Alright guys, here's the next chapter, hope everyone is having a great time, and I'm happy I finally got this out. Please enjoy.
Darkness Reborn
Chapter 35: Flickers of Light
-Minas Ithil-
The sun was setting. It would be the last time the sunlight would touch Minas Ithil. Lilith watched from a distance as Idril explained to Talion, Saruman, and her old family, how their attempt to attack the orc camp and rescue General Castamere had failed, but that she was insistent they try again, perhaps using a much more stealthy approach.
Talion agreed to aid her in this task, and the two left to go and rescue the general. Lilith saw no point in stopping them. Either they succeeded and returned with the general to this doomed place, or they failed, and still returned. Either way, they'd be here when the curtain fell on this city.
Her parents, Remus and Sirius spent several long minutes speaking with Saruman about what he knew of Mordor and what they could expect when venturing into those dark and twisted lands.
Saruman offered them what he knew, though he was careful not to scare them away from making such an attempt. While he did not know what Lilith planned to do with them, he suspected she would want them close, so encouraging them to enter Mordor made sense to him.
Their discussions were brief, as Saruman was looking for the opportunity to step away, though he tried to do so without drawing attention to the act.
Eventually he managed it, leaving the four to their own discussion. He found his way to where Lilith was hiding and the two moved away from the troop of resurrected individuals so that they could talk.
He immediately took note of the change in her. The presence of these individuals had shaken the Dark Lady out of her typical smooth confidence. Her dark allure, and mystique gave way to apparent anger, and agitation. Her face contorted with a sneer as she clicked her teeth, and her eyes darted about. It was the clearest expression of human rage he'd ever seen in her, confirming beyond any shadow of a doubt what he'd learned. She had once been human, long before she was Melkor, in truth before she was Lilith too, back when she was this Sofia Potter.
"So, any reaction to meeting my parents?" Lilith inquired, when she took note of the analytical gaze he was casting her way.
"Surprise for sure. Aside from that, I have not known them, or of them for long enough to form an opinion. I will ask though, if my suspicion is true." Saruman spoke in return.
"And what suspicion would that be?" Lilith inquired as she sat down, to stop herself from beginning to pace like Sauron would. Pacing was actually something they shared when they were agitated, but Lilith had a certain aloofness to her, that kept her from doing so, when she was mildly agitated. Sauron lacked that specific trait, so he simply paced from the word go. Pacing was something the two of them had always done, and it took a great deal of effort for her to break that habit, yet even after all this time she still felt herself start to do it, when she grew agitated.
"Lord Sauron… he is your brother." Saruman stated. Though it had intended to be question, it came out as a statement.
Lilith blinked at him, surprise appearing on her face.
"How did you know?" She asked him.
"I put the pieces together. Lord Sauron came to us from the Void. He befriended you and stayed by your side when you turned on us. He remained loyal through everything, up until the moment of your return. When I see you two together, there is a powerful bond, one that seemingly transcends just a romantic relationship, or even a bond of camaraderie. And of course, there is your eyes. I see it more often in Lord Sauron, but I have seen the same green eyes in you, that I saw just now in your mother. He is your brother, your twin. You shared a womb together, grew up together, and apparently faced quite the ordeal together, before splintering apart. Lord Sauron spoke of a hatred for our creator, that he had known him before he called himself by his current name. He was the one they spoke of, this teacher of yours. Lord Sauron hates him, for the events of that past, though it seems they were allies then, at least sharing common cause. You fought each other in that era, in that time before our time?" Saruman explained himself, finishing with a question of his own.
"You are most wise, my lord Saruman. Yes… Sauron was… is my twin brother. And yes… we fought in that era. The old man, we don't speak his name. Sauron feared that an ancient and powerful spell, known as a Taboo had been placed on his name, so that he'd be alerted it if were ever spoken. No doubt a fail-safe to alert him if I ever regained my memories, as I'd be the only person to know that name. With them around I guess it isn't so dangerous to vocalize it, but I probably wont, just in case. Still, Sauron… Harry as he was known then, he always believed in the nature of the Light, he wanted to be great, to be noble. Due to our mother's sacrifice, that saved our lives, Harry was given the title, the 'Boy-Who-Lived'. He was a hero, but he never felt like one. He searched, all his life, for a means of being worthy of that title, of being worthy of our mother's sacrifice. We fought together against the Dark Lord, and we worked together to beat him. We triumphed together, but he had grown weary of the dark, and was terrified of seeing it rise in me. He was manipulated by the old man, into handing me over for a ritual that would 'free me' of that dark influence. All it did was make me terribly sick, and take away my ability to have children in that human body. I was naturally enraged, I felt betrayed, and heartbroken. Harry was my everything, and I loved him, loved him far more than a sister should and I felt… no… I knew he loved me back. As wrong as our love was, it made me feel so right. His betrayal broke something in me, and it led me down a dark path. I embraced the darkness within me, and unleashed it, bit by bit, upon the world. Soon I would rise as the new Dark Lord, and Harry would stand against me. We fought for a long time and eventually I lost the will to keep fighting him. Our final battle came and I allowed Harry to strike me down. No sooner did I breathe my last breath, that the old man enacted his plan. He used our war to hide his actions, and at the moment of my death, he unleashed a power that shattered our world to pieces. All life was extinguished leaving behind nothing but a gray, near lifeless waste. Harry was left alone in that hellish place, alone… for countless years. He was left broken, having realized at the moment of the Old Man's victory that I had been right from the very beginning. That he had been used, manipulated, and in the end, betrayed, cast aside at the moment of the Old Man's victory. Harry wandered that dark, lonely world for a long time until he felt my rebirth as Melkor. Our connection as twins had never fully broken, and he knew in that moment he had to find me again, and make up for all that he had done." Lilith offered her story to the White Wizard. It was a simple retelling, yet Saruman listened with rapt attention.
