Discovering Another World, Part 1
Title: Discovering another World, Part 1
Author: Amber
Beta: Red
Fandom: LOTR/Avatar: The Air Bender cartoon.
Artist: Mangacrack
Link to Art: http://archiveofourown.org/works/344948
Rating/Type: FPS/AU/R
Characters: Elrond, Glorfindel, Celeborn, Eönwë, Aang, Sokka, Zuko, Iroh, Katara, Toph
Disclaimer: All the major characters belong to either Tolkien or Nickelodeon.
Summary: After a party gets out of hand, four from Valinor discover they have been transported to another world where they are caught up in the politics and war.
Note 1: I am using Fiondil’s idea that Eönwë is Eru’s Oathkeeper in this Fic.
Note 2: This story was written for Alex’s Big Bang Challenge coming in at 30,995.
Chapter 1:
Celeborn groaned as he covered his eyes from the bright sun. If it was daylight already, his wife was going to be very upset. He had not realized how potent his first age whiskey had become over the millennium. He wondered exactly how many bottles they had drunk. You would think they would have learned by now not to engage in drinking contests with a Maia, or to let Elrond add anything to their drink. He had sworn the herbs would help them win and they had caved. Challenging Eönwë had been too good to resist though when he had promised to incarnate with a purely Elvin body. He wondered who had passed out last.
As he finally decided to face the day, he uncovered his eyes and sat up looking around him. He could not believe what he was seeing. Everything was barren around them as far as he could see from his position on the ground, as if recently burned to nothingness. What had they managed to do now, he thought as he turned to check on the others?
“Leave me alone,” Glorfindel groaned as Celeborn tried to rouse him by shaking him hard.
“I wish I could, but I think we are all in real trouble,” came the puzzling answer.
As Glorfindel digested that answer, he opened his eyes, rose, and took a good look around. As he crossed the few feet separating them to shake Elrond and Eönwë, he asked the obvious question.
“Does anyone recognize where we are?” Glorfindel asked.
“I thought we were in Elrond’s garden,” Eönwë said as he sat up to get a better idea of why Glorfindel was asking this question.
“This is definitely not Elrond’s gardens,” Celeborn stated. “Elrond, get up.”
“Anyone have any water?” Elrond asked as he buried his head in his arms and kept his eyes shut.
“There is no water,” Celeborn said as he pulled his son-in-law up.
“Where are we?” Elrond asked as he looked around, then at Eönwë.
“I have no idea,” came the confused Maia’s answer. “I can not tell where we are other than it does not feel like Arda.”
That answer caught everyone’s attention. Not Arda? Was Eönwë sure? Elves were supposed to be tied to Arda and not be able to leave until the remaking. What was going on? They all sobered up instantly and went into combat mode. There was no telling what they would encounter, or why.
“Where are they?” Galadriel demanded of Manwë. She and her daughter had been silently watching the drinking contest from the balcony of Elrond’s house and thoroughly enjoyed a good laugh watching as Eönwë had become inebriated. She had never thought to see such a thing and had greatly enjoyed watching the stuck up Maia act the fool when the four had disappeared in a flash of light. At first Galadriel had thought Eönwë has spied them watching and just moved the drinking bout away to somewhere they could not watch. When they had not reappeared by dawn and there was no message, she and Celebrían had made their way to Tanquetil to demand answers.
“I am told they are presently needed else were and will be occupied for a time,” came the vague answer.
“Who is telling you this? Be more specific please,” Galadriel demanded.
“I can not,” Manwë answered. “Ilúvator has told me he had a little problem elsewhere and they were selected to help solve it. That is all.”
“Can you not at least tell us if they are well?” Celebrían said unhappy with the answer they were given.
“I can not tell you exactly where they are as I have not been told, but I would assume Eru would tell me if they were not well,” Manwë admitted. “They are presently not on Arda.”
“How is that possible?” Galadriel asked as she grabbed her daughter. “Elves are tied to Arda. Eönwë, and maybe Elrond, may travel beyond for they are different, but Celeborn and Glorfindel are elves.”
“I believe Eru has made an exception in this case,” Manwë explained. “They will be returned when they complete their task.”
Then he disappeared effectively ending the audience.
“I will kill all four of them when they get back,” Galadriel said to her daughter as they left the palace.
“Not if I get to them first,” came Manwë’s quiet reply in their minds.
The four cleared their heads the best they could as they assessed their present surroundings. Taking a quick inventory of what they had on them as processions, they were surprised to find they were all armed with knives. They had no food or water with them although somehow Glorfindel had managed to hang onto an unopened bottle of whiskey when they were transferred to where ever they were. They knew they were in an exposed position and needed to hide until they could figure out what was going on and what to do. They decided to head in a southeasterly direction looking for water as there appeared to be shadows of mountains in that direction. They traveled carefully but quickly across the barren land. Slowly they started to come across what could only be the rubble of destroyed homes and towns. They searched quickly for any items that were usable but found only basic items that did not burn easily left.
They had walked for two days before they finally started to come across usable remains. They were able to pick up sturdy sticks, the left over of what they assumed were once fences that they shaped into crude staffs. They could use these to defend themselves if needed until they could find something better than their knives. Everywhere they looked, the area had been burned as if destroyed intentionally.
“These fires were not natural,” Eönwë said as he studied the burn patterns of the ground below when they had travel up a tall hill. “They remind me of the burn patterns human’s leave when they use a scorched earth campaign.”
“What exactly is a scorched earth campaign?” Celeborn wanted to know. “The damaged is different than what I have seen before. Whatever burned the vegetation was caused in some kind of fight. See the direction patterns.”
“Scorched earth is when troops burn everything after they have stripping it of anything they deem usable,” Eönwë explained. “It has been used in Middle-earth of late by some of the darker armies.”
“There appears to be green, unhurt foliage to the south of us,” Glorfindel called. “Do we head in that direction?”
“It might be safer, at least we will be hidden,” Eönwë answered.
“Elrond, what are you doing?” Celeborn inquired as he watched his son-in-law.
Glorfindel looked back and saw Elrond standing with his eyes closed. Recognizing what he was doing, he wondered for a minute. Then he crossed to Elrond and pulled up his sleeve to look at his right hand. Seeing no ring, he ran his hand over Elrond’s fingers. He felt Vilya.
“Elrond, Vilya?” he asked.
“Its power has returned,” Elrond said as he continued reaching out. “I know not why but I can use it again as if it was never shorn of its power.”
“But is it safe?” Celeborn cautioned.
“The rings have always been tied to the elves. More importantly, Vilya has always accepted me as her master,” he returned.
“Be careful as you probe Elrond,” Eönwë warned. “We know not what is out here. I feel a great evil in the distance but cannot tell exactly how far away it is or what form it takes.”
“Let us head down into cover then for it will be safer for us,” Celeborn said as he thought. “Maybe it is time we all tested what we can do, and not do. That is better done where none can see.”
All nodded their agreement and they traveled most of the day to reach the stand of woods below. They traveled about a mile and a half into the trees before stopping by a small stream and resting. Then they tested themselves. Celeborn retained the power he had with flora, like in Middle-earth, and the basic small magic of the elves with fire and energy. Glorfindel tried his abilities with fauna and saw that they worked on the few animals around even though they were different. He retained his abilities with small magic and also the greater ability to project his spiritual side. He and Celeborn both noticed that all of their natural senses appeared to have been heightened.
Elrond went next. He took Vilya off and tried his innate powers to find that his ability to control water was greater than usual. Like the others, his abilities in small magic were there and his senses had been enhanced. The wind also called to him but its language was different and strange. Returning his ring to his finger, he noticed that it extended his senses like it had in Middle-earth. Then he tried out the rings abilities. He was able to control the wind and weather like he had before and it enhanced his abilities with fire and water. Turning to Eönwë, they did not know what to expect. Elrond decided to approach his testing in a different way. Using Vilya, after he gained permission, he placed his hands on Eönwë’s chest and forehead. Looking deep, Elrond learned that the Maia’s powers had been greatly reduced in range and strength. He had been made more equal to the elves. His powers were now limited to what Elrond controlled with Vilya’s aide.
“You will have to be careful,” he told Eönwë. “Your powers have been dampened so that you are more equal in power to what I just displayed with Vilya. You also seem to be able to control the elements, both natural and man made, whereas our control of these items is sporadic.”
“How will I know what is equal?” the Maia asked in confusion.
“Watch us and how we use our powers, and do not attempt anything beyond simple stuff until we know more,” Celeborn explain. “It is better is work up to discover what you can do than to try too much and fail.”
Nodding his understanding, Eönwë decided to stay in the background and let the others lead. He had suspected what Elrond had confirmed but wondered about his abilities in the things Elrond would not think or know to check. He would test these when he had time alone. He was uncomfortable with these limitations and the not knowing but decided to say nothing for now. The four decided to spend the night in the little clearing and start out again just after dawn. They found enough familiar fruits and vegetable after searching a little further afield to supplement the little fish Eönwë caught in the stream. After eating a good meal they slept in shifts always having two stay awake to watch for danger.
