Arc One
“Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”
-Gandalf the Grey/ The Fellowship of the Ring
It has been nearly a year to the day since I have woken up in this Hell. I do not use this word lightly, if hardly ever, but I’m afraid that Hell is probably an accurate word to describe the prison that I currently live in.
I go by many names, though my real one is known only by myself in this world. On the other two worlds of my inhabitance my real name was known, but here I never gave it. Here they call me a name that is infamous on all the planets I have ever lived. This name is Sauron. The Right hand of Melkor and the Lord of the Rings.
Yes, I am the real Sauron. Surprised to find out? You probably didn’t expect me to be nearly as spunky as I actually am. This is because after my defeat on Middle Earth there was this big old cosmic fluke; one that pulled me from Arda to this world, Equis. The world where the mythologies of Earth come to life in fantastical and horrifying ways.
‘How do you know about Earth?!’ you are no doubt asking from that couch you might happen to be reading on, and don’t worry, we’ll get to that part in a bit.
I don’t remember exactly what happened, but apparently I helped another maniac try to take over this world and for that I got imprisoned.
Now to get thrown here, I was blasted by some stupid Mcguffin. I don’t remember what it was called, and the two numbskulls guarding my cell won’t tell me, but apparently it blasted my body here all the while my soul was transported over to Earth. Where I was born into mortality with no memory of my past.
Living that second life was probably one of the best things that would happen to me. I don’t know why Erú would give me such a blessing, considering all the evil I’ve done, but he did.
On that new world I was born as Hazen Smith. Which is some sort of weird cosmic phenomenon that Erú must have found hilarious. Hazen is a name with Germanic roots meaning “dark” or “handsome,” all the while Smith means… exactly what it sounds like. Which is pretty ironic considering my own real passion of smithing, something I did during my true life on Arda and my life on Earth. Essentially my name meant “dark smith” which at the time I found goth and unfitting, but now in hindsight see as pure irony.
“Hazen” lived an amazing life. He grew up a man of faith in the United States with dreams of becoming guess what, a ring smith. He also had good leadership skills, but due to what was most definitely divine intervention, he never really used those skills in any sort of professional standing. He had OCD and although he has always wanted one, he could never find himself a love life. Women never gave him any real interest and Hazen was about as straight as a flagpole, so he instead just worked on fashioning his skills as a blacksmith.
Funny thing is this was exactly like my life on Arda, before I joined Melkor and ultimately met my downfall.
Strangely fate had intervened in on his life before he got into any sort of trouble. Hazen was a major Tolkien reader on Earth (wonder why that is) and he always wanted to go to Oxford University, where Tolkien lived his life.
He eventually got that chance. Although he was a practicing blacksmith he still applied to go to a university, for what though I can no longer recall… probably something to do with a scholarship in English or something. It’s hard to remember anything good and happy while trapped here in this place.
His stay at Oxford was incredible. He was able to learn so much, however, one night after weeks of study he decided to finally go to a bar and get himself a drink. It wasn’t just any bar though, it was the “Eagle and the Child.”
The very bar where a club of ordinary men talked about, laughed about, and wrote what would be some of the of the greatest stories of fiction. In this club of men there were two who stood out of the group. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.
Little did Hazen know, as he walked into that tavern, that he would never be seen by another man or women on Earth again.
I opened the front door and entered the Eagle and the Child. I have been looking forward to coming here ever since I moved here from America, but due to the demanding toll that was school I never had the opportunity to come here till now.
The tavern was homely enough, and although it contained a good amount of literary history within it’s walls, it was still a regular pub. I expected the bar to be crowded with Tolkien enthusiasts and the like, but inside there was only two other people; the bartender and an old man with a grey beard.
I walked up to counter and sat to the left of the old man, and I ordered myself a light drink. Can’t be getting myself drunk the day before a major exam now can I?
As the bartender left to prepare my drink the old man introduced himself as Alden. He said that he knew Tolkien personally as a college student just like me. We both chatted for hours on end, sharing laughs and stories about each other, our experiences at school, and of course Tolkien.
It was almost midnight when Alden turned to me with a deadly serious look, that told me to immediately pay attention, and when I saw the look in Alden’s eyes I knew the matter was important.
“Hazen,” the old man said, “what do you know
about the name Mairon?”
I chuckled a little bit. After all, I knew almost everything when it comes to Middle Earth. What do I not know about that name?
“Mairon was the name of a Maia,” I eagerly began, “he was a student of the Vala Aule, however, he was corrupted by the dark lord Melkor, and convinced to join his cause. Mairon would go on to become Melkor’s Lieutenant and fight against the Valar for the millennia to come.”
“Yes, what else do you know, Hazen?”
“Well, from this point onward Mairon no longer went by his given name. Rather, he instead went by many other ones. The most famous of all being-“
“Sauron.” Alden finished. “So what happened next?”
“Well, do you want the whole story or should I skip to the end?”