"How did Eru not recognize his old student?" Saruman inquired.
"I'm not sure. I mean… when he appeared out of the void he didn't appear as the brother I once knew. I remember him being this figure, this angelic thing, draped in silver gold armor, that had been ruined and sullied by years of neglect and abuse. He wore a tattered hood, that hid a shadow beneath it. Like a living shadow. I vividly recall the tendrils of light that flowed off of his back… Wow… honestly… I haven't thought of the first time I saw him again in so long… I'd forgotten. He really did look like an angel." Lilith began to answer but was drawn into a memory. It was so long ago, but she had been present when Sauron, then an unknown, unnamed entity, had walked out of the void, to greet them. She hadn't thought about it in such a long time, that her original curiosity around his appearance returned to her. Why had he looked like that? Why had he appeared like an angel? Why did she associate his appearance with that of an angel? The answers didn't immediately appear, and she recalled now how she had never asked him about his appearance. She remembered Eru's reaction though, his amazement, and welcoming acceptance to this unknown figure that set all of their minds at ease. It was almost like Eru recognized him, or perhaps he saw in him, the same thing that Lilith did, he saw an angel.
"He only appeared this way for a few brief days upon his arrival, before reshaping into something more like the Maiar. He quickly befriended Aulë, and became his student. I remember just how quickly he excelled under Aulë's tutelage. It was like he was already a master smith before coming to us. I grew curious about him, so I approached him, and we took to each other. I knew there was a connection between us, but I never understood it fully until much later. My brother hid himself well. Honestly… looking back… the person who walked out of the void, and the one who defeated me in our first lives… were like two completely different people. I know a great deal of time had passed between my first death and my revival at Eru's hands, but I never knew just how much. A thousand years? Ten thousand? How long had he been forced to walk on that barren world, and why did he appear to us, as that strange angelic being? What did Eru see when he looked at him that made him so accepting and eager to allow into our midst? Honestly… I don't know, but I intend to find out. I need to find out. It's been so long and I was ignorant at the time, but now that I turn my mind towards the past, a great many secrets I find there." Lilith continued on, growing thoughtful, and distant for a moment.
"Do you believe Lord Sauron may be hiding something from you?" Saruman questioned, uncertain if that was the feeling he was getting from her.
"No… at least, not in the way you are suggesting. I wonder if perhaps he simply does not remember, as I did. The past is a powerful influence on us, but some things must be forgotten in order for us to move on in our lives. During our war with one another we did terrible things to each other, took more from one another than you could imagine. There is no greater pain than that which is inflicted by the one you love most. Despite how hard he tried to resist his feelings for me, my brother never stopped loving me, and each wound we inflicted on each other, hurt more than the last. So I don't think he'd intentionally keeping things from me, I wonder if perhaps he just forgot them, or never felt the need to bring them up, as other things were more important. I don't know, but I will speak with him about it, and see what he has to say. For now, we have this problem to deal with." Lilith answered him, earning a slow nod of understanding from the White Wizard as she expressed her belief.
"How do you wish to handle this?" Saruman asked her.
"Let us focus on Minas Ithil for now. Once the city is ours, we can drive the ranger and the elf, along with my lost family into Mordor and deal with them there. The attack is too near, no point in disrupting plans when everything is so close to starting." Lilith answered, rising back to her feet as she did.
"As you wish, my lady." Saruman offered his agreement.
Lilith was quick to slip away after that, returning to her hiding to observe her family from a distance while she waited for the attack to commence.
A few short hours passed when Talion, Idril, and General Castamere returned to the city. It seems the rescue attempt had done very well, not that it mattered.
Talion was quick to depart, though he returned a short while later, just as the army of orcs finished marshaling before the gates of the inner city.
Lilith remained out of sight as Saruman stood watch as the ranger began to move.
"Welcome back." Sirius greeted him.
"Have you seen General Castamere?" Talion questioned him, concern echoing in his voice.
"Not for a while." Sirius responded, sharing a glance with James.
Talion continued moving, stopping to talk with another Gondorian soldier, who was just as curious to find the general, apparently he hadn't been seen in a couple of hours, his last order being to remove the archers from the walls and hold them in reserve.
With walls clear, the final attack commenced.
The sky darkened, and a great tremor passed through the world.
A monstrous roar filled the air, and out of the darkness, came Umbra, and upon his back, was the Witch-King of Angmar.
A short blast of fire, washed through the defensive gate, burning away wood, and liquefying metal.
Talion himself was nearly swallowed in the torrent of flame, only able to pull away of the men he was speaking to, to avoid the incoming attack.
The sight of the massive dragon cause immediate panic and terror to wash through the defenders.
Lilith watched as the dragon circled the inner city twice before landing upon the burning gatehouse.
The roar of the orc army, was nearly deafening as they began to surge forward, only held back by the still burning flames, but the moment they cleared, they would swarm inside and murder all who yet remained in the city.
With the gatehouse open, the Witch-King vanished from the back of the dragon, flying through the air as a wisp of smoke, headed straight into the main citadel.