They rose and refreshed themselves in the stream before starting out again just after dawn. They traveled for several days through the woods and intermittent barren areas before they began hearing the sounds of other travelers. Climbing into the trees nearby, they saw a road leading down into a large valley. In the distance they could see a walled city that was surrounded by farmland. They observed the travelers and realized that with a few changes to their clothing, it would be easy for them to fit in. It was a good thing they had all been dressed in tunics and leggings for once. They crept closer to hear what kind of language was spoken. They were surprised to hear a form of Westron being spoken by the people.
“Some of the words, I do not recognize,” Celeborn stated. “It might be safer for only two to enter the city.”
“I would that we stay together,” Eönwë said with an uncomfortable feeling. The evil he felt seemed to be coming from just beyond the city.
“I agree,” Glorfindel spoke up before realizing something. “There is something not right about this place. We need to test if we can mind speak amongst ourselves.”
Surprised that none of them had considered this, they did a quick test which revealed that they all had the ability to converse together easily. They decided to wait until the next day to enter the city using the time until then to further study the people and language. It was Glorfindel who observed that many who traveled to the city seemed to have no purpose.
“Maybe they are celebrating some holy day,” Celeborn observed.
“That could cause problems,” Eönwë stated. “While you have the option of free will in your faith, I do not. It is either I believe and stay true to Eru, or I turn my back on him. There is no half way for those of my kind.”
“You do not have the option of faking it for protection’s sake,” Elrond observed. “I too have surrendered myself to Eru’s wishes.”
“That would be kin to a denial of Eru for us,” Eönwë answered.
“Let us hope then that we can avoid that,” Glorfindel told them. “None of us here would ask that of you. Even Celeborn would stand by your side in this, heathen that he is.”
Celeborn just threw the nut he had been holding at Glorfindel’s head to lighten the mood while Elrond rolled his eyes. Eönwë was assured by the playful nature of his companions. He knew that they would all follow him to his doom if necessary, for they all believed as he did. They had all made their choices long ago, even Celeborn.
The next morning they selected a fairly large mixed group to fall in with as they joined the travelers on the road. There were warriors amongst them, and before noon Glorfindel had ensured that they were all armed with at least short swords and knives. Eönwë gave him a censoring look when he took the long knife handed to him but said nothing. Glorfindel just smiled back and continued to charm their traveling companions. They were able to enter the city without much trouble as the guards just considered them a part of the larger group.
Some of the merchants they had been traveling with invited them to stay amongst them for the next couple of days as they figured that they could hire these new young ones as guards. They had observed how the four had entered their group and mixed together. The merchants had shared smiles as they watched the big blonde appropriate swords and long knives for the others from the guards. Such skills could be useful to them while traveling. They appeared young and the merchants believed that they were just striking out on their own. Seeing the wisdom of being attached to another group, Elrond brokered a deal when approached that allowed them a certain amount of freedom to roam and explore while working for the merchants. The merchants agreed to their demands with smiles of understanding and provided them with papers of employment. Unrealized by the four, they were all seen as younglings looking to expand their horizons from farms or small towns. The merchants considered them more trainable than the spoilt city youth who tried for these jobs to get out of real work.
They stayed with the merchants until evening while their goods were turned over to stalls or warehouses. They then followed their new employers to their inn. After eating and checking out the sleeping quarters provided for them, they went with the merchants to see some of the city’s entertainments. There were the typical minstrels, mimes, and jugglers as well as a few puppet shows that seemed to remind them of the human settlements of Middle-earth. Further along, they came to streets of taverns and brothels. Passing these without much interest they continued on until they entered a cleaner and clearly wealthier part of the city.
Soon the merchants were showing their four new employees the temples to the Fire Gods and explaining the finer points of worship. The temples were closed as they prepared for a festival that was set to begin in two days. The merchants explained that they would not be staying to indulge in what was to come as they were continuing on to the Fire Lord’s city in the morning. They mistook the four’s quietness as disappointment and none of the four decided to correct them.
The following morning, they started their duties as guards. It was towards noon before they left the city and they pushed through the mountains on the far side of the valley before stopping for the night. They arranged it so that they slept in shifts as they did not trust their surroundings. They traveled for seven long days before they came upon a bay area with a large city surrounding it. In the distance they could see merchant ships plying the waters and on one side of the bay were docks for what was clearly a navy.
It took them another day of traveling to reach the city. They watched as both groups and individuals were stopped and their belongings checked. They also appeared to be checking people against a list of pictures. Seeing their apprentices’ question one of the merchants explained that this was normal and that they would be fine with the papers they had been provided. After another hour, it was their turn before the gates and as promised they were allowed to pass through easily. They were soon at their destination near the docks and stood guarding the goods as the merchants discharged their wares. Finally towards evening they followed the merchants into a clean hostel where they were assigned rooms together. After eating, the merchants offered to escort them on a tour.
They came across many of the same type stalls and street acts they had seen in the earlier city. Overall, the city appeared to be cleaner and well maintained. As they walked towards the center of the city and the palace they could see in the distance things began to take on a more militaristic bend. In the streets here, many acts of human strength were being tested by both men and women. Most were typical wrestling matches or fighting of different sorts but in a few areas different types of magic were being done. It was to these that they paid particular attention.
Seeing their interest, the merchants indulged them hoping to learn if any of them were lucky enough to possess inborn powers. Youth with these innate strengths were much sought after and were becoming fewer and harder to find as their families took to hiding them from the Fire Lord. The look of these four was promising and the merchants were not above testing them. At a nod from the senior among them, they steered their new guards towards the physical contests first to test their strength. There was hope when they saw the laughter in the young one’s eyes as they watched the fights.
“Are you young ones ready to prove your abilities to us?” the senior merchant asked them. Seeing their unease and not sure of its source he continued. “I will put up the betting fees. We have need to know of your abilities to ensure we provide you with the proper training.”
“But we have already be trained,” Eönwë began in an effort to forestall the contests.
“I am sure your families trained you well, young one,” another merchant laughed gently. “But we were not there to see it.”
“Come,” another of the merchants signaled to Glorfindel. “I will pay for you to fight next. You have no need to worry, even though you are the youngest. These fights in this ring are purely physical strength.”
“Glorfindel, be careful and temper your strength,” came the silent voices of his friends.
“Jeesh, you worry as if I have never done this before,” he commented back.
“Remember the strength of men,” came Elrond’s final warning. Although he was actually the youngest among them, he had been taken as the eldest because he looked so due to his mixed blood. If any of them could be considered weak here, it would be Celeborn despite his age. It was he who was nothing but a normal elf. They had decided to play along with the merchants’ decisions about their ages, as it made them fit in more but suspected that it would be harder to hide then they realized. Especially once they started to fight. How could they possibly hide millennia of training and war experience?
Glorfindel was led into the ring when the present bout ended. When he took his shirt off and handed it to Elrond, the merchants exchanged looks. It was clear from the scars and muscle mass that this was not his first fight despite his youngling looks. They wondered what the clothing of the others hid. Hidden from the others, they increased their bets significantly. Glorfindel looked to Elrond when his opponent stepped into the ring. He was taller than him and much broader.
‘Feel him out rather than try for a quick take down,’ came the advice. ‘It would attract too much attention if you felled him too fast.’
Glorfindel did as instructed and soon the fight was on. He reveled in the physical exertion as it relieved the tensions that had built up as a consequence of being constantly on watch in this new place. He drew the match out as long as he could but realized at one point that to continue would be cruel. He then ended the match quickly without hurting the man too much. Eönwë handed him a wet cloth to wipe down with as he stepped out of the ring, then he put his tunic back on. The merchants were pleased and chose Celeborn to go next. His opponent was smaller but quicker. Choosing to end the fight quickly once he had relieved some tension, he used his own speed to down the man. He smiled at Glorfindel when he exited the ring.
“Now I know why you dragged out the fight so long,” he told him. “It does feel good to stretch the muscles some and relieve the tension.”
Eönwë went next. His opponent was roughly the same size as Glorfindel’s had been but they were worried. Eönwë had never fought without his Maian powers before and would have no way to gauge how much strength to use. There were catcalls and shouts of foul when the match ended because Eönwë put too much power into his first punch and knocked the guy out.
“Remind us to work with you on disguising your skills better,” Elrond said to him as he exited the ring. He also saw how uncomfortable Eönwë was at the comments about his beauty. They would have to give him a crash course on humans and their behaviors tonight. Spending time in Númenor after the War of Wrath had obviously not prepared him for man’s baser instincts.
There was silence when Elrond took off his shirt and entered the ring. He had more scars due to his human heritage than the others despite his young looks. His body was also better defined, more mature looking to the people, than the others. No one came forward to fight at first, but suddenly there was a commotion at one side of the ring. A tall lithe man took off his shirt and stepped into the ring.
“Let us see exactly what you can do,” he sneered at Elrond.
