Fan Fiction ❯ Struggle To Live ❯ The Second Attack Part II- Revelation ( Chapter 7 )

STRUGGLE TO LIVE

Summary for last chapter: The elves and the monsters engaged in a battle.

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Chapter 7: The Second Attack Part II- Revelation

The darkness spread to the horizon, as Legolas sprinted forward into the foul air. He wasn't sure where he was going; he had only followed the sound of trees blindly. As he continued the path, the trees became more and more aggressive. He had never seen the trees like this, they were almost strangers to him.

Pain. It was only pain. It grew more intense as he ran, and soon it was the only feeling he felt. His conscious was covered by dizziness, but he ignored it. He had to. His people needed him. He knew that he could never forgive himself if his people perished while he stayed alive. He had to fight beside them.

Suddenly, his elven instinct told him that a pair of eyes was watching him. He stopped abruptly, reached for his bow, and turned to where he thought the monster was. Strangely, it wasn't a monster. Under the kindled moonlight, he saw a tall figure with long golden hair. The figure had crystal keen eyes, and pointy ears. His white silky robe reflecting the little star light, flowing under the dark like the waves of sea. He had the light of. . . an elf. The figure stepped out of the shadow.

It was an elf, a half Sindar elf. He would look as a full blood elf if it weren't for his dark eyes and the markings on his face.

Legolas felt his body was frozen by the sight of that elf. He saw a warm yet cunning smile appeared on the latter's face. That elf spoke. The voice was very familiar. . . too familiar. Legolas knew he heard the same melodic but malicious voice once before. He tried to recall, however, the pain disabled his rational thought.

"Greeting, the grandson of Oropher, and the son of Thranduil."

~~~~~~~

"Aragorn! I didn't know you are here also!" The king of Gondor turned around, but couldn't see anyone until he looked down a little below his eye-level. It was Gimli. The dwarf just struck down one of the monsters with his axe. The former ranger smiled at his friend while he lighted up his arrow with fire and shot down a shadow, "Gimli my friend!"

"It seems like the elf brings much trouble upon his friends!" Gimli grinned, "People of different kinds are coming from all over Middle Earth to take care of him because he doesn't know how to do it himself!" Aragorn laughed. It was the truth.

Thranduil couldn't help but asked, "Where is Legolas, Master Gimli?"

"He is staying in his room," his third son replied. Thranduil relieved to know his son was safe.

Rean's eyes flashed dangerously, "Would you stop talking about HIM? He is cowardly staying behind while we are fighting against those monsters!"

Aragorn was about to counter this statement, but the dwarf was actually faster. "I will have your neck cut off by my axe if you insult him any further! I don't care if you are the prince of Mirkwood!"

"I will love to see you try it. You will succeed, if you are not a dwarf!"

"Stop this childish display. We can't fight each other now. Legolas wouldn't want you two fighting," Tekrir reasoned.

Rean smirked at his brother and Gimli, "Do I care what he feels? No I don't, but I know he won't feel once he dies. We surely can continue this fight after he is dead, dwarf; he doesn't have much time to live anyway, so I don't have to wait too long."

"HOW DARE Y. . ." Gimli was stopped by Aragorn. He saw Aragorn looked at Rean hatefully at the corner of his eyes. "Tekrir is right. We need to destroy the monsters first. Come."

~~~~~~~

Legolas stared at the elf for like centuries had passed, never put his guard down even though the latter was one of his kin. He had never seen the likes of him before, and the feeling he felt from him was not a pleasant one. The elf moved closer, which caused Legolas to step back. The prince raised his bow and aimed at the strange elf, ready to defend himself when necessary.

The elf leered at Legolas when Legolas was about to release the arrow, "How do you enjoy your suffering so far? Prince Legolas?"

The archer remembered the voice; it was the voice in his dream. His thought was interrupted when the elf continued, "This is just very strange. Can you imagine how much I want to make you feel the pain, grandson of Oropher? However, I have no intention of killing my successor."

"Successor? What kind of lie is this? I don't know you."

"It is the truth." The elf locked his eyes with Legolas'. "You inherit most of my power, which makes you my successor."

Legolas felt the elf might set up some kind of trap to diverse his attention, but he had to get into the bottom of this. "Who are you?"

