K, here's the next chapter for you guys, hope you all enjoy, and just so you know, I will be drawing from several sources for the LOTR material, including the Shadow of Mordor, and Shadow of War, games, for things like orc captains/warchiefs, a bit on the rings, and certain characters. I'll also be drawing from the movie version of events for both the LOTR and the Hobbit, as I've actually seen those. I will also be taking bits and pieces for the Lord of the Rings Online MMO, which I've recently started playing.
With all that said, I will also have bits and pieces from minor crossover material like Dark Souls, for example, though I might do larger crossovers with other fandoms it I find the story I come up with is strong enough.
So just so everyone is aware, this wont follow canon from any of the mediums to a tee, as I will be trying to adequately blend them together to form a coherent story.
Darkness Reborn
Chapter 9
Aegon stood in silence, as his gaze stretched out over the far south. Come the dawn, the Wildlings would be made to choose their fate. Submission and life, or servitude and death. He had done as Lilith had commanded, and he was eager to report to her about his accomplishment and what he had learned from Janos Slynt about the events occurring down south.
With that in mind, Aegon apparated back to Tantibus Arcis, arriving in the main tower, before his sister's throne, only to find it empty.
He stared at the empty throne for several long moments before he felt her presence above him. He quickly made his way to the top of the tall tower, to find his sister, standing at it's center, staring up at the aurora filled, night sky.
"The Wall has fallen. The Night's Watch have been broken, and the Wildlings have been crushed. All has gone according to plan, master." Aegon reported, earning her gaze.
"I see." Lilith responded, turning her gaze back to the sky, searching it for something.
"What are your orders, my master." Aegon asked, eyeing her curiously, and earning her gaze once more.
"What do you want?" Lilith inquired, surprising him.
"I'm sorry?" Aegon responded.
"What do you want, baby brother? You come here reporting your success and awaiting my instructions. You, who has conquered and dominated for millennia, do not need my guidance in all things, so why are you here?" Lilith clarified.
"You are my master. I would not dare to deem myself capable of advancing outside of your grand design." Aegon responded, earning a look of contempt from Lilith who's glare deepened in response to his lack of a true answer.
"What do you want?" Lilith demanded again.
"I wish to stand by your side, and serve, until the end of days." Aegon responded.
"Liar!" Lilith snapped, her magics lashing out, and causing the world to tremble in response to her growing anger.
Aegon was silent for a moment, before correcting himself. "I wish to stand by your side, and rule with you, together, until the end of days."
"You seek something I once would have offered you so willingly, and yet you only now seek it, after your betrayal was complete?" Lilith growled in response.
"I made a mistake, long ago. I betrayed the woman I loved, because I was afraid of the dark. I feared the shadows, the darkness in you, and the darkness within myself. There is no way to apologize for the things I did to you. All I can do now, is serve as your instrument, in the hopes that you will one day see that my love for you in genuine, and as a dark lord, or as an urchin beneath the stairs, my affections for you haven't changed." Aegon said to her, his gaze soft, and caring, but also filled with sorrow, and regret.
Lilith fumed, anger dancing across her face, as her eyes smoldered. "How am I ever to trust you again? Without trust, there can be no forgiveness. Without trust, how can I ever offer you my heart?"
"I have no answer, other than I will prove my loyalty, for as long as it takes. I do not desire to serve you, I desire to stand by your side, the two of us, working together, as we were always meant to. I will continue to prove myself, until you see what lays within my heart." Aegon answered.
Lilith's eyes continued to bore into him, as she took in his words. She knew she wanted such a thing, she wanted him by her side, she wanted him as a lover, and an equal. She wanted someone she could count on and confide in. She'd been alone for so long, and she knew she needed him. But how does one forgive such betrayal? How does one forgive all of the fighting and pain?
She needed a way to trust him. Until she did, she would never stop doubting him. Until she knew for certain that he was ready to fully offer himself to her, and forsake all others, she couldn't let him in.
With a wave of her hand, a wall of black and blue fire, exploded between them, separating the two.
"Prove your loyalty than. Prove it, baby brother." Lilith commanded as she stepped back, and eyed him intently.
Aegon gazed at the blue and black flames, taking in the sight of the age old spell. Protego Diabolica, a protective spell that would incinerate anyone who passed through the flames, if they intended harm upon the caster, or they were disloyal.
