Lord of the Rings 1. Prologue

**Black Times **

*This story is based off the Lord of The Rings trilogy, however it does not involve any of the characters or the setting provided in either the movies or the books. As you read there are some similarities to the LoTR series. **This is NOT intended for people who are easily offended by racism.** This story does not in any way reflect my opinions about racism and should be treated exactly for what it is. A STORY.

**Prologue**

A thundering crash resounded for miles as the storm rolled in. Dark clouds covered the horizon and slowly began to dominate the view. "Captain Vran, the storm will be upon us by sundown. Perhaps we should return to the fort." Captain Vran mounted his horse and looked back at Briar. "We will do one more patrol before returning." As soon as the words left his mouth a few of the men mumbled their complaints. They had a hundred men in their patrol and they knew they would not return to the fort in time to avoid the steadily approaching storm. "We have already spent most of the day looking for those bandits. I say we head back," voiced one of the sergeants. The captain's face showed no change in emotion, and he simply stated, "It is our duty to make sure these lands are safe to traverse. The townsfolk reported sighting a group of armed men and so we will end these brigands." The men grew quiet at that and the rest of the patrol saddled their horses.

They resumed their trek into the thick shrubs and trees of the forest. "Briar, go to the back ranks and check on the new men." said Vran as he continued to scan the forest. "I don't want any of them getting lost." Bracken forest was the thickest forest in all of Avros. Riders had to ride single file into the crisscrossed network of game trails created by animals. If one didn't pay attention he could become separated from the group, and none of the soldiers wanted to spend a single moment more out in the cold than needed. Briar waited in a nook and waited for both horse and men to pass by. Eventually he slipped in amidst the new recruits and continued along the trail. "Did Captain Vran ask you to keep an eye on us?" asked a boy. Briar eyed all the new recruits and each one couldn't have been older than 19. Legally all men, but he knew none of them had ever seen real action. Perhaps in the months to come they would take part in the Kathraki raids that occurred every few years and war would make them men. More likely they would have to deal with bandits like the ones they were searching for now. "It's easy to get lost in this forest and the Captain would not like to report to his superiors that men were lost in a mere search party. Those townsfolk we met a couple miles back said there was at least a hundred warriors," Briar replied. The recruit in front of him looked back with worry on his face. "At best we are an even fight with these criminals, and at worst they might have twice our number." Briar smirked. "Come on boy, where is your pride? We are the King's men! Do we not have the famed reputation of having the best heavy infantry in the kingdom?" More than a few of the recruits cheered at the comment but the rest were still wary of the danger. "Aye, we all know the famed tales. The men of the west would shoot down any invaders with their longbows from their mountaintops. In the east armies would be cut down by the masses of heavy cavalry. And in the south the vast plains would be covered with spearmen waiting to envelop the enemy," said a recruit farther towards the back of the column. There was some chatter and some back and forth banter for a while, then water started to pour down upon them as the storm finally reached them.

Despite the armor and uniforms, the cold water seeped into the soldiers' skins. Winter wasn't upon them yet but it was still freezing for the troop of men. "How long must we search before the Captain realizes there are no blasted bandits in this forest?" complained a recruit. Briar turned and looked for the source of the comment but saw only hunched men staving off the cold. "It's our duty to uphold the king's laws and to protect these lands. And more importantly, to watch for the return of our true enemy." Every single one of the recruits began murmuring to one another. Briar knew this was alarming. The enemy of the Avrosi lands was defeated several decades ago. To have them return after so long would be momentous. Briar redirected his attention to the forefront of the column. The tree line finally began to widen as they approached the heart of the forest. It took several minutes before he was once again beside the Captain. "Lieutenant Briar and Lieutenant Kael, we just got word from our scout that the bandits are minutes away from our location. Over that rise they have some ten scouts. We will send our best archers and take them out. Kael, you will be with the archers. Briar, I want you to take twenty men and circle around to the other side of the camp. Once their scouts on this side are down, we will send in our cavalry. Your men will come in from your side to ensure none escape." Briar gave a quick nod and called out to twenty men, a few of which were the new recruits. Briar's scout led them around the enemy camp until they stood upon a gentle rise. He could see two scouts a few feet away from each other. They both wore spiked helms with chain-mail rings to cover their faces. They each had crude spears and wooden shields. The only kind of body armor they had were dark stained scale like armor pieces that covered their torsos. Briar quietly got up from his spot and grabbed the bow from his saddle pack. He indicated for three of his more experienced men to grab theirs as well. The four of them went back to the rise and readied themselves for the approaching battle.

His heart was pounding but he felt steady. It felt like years before he heard the first sounds of combat. "Now!" he whispered. He felt the soft feather fletching in his hand, and the sudden pull and release of an experienced soldier at work. Within the blink of an eye the enemy scout had an arrow in his throat, and another in his chest. The other scout had only milliseconds to respond before two arrows hit him in the chest. When no alarms were raised, Briar gave the hand signal to attack. Sixteen mounted men charged ahead as Briar and his three archers put away their bows. Briar only gave one quick glance at the three recruits charging in with his men before he saddled his on horse. He drew his sword from his scabbard and raised it above his head. The men still with him did likewise and together they charged into battle. As Briar edged closer to the battle he could see that they successfully caught the bandits off guard. There was chaos among the bandits as they were encircled. Their camp was nothing more than dozens and dozens of bed rolls rolled out alongside several campfires. The fires had been extinguished for some time now because of the storm. Briar had no doubt that a good amount of the enemy had been trampled in the initial charge, but it also meant they had their armor and weapons ready when the attack began. Judging from the bodies the enemy were somewhere near two hundred.

