Mairon had exhausted himself rather early on as he tried to fight and didn’t realize how weak a human body is.
He slumped, even dozing off from sheer exhaustion as they traveled on horse-back. Because of this, he didn’t even realize where they were. He could barely hear the waves as his hearing had been muted.
Ji Indur felt Osse’s presence nearing them before he saw the Maia. The water underneath them started to stir and as he looked down into the depths, the bottom so close in the blue green, he notice the massive shape of the Master of the Seas, circling them like a dangerous predator before he broke the surface, causing the Kraken to sway and a wave to wash over man and wraith, almost dragging them under for a moment. The voice reverberated inside Ji Indur’s mind and he bowed his head in a display of respect.
“I am aware of it, oh mighty Osse and I would not have brought Him under normal circumstances. But the Grey Cloaks struck him with the curse of mortality for three days and I could have ended him there and then and freed myself but alas, it was not up to me to be the first to strike. He is one of the Ainur after all and seeing how He has treated you in the last centuries I decided to bring Jim to you so you can hold council and judge him according to the crimes He has committed against you. I hope you do not see any ill will on my part. Whatever you chose to do, I will accept it as His punishment. And I will not lay hand on him myself unless you tell me to do so.”
Ji Indur was serious with his words even if it might feel like betrayal to his friends. But he had to believe in Osse to find a punishment suitable for his cousin and to help the Nine -or those willing to- to break their chains. This was the moment where he offered the watery Maia more than just rum and gold- he was offering him his very existence, as terribly corrupted it was. If the Master of the Seas would turn his back on him as well then he knew that none of the higher beings had even a shred of empathy left for what they had created. Of course it was not meant as a test but it could be very well seen like one.
Suspense built in the tableau between wraith and maia, broken by the sound of distant wing beats, a pulsing thrum that grew into the crack of mighty sails as a shadow passed over the moon.
The sailors who had manned the craft bearing Ji and his captive fled splashing into the waves for safety, and a massive fell beast of raven-black scales and iron plate dropped out of the sky. The ship’s boat splintered under its claws where it landed, folding its wide, dark wings. As if patiently awaiting instruction, the feel beast watched its master dismount with cold white eyes, sliding off its back saddle to the ground. The rider approached, removing his flight mask, a tarnished red hammer slung at one hip, a silver-tipped nine-tails on the other.
“Cousin, we beg your pardon for the sudden intrusion,” Sauron addressed Ossë with an inclination of his head. “But it seems you are discussing the fate of one I have already laid claim to. The mortal you have half-submerged there at your feet is currently under my protection.”
He looked from the towering figure in the sea to the corsair kneeling at the water’s edge, and gave half a chuckle. “Ji-Indur. Why am I not surprised by your treachery? I wondered who had managed to smuggle him out from my own fortress… it was a short list of those capable.”
Sauron tucked the black riding mask under one arm and smiled graciously at the wary gathering. “I understand that you both have significant grievances with my brother-self, and while he is in this… delicate, mortal condition, it would be a unique opportunity for you to seek retribution. I respect this. And though I cannot allow you to kill or maul him while under my protection, I am willing to strike a bargain.”
Moonlight glinted off a heavy ring on the hand that stretched out in offering, its twin around Mairon’s finger, limp and drifting in the wave swell. Sauron smiled, and gestured first to Ji.
“Wraith, your allegiance to my brother has long troubled you. If you kill him in this state, it is likely you will remain bound to his Ring and any remnant of his will, or else destroyed outright with his passing… An uncomfortable way to spend eternity, no?” He laughed. “Perhaps you will consider letting me sever the tie between your ring and his. Only I can do this for you, with a power of equal might to the original bond. You would live on, immortal and retaining some small amount of insight beyond the world of men, free of his manipulation, invisible to his eye, even if he returns to power.”
“…And you, Cousin,” Sauron shifted, lowering his gaze briefly in respect, “you of all here have the most claim to vengeance. You wish to see him suffer for his crimes, do you not? A mere moment of satisfaction, even if that moment is a long one, would not suffice.” His eyes glowed in the grave light of the moon, colorless and sharp. “To you I offer a lifetime of his suffering. Miserable, weak, aging into grey hair, sallow skin, and sagging flesh, trembling hands and feeble limbs, powerless to do harm to you or yours ever again.”
The lord of Mordor spread his hands. “Return him to me, and these shall be my gifts to you. Do we have an agreement?”