Such a powerful spell was difficult to cast, and even more difficult to maintain, yet it was an effective method of determining one's loyalty as it was quite definitive in whether in hurt you or not. If you intended the caster harm in any way, you were burned to ash, if you didn't fully believe in the caster or their agenda, you were burned to ash. Even if you only partially believed in the caster or their agenda, if you had any doubts, the flames would still cause you excruciating pain, pain so great that the caster would definitely see your reaction, and know of the doubt in your heart, and if you remained in the flames for to long, you would then be turned to ash.
Lilith had her doubts about him. She expected him to step into the flames, and at worst, his new body would be turned to ash, undoing all of his hard work and returning him to a spirit form since the Ring still existed, and at best, she expected him to display a great deal of pain, upon passing through the flames. Either way, Lilith expected her concerns to be validated by this test.
Aegon would show her otherwise. Upon her command, he stepped into the flame, but instead of pushing through to her, he stopped within the blazing inferno and locked eyes with her.
The searing heat, danced across his skin, but it did not burn him. The blaze licked at his flesh, but dealt him no pain. He did not flinch, or wince, or cry aloud, for the flames inflicted no pain upon his body.
He could see the surprise on her face, and while it did hurt to confirm her doubt in him, he was quite proud to know that he had exceeded her expectations, and seeing an opportunity, he advanced through the flames and approached his sister.
Her expression was that of disbelief and confusion, but before she could compose herself or gather her thoughts, he took her face in his hands and kissed her.
The kiss held for several long moments as Lilith was simply left stunned.
After a moment, Aegon felt her push him back, forcefully separating the two, and forcing him to meet her gaze.
The blazing inferno of her eyes was quickly softening, as she brought up a hand to brush her lips. Aegon grinned, a very prideful smirk, as he saw her start to smile, and he refused to hide it when her eyes caught sight of it.
She stared at him for a moment, before pulling him back, her lips, meeting with his.
The two continued to kiss, their lips dancing together, in a rather chaste kiss, that reminded Aegon of how she would kiss before she had regained her memories. It was gentle, soft even, so very unlike the powerful woman she was.
Yet it was wonderful, something Aegon had desired since the moment he began planning the creation of a new body. The chance to kiss her again, to feel her lips, for real.
She separated from him again, this time her look was more pleasant, the orange flame of her eyes, almost fully giving way to the emerald green of her childhood.
She stared at him, a smile forming across her face, "Oh how I have longed to feel your lips upon mine, once more baby brother. The memories of you kiss when I did not have my memories was of little comparison to now."
"I am happy to have pleased you. I do hope you will consider me, the next time you desire such things." He teased her, pressing towards her, gently attempting an embrace, which she accepted.
The two held each other, as they locked eyes, and for the first time in a long while, a peaceful silence held over the dark fortress.
"So, what now?" Aegon inquired.
"Forgiveness can only come with trust… you've been by my side for so long now, and you walked through the flames without any pain. I know I should trust you, for all that you've done for me. In truth, you've spent more time as my servant and faithful ally, than you have my enemy, and yet… the pain of those days, the scars, still feel fresh. I want to heal from that pain. I can only do that by forgiving you. So I will. I'll forgive you for the mistakes of the past, and we will start anew, here and now." Lilith said to him, earning a smile and a nod of agreement.
"I am yours, and you are mine, now and always." Aegon said, his eyes lighting up with passion and commitment.
"I am yours, and you are mine. I like the sound of that. So that is how it shall be." Lilith replied, pulling him into an embrace, which he returned with gusto.
"So… my dearest Aegon, if I am to be your Queen, you should treat me as such." Lilith whispered into his ear, causing him to smile.
"I intend to, my love. I will shower you with affection, and spoil you rotten." Aegon responded to her.
Lilith chuckled again, before a feeling overtook her senses and she pulled free of him, turning her gaze back towards the sky, as she had been doing when he had first arrived.
"What is it?" Aegon asked, following her gaze up to the heavens.
"I feel something… something familiar. Something that shouldn't be here, but it is." Lilith noted, scanning the skies. Finally her eyes fell on a red glow, passing high in the heavens, hidden amongst the aurora the dominated the night sky.
Aegon spotted it as well, a comet, streaking red, hidden by the northern lights. As his gaze focused on it, he too felt something familiar, and just as with Lilith, he knew it didn't belong.
Suddenly a red burst, emanated from the commit, like a stroke of light. From the comet, a dark orange glow broke off, and fell towards the Earth.
Both watched as it fell further and further, falling close to where their fortress resided.
Silence held as they watched it's decent, when suddenly Lilith broke into a smile.
She was quickly gone, her shadow, taken to the skies and heading west, where the falling light would seemingly land.
Aegon was quick to follow her, staying close to her side. He knew what she was thinking, and he suspected she was right, this feeling was far to familiar to be anything else.
