Fan Fiction ❯ The Chosen Warriors ❯ Prologue Part I - Dragon Knight ( Chapter 1 )
Prologue Part I-Dragon Knight
The void of darkness was indeed filled with death, and only eternal pain for those that were damned. No light shone there, and all hope and goodness had gone beyond recall or even desire. The only law that existed was that of evil and hatred.
A terrifying voice, a voice that nightmares were made of, spoke in that horrible existing void. "As prophesy told, the Dragon Knight has appeared, and the child's powers grow everyday."
"Yes, Master," answered a cruel voice, which was like nails on a chalkboard. "The Chosen Warrior."
"The Dragon's powers will grow over 500 years until the appearance of the Phoenix Knight, and he will be just as strong. He will have lived a short life, but will have suffered much pain and suffering to last a lifetime. Yet despite the darkness in which he will grow up in, he will choose the side of good," said the same terrifying voice. "The two Chosen Warriors that are destined to save or destroy Middle-Earth."
"Yes, yes," responded the second voice in awe, for the chosen ones would possess such power that if pitted against each other, would destroy them all. Which is why many feared the legend and the prophesy that was known as the 'Battle of a Thousand Days,' where the two would fight for a thousand days while destroying all in their path, until one or both fell.
"Go, and bring the Dragon to our side, so that when the Phoenix does appear, we will have the advantage," said the commanding voice.
"As you command, it shall be done, Master," the second voice responded as it faded from the void to return to the world of the living.
"The Dragon shall be mine, and then I will have dominion over Middle-Earth unto the ending of the world," said the voice, the sound of evil; spine-chilling laughter was heard through out the void as it also faded.
The darkness of night seemed to close in around them, and the cool air had turned ice cold in only a matter of seconds. The razor sharp rocks that surrounded them rose up and above them, and would sometimes throw shadows onto them, making it look even darker. There was a full moon out tonight, and it provided the only light on this dreary evening. The air was still and the silence seemed so intense. They were the only ones visible at the moment. The woman, and the mother of the child that ran at her side, was about five feet three, and she had raven black hair, and her eyes were an intense blue. She was beautiful and slender with pale skin and small Elvin ears. The boy ran next to her as she pulled him along by his wrist, and his shoulder length white hair whipped behind him as they ran. He was having trouble keeping up with his mother due to his short legs, for he was still a child, an Elf child that stood at three feet.
She kept telling him to run, yelling for him not to look back and not stop, her face one of wild terror. He was frightened, for he did not know what they were running from, and as he did glance back toward the darkness behind them; he saw nothing. Yet on he ran, his mother's frightened face propelling him forward. He did try to stop and ask her what was the matter, but she would just pull him along, yelling frantically for him to run.
"What is it mother, what's wrong?" he cried to her as he again glanced back. He wanted to stop because he was very tired, but his mother would not let him stop. He didn't understand what it was they were running from, why his mother was so scared, he just knew that he couldn't leave her alone, not the with the way she was acting, so he kept up his pace with hers.
"Keep going, don't stop," she told him, but then she did stop as she breathed in heavily, and she looked around fearfully, and then with a small cry of fright as she glanced back, she continued again. "Run!" she yelled.
He did as she said and ran with her. His silver eyes were brimming with tears, but he refused to cry; yet he felt a sob escape him, but he was sure that with all the wind she had not heard him. He looked around once again, and still not seeing anything, but he was sure that his mother could see what was following them; her face said it all. So, he did as his father had told him. He had stayed behind, to try and stop whoever was after them and had told them to flee and not stop or look back. He remembered the way his white hair had hung down his bareback. He had no shirt, so he could see his black Drow skin that was almost invisible in the night, but his blood red eyes shone in the darkness as they had turned to face whatever threat had come to attack them. They had run and he had stayed, and he was sure that it would be the last time he ever saw him.
