapter for you. This one primarily follows Lilith so I hope you guys enjoy it.
Darkness Reborn
Chapter 34: Travelers
-Minas Ithil-
The Conversation with General Castamir was overly brief. Though he was astounded by the presence of Saruman, it was apparent that his focus was elsewhere. All parties involved believed they knew the truth of the general's focus, though only one was right. After dispatching his daughter to continue securing relics of importance to Gondor for safe travel out of the city, he turned his attention to Talion, whom revealed his true reason for being in the city, which surprised Saruman. Talion revealed that he was here to safeguard the Palantír though when he heard that the General grew a bit tense and immediately redirected Talion by instructing him to keep the city safe so that the Palantír would in turn be kept safe, so he dispatched the ranger to go hunting in the lower city to kill some of the orc captains and spread terror through the ranks of the enemy.
Once done he asked if he might speak with Saruman later, once he had seen to the defenses of the inner walls.
Saruman accepted and allowed the general to head off, leaving him alone with Talion and the Celebrimbor.
"We shouldn't waste time Talion, the city is on it's last legs. We should prioritize securing the Palantír." Celebrimbor spoke to his human companion.
"We cannot just leave these people to their fate. Castamir was right, by keeping the city safe, we also keep the Palantír safe." Talion argued.
"Look Talion, out at the towers." Celebrimbor instructed, turning the ranger's eyes out over the captured city.
It quickly became apparent to Saruman that Talion had the ability to see into the unseen world. He was able to peer into it's depths thanks to Celebrimbor. Saruman saw things just as they did, scattered across the city were several large towers and from each of them, dark power radiated.
"The Towers bare his mark." Talion noted.
"Those were my towers once, places that I had built long before Isildur came to these lands to found Minas Ithil. Sauron's corruption is spreading beyond the borders of Mordor. He is using these towers in preparation for something." Celebrimbor informed him.
"Preparation for what?" Talion questioned.
"The construction of a great network of sight. It was once one of his ancient plans, a means to pass his gaze over all of Mordor, and eventually the world. Within these towers he will have no doubt placed dark imitations of the Palantír. A device known as a Haedir. Alone they hold no great value, but with the Palantír he may link the power of it's sight to each of the Haedir in turn, allowing his gaze to cover everything that is within range of the Haedir. Essentially it would elevate the already great powers of the Palantír to a level hereto unseen. If Sauron is allowed to capture the Palantír and complete his network of Haedir than all of Mordor will be laid bare before him, and all of it's secrets revealed. We will no longer be able to hide our movements. We must secure the Palantír as soon as possible, and we must turn Sauron's low craft against him." Celebrimbor explained what he suspected was going on.
The Elf-Lord was most certainly correct. Just one of many plans that Sauron had begun working to implement within his kingdom. That Celebrimbor would remember it and recognize it's implementation was surprising and also concerning.
"Acquiring the use of such towers will most certainly aid your cause." Saruman offered his agreement, drawing their attention to him.
"Indeed it will. Now, I must ask, why have you come here to this place? I had heard of the Istari in recent days yet I never expected to find one here." Celebrimbor inquired.
"As I mentioned earlier, I had come here in the hopes of finding something of great importance to me. An ally of mine had ventured into the darkness of Mordor in search of valuable information, and last I had heard from her, she intended to meet me here. I am hopeful she is among those who've taken refuge here in the fortress." Saruman explained to them.
"What information were you hoping to gather?" Talion inquired.
"Knowledge on the whereabouts of Smaug, the last of the Great Dragons. We know that he has joined Sauron, due to his participation in the Battle of the Five Armies at Erebor, and that he fled to the south-east after escaping the battle. I suspect he is here, somewhere in Mordor, but we must confirm it. With that Dragon by his side, Sauron's powers will have only grown that much more." Saruman explained to them.
"We have seen no signs of a dragon during our time in Mordor, only the growing number of Drakes, and the occasional Fellbeast." Talion reported.
"That does little to raise my spirits. A dark mystery has descended around Sauron, the Dark Lord's movements have become obscured. Tread carefully in your endeavors, the both of you. I must search out my ally for her report. I will speak to you again when you return." Saruman said to them.