"The city is lost! Save your people!" Talion shouted to the Gondorian soldiers as he made a run for the inner citadel.
He slowed as he passed Saruman, who strode forward towards the growling form of Umbra, making a show of preparing to face the Dragon.
"Go, I will keep it's attention here." Saruman said to him, as he passed by him.
"We can help." James offered, as his wife and two friends moved to join Saruman.
"No… help them. There are paths that lead out of the city. Use them to get clear. If what you told me is true, than your destiny lies beyond this place. Go now. I will be fine." Saruman said to them.
The four seemed hesitant, the growls of the dragon, and the growing sound of the encroaching orc army doing little to convince them to abandon the White Wizard to his fate.
"You must find the truth about your daughter. Go now… and seek the answer. I will see you all again." Saruman declared, his voice echoing with command that filled them with a degree of confidence.
"Alright… what about you?" Sirius turned his gaze towards Talion.
"I must see to the Palantír. Help the Gondorians to safety and then make for Mordor. We will find each other there and I will do what I can to help you. Go now though, before it's too late!" Talion said to them, as he turned and continued on towards the citadel.
The four shared a look with one another, but conceded that this battle was beyond them. They quickly joined the Gondorians in fleeing.
Lilith felt herself smirking as she watched this all happen from high above. A part of her wanted to follow after her parents, to keep a close eye on them, but she kept her focus on Talion and Celebrimbor. As had just been said, the plan for her lost family was to get out of the city and link up with the ranger and wraith in Mordor. If they captured the two of them here, then they could lure her family in when the time was right.
She allowed them to go, helping civilians to escape, and turned her attention to the interior of the citadel where General Castamir was kneeling before the Witch-King as a procession of five of the other Nazgûl stood guard, two keeping Talion at bay, while one stood before Idril.
"You will keep to our deal, the Palantír, for my daughter's freedom." Castamir said to the Lord of the Nine as he offered up the Palantír.
The Witch-King took the crystal ball, examining it for a brief moment, as he turned his back to the general.
"She is free to die with her people." The Witch-King declared before turning to hammed the general's body across the room with a single swing of his ghostly mace.
The original intention was to use General Castamir as an agent, to send him back to Gondor and spy on it from the inside, but with Lilith's growing frustration over this situation, she had simply chosen to scrap that idea, as she knew there focus would be turning inward as they dealt with Talion, Celebrimbor and her lost family.
The general died instantly, even before his broken body struck the bottom of the steps leading out of the chamber.
Idril shrieked out for her father and ran to his side. When she saw the life, clearly absent from him, she let loose a blood-curdling scream.
Slowly, Talion repositioned to her side, and caught her as she turned to charge at the Nazgûl and the departing Witch-King.
Talion stopped her, and told her to go, sending away the Gondorian shield-maiden while he and the wraith moved to face the five remaining members of the Nine.
The battle was intense, with Talion managing to stay alive as the Nazgûl fought not to kill, but to maim. With the help of Celebrimbor they were able to momentarily scatter their assailants and rush outside to face the Witch-King and try to reclaim the Palantír. Lilith followed from a distance, intent on witnessing the ranger's capture, as well as the capture of the elf-lord, which would complete their goals for coming here, and allow her and Sauron to focus on their family.
Talion attempted to charge the Lord of the Nine, but the chieftain of the Nazgûl unleashed a blast of vile energy that held Talion in his grip, forcing him to his knees and preventing any aid from Celebrimbor.
The Witch-King held him there, approaching the kneeling ranger, and placing a hand upon his face.
"Submit to your destiny!" The Witch-King commanded, the Nazgûl appearing at his flanks. He began filling Talion with corruptive energies and attempting to break his will. Talion could do nothing as his eyes began to bleed a fiery orange.
Lilith watched with a cruel smile, only for something to leap down from above.
The Witch-King saw it, at the same time, pulling away from Talion as someone fell between them, slashing at him with a short blade.
"Get up ranger!" A woman shouted, an elf woman.
"Bring him to me." The Witch-King commanded the troop of Nazgûl who quickly advanced on the woman.
They attacked her, five of the Nazgûl, yet much like Talion and Celebrimbor she was momentarily able to hold them off, but when it looked like she was set to be overwhelmed she called forth a powerful light from her hand.
The light was blinding and it physically pushed back the Nazgûl. Lilith recognized the light, she recalled it's power, and presence through Sauron's avatar when it fought against the elf Galadriel.
The light took the form of a dome of energy around the elf, and the Nazgûl circled her, probing the field for weaknesses. They could still pass through it, yet their powers were greatly diminished if they entered the field.
"You will not claim him today." The elf declared, turning and driving one of her blades in Talion's heart, killing him, and causing his body to begin to fade away, no doubt to be revived somewhere else. The elven warrior than rushed to a nearby edge and leaped off of it, escaping the Nazgûl who did no pursue her.
"That was the lady Galadriel's power." Came the voice of Saruman as he appeared by Lilith's side.
"That it was. Who was she?" Lilith asked.
"I do not know. I have never seen her before." Saruman admitted.
"Another mystery to add to the mix." Lilith hummed, moving to follow beside the Witch-King as he returned to the inside of the citadel, to place the Palantír at a focal point within the main chamber.
As he did, the remainder of the nine joined them, and with all Nine Nazgûl present, they unleashed the full might of their evil powers, allowing their corruptive strength to wash through Minas Ithil, and begin the pollute it.