They were nearing the edge of the rocky terrain of Emyn Muil, and as they reached the end they heard noises behind them. He glanced back and then his mother stopped, and kneeled down before him. She looked into his silver eyes, her own eyes were sad. "Listen, you must run and not stop. Go and find people of good intensions; stay away from evil, do you understand?" she told him.
He looked at her, confused by her words. He was not about to leave his mother here alone, but she pushed him forward, and he stumbled toward that direction. He was about to go, but then the night air plummeted at least 20 degrees, and their breath was a white vapor, and it seemed as if an eclipse had occurred as the light from the moon disappeared and it went pitch black. His mother cried out in fright and looked around and then looked at him. "Run!" she screamed, her voice echoing across the surface of the rocky cliffs.
Before he could move there was an intense red light that filled the surrounding area, coloring the land and skies a blood red. The mother gasped as the light made contact with her body, and the force of the power hit him as well and he went flying back wards. He received a savage blow to the head as he fell on the rocky terrain. As he lost consciousness, his mothers' blood curling scream filled the darkness of his nightmares.
~Near the Dead Marshes~
The dense fog that had arose earlier thickened even more. The terrain was barely visible no more than one foot ahead, and it was impenetrable by even the sharpest eyesight. It made it difficult to maneuver, as a group of Elves on horse back discovered. They were making their way back to Rivendell from Minas Tirith of Gondor after meeting with the current king. The fog, however, had veered them off course, and as much as they didn't want to admit, they were lost.
They were five male Elves; adults; and two female adult Elves and one child Elf, a girl. The young girl's father was the leader of the small group and of Rivendell as well. So, that made her somewhat of a princess. She had ebony black hair to a little below her chin, and radiant blue eyes. She was graceful, and slender, and stood at about 3 feet, 2 inches; she was the spitting image of her father. Her father had not wanted to leave her at Rivendell; she was still too young to be separated from him. So, he had taken her with him, and she rode on his horse.
As they started to veer off more to the east, their horses started to get more agitated and apprehensive, as if something had spooked them. When they got to a point where they could no longer control them, their leader told them that they were stopping and turning back the way they had come; if it was possible. They agreed and were about to turn back.
"Father," the leaders' daughter spoke up softly in Elfish. He looked back at her as she looked at a point to their left, from her position on the saddle, behind him. She had held on to his waist with her short arms and she had been leaning against his warms body through the whole ride, but now she was sitting up and her arms were wrapped around herself.
"What is it, little one?" he asked her in Elfish. He looked at her, but her gazed was to the dense fog, in the direction they had been heading. He saw no fear or apprehension, only curiosity as she looked into the fog; her head tilted to the side the slightest bit.
"Some one is there," she answered in Elfish again, her voice floating softly over the air of the cool night. She lifted her small right arm and pointed into the fog. "There," she said.
Her father looked at his daughter and then followed with his eyes to where she was pointed. He dismounted and stepped away from the horse, but her voice called him back. "Father, do not leave me up here alone," came her soft, frightened voice. He turned back to her and reached up as she held out her arms for him. He lifted her out of the saddle and placed her on the ground easily. One of the other male Elves dismounted and took the reigns from him and a female Elf came and took hold of the child's hand.
"Stay here," he told the small child and the rest of the group as he again went toward the fog. A sudden breeze picked up, its chill sending goose bumps up his back. His ebony locks moved with the air as his sharp blue Elvin eyes scanned the terrain before him. The horses neighed still, and they stomped their hooves as they tried to back away from whatever threat they sensed. The leader then felt the cold intensify and he tensed. He laid a hand on the hilt of his sword as the mist swallowed him up. If he were to turn he wouldn't see his group or his daughter, only the dense whiteness.
He heard whispers and the ragged breathes just beyond the fog, yet the sounds stayed just beyond the reach of his eyes. He drew his sword though, and was ready for any type of attack that might be sent his way. As the whispers intensified around him as he came upon a figure on the ground, and it was suddenly silent. It was a small figure dressed in all white and he seemed out of place to be here. The cloak the figure wore had a hood and it was pulled over the features and sent the face into darkness. The figure held their legs against their chest, and the hooded head was lowered toward the ground, The Elvin leader approached with caution and stopped a few feet away from him.
