Loyalty Unyielding by Zlu and Luff

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Extras - part 2

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A/N Long time no see everyone! Real lives swallowed us for a while but now we're here, to gift you with a little flashback on what exactly made Melkor and Mairon leave the center of the world and establish their own land and fortress, away from the Valar :P

Bonus chapter 2

"The Angainor Incident"

In the center of the world, where the Valar dwell, it is spoken of many happenings. It is spoken of the ongoing shaping of the lands on the edges of the world, of the islands that had risen from the seas and of the Men and Elves, who are settling on them. It is spoken of the new stars that light up in the sky at night and of the flowers that have already blossomed in the gardens of Yavanna.

One matter however, though known to many, is never mentioned out loud.

And yet, although unspoken of, the dark events of that day are not entirely lost and just as all other bends and turns of history, they remain recorded forever in the tapestries of fate and time woven by Vairë the Weaver. That particular tapestry however, for reasons well-known but also not often brought up to light – does not decorate any of the vast Halls of Mandos and it is forever, until the end of all times kept hidden far from the eyes of both the Ainur and the children of Ilúvatar.

If ever, for a reason most unfathomable, one wished to mention the terrible secret that it hides without revealing its most delicate nature, just three words would be needed for all to understand…

The Angainor Incident.

* * *

It was a fair spring day, and Manwë sat on his throne admiring from the height of his seat the lands that spread below. The sky was cloudless and just as clear was the mind of the High King, for since the beginning of the new world no major animosity or squabble had arisen among the Ainur or even the Children of Eru. There were minor disagreements of course, as many of the lesser races still bore a justified grudge against Melkor, his brother, but so far no real harm has come from it. In fact the lack of conflict seemed almost... alarming.

"Good day, Manwë," called out a voice, and Manwë turned to witness Aulë, climbing the stairs that lead up to his mountain seat.

"Good day indeed," answered the Elder King and he stood up to greet the other Ainu with gladness.

"Alas, I see Varda is not with you," Aulë noted however when he was approaching and in his voice, deep like underground halls of his forges, there seemed to ring an undertone of disappointed.

"No, she is not." Manwë replied with a smile calm like the sky on that day. "She is gone to the edge of the world to set new constellations in the Eastern part of the firmament." The Elder King explained, yet soon after his own words rang out, he noted the troubled look on his friend's face and he sensed the uneasiness of the Master Smith of the Valar.

And then the first touch of worry appeared on the graceful face of Manwë. "Is there a reason why you ask, my old friend?"

"Oh, it is nothing," Aulë shook his head. "Don't trouble yourself, Manwë. I suppose it is of little importance, if any at all in fact..." he said averting his eyes, as if it was not entirely true.

The other Vala regarded him for a longer while and then gently, he stated. "And yet there is clearly some trouble on your mind. And you surely haven't come here only to go back down, Aulë. Is there something I could do to help?"

The Master Smith hesitated for a while and then he spoke. "It is probably really nothing, I simply thought that if Varda was here, then with your far-seeing eyes, you could have checked where Angainor is..." he said in a most casual tone.

"Is it not in your smithy?" Manwë lifted his eyebrows surprised.

"No. No, it's not. I suppose Tulkas took it. Perhaps Melkor has done some minor mischief and needed a reminder of what punishment awaits him, should he go back to his old ways... Or maybe I misplaced it by chance when I was weary after a day of work. Or for some reason my wife needed it for her gardening hocus pocus..." It sounded like that idea occurred to him now only. "It's nothing, Manwë." He repeated again, not making Manwë any surer, "If Varda were here, you could have quickly checked but it's really not important. I suppose I will return later..." Aulë turned to leave.

"Varda may be gone for a longer while," Manwë protested, before the other Vala had the chance to descend even down the first step. "And meanwhile I will gladly help you look for the chain if it will put your mind at ease."

"That is most kind of you," Aulë smiled with apparent relief.

And so the two Valar went to search for Tulkas, who seemed to both the most likely Ainu to borrow Angainor.

There was another suspect, of course, but neither Manwë, nor Aulë wanted to believe that Melkor had reverted back to his evil ways and had stolen the chain with malevolent intent. Nonetheless both of them considered such a possibility, while each pretended not to.

* * *

They searched for Tulkas for a longer while, until it was clear to them, that he had left the center of the world. Then Manwë called forth Ulmo and he asked the Lord of the Waters, if he had perchance seen the Champion of Valinor.