"Lotatio." Legolas was shock to hear this name. *It can't be!*

"It can be, my dear Legolas. I believe you heard about me. I am very glad that my kin still celebrate for me after all five thousand years."

The prince couldn't believe what he heard. The elf who stood in front of him was the dark wizard who once threatened the life of many, but he had never known the wizard was his kin. "You are that dark wizard? But you are an elf! Half-elf, nonetheless."

"How easily it is that our kin rejects and antagonizes one of their kinds just because he is more superior!" Lotatio laughed hysterically. "I am more superior than all other elves because my other half of the blood comes from Melkor."

"Melkor? The first dark lord who was of the same order of the Valar and equal in power to Manwë?"

Narrowed his eyes, the half elf explained, "I couldn't inherit the throne of Linton because I was an illegitimate child of Hailina, Oropher's grandmother who was the queen of the Sindarin elves. Oropher almost didn't inherit the throne of Linton also, until he was the only royal bloodline alive and the Sindars believed he didn't have my power. In other word, I am your great-grandfather, the father of Oropher."

Legolas' mind was confused. The elf that stood before him couldn't be related to him or to the Dark Lord.

"No, little one, you are very much related to me and to Melkor by blood and power. That's why I can read your thought."

~~~~~~~

The monsters on the ground were almost all killed by the elves led Faramir, Arail, and Roltelo, but the darkness had never ceased. The dragon-like monsters started to appear all over the sky. "Just how many more are there?" Arail asked to nobody in particular.

Aragorn heard some spell was spoken and a fire ball suddenly flew toward a dragon and killed it in an instant. It was Gandalf, with Elrond and the hobbits behind him.

Pippin asked in awe, "What are those things?!" Frodo's and Merry's eyes become wider when he saw more dragons flew across the sky. Sam stayed close to Frodo, and dared any of these monsters to harm his master.

"Whatever they are, don't get close to them." Elrond advised, while leading the hobbits away from the battlefield.

Aragorn was glad his foster father put the hobbits away from danger, but he was worried when he saw Tekrir's face. The prince who always controlled his emotion so well showed a look of disgust as he just found out some mistakes he made.

Arail saw the sudden distress on Tekrir's face, "What ails you, my brother?"

"I think. . . no, I know I was tricked by Legolas. . ."

~~~~~~~

Legolas' vision started to become burry, but he determined not to let his weakness to be shown, even if the other elf could read his mind. "You were destroyed five thousand years ago."

Lotatio smiled to hear Legolas' thought. He wanted to keep the conversation going. "Yes! Of course I still remember the day when my army was defeated by the alliance of elf, man, and dwarf and I was slmost killed by the hand of my own son! However, the term `destroyed' is a little overstatement. I wasn't destroyed, but I wouldn't deny that most of my power was gone. It took me a long time to regain my strength to move."

"Why do you want my help? If you hate elves so much, you can simply kill me or let me die painfully with the curse I have. That's why you place this curse on me. I know you are the one who commands those creatures."

The Dark Wizard admired the prince's wit. "Yes. That's one of the reasons. I need the power you inherited from me to open the gate to Illineal, where the dark lord himself and his loyal servants were exiled. Because I am only a half Valar, my power couldn't pass on in each generation. The power would have to stay completely dormant for a few generations. I almost gave up waiting for my successor after knowing Oropher, Thranduil, and your other brothers didn't show a trait of my power, until I saw you born." Wicked smile spread across Lotatio's face, "Your difficult birth was a proof that you are my successor."

The prince grasped at the revelation. Rean was right all along. . . He murdered his mother. The pain suddenly increased, both physically and emotionally. He sank to the ground, as his legs could no longer support himself.

~~~~~~~

"What?" The oldest brother asked.

"It is unlike Legolas' character to stay behind from danger. And nobody is in the palace to watch him now."

Gimli said, "But he seemed to be willing to stay. That's why he asked me to come here to aid the battle."

Tekrir looked at Gimli forcefully, which surprised the dwarf. The always calm prince wasn't composed anymore, "No! Don't you see? That's exactly what he wants! He wants you to come so that no one will guard him!"

~~~~~~

"However, it will take some time for your body to grow before I can awake what's inside you. It can't be awaked without my help, but it is obvious that you have the potential. The bite you received would have killed anyone with less strength much more quickly." Lotatio offered a hand to Legolas, "I shall stop your suffering if you agree to work with me. You can rule the entire world with me. Of course, you will die if you refuse."