He observed the figure and he came to the conclusion that by the size, this was either a Hobbit or a child, so he proceeded forward again and the mist seemed to clear around them suddenly as if it were trying to flee from them. The fog finally cleared completely and he saw that he had indeed been correct; this was a child or perhaps a Hobbit. He lowered his sword. He sheathed it and came closer to the figure and he kneeled on one knee as he pushed back his robes.
"Hello there, little one," he said and the small head was lifted and turned to face him, the shadow made it difficult to see the face. The fog had surrounded them, affectively shielding them from anyone's sight.
"Hello," came the reply, the voice radiating coldness, yet it had been so soft that the leader didn't know if it had really been such a callous reply or had he had imagined it? The child; as he could tell he was by the voice; did not move again, or speak anything but that simple greeting. The shadows of his hood seemed to sway and move in a dark and enchanting dance that could put anyone in a trance. What the child even looking at him? Or were his eyes fixed on something that the Elvin leader could not see?
"Are you here alone?" he asked the child as he reached to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but as he went to touch him, he sensed a grand power so terrifying that he withdrew his hand as if he had been burned. He looked at the child to see his reaction, but he wasn't able to see his face.
The child just nodded, and it was as if the Elf hadn't moved at all. Coldness and a hidden evil emanated from the child, but it was so strong and it surrounded both of them that the Elf thought that the evil came from another source. He knew that this was no place for such a small child.
"Would you like to come with me?" he asked him. "Instead of being in a dangerous place like this?"
Again the child just nodded and gave no other answer as he stood up. The child was 4 feet evenly and when the Elf stood up right, he towered over him at a height of 6'2. The child reached up without a word and finally lowered the hood of his cloak. His hair was as dark as the Elf's and it tumbled to his shoulders and his silver eyes were blank and opaque, yet the leader didn't seem to notice. He was pale and his skin was that of newborns', and his features and his ears revealed him to be an Elvin child. Under his cloak he was slim and looked weak, but he was not.
The leader smiled and nodded and then turned to make his way back to his group. As he turned though, he missed the sinister grin that spread across the boy's face as he followed him. He put his right hand behind his back as he walked behind the leader. The fog seemed to part before them as the leader's group came into view. As the boy saw them he formed a white ball of deadly energy in his right hand behind his back, as his grin grew wider.
He was about to attack the group of Elves, but at that instant he heard a soft voice call out, "Father," and then a small figure came forward. She had been studying a plant while accompanied by the female Elf. As the boy saw her, he was so surprised by her beauty. She shone with such innocence that it was like a white light that came from her and it drove away the darkness that threatened to consume him. His breath caught in his throat as a memory came to the surface of his consciousness. 'Listen, you must run and not stop. Go and find people of good intensions; stay away from evil, do you understand?' he heard the voice of his mother say.
His mother's last blood curling scream filled the boy's mind and as it faded his eyes lost the blank look and seemed to come back to life. The energy he had formed disappeared as he lowered his hand. He looked up at the Elvin leader with a sudden smile that was full of the same innocence as the leaders' daughter.
"Are you a good person?" he asked in Elfish, his voice had lost the coldness with which he had greeted him earlier. In fact, his whole person had changed. His face was on longer devoid of any emotion, and his posture once rigid was now relaxed and kind of slouched.
The leader looked at him as if noticing him for the first time, for he was not expecting his cold voice to turn warm so quickly. "Yes, I am, but whether you think so, I shall leave that for you to decide on your own," he responded.
The child gave a nod and an "okay" as he smiled. "Is that an angel?" he asked next as he pointed at the leader's daughter.
The Elvin leader laughed. "Nay, little one, that is my daughter, Arwen," he responded as he saw his daughter looking curiously at the boy. The boy just repeated the name in an awed whisper as he also looked at Arwen. "I am Elrond and we originate from Rivendell."
