Children of the North: A Middle Earth Story (Book 5)

Chapter 5: The Ritual

Rukil let out a deep sigh of satisfaction, pleased to be free for the moment of the troubles of court as his steed flew across the dunes beneath him. They passed like waves in the ocean, each sand-capped crest blocking out the desert sun with their passage.

The horsemen sent up a cloud of dust behind them, the dry desert sand crumbling beneath their horses hooves. It felt familiar, yet distant, like a friend one hadn't seen in many years returning from a long journey.

Since taking the throne, Rukil had been busy, far too busy to ride across the desert. Much of Rhûn at first refused to recognize his rule, leading to rebellions and uprisings throughout the massive desert realm. Orcs and Men loyal to Sauron fomented unrest, ever attempting to undermine his rulership. Although peace finally came to the majority of Rhûn, there was still Mordor. Mordor, which, despite being leaderless, continued to be a land of shadow and darkness for many years after Sauron's fall. Evil things dwelt in the nooks of the mountains, and ancient beings who had dwelt under the earth long before Sauron's arrival woke from their age-old slumber, making war on the men who now slowly began to settle around the sea of Nurnen. Rukil's last taste of battle was there, where he sustained a blade-wound to the back that left many fearing he would be unable to move for the rest of his life. He eventually recovered, though from then on his advisors kept him off the battlefield.

In fact, this was the first time he had left Mistrand in months. Though he once traveled frequently to Gondor, the neighboring realm was now silent, and envoys were turned away at its border. Why this sudden change in diplomacy had occurred was anyones guess, but Rukil wondered if they would find the answers to this mystery here as well.

It was several days of travel before the reddish hues of the Orocarni Mountains graced the horizon. The party's destination lay there.

As the sun began to dip toward the western horizon, they came upon the first arm of the mountains, reaching out into the surrounding desert like a bloody scar.

"What do we seek within the mountains?" Kilic asked, reining his steed in at his father's side. His piercing eyes studied the scarlet-tinted rocks that lie before them, narrowed in concentration.

"There are ancient things within the mountains, my son," Rukil began. "Long hidden from the prying eyes of the world, an obscure cult dwelt in a narrow cleft of the mountains many centuries ago, practicing dark magic and and seeking forbidden knowledge. When our people bent the knee to Sauron, and before him the One too evil to name, this cult emerged from the shadows, leading our people further and further into darkness. Of their number, Khamul is the most well-known, though many of our former leaders' advisors and generals were among their ranks. Hidden under their garments they wore a device that their kin would know them by, a simple crescent moon.

"When I first began to fight for Rhûn's freedom, the Cult moved to stop me at every step of the way. They were a cunning foe, killing those who might aid me and supplanting them with their own foul servants. It wasn't until Morinehtar, the Blue Wizard, came to these very hills that they were finally cast down."

Kilic shifted uneasily in his saddle. "If they were defeated, why are we coming here now?"

"When Morinehtar returned from his battle with the Cult, he told me of their work here. He said that they were seeking to form a connection with the Unseen World... To this end, they had gathered all manner of ancient artifacts and tools of evil, attempting to use their power to somehow open a gate from our reality to theirs. At the time, they had remained unsuccessful, but Morinehtar was convinced that they were close to a breakthrough of sorts.

"When you showed me the fingers hewn from the Dark Lord's gauntlet, I immediately thought of Morinehtar's words to me when he told me of the Cult's task. He said 'should the forces of evil begin to amass dark relics once more, the Cult may be at work.' He cautioned me to preemptively return and completely destroy their outpost, but I was too preoccupied by the threats closer to home to pay him heed. I hope it is but a coincidence, but it has been a hard learned lesson that evil is never truly vanquished."