With the Palantír secured, the Witch-King turned to face Lilith's homunculus and knelt before her.
"The Palantír is secure. Minas Ithil has fallen." The Witch-King declared.
"The city of Isildur, after so many thousands of years… you have done well. This city, is now Minas Morgul, and it is yours. Now that we have it, Gondor's influence over Mordor has been removed. The time has now come to acquire Celebrimbor's ring. It is in the hands of the Spider, Shelob. Send the Nazgûl to reclaim it." Lilith commanded.
"It will be done." The Witch-King complied.
Lilith allowed herself to smirk, she then turned her gaze over to the Palantír, one of Faenor's old seeing stones. Her smirk grew more predatory as she gazed upon it. She let out a small chuckle before turning to depart, followed closely by Saruman.
"Our victory here will send ripples throughout Middle-Earth." Saruman declared.
"It will, of that I have no doubt. Now that we have another Palantír, I believe the time has come for you, Lord Saruman to return to Orthanc. The orcs and goblins of the Misty Mountain, and those from Dol Guldur will come to you in Isengard. There you will prepare it as a focal point of our power, and prepare for war. You will lead our forces in the war against the Men of Rohan. We will ensure that the Men of the West are weakened, and when the time comes to begin our assault we will be in a position to strike at them from where they least expect. Move with caution my Lord Saruman, do not allow the enemy to know of your betrayal until you are ready. We will deal with the remaining threats here in Mordor, and remain in contact with you, through the Palantír. Keep us apprised of your actions, and do let us know if you require any aid." Lilith instructed the White Wizard, earning a deep bow from him.
"It will be done, my lady. Such a task may take decades before preparations are complete." Saruman noted.
"Yes, you needn't concern yourself with time. We do not intend to initiate our assault on Middle-Earth until the moment is right. Not until Sauron's secret plan is set into action." Lilith acknowledged, her words earning a curious look from the White Wizard, earning another smirk from Lilith.
"Far off, in a distant land, there stands a hobbit, and in his possession is a false Ring of Power, one that bares a reflection to the One Ring. This ring is a trap, set forth by Sauron. Anyone who attempts to call upon the Ring's deeper power will be transported to Barad-Dur. It is Sauron's hope though, that when we are ready, we can reveal the False Ring to our enemy and convince them that they have found the One. In doing so they will either grant it to a champion of the West, who will attempt to use it, and be brought to us, stealing away one of their greatest heroes, or they may attempt to mass an army behind the presence of the One, drawing all of our enemies together. Elves, dwarves, men. Bringing them all to a single field of battle, a single army, that we can then crush with overwhelming force. The might of dragons, balrogs, the undead, orcs, and men, and beasts washing over this final alliance, seeing them defeated outright, and on our terms. Either the False Ring will steal away a champion of theirs, or it will unite them under a lie, and may embolden them to act how we wish them too." Lilith explained the nature of their secret plan to him.
Saruman felt a cruel smile touch at his lips. It had all been planned out so well. Already his masters had in place a plot that would see the West crippled by the loss of a powerful leader, or if things went even better, the enemy would unite behind the power of the False Ring, to march upon Mordor as they did so long ago, putting them all in danger, and granting them the chance to cripple them all in a single battle.
It was truly brilliant. He'd have to ensure he was ready to capitalize on such a plot and push it towards the latter, when the time came. Doing so would pave the road for an easy victory.
"Astounding foresight, my lady. Lord Sauron truly is a master manipulator. As you have commanded, I will return to Orthanc and prepare Isengard in secret for war. I will have the orcs work to build a great underground bastion from which we can marshal an army of thousands to make war on the surrounding peoples. Rohan and Eriador are obvious targets, though in time, Isengard may aid the orcs of Dol Guldur, the goblins of the Misty Mountains, the Gundabad orcs, and even forces of the east in destroying the dwarves and elves in the north." Saruman declared, anticipation dancing in his gaze.
"You will no doubt be aided by Angmar as well, do not forget. Even now, the chief servant of the Witch-King, the great Cargûl Mordirith has begun to rebuild the Northern Kingdom in secret, and prepares to rouse Thaurlach from his slumber." Lilith pointed out.
"Yes, I will work diligently to make contact with the wraith-lord and aid him in that particular endeavor. The return of yet another of the mighty Balrog will further aid our cause, bringing the total to four." Saruman agreed heartily.
"I may also have a means of aiding in the reveal of the False Ring." Saruman offered.
"Oh? Do tell." Lilith inquired.
"Gandalf the Grey. He is known to have a presence in Eriador, and has long held a love for the halflings favored pipe-weed. He spends time with them, and among them. We may be able to use him to unveil the False Ring to the peoples of Middle-Earth. I am quite certain that so long as my cover is maintained, than when the reveal occurs he will first come to me, in search of council. There I can work to ensure he reacts how we wish him too. I can attempt to turn him to our side, and failing that, ensure that he escapes with the intent to guide our enemies down the path we wish them to follow." Saruman explained himself.
"That will no doubt prove a very tempting possibility. It is still a ways off, at least a few decades, so we have time to explore or refine our options, but I will bring it to Sauron's attention, and as the time approaches to put that plan into action, we will work to refine our parts in it. Go now, Lord Saruman. Return to the West, and resume your role as the leader of the Istari. We will remain in contact through the Palantír, and the Glass Candles." Lilith commanded him. Earning a low bow of respect, the White Wizard bid his farewell and set out to depart from the newly established Minas Morgul.