"Upon our return then." Talion agreed, gaining a nod from Celebrimbor as well. The two quickly turned their attention to the city. The time had come to go hunting.
Saruman watched them depart before hiding himself in dark robes and vanishing from sight. He would await Lilith's return and hear of what plans she was forming.
A short time passed when he found her, appearing out of nowhere, though she drew little attention from others.
The two quickly secreted themselves away and Saruman began to report on what he'd learned.
"So the ring is not here?" Lilith questioned, confusion coloring her face.
"It is not. Perhaps Celebrimbor failed, and now they seek some other means of fighting back. They have come for the Palantír." Saruman said to her.
"Hmm… one of Faenor's seeing stones? Sauron had hoped to use the Palantír here to oversee a network of lesser seeing stones." Lilith hummed.
"Yes. Celebrimbor divined that plan as well. He has noticed the Haedir and has instructed the ranger on how to purify them so that they may be used against us." Saruman informed her.
"Concerning. We'll have to let Sauron know of this vulnerability. If they take hold of the Palantír they may be able to hijack the system and use it to observe us in Mordor. We cannot allow that to happen. If the ring is not here than we must find out where it has gone too, or even if they made one at all. They did something at the forge in Mt. Doom, and we must find out what. Until then my plans cannot continue." Lilith spoke her gaze hardening and a frown deepening on her face.
"What were your plans my lady?" Saruman inquired.
"This ranger has done well since his timely death. I believe he would make an excellent addition to the Nazgûl, and so I went and spoke with the Witch King who agreed that after Celebrimbor is taken from him, that one of the Rings of Power will be placed on him, adding his skills and abilities to one of the Nine." Lilith answered, before stopping when she noticed the look of surprise on Saruman's face. It quickly dawned on her that he hadn't yet been made aware of that secret ability of the Rings of Power or the Nazgûl.
"Yes, My Lord Saruman, such a thing is possible. The entities you know of as the Nazgûl are comprised of many beings, all who have worn and been corrupted by the specific Ring they are attuned with. If the Ranger places one of the Nine upon his finger, he will slowly be corrupted by it and eventually the spirit of the Nazgûl will claim him, adding his mind, his skills, and his abilities to the Wraith's overall power. This man stood against the Black Captains, and has survived in the inhospitable realms of Mordor for a good long while now. I think he would make a perfect candidate to be used for such a purpose." Lilith said to him.
"I see. It is a great surprise to hear that, but it would explain how the nature of the Nazgûl remains ever illusive, and how their powers are continuously growing. I agree, with the ranger's skills that he'd make a fine addition to further the powers of one of the Nine. Before then though, we must learn what they did in the heart of the volcano and if they did forge another Ring of Power, than where has it gone?" Saruman responded to her after a moment of thought.
"Then focus on that. Do not alert them that you have any knowledge of what transpired in Mordor, but try and draw to light whatever they were working on. We must know before we reveal ourselves. On the small chance that we fail, and they escape, I would know what they were doing in the mountain, and why they fled it with such haste." Lilith instructed him.
"It will be done, my lady. What will you do in the meantime?" He asked her.
"I will study the enemy from afar, and watch them as they move through the city. A plan will need to be formed to face them, and catch them in a trap. I will study how they move, how they fight, and have the means prepared to face them. We do not have long, soon this city will fall, and when it does, so to will the ranger and the Elf-Lord." Lilith declared, earning a resolute nod from Saruman.
For now, they would be patient and plan accordingly. They had the element of surprise on their side, and it was best not to waste it. Soon they would spring their trap and see this city fall. For now, they still had a few more things to figure out.
A short time passed and Lilith remained out of sight, allowing Saruman to continue interacting with the Gondorians. Several more attacks were thrown against the walls of the inner city only to be repelled. She had sent word to Sauron, contacting him by simply having her real self back in Westeros, speak to his Avatar there that was playing the part of King Aegon.
She informed him of what was going on, as well as her intention for the ranger. Sauron offered no complaints, and asked her to keep him informed. He was currently busy attempting to meet with an old friend who was avoiding him for some unknown reason, and Sauron was beginning to grow concerned.
She asked him for details but he expressed that it was best explained in person, and so he would do so once either of them had completed their task. If she needed his help though, he would drop everything to come and capture Celebrimbor, but if he didn't have a Ring of Power, than he was far from a match for her, even in this shell of a body, he had no doubts that she could best him and the ranger if it came to that.