The two appear atop of a cliff face, overlooking a vast expanse of frozen wastes. The orange light slammed hard into the ground, before them, shaking the area with it's impact. Flames exploded outwards and high into the sky, as an otherworldly roar pierced the air.
From the crater, a figure of fire and shadow emerged. Stepping up out and gazing around before turning it's gaze to the cliff where they stood.
Wings of shadow formed around the creature as it took flight, moving towards them, as it approached, heat scorched outward, melting the snow and ice nearby.
The being landed before them, dropping to a knee and bowing before Lilith.
"Khulvar… my dear servant, you've returned to me." Lilith greeted the Balrog, her grin never leaving her.
Aegon analyzed the being of shadow as it knelt before Lilith. Even on a knee, it towered over her, despite not being a bestial form.
Much like Dathrag, this Balrog could shapeshift. In the early days, the Balrog often appeared as large, humanoid figures, though by the time of the War of Wrath, they had changed their appearance, becoming more beast-like and vicious, a form more suited to war and fighting.
It seemed this one had returned to it's original form, more than likely to avoid detection while it made it's way here. Aegon's eyes drifted up to the Red comet in the sky, he could feel the magic that radiated from the flying red star, and it was apparent that, those magics held great ties to the void, and possibly connected to it, if the Balrog, Khulvar was able to make it here by using it.
Slowly the Balrog rose it's feet, fire and shadow exploding outward as it assumed it's more bestial form. (Durin's Bane)
No sooner than it had, did Dathrag land beside them, eager to greet his old comrade, both Balrog were quick to roar triumphantly to one another.
"Two of the seven, returned to us." Lilith mused.
"Sadly, I do not think more will come." Aegon said to her.
"We'll just have to see. Perhaps time will reveal others hidden in the deep places of the world. After all, one was hiding here for the longest time." Lilith responded optimistically, earning a smile of agreement from Aegon.
"My master… I have returned to you side once more. What is thy bidding?" Khulvar inquired to her.
"Come, my old friend. I will share with you our plans." Lilith offered, gesturing towards their fortress on the horizon as she turned and began to head in that direction.
"Yes, I do have a bit of information for you as well. One of the reasons I came here to report on my success." Aegon said to her as they began to walk.
Lilith nodded at that, and the four quickly returned to the citadel, where Aegon and Lilith informed the Balrog of their plans, and where they were. Aegon also took the opportunity to report on what he had learned from Janos Slynt in regards to the war down south.
It had only been a year and a half since he had left Winterfell, and yet it seemed the whole world had been flipped on it's head. Unfortunately this was not the first time such a thing had happened, and it wouldn't be the last, such was the chaos of mortals.
Aegon had seen it all his life. No matter how good people had it, someone was always suffering, and eventually, those people would have enough, and rise up to either overthrow or tear down the system.
It was a lesson that had been beaten into him by Lilith during their first war. So many friends turned on friends, so many countries that swallowed themselves in civil wars. Even before he had left the Earth, he had seen time and again that humans, if left to their own devices, will always fight each other. Lilith had proven that by simply showing him how many people chose to fight for her, rather than the supposed 'light' faction.
He was forced to see that not everything was black and white. Good people, innocent people, had chosen to follow Lilith's beliefs for their own reasons, be in protection, ideology, survival, greed. No matter what the situation, there would always people who chose differently.
The worst thing about humans, the absolute worst thing that Aegon despised about them the most, was their inability to forget their pride, in the face of catastrophe. Set a forest on fire, and leave a group of humans to put it out. If you're very lucky, someone amongst the group will organize the rest and come up with a plan to deal with the flames. However, if you aren't lucky, someone in the group wont agree. Even if they force themselves to go along with the rest, because of the majority ruling, the one detractor will still feel insulted and wounded because his or her answer wasn't chosen.
It happened more often than people realized, and it was these detractors who always split the majority, creating new majorities. These new majorities would than challenge other majorities until there was only one left, and then the detractors came around again, and the cycle continued. Everyone wanted to be right, everyone wanted to be on the side of the righteous, everyone was the hero of their own story. And because of their pride, humans would always allow themselves to feel wounded by minor snubs, and they'd often hold onto them, blowing things out of proportions, leaving misery in their hearts.
The best of humanity were those that could accept failure, those that could accept that their way was not the best.
When Lilith was captured by the enemy, Aegon had not slipped into a violent rage and thrown a tantrum, instead he bided his time, and built his own force to challenge the free peoples. When his army scattered at the sight of the golden army of Númenor, he had accepted imprisonment, and did so with such grace that he was able to rise again within their ranks and destroy that once great people from within.