Briar closed in on his first opponent as he came in from the side. The combatant tried to lunge his spear at him, but Briar parried it with ease. With one quick slash to the neck he ended his life. He met several more enemies in his path, but each died just as easily. Despite the armor and the weapons these men had little training. Briar joined the rest of the men in circling the group of bandits. The clang of metal on metal, and the sound as cold steel pierced flesh was chaotic, but within minutes they had the enemy down to twenty men. "Surrender!" yelled Captain Vran. He had a rag around a wounded shoulder, and a cut on his cheek. The bandits said nothing, but grunted and hissed. "We would rather die here than return to the master in failure!" yelled one. Then the group of trapped bandits began a savage attack, despite being outnumbered. They were easily cut down, all except one in which Vran had ordered be taken prisoner. When Vran removed the bandit's helmet, every man in their company gasped. His skin was black as night, his teeth sharpened at the points like fangs, his eyes were red. "It can't be!" cried one of the men. "This is no man but a nigger!"The men began to talk amongst one another in worry and alarm. "Men calm yourselves! Tie him up and get him on Jorgan's saddle. He is our fastest rider. If our enemy has returned, then we must warn the king immediately." The men did as commanded and watched as Jorgan raced away with the prisoner and a few riders to act as guards. "Briar felt a dread he had not ever known take place in his heart, and he saw it in the faces of what men had survived the battle. "God help us all."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Tell us what we want to know!" yelled the interrogator. The Nigger screamed in agony as they continued to beat him. "But the Master, the Master!" The nigger cried out over and over. The guards were frightened by the devotion this beast showed for its master. They had starved and beat him for almost a full day now and not a single useful piece of information has been gathered. "Your Master can't help you now. You are in the dungeons of Belgrad, 100 meters underground. We are hundreds of miles from the Black Tower. Tell us what we want to know!" The guard said while punching the nigger in the gut. The nigger grunted in pain but then he began a sinister laugh. "Oh but he will be here soon." It murmured. "What was that? You do know something useful." The interrogator said. He looked over to one of the guards and gave him a nod. The guard left hastily and the interrogator turned back to his prisoner. "Enough games, you will talk shortly."

The guard returned back with a pot of food and set it before the prisoner. The smell sunk into the air and nigger immediately began drooling. He looked up at the guard. "Is that what I think it is?" It asked. The interrogator nodded. "Tell us what we want to know and I'll give you my word that you will be left alone in this dungeon." The nigger was amidst thinking it over when the interrogator reached down and grabbed a succulent piece of fried chicken. "No no no," the nigger moaned. The interrogator ate it painstakingly slow. Each time he bit down the nigger internally screamed. "I'm feeling a bit parched." The interrogator said with a grin. The guard nodded and left. He quickly returned with a purple beverage and a simple chalice. "Is that…Is that grape drank?" The nigger pleaded. He was rolling on the floor in agony watching as the purple beverage was downed by the man. "Alright, I will tell!" The interrogator smirked. "What do you know?" The nigger began to tremble. "Will you give me life and the food and drink for this information?" The interrogator nodded and put the food and the drink in front of the wretched creature. The nigger instantly began feasting, in between mouthfuls the interrogator heard: "Our master…has gathered… a host. His…strength… numbers in the tens of thousands…some say…as many as two hundred thousand…no one…will be spared." The interrogator and the guards paled. "We must warn the king." The guards went immediately, leaving the interrogator alone with the prisoner. The nigger paid no attention to him as he licked the chicken juices off his fingers. "Thas some good chicken." The interrogator let the beast finish his meal, and as the prisoner finished his drink, the interrogator drew his sword and rammed it into the nigger's flesh. "But…but you gave me your word." The dying nigger sputtered as he coughed up blood. The interrogator looked the monstrosity straight in its eyes and snarled, "I don't make deals with your kind."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Lord Peleon sat in the King's library reading an old favorite. The weather was particularly cold today, but he paid it no heed, he had grown accustomed to it during his youth. Distant footsteps could be heard approaching. "My lord, the king has called a meeting," announced a servant. Without looking up from his book, the lord, annoyed, said, "I don't suppose this is about the King's ice cream." The king had an obsession for the Northern delicacy. He always had to have an entire bowl before going to sleep or he got fussy. When no reply came, lord Peleon looked up from his book, and noted the worried look on the servant's face. "Very well, I will attend at once." He placed the book back in its place and followed the servant to the throne room.