"Indeed I have seen Tulkas." Ulmo answered as he emerged from the clear waters of the new Arda to speak with them. "He was with Oromë and a group of Eldar, who were hunting fowl by a lake. If you seek Tulkas, I can lead you there."

So Manwë, Aulë and Ulmo travelled to the lake, where Ulmo last saw Tulkas. It was deep in a forest to the North from the center of the world. When the three Valar arrived, the sky was red with the sunset in the West. And in the last rays of the setting sun, they saw a group of Eldar dining around a fire in the company of Oromë.

"Good evening, Oromë," Manwë greeted him.

"Greetings," answered the Huntsman.

"We heard that Tulkas was with you today. Is he still nearby by any chance?" Manwë asked him, trying to sound casual.

"No, he left with Nessa, when the sun was still high," Oromë answered, piercing the High King with his vigilant eyes. Three of the Valar coming to casually search for Tulkas was the least casual sight and that fact did not elude the Huntsman. "I can lead you to him. My sister's trails are well-known to me."

Thus Ulmo bid Manwë, Aulë and Oromë farewell and disappeared in the lake, while once more three of the Valar set out to find Tulkas Astaldo.

When he heard that Angainor was missing, unlike Aulë and Manwë, Oromë did not try to pretend he believed Melkor had not taken it. Nonetheless the Great Rider did not speak his mind and led the other two to where Tulkas and Nessa had earlier gone, for if Melkor had indeed stolen Angainor, they would need the strength of Tulkas' strong arms and his thundering laughter to help to stop the Dark Vala from fulfilling his evil design.

As they left the forest, and travelled over a field, they however found not Nessa and Tulkas but Mandos with a scythe, cutting down grass in the first moonlight. The Judge had developed a fondness for gardening, since there were hardly any deaths in the history of new Arda. Those that did happen, happened because of Melkor's eager, but sometimes not well-thought-through attempts to help his brethren shape the new world.

Some unlucky dwarves got buried under an avalanche, an elf or two met fiery deaths in giant cracks in the earth, and several men were crushed by a cactus, after they tried to chop it down. Since all of those unlucky fatalities were caused by none other than Melkor, all of his victims were brought back from the Halls of Mandos. Such was the custom of the new Arda.

Manwë, Ulmo and Oromë greeted Mandos and began casually questioning him if he perhaps happened to know what the fate held for Angainor today and in the near future. But despite Manwë's hopes Namo did not reveal to them where Angainor was, or even if Melkor had something to do with the chain's disappearance. So they left him to his work, and went further.

They found Nessa dancing in the moonlight on a beach but unfortunately her husband was not with her.

"Oromë, Manwë, I am so sorry, if I had just waited until Varda returned, I would not have troubled the lot of you," Aulë said guiltily at that point. "I see no further reason to keep bothering you and searching now." Then, having apologized to the other Valar, he left to find Yavanna instead.

Manwë, however, was still determined to find the chain. Oromë began asking Nessa, where Tulkas had gone, when the sea brought the voice of Ulmo to them, "I have found Tulkas. We will both join you soon," said the waves that gently washed the nearby shore.

Relieved and at the same time anxious, Manwë did not dare ask the waves if the Champion of the Valar had the chain with him and instead he simply paced along the shore as he waited. Finally out of the sea foam emerged the mighty form of Tulkas. Ulmo briefly revealed himself to exchange a greeting with Nessa and then was gone again.

"Tulkas," Manwë asked. "Did you per chance take Angainor?"

* * *

Grim and disappointed, Manwë led the Huntsman and the Champion of the Valar through Melkor's halls. Tulkas had not taken Angainor. And hearing that it was gone, Astaldo, just like Oromë before him, assumed the worst. Now they walked in silence through the magmatic halls. It was night outside and shadows danced on the walls amid firelight. The fastness was silent and no Balrogs or other Maiar of Melkor's showed themselves to the three of the Powers, and no Orcs appeared in their way as they went deeper and deeper into the stronghold.

Finally, as they had almost reached Melkor's quarters, Oromë stopped suddenly. "I will stand guard here," he said mysteriously. "Call me, if a need arises."

Manwë and Tulkas exchanged puzzled looks, but seeing no reason to refuse the Huntsman's whim, they went further without him.