Accepting failure, allowed one to grow, and it was from his failures that some of his greatest accomplishments had sprung forth.
Aegon had long since lost his ability to see a future for people as a whole. When challenged by wondrous goals, they could accomplish amazing things, but in the end, they would go right back to fighting over foolish snubs, or age old grudges that no one alive today had any hand in creating. Sometimes it seemed like people would choose to fight over anything, so long as they didn't have to admit that they were wrong, and after years of dealing with this in his war with Lilith, Aegon had lost his hope in people as a whole.
He knew what they could accomplish, if given the right tools, and the right motivations, he had lived during an age of such wonders, that had little if anything to do with magic. Space flight, electricity, exploring the universe, exploring the oceans, manipulating the atom, all wondrous things that just humanity had managed on it's own, without the need to for magic. He knew that with a guiding hand, they could reach such heights again, and with the aid of magic, and the other races, the things that could be accomplished, would be unimaginable.
Aegon intended to be that guiding hand. With Lilith's lust for creation, his desire for order, and their joined desire for control and dominion, they would bring the chaos of the world to heel. First here in these lands, and then in Arda, and any worlds that came after it.
"As I was departing into the void, I felt magic reaching out to me from somewhere in the east. One of our own was trying to find me, or perhaps, track me." Khulvar offered to Lilith, earning a curious look from her in the process.
"A maiar in the east? One of the Balrog?" Lilith inquired.
"No. Someone else." Khulvar answered.
"One of the Blue Istari. Alatar or Pallando." Aegon stated, his gaze turning to meet with Lilith's.
"The nuisances that were disrupting your forces in the east? They must have sensed the rousing of the Balrog, and sought to learn of it's movements." Lilith surmised.
"What are the chances they find their way here?" Aegon inquired.
"You did." Lilith responded.
Aegon was silent for a moment before he let out a chuckle. "Let us hope our old friends find their way here. If they manage it, that'll be two of the five Istari we can check off our list."
Lilith smirked at that, agreeing with him. If the blue wizards or any of the Ainur came to these lands, Lilith's forces would kill them. And here, so far from their precious Valinor, if killed, their spirits would wonder this world or get lost in the void, forever seeking their home. A dreadful fate for those fallen spirits, but a destined one, should they choose to tread where they are not wanted.
Lilith truly did hope some of the Ainur found their way here, no longer did she fear them or their elven servants. Her power had been restored, and she had freed herself from Eru's control. She had unlocked the constraints on her power, and she would no longer diminish with time, as she was certain Eru, had intended. When she returned to Arda, the Ainur would face the full of her power, and be destroyed, and their elven servants enslaved.
"What are your orders, Lilith?" Aegon asked of her, as their meeting grew silent.
"Aegon, order your Nazgûl to return here, send one through the portal and have it travel to Dol Guldur, to join with the other three there. The remaining five will join us as we march south. Dathrag, you will return to Valyria and take command of the Witch King's duties. Prepare our forces for conquest in the east, upon my orders, you will initiate an attack on the continent, until then, prepare. Khulvar, you will take command of the Far North. Aegon has begun the construction of infrastructure, all throughout the lands beyond the Wall. You will see these tasks to completion and ensure the fortification of our Northernmost realm." Lilith ordered the three of them.
"You intend to come south with me?" Aegon inquired.
"I do. Our ruse will be far more effective if I am by your side. A marriage alliance between the Queen of Fire, Shadow, and Winter, and the Dragon-Wolf. Besides that, I have grown tired of remaining here, and wish for the excitement of travel once more. I will go south with you and aid in your conquest of the kingdoms of Westoros. We will send word to the Mouth, have him command the Black Captains to begin preparing our armies for war. Have the Nazgûl in Arda spread out their spies, order them to begin gathering information on the movements of the Istari. If they are coming here, I want to know about it." Lilith explained to him.
"I will do as you command." Aegon responded with a respectful bow, as did the Balrog. The two mighty beasts, quickly departed leaving Aegon alone with Lilith. "Before we depart, there was something I wished to discuss with you."
"And what would that be, baby brother?" Lilith replied, meeting his gaze.
"A servant, I would like to recall. Given his familial connections to a hated foe of yours, I wished to make you aware of my plans, before going through with them." Aegon explained to her, earning her full attention.
"Go on." She commanded.