Lilith watched him depart and then turned her gaze back to the Palantír, she let out a soft chuckle before she too set to depart. It was time she returned to Sauron and saw what he was up to. She had something she needed to tell him. Hopefully by the time she found him, the Nazgûl will have recovered Celebrimbor's ring from Ungoliant's spawn.
With her destination set, she departed from the city as well, taking flight on the back of Umbra to return to her beloved.
Several hours passed. Sauron and Tauriel had both bore witness to the pillar of energy that burst forth from Minas Morgul upon it's capture. A signal to all of the world, that the city of Isildur had finally fallen, and now belonged to the Nazgûl. He felt himself beam with pride, and since then was awaiting Lilith's return. He figured she would conclude a few bits of work, before heading back to him. All of his attempts to locate Shelob's lair had ended in failure and for some reason, the spider was refusing an audience with him. Any time he felt himself growing closer to her, she would scamper away, using the utter blackness of the caves, and the darkness therein to shield herself from his gaze, and prevent him from locating her.
He could force the issue, if he wanted to, but he felt it best not to, especially if he wished to try and repair their friendship. No, instead he would wait for her to come to him. She would no doubt grow curious as to why he had come in person, and eventually she'd be drawn to find out the answer, and come to claim it.
He had come to this conclusion only a few scant hours before they saw the pillar of nether light, tear up into the skies, on the far side of the mountains of shadow. Seeing that, he knew his assistance was no longer needed in Minas Ithil, so he simply chose to wait in Cirith Ungol, for Lilith's return.
He was alerted to the start of something major when he felt a tremor pass through the earth. He immediately felt the presence of the Nazgûl nearby, which confused him. He wondered if perhaps they had been ordered to chase after Celebrimbor and the Ranger, meaning the two had escaped Minas Ithil and were trying to reenter Mordor. The idea made sense to him, especially when he exited one of the towers of Minas Ithil, Tauriel by his side, and both caught sight of the wisp-like shadow of one of the wraiths soaring through the air and traveling somewhere into the base of the mountains.
Sauron swiftly began to move, Tauriel moving with him.
They moved swiftly towards the growing powers that caused the world to tremble. As they did, the various creatures of Mordor began to rampage, or scatter for cover. Ghuls emerged from the ground, attack groups of orcs, swarms of morgal flies were rattled from their nests, Caragors burst out of their caves, and raced away from the epicenter of the conflict, even the Ungol, the large spiders, descended from Shelob were stirred from their nests.
"What is happening?" Tauriel questioned, as they moved into familiar grounds. They spent the last several days here, waiting for Shelob to allow them passage to meet with Sauron.
"The Nazgûl are fighting. I sense great power being unleashed. They must be engaging Celebrimbor and the ranger." Sauron answered as they descended down into one of the caves, backtracking the fleeing animals and approaching the source of the fighting.
They passed deep into the caves, Sauron's anticipation morphing into concern as the signs of battle grew in intensity and they neared the area where Shelob have made her den.
They came to a stop at a ledge at the end of the tunnel. Before them was a sudden drop into a dark abyss, though just beyond the drop, separated from them by a few meters was flat ground, that spread out over a large chamber. There, within the chamber were five of the Nine, engaged in battle with a giant spider.
"What?!" Sauron spoke aloud in surprise.
"Why are you here?" He questioned in confusion.
He could see Shelob being pushed back. Two of the Nazgûl were actively attacking her, while three more stalked towards her, prepared to enter the fray.
Sauron stepped forward, standing upon the ledge, confusion and anger sparking within him.
"Enough!" His voice echoed across the chamber, stopping the Nazgûl in their assault.
Before he could do anything further, he caught sight of movement out of the corner of his eye. There he saw Talion and another figure come racing into the chamber. Wreathed over Talion's body, he could also made out the form of Celebrimbor in the unseen world.
Realization instantly manifested in Sauron's mind. He finally understood why Shelob was avoiding him. She was working with the ranger. That was the only reason why he would be here.
Two of the Nazgûl at the rear turned and charged at Talion and the unidentified woman.
Talion engaged the two Nazgûl, while the woman leaped high into the air, her hand exploding into a brilliant light that blazed in the dark chamber. Sauron was forced to look away, as the woman brought the light down releasing a blast of energy that scattered the Nazgûl, forcing them all to retreat to the far end of the chamber.
The woman turned to face them; her eyes locked upon them. Sauron could not see her, or identify her, but he recognized that power. He knew that it was Galadriel's light he had just bore witness to.
Whomever she was, he would have to deal with her. As his sight refocused, he began preparing to advance, intent on dealing with the ranger, and this unknown woman and getting an explanation from his old friend.
Before he could move though, he felt a sharp pain in his back, immediately followed by a hard shove, unrooting him and causing him to topple forward down into the crevice between the tunnel, and the rest of the cavern. He knew in an instant what had shoved him. He knew it had to have been Tauriel. She had been standing behind him. It had to have been her.
He cursed as he bounced against hard stone falling further and further down the dark ravine, hitting walls and tearing something painfully free from his body at one point.
Many long seconds passed as he toppled further into darkness, unable to catch himself as he passed through layers of ancient yet still effective webbing that tightly gripped at his body, making it difficult for him to catch himself, or shield his face and body from the impacts of stone as he toppled further and further down. He was a moment away from catching himself with magic when he reached the ground.