“Let’s skip to after the War of Wrath.”
“Okay then,” I continued. “after Sauron failed to receive amnesty from Eönwe, he went missing for a good five hundred years or so. He will finally make a reappearance under the disguise of an elf named Annatar. Annatar made friends with Celebrimbor, and taught him how to forge the rings of power, tricking him into thinking it was for the purpose of fellowship, when the real purpose was so he could enslave the free peoples of Middle Earth.”
“Right, and after that?”
“After forging the rings of power Sauron then forged for himself a gold ring, the One that will rule them all. But the elves anticipated this betrayal, and they removed their own rings from their fingers, lest they fall to Sauron. Thus starting a war that will last for the rest of the second age.”
“When Sauron came for revenge, he destroyed Eregion, the country that Celebrimbor lived, killed him, and left, leaving with the Nine and the Seven Rings of Power, so that he can corrupt Men and Dwarves into his service.
“Eventually, the Númenorians, men from the Island of Númenor, took notice of Sauron’s power. The King, Tar-Pharazon sailed east to Middle Earth, and challenged Sauron to combat. But Sauron, seeing the might and power of Númenor, surrendered instead,
“He was taken to Númenor, and imprisoned in the dungeons by Tar-Pharazon. However, Sauron was still able to speak to Tar-Pharazon, and he soon convinced the King to release him from prison and become his advisor. Sauron managed to corrupt the entirety of Númenor, and finally enact his scheme to be rid of the Men of the West once and for all,”
“He convinced them to attack Valinor, so that they may obtain immortality. Sauron tricked them, and after Tar-Pharazon first set foot upon Valinor, the entirety of the world was shaken, and Númenor was lost to the sea.”
“Sauron would then return to Mordor and resume his war against the elves and Númenorian exiles, only to then lose his ring and physical form. He fled from his enemies and hid in Dol Guldor as the “Necromancer,” only to once again be cast out centuries later by the White Council. After being cast from Dol Guldor Sauron would then return to Mordor, go back to fighting the peoples of Middle Earth, eventually get destroyed when Frodo tosses the Ring into Mount Doom.”
Alden nodded at my summarization. Giving his beard a good stroke he turned and slowly finished his drink. With one final swig the contents of his mug was gone. He then turned to me.
“What if I told you, that Mairon’s story is not over?”
I blinked in surprise, then chuckled a bit, which promptly turned into laughter.
“Surely that is the booze speaking now Alden.” I stated after I regained control from my laughing fit; “Tolkien’s writing clearly states that Sauron was defeated!”
“Defeated yes, but destroyed… no”
“If you say so.”
I turned back to my drink, wanting this line of conversation to end. I meant no disrespect, but I was kind of a purist when it came to the fandom. Alden still looked at me, and his eyes were looking at me with a strange intensity. He then continued speaking;
“Mairon’s story isn’t over.”
I curved my neck to the right to look at him again, I raised my eyebrow at his words.
“Mairon was sent to another world,” Alden continued; “a world of great innocence, and when he tried to take it, he was again defeated.”
“Alden, we’re not getting into fanfiction territory are we?”
Alden chuckled at my statement, but he looked into my eyes with a sense of confidence that I am yet to see dethroned.
“Perhaps, but what if I told you that after his defeat on that world, his soul was banished to another. Waiting to be sent back, not for the purpose of conquest, but for the purpose of redemption?”
“I would laugh my arse off and tell you that such an idea is ridiculous.”
“Maybe you would. Then again, you were always narrow-minded, always with a single goal in mind. Aren’t I right Mairon?”
I looked around the bar, looking for whoever he might have referred to as Mairon, but when my gaze returned to the elderly man I was surprised by how intensely he was staring at me. Nothing in his countenance betrayed the fact that he just called me by the name of a fictional character, and believed it.
“What game are you playing here, Alden?” I said dropping my initial friendliness. I was really tired after a late night of study, and I have an important exam tomorrow morning as well.
“I’m not playing any games Mairon” I cringed upon hearing that word, even though I didn’t know why-“but I’m telling you the truth. Is it really that hard to have believe that I am being honest with you?”
‘This isn’t going anywhere. It is past midnight already and I should be getting sleep.’
I stood up and turned to leave- “It was nice to get to know you Alden, but I’ve really got to-“
Wham!
I immediately fell on my knees, the back of my head hurt like I just got thwacked by something made of wood. I looked back and saw Alden carrying a flipping six foot staff! Where did that come from?!
“It is not considered courteous to just “make like a tree” when someone is talking to you.”
I put my hand on the back of my head. I could feel a sizable bump back there, but not enough to give any sort of concussion. I quietly cursed, then began speaking again;
“Are you out of your mind?! Why did you smack me on the back of my head with a staff?!”
“Because otherwise you would have walked away Mairon!” Alden said; “And if you did walk away you would not be ready for what is going to happen!”