‘Be careful Elrond,” Eönwë warned as he sized the opponent up. ‘He is not what he seems. He has much hidden power, magic in him.’
Nodding his head in acknowledgement, Elrond studied his opponent. He had taken Vilya off as he removed his shirt to prevent any accidents. Now he was glad he had thought to do so as he studied his opponent. There was something about this one that would have triggered his ring’s protective ability if he had worn it. He just hoped he was not so out of practice that he could not defend himself well. While his oath to not take up arms again prevented him from fighting with weapons other than in self defense, Glorfindel had made sure he was more than competent in hand to hand combat.
As the match began, the two circled each other trying to find a weakness to exploit. Finally they nodded to each other and came together in the middle. They wrestled for some time before coming to the conclusion that they were equal in physical strength. Elrond was doing is best to act human and not exert his Elvin or Maian powers when he felt a force from the other push him back suddenly. He realized quickly that this was no ordinary opponent. When it happened again and this time had a sting to it, he became angry. If the other was not going to play fair, he wasn’t either. Using his Elvin abilities, he put the other to the ground and held him there. Suddenly he was pushed off and across the ring from the energy again.
“Elrond, don’t loose your temper,” Glorfindel called as he realized what was happening.
The crowd went quiet when all realized that the fight had gone beyond physical. Suddenly, Elrond’s opponent flung a stream of yellow fire at him. Elrond did not even flinch as he used his abilities to catch the fire and turn it into a ball and extinguished it. The other’s eyes went wide as he realized that he was not the only one who could control fire. Panicking, he unleashed a series of fire bolts at Elrond as he moved around the ring quickly. He also kept pushing Elrond away with blasts of air. Elrond used his innate abilities to direct the fire above their heads as he followed his opponent around the ring. The wind, while pushing him back at first, obeyed his commands to go around him. Seeing a bucket of water in the corner, he called the water out of it and doused his opponent’s head and moving in quickly knocked him out with a blow to the head.
As he left the ring, the crowd backed away and some bowed to him. Frowning, he ignored them and dressed while the merchants herded them back to the inn. They were instructed to go to their rooms and stay there while one of the merchants acquired some food. Once settled, the others tended to each other’s hurts before talking to give Elrond time to calm down. The merchants said nothing but watched them closely wondering if all four were actually benders.
Finally, Elrond spoke. “I am sorry,” was all he said before the door burst open suddenly and soldiers filled the room.
A tall officer entered and pointed to Elrond. Their merchant bosses tried to prevent the arrest but failed.
“You claim they were together as a group?” the officer asked the senior merchant.
“Only the dark haired two,” he lied thinking to protect the younger ones. “The light haired ones were with another group we traveled with who have since gone on. We bought their services before meeting up with those two.”
‘We take the dark ones then,” ordered the officer as he signaled his men.
“No Glorfindel,” Eönwë ordered silently when he moved to protect them. Then he continued silently, ‘We can keep in contact so as not to lose each other. You cannot rescue us if we are all in jail. Use the protection the merchants have offered. I will watch after Elrond.’
Celeborn nodded his understanding and pulled Glorfindel back as Elrond and Eönwë were led from the inn in restraints.
“Where are they taking them?” he asked the merchants.
“To the palace,” came their reply. “Did you not know that all element benders who are not in league with the Fire Lord are considered traitors?”
“Who is this Fire Lord?” Glorfindel asked.
“Oh young ones,” the senior merchant began as he signaled one of his regular guards to keep watch. “You have obviously been kept in the dark about outside affairs in an attempt to hide your abilities. And yes we can tell you two are also hiding some abilities of some type. Come and sit. We will attempt to tell you of what is going on and answer your questions.”
Nodding their heads, they sat and ate a snack of bread and cheese as they listen to the story of the Fire Lord and his dominion over their world. When they came to the part about how the Fire Lord had proclaimed himself God after undergoing some strange ritual that had given him immortal life, Celeborn cringed. Eönwë would never give allegiance to this man even if it was to save his own life. Elrond for that matter would not either. They were both too dedicated to Eru. He and Glorfindel listened closely when the merchants told of the different element benders and their subsequent fall and dominion under the Fire Lord. They told the story of his eventually defeat at the hands of the Avatar and succession of his son. When they told of the Fire Lords escape and defeat of the Avatar and his imprisonment, they both just shook their heads. What had they all got themselves into to? Left alone for the rest of the night, Celeborn and Glorfindel talked about what they had learned between themselves and thought about all they had seen.
“It seems that our world was not the only one Morgoth contaminated. Do you think other Maiar, like Sauron, are here?” Glorfindel asked.
“I would think that Eönwë would have felt them, and he said nothing,” Celeborn said. “We should ask him to be sure when next we speak with him.”
“Should we not try now?” Glorfindel asked impatiently.
“No, we don’t want to run the risk of distracting them,” came the careful reply. “If they have not contacted us by morning, we will try then.”
Then they settled down for the night, with one always awake on watch.
Chapter 2:
Elrond and Eönwë were led away towards the middle of town and the palace. They knew not what exactly they had done wrong so kept their silence and observed as much as they could of their surroundings. Finally they were led before a senior officer who was conversing with several others. To one side they could see Elrond’s former opponent being paid off as he smirked at them. He had obviously betrayed them to the authorities after losing the fight. It was also obvious that he was one of these people of a somewhat lower rank.
“Well, well, what have we here?” asked the commander when they had been placed before him. “You are too young and unknowing to be traitors yourself so I think you are perhaps some younglings who have escaped from your homes. Tell me; are your parents also benders? Where is your home?”
Elrond and Eönwë knew not what exactly benders were so kept silent. Eönwë warned Elrond to show no emotion when the commander pulled his head back by the hair rather roughly. The man looked closely at Elrond trying to discern what he was.
“Or are you something more, another Avatar perhaps?” he asked Elrond who had avoided looking him in the eye. “We know what a failure the last Avatar was and that he has lost his powers since capture. Were you granted his powers upon their loss?”
Elrond did not answer. He did not know what an Avatar was but suspected that it was these peoples enemy. Although now he wondered how one person could cause such fear and it worried him. Eönwë was inspected next but was careful not to look the man in the eyes. He and Elrond looked similar enough that they could pass for brothers in the eyes of this man. No elf would believe that, but man’s eyes could not see the differences. He would be taken as a younger brother to Elrond which put him in equal danger.
“Bind them well and put them in separate cells,” the commander ordered. “We will let the Fire Lord question them in the morning. Remember to place the helmet on the older one’s head just in case.”
They were dragged off to a cell block below ground where they were put in separate steel cages that ran down the middle of a corridor with cells on both sides. There was another cell in the corridor between theirs that was occupied by a human with strange makings. He was a youth with a tattoo of a blue line that ran down his body. The tattoo came to an end in an arrow shape upon his forehead. There was a large dark scar on his back in the middle of the line. He, like they, was caged but he was not bound as they were. He watched as they were brought in and tied to poles that ran down the center of their cells. He just looked at them for a minute before returning his stare to the floor.
“Do you think he is this avatar they referred to?” Eönwë asked Elrond in Sindaran when the guards had left.
“Possibly,” Elrond answered. “It would explain why he is caged as we are. But more importantly, what is an Avatar?”
I know not and be careful what you say, for these walls here have ears,” came the careful reply. “Rest for now, I will contact the others and see what information they can provide.”
‘Glorfindel,’ Eönwë called after sensing that Elrond had finally fallen asleep.
‘Eönwë,’ Glorfindel acknowledged as he woke and answered. ‘Where are you?’
‘We are being held in a dungeon of sorts in the lower levels below the palace,’ he answered. ‘Elrond sleeps for now but he is troubled by dreams. We need information.’
‘What do you need to know?’ Celeborn asked as he joined the conversation.
‘Elrond has been accused of being a possible Avatar,’ he told them. ‘We need to know what one is and the consequences of that.’
Glorfindel relayed the information that he and Celeborn had learned from the merchants to Eönwë.
‘Can we get you out?’ he finally asked.
‘We are too heavily guarded where we are at,’ came the reply. ‘I suspect that the one in the cell between Elrond and I is the real Avatar if what you say is true. The commander of those who arrested us said he has lost his powers since he has been here.’
‘Could we have been brought here to help him complete his destiny and rescue this world?’ Celeborn asked as he thought about the situation.
‘It is consistent with the way Eru works sometimes,’ Eönwë acknowledged as he admired the Elves willingness to be used in this fashion. Not all would have been so willing.
‘Rest while you can,’ came Glorfindel’s instructions. ‘The merchants want to take Celeborn and me out of the city for our own protection tomorrow. They think it is just a matter of time before the guards return for us.’
‘It is probably safer for you,’ came Eönwë’s response. ‘Just don’t go too far, and don’t do anything stupid to draw attention. Elrond and I both drew too much attention to ourselves.’
‘Call us if we can help in any way and keep us apprised of the situation,’ Celeborn warned. ‘One last thing, Eönwë. This Fire Lord has proclaimed himself a God. Something happened to him to give him immortality. Be careful.’