While curious about what had gotten him so distracted, Lilith chose not to press the issue. He was right, of course, she could deal with the two of them if it came to that, plus she had Saruman, the Nazgûl, a small army of Cargûl, and a huge army of orcs. All of that against one ranger and a long-dead elf. She wasn't concerned. Since she was choosing to wait until they learned more before attacking them, Sauron's presence was not needed here.
Lilith spent the next few days following Talion and Celebrimbor from a distance. Now here is where she probably should have recruited Tauriel to aid her, as she was far from a skilled tracker. The ranger exited and entered Minas Ithil several times, even slinking back through the pass of Cirith Ungol a few times. She lost him more than once, only catching back up to him by following the trail of dead orcs he left in his wake.
Back and forth the they traveled, and Lilith was beginning to conclude that she had learned all that she needed too. It had been a few days, and Saruman had yet to fully get them to divulge what it was they were doing. He was being cautious ensuring that neither man or elf would suspect that the White Wizard knew more than he was letting on. Saruman played the part of wise council but it was obvious that Talion was more interested in protecting Minas Ithil and Celebrimbor was focused on securing the Palantír. They had attempted to convince Saruman to aid them in securing it, but he admitted that he had had few meetings with General Castamir, as the man had strangely always been preoccupied with other matters, and often couldn't take council from Saruman for more than a few minutes.
What Saruman and Lilith knew that Talion and Celebrimbor didn't was that Castamir had already agreed to turn against his Gondorian brothers and sisters, in order to protect his daughter Idril. He was staying away from Saruman in the hopes that the White Wizard would not learn of his betrayal.
So the treks continued, often times with Talion and the Wraith disappearing for a short while somewhere in the caves around Cirith Ungol. She did spot them a few times traveling with this gangling creature that Lilith did not know the origin of. This creature was no orc, or goblin. It was pale of skin, nearly bald, wearing only a loincloth. The creature could perceive Celebrimbor, as she had seen it focus it's attention on the wraith a few times, but what it was she did not know, which came as a surprise to her since she had helped create this world and knew almost all living things in it, save for that which came here from other worlds or was born as a side-effect of the world's creation rather than being made with intention.
It was a momentary curiosity, but she did not let it distract her. She continued to study the Ranger and the Wraith, learning how they fought, studying how they moved. She sensed desperation growing within them, as they carried out whatever tasks were occupying their time. They could feel the noose tightening around Minas Ithil and with each passing day without the Palantír, the two became more concerned.
Finally, Lilith had come to the decision that she had learned enough. The elf and the ranger were being illusive and Saruman was making very little headway in getting them to reveal what had happened in the fires of Orodruin. So, Lilith went and spoke with the Witch King, instructing him to lure General Castamir out of the city and use him as bait to lure Talion and Celebrimbor into a trap.
They were on the verge to unleashing their final assault on the city, and Lilith had no intention of leaving the two to mess with the outcome of that assault.
And so the enemy general was drawn away from the city, and the Witch King dispatched an emissary to declare before the gates of the inner fortress that either the Ranger came out and faced the champion of the Witch King, or the General would be sent to the fortress piece by piece until he did.
The ranger accepted, no doubt hoping that his allies would be able to rescue the good general while their enemies were focused on him.
Talion traveled to the arena in Minas Ithil and alone, he faced the orcs. One by one, he met their champions, and emerged victorious until finally a small group of them attacked him at once. Even outnumbered Talion held himself, but it was clear that he was faltering.
Lilith watched all of this from amongst the crowd of orcs and prepared to step in and finish this. It was as she began to move that a feeling of magic touched at her senses and from the sky fell four wisps that materialized around Talion each one forming into a person that released a spell at the nearest orc, causing each orc struck to go down as a result of the spell.
The first thing Lilith recognized was the movement. The arrival had been through Apparition. The second were the spells. Two were Reducto spells, one a cutting charm, and one a banishing charm that sent an orc careening into a stone pillar.
"Who…" Talion spoke in amazement and disbelief.
"We're here to help, no time to explain." One of the new arrivals spoke. By now Lilith noted how their were three men and a single woman amongst them.
