chapter 10 Melkor

Seven moons before Brandon the Builder meets his uncles at the tower at Cailin.

Beorns home

...

Three men stood around a small crate, one held a letter that was attached to the box, and the other two were warily looking at the contents of the box.

Beorn was the first to speak. "What does it say Melkor?"

Melkor glanced up from the letter to Beorn and Eoghan, who had been staring at the box's contents warily. "It's addressed to Beorn, from Brandon Stark with the epithet, the Builder, It says that for taking the life of his father he shall march down with a combined force of his uncles onto the Tower of Cailin, and there they shall destroy the tower and slay all the children of the forest, along with whatever green men and whoever else tries to stop them."

Melkor went to hand the letter to Beorn, but before he could grab it, Eoghan snatched it away and began frantically reading over it. "We can not let them reach Cailin, it would be catastrophic, we need to leave immediately!"

Beorn shot the idea down. "For what reason, Cailin is impossible to breach, and it's reinforced by countless giants and Greenmen, and don't forget the enchantments covering the tower, that YOU placed.

If we march now we would be caught by the new Lord Stark, who shall find us before we even reach the tower and obliterate us along with the few left who survived the battle. We only have a little more than a hundred left, most children, three giants remain, and two green men are left, counting you. And if the enormous host finds us Stark is certainly forming we shall all die."

Eoghan, still unable to calm down, could only shake his head. "You do not understand Beorn, this man is Brandon the Builder, greatly different from his father. He is a master strategist, and his understanding of the old runes is equal to mine. If I am not there to reinforce the magic cast upon the tower he'll bring it down in mere moons, and if that happens, they'll find..."

Beorn voiced his confusion. "What are you talking about Eoghan, what are you so worried about that lies in that tower?"

Melkor decided now was time to break his silence "What is it that's so important about this tower Eoghan, for you seem more worried about what's inside the tower than who the tower protects."

Eoghan ran his hand over his face as he paced around the room. "The tower is the last bastion of my people, it was built as a way to cast great and powerful magic across the land. It holds power that is even older than I. Over the years I have added to the runes and magic that protect it, but should Brandon Stark break the old magic, they would gain access to weapons not even I comprehend."

Melkor glanced at Beorn hoping he could explain further, but all he did was shrug.

"What weapons do you speak of, is it not true that you have been losing the war because they wield weapons greater than yours? If they benefit from gaining one of these weapons, why not use it against them?" Melkor inquired

Eoghan sighed "The weapons I speak of are not objects in essence, but magic. And truly it is only one weapon that lies within the tower, truly it may not even be a weapon."

Beorn asked the burning question that Eoghan had been avoiding answering. "What is it then, what is this thing you seem so adamant to keep from the Stark boy?"

Eoghan looked hesitant to answer, but the glares from the towering figures of Beorn and Melkor broke him. "The tower was originally crafted to cast great magic across the land yes, but..."

Melkor listened with interest. "But the tower was also built to contain something, something dangerous, no one understood what it was, but whenever someone touched it... they were sucked in, never to be seen again. It is a rift, a scar in reality, a doorway to the abyss."

Melkor's eyes bored into Eoghan, for what he described seemed eerily familiar.

"We leave at once" Melkor spoke with a tone that left no room to argue.

Beorn nodded "Agreed. If what Eoghan says is true, then we can not let the tower fall."

Eoghan sighed, he turned to Melkor and Beorn and did a half bow. "Thank you."

Beorn Snorted in annoyance "You can thank us once we reach the tower. That is if we reach the tower before the little Stark brat does."

Beorn turned and headed for the door. "I'll inform the others."

Eoghan nodded "I'll come as well, they may not be ready for a long march after the recent battle."

As Beorn and Eoghan left the room, Melkor remained, his eyes locked on the contents of the chest. He sighed, so many thoughts were running through his head.

He had no real reason to stay and help Beorn and Eoghan any longer, yet he felt he needed to see the rift Eoghan spoke of, for it was either a doorway home... Or an entrance into this land he had found himself in. And if it was a gate to either world, who would be knocking, him, or someone else?

Melkor groaned in annoyance. "My daughter has probably awakened from her nap, I should probably go check on her."

As Melkor Began leaving the room, he placed the letter next to the chest as a torch gave light to the letter.

'To the Great Bear of Old, I give you this chest as a way to honor my father, you both were once friends, hoping for peace between our two people. But because of the acts of selfish women, we are destined for battle. But do not think I have forgiven you for killing my father, no, for that crime we shall tear down your people's sacred tower, and destroy what remains inside. I and my uncles of the south shall march on your holy monument.

Till we meet on the battlefield.

Lord Brandon Stark of Winterfell, Builder of Winterfell and Storms End'

...

Melkor, Eoghan, and Beorn along with what remained of their small army had finally arrived at Tower Cailin. They had marched fast and hard for two moons. They prayed to the old gods to reach the mighty tower before the Stark and his family could arrive with their host.

As they drew closer and closer to the gates of Cailin, two massive giants pushed the mighty doors open for the coming reinforcing host, no matter how small it was, aid was aid.

As they entered the great tower they were greeted by a Green man. "Elder Eoghan, it is wonderful to see you after so many years, but I must ask what brings you to Cailin."

Eