7. Glimpse of War
…
- At Rivendell -
All eyes were on Reiya as she made her stance on the rising conflict known. She and the Sun-elves would continue to fight Loitar until the very end, no matter what.
"We appreciate your willingness to speak up and help Middle-earth overcome this evil, my lady." Elrond remarked, smiling politely at the Red Queen. "Is there any other detail of importance that you'd like to share with us before we conclude?" He asked.
"I believe I have already disclosed all the information intended for this hearing, Lord Elrond. My company and I will-"
"You willfall!" A monstrous voice interrupted her before she got a chance to finish her statement.
Reiya turned around immediately, and everybody else looked behind her, trying to figure out where the voice had come from. They quickly realized the culprit was one of the ten guards placed in the open corridor at the entrance of the hall.
All the guards in that area suddenly turned into furless creatures with gnome-like ears, sharp claws, prominent fangs, and shallow red eyes. Their clothes tore slightly as their bodies grew in size.
Once their mutation was complete, they growled loudly and began running towards the speaker platform with the intent to kill.
Thranduil scowled at the beasts as he rapidly unsheathed one of his great Elven swords and adopted a fighting stance. The rest of the warriors in the hall also took out their weapons and stood ready to join the confrontation that was about to break loose.
However, a translucent purple barrier formed around the queen's company, the Blue Wizards, and everybody else at the table area, preventing them from moving anywhere.
Only Reiya had remained untouched by the magic barrier and free to move on her own accord. Thus, she ran up the stairs and turned her back to the table, placing herself between the beasts and the rest of the Elven rulers.
Galadriel stood up from her chair swiftly and created a temporary lapse that slowed down time significantly when the creatures stepped onto the stairs.
She was about to use her ring to remove the translucent magic barriers and eliminate the creatures altogether. Nevertheless, Reiya, who had remained unaffected by the time lapse, spoke to her thoughts before she made her move.
'Lady Galadriel.'
The senior ruler looked at the queen with a raised eyebrow as she realized she could still move and react in real time.
'I am aware that you could decimate these creatures in the blink of an eye with the ring that you possess. However, there is a very high chance that your abilities will be required for an important task in the near future.' Reiya pointed out. 'Thus, allow me to use this power that I wield to help preserve your strength and guard all of you at this time.' She solicited. 'I have subdued these creatures in the past, and I can do it again, if you allow it.'
Galadriel looked at the queen attentively as she considered her suggestion. After a brief moment, she nodded at Reiya in an approving manner, giving her the cue to act.
Reiya smiled at her and also nodded in acknowledgement.
In the blink of an eye, time began running normally for the two of them once again, and the creatures continued running up the stairs at their natural speed.
Coming to her senses, Reiya put her Krisha hood back on and rapidly adopted a fighting stance.
"Úr Coron! (Fire Spheres!)"
As she chanted the spell, her eyes turned glimmering scarlet and an arc of large fire orbs appeared above her head. Without further ado, she directed the fire orbs towards the creatures one by one.
The beasts suddenly screamed in pain and became disoriented when the orbs hit them.
"Mahtalë North! (Battle Charge!)"
Chanting the following spell, Reiya propelled herself forward at a great speed with a blaze of fire, taking the beasts down to the speaker platform with her.
The Red Queen took a quick look at the creatures as she stood at the upper end of the platform. There were ten of them in total since all the guards in the corridor had gone through the unforeseen transformation.
The fire was still consuming the beasts' flesh in a very painful manner, but the flames wouldn't be fast enough to eliminate them promptly.
Thus, Reiya unsheathed her two scimitar swords, knowing exactly what she needed to do.
"Should we assist you, my lady?!" Alatar exclaimed, as he and Pallando were ready to repeal the magic barrier around them with their staffs.
"No! Stay within the magic enclosures. You will be safer in them when I take down these vile beasts. That goes for you two as well, Master Gandalf and Lord Elrond!" Reiya instructed, knowing that they were also capable of repealing the barriers with their powers.
The two of them nodded and opted to the follow the queen's request.
Taking advantage of the momentary respite, one of the beasts launched at Reiya while the fire was still burning its body. However, she stabbed the creature in the heart with one of her swords and threw the lifeless body to the side.
'One...'
She began a count in her head to make sure that the ten beasts would be all subdued by the end of her stand.
Two of the creatures ran towards the queen from the side, but she slashed them on the chest before they got a chance to attack her, and they fell.
'…two and three…'
Reiya then jumped towards one of the creatures that was near her and struck the beast from the above, splitting its body entirely.
'…four…'
Soon after, she thrust one of her scimitar swords backwards without turning her head and stabbed a beast in the chest that had attempted to attack her from behind. She removed her sword from the creature's body and looked ahead.
'…five…'.
Reiya then ran forward at a very high speed to face one of the beasts that was standing ahead.
The creature extended one of its arms, attempting to attack her with its claws; nonetheless, she dodged the attack and slashed the beast on the chest with her two swords right when she passed by it.
'…six…'
Another beast began running towards the queen from the side. Thus, she immediately shifted her attention to the creature and kept her scimitar swords in hand, ready to land a blow. However, the beast got stabbed from behind before it could reach her.
Reiya raised an eyebrow for a brief moment, wondering what had just taken place.
An ornate Elven sword was retrieved from the creature's body, as its burning lifeless corpse fell to the floor.
Reiya took a closer look at the blade for a few seconds, realizing the majestic weapon was already a familiar one for her since she had clashed her own swords against it not that long ago.
She gradually tilted her head, and her eyes widened slightly at the sight that laid before her.
Engraved swirling patterns adorned his armor and headpiece, further accentuating his tall and imposing figure. His leaf-ornamented mantle and long silver-blond hair floated slightly in the air as a gentle breeze caressed his features.
With extreme precision and fluid movements perfected by millennia of extensive training, Thranduil sheathed his great Elven sword back in and directed his attention towards the Red Queen.
Reiya's inquisitive gaze remained on the warrior before her as she realized that was none other than the Elvenking himself.
'When did he make his way onto the platform?'She wondered with a confused expression, admitting to the fact that she had not sensed Thranduil's presence at all prior to that moment.
Collecting herself slightly, she looked at the three fallen beasts laying down on the floor behind the king, then gazed at the beast that he slayed before it got to her.
Reiya then glanced back at him with a calculating expression.
She eliminated six of the monsters, and Thranduil had taken the other four down himself, it seemed.
She had no idea how he had managed to escape the magic barrier on his own and gotten down to the speaker platform unnoticed. However, a fact remained clear in her mind; the king's reflexes and stealth ability had to be exceptionally good for him to have performed such a feat.
Her impressions on Thranduil's combat skills soon ceased when reality sank in, though.
The ten creatures had been all eradicated, and thus, the assault attack at the hearing was over.
Making notice of that, Galadriel and the Blue Wizards repealed the magic barriers around themselves and everybody close to them.
The glimmering scarlet glow faded from Reiya's gaze, and her bright emerald green eyes resurfaced following the incident.
Elrond, Celeborn, and Gandalf stood up from their seats to better observe the aftermath of the whole ordeal.
The fire on the creatures' corpses had finally ceased, leaving only residuals of ash and burned flesh behind.
The Elven monarchs' subjects seemed relieved at the sight of their unharmed leaders as they stood on the platform, glancing at one another in silence.
Galadriel couldn't help but smile at the scene, realizing that the Red Queen and the Elvenking had eliminated the hostile monsters together somehow.
"Are you well, my lady?"
Reiya moved her gaze away from Thranduil when the Blue Wizards came to check on her.
"I am alright, Master Alatar. I did not sustain any major injuries in the fight, thankfully." Reiya remarked, smiling politely at the Blue Wizards.
Meanwhile, Thranduil chose to remain on the speaker platform so he could follow the subsequent measures more closely.
"What caused the guards of my settlement to go through such an adverse transformation?" Elrond asked, still confused at the sight of the unforeseen attackers.
"I'm afraid these are not your guards, Lord Elrond. They areCamalans; another breed from Loitar's league of monsters." Reiya explained.
She walked towards one of the fallen creatures and turned its body around with the tip of her boot, so the whole group could have a better look.
"Camalans are shapeshifter creatures. They can mimic the appearance and behaviors of anyone they get blood from. However, they cannot imitate their victims' skills, level of power, and knowledge." Reiya pointed out. "All it takes is a single scratch or a bite for them to absorb their victims' blood and transform into them. They are also good at hiding the bodies of their victims and can only be killed with a strike to their hearts." She explained.