They were dressed in long traveling robes that obscured their faces, but not enough for Lilith not to recognize the woman who faced in her general direction.
"M-Mother…!" Lilith's mouth fell open and she froze.
In another flurry of movement the four arrivals unleashed further spells, dropping a number of orcs in rapid succession. They fought well together, and with their movements, Lilith began to catch sight of the other's faces, and she recognized them too, especially the face of one of the men. A man who wore glasses, and conjured the image of a face that was marked by so many similarities too it, that it caused her heart to twist painfully.
James Potter… her father. A man who was almost a mirror image to Harry when he grew older. By his side was Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black.
The surrounding crowd of orcs was beginning to panic. The sudden arrival and the flurry of magic that dropped orcs left right and center, put an end to the revelry and spectacle of the event, and brought a real feeling of fear and panic.
Orcs began to flee out of the arena while others joined in the fray jumping down onto the battlefield to join the fight.
While it was obvious that Talion was uncertain about the aid he was getting, it was obvious that he didn't intend to look a gift horse in the mouth. He fought on, keeping the orcs away from the quartet of magicals as they used their spells to tear through the orcs' ranks.
The flashing light of the spells and effect they had on their victims quickly began to dissolve the orcs' morale, leading to fewer and fewer being willing to enter the arena and join the fight. Within minutes only the hardiest orcs and olegs remained in the battle. What had once been close to a hundred orcs present in the arena at once, now there was less than twenty left standing.
"Why are you helping me?" Talion questioned as he cut down a charging orc.
"It's rather a long story. Trust me when I say we get something out of it." Sirius answered.
"Fair enough, I guess." Talion muttered, choosing instead to continue dealing with the orcs that remained, their numbers continuing to thin.
Soon the last orc fell, leaving the five of them alone in the arena, the only noise being the growling hatred and fear of the orcs that refused to continue the attack.
"THIS IS THE MEASURE OF YOUR CHAMPIONS!" Talion roared at the crowd, "I am unimpressed."
As he spoke the image of Celebrimbor began to impose itself over him.
"FOR FACING THIS PITIFUL RABBLE THE DARK LORD PROMISED MERCY! GAZE NOW UPON THE BRIGHT LORD! I MAKE NO SUCH OFFER!" The elf-lord declared releasing a blast of power that shook the very arena and sent the surrounding orcs scattering.
"BRING WORD TO YOUR MASTER! TELL HIM THAT I COME FOR HIM!" Celebrimbor roared with righteous fury at the fleeing orcs.
Watching this, all the four magicals could only gape in amazement at the showing of power.
Silence filled the arena with the five at it's center being the only people left there aside from Lilith.
Lilith had moved during the chaos and hidden behind one of the pillars, at the back of the arena but continued to watch from a distance.
"That was quite the statement." Remus spoke as things began to settle.
"A declaration that will hopefully spread terror through the ranks of the enemy and buy the Gondorians some much needed aid." Talion responded, the visage of Celebrimbor fading from around him.
"Hopefully the orcs will spread word about what happened here. With a bit of luck it'll land right in the ears of the old Dark Lord himself and make our job much easier." Sirius noted with a hum.
"You are seeking the attention of the Dark Lord? Why?" Talion inquired to them.
"He may be working with someone, someone we're trying to find. With any luck once he hears about us, so to will she." Lily responded to his question.
"'She'?" Talion questioned.
"Our daughter." James answered.
"Who are they? I have never seen such magics before." Celebrimbor spoke though reacted with surprise when all four of them turned to him, showing that they could see and hear him, which was incredibly unusual for humans to be able to do.
"You can see him?" Talion inquired recognizing this as well.
"Yep, not the first ghost we've had the pleasure of being around. This ones a bit different to them, but not anything we haven't seen before." Sirius answered.
"It might be due to the nature of how the two of are bonded. Like a form of possession, yet you're still able to separate, or well, at least partially separate. He might not even be a ghost per say, maybe something more akin to a phantom or a wraith." Lily suggested.
"Well they're knowledgeable, I'll give them that. But still, that doesn't answer his question. Who are you? Why have you come to this city? Why help me?" Talion asked them.