"Celebrimbor. The grandson of Fëanor. His spirit resides in the lands of Mordor. Restless and wandering. He is a wraith now, and chooses to remain, most likely out of guilt. He helped me create the rings of power. Were he to be returned to my service, I could use him once again, either to forge further rings, or even to enhance the power of the one's we possess." Aegon informed her, earning a thoughtful look from Lilith.
She was silent for a few moments as she recalled her hated foe. Fëanor had fallen to the Balrog long ago, yet still her hatred for him remained. Binding his grandson into eternal service would be an insult to the elf, that would greatly please her.
"What do you intend to do?" Lilith asked.
"I will order the Black Hand to begin preparing a ritual to bind the elf-wraith into the body of a mortal being. The Black Hand himself should be sufficient. This ritual will allow me to generate an Avatar of my will in Middle Earth. A puppet like being that I can use to direct my forces there, while also binding Celebrimbor to me, through this Avatar, forcing him into my service. The use of a vessel will prevent the elf-wraith from doing me any harm." Aegon explained to her, earning a devilish smirk from his twin.
"Order your servants to begin preparations for this ritual. And… upon it's success, bring the Elf-Lord to me. I want to look into the eyes of Fëanor's grandson as he realizes that I have returned." Lilith ordered.
"I will see it done. It'll be a few years still before such things are properly established, but we have no need to rush. With patience, comes success." Aegon noted, offering a bow before turning to leave.
Before he could depart, a hand caught his arm. He turned back to face Lilith, but was momentarily caught off guard when she pulled him into a kiss.
"Trust starts with forgiveness baby brother. You and I will rebuild that trust, and together we will have our revenge. Our dominion over all of creation, begins now." Lilith whispered to him, moments after they broke contact.
Aegon smirked as the two separated, she was most certainly right. Together they would rule this world, and upon a day, they would return to Arda, and it to would fall before their might.
An hour later, Aegon returned from his meeting with the Mouth of Sauron, delivering his and Lilith's commands to the Mouth.
Aegon then sent word to the Nazgûl in Valyria, ordering the Witch King and his two subordinates to return.
He would soon depart from the Citadel and head back to the Wall. The sun would be rising in an hour or so, and come the dawn he would hear the answer from the Wildlings as to whether or not they'd serve, or be enslaved.
Lilith would return with him, which excited him to no end, and a large force of Ten thousand would march south to join with them, while the remainder of their forces spread out across the far North, establishing further outposts, and constructing new castles, fortresses, and ports.
This army would be led by a giant, one that had been captured nearly two centuries ago.
Aegon grinned maliciously, as he entered into the chamber of the giant lord. This being stood at nearly twenty-five feet tall, standing larger than Graugs, or even other giants here in Westoros. Unlike other giants, who wore thick furs and the like, this giant was clad in armor and chainmail. Upon his chest and back were red hanging cloth, adorned with Aegon's sigil, and across his waist was a knee length red skirt. Covering his head was a chainmail coif and atop his head was a silver crown, adorned with blue jewels. (Yhorm the giant, DS3 color palette swap.)
This giant looked like a kingly knight, though his armor was darkened and twisted.
His flesh was blackened, almost like burned wood, and burning flames could be seen beneath the flesh, almost as if his bones were on fire. Long ago had any hair on the titan's fallen off, and his lips had long since fused together, leaving a burned black face, with glowing red eyes, hidden beneath the chainmail and only visible in good lighting. Without the light, the giant appeared to have no face, only two glowing orbs, for eyes, floating in darkness.
Upon this giant's right hand, adorned on a finger, was one of the seven dwarven Rings of Power. At the moment, Sauron had three of the rings in his possession, the rest having been consumed by dragons, and those dragons were either still alive somewhere, or the rings had been lost along with their bones after they died. The one worn by the giant, was Taurya, the first of the Seven Aegon had managed to retrieve long ago.
Much like his One Ring, all of the rings adjusted to fit snugly upon the finger of the wearer, even if that wearer was a giant.
Two hundred years ago, this giant had been a leader of his people. He'd been captured by Lilith's army when he and three others had scouted north in search of a young missing giant that had been captured a month earlier. This had been nearly two centuries ago.
Eager for a powerful prize, Lilith had given the giant one of the rings, at Aegon's suggestion. The giant did not possess the same resistances that the dwarves had shown, and slowly fell into corruption. Just as the nine rings corrupted men, so to did this ring corrupt the giant. Soon the giant fell under Lilith's command and for two centuries it had served her, and she had prepared it to lead armies during war.
She did so, by using an ability that all of the Rings of Power possessed. An ability not even Celebrimbor knew about. Only Sauron was aware of this secret feature of the rings.