‘I understand but realize that neither Elrond nor I will bow to him,’ Eönwë responded before resting himself.
Elrond woke just before dawn the next morning and was updated on the situation by Eönwë.
‘I have had dreams,’ he began. ‘Celeborn is right in his assumptions except that this Avatar cannot regain his powers. Only one is born every generation and this generation is lost except to sire another air bender as that is what his heritage is. If this world is to be saved from further destruction from the Fire Lord, one of us must become the Avatar.’
‘Can that be done without accepting whatever Gods they worship?’ Eönwë asked as he realized that he or Elrond were the most likely candidates for becoming the Avatar. Celeborn and Glorfindel did not have the abilities they had and it was unlikely they could be taught to use any others without sacrificing their souls. He would not allow that to happen.
‘I do not know but I do not think Eru would place us in this situation if that were the only way,’ Elrond answered. ‘They already think I am possibly the next Avatar. Let us play off of that for now and see where it leads. You can always complete what I fail to accomplish.’
Eönwë nodded his head in understanding as they watched what they could see of the rising sun through the little windows in the ceiling. Soon they heard the clang of metal and the cell doors along the walls began to open. They watched as all kinds of people, both the unsavory and the unlucky, began to come out into the corridor. Many made their way to the cages to taunt them and throw trash at them. Most concentrated on the one in the middle as Eönwë and Elrond were still unknowns. As the guards came in to restore order and lead the prisoners out to breakfast a group of five came over to the middle cage. They were all bound in special glowing handcuffs that restricted their movement and had strange helmets similar to the one placed on Elrond on their heads. They addressed the youth in the middle cage.
“How are you this morning, Aang?” a fairly young female asked.
“The usual I guess,” the Avatar answered dejectedly.
“Who are these new captives?” a young man asked. “They wear cuffs and head gear like we do.”
“I know not Sokka,” Aang answered. “They were brought in late last night.”
“You have no need to fear us,” Elrond said as he entered the conversation. “We are here to help you.”
“And how do you expect to do that?” another youth with scars over his left eye and face said in derision. They all gasped and took a step back as Elrond and Eönwë’s cuffs suddenly dropped from their arms and they both stood as Elrond took off the helmet.
“You should not question what you do not know Suko,” Eönwë said as he walked to his cell door and unlocked it with nothing but a word. They watched as Elrond did the same.
“And you should be more alert,” a girl dressed in flowing robes said as she ordered the troops to retake their new captives and restrain them again. They were suddenly seized and roughly bound again as hats were placed on both of their heads this time.
“Escort the others to their meal while we take these two before the Fire Lord.” she sneeringly ordered.
Elrond and Eönwë were pushed before pointed spears to an elaborate hall where many were gathered. They were pushed before a man on the dais and told to kneel. They were knocked to the floor when they refused. The commander stepped forward and updated another about them. They watched as this man in turn whispered into the ear of the man on the dais.
“Kneel before the Fire Lord and give him his proper due as the immortal God,” the counselor ordered them.
Elrond and Eönwë rose to their feet and stayed there. Neither would acknowledge what they were told to do. When the guards made to knock them to the floor again, the Fire Lord stopped them. He sensed that these two were different than normal and signaled his daughter, who had followed them in, to kneel by his side.
“You would not kneel to one who is immortal?” he asked them.
“Immortal, I think not. How old are you?” Elrond rushed and asked to cut off whatever Eönwë had started to say. They needed information now, not a fight that would end in their deaths.
“I am a thousand years old as of last week,” came the smug response expecting them to be shocked.
“Is that all?” Eönwë asked as he gave in and followed Elrond’s lead. “Why my young friend here is nearing his nine thousandth birthday. You are but a babe compared to us.”
“And how old do you claim to be?” the Fire Lord asked with anger in his eyes.
“There is no translation into your years for my age child,” Eönwë answered as he looked into the Fire Lord’s eyes.
The Fire Lord shivered as he looked into the ancient eyes. Turning to look into Elrond’s eyes he realized that they spoke the truth. He had to reassess how he handled this situation as he did not want his people to revere these two. He had been warned that others like his mentor might show up, and now he was faced with the situation. His people knew not the secret behind his immortality and he would not risk the truth coming out now.
“Here I am God,” he told them.
“To you maybe,” was the only response Elrond gave.
“You will bow before him, and take orders from me, before this is over,” the Fire Lord’s daughter proclaimed.
“No, we won’t,” was all Eönwë said.
With a flick of his hand soldiers rushed forward and forced the two to their knees. The Fire Lord surrounded them with a ring of fire while he whispered orders to the man standing behind his throne. The man quickly left and returned with chains that glowed. The Fire Lord broke his circle only long enough for the man to enter and place the new chains on Elrond and Eönwë. Eönwë realized instantly that the chain with enchanted with dark evil and warned Elrond to not struggle too much in them as he could not tell all that the chains could do.
Ending his circle of fire and coming before them The Fire Lord selected Elrond and placed his hand on his forehead. Elrond was suddenly subjected to searing fire coursing through him. Then he felt the mind probe begin. He rushed and closed his mind as his body burned even more. The pain was intense but he would not yield. His mind was his own and he would not give up control for any reason. Over and over came the assault on his mind until he finally could take no more and lost consciousness. Eönwë sensed Elrond’s fall and exerted his own powers to keep Elrond’s mind locked. This was one area where he could not be defeated as he had been gifted with special abilities being Manwë’s herald and Eru’s Oathkeeper.
Growling in frustration, the Fire Lord tried the same tactics on Eönwë. He came up against a black void that he was afraid to cross and stopped in fear. Angry now that he had been thorped in his plans, and because he had begun to fear these two himself, he ordered that both of the prisoners be taken out and given a hundred lashes each. He suspected that they were not as powerful as they thought and hoped that the extreme number would damage them somehow. He wanted to hurt them as much as he could. He smiled as he saw the sudden fear in the eyes of the younger one as he looked at the other on the floor. He could afford to loose the older looking one if the younger looking one would follow him for he suspected that he was the more powerful. And he wanted that power.
‘Glorfindel,’ Eönwë called as they were dragged out and tied to whipping posts.
‘I am here Eönwë,’ came the response.
‘Can you bolster Elrond with your power and being from such a distance?” he asked as the first lash fell.
‘I have done it before but not at such a great distance,’ Glorfindel replied. ‘Why?’
‘Do it now,’ Eönwë instructed. ‘I can keep the guard up on his mind but do not have the connection to help him further. We are being whipped and I fear he will not survive.’
‘What has happened?’ Celeborn cut in as he watched Glorfindel sit on the back of one of the wagons. They had left the city just an hour ago and were still traveling.
‘We would not yield and the Fire Lord has made Elrond a target,’ Eönwë explained. ‘I believe that he has decided to sacrifice Elrond in an attempt to convert me to his service. He tried to rape Elrond’s mind while burning his nerve endings mentally. I continued the mind block when Elrond fell unconscious but he has ordered us to be given a hundred lashes with a whip. I can survive this easily I think but of Elrond I am not so sure.’
‘Glorfindel will bolster him as much as he can,’ Celeborn assured him. ‘I will try if he cannot. We need to get you out of there.’
‘You must wait. Ow!’ came the pained reply. ‘This hurts; I have never experienced anything like this in incarnate form before.’
‘You will heal if your wounds are tended properly,’ came the careful reply. ‘Why must we wait?’
‘We have met the Avatar and some of his friends. It would be easier if we could escape as a group so he could tell us what we needed to know.’
‘That is ideal yes, but can Elrond hang on that long?’ Celeborn asked doubtfully.
‘He cannot,’ came the strained answer from Glorfindel. ‘We must rescue them soonest. Celeborn, learn where the loyalties of our merchants lay with a few discreet questions. Eönwë, learn the layout when you go back in.’
‘I must go,’ came the painful request from Eönwë. He was unsure of how much more pain he could endure as he had never felt anything resembling this before. Being incarnate definitely had downsides.
‘Keep a mental line open to us in case you loose consciousness,’ Celeborn warned before cutting the link. Then he turned to talk with the merchants.
The merchants proved to be sympathetic but were too afraid to help them. They did agree to give them the information they sought as well as advice about where and how to get back into the city. They also gave Glorfindel letters of introduction to help them if they managed to escape with or without their friends. The merchants also explained their itinerary to the young ones hoping they would return to them although they were not sure yet if they could continue using them.
Thanking the merchants, Celeborn and Glorfindel took their leave and headed back towards the city to wait for dark. Only then would they enter the city and try to break into the palace to rescue their friends.
The whipping felt like went on for far longer than it was supposed to. Eönwë was thankful that Elrond did not wake through the beating even though he could tell that Elrond had entered a state of shock. He himself was experiencing a level of pain he had not thought possible although he had managed to stay barely conscious. Finally they were cut down and dragged back into the dungeons were they were thrown into their respective cells again. Landing on his back, he had time to think that he would never be bad again before he blacked out from the pain.