"We're here on an important mission. Like was said earlier we're looking for our daughter. I am James Potter, this is my wife Lily. Our close friends Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. A friend of ours in the Western lands sent us here to see if we can't find out if she's here. We helped you because you looked like you could use it, and making ourselves known will help speed along our task." James answered the ranger's question, all the while Lilith listened in from a distance, unseen her focus entirely on them. Even now she was trying to rationalize hearing their voices again. Voices she had only ever heard in brief moments and bare instances. Her mother's voice struck her hardest of all. Echoes of her words from the moments leading up to her death, danced in Lilith's skull. Filling her with sadness and a deep sense of nostalgia, and beneath those things, a slowly growing rage, circling around a particular question.
Why were they here?
"The Western Lands? Do you hail from Eriador?" Talion inquired curiously.
"No, further west, across the sea." Remus clarified, causing Talion to blink in confusion while Celebrimbor's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief.
"You speak of Valinor, of the undying lands. You are human though, how could you have come from there?" Celebrimbor questioned them.
"We were revived there, at the request of an old friend. The powers that be needed our help." Lily answered him.
"Your help… Why?" Celebrimbor asked, wondering what a small troop of humans could possibly offer to the Valar to warrant being revived from the dead.
The group shared glances with one another, obviously uncertain just how much they should reveal.
Seeing their looks, Talion quickly interjected, sensing that they may be more comfortable talking with another resident of the undying lands of the west present.
"Maybe we should take them to the White Wizard. I sense that maybe we can help each other. You came here looking for someone, someone tied to Sauron, and it's wise not to trust so haphazardly, but still Celebrimbor and I have been all over Mordor, mayhaps we've seen or heard something, or will in the future. Our quests may compliment one another, especially if your travels intend to bring you further into Mordor." Talion offered diplomatically.
"The White Wizard? One of the Istari you mean? We were told about them, who they were, though it was unlikely we would meet them in our journeys, though we were asked to keep our ears open for one of the Blue Wizards. Word has it one of the two were sent to investigate something tied to the Dark Lord. The disappearance of something called a Balrog, that those in the West are sure has to do with Sauron and his machinations." Lily spoke, causing Talion to give her a curious look but Celebrimbor's face hardened at that. While Talion had no knowledge of what a Balrog was, Celebrimbor most certainly knew. Celebrimbor was a hardened veteran of the wars against Morgoth. He had fought in many of the great battles of those times, including the Dagor Bragollach, The Fall of Gondolin, the sacking of Nargothrond, and even in the War of Wrath. He most certainly knew what a Balrog was, and knew that if one was now working with Sauron, he had Talion had to proceed with the utmost of care as such a foe was far beyond them.
"You're right. Let us take them to Lord Saruman, and we may speak more there. It's clear that even after all of our time in Mordor, the bigger picture has alluded us." Celebrimbor rationalized.
The sextet agreed to speak with the White Wizard, and Talion began to lead them out of the Arena.
Lilith was quick to depart as well and race back to the fortress where she located Saruman and quickly drew him to a private location.
"What troubles you my lady?" Saruman asked her, noticing how unsettled she was.
"The Ranger and the Elf-Lord are bring some people to speak with you. These people are from my past and they've come looking for me. Play along and find out what they know and who exactly sent them. I have a very bad feeling about all of this." Lilith quickly explained to him, earning a short nod before she vanished from sight, no doubt intending to eavesdrop on the conversation.
Many minutes passed before Talion arrived with the troop of magicals in tow.
They approached Saruman who awaited them with a curious look.
"You find yourself in strange company, these travelers are not from around here." Saruman noted as his eyes passed over the three, immediately taking note of their noteworthy magical powers.
It was as his eyes passed over the woman thought that he spotted something interesting. Her eyes. He had seen them before, but he didn't immediately place it, and was kept from his thoughts as Talion began to speak.
"They arrived at the Arena to aid us in the battle, which was a success by the way. Have we heard from Idril and her scouts about General Castamir?" Talion responded with a question.
"No we have not. It was quite bold of you to place yourselves in the way of such harm. You must have good reason for doing so?" Saruman inquired to the four.
"We do, or well, we have our own reason. Might practically be suicide depending on who you ask." Sirius shrugged at him.
"You are the White Wizard, one of the Istari correct?" Lily questioned him.