Ossë rumbled at the wraith’s words, his gaze transfixed on the limp, mortal shell that held his enemy bound in the surf. If any had the right to be bitter and vengeful, it was the wraith, the little pirate king who had been so free and so bold and bright, who had been chained and broken and forced to become a puppet for a lord of fire and rock. Yet here he had come, taking the fragile Maia and dragging him before another for judgment and destruction.
Oh, he surged into the choppy waters and burst forth again, foaming waters gathering around him eagerly. A dozen punishments, a hundred ideas for torment sprung into his mind – mortal flesh was full of mortal blood, which could be boiled or frozen or pulled from every opening in his body. He could repay his cousin’s ‘gifts’ a dozen times, a hundred times, a thousand times over! Even when Mairon regained his ‘strength’ he would be nothing in the Sea, nothing in the seat of Terror’s power.
But before he could respond, he felt another presence overhead and as Sauron came crashing down nearby, he sent the sea crashing higher up the coast and coiled protectively around the wraith and his guest. He knew that Sauron would be here for only one reason, and he was not about to see his prize stolen from him so swiftly.
“You say you will strike a bargain, yet I have not heard what you expect in return for your generosity. You will free the little pirate and give me a lifetime to watch him suffer – and what, I wonder, do you want in return? This seems too obvious, cousin, are you losing your touch? He is under your protection; you merely want us to rest our case and let you save his miserable, pathetic hide. You will not have him!”
((reblogging for context because the reply got snipped))
Mairon had exhausted himself rather early on as he tried to fight and didn’t realize how weak a human body is.
He slumped, even dozing off from sheer exhaustion as they traveled on horse-back. Because of this, he didn’t even realize where they were. He could barely hear the waves as his hearing had been muted.
He knew of his cousin’s plight, and it was with fierce restraint that he had stayed in the deeps during Marion’s period of weakness. After the pain and humiliation he had suffered, he did not know if he would be able to resist the temptation to inflict equal devastation on the mortal mockery of the Maia. So he hid himself away for his own safety.
Until he felt the icy shadow that blackened the surface, the familiar swagger of Ji Indur darkened by the power and rage of his ring, and a very familiar essence with him. He may have avoided the battle, but the battle did not avoid him. Hearing his name bellowed, he gave up the resistance – surely he could not be blamed for defending his home, his charge, his realm.
Surging towards the point of conflict, he appeared as a scaled behemoth of his usual self, every bit the Terror his legends warned. His eyes flashed as he circled the floating guests, tail caging them in as he fixed his gaze on the limp offering. “Why do you bring him here? His presence is not welcome in my home,” he rumbled, scowling.
Ji Indur felt Osse’s presence nearing them before he saw the Maia. The water underneath them started to stir and as he looked down into the depths, the bottom so close in the blue green, he notice the massive shape of the Master of the Seas, circling them like a dangerous predator before he broke the surface, causing the Kraken to sway and a wave to wash over man and wraith, almost dragging them under for a moment. The voice reverberated inside Ji Indur’s mind and he bowed his head in a display of respect.
“I am aware of it, oh mighty Osse and I would not have brought Him under normal circumstances. But the Grey Cloaks struck him with the curse of mortality for three days and I could have ended him there and then and freed myself but alas, it was not up to me to be the first to strike. He is one of the Ainur after all and seeing how He has treated you in the last centuries I decided to bring Jim to you so you can hold council and judge him according to the crimes He has committed against you. I hope you do not see any ill will on my part. Whatever you chose to do, I will accept it as His punishment. And I will not lay hand on him myself unless you tell me to do so.”
Ji Indur was serious with his words even if it might feel like betrayal to his friends. But he had to believe in Osse to find a punishment suitable for his cousin and to help the Nine -or those willing to- to break their chains. This was the moment where he offered the watery Maia more than just rum and gold- he was offering him his very existence, as terribly corrupted it was. If the Master of the Seas would turn his back on him as well then he knew that none of the higher beings had even a shred of empathy left for what they had created. Of course it was not meant as a test but it could be very well seen like one.
Suspense built in the tableau between wraith and maia, broken by the sound of distant wing beats, a pulsing thrum that grew into the crack of mighty sails as a shadow passed over the moon.
The sailors who had manned the craft bearing Ji and his captive fled splashing into the waves for safety, and a massive fell beast of raven-black scales and iron plate dropped out of the sky. The ship’s boat splintered under its claws where it landed, folding its wide, dark wings. As if patiently awaiting instruction, the feel beast watched its master dismount with cold white eyes, sliding off its back saddle to the ground. The rider approached, removing his flight mask, a tarnished red hammer slung at one hip, a silver-tipped nine-tails on the other.
“Cousin, we beg your pardon for the sudden intrusion,” Sauron addressed Ossë with an inclination of his head. “But it seems you are discussing the fate of one I have already laid claim to. The mortal you have half-submerged there at your feet is currently under my protection.”
He looked from the towering figure in the sea to the corsair kneeling at the water’s edge, and gave half a chuckle. “Ji-Indur. Why am I not surprised by your treachery? I wondered who had managed to smuggle him out from my own fortress… it was a short list of those capable.”
Sauron tucked the black riding mask under one arm and smiled graciously at the wary gathering. “I understand that you both have significant grievances with my brother-self, and while he is in this… delicate, mortal condition, it would be a unique opportunity for you to seek retribution. I respect this. And though I cannot allow you to kill or maul him while under my protection, I am willing to strike a bargain.”
Moonlight glinted off a heavy ring on the hand that stretched out in offering, its twin around Mairon’s finger, limp and drifting in the wave swell. Sauron smiled, and gestured first to Ji.
“Wraith, your allegiance to my brother has long troubled you. If you kill him in this state, it is likely you will remain bound to his Ring and any remnant of his will, or else destroyed outright with his passing… An uncomfortable way to spend eternity, no?” He laughed. “Perhaps you will consider letting me sever the tie between your ring and his. Only I can do this for you, with a power of equal might to the original bond. You would live on, immortal and retaining some small amount of insight beyond the world of men, free of his manipulation, invisible to his eye, even if he returns to power.”
“…And you, Cousin,” Sauron shifted, lowering his gaze briefly in respect, “you of all here have the most claim to vengeance. You wish to see him suffer for his crimes, do you not? A mere moment of satisfaction, even if that moment is a long one, would not suffice.” His eyes glowed in the grave light of the moon, colorless and sharp. “To you I offer a lifetime of his suffering. Miserable, weak, aging into grey hair, sallow skin, and sagging flesh, trembling hands and feeble limbs, powerless to do harm to you or yours ever again.”
The lord of Mordor spread his hands. “Return him to me, and these shall be my gifts to you. Do we have an agreement?”
His face gave no signs of his thoughts or feelings. His fins were still, his eyes focused and yet eerily empty as he stared through Sauron.
“Heh.” He closed his eyes and dipped his head, fins beginning to gently flutter with imagined currents. “Ha! Oh, that is–!” The chitter that escaped him was shriller and more piercing than his usual playful laughter.
“That is– liberating? A relief. I am pleased that we were given this opportunity to speak so frankly, Cousin.” He lifted his head, and for as miserable and angry as Sauron looked, he was pleased and relaxed. “I had suspected, I think, but I suppose I am as naive as you claim. I held to a belief that perhaps we might have some strange, hopeless alliance, two outcasts who understood one another, who might not agree with one another but could at least respect one another. But of course we do not have that!” He laughed again, but there was a bitter note of humiliation and regret in his song.
“You are not wrong that I would not hesitate to cripple you if you were a direct threat to my loved ones, but you are wrong that I would use our ‘friendship’ to do it. Or perhaps, knowing now that there is truly no such thing, you are completely right.”
He stretched his lips into a smile, and he forced it to his eyes. “You say do not ask questions I do not want answers to; perhaps what you meant was I should not ask questions which you do not want to answer.”
Do not… ask me questions… you do not want the answers to.
…I manipulate my enemies. And you are… you have been, my enemy. You are easy to manipulate. You are naive and susceptible to flattery. But you show no weakness when it matters; I have never had the upper hand for long when our wills cross in earnest. Ulmo and his waters are at odds with my people, and always have been, even in my service to Aulë. But you and I are not hidebound in our allegiances– we agree as often as we do not.This friction is only a game between us, a pleasant diversion with a long-held, attractive competitor, a fair-weather friend. My end goal…
My end goal is to achieve my designs by any means necessary. I have always been ready to accept that one day you and I may have to fight until one of us vanquished completely. And if that day comes, I will use whatever knowledge of your weaknesses I possess in order to secure victory. Even things you have told me in confidence, things I would not betray otherwise.
I count you as a friend in times of peace, a potential ally in disputes that do not directly conflict with your duties. But you are and will always be a potential threat, and I would not hesitate to neutralize that threat if you stood in my way. I would eradicate you if it came to that.
–But look me in the eye and tell me you feel differently about me, Cousin. You’d do anything in your power to wipe me from the face of the earth if I was poised between you and your duties, you and the ones you love.
SAY IT. You’d use our friendship against me if you had to. Tell me I’m wrong.
His face gave no signs of his thoughts or feelings. His fins were still, his eyes focused and yet eerily empty as he stared through Sauron.
“Heh.” He closed his eyes and dipped his head, fins beginning to gently flutter with imagined currents. “Ha! Oh, that is–!” The chitter that escaped him was shriller and more piercing than his usual playful laughter.
“That is– liberating? A relief. I am pleased that we were given this opportunity to speak so frankly, Cousin.” He lifted his head, and for as miserable and angry as Sauron looked, he was pleased and relaxed. “I had suspected, I think, but I suppose I am as naive as you claim. I held to a belief that perhaps we might have some strange, hopeless alliance, two outcasts who understood one another, who might not agree with one another but could at least respect one another. But of course we do not have that!” He laughed again, but there was a bitter note of humiliation and regret in his song.
“You are not wrong that I would not hesitate to cripple you if you were a direct threat to my loved ones, but you are wrong that I would use our ‘friendship’ to do it. Or perhaps, knowing now that there is truly no such thing, you are completely right.”
He stretched his lips into a smile, and he forced it to his eyes. “You say do not ask questions I do not want answers to; perhaps what you meant was I should not ask questions which you do not want to answer.”
“I do respect you, you idiot fish!” he snarled. “But we are at war! And you wear your bleeding heart on your sleeve, for all to see! What am I to do? Forget that you have poured out your insecurities and sorrows on my shoulder in a time of open hostility?”
Sauron whipped round and paced in fury. “–An advantage is an advantage, and you have plied yours against me whenever you had the chance! IF you have not learned my weaknesses by now, it is because you were not paying attention! -I- am not to blame that you cannot compete with me in games of cunning! You would drown me if you had to– you would rub salt in my wounds, use my own heart against me– you are no better than I! Don’t deny it–!”
His lips drew back over bared teeth, but as the sorcery worked against him, he fought to keep them closed, jaw clenched as words forced their way past his defense. The compulsion towards truth was too strong.
“…I am sorry, Ossë. At one time, it could have been different between us. But the world is changed, and I find myself capable of more and more disgraceful things in order to survive as one Masterless…
We are strange and hopeless, and our games are dear to me. I would relish a chance to set aside our differences and work towards one goal. But I cannot be the friend you wish me to be; I have none in this age I would not betray if pressed. You are one of the few remaining, and the oldest of those, but you would be a fool to trust me.”
Do not… ask me questions… you do not want the answers to.
…I manipulate my enemies. And you are… you have been, my enemy. You are easy to manipulate. You are naive and susceptible to flattery. But you show no weakness when it matters; I have never had the upper hand for long when our wills cross in earnest. Ulmo and his waters are at odds with my people, and always have been, even in my service to Aulë. But you and I are not hidebound in our allegiances– we agree as often as we do not.This friction is only a game between us, a pleasant diversion with a long-held, attractive competitor, a fair-weather friend. My end goal…
My end goal is to achieve my designs by any means necessary. I have always been ready to accept that one day you and I may have to fight until one of us vanquished completely. And if that day comes, I will use whatever knowledge of your weaknesses I possess in order to secure victory. Even things you have told me in confidence, things I would not betray otherwise.
I count you as a friend in times of peace, a potential ally in disputes that do not directly conflict with your duties. But you are and will always be a potential threat, and I would not hesitate to neutralize that threat if you stood in my way. I would eradicate you if it came to that.
–But look me in the eye and tell me you feel differently about me, Cousin. You’d do anything in your power to wipe me from the face of the earth if I was poised between you and your duties, you and the ones you love.
SAY IT. You’d use our friendship against me if you had to. Tell me I’m wrong.
Oh, make no mistake: you have both disgraced yourselves thoroughly in this debacle. Were he not the enemy and you my kin, I would have the two of you cleaning the floor of my forge with your tongues.
You may not see the logic in it now, Ossë, but tell me: How much of your power remains incorporeal and useless to you?
When you are formless, your spirit is immense, but it cannot interact directly with the elements; when you take flesh, you are bound by the laws of matter– a body can only contain so much as a vessel, and it is vulnerable. It is the dichotomy we all struggle with as Ainur.