"Rivendell? Where is that?" he asked. He was suddenly as curious as any normal child his age; a million questions on his mind and wanting to know the answer to every single one.
"It is a few days ride from here, and I'm sure you'll like it there." Elrond said as he walked toward the group. The boy smiled and just nodded again as he followed Elrond and when he stopped so did the boy, standing next to him. Arwen walked to her father and stopped next to him as she grabbed hold of his hand and looked at the boy shyly, the boy just grinned and waved at her, but she just ducked behind her father.
"What is your name, little one?" Elrond asked the boy as he looked down at his daughter in a bit of confusion until he realized that she was still scared a bit by strangers.
The boy grinned as if Arwen hadn't just ignored him. "Ikki," he said with enthusiasm.
"And where are your parents, Ikki?" Elrond asked him next.
He turned his gaze away from Arwen and looked at Elrond. "I don't know," he answered after a moment's hesitation.
"Then what are their names?" he asked, so that way they would be easier to find, and maybe get their son back to them.
Ikki thought for a second. "Umm, I don't know. I can't remember." He just smiled and he didn't seem at all distressed of the fact that he couldn't remember who his parents were. It was as if he knew that something terrible was hidden within his memories, and it was best to forget. Indeed, the sinister darkness that had dominated him before still lingered within him, an evil so great that it threatened to destroy them all.
Laughter filled the cool night air of the forest that surrounded Rivendell. Running footsteps echoed through the trees and shouts of joy grew louder. Young Ikki and Arwen were playing that afternoon as they had almost every other day. In the past weeks, they had grown to be the best of friends and were constantly together. Elrond had watched the two and he had realized that the boy had undoubtedly fallen in love with his beautiful daughter. He knew that Arwen felt love for him as well, but it was different.
He was glad for it, Ikki being an Elf. He was curious, however, as to the origin of his birth. He had not received any news from Lothl?rien, nor Mirkwood of an Elvin child that had gone missing. And he had absolutely no way of knowing if he was Drow, since the Elves didn't get along well with their dark-skinned cousins, but he doubted that Ikki was descended from them. He looked nothing like the Drow with their black complexion and stunning white hair and startling blood red eyes. Indeed, Ikki's own eyes were disturbing. The silver orbs, although always filled with joy and innocence, hid something dark and sinister.
From time to time, the Lord of Rivendell had felt that same terrifying power he had experienced when he had found the child. They were vague, yet still strong. The last time he had felt it, had been when Arwen had been playing in the woods with Ikki, and she had fallen in a deep pit.
Elrond had been in his private chambers when he felt the strong surge of power. He had gone at once and found Ikki in the pit with Arwen. He got them out and his daughter told him that she had fallen and then felt a horrible pain all over her body. She had heard as Ikki yelled from above her, and warmth had enveloped her and she hadn't felt any more pain. Elrond had checked her over, but she was unscratched. She was perfectly fine after a fall that should have killed her.
The boy had looked at them in confusion. The Elvin Lord asked Ikki what happened. He explained that when Arwen had fallen, he had yelled and everything had suddenly gone black, and that the next thing he knew, he was in the pit with her. He had helped her stand, but she was okay. Elrond couldn't explain what had happened, and he let it be, since he couldn't make sense of it.
Elrond was then called to attend some business as he watched the children play, and before he left, he told them not to wander off too far because it was getting late. However, when he had gone, Ikki and Arwen gave the female Elf that was watching them the slip. They went into the forest, making sure to steer clear of any pits.
That day, a family of 'assassins' was there to discuss a possible temporary alliance against a growing Orc threat. Although their number had greatly diminished after Sauron's defeat, in the past month, they had suddenly grown in numbers. Not only that, but an evil new species had appeared along the Dead Marshes; restless souls, driven by an evil force, had started to devour the blood of Men and Elves alike, and had taken control of their dead bodies. They were walking corpses, the undead. So, they had decided to come together and defend their people and their lands.