"I am. My name is Saruman." Saruman responded.
"Lily. My husband James, our friends Remus and Sirius." Lily introduced them to him.
"You come from Valinor right?" James questioned, earning a blink of surprise from Saruman before he nodded.
"We were sent from there, by an old friend, by your kin to try and find our daughter. We were told about you and your fellow wizards, but that it was unlikely we would run into you. We were asked about a Blue Wizard though, and to keep our ears open for any news on him." James began to explain, earning a bit of further surprise from Saruman.
"They claim one of your fellow Istari was sent to investigate the disappearance of a Balrog, and that Sauron may have something to do with it." Celebrimbor spoke up.
"Yes… Rómestámo the Blue, was dispatched with the servants of Manwë to follow after one of the Balrog as it was felt leaving our world. This was some time ago, and we have yet to hear anything back from him. This Balrog is an incredibly dangerous threat. It is the same one that dwelled in the depths of Khazad-dûm and was awoken when the dwarves delved too greedily into the earth and awoke it. The beast destroyed their kingdom and drove those that remained into exile. It never left Moria though, until the moment it simply vanished." Saruman explained, his words catching Celebrimbor off guard. The Elf-Lord seemed to dwell on that for a moment, remembering his ancient friendship with those very same dwarves. He had been close to them, and to hear that their kingdom had been destroyed by one of the beasts of Morgoth was a heart-wrenching blow.
"It was feared that this Balrog may be trying to establish it's own kingdom in a distant realm, or perhaps another world entirely, and that it may try and find a way to link it's own kingdom to Sauron's allowing the two to unite their forces." Saruman added, as these were the theories of the White Council, all of which were unverified by them, even if he now knew the truth.
"That's worrisome. Just another thing to keep in mind out there." Lily sighed.
"You said you were hoping to get Sauron's attention, hoping to find your daughter? Was she taken by the Dark Lord?" Talion asked them.
"No… she… hmm… It's difficult to explain." Lily responded.
"It's a long story… and not a pleasant one either." Sirius noted.
"Still it may be that we can help." Talion offered in a good-natured way.
The four shared a look and after a few quiet nods, it was James who began explaining.
"We're not from this world. We came from a time before this world even existed. I guess the simplest way to explain the sequence of events is that we died in our world and were brought back in the Undying Lands at the request of an old friend who had also been brought back. This friend, Albus Dumbledore was his name. He was known as the Leader of the Light to us. He was a hero and a mentor to many people, and helped to save us from two Dark Lords who plagued us. He was brought back by the Valar as a reward for his deeds, and over time requested that others be gifted the same opportunity. The thing about Albus was that he always was a big believer in second chances. He believed that people could change, could be redeemed and so he asked for a certain someone to be brought back." James laid it out for them.
"This person was your daughter I'm assuming." Celebrimbor guessed.
"She was. Now… here's the thing… her story is a bit complex. You see… Lily and I were killed when she was only a small child, little more than a baby. Her name was Sofia, and she had a twin brother named Harry. Lily and I were killed by one of the two Dark Lords I mentioned before, a monstrous man by the name of Voldemort. He murdered us, but thanks to a spell that Lily had cast before her death, a ritual was performed that shielded the children preventing Voldemort from harming them. When he tried to, his spell rebounded and destroyed him. What we didn't know at the time was that Voldemort had found a means to escape Death. He had split his soul creating a number of soul anchors that would prevent him from passing on. What no one knew at the moment of his death, not even Voldemort himself was that his soul split again, with a piece of it latching onto our children. Years later and he returns, Harry and Sofia become some of his primary targets, and they're forced to find a way to beat him. They manage it, through great courage, hard work, determination, and unspeakable heroism. They manage it. They even get the Soul fragment out of Harry's body and they think they've killed Voldemort for good. What they didn't know was that there was another fragment, one also bonded to Sofia. When Voldemort was defeated he was too weak to possess her body, or even survive really, but it's assumed his influence his spirit, perverted and warped her soul, turning her twisted and evil just like him, and she eventually rose as a new Dark Lord, leading to another war that carried on until her death. Dumbledore believed that with her death the fragment of Voldemort that had corrupted her was gone, and she would have a real chance to live again and be who she was meant to be. So the powers that be revived her, and even gifted her a new name. Your people… they called her Melkor…" James carried on his explanation, his final works earning confusion from Talion but dumbfounded horror from Celebrimbor. Saruman's mouth fell open and his eyes went wide at hearing that.