Lotatio continued in a determined tone, "It's your choice. I have other ways to open the gate to Illineal. My father made a magical stone and left it on the Middle Earth before he was exiled for his heirs. The stone of Palayne will grant the heirs of Melkor three wishes. Although the stone was lost after he was exiled, I managed to find where it is about. Three is more than enough to regain my strength and to conquer the world. You can use one of the wishes and wish whatever you want if you join me. I make you this offer only because you are the heir of my power."

"No! I will rather die from your curse!" Legolas cried out as he slapped away the Dark Wizard's hand.

~~~~~~~

Aragorn placed a hand on the unstable prince's shoulder, "Don't worry. With Gandalf's help, we will destroy the monsters before Legolas can put himself in danger."

"He might be already in danger! It has been hours after I and Gimli left him alone. He should have arrived here by now! Who knows what happened to him while he was on his way?"

Gandalf spoke softly, "Don't worry Tekrir. Legolas is strong. We will go search for him as soon as we destroy the monsters."

~~~~~~~

The heir of the Dark Lord saw the defiant look on Legolas even he was in great pain. He knew the prince would refuse. A sinister grin appeared on his face, "The curse I place upon you is more than just mere poison. Do you know how I create the monsters from animals?" He waited for a moment to see Legolas' response, "It is the similar technique to transform elves to orcs, but I just build the curse on the hatred, not physical pain. Those animals hate the mortals deeply that they are willing to embrace the curse and become my servants. Those who refuse it will suffer to greatly until they die. However, you are the heir of the Dark Lord, thus this curse will affect you a little differently. While it will still kill you slowly, it can help you to develop your power within you, and once I trigger your power, you will become a Dark Wizard also. If you can't break the curse soon you will either die or become my successor."

Lotatio gestured Legolas to look at his face, "Do you see some similarities between your markings from the curse and mine? The process has begun already. You can try to stop me and the curse by getting the stone ahead of me. But what will your family, friends, and kin do if they know you carry the blood of the Dark Lord? They will treat you like they did to me.

"Remember Legolas, my offer is still open to you until you die." Legolas watched as the wizard vanished.

He wanted to run. Just to run away from the truth and the pain. *How will Aragorn, Gimli, and the others react if they know I am an heir of Lotatio? What will Ada, Arail, Rean, Tekrir, and all the elves do if they know I am responsible for mother's death? What will happen if they know I have the possibility to become a Dark Lord?*

But he knew he couldn't; he had to warn the others about Lotatio, and to redeem his guilt.

~~~~~~~

The last dragon was shot down by Aragorn. Everyone released a sigh of relief when they finally saw they destroyed all the monsters. Nobody was hurt seriously, but they were all exhausted from the battle.

Unfortunately, the dragon was still alive and it advanced toward Rean. Rean knew it was the end, but a person blocked the blow for him and plucked a sword to the dragon's stomach. It was an elf, an elf with the familiar golden hair and grey eyes and the fair face like his mother. He forgot to breathe as he watched as the elf collapse to the ground.

"Legolas!" Aragorn cried out in horror. He kneeled down beside his friend. Thranduil held his son, tears started to flow down his cheek. Gandalf went to the fallen elf immediately and covered the wound with a cloth in attempt to stop the bleeding. Gimli and the other elves were in shock.

Elrond rushed to Legolas side. The hobbits came out to see what happened, but Faramir blocked the view from them.

Aragorn turned to Elrond desperately, "Save him, adar! Save him!"

End of Chapter 6

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APPENDIX

Original characters

Arail: Legolas' oldest brother and the crown prince of Mirkwood. He was a millennia year older than Leoglas.

Tekrir: Legolas' third brother and was about 800 years older than Legolas.

Rean: Legolas' second oldest brother.

Roltelo: Guardian of Mirkwood.

Lotatio: Son of Melkor. The half-elf Dark Wizard who was defeated by the alliance five thousand years ago.

Things and Places

Illineal: A place where Melkor and his servants were exiled to.

Stone of Palayne: A magical stone created by Melkor what would grant three wishes for the heir of Melkor.

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~ZeroCool