Author: Amber
Beta: Red
Fandom: LOTR/Avatar: The Air Bender cartoon.
Artist: Mangacrack
Link to Art: http://archiveofourown.org/works/344948
Rating/Type: FPS/AU/R
Characters: Elrond, Glorfindel, Celeborn, Eönwë, Aang, Sokka, Zuko, Iroh, Katara, Toph
Disclaimer: All the major characters belong to either Tolkien or Nickelodeon.
Summary: After a party gets out of hand, four from Valinor discover they have been transported to another world where they are caught up in the politics and war.
Note 1: I am using Fiondil’s idea that Eönwë is Eru’s Oathkeeper in this Fic.
Note 2: This story was written for Alex’s Big Bang Challenge coming in at 30,995.
Chapter 1:
Celeborn groaned as he covered his eyes from the bright sun. If it was daylight already, his wife was going to be very upset. He had not realized how potent his first age whiskey had become over the millennium. He wondered exactly how many bottles they had drunk. You would think they would have learned by now not to engage in drinking contests with a Maia, or to let Elrond add anything to their drink. He had sworn the herbs would help them win and they had caved. Challenging Eönwë had been too good to resist though when he had promised to incarnate with a purely Elvin body. He wondered who had passed out last.
As he finally decided to face the day, he uncovered his eyes and sat up looking around him. He could not believe what he was seeing. Everything was barren around them as far as he could see from his position on the ground, as if recently burned to nothingness. What had they managed to do now, he thought as he turned to check on the others?
“Leave me alone,” Glorfindel groaned as Celeborn tried to rouse him by shaking him hard.
“I wish I could, but I think we are all in real trouble,” came the puzzling answer.
As Glorfindel digested that answer, he opened his eyes, rose, and took a good look around. As he crossed the few feet separating them to shake Elrond and Eönwë, he asked the obvious question.
“Does anyone recognize where we are?” Glorfindel asked.
“I thought we were in Elrond’s garden,” Eönwë said as he sat up to get a better idea of why Glorfindel was asking this question.
“This is definitely not Elrond’s gardens,” Celeborn stated. “Elrond, get up.”
“Anyone have any water?” Elrond asked as he buried his head in his arms and kept his eyes shut.
“There is no water,” Celeborn said as he pulled his son-in-law up.
“Where are we?” Elrond asked as he looked around, then at Eönwë.
“I have no idea,” came the confused Maia’s answer. “I can not tell where we are other than it does not feel like Arda.”
That answer caught everyone’s attention. Not Arda? Was Eönwë sure? Elves were supposed to be tied to Arda and not be able to leave until the remaking. What was going on? They all sobered up instantly and went into combat mode. There was no telling what they would encounter, or why.
“Where are they?” Galadriel demanded of Manwë. She and her daughter had been silently watching the drinking contest from the balcony of Elrond’s house and thoroughly enjoyed a good laugh watching as Eönwë had become inebriated. She had never thought to see such a thing and had greatly enjoyed watching the stuck up Maia act the fool when the four had disappeared in a flash of light. At first Galadriel had thought Eönwë has spied them watching and just moved the drinking bout away to somewhere they could not watch. When they had not reappeared by dawn and there was no message, she and Celebrían had made their way to Tanquetil to demand answers.
“I am told they are presently needed else were and will be occupied for a time,” came the vague answer.
“Who is telling you this? Be more specific please,” Galadriel demanded.
“I can not,” Manwë answered. “Ilúvator has told me he had a little problem elsewhere and they were selected to help solve it. That is all.”
“Can you not at least tell us if they are well?” Celebrían said unhappy with the answer they were given.
“I can not tell you exactly where they are as I have not been told, but I would assume Eru would tell me if they were not well,” Manwë admitted. “They are presently not on Arda.”
“How is that possible?” Galadriel asked as she grabbed her daughter. “Elves are tied to Arda. Eönwë, and maybe Elrond, may travel beyond for they are different, but Celeborn and Glorfindel are elves.”
“I believe Eru has made an exception in this case,” Manwë explained. “They will be returned when they complete their task.”
Then he disappeared effectively ending the audience.
“I will kill all four of them when they get back,” Galadriel said to her daughter as they left the palace.
“Not if I get to them first,” came Manwë’s quiet reply in their minds.
The four cleared their heads the best they could as they assessed their present surroundings. Taking a quick inventory of what they had on them as processions, they were surprised to find they were all armed with knives. They had no food or water with them although somehow Glorfindel had managed to hang onto an unopened bottle of whiskey when they were transferred to where ever they were. They knew they were in an exposed position and needed to hide until they could figure out what was going on and what to do. They decided to head in a southeasterly direction looking for water as there appeared to be shadows of mountains in that direction. They traveled carefully but quickly across the barren land. Slowly they started to come across what could only be the rubble of destroyed homes and towns. They searched quickly for any items that were usable but found only basic items that did not burn easily left.
They had walked for two days before they finally started to come across usable remains. They were able to pick up sturdy sticks, the left over of what they assumed were once fences that they shaped into crude staffs. They could use these to defend themselves if needed until they could find something better than their knives. Everywhere they looked, the area had been burned as if destroyed intentionally.
“These fires were not natural,” Eönwë said as he studied the burn patterns of the ground below when they had travel up a tall hill. “They remind me of the burn patterns human’s leave when they use a scorched earth campaign.”
“What exactly is a scorched earth campaign?” Celeborn wanted to know. “The damaged is different than what I have seen before. Whatever burned the vegetation was caused in some kind of fight. See the direction patterns.”
“Scorched earth is when troops burn everything after they have stripping it of anything they deem usable,” Eönwë explained. “It has been used in Middle-earth of late by some of the darker armies.”
“There appears to be green, unhurt foliage to the south of us,” Glorfindel called. “Do we head in that direction?”
“It might be safer, at least we will be hidden,” Eönwë answered.
“Elrond, what are you doing?” Celeborn inquired as he watched his son-in-law.
Glorfindel looked back and saw Elrond standing with his eyes closed. Recognizing what he was doing, he wondered for a minute. Then he crossed to Elrond and pulled up his sleeve to look at his right hand. Seeing no ring, he ran his hand over Elrond’s fingers. He felt Vilya.
“Elrond, Vilya?” he asked.
“Its power has returned,” Elrond said as he continued reaching out. “I know not why but I can use it again as if it was never shorn of its power.”
“But is it safe?” Celeborn cautioned.
“The rings have always been tied to the elves. More importantly, Vilya has always accepted me as her master,” he returned.
“Be careful as you probe Elrond,” Eönwë warned. “We know not what is out here. I feel a great evil in the distance but cannot tell exactly how far away it is or what form it takes.”
“Let us head down into cover then for it will be safer for us,” Celeborn said as he thought. “Maybe it is time we all tested what we can do, and not do. That is better done where none can see.”
All nodded their agreement and they traveled most of the day to reach the stand of woods below. They traveled about a mile and a half into the trees before stopping by a small stream and resting. Then they tested themselves. Celeborn retained the power he had with flora, like in Middle-earth, and the basic small magic of the elves with fire and energy. Glorfindel tried his abilities with fauna and saw that they worked on the few animals around even though they were different. He retained his abilities with small magic and also the greater ability to project his spiritual side. He and Celeborn both noticed that all of their natural senses appeared to have been heightened.
Elrond went next. He took Vilya off and tried his innate powers to find that his ability to control water was greater than usual. Like the others, his abilities in small magic were there and his senses had been enhanced. The wind also called to him but its language was different and strange. Returning his ring to his finger, he noticed that it extended his senses like it had in Middle-earth. Then he tried out the rings abilities. He was able to control the wind and weather like he had before and it enhanced his abilities with fire and water. Turning to Eönwë, they did not know what to expect. Elrond decided to approach his testing in a different way. Using Vilya, after he gained permission, he placed his hands on Eönwë’s chest and forehead. Looking deep, Elrond learned that the Maia’s powers had been greatly reduced in range and strength. He had been made more equal to the elves. His powers were now limited to what Elrond controlled with Vilya’s aide.
“You will have to be careful,” he told Eönwë. “Your powers have been dampened so that you are more equal in power to what I just displayed with Vilya. You also seem to be able to control the elements, both natural and man made, whereas our control of these items is sporadic.”
“How will I know what is equal?” the Maia asked in confusion.
“Watch us and how we use our powers, and do not attempt anything beyond simple stuff until we know more,” Celeborn explain. “It is better is work up to discover what you can do than to try too much and fail.”
Nodding his understanding, Eönwë decided to stay in the background and let the others lead. He had suspected what Elrond had confirmed but wondered about his abilities in the things Elrond would not think or know to check. He would test these when he had time alone. He was uncomfortable with these limitations and the not knowing but decided to say nothing for now. The four decided to spend the night in the little clearing and start out again just after dawn. They found enough familiar fruits and vegetable after searching a little further afield to supplement the little fish Eönwë caught in the stream. After eating a good meal they slept in shifts always having two stay awake to watch for danger.