"Our daughter was brought back, but… for some reason her soul returned to darkness. She was still corrupted and in the end, became the Dark Lord once more. I understand that she caused unspeakable destruction and brought unimaginable pain to the people of this world. No words can ever convey how sorry I am that it happened. I wish so much we could have protected her from this evil that we could have helped her. We were taken from her at such a young age and circumstances prevented those that loved her from being there for her." Lily added in, her gaze falling as she did.
"You know this woman?" Talion questioned Celebrimbor, reading the wraith's face and the look of horror upon it.
"I do. I fought against her in the first age. You may recognize her as the First Dark Lord, Morgoth. Sauron's ancient master." Celebrimbor said to him, causing surprise to flash across Talion's face as he finally reached the same understanding.
While this occurred, Saruman had to fight not to further gape at their words. Answers were falling into place, and he now recognized what Lily's eyes reminded him of. It was the brief cool moment when Lilith's eyes would transition to the same emerald green. Usually if they were green, they blazed similarly to how her eyes normally did, but at times they would cool and just for a moment, they would be that exact same green. In fact… he had seen that same green in another. Saruman's body almost physically shook as he came to another realization.
The other person who shared Lilith's eyes… it was Sauron.
Everything suddenly fell into place. The reason for the bond between the two. For their love. The sharing of their eyes in moments of serenity… their shared hatred of Eru even… it all made sense to him now. They were twins. This Sofia and Harry Potter.
According to their story Lilith had died and been revived, but Harry had not. That fit in line with what he knew of Sauron who 'walked' out of the abyss and was welcomed by the Ainur. He had come to find his sister. To find his twin. A twin that he had warred with and fought against, a twin that he came to love as a wife. The deepness of their connection, the reason why they had no doubt in each other and treated one another as equals. Despite their power difference, the two recognized one another as siblings, as two halves of the same coin. Twins.
It was the final piece he needed to understand the nature of their relationship, and their influence over one another. At some point Lilith must have regained her memories of their shared past. It's why she treated Sauron as as servant in the first age, but then took him as a lover now. She simply didn't remember what they were to each other, and for some reason Sauron had not told her, or she did not believe him then.
It was obvious to him now that she had regained her memories, she knew all about their shared past.
Another realization also struck him, something that was almost equally as mind blowing. This human, this Albus Dumbledore who had been brought back to life by the Valar, that was a lie, a falsehood. No human had ever been that important to the Ainur, not so much so that they'd be awakened in Valinor and allowed to live with the Ainur and the elves.
Sauron had once said to him that he had known Eru Ilúvatar before he had called himself that name. Saruman was now starting to wonder… could this Albus who Eru was when Sauron knew him? It would explain how Albus' 'request' to revive Lilith led to the creation of the most powerful of the Valar. She hadn't been brought back as a request, she had been revived because as they had said, Albus Dumbledore always believed in 'second chances'. He felt he was on to something, that he was headed in the right direction. He would need to speak with Lilith and Sauron, and determine just how accurate this all was.
If he was right, than not only was Eru directly responsible for unleashing this great evil upon the world, but he did so knowing full well what she was capable of. He allowed his naivete to cloud his judgment and millions lost their lives as a result.
For the first time since choosing to take walk this path, Saruman felt a spark of genuine hatred bloom in his belly towards his creator. The idea that the one who had made him, the god of this world, the being above all other could have possibly started as nothing more than a human man… it nearly shook him to his core.
"If what you are saying is true, than why are you here? Morgoth was banished beyond the Door of Night in chains! She is forever bound and banished." Celebrimbor questioned intently.
"That's what everyone believes. Yet… something about all of this feels off. The powers that be in the west are worried. They've dispatched a troop to go and search the void for her, and if she is still there she'll be taken back to Valinor, however… if their suspicions are right, if she somehow escaped and managed to regain her memories, than our presence here, will draw her out. She'll recognize us, and worst case scenario is she commands Sauron to capture us, best case she come to us herself." Sirius stated.
