7 Chapter 6 Melkor

The village burned. The fire swallowed and devoured the innocent as they tried to run for the faintest chance of escaping, they prayed to their gods to end this nightmare, but the inferno continued in a never-ending wave around them.

At the center of it all stood a lone figure, taller than most men, he was clad in armor as dark as the night sky with a cloak as black as the very void he walked out of.

His eyes burned with rage, and his heart pumped him full of hate as he watched the innocent burn around him. His anger stemmed from what his host had told him, how the humans would have killed her should they have found her, how they would not have spared his daughter, his HEIR!

He had been given a second chance by his father, to be kind and generous to the people of this land, and to live a peaceful and quiet life with his child, but one does not change so quickly, For he did not care for that second chance, his kin was threatened by the mortals of these new lands, and they would pay!

Hours had passed when the first flame was set ablaze, Melkor could be seen standing in the burned and ashen land the humans once called home, he stood over the last survivor, a woman scorched by the flame, barely recognizable.

She grabbed ahold of Melkors leg with the last bit of strength she had. "Help, me"

Melkor kicked her arm away and turned away from the massacre he had brought upon this once prosperous land,

Walking away from the ruin that was once someone's home Melkor begins walking into the forest, he began to scale the trees. once atop he began elegantly and swiftly jumping from one tree to the other with grace and precision, traversing his way back to the home of his host, Beorn.

As Melkor traversed from tree to tree to tree he begins to reflect on the past few days he has spent in this new world he has found himself in.

He was sent to this new land by his father Eru Iluvitar. Why his father chose to do such a thing was a question not even the wisest of the Ainur could give a true answer.

He did know for true that he had not returned to Eä, but someplace beyond the void, a land untouched by the Ainur, yet the men are far more corrupted than the men of middle earth, he had seen what they do to their kind, many were greedy and evil in middle earth, with great selfishness growing in many, but in the hearts of these men laid a greater darkness, few had darkness rest in their hearts this greatly in middle earth, but here in this foreign realm countless hearts held it.

He was familiar with the race of man when he tried to dominate all of Arda, they fought back with great tenacity for such a fragile race, he had corrupted many of them in Arda, but they persisted and were ultimately vital for his final fall and banishment. But the humans of these land needed no god to corrupt them. They were born with the darkness inside their hearts.

Beorn had been kind to him, he had told him of the men who had cut down the sacred trees of the original natives of this land, how the humans were first welcomed by the children of the forest, but when they started cutting down the trees, the children declared war against the race of man, they had once lived across the entity of the continent, but the men are numerous, and the children are few.

Beorn had told him stories about their high king, and his sons who had been driving them north. The many children of the high king were butchering the people of the forest, the war was a losing battle and all they could do was preserve what they had now.

Disregarding his thoughts on the denizens of this new strange land, something far more important occupied his mind... His powers.

When Melkor was thrown into this new world, his powers were torn from him, he was reduced to the level of those he once cursed and manipulated. After he fused much of his essence with Arda his power was reduced immensely, he was still capable of fighting the Valar individually, but if he had fought all at once, he would surely lose.

At the end of the war, he had been injured by the elven king Fingolfin, leaving him more vulnerable than ever, it was an insult to what he once was, the power he once wielded, he was once the mightiest of the Valar, he once was able to fight and defeat all the Valar at one time, second only to Eru himself.

Once he was capable of raising great mountains that touched the sky, crafting tremendous fortresses out of the earth, and creating creatures capable of rivaling the Ainur themselves.

And now he was brought down to a level of the elves. He knew he was not what he used to be but was still far more powerful in this land compared to any humans, giant, or whatever else roamed them, his martial skills surpassed those of decades of practice, for he was the one who created war and discord in Arda.

When in the void Melkor had time to reflect, he started a war because of jealousy, an emotion he should have been far above.

The War of Wrath had been because he hated his father's creations, because he could not create, and he understood why he had lost, they were fighting for their home, for their creations, he had none then, he had only twisted and corrupted his father's creations and used them against them, but now, he had a creation, now if he fought again he would have a greater drive, the very reason he burned that village... A daughter.

Melkor had finally reached his destination, he jumped down from the trees exiting the tree line that sat in front of Beorn's home. When he entered the gate he saw someone speaking to Beorn. He was slightly taller than a human, but what set him apart from the humans was that he was green, with the antlers of a deer.

Beorn turned to Melkor waved him over and spoke in his usual deep gruff voice

"Melkor, I have someone you need to meet. He just arrived a moment ago."

Melkor walked over to Beorn and the antlered man who had been staring at him in intrigue since he had walked through the gates.

"Who is this Beorn, Is he one of the children of the forest?"

"This is Eoghan, an elder of the children of the forest, known as a Greenman to the humans, he has lived in these lands long before the humans arrived." Eoghan cut him off

"And I wish to live here long after they've left." Eoghan stuck his hand out for a shake

Melkor took his hand "And why is it that you've come here, you seem far too important to come to have come to exchange pleasantries with Beorn." Releasing his clasped hand, Eoghan nodded

"Ah, you're a sharp one. You are right, I am not here for leisure but have come to warn thee."

Eoghan turned to Beorn, his face hardening, urgency lased in his voice "You must be ready Beorn, Brandon Stark marches his way here with three hundred men at his back."

Beorn seemed unfazed by the news, but his eyes revealed what he truly thought, surprise, confusion, anger. "How long till they reach us."

"At least a month, hard to tell, but you must prepare. If you wish it, I can call upon a force of children and giants to aid you."

"No, I shall face them alone." Beorn turned to Melkor "Take your daughter and leave with Eoghan. He shall take you someplace safe."

Melkor was alarmed by the news. If they were coming to Beorns home, that meant his daughter was in danger. Melkor needed to know why.

"Eoghan, why would some lord and three hundred men march on us."

Eoghan could only sigh "It seems after a meeting with children of the forest on his way home Beorn ran into three men, he killed two of them but one survived. It was a father and his two sons hunting when they came across Beorn. And that father was old friends with Brandon Stark, he marches out of revenge Beorn."

Melkor looked to Beorn, he had taken Melkor into his home when he could have left him naked in this new world, he had taught him of what lay in these lands and the gods that ruled them. He had even shown his daughter to him when he had found her, a daughter he had never held, a daughter that he shall raise to rule after him

"I shall not abandon you when you have helped me and my child through times of trouble. I was born a god, cast down as a punishment for the crime I had committed. I may not wield the power I once had, but these humans shall be humbled these coming days, and they shall face the fury of a god!"