He hit the ground hard, falling into a lower chamber. He lay there upon the hard stone for several long minutes, internally cursing Lilith's body slave. He had to have fallen a good two hundred feet or so, possibly even closer to three hundred. Had he not been what he was, and had a body enhanced by magic, and bestial powers, such a fall would have killed him. Or more accurately it would have most-likely killed a normal human. Thankfully his body was far from a normal human.
Slowly, he sat up and rolled his shoulders, burning away the webbing that entangled his limbs, allowing him freedom of movement again. The pain he felt from the fall was quickly fading, as his injuries healed over in mere moments. He was forced to straighten a few of his fingers that he had landed on and dislocated which was far from an enjoyable experience. He then reached out and touched the flesh of his back, where he had felt the sharp stabbing pain, moments before he fell.
He felt a cut in the fabric of his tunic along his lower back in the gaps between his armor. He knew she had stabbed him, no doubt drawing one of the knives that Lilith had given her and used it to shank him before shoving him into the hole. He lifted his gaze and much to his annoyance, he spotted the dim silver glimmer of a blade handing from a curtain of webbing.
"So… you were waiting, just waiting for the opportunity to strike. Did you honestly think that would kill me? No… you know better. You just wanted me out of there. Wanted to give the ranger and Celebrimbor a chance to escape. Clever girl. Well… this is your test, Tauriel. You've failed the first part, let us see now what you do with your 'freedom'." Sauron thought to himself as his injuries finished healing.
Slowly he rose to his feet and clicked his teeth in annoyance. His body turned into a wisp of smoke as he rose into the air, traveling back up to the chamber he had fallen from.
He arrived back to find the chamber empty. Tauriel was gone, no doubt having fled or possibly joined forces with the ranger. The Nazgûl had also retreated.
Though the chamber was empty, he did not feel alone.
Sauron advanced into the center of the chamber, coming to a halt as he felt a presence creeping up behind him.
"Temper, temper, Shelob." Sauron spoke, as he glanced over his shoulder, coming face to face with the towering, ancient spider.
Shelob hissed at him, her anger on full display, and reflected in the pure blackness of her eyes.
Sauron met her gaze, turning fully to face her.
She continued to snarl at him, her fanged face mere inches from his own.
"My apologies, old friend. I did not order the Nazgûl here, nor did I order any harm come to you. You have my sincerest apologies." He said to her. The spider seemed taken aback by his words. Pulling away from him with an arachnid hiss.
The spider seemed to reflect on him for a moment before encasing itself in shadows. From within those shadows, the figure of a woman emerged. A woman who was almost a mirror image of Lilith. The only difference between them were their eyes and ears. Lilith's eyes were more green, and she had pointed ears, while Shelob looked more human, and had the same eyes she had taken after he asked her to change them so long ago.
Seeing that form again brought back a lot of old memories.
Shelob stared at him for a good long while, suspicion and anger apparent on her face. He remained stoic, meeting her gaze, and awaiting her response.
"Sauron… why are you here?" Shelob spoke.
"I came to investigate what the Nazgûl were attacking. I had thought it was the ranger Talion, and the wraith Celebrimbor. Had I known they were attacking you, I would have ordered them to cease from the beginning." Sauron explained coolly.
"You did not send them? Are you not their master?" Shelob questioned with a growing suspicion.
"I am. But I did not send them. They were most likely instructed to aid us in the search of Celebrimbor's Ring of Power. I suspect you know something about that." He noted, suspicion forming in his eyes as well.
Shelob continued staring at him for a good long while before allowing a rueful smile to spread across her face.
"The ring is gone now. Where the ranger has taken it, I do not know." Shelob said to him, earning a sigh of frustration from Sauron.
He needn't ask why she was doing this to him. As was a common trend, Sauron had a nasty habit of attracting the most rueful and spiteful of romantic interests.
"You held the ring. That's why you were avoiding me." Sauron vocalized what he now understood.
"It granted me greater sight. It showed me things, and in turn I showed them to the ranger and the wraith. Celebrimbor seeks to become the Bright Lord once more. Seems you have your work cut out for you." Shelob hummed, her spite evident.
Sauron nodded slowly at that. Letting out a sigh after a moment.
He clicked his teeth together a few times in thought, and then turned and began to depart. He made it several feet before coming to a halt.
"Farewell, my old friend." He offered in farewell.
He continued his departure, but Shelob called out to him.
"Wait!" Sauron stopped and turned back to her.
"If you did not know I had Celebrimbor's ring, then why were you seeking me?" Shelob asked him.
"Enough time has passed, and I have regained that which I once lost. I no longer fear the power that face has over me. I came in hopes of restoring our friendship, to invite you to join me once more. But, as you have made apparent, you have no interest in aiding my cause." Sauron admitted to her, earning genuine surprise from the spider.
"You came seeking friendship, after you left me to die…" Shelob questioned in disbelief.
"Do not be dramatic. I left you, that is true, and you know exactly why I did it. I warned you that I would if you kept pushing, but you refused to stop. I never hid my intention to leave you if you would not respect the boundaries I had established. You didn't. You kept pushing, and so… I left. Never once did I wish you ill, but I needed you to understand that this was no test, or secret message. I knew those men posed no threat to you, and as you proved, they were nothing more than children before your might. I do believe I've made my position very clear over the years. I still care about you, but I could not have you in my life. My many gifts to sate your ever gnawing hunger should be proof enough of that." Sauron said to her, speaking honestly.