"And what then? Morgoth is a power beyond any other. Even at her weakest her armies nearly toppled the world, and the final battle broke a continent in half! If she has returned she could wipe us all out with little effort, and that's if she remains in a weakened state. If she has regained her powers, than we will have no chance." Celebrimbor demanded, the nature of this situation escalating beyond the scope of anything he could have feared.
"We have something with us, an artifact. When activated, it will bring her to Valinor, where she will be laid low before the Ainur and we can begin working to draw this evil out of her like a poison. That is of course, if we can find her." Remus answered him.
"You believe she can be saved?" Talion asked.
"She is our child. What parents wouldn't give everything to try and save their child?" Lily answered softly. Her response earned a pensive look from both Talion and Celebrimbor.
"Our travels will lead us further into the land of darkness, but we're committed to facing it." Sirius chimed in.
"They're right. We have to have hope. Even when all seems lost, there's always a chance. So long as we keep on living, I'll continue to believe that." James agreed.
While their words carried hope in them, and showed their resolve, they did little but drive forward the fury of the unseen observer.
In the darkness, unseen to the group sat Lilith, her eyes blazed with fury, as she listened to her parents speak.
"Dumbledore!" Lilith snarled internally with devilish rage. The ancient bastard had finally revealed himself and this was his play? He certainly hadn't lost his conniving streak. Reviving her parents of all things, along with Remus and Sirius, two of the only adults Lilith ever had a positive relationship with, Sirius more so, as Lilith never really got over how Remus nearly got Harry killed during their Third Year at Hogwarts.
Lilith simmered in her anger as she took in their words, recognizing that she nod had to plan accordingly and prepare for intrusions from the West. It seems their actions had finally disrupted things enough to force Eru of his throne of detachment and disassociation.
He was now plotting and unleashing his agents. The fact that the second wave he sent were her own revived parents just burned at the core of her soul.
She clicked her teeth angrily, feeling the need to lash out.
A part of her wanted to reveal herself and openly challenge them right now. She was in no danger when using the Homunculus. Even if they destroyed it, she'd be perfectly fine.
The thought lasted less than an instant when she heard Celebrimbor speak to Talion.
"This changes things Talion! After we secure General Castamir we MUST claim the Palantír and then we need my ring back! The Spider's visions can no longer help us against what may be out there. We need the New Ring!" Celebrimbor declared, filling the room with silence.
A few moments passed, and Lilith guessed that Talion was weighing his options but finally he answered back.
"Yes… if things are this bad, we need to begin moving. Perhaps once Castamir is rescued we should convince him to take his people and flee this place. If Sauron truly has an ally such as this at his side, then there is little that can be done here to stop him, other than getting good men killed." Talion finally offered his agreement.
"Than we should await Idril's return and make our move. Minas Ithil is not long for this world. We must claim the Palantír and then return to Shelob." Celebrimbor said to him.
'A Spider named Shelob has the New Ring… I see. I should alert the Witch King and have some of the Nazgûl go and fetch it." Lilith thought to herself, since Sauron was currently busy trying to reach an 'old friend' and she didn't want to distract him from that so he could get it over with, knowing full well they had bigger worries now. Namely the presence of their long dead family, and how they would turn this plot on it's head. She no longer cared as much about Celebrimbor and Talion, they would be dealt with swiftly so that Lilith and Sauron could focus on this newest insult spewed forth from the manipulative mind of their old Headmaster.
"You want to throw my old family at me, old man? You honestly want to go upturning those ancient graves? Very well… if that's how you wanna play, than that's how we'll play!" Lilith's thoughts darkened as someone entered into the room. It was Idril, and she was in search of Talion. It seems that her attempt to rescue the good general while Talion kept the orcs distracted hadn't gone so well, but it was obvious she didn't intend for that to be the end of it.
Lilith didn't much care. They could have the turncoat back for all she cared. The time had come to face these threats and put an end to them. She would go and give the command to the Witch King to launch the final attack. Minas Ithil would fall before dawn came. Never again would sunlight touch this doomed city.
It's time had finally come.
-To Be Continued-
Alright there's the next chapter for you. Lilith has finally seen her old family, and she is absolutely livid. I wonder how Sauron will take it, let's see what happens next chapter, until then, I hope you all have a great day!