They rose and refreshed themselves in the stream before starting out again just after dawn. They traveled for several days through the woods and intermittent barren areas before they began hearing the sounds of other travelers. Climbing into the trees nearby, they saw a road leading down into a large valley. In the distance they could see a walled city that was surrounded by farmland. They observed the travelers and realized that with a few changes to their clothing, it would be easy for them to fit in. It was a good thing they had all been dressed in tunics and leggings for once. They crept closer to hear what kind of language was spoken. They were surprised to hear a form of Westron being spoken by the people.
“Some of the words, I do not recognize,” Celeborn stated. “It might be safer for only two to enter the city.”
“I would that we stay together,” Eönwë said with an uncomfortable feeling. The evil he felt seemed to be coming from just beyond the city.
“I agree,” Glorfindel spoke up before realizing something. “There is something not right about this place. We need to test if we can mind speak amongst ourselves.”
Surprised that none of them had considered this, they did a quick test which revealed that they all had the ability to converse together easily. They decided to wait until the next day to enter the city using the time until then to further study the people and language. It was Glorfindel who observed that many who traveled to the city seemed to have no purpose.
“Maybe they are celebrating some holy day,” Celeborn observed.
“That could cause problems,” Eönwë stated. “While you have the option of free will in your faith, I do not. It is either I believe and stay true to Eru, or I turn my back on him. There is no half way for those of my kind.”
“You do not have the option of faking it for protection’s sake,” Elrond observed. “I too have surrendered myself to Eru’s wishes.”
“That would be kin to a denial of Eru for us,” Eönwë answered.
“Let us hope then that we can avoid that,” Glorfindel told them. “None of us here would ask that of you. Even Celeborn would stand by your side in this, heathen that he is.”
Celeborn just threw the nut he had been holding at Glorfindel’s head to lighten the mood while Elrond rolled his eyes. Eönwë was assured by the playful nature of his companions. He knew that they would all follow him to his doom if necessary, for they all believed as he did. They had all made their choices long ago, even Celeborn.
The next morning they selected a fairly large mixed group to fall in with as they joined the travelers on the road. There were warriors amongst them, and before noon Glorfindel had ensured that they were all armed with at least short swords and knives. Eönwë gave him a censoring look when he took the long knife handed to him but said nothing. Glorfindel just smiled back and continued to charm their traveling companions. They were able to enter the city without much trouble as the guards just considered them a part of the larger group.
Some of the merchants they had been traveling with invited them to stay amongst them for the next couple of days as they figured that they could hire these new young ones as guards. They had observed how the four had entered their group and mixed together. The merchants had shared smiles as they watched the big blonde appropriate swords and long knives for the others from the guards. Such skills could be useful to them while traveling. They appeared young and the merchants believed that they were just striking out on their own. Seeing the wisdom of being attached to another group, Elrond brokered a deal when approached that allowed them a certain amount of freedom to roam and explore while working for the merchants. The merchants agreed to their demands with smiles of understanding and provided them with papers of employment. Unrealized by the four, they were all seen as younglings looking to expand their horizons from farms or small towns. The merchants considered them more trainable than the spoilt city youth who tried for these jobs to get out of real work.
They stayed with the merchants until evening while their goods were turned over to stalls or warehouses. They then followed their new employers to their inn. After eating and checking out the sleeping quarters provided for them, they went with the merchants to see some of the city’s entertainments. There were the typical minstrels, mimes, and jugglers as well as a few puppet shows that seemed to remind them of the human settlements of Middle-earth. Further along, they came to streets of taverns and brothels. Passing these without much interest they continued on until they entered a cleaner and clearly wealthier part of the city.
Soon the merchants were showing their four new employees the temples to the Fire Gods and explaining the finer points of worship. The temples were closed as they prepared for a festival that was set to begin in two days. The merchants explained that they would not be staying to indulge in what was to come as they were continuing on to the Fire Lord’s city in the morning. They mistook the four’s quietness as disappointment and none of the four decided to correct them.
The following morning, they started their duties as guards. It was towards noon before they left the city and they pushed through the mountains on the far side of the valley before stopping for the night. They arranged it so that they slept in shifts as they did not trust their surroundings. They traveled for seven long days before they came upon a bay area with a large city surrounding it. In the distance they could see merchant ships plying the waters and on one side of the bay were docks for what was clearly a navy.
It took them another day of traveling to reach the city. They watched as both groups and individuals were stopped and their belongings checked. They also appeared to be checking people against a list of pictures. Seeing their apprentices’ question one of the merchants explained that this was normal and that they would be fine with the papers they had been provided. After another hour, it was their turn before the gates and as promised they were allowed to pass through easily. They were soon at their destination near the docks and stood guarding the goods as the merchants discharged their wares. Finally towards evening they followed the merchants into a clean hostel where they were assigned rooms together. After eating, the merchants offered to escort them on a tour.
They came across many of the same type stalls and street acts they had seen in the earlier city. Overall, the city appeared to be cleaner and well maintained. As they walked towards the center of the city and the palace they could see in the distance things began to take on a more militaristic bend. In the streets here, many acts of human strength were being tested by both men and women. Most were typical wrestling matches or fighting of different sorts but in a few areas different types of magic were being done. It was to these that they paid particular attention.
Seeing their interest, the merchants indulged them hoping to learn if any of them were lucky enough to possess inborn powers. Youth with these innate strengths were much sought after and were becoming fewer and harder to find as their families took to hiding them from the Fire Lord. The look of these four was promising and the merchants were not above testing them. At a nod from the senior among them, they steered their new guards towards the physical contests first to test their strength. There was hope when they saw the laughter in the young one’s eyes as they watched the fights.
“Are you young ones ready to prove your abilities to us?” the senior merchant asked them. Seeing their unease and not sure of its source he continued. “I will put up the betting fees. We have need to know of your abilities to ensure we provide you with the proper training.”
“But we have already be trained,” Eönwë began in an effort to forestall the contests.
“I am sure your families trained you well, young one,” another merchant laughed gently. “But we were not there to see it.”
“Come,” another of the merchants signaled to Glorfindel. “I will pay for you to fight next. You have no need to worry, even though you are the youngest. These fights in this ring are purely physical strength.”
“Glorfindel, be careful and temper your strength,” came the silent voices of his friends.
“Jeesh, you worry as if I have never done this before,” he commented back.
“Remember the strength of men,” came Elrond’s final warning. Although he was actually the youngest among them, he had been taken as the eldest because he looked so due to his mixed blood. If any of them could be considered weak here, it would be Celeborn despite his age. It was he who was nothing but a normal elf. They had decided to play along with the merchants’ decisions about their ages, as it made them fit in more but suspected that it would be harder to hide then they realized. Especially once they started to fight. How could they possibly hide millennia of training and war experience?
Glorfindel was led into the ring when the present bout ended. When he took his shirt off and handed it to Elrond, the merchants exchanged looks. It was clear from the scars and muscle mass that this was not his first fight despite his youngling looks. They wondered what the clothing of the others hid. Hidden from the others, they increased their bets significantly. Glorfindel looked to Elrond when his opponent stepped into the ring. He was taller than him and much broader.
‘Feel him out rather than try for a quick take down,’ came the advice. ‘It would attract too much attention if you felled him too fast.’
Glorfindel did as instructed and soon the fight was on. He reveled in the physical exertion as it relieved the tensions that had built up as a consequence of being constantly on watch in this new place. He drew the match out as long as he could but realized at one point that to continue would be cruel. He then ended the match quickly without hurting the man too much. Eönwë handed him a wet cloth to wipe down with as he stepped out of the ring, then he put his tunic back on. The merchants were pleased and chose Celeborn to go next. His opponent was smaller but quicker. Choosing to end the fight quickly once he had relieved some tension, he used his own speed to down the man. He smiled at Glorfindel when he exited the ring.
“Now I know why you dragged out the fight so long,” he told him. “It does feel good to stretch the muscles some and relieve the tension.”
Eönwë went next. His opponent was roughly the same size as Glorfindel’s had been but they were worried. Eönwë had never fought without his Maian powers before and would have no way to gauge how much strength to use. There were catcalls and shouts of foul when the match ended because Eönwë put too much power into his first punch and knocked the guy out.
“Remind us to work with you on disguising your skills better,” Elrond said to him as he exited the ring. He also saw how uncomfortable Eönwë was at the comments about his beauty. They would have to give him a crash course on humans and their behaviors tonight. Spending time in Númenor after the War of Wrath had obviously not prepared him for man’s baser instincts.
There was silence when Elrond took off his shirt and entered the ring. He had more scars due to his human heritage than the others despite his young looks. His body was also better defined, more mature looking to the people, than the others. No one came forward to fight at first, but suddenly there was a commotion at one side of the ring. A tall lithe man took off his shirt and stepped into the ring.
“Let us see exactly what you can do,” he sneered at Elrond.