Shelob blinked at him, pain flashing on her face and dancing in her eyes.
"Why now then? Why come here now? Have you given up on your lost love?" She questioned him.
"No… I have reclaimed it." Sauron responded, earning genuine surprise from the spider.
"You… but how? You said she was lost." Shelob asked him.
"She was. And now she has returned. My beloved has returned to me. As I said, I no longer fear the power that face holds over me, and so I sought to open the door for our friendship to resume. I know that I hurt you, and I feel great sorrow for having to do so. My reasons do not excuse my actions, and I understand full well that you still resent me, which is why you gave aid to the Ranger and the Elf-Lord. I do not blame you for your feelings, and in acknowledgment of our past friendship, I will forgive you for this transgression. But now I must go. That dastardly duo now has the New Ring, and they will seek to use it. I must return to my hunt for them. Farewell Shelob, may our next meeting be more harmonious." Sauron said to her, once more turning to continue on his way.
The spider's face softened, and nostalgia seemed to color it. She looked as if she wished to say something more, but before the words could form, he was gone. His departure caused a great swelling of loneliness to find perch in her heart. She had been angry at him for so long, yet now she found herself unable to muster that anger. All she felt was pain. The pain of his abandonment, the pain of his betrayal, and the pain of seeing him walk away again.
She knew that he was destined to confront Talion and Celebrimbor. More than that, worse than that, she had seen how that battle would end. Three outcomes revealed themselves, and they would decide his fate. If Talion made it to the final battle, then two possibilities existed, if he didn't than only one remained. If Talion did not stand beside Celebrimbor, then Shelob saw the Dark and Bright lord become one, trapped forever in an eternal stalemate. Dark and Light, locked in battle forever. If Talion did make it to the final battle that either they would succeed in defeating Sauron, and in turn Celebrimbor would replace him, becoming a new threat, or the two would fail, Talion would be capture by the Nazgûl, and Celebrimbor would once more be enslaved to the will of the Dark Lord.
These were futures she'd seen, and yet, the moment Sauron appeared before her, a horrible realization settled in. The Dark Lord she had seen in her visions was a reflection of the past, like a dim shade, as she expected him to be after losing his body, and the One Ring. The Sauron that stood before her now, was far greater. More powerful than she ever remembered him being. How could any of those futures possibly be true, if he still so vastly outclassed Talion and Celebrimbor in terms of his raw power?
She simply did not know, and it unnerved her. A feeling added to the growing cacophony of other emotions that now warred within her.
Maybe… maybe she should go with him. Maybe her sight wasn't as clear as she had thought it was. Celebrimbor's ring had amplified her foresight, granting her clear and powerful visions of the future. But what if those futures were born entirely of her perceptions? What if there were things that couldn't be accounted for?
She needed to know. Needed to understand.
So, with that desire now rooted in her mind, she summoned forth her spiderlings, began to whisper instructions to them.
It took a short while for Sauron to exit the caves and emerge back out into the open air. When he did, he spotted Umbra's massive bulk soaring through the skies, circling the area around Cirith Ungol.
Sensing that it was most likely Lilith he apparated there. He arrived to find his sister waiting for him.
"Finally found you way back I see. Any luck with your old friend?" Lilith inquired as she approached him.
"No. She's still not overly pleased with me for putting a stop to our friendship and sending the Nazgûl to attack her certainly did me no favors. Also, your slave made a run for it. She's taken the bait." Sauron said to her, earning genuine surprise twice over from Lilith.
"The one you went to speak with was the Spider? Damn it, why didn't you tell me? Had I known I wouldn't have instructed the Nine to go after her." Lilith questioned him.
"Why didn't you tell me you knew she had Celebrimbor's ring? Had you told me, I would have stopped playing nice, and forced the issue with her. She's spent the last few days avoiding me, and I chalked it up to hurt feelings. Had I known I would have set aside pleasantries and gone to confront her immediately. Now the ring is back in the hands of the ranger. Also, there was a woman with him, one bearing a unique power, a power to call forth the Light of Galadriel." Sauron questioned in return, matching her look with his own.
"Alright, touché. Seems we both dropped the ball in not communicating with each other. Also, you saw her too. She appeared as Minas Ithil, killed the ranger before the Witch-King could corrupt him and made a run for it. She's an elf, one I do not recognize." Lilith conceded, noting truthfully that they had both been responsible for allowing the New Ring to fall back into the enemy's hands. Had they simply communicated with each other what they had learned or what they were doing, this wouldn't have happened.
"An elf you say? That might be what stirred Tauriel to action. She shoved me into a ravine while I was temporarily blinded by the Light of Galadriel. She was gone by the time I returned a few minutes later." Sauron noted with a hint of annoyance.
"She shoved you down a hole!? Oh, my precious little mól, that was very naughty. I'm going to have to punish her for that once this little rebellious streak is over." Lilith let out a laugh, causing Sauron to roll his eyes in annoyance.
Silence held in the air for a moment as Lilith's enjoyment faded, she then allowed herself to become serious. "Minas Ithil has fallen. It is now Minas Morgul, and I have given it over to the Witch-King, just like you wanted. I also sent Saruman back to Isengard with instructions to prepare it for war. I also told him of your plans involving the False Ring, and he had some interesting ideas to possibly add to it."
Sauron nodded along with everything as it was explained to him. It sounded like most everything had gone according to plan, other than Talion and Celebrimbor escaping with the New Ring.
