In the Court of the Dragon Emperor by pandemonium_213

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Fanwork Notes

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Banner by Russandol.

Although I use the names given by Tolkien to the Blue Wizards in Unfinished Tales —Alatar and Pallando — I take inspiration from Tolkien's writings from The History of Middle-earth XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth:

 

The 'other two' came much earlier,  at the same time  probably as Glorfindel, when matters became very dangerous in the Second  Age. Glorfindel was sent to aid Elrond  and was (though not yet said)  pre-eminent in the war in Eriador. But the other two Istari were  sent for a different purpose.   Morinehtar and Romestamo. Darkness-slayer and East-helper.  Their task was to circumvent  Sauron:  to bring help to the few tribes  of  Men that  had rebelled from Melkor-worship,  to stir up rebellion...and after his first fall to search out his hiding (in which they failed) and to cause [? dissension   and  disarray] among the dark  East... They must have had very great influence on the history of the Second Age and Third  Age in weakening  and disarraying the forces of East...who would both in the Second Age and Third Age otherwise have...outnumbered the West.

I hope to write more of Alatar and Pallando's adventures in the East.  Many thanks to the Lizard Council for rapid picking o' the nits.            

Fanwork Information

Summary:

The Dragon Emperor of Kitai lavishes rich and tempting gifts upon two Istari: Alatar and Pallando.  Will the Blue Wizards succumb to the Son of Heaven's request?

Written for Back to Middle-earth Month 2011: March 1 in response to the prompt:  Write a story or poem or create artwork where seduction plays a central role.

MEFA 2011 Winner.  First Place, Other Beings, General

Major Characters: Alatar, Pallando

Major Relationships:

Genre: Adventure, General

Challenges: B2MeM 2011

Rating: Teens

Warnings: Mature Themes, Sexual Content (Mild)
Chapters: 1 Word Count: 1, 064
Posted on 8 March 2011 Updated on 8 March 2011

This fanwork is complete.

Table of Contents

In the Court of the Dragon Emperor

Comments

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This is a really unique take on the wizards. Admitting to not having focused at all on the canon relating to them. I loved the description and organization of this ficlet. Seems like you could expand at will to give us other aspects and details of their story. Thanks for sharing the story and the interesting link also to the maps.

Thanks so much, Elleth!  Because you're on the fence, as it were, concerning crossovers and liked this, I take that as a high compliment indeed!  Tolkien drew quite a bit from our primary world (as we know).  I'm just reaching for a bit more.  I'm hoping to pick up the blue fellahs' trail in the future.

Reposting my Mefa review:

Pandemonium's story "In the Court of the Dragon Emperor" packs so much into a short space that I feel I've read a piece of a much larger, fully-developed story. Like her story "The Man who Grew Tomatoes," she has taken characteristics of non-Western cultures and incorporated them into Middle-earth in quite plausible ways. I loved the idea of the Blue Wizards, Alatar and Pallando going to visit the Dragon Emperor. ["the Son of Heaven and the Supreme Ruler of Kitai, a man who could order them beheaded at any moment."] With that ominous but attention-grabbing beginning, I'm pulled into Pandë's fragrant, colorful court scene, where Alatar is tugging on his figurative shirt-collar wondering if he's about to make a quick trip back to Mandos. I enjoyed the characterization of both wizards, Pallando the serene, athletic sage who seems to have an earthy appreciation for lovely women, and Alatar, who is more concerned with keeping his hröa intact. The dragon emperor tempts them with all manner of worldly riches, including a manticore bone with special properties that you'll need to read the story to discover. All these riches will be theirs if only the Blue Wizards will grant the emperor perpetual youth. Pallando's answer and the result give this story a sense of fairy-tale timelessness. Pandë promises another story about her Blue Wizards and I'm looking forward to it.

 

My MEFA 2011 review:

I love the fable style of this tale, full of details painting an exotic, unexpected backdrop for a tale set in the Tolkien world, but completely convincing as a very recognisable historic setting in our primary world. I would have doubted it was possible to succeed at creating a tale of the Istari in ancient China, but pandemonium_213 pulls it off as though it were the most natural thing in the world and the Blue Wizards did indeed stand before the Dragon Emperor, but Tolkien just forgot to record it.

The descriptions are so vivid that it's easy to imagine the smell of the camelias and spices of the far east, and to picture the lavish, tempting gifts paraded before the wizards: glittering treasures and lovely concubines (plus unnecessary remedies to enjoy their company!) I particularly admire the flavour of this story as a tale taken out of ancient teachings recorded in a remote land, a tale that the philosopher Lao Tzu (quoted as having spoken Pallando's words) could have narrated or written himself.

The nature of the test is not perceived by Alatar so that, watching the scene through his eyes, I also fear for his head for an instant. I am intrigued by the hint of a background story to explain the contrast between the struggling Alatar and the serene Pallando, and I hope to see it written in more one day soon.