‘Be careful Elrond,” Eönwë warned as he sized the opponent up. ‘He is not what he seems. He has much hidden power, magic in him.’
Nodding his head in acknowledgement, Elrond studied his opponent. He had taken Vilya off as he removed his shirt to prevent any accidents. Now he was glad he had thought to do so as he studied his opponent. There was something about this one that would have triggered his ring’s protective ability if he had worn it. He just hoped he was not so out of practice that he could not defend himself well. While his oath to not take up arms again prevented him from fighting with weapons other than in self defense, Glorfindel had made sure he was more than competent in hand to hand combat.
As the match began, the two circled each other trying to find a weakness to exploit. Finally they nodded to each other and came together in the middle. They wrestled for some time before coming to the conclusion that they were equal in physical strength. Elrond was doing is best to act human and not exert his Elvin or Maian powers when he felt a force from the other push him back suddenly. He realized quickly that this was no ordinary opponent. When it happened again and this time had a sting to it, he became angry. If the other was not going to play fair, he wasn’t either. Using his Elvin abilities, he put the other to the ground and held him there. Suddenly he was pushed off and across the ring from the energy again.
“Elrond, don’t loose your temper,” Glorfindel called as he realized what was happening.
The crowd went quiet when all realized that the fight had gone beyond physical. Suddenly, Elrond’s opponent flung a stream of yellow fire at him. Elrond did not even flinch as he used his abilities to catch the fire and turn it into a ball and extinguished it. The other’s eyes went wide as he realized that he was not the only one who could control fire. Panicking, he unleashed a series of fire bolts at Elrond as he moved around the ring quickly. He also kept pushing Elrond away with blasts of air. Elrond used his innate abilities to direct the fire above their heads as he followed his opponent around the ring. The wind, while pushing him back at first, obeyed his commands to go around him. Seeing a bucket of water in the corner, he called the water out of it and doused his opponent’s head and moving in quickly knocked him out with a blow to the head.
As he left the ring, the crowd backed away and some bowed to him. Frowning, he ignored them and dressed while the merchants herded them back to the inn. They were instructed to go to their rooms and stay there while one of the merchants acquired some food. Once settled, the others tended to each other’s hurts before talking to give Elrond time to calm down. The merchants said nothing but watched them closely wondering if all four were actually benders.
Finally, Elrond spoke. “I am sorry,” was all he said before the door burst open suddenly and soldiers filled the room.
A tall officer entered and pointed to Elrond. Their merchant bosses tried to prevent the arrest but failed.
“You claim they were together as a group?” the officer asked the senior merchant.
“Only the dark haired two,” he lied thinking to protect the younger ones. “The light haired ones were with another group we traveled with who have since gone on. We bought their services before meeting up with those two.”
‘We take the dark ones then,” ordered the officer as he signaled his men.
“No Glorfindel,” Eönwë ordered silently when he moved to protect them. Then he continued silently, ‘We can keep in contact so as not to lose each other. You cannot rescue us if we are all in jail. Use the protection the merchants have offered. I will watch after Elrond.’
Celeborn nodded his understanding and pulled Glorfindel back as Elrond and Eönwë were led from the inn in restraints.
“Where are they taking them?” he asked the merchants.
“To the palace,” came their reply. “Did you not know that all element benders who are not in league with the Fire Lord are considered traitors?”
“Who is this Fire Lord?” Glorfindel asked.
“Oh young ones,” the senior merchant began as he signaled one of his regular guards to keep watch. “You have obviously been kept in the dark about outside affairs in an attempt to hide your abilities. And yes we can tell you two are also hiding some abilities of some type. Come and sit. We will attempt to tell you of what is going on and answer your questions.”
Nodding their heads, they sat and ate a snack of bread and cheese as they listen to the story of the Fire Lord and his dominion over their world. When they came to the part about how the Fire Lord had proclaimed himself God after undergoing some strange ritual that had given him immortal life, Celeborn cringed. Eönwë would never give allegiance to this man even if it was to save his own life. Elrond for that matter would not either. They were both too dedicated to Eru. He and Glorfindel listened closely when the merchants told of the different element benders and their subsequent fall and dominion under the Fire Lord. They told the story of his eventually defeat at the hands of the Avatar and succession of his son. When they told of the Fire Lords escape and defeat of the Avatar and his imprisonment, they both just shook their heads. What had they all got themselves into to? Left alone for the rest of the night, Celeborn and Glorfindel talked about what they had learned between themselves and thought about all they had seen.
“It seems that our world was not the only one Morgoth contaminated. Do you think other Maiar, like Sauron, are here?” Glorfindel asked.
“I would think that Eönwë would have felt them, and he said nothing,” Celeborn said. “We should ask him to be sure when next we speak with him.”
“Should we not try now?” Glorfindel asked impatiently.
“No, we don’t want to run the risk of distracting them,” came the careful reply. “If they have not contacted us by morning, we will try then.”
Then they settled down for the night, with one always awake on watch.
Chapter 2:
Elrond and Eönwë were led away towards the middle of town and the palace. They knew not what exactly they had done wrong so kept their silence and observed as much as they could of their surroundings. Finally they were led before a senior officer who was conversing with several others. To one side they could see Elrond’s former opponent being paid off as he smirked at them. He had obviously betrayed them to the authorities after losing the fight. It was also obvious that he was one of these people of a somewhat lower rank.
“Well, well, what have we here?” asked the commander when they had been placed before him. “You are too young and unknowing to be traitors yourself so I think you are perhaps some younglings who have escaped from your homes. Tell me; are your parents also benders? Where is your home?”
Elrond and Eönwë knew not what exactly benders were so kept silent. Eönwë warned Elrond to show no emotion when the commander pulled his head back by the hair rather roughly. The man looked closely at Elrond trying to discern what he was.
“Or are you something more, another Avatar perhaps?” he asked Elrond who had avoided looking him in the eye. “We know what a failure the last Avatar was and that he has lost his powers since capture. Were you granted his powers upon their loss?”
Elrond did not answer. He did not know what an Avatar was but suspected that it was these peoples enemy. Although now he wondered how one person could cause such fear and it worried him. Eönwë was inspected next but was careful not to look the man in the eyes. He and Elrond looked similar enough that they could pass for brothers in the eyes of this man. No elf would believe that, but man’s eyes could not see the differences. He would be taken as a younger brother to Elrond which put him in equal danger.
“Bind them well and put them in separate cells,” the commander ordered. “We will let the Fire Lord question them in the morning. Remember to place the helmet on the older one’s head just in case.”
They were dragged off to a cell block below ground where they were put in separate steel cages that ran down the middle of a corridor with cells on both sides. There was another cell in the corridor between theirs that was occupied by a human with strange makings. He was a youth with a tattoo of a blue line that ran down his body. The tattoo came to an end in an arrow shape upon his forehead. There was a large dark scar on his back in the middle of the line. He, like they, was caged but he was not bound as they were. He watched as they were brought in and tied to poles that ran down the center of their cells. He just looked at them for a minute before returning his stare to the floor.
“Do you think he is this avatar they referred to?” Eönwë asked Elrond in Sindaran when the guards had left.
“Possibly,” Elrond answered. “It would explain why he is caged as we are. But more importantly, what is an Avatar?”
I know not and be careful what you say, for these walls here have ears,” came the careful reply. “Rest for now, I will contact the others and see what information they can provide.”
‘Glorfindel,’ Eönwë called after sensing that Elrond had finally fallen asleep.
‘Eönwë,’ Glorfindel acknowledged as he woke and answered. ‘Where are you?’
‘We are being held in a dungeon of sorts in the lower levels below the palace,’ he answered. ‘Elrond sleeps for now but he is troubled by dreams. We need information.’
‘What do you need to know?’ Celeborn asked as he joined the conversation.
‘Elrond has been accused of being a possible Avatar,’ he told them. ‘We need to know what one is and the consequences of that.’
Glorfindel relayed the information that he and Celeborn had learned from the merchants to Eönwë.
‘Can we get you out?’ he finally asked.
‘We are too heavily guarded where we are at,’ came the reply. ‘I suspect that the one in the cell between Elrond and I is the real Avatar if what you say is true. The commander of those who arrested us said he has lost his powers since he has been here.’
‘Could we have been brought here to help him complete his destiny and rescue this world?’ Celeborn asked as he thought about the situation.
‘It is consistent with the way Eru works sometimes,’ Eönwë acknowledged as he admired the Elves willingness to be used in this fashion. Not all would have been so willing.
‘Rest while you can,’ came Glorfindel’s instructions. ‘The merchants want to take Celeborn and me out of the city for our own protection tomorrow. They think it is just a matter of time before the guards return for us.’
‘It is probably safer for you,’ came Eönwë’s response. ‘Just don’t go too far, and don’t do anything stupid to draw attention. Elrond and I both drew too much attention to ourselves.’
‘Call us if we can help in any way and keep us apprised of the situation,’ Celeborn warned. ‘One last thing, Eönwë. This Fire Lord has proclaimed himself a God. Something happened to him to give him immortality. Be careful.’