Each ring was bound to a single entity, and after a time, the bind became unbreakable. If someone took a ring from one of the Nazgûl, and put it on, the wraith that was bound to the ring would possess the wearer. Taking his memories, and abilities, and adding them to the wraith's own.
This process took time, as the new wearer would need to be corrupted and if they had a strong will, this could take years, but at the end, they would become fully consumed by the Ringwraith. This process could become a double-edged sword, if the person who claimed the ring, was particularly clumsy, cowardly, or generally poorly skilled.
For example, say a great warrior bested one of the Nine in battle and stole their ring. He put it on, and over the course of years, the wraith he bested would come to possess him, body and soul. If he were a great swordsmen, the wraith would gain those skills, if he was a great sorcerer, the wraith would learn those magics. But… if say the great warrior fell in battle with the wraith, and some lowly peasant happened upon the ring, and put it on, he too would be possessed. But if he was craven, or if he was clumsy, or if he was weak, the wraith would in turn, be weakened.
So despite this benefit, such new hosts had to be chosen carefully, to continuously expand the power of the Nazgûl. At the current moment, the Nine were comprised of over a hundred souls. The Witch King held the most, at sixteen different hosts, all of whom were individuals that had been captured, and forced to wear the ring, so that the chief of the Nine could steal their powers. He was only one of two that had never lost his ring in battle before.
Another side effect was that the wraith would gain a few personality traits of it's new host, becoming more aggressive, more patient, more insightful, or prideful, depending on the host, which is why cowards and cravens were to never come into possession of the rings, to avoid weakening the Nine, which had happened in the past.
It was for this very reason that Sauron often kept the nine rings away from the Nazgûl whenever they left his presence. Despite the fact that they were more powerful with their rings, if they lost them to fools, or cowards, than that would weaken them in the long run, and there was also the possibility that the elves or men would learn about this feature of the rings.
As far as anyone was aware, the Nine were only nine kings, and that was that. If they knew that the rings had such power, they would be far more concerned and would begin working to counter such affects.
It was for that very reason that great figures like Isildur had come into his service. The soul of the one who had cut the One Ring from his finger, now resided within one of the Nazgûl. Such a horrifying reveal was best kept until the proper moment, so as to drive greater despair and horror into the hearts of men. For now, it was best they only knew of the Nazgûl as nine kings of men.
The newest of the Ringwraiths, this great giant lord was comprised of five different giants, including the original. He had been turned, and then, one by one, his captured brethren were forced to wear the ring, becoming corrupted and possessed by the one who had once led them.
The Orcs had named him Hokur Tiavan, or Iron Titan in the Black Speech. A name that he had long since accepted as he fell under Lilith's and Sauron's Control.
He often marched into battle, armed with a great machete, that held a notch near the end which allowed for two-handed slam attacks. The great giant fought in the manner of a berserker, and with his armor, weapon and the power of the one of the great rings, he was near unstoppable in battle.
Lilith had tested his might against two Graug at once. The giant beheaded one with his machete and crushed the other one's skull after forcing it to the ground.
His newest body had yet to vanish into the wraith world, yet in little more than a year, he would don the black cloak of the Nazgûl, and be fully one of them once more.
The giant was naturally fearless, the only ones he listened to were the Witch King, the Balrog, Sauron, and Lilith.
It was time now to unleash this great monster upon Westoros. The kingdoms of men would suffer before the newest of the Ringwraiths.
"It is time. You will lead a force south to join with my army. And I will have you lead the vanguard against our foes in the south. Prepare for the march, I expect your forces to join with mine, at the earliest opportunity." Aegon commanded, earning a haunting bellow from the great beast.
It dropped to a knee, and bowed before Aegon's command, earning a cruel smile from the Dark Lord in the process.
Within an hour, Aegon and Lilith were back on the Wall, the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon and bathe the land in golden light.
Lilith was greatly intrigued to look down upon the massive mounds of corpses Aegon's forces had collected outside of the camp where the Wildlings were being held, she looked to Aegon, curious as to why he hadn't had them raised as wights yet.
"Sixty thousand Wildlings perished in the attack. Thirty-six thousand remain alive. With so many so recently dead, I wanted to offer the killing fields to you. We could raise this army together, my dearest Queen, and use it to our benefit, or we could use all of the death and destruction for other purposes. I wished to consult with you before I made a choice on how to deal with them." Aegon explained earning a smirk from Lilith as she gazed out over the mounds of corpses.
Sixty thousand dead. Such would be a near unstoppable army of wights, that could easily wash over Westoros, and cause great damage to their foes in Arda.
Or such death could be harvested for drawing forth great evils into the world. Devils, demons, monsters of terrible wrath that would serve Lilith as they had done in the dark days before the Second Age.
This would definitely take some thought. Much could be done with the power of such death, bringing them all back as wights was a useful way about it, but it wasn't the only path.
"Oh what a wonderful gift. I do look forward to putting it to good use." Lilith hummed with amusement, earning a smirk from Aegon.
A short while later, Aegon, Lilith, and a small army of warchiefs stood before the King beyond the Wall, and his Wildling chieftains.
"I will have your answer now. Submit to my rule, or you will be broken." Aegon commanded.
"Your army has been butchering my people for decades. Now you stand there demanding our obedience. The Free Folk don't kneel. We are not Southron whores, or caged dogs. We're free. And we'll die free." Mance responded, earning many voices of agreement. There was little in the way of confidence behind these voices. Many of them seemingly showing a front, refusing to allow their terror to be their undoing.
They were fools. Fear danced across their faces. They were beaten and near broken. This act of defiance was a way of trying to preserve their culture, their way of life.
Aegon stared down at the tribal leaders, his gaze cool, and filled with disinterest.
"Very well, Mance Rayder. I gave you the chance to save your people. Let us see how long pride lasts, in the face of suffering." Aegon stated, motioning towards a nearby Oleg Warchief.
The warchief grinned viciously and stepped forward, approaching the Wildling troop.
They were set on the edge of the camp that housed all of the survivors, so the entirety of their people could hear what was about to happen.
"This is no longer a choice for you. You will bow, and it will either be willingly, or it will be by force." Aegon stated, as the Oleg motioned for some of his subordinates to drag a Wildling man from the crowd and pull him up in front of Mance and his company.
The man was thrown before the Oleg warchief, earning a vicious grin from the troll.
Quickly the warchief seized the man, one hand on his shoulder and the other on his forearm. With the rest of the Wildlings watching and listening the oleg began to twist the man's arm off.
His screams tore through the crowd, and continued for many minutes. Crunching, tearing, and twisting until finally the arm ripped free.
Those in the crowd cowered and turned away as they took in the horror.
The oleg grinned and tossed the arm to some nearby orcs who quickly began to devour it. He then placed his foot upon the man's chest and slowly pressed his weight down, crushing him over many long moments.
His death finally came as the oleg's weight collapsed the man's ribcage.
"Next!" The chieftain ordered, and another was dragged from the crowd, this one a woman. A man quickly rushed to her aid, trying to stop the orcs, he was quickly seized and forced to the ground by a large Uruk.
His begging began to fill the air as the terrified woman was thrown before the Oleg.
The Oleg quickly took her hands in his massive palms and lifted her into the air. While holding her aloft he began to crush her hands, causing her to shriek in agony.
"Anyone who submits, will be offered the chance to serve the Dark Lord! Everyone else, will die!" The Oleg roared into the woman's face, as the sound of her bones crunching filled the air, and seemed to spread deep into the crowd.
"My army… have fun with them… put the children in chains, and the rest you are free to torture. Do not stop until every last one of them is dead, or broken." Aegon commanded, his voice seemingly carrying out over his whole army, spreading to all of the people throughout the wildling encampment.
The look on the wildling chieftains' faces, as well as Mance Rayder, filled Aegon and Lilith with such malicious glee. It was obvious that they had not anticipated that Aegon would go through with his threat, nor did they anticipate that he was going to literally torture every single person, until the rest submitted.
"You can save them right now..." Aegon's voiced to the Wildling leaders.
Quickly screams began to spread out across the wildling camp as men and women were dragged away from the rest to be tortured slowly and painfully. Children were snatched from their parents and tossed into iron cages like animals.
It did not take long before men and women were throwing themselves to their knees, begging for mercy from their captors.
The Wildling leaders could see it, the spirit of their people breaking into pieces before their eyes. Hundreds were submitting in rapid succession, to spare themselves, to protect their children, for whatever reason, their pride didn't hold out for long.
"Alright! Please stop this!" One of the Wildling leaders came forth.
She looked to Aegon desperately, and slowly dropped to a knee. "Please. We are a proud people, and we're stubborn. But none of us want to die. Those of mine will follow you." She offered, desperate to stop what was happening.
"Proud and foolish. As I said before, I don't care about your people, or your culture. I wont allow the free folk to do as they please in the lands that I have conquered. You will submit or you will die. I will accept nothing less. I will accept your service, chieftess. But you are not their king. If your followers refuse to submit, they will suffer nonetheless." Aegon responded, earning a fearful look from the woman as she turned her gaze back towards the crowd of other wildling leaders.