Inside awaited a group of men and atop the throne the king himself. King Michaellion, son of the famed conqueror King Galtorix. Lord Peleon joined the three lords at the forefront of the group. On the Left stood Lord Joelan of the Eastfold, known among his people simply as Horselord. The Eastfold provides the kingdom with the majority of its food due to the vast farmland and plains of the region. Lord Joelan commands the bulk of the kingdoms cavalry. In the middle stands Lord Niclan of the Summer Isles; quiet, composed, but far from passive. Watching over the kingdom's island regions, Lord Niclan commands the bulk of the royal navy. Finally on the right stands Lord Danathan of the Westfold. The Westfold has vast trade networks, and it is one of the wealthiest regions of the kingdom. Unfortunately Lord Danathan is corrupt and he hoards all the wealth to himself.

Lord Peleon joined them. King Michaellion looked pleased that all were in attendance now. The king stood up out of his throne and said, "Our patrols have discovered that our enemy has returned. Jacklander, master to the corrupted nigger race, as well as his other repulsive allies, will soon be upon us. The crowd of nobles was in complete shock. One of the more delicate nobles even fainted. Every Avrosi man knew the stories. Nigger men raping the churches and burning the women. They had no compassion and were devoid of any humanity. Though humanoid, no sane man would ever consider them human. The king continued his announcement, "Our interrogator has discovered that Jacklander has not only returned, but he has an army larger than any of our forefathers have ever faced. They will already be marching to attack the citadel Zenith." Once the king was done many of the lords began to bicker amongst themselves. The king waited for their silence, and listened for their counsel. Lord Darrion, head of the foreign diplomats, stepped forward. "My king we must call on the other nations for assistance. Surely they will come to our aid once they realize that once the Avrosi people are subdued, they will be next." Many of the more proud lords screamed their outrage. The Avrosi have always been the kingdom to provide aid, and stand up against the sinister forces of Jacklander. "King Michaellion waited, then gave a glare that silenced the crowd. "The situation is dire. Even if the other kingdoms came to our aid, they would not arrive on time. My lords, you need to rally your banner-men. Zenith will hold the enemy at bay long enough for reinforcements to arrive. I have already sent 2,000 men to garrison the defenses, but we will need more men."

Lord Joelan stepped forward. "My king, the Eastfold is still recovering from the revolt. One that may have been prevented had Danathan came to my aid!" Lord Danathan gave Joelan a bewildered look. "It is not the Westfold's problems that the Eastfold cannot control its own subjects. Nor was I the only one to ignore the call for aid!" Joelan strolled up to Danathan until they were inches apart. "Aye, but both Peleon and Niclan were dealing with threats of their own, while you sat idly by in your halls!" The king's announcer slammed a cane down on the marble floor several times. Joelan returned to his original position, but was still seething with anger. "Now is a time for unity. Our kingdom is vulnerable, but if we do not meet Jacklander on the field with our full strength then we will have finally fallen after hundreds of years of strife. Now, how long before your armies can arrive?" Lord Peleon stepped forward. "My current standing forces are 9,000 men. They can arrive within a month and a half. If I make the call for my banner-men, my number will swell to an additional 40,000 men. It will take a month to gather, arm and train all of them. If Niclan provides me his navy we can sail the men up the Ismus river, and then meet up with the other armies."Niclan stepped forward so that he stood beside Peleon. "The Summer Isles has the lowest population of our territories. I have 2,500 men ready to sail. It will take time, but we will construct additional barges to transport Peleon's men up the Ismus. If I call my banner-men, I can have 8,000 men ready. By ship it will take two weeks to travel up the Ismus." King Michaellion nodded, and both Peleon and Niclan returned to their positions.

Danathan took a step forward, but Joelan rudely blocked him and moved closer to the king. "I have 2,500 of my best riders ready to join the garrison at Zenith. In a month I can have another 7,500 riders ready to reinforce." Now that Joelan was done speaking, Danathan elbowed his way around so that he was at the fore front." I have 10,000 men who are ready to wage war. In three weeks my banner-men will have assembled, and I will have another 12,000." King Micheallion gave a grim nod. "Very well, I want each of you to go now and assemble your forces as quickly as possible. The nigger hordes will be upon us soon enough." With that the lords dispersed with haste, but Lord Peleon decided to hold back. When the room was empty, except for the king and the lord, a servant brought forth a bowl with a heaping amount of ice cream. "How bad is it?" Peleon questioned. The king was silent for a long time eating his dessert until finally he replied, "There are two hundred thousand of the abominations under Jacklander's control. If we lose Zenith they will be on the City of Fortune within days. We have the strength, but Jacklander has chosen the perfect timing. Our kingdom still hurts from the recent rebellion. We have no one to turn to. Several of the lords still have conflicts that are like open wounds that fester, and time will be our downfall. If only we would've known sooner, we may have been more prepared. I fear for the worst." The King's lack of hope startled Peleon. "Aye, the situation is dire, but we will fight none the less. My king, I have always found that humanity will surprise you when you least expect it. And as long as there is hope for victory, the Avrosi people are not defeated." The king nodded. "Wise council, our fates will be decided at Zenith. The time they buy for us will determine whether we triumph as heroes or die knowing we failed this world. Now go, and return with might of the Southern Plains."


End file.

Lord of the Rings, Adventure, Humor