‘I understand but realize that neither Elrond nor I will bow to him,’ Eönwë responded before resting himself.
Elrond woke just before dawn the next morning and was updated on the situation by Eönwë.
‘I have had dreams,’ he began. ‘Celeborn is right in his assumptions except that this Avatar cannot regain his powers. Only one is born every generation and this generation is lost except to sire another air bender as that is what his heritage is. If this world is to be saved from further destruction from the Fire Lord, one of us must become the Avatar.’
‘Can that be done without accepting whatever Gods they worship?’ Eönwë asked as he realized that he or Elrond were the most likely candidates for becoming the Avatar. Celeborn and Glorfindel did not have the abilities they had and it was unlikely they could be taught to use any others without sacrificing their souls. He would not allow that to happen.
‘I do not know but I do not think Eru would place us in this situation if that were the only way,’ Elrond answered. ‘They already think I am possibly the next Avatar. Let us play off of that for now and see where it leads. You can always complete what I fail to accomplish.’
Eönwë nodded his head in understanding as they watched what they could see of the rising sun through the little windows in the ceiling. Soon they heard the clang of metal and the cell doors along the walls began to open. They watched as all kinds of people, both the unsavory and the unlucky, began to come out into the corridor. Many made their way to the cages to taunt them and throw trash at them. Most concentrated on the one in the middle as Eönwë and Elrond were still unknowns. As the guards came in to restore order and lead the prisoners out to breakfast a group of five came over to the middle cage. They were all bound in special glowing handcuffs that restricted their movement and had strange helmets similar to the one placed on Elrond on their heads. They addressed the youth in the middle cage.
“How are you this morning, Aang?” a fairly young female asked.
“The usual I guess,” the Avatar answered dejectedly.
“Who are these new captives?” a young man asked. “They wear cuffs and head gear like we do.”
“I know not Sokka,” Aang answered. “They were brought in late last night.”
“You have no need to fear us,” Elrond said as he entered the conversation. “We are here to help you.”
“And how do you expect to do that?” another youth with scars over his left eye and face said in derision. They all gasped and took a step back as Elrond and Eönwë’s cuffs suddenly dropped from their arms and they both stood as Elrond took off the helmet.
“You should not question what you do not know Suko,” Eönwë said as he walked to his cell door and unlocked it with nothing but a word. They watched as Elrond did the same.
“And you should be more alert,” a girl dressed in flowing robes said as she ordered the troops to retake their new captives and restrain them again. They were suddenly seized and roughly bound again as hats were placed on both of their heads this time.
“Escort the others to their meal while we take these two before the Fire Lord.” she sneeringly ordered.
Elrond and Eönwë were pushed before pointed spears to an elaborate hall where many were gathered. They were pushed before a man on the dais and told to kneel. They were knocked to the floor when they refused. The commander stepped forward and updated another about them. They watched as this man in turn whispered into the ear of the man on the dais.
“Kneel before the Fire Lord and give him his proper due as the immortal God,” the counselor ordered them.
Elrond and Eönwë rose to their feet and stayed there. Neither would acknowledge what they were told to do. When the guards made to knock them to the floor again, the Fire Lord stopped them. He sensed that these two were different than normal and signaled his daughter, who had followed them in, to kneel by his side.
“You would not kneel to one who is immortal?” he asked them.
“Immortal, I think not. How old are you?” Elrond rushed and asked to cut off whatever Eönwë had started to say. They needed information now, not a fight that would end in their deaths.
“I am a thousand years old as of last week,” came the smug response expecting them to be shocked.
“Is that all?” Eönwë asked as he gave in and followed Elrond’s lead. “Why my young friend here is nearing his nine thousandth birthday. You are but a babe compared to us.”
“And how old do you claim to be?” the Fire Lord asked with anger in his eyes.
“There is no translation into your years for my age child,” Eönwë answered as he looked into the Fire Lord’s eyes.
The Fire Lord shivered as he looked into the ancient eyes. Turning to look into Elrond’s eyes he realized that they spoke the truth. He had to reassess how he handled this situation as he did not want his people to revere these two. He had been warned that others like his mentor might show up, and now he was faced with the situation. His people knew not the secret behind his immortality and he would not risk the truth coming out now.
“Here I am God,” he told them.
“To you maybe,” was the only response Elrond gave.
“You will bow before him, and take orders from me, before this is over,” the Fire Lord’s daughter proclaimed.
“No, we won’t,” was all Eönwë said.
With a flick of his hand soldiers rushed forward and forced the two to their knees. The Fire Lord surrounded them with a ring of fire while he whispered orders to the man standing behind his throne. The man quickly left and returned with chains that glowed. The Fire Lord broke his circle only long enough for the man to enter and place the new chains on Elrond and Eönwë. Eönwë realized instantly that the chain with enchanted with dark evil and warned Elrond to not struggle too much in them as he could not tell all that the chains could do.
Ending his circle of fire and coming before them The Fire Lord selected Elrond and placed his hand on his forehead. Elrond was suddenly subjected to searing fire coursing through him. Then he felt the mind probe begin. He rushed and closed his mind as his body burned even more. The pain was intense but he would not yield. His mind was his own and he would not give up control for any reason. Over and over came the assault on his mind until he finally could take no more and lost consciousness. Eönwë sensed Elrond’s fall and exerted his own powers to keep Elrond’s mind locked. This was one area where he could not be defeated as he had been gifted with special abilities being Manwë’s herald and Eru’s Oathkeeper.
Growling in frustration, the Fire Lord tried the same tactics on Eönwë. He came up against a black void that he was afraid to cross and stopped in fear. Angry now that he had been thorped in his plans, and because he had begun to fear these two himself, he ordered that both of the prisoners be taken out and given a hundred lashes each. He suspected that they were not as powerful as they thought and hoped that the extreme number would damage them somehow. He wanted to hurt them as much as he could. He smiled as he saw the sudden fear in the eyes of the younger one as he looked at the other on the floor. He could afford to loose the older looking one if the younger looking one would follow him for he suspected that he was the more powerful. And he wanted that power.
‘Glorfindel,’ Eönwë called as they were dragged out and tied to whipping posts.
‘I am here Eönwë,’ came the response.
‘Can you bolster Elrond with your power and being from such a distance?” he asked as the first lash fell.
‘I have done it before but not at such a great distance,’ Glorfindel replied. ‘Why?’
‘Do it now,’ Eönwë instructed. ‘I can keep the guard up on his mind but do not have the connection to help him further. We are being whipped and I fear he will not survive.’
‘What has happened?’ Celeborn cut in as he watched Glorfindel sit on the back of one of the wagons. They had left the city just an hour ago and were still traveling.
‘We would not yield and the Fire Lord has made Elrond a target,’ Eönwë explained. ‘I believe that he has decided to sacrifice Elrond in an attempt to convert me to his service. He tried to rape Elrond’s mind while burning his nerve endings mentally. I continued the mind block when Elrond fell unconscious but he has ordered us to be given a hundred lashes with a whip. I can survive this easily I think but of Elrond I am not so sure.’
‘Glorfindel will bolster him as much as he can,’ Celeborn assured him. ‘I will try if he cannot. We need to get you out of there.’
‘You must wait. Ow!’ came the pained reply. ‘This hurts; I have never experienced anything like this in incarnate form before.’
‘You will heal if your wounds are tended properly,’ came the careful reply. ‘Why must we wait?’
‘We have met the Avatar and some of his friends. It would be easier if we could escape as a group so he could tell us what we needed to know.’
‘That is ideal yes, but can Elrond hang on that long?’ Celeborn asked doubtfully.
‘He cannot,’ came the strained answer from Glorfindel. ‘We must rescue them soonest. Celeborn, learn where the loyalties of our merchants lay with a few discreet questions. Eönwë, learn the layout when you go back in.’
‘I must go,’ came the painful request from Eönwë. He was unsure of how much more pain he could endure as he had never felt anything resembling this before. Being incarnate definitely had downsides.
‘Keep a mental line open to us in case you loose consciousness,’ Celeborn warned before cutting the link. Then he turned to talk with the merchants.
The merchants proved to be sympathetic but were too afraid to help them. They did agree to give them the information they sought as well as advice about where and how to get back into the city. They also gave Glorfindel letters of introduction to help them if they managed to escape with or without their friends. The merchants also explained their itinerary to the young ones hoping they would return to them although they were not sure yet if they could continue using them.
Thanking the merchants, Celeborn and Glorfindel took their leave and headed back towards the city to wait for dark. Only then would they enter the city and try to break into the palace to rescue their friends.
The whipping felt like went on for far longer than it was supposed to. Eönwë was thankful that Elrond did not wake through the beating even though he could tell that Elrond had entered a state of shock. He himself was experiencing a level of pain he had not thought possible although he had managed to stay barely conscious. Finally they were cut down and dragged back into the dungeons were they were thrown into their respective cells again. Landing on his back, he had time to think that he would never be bad again before he blacked out from the pain.