The four towers of Valier [Lotr] ✔

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It had been long since Airen and Lungorthin left Valier.
Oss walks in between his older brothers Cyprus and Janus towards their parents quarters. Now merely the kings quarters. The youngest prince felt confident amidst his older brothers. After all he had been the one to secretly train with Airen every night. And not one of them could deny her the position of the most powerful of their people. "Father." Cyprus, eldest of the three remaining royal siblings greets the man in his lavish office space. "It is good to see you. Any news?" "Lungorthin wrote. He and Airen have decided to aid with an important journey." The man sighs. "Those are ill news." "What do you speak of, father?" "Airen is a stubborn, blunt, cold, unmannered woman with brutality and strength making up the very core of her being. And Lungorthin is a caring, good natured man with nothing but the best for everyone in his heart. Both are great warriors. But most of all.. Both are still my children. And in times like these.. I long for all of you to be by my side.", the man admits. Oss blinks, then stands strong. He was the only one in their family aside of Lungorthin who knew of Airens connection to their god but he was the singularly only person to know about what she had committed herself too. "It is not Airen who is short tempered." "Are you saying I don't see how she reacts all the time, boy?" "Not at all father. You just don't know why." "Well.. If you know tell us then." "I saw her.. Praying.. At Lord Melkors temple. And I disturbed her prayer when stepping on a dry stick. She attacked me. But her entire face was shrouded in a cloud of darkness and she spoke in a mans voice. She spoke in Lord Melkors voice. He is talking to her somehow. And the connection makes her so short tempered and aggressive. Its him. His soul reacting." "You are being ridiculous boy." "When she came back to her senses, I was over the shock of having my throat crushed by her hands and it had healed I asked her how it was possible. She loves him, father. Airen fell in love with our creator. And he loves her. It is why the balrogs listen to her and why she practically lives at his temple. They are slowly but surely becoming one. I don't think Airen will return from this journey. And if she does she will no longer be the same, nor will she be alone." "She told you all of this?" Janus had been a very shy boy growing up, until he had reached maturity. And since he didn't particularly have a mother he had spent many nights sleeping with his head buried against his sisters chest and his body wrapped up in her arms. The young boy nods. "She went to pray before she left, didn't she? He told her to go. That's why she is going." "But why did Lungorthin go?", Cyprus asks. "Because he thinks he loves sister Airen although we all know that to be impossible." "Oss my boy.. Come here." Oss steps to his father and finds his heavy hands resting on his young shoulders. "Do you swear you are telling the truth?" "I swear by all of our gods." No one would dare take their creators names in vain like this. Not in a household where Airen usually had been, ready to snap their necks in a very painful way if she would hear them even mutter something. The king nods. "Thank you, Oss." He returns to his brothers who each place a hand on his shoulders in support. "My daughter. My flesh and blood. In love with a valar. And the valars love. How did I not notice?" "You didn't pay a lot of attention to her anyways, father. Airen is not purely cruel. She cared for all of us when mother wouldn't. She would sing us to sleep. Would hold us on thunderous nights." "I slept in her bed a lot until her departure.", Oss admits. "She let you into her bed?" "I've had nightmares again. And her room seemed to be the only place that could make them go away. Now that she is gone I simply sleep in her room every night." "That's weird." "It's the only place I feel safe, okay? Airen alone would be enough to protect entire Valier.", Oss says. "We can't die, Oss. What scares you so much?" "That perhaps if we can not hold them off soon we can." "Can what?" "Die."
They all fall silent at the realization. Oss, the youngest of them, was right. Indeed they could be damned to be halfway mortal again. They still would age much like elves. But if a sword were to pierce their chest it would kill them once more. It was a thought none of them liked. "We need to man up the army. No man is allowed to take his world leave. We are at war and need every single one of them. It is time for the people of grey to be painted red with the blood of our enemies.", the king proclaims and the three boys nod.
They walk out and send messengers through all of Valier. They were at war. And they would meet their enemy head on once it was time.