They did not manage to go far before the walls around them seemed to tremble with a wave of laughter that made even Tulkas feel somewhat uneasy. Manwë recognized easily that it was not the laughter of his brother. It was laughter of the Maia.

Mairon's laughter.

It sounded again and with it this time came words, triumphant and arrogant. "I have captured thee at last, Melkor, thou pitiful creature of darkness. I shall drag thee away in these chains, to Valinor where thou wilt be tried and punished for thy crimes."

From beyond the door to Melkor's chambers, that stood slightly ajar there came firelight and ceaseless rattling of a chain.

"Why drag me all the way to Valinor, Astaldo? Punish me here and now!" came Melkor's strangely excited voice. "Yes! Punish me even harder!"

Then the Valar in the corridor heard more noises. Confusing ones. Perhaps they could be described as expressions of effort. Or even pain. Bewildered and most puzzled, the two Valar headed for the door, from beyond which came Melkor's voice, strangely breathless. "Aye! Aye, like so! Harder! I know thou art stronger than that!"

Then there was yet more rattling of the chain to be heard and the Maia's voice resounded again in the room beyond the door. "Wash that foul smirk of thy face, Melkor. I have never... said I shall leave thee be. And as soon as I am... done... with thee, I shall drag thee to the Valar, where thou shalt be cast into the deepest of the Halls of Mandos..."

The Valar did not know what to make of that, and in dismay they came even closer to the door of Melkor's private chambers.

"Aye! To the deepest hall! Drag me there, Tulkas! Deeper!" Melkor sounded ecstatic. The amount of delight in his voice bordered on the obscene. "Deeper! All the way to Mandos!"

In that moment Tulkas and Manwë finally opened the door and they saw Melkor, Mairon and Angainor. Both of the Ainur were clad in bodies of flesh, and the one of Melkor was bound with the chain in a most vulnerable position, with a loop around his neck, that Mairon was pulling tighter, as he claimed the Vala with brutal force.

For a moment then the eyes of Melkor met those of the real Tulkas, and widened in surprise. Then he looked back at Mairon, as if to check if the Maia was still there or saw what he saw, but Mairon did not let his master focus on that strange mirage for long.

Meanwhile, shocked and scarred for life, Astaldo cursed Melkor and Mairon, and then Oromë and Mandos, and fled from the room. Yet the vision and later the memory of it he could never again escape.

When Melkor looked back at the door of his bedroom, Tulkas was already gone, and the Dark Vala was too distracted to notice Manwë, who stood frozen in the shadows, unable to breathe, blink or even escape the scene with grace. So the High King stood in the doors, forced to watch his brother writhe and scream joyous profanities under Mairon, until both of the Ainur were sated and fell silent.

"Thy skill amazes me, Mairon! How great is thy acting! For a moment there I thought I saw the real Tulkas," Melkor laughed, slipping out of the chain partially to embrace his Maia.

Mairon's arm wound around him and the Maia's free hand gently undid the grip of the chain on Melkor's throat, fingers running with care over a few bruises that began to form on the paleness of the Vala's neck. "He was in fact really here for a moment, my liege but fled in fear before us." Mairon said, kissing his lord's sweaty brow, "Thy brother, on the other hand, is still standing in the doorway." He said, completely unfazed by that fact.

Melkor's blissful relaxed expression changed to that of shock and he tilted his head up again to look at the door.

And there indeed stood none other than Manwë Súlimo, the Lord of the Breath of Arda.

And the only thing he managed to utter to the two naked Ainur, when he finally regained the ability to speak was a very faint and cautious question.

"Melkor... are you unhurt?"

* * *

After the Valar had recovered from the initial shock, after some debate, they had reluctantly agreed that coming uninvited to Melkor's very bedroom in the late hours of the night, was not the wisest move on their part. Since their privacy had been breached so brutally, no one dared blame Melkor or Mairon for borrowing the chain.

Oromë, however, got a strict reprimand from his brother-in-law and Manwë for not sharing what his hunter instincts had told him with the rest of them and thus sentencing them to witness the fateful events of that evening.

Few weeks later, Melkor and Mairon left their fortress in the center of the world and moved to the north, where they established Ringlach, their new land and fortress.

As to the chain, Angainor, it was never returned to Aulë.

He was simply told he would not want it back anymore.

 

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Chapter End Notes

And that's what you get for unannounced home invasion, dear Valar! XD Tell us what you think of today's detective story xDDD