We know of course that the more of ourselves we invest in Matter, the more power we have to control it. They say it was Melkor’s downfall that he invested so much of himself in the world that his spirit became dilute… I saw for myself how it affected him. I have no wish to repeat his mistake– for all that I remain to carry out his will.
It may be impossible to fully escape the laws of exchange; my strength may also be my greatest weakness. That is the sacrifice our kind must make if we wish to take part in the world we built. …But consider this: my sacrifice has brought me immeasurable power in this realm, and it will not decay as my Master’s did. It will always be of service to me, wherever it is, and it will be strongest when on my person.
The Ring allows me to govern armies with only the direction of my thought, to stem the tide of battle single-handedly, to command the elements, to penetrate the minds of Men far and wide, and bend them to my purposes.
It is as strong as I, nay, stronger. I cannot be destroyed except by the same means it was wrought. It is convenient, concealable, and my enemies will have to face me at the height of my power if they wish to wrest it from me…
I wonder, Cousin… if you chose someday to bring forth your true might and place it into something more durable than flesh, would you be the most powerful and feared presence in Arda?
“But it seems just another exchange, is it not? Except instead of investing in matters of flesh, you invest in trinkets of ore. You must have found some way to manipulate that process – but why a ring? Why not just invest that very might into your flesh? Your enemies would still face you at the height of your power to lay you low.
Though… you would be limited then to one fana. The ring allows you to adapt better.” Ossë clicks, considering this for some time.
“So the ring, so much smaller, can somehow contain more than a fana? How did you manage that?”
Ah, not adapt so much as persevere… I am split now into two sources, and if -I- should fail, it shall endure. I am no longer anchored to earth by a single point, yet neither am I spread too thin. Even you must see the wisdom in not placing all your eggs in one basket.
But as to why a ring,particularly… I suppose my answer is why not?
My reserve of power had to be placed somewhere, and a trinket it had to be– I could not splice myself into a living creature without corrupting my imprint.
I suppose it could have been anything, really. But a ring pleased me best.
It is… simple. Elegant. Rings are worn to show one’s loyalty, or affiliation, or love; to remind the wearer of their history, of an oath, a lineage. They may be a simple display of wealth– or signify power, as much a vestment of authority as a crown. Gold, meanwhile, is an excellent conduit for power; it possesses a curious and most potent memory for enchantments… Melkor favored gold. Even know it bears his signature, however faintly. I salvaged this gold from the wreck of Angband, and before that from the floors of old Utumno. This ore has a long memory.
Hah! I will not reveal all my trade secrets to you, however much I suspect the information would be useless in your watery clutches…
Suffice to say that the essence of our spirits is powerful, but highly diffuse. Condescending the fëa into high concentrations and binding it to a single form took a truly immense amount of energy, the likes of which are unlikely ever to be harnessed again.
…But why the sudden interest, Ossë? Are you developing an interest in smithing after all these eons? Should I ready my forges for a tour of fishfolk and mermaiar?
You may not see the logic in it now, Ossë, but tell me: How much of your power remains incorporeal and useless to you?
When you are formless, your spirit is immense, but it cannot interact directly with the elements; when you take flesh, you are bound by the laws of matter– a body can only contain so much as a vessel, and it is vulnerable. It is the dichotomy we all struggle with as Ainur.
We know of course that the more of ourselves we invest in Matter, the more power we have to control it. They say it was Melkor’s downfall that he invested so much of himself in the world that his spirit became dilute… I saw for myself how it affected him. I have no wish to repeat his mistake– for all that I remain to carry out his will.
It may be impossible to fully escape the laws of exchange; my strength may also be my greatest weakness. That is the sacrifice our kind must make if we wish to take part in the world we built. …But consider this: my sacrifice has brought me immeasurable power in this realm, and it will not decay as my Master’s did. It will always be of service to me, wherever it is, and it will be strongest when on my person.
The Ring allows me to govern armies with only the direction of my thought, to stem the tide of battle single-handedly, to command the elements, to penetrate the minds of Men far and wide, and bend them to my purposes.
It is as strong as I, nay, stronger. I cannot be destroyed except by the same means it was wrought. It is convenient, concealable, and my enemies will have to face me at the height of my power if they wish to wrest it from me…
I wonder, Cousin… if you chose someday to bring forth your true might and place it into something more durable than flesh, would you be the most powerful and feared presence in Arda?
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