Gandalf raised an eyebrow at the queen's unsettling affirmations.
"It seems like these Camalans had already infiltrated your home prior to my arrival, Lord Elrond. I assume thereal guards, as in, your actual subjects, must be lying unconscious or dead somewhere here at the manor." Reiya stated with a solemn expression.
Elrond looked down at the table with a remorseful gaze as he realized his subjects may have fallen prey to the dreadful creatures.
"Were Elladan and Elrohir attacked as well, father? How are they faring?" Arwen inquired with a concerned voice.
"Your brothers are faring alright, daughter. I can still feel their fëa as we speak." Elrond reassured her in a kind manner. "It looks like none of those creatures were outside when Elladan and Elrohir began scouting the surrounding areas." He speculated.
Arwen sighed in relief, but her expression was still weary. There would certainly be victims among the guards who were supposed to watch the entrance to the hearing hall, and they would have to search the entire manor in order to find the bodies.
An outcome of such gravity had been completely unexpected by the Elven rulers, except for Thranduil, of course.
He had already witnessed those monsters' thirst for death and chaos. Hence, the possibility of casualties at the hearing had been a vague one in the king's mind, but not an impossible one, considering everything that he had seen thus far.
The incident had definitely served as a warning for the other Elven rulers, as they were just starting to realize how vile their new adversary truly was.
"How were those creatures able to breach the protective boundaries of Imladris?" Celeborn asked, looking visibly surprised.
"Camalans are not supposed to be that powerful, Lord Celeborn. We are just as surprised as you are by the incident that transpired." Alatar remarked.
"Loitar's magic is growing stronger... Perhaps his monsters are becoming more resistant to our defenses as a consequence?" Pallando responded in a contemplative manner.
Reiya pondered thoughts of her own before she joined the conversation.
"Xandor… Mirkwood… And now, Imladris. All Elven settlements of importance attacked by Loitar's minions at some point in time... There is definitely an intent to that. Perhaps Lothórien and the Gray Havens will be next?" The queen pointed out.
Haldir widened his eyes at the possibility, and Celeborn looked at Galadriel with a concerned expression.
Reiya gazed at everybody at the table as she came to a likely conclusion.
"I'm afraid this attack was not just a mere attempt on my life or an effort to prevent me from sharing information with all of you, my lords and ladies. Loitar knew that we would be able to subdue the Camalans that infiltrated the manor most likely, but he wanted to make a statement regardless." She pointed out.
The queen made a pause for a few seconds, before she voiced her speculations.
"I believe this incident was Loitar's official declaration of war against all the Elven realms of Middle-earth. Therefore, our nations should remain vigilant from this point on." Reiya emphasized with a serious expression.
Elrond sighed, and Thranduil narrowed his gaze following the queen's warning.
"That makes sense." Pallando remarked. "Loitar might be conspiring to take out the elves before going after the realms of men and dwarves. A tactic to prevent the different races of Middle-earth from uniting and standing against him, perhaps?"
"Most likely." Alatar agreed.
Thranduil deliberated the Blue Wizards' speculations.
Loitar must have sensed some sort of weakness among the Elven realms to have chosen them as his first target in the war to come. The notion was a concerning one for the king; however, they could start making more informed decisions to tackle the threat with that assumption in mind.
Reiya's reasoning seemed to be aligned with his own as she shared her final thoughts on the matter.
"Loitar may have several mimics to his advantage, but the information that you now hold gives you some leverage over his plans. Only your decision on whether to act and when remains. As for this moment, you already know where I stand." The Red Queen pointed out. "I believe my task at this hearing has been fulfilled. The opportunity that you provided for me to relay this message is highly regarded."
Having said that, Reiya bowed to the Elven rulers at the table area as a gesture of the highest respect.
"The information that you have shared with us is highly valuable as well, my lady. We appreciate your efforts in warning us." Celeborn remarked.
Everybody at the table area bowed back to the queen in gratitude.
"Master Gandalf, I assume you and my overseer advisors will be in contact if we are in need of communicating further?" Reiya asked shifting her attention towards the Gray Wizard.
"We will indeed, my lady. Rest assured." Gandalf stated smiling politely at her.