“And what exactly, is going to happen?!”
“Today is your last day on Earth, and before dawn tomorrow you will be sent back to your Maiar body, with no idea what to do!”
‘… Come again?’
I slowly blinked. Then after a minute or two my rationality returned, along with my ability to speak as well as think clearly.
“This is my last day on Earth, and by dawn tomorrow I’m going to be an evil Dark Lord?” I asked skeptically.
“Yes, by the rising of the Sun tomorrow Hazen you will no longer live on this mortal plane. Instead you will awaken in a new world, one where you can finally make up for the mistakes that you have made.”
I stayed sprawled on the ground for a few minutes, processing all the information that has been given to me.
“Really?” I asked, coming to terms with the words that Alden is telling me.
“Yes Mairon. You are about to undertake a new journey, one where your experiences here as Hazen will help determine who you truly are, and reach your greatest potential.”
’Is what Alden saying true? He is a rather bizarre old man, neglecting the fact that he just assaulted me with his six foot staff. But what if what he’s telling the truth, could I really be Sauron? Is my life here meant to prepare me to make up for the mistakes of my past?’
I reached out my hand and Alden took it, lifting me off the ground and back onto my feet. Alden then heaved out a sigh and, with a downcast look, continued talking to me.
“Sorry about that,” Alden apologized “but you need to listen to me. My message is important, and if you heed it, it will give you more than you could have possibly imagined.”
I waved my hand, “Nah, it’s fine. I’ve been in worse scrapes before and minor bruise on my head won’t make any grudges. Besides, it probably was the only way you could have gotten me to listen in the first place.”
“Never were truer words spoken by you.” Alden agreed.
“So, if what your saying is true, then am I really Sauron?”
“I thought that your hearing was better” Alden stated, “what do you think I’ve been trying to tell you?!”
“But if I was really Sauron, wouldn’t I you know, have memories of being Sauron, and live in Middle Earth?” I countered.
Alden rubbed his temples; “This is going to take a while.”
Alden then proceeded to tell me what happened to Sauron, or should I say me, after Frodo destroyed the Ring. What he said was surprising to say the least.
“So let me get this straight: I am currently trapped in a prison called Tartarus guarded by a three headed dog, in a coma, on a world populated by creatures of Greek mythology.”
“Not exactly but that’s good a good summary.”
“So, does this mean I get to meet Percy Jackson?”
Alden groaned. He began to rub his temples in irritation.
“There are no Men or Elves, or even Orcs on Equis. Instead the world is ruled by a sentient race of equines, called ponies.”
“So I’m going to a little girl’s dreamland then?”
Another groan. I’m really getting on his nerves, and I’m enjoying every second of it.
“This is a world of adventure Mairon! And yes though I admit the citizenry may be a bit naive there is still so much you can learn from them!”
“Okay I get it. Going to have to, now that I think about it.”
“And I’m sure you will Mairon.”
I slumped on the chair I was sitting on. This was a lot to take in. If my parents hadn’t already passed on, or if I had a social life, I would be far more worried by the implications of the things Alden had told me. “So what now? My life on earth is done just like that, then I’m going to become the most evil being in Middle Earth’s history, and try to find a new purpose to give myself on this new world?”
“Something like that.”
I looked at my watch, it was past five in the morning. The hours have flown by as if chased by the Devil himself. I looked back to Alden;
“What do I do?”
“When you reawaken, you will be trapped in a cell in Tartarus, it is nigh impossible to escape that cell. So you will have to wait until the cell door appears, which only happens once a year. So you will be trapped in Tartarus for a good little while at least.”
“When the door does reappear, your magical reserves should be enough to overpower it. Use your power as one of the Ainur to compose music to destroy it.”
“Wait,” I exclaimed; “I can do that?!”
“Why yes,” Alden said with a smile; “and many other things that you will no doubt relearn in your time in prison.”
“Alright…”
“After you escape, you must seek the White city upon a mountain. What you will find there, if you stay true, will be worth every hardship you will face.”
“But how will I get there? Won’t I be a wanted criminal?”
“There will be others, who you will meet, who will help you during and after your journey. But, I must warn you, not all those you meet will have good intent. You must be ready to face them.”
I nodded. “I’ll be ready.”
I looked outside. It was almost dawn, and I still had unanswered questions.
“Will we meet again Alden?”
“Perhaps,” Alden said; “but if we do, you will not be the same. You will change. Whether for your ultimate good, or for your utter damnation, is up to you.”
I turned back to Alden. “Wait a minute, do I know you from som-“
A rooster crowed.
And there was a light out in the eastern window.
“-whe-“
Alden disappeared, I saw twirling lights all around me. I heard voices, memories started flooding my brain faster than anything I could ever describe. I saw visions flash before my eyes, figures and faces that I saw and instantly forgot. I screamed, but I could not hear my own voice. And when I finally came back to my senses;
Everything was pitch black.