"There's something else though… something more important than any of the rest." Lilith said to him, concern and anger flitting onto her face.
"What is it?" He questioned her.
"James and Lily Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin were all at Minas Ithil and are searching for a way into Mordor. They made contact with the ranger and Celebrimbor, and also spoke with Saruman. They were revived by Eru, and sent here to confirm if I've return and regained my memories." She laid it all out for him, his going wide in surprise as he took in that revelation. Anger quickly replaced his surprise though, and his eyes began to blaze with fury.
"That rotten bastard. How dare he disturb our family's graves!" Sauron snarled.
"He disturbed them, and now sends them to chase after me. They are starting to suspect that I am yet alive. I have no doubt they will find their way into Mordor and will attempt to work with Celebrimbor and the ranger. They know, they know about me being Morgoth, and Celebrimbor now knows that James and Lily are my parents and I might be alive." Lilith told him all that she had learned so far.
He began to pace as he began thinking on this. It did not take him long to decide on a course of action but before he spoke it into existence, he needed to know where her head was at.
"How do you want to handle this?" Sauron asked her.
"I would prefer if they could be turned to our cause, but… honestly all I have of them are memories now. I like Sirius, and I was okay with Remus, but I know you cared for them. As for our mother and father… they're little more than an ideal to me. Something that existed that I never truly knew. Not even really a memory. Would I turn away their presence? Probably not, but I have no intention of going out of my way to try and get them on our side. Whether they live or die, doesn't really affect me. It would be nice to have them, but I doubt they'd accept us. They'd fight us, and continue doing his bidding, so I'm consigned to the fact that we'll most likely have to kill them all." Lilith replied honestly.
Sauron nodded slowly in agreement with her. He felt much the same. A part of him, a small childish part that had long been buried deep within would be overjoyed to have Sirius back, and Remus too, and the chance to get to know his original parents, that would be lovely. With that being said, Lilith was right. They'd most likely stand against them, and fight them tooth and nail, all for Dumbledore's cause. They'd most likely be forced to kill their old family.
It was a bitter truth, but one he knew was likely to be their reality.
"Alright, then we'll go after Talion and Celebrimbor. If what you say is true, then it's likely our old family will also be tracking the duo down to work with them, allowing most of our enemies to gather in one place. That elf woman will probably be with them too, so we really can handle all of these problems together. So, lets focus on that and let them come to us." Sauron suggested.
"I agree. We'll let our foes gather together and move in to deal with them at the proper moment. Do you think we should make an attempt to try and turn our old family to our cause? I know they have something with them, and item that will supposedly send me to Valinor if activated, so we must be very cautious in how we deal with them." Lilith agreed with him.
"Well, that'll certainly be interesting to work around. As for attempting to turn our family, I say we at least try. If they refuse, or we feel they cannot be turned, then at least we won't have to wonder what would have been." Sauron suggested to her.
She offered a nod of agreement and the two began to set their plans into action. They would put their ears to the ground and listen for where Talion and Celebrimbor were planning to strike first. Once they knew where the duo was, they could go there and await the arrival of their lost family, which they had little doubt would come to ally with undead ranger, and his spiritual companion.
While the twin dark lords planned, their targets were indeed already active. Talion and Celebrimbor were busy making their way towards the lands of Núrn, where they intended to begin their campaign now that they had recovered the New Ring from Shelob. With it, they would begin building an army that they hoped could one day challenge Sauron, and even more so, challenge his dark master, had she truly returned.
Elsewhere on the borders of Mordor, standing atop the Mountains of Shadow, were three wizards and a witch. The quartet gazed out over the vast lands of Mordor. A terrifying place where they suspected the lost Sofia Potter to reside. They would begin their search in the lands before them, and await any sign of her presence, or the presence of the Dark Lord, they needed to draw her out of hiding, and determine if she truly was here.
Even further elsewhere, moving through the lands surrounding Cirith Ungol, was an elven huntress. She moved with panicked swiftness, every breath she took awaiting the shearing pain of her collar. She had done it, she had escaped them, but now she had to capitalize it. She needed to find a way to remove the collar, and she needed to warn people, warn all of the free peoples. No one had any idea just how terrifying the situation was. She needed to find that woman, who bore a light of such magnificence upon her hand that it was able to draw forth was little resistance still smoldered within Tauriel's soul. She needed to find Celebrimbor, and the ranger. The elf lord needed to know what was happening. She had no idea what was granting her this moment of reprieve, this ability to break free, but she had to capitalize on it. She had too. So, she ran, she ran as fast as her feet could carry her, doing everything in her power to avoid the many patrols of orcs. She needed supplies, she needed information. Surviving in these dreadful lands would not be easy, but she had to endure it. For her people, for all peoples. She had to warn them. She had to warn them all about what was coming, what awaited beyond the portal beneath Barad-Dur.
With the stage set, the players all began moving. Darkness had reclaimed all of Mordor, but even in that darkest of places, small embers of light, continued to burn. Only time, could determine whether those embers blazed up into an inferno or were smothered, like all the other that existed in these dreadful lands.
-To Be Continued-
Alright, there's the next chapter for you. Got a lot going on now, a lot of players now added into this game. How will they affect it, is the question. We'll just have to see. Hope you all have had a wonderful time thus far and let us all pray that Fanfiction stops acting stupid. Let me know if you have any questions, I try to reply to anyone who does. Otherwise, I'll see you in the next one.