Alatar nodded in corroboration, seemingly pleased with Gandalf's response.
"Very well." Reiya stated, smiling at the wizards. "We should head back to our camp and resume operations for the war once we return to Xandor. We will take our leave then." She instructed.
Everybody in her company nodded in acknowledgement. However, Thranduil seemed slightly surprised by the queen's command.
Was that just it? Did she actually intend to leave like that?
Reiya bade her farewells and began walking towards the exit of the hall alongside the Blue Wizards and her subjects.
Thranduil's expression remained clueless as the Xandorian company was retreating from the site.
Were they just going to let her go? That would be both foolish and unreasonable.
That elleth had just revealed her identity as a ruler that night, and they had barely scratched the surface with intel linked to Loitar and his minions. Other matters needed to be addressed for them to even fathom the possibility of victory in the upcoming war, and they would have to further question the Red Queen for such a purpose.
Thranduil was becoming restless as Reiya and her company were almost reaching the exit of the hearing hall.
Only Elrond had the authority to prevent the queen from leaving because he was the presiding ruler at Imladris. Consequently, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to issue orders or advise Elrond out in the open under such circumstances.
Ugh. If only they would have been inhis realminstead...
Almost as if sensing the king's concerns, Elrond finally succumbed to reason as he reconsidered the significance of Reiya's role in the events to come. Without further ado, the Lord of Rivendell proceeded to speak.
"Queen Reiya." Elrond voiced the Krisha's name loud enough for her to hear him.
Reiya and her company turned their heads around to look at Elrond with a surprised expression.
Galadriel smiled at him approvingly, and everybody else seemed startled, as all of them had just witnessed an event of the highest significance.
Elrond was, in fact, the first Elven ruler amongst them who had publicly acknowledged Reiya asqueen. Even Thranduil was visibly surprised by the sudden change in formalities on Elrond's part when he addressed the Lady of Fire.
Reiya had understood the significance of Elrond's actions and proceeded to answer his call.
"Xandorians, wait for me here." All the Sun-elves bowed to their queen and followed her orders. She then looked at the Blue Wizards, signaling them to accompany her back to the speaker platform, which they did.
Reiya, Alatar, and Pallando walked towards the center of the floor and stood in front of the stairs to the table area once again.
"Do you wish to speak further, Lord Elrond?" Reiya asked in an inquisitive manner.
"Yes.I do, in fact." He responded. "Apologies for interrupting your departure, my lady. I know this is a last-notice request, but a crucial one regardless. By any chance, could you remain here at Imladris for a few more days?"
Reiya had a contemplative expression on her face as Elrond continued explaining himself.
"We would like to revisit the information that you have shared with us this night so we can decide the best course of action to overcome this adversary. I believe your presence here at Imladris would be very helpful, should we need your input or advice to address certain matters." Elrond explained.
Thranduil seemed somewhat relieved by Elrond's initiative. That isexactlywhat they were supposed to do in the first place. Preventing Reiya from leaving. However, they couldn't force her to stay either. After all, she was also an Elven ruler, and Elrond himself had just acknowledged her as queen.
Once again, they all had to abide by those bothersome rules and protocols that prevented Elven rulers from imposing themselves over one another, unless the circumstances were deemed extreme.
Reiya tactfully placed her hand on her chin and looked at the floor as she considered Elrond's request for a brief moment. She then adopted her royal stance and glanced back at him again, proceeding to voice her thoughts.
"You honor me with your invitation, Lord Elrond; however, I am not entirely sure if an overstay here at Imladris would be wise." She pointed out. "I should resume my queenly duties and continue preparing for the war. Those duties often involve managing correspondence from my realm and allies, granting audiences to visitors, and going out in the field to fulfill high-priority missions, amongst other responsibilities. An attack already took place here at the manor. I wouldn't wish for your home to be further disturbed by my presence or any other unexpected incidents?" Reiya explained in a objective manner.
Thranduil glanced at the queen with some degree of interest as she expressed herself with such a high level of decorum and clarity.
The Lady of Fire certainly had a way with words. That distinctive quirk of hers had been quite evident throughout the hearing and the first time she spoke to their thoughts. Furthermore, it would give her some leverage in her conversation with Elrond, no doubt.