"What are you waiting for?! He's going to torture us all and steal our babes. We fought and we lost, we have to survive now, however we can. Fuck our ancestors, fuck our traditions, none of it will matter if we're all dead!" The woman yelled at her companions, earning a sorrowful look from Mance, as many turned their gazes to him, looking for guidance.
"I warned you, that you would not get a better offer. This suffering is on each and every one of you. You could have saved them, saved your friends, your followers, your children. Every moment of indecision in more suffering for them. True leaders do not allow pride to destroy their people. Kneel, or you will be made to watch as every last member of your people are killed or enslaved, and before you die, you will know that it was all due to your weakness." Aegon said to them, his voice gentle, and filled with patience. He was so calm, stoic even, in the face of the chaos.
"Fuck it." A wildling chieftain swore as he dropped to a knee.
Mance could only let out a sigh and slowly nod, as members of his group began to drop to their knees.
Slowly, this continued until every last Wildling chieftain was on their knees, leaving only Mance Rayder left standing.
Aegon stared at the man for a long moment, and Mance stared back, eyeing each other man to man. A small smirk found it's way to Aegon's lips as he stepped forward, his image almost seeming to shift as he did.
Something about Aegon changed in that moment, despite remaining the same, he no longer appeared human. Like an aura, his presence expanded outward making the King beyond the Wall feel tiny, like an insect staring at a giant.
Aegon's shadow grew darker, almost seeming to come alive, as it spread out and up the Wall behind him, darkening the area and pushing back the light of day.
Mance dropped to his knees, shaking with terror, while Aegon released his grip on the man, and let out a chuckle.
"You've all made a very wise choice. I accept your submission, and hereby name you my subjects. From the New Gift to the Wall, those lands are now yours. As former king of your people, I grant you lordship over them. You will obey my laws, pay my taxes, and offer tribute when it is demanded. You will answer to the Lord on the Wall for the foreseeable future. This individual will ensure peace and security within your lands, as you establish yourselves. Go forward now, my newest subjects, and live in peace. Never forget this moment, and to whom you've knelt." Aegon commanded to the Wildlings.
A few moments of silence passed as Aegon stared down at them, finally he spoke again, "As your first offering of tribute, to show me your allegiance is valid I would demand four hundred of your best fighters to join my ranks. You have three days to assemble this force within Castle Black. See it done, Lord Rayder." Aegon ordered, before turning alongside Lilith as the two headed away, leaving the Wildlings to collect themselves, and recuperate from what just happened.
"See them let through the Wall. Have camps set up for them, and make sure they understand that I will not accept dissidence or desertion amongst my people. Those that flee from their duties will be hunted down and killed." Aegon ordered the Oleg warchief, earning a nod of understanding from the Troll.
Aegon and Lilith quickly headed back up to the top of the Wall, their sights now set on the South.
"So now we march south. This will be fun." Lilith noted with a smirk.
"We'll head for Winterfell first. If Robb Stark and the Northern armies are down south, we can easily take the castle, and an alliance with the acting Lord of Winterfell, which will most likely be Bran Stark. With the boy's cooperation we'll be able to seized the North and gain passage through the Neck without much difficulty. I have no doubt Robb will bend the knee to me, once he sees the might of the force at my back. With Robb's army, added to our own, we will begin our domination of the rest of Westoros." Aegon responded.
"Well then. While we wait for our forces to gather here, I'm going to begin working on a plan for all those souls. I can do a lot with sixty thousand dead men. And a wonderful idea is forming in my mind." Lilith offered.
"Oh?" Aegon inquired, turning his gaze towards her.
"You'll need to use the Resurrection Stone. I want to see if it's possible to recall our old friend Gothmog, back from the dead." Lilith responded, earning a devilish grin from Aegon.
Now that would be an ally worth having. The lord of the Balrog, alive again. Perhaps sixty thousand would be enough to call forth his soul from the abyss and allow him to reform. With the aid of the Resurrection Stone, well… they were just going to have to see.
For now, it was time to put the final pieces in place. The North would fall easily, but once it was taken, the true wars would begin. First Westoros, then Essos, and finally the entirety of the world. All would be swallowed by shadow, and fall under the dominion of Darkness.
-To Be Continued-
Here you guys go, I hope you all enjoy. Taking parts from lotr, hobbit, Lotro, Middle Earth: and Silmarillion. Let me know if you have any questions, or comments. Until next time!