"1. . . 2. . . 3. . . 4. . . 5," Ikki counted as he tried to contain his childish laughter, covering his eyes covered with his hands. "6. . . 7. . . 8. . . 9. . . 10."
As he counted, Arwen had skipped away, looking for a place to hide. She had a big grin on her face, and an occasional giggle would escape her mouth every so often. She stopped, as two figures suddenly appeared in front of her, and she gasped in shock.
"65. . . 66. . . 67. . . 68-" he stopped counting as he heard Arwen scream. He dropped his hands to his side and took off at a run toward where he had heard her exclamation.
As he reached a clearing, he saw Arwen on the ground, crying her eyes out as two big boys stood over her. They were human children, and both looked to be around the age of 15 years, and were much bigger than Arwen and Ikki both.
Ikki went at once to Arwen's side as he kneeled next to her. "Arwen, are you okay?" he asked her with worry, as he put an arm around her shoulder's, trying to calm her down.
Ikki was suddenly pushed violently back, and he fell to the ground, sprawled on his back. He sat up, getting to his knees.
"Why are you trying to ruin our fun, you runt," said the boy with the brown hair, and he seemed slightly older than the other one, maybe by a year.
"Yeah, you disgusting Elf," sneered the black haired boy.
"Leave her alone." Ikki finally got to his feet. "Leave her be, you mortals," he spat.
"You worthless, dog," said the brown haired boy as he slugged him, and Ikki stumbled back with the blow.
Arwen screamed. "Ikki, no!" As Ikki heard her scream, he tightened his hands into fists as he lay on the ground, and he felt his body heat elevate, and his heartbeat accelerate.
"You pompous brat," exclaimed the other boy and hit him in the gut. Ikki felt the wind knocked out of him as he doubled over as he fought to breathe in. He was forced back a few steps, as he coughed up blood.
"Leave him alone," cried Arwen as she threw herself at them, beating her small fists against the black haired boy, but he hardly felt them. Ikki glanced up as she did this and wanted to yell at her to get away from them or they would hurt her.
"You dirty wench," growled the black haired boy before he could utter a single word, and he backhanded her. Arwen screamed as she fell back. The sound reverberating in Ikki's ears and his whole body convulsed.
As she hit the ground, Ikki uttered a yell, and there was a flash of blinding white light. The two boys screams of pain filled the ever-darkening forest, then. As the light subsided, Arwen sat up shakily, using her arms for support.
Ikki stood before her, the boy's corpses at his feet. His ebony locks were gone to be replaced by white, almost silver hair. The pupils of his eyes were completely white, and an aura of white fire danced around him, making him look terrifying.
He took a step toward her, lifting his hand menacingly. Arwen scooted back in fear as her back met with a tree trunk. Yet, he still moved toward her, his face blank, and his aura a violent splendor.
Arwen let out a whimper as he still came toward her. As he reached for her, she cried out. "Ikki," she screamed. He flinched as if he had been hit and he backed away suddenly, as he fought to control himself. His aura flickered and died away, and his silver pupils appeared once again as he snapped out of what seemed like a trance.
"A-Arwen," he breathed out and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Arwen looked at him for a second and she started sobbing, hugging her legs to her chest.
Elrond, fearing Ikki's destructive powers, sent him to Lothlórien to Galadriel. He knew that these powers surged when Arwen was in trouble, but it had gone too far this time. The father of the two boys he had killed had been the leader of the assassins. The father had wanted vengeance, but Elrond had refused to give the boy up so they could kill him. The leader, needless to say, had refused to form the alliance, and had left, swearing to one day take Ikki's life in exchange for his sons death. Since that day, the assassin family had become sworn enemies of no only Rivendell Elves, but of all the Elves, and Ikki had become a hated name throughout their tribe.
As for Arwen, she would not see her friend for many years, and as they grew older, Ikki tried to control his powers. He knew, however, that one day the powers might once again consume him, and that time no one would be able to bring him back.