In any case, the Lord of Rivendell was much older than her and quite experienced at diplomatic endeavors as well.
Hence, Thranduil kept listening to the on-going exchange attentively as he was taking mental notes.
"Your presence wouldn't be a burden at all, Queen Reiya. On the contrary; it would be quite beneficial for us all in the current circumstances, as I pointed out." Elrond reassured her. "On that same note, please do not blame yourself for the attack that disrupted the hearing. I deem myself responsible for that, as I did not have a true understanding of that elf-warlock's capabilities prior to this night. I will make sure to further fortify our protective borders with the ring of power that I bear, as you know. We can also provide accommodations for you and your company according to your needs, and you can keep performing your royal duties here at Imladris without interference." He explained. "We will respect your decision no matter what. Nevertheless, please know that your presence would make a great difference in the course of such deliberations if you were inclined to stay, my lady." The Lord of Rivendell remarked as he made his case.
Thranduil looked at Reiya attentively, wondering what her decision would be at such a crucial moment.
Reiya glanced at Elrond with a neutral expression for a few seconds, then shifted her attention to the Blue Wizards, who nodded and smiled politely at her in an encouraging manner.
She looked back at the Lord of Rivendell and proceeded to speak, as she had already made up her mind.
"Very well. I believe I can remain here at Imladris for a week and still return to Xandor in time to keep attending matters as planned." Reiya responded.
"Understood, my lady. A week should be enough for us to come to a decision as well. Thank you for your consideration and understanding." Elrond smiled politely at her and bowed his head in gratitude.
Reiya bowed back at him in acknowledgement.
Thranduil seemed satisfied by the outcome of such a dialogue. He wouldn't have been quite as agreeable as Elrond in his choice of words and concessions, but the Lord of Rivendell had served the purpose regardless. He had convinced Reiya to stay there for a couple more days. That was all that mattered.
"We should retrieve our provisions and belongings from our camp, but we will get back here as soon as we gather those. Do we have your permission to head there now, my lord?" Reiya asked.
"Yes, you may leave. We will be expecting you and your company at your return, your majesty." Elrond stated.
Reiya nodded at him.
Thus, she and her company walked out of the hall, and with that, the hearing was formally concluded.
Elrond ordered his subjects to search for the ten guards who were missing and collect the creatures' corpses for further examination. He also instructed Gandalf and the other Elven rulers to stay behind for a few more minutes so they could go over the tasks that would follow in the upcoming week.
The rest of the elves were meeting with their respective lords for any last instructions before exiting the hall themselves and resuming their evening activities. Following suit, Feren and Tauriel walked down to the speaker platform to meet with their king.
"Your endeavors for the night are fulfilled." Thranduil remarked. "Report for duty tomorrow at sunrise. I will give you further orders on how the situation with the Red Queen will be handled then. Is that clear?" The Elvenking stated in a rather intimidating voice.
"Yes, my lord!" Feren and Tauriel responded in unison, understanding the weight behind Thranduil's words.
"Very well. You may go." He commanded.
Feren and Tauriel bowed to the king and retreated from the hall.
Thranduil was edgier than usual, and with good reason.
Managing a new Elven realm with a sole queen ruler was an unprecedented task for him and the Woodland Realm as a whole. Thus, they would need to figure out a few things along the way as they learned to co-exist with that one nation.
He also had his own position to think about now that another Elven ruler held a royal title.
Thranduil sighed as the unresolved predicaments weighted on his mind all at once.
He made his way up the platform stairs to meet briefly with his peers per Elrond's request. Unsurprisingly, all of Galadriel's visions concerning the pending threat had been accurate to some extent.
The image of the Red Queen invaded his thoughts once again as he pondered yet another observation.
Glances exchanged aside, Reiya had not acknowledged his presence any longer after their fight with the creatures was over. She never spoke to him throughout the night or looked at him again following the chaotic incident.
The queen was under no obligation to talk to him at the time, of course, but that realization had annoyed him slightly regardless.
That vexatious elleth…
…
A/N: The hearing is officially concluded!
The key players in this conflict are already revealed, and the stakes are set! Now it is time to find out what each of them will do as we move forward.
Reiya is starting to notice some of the Elvenking's quirks. He is built just a bit differently from the other elves, as we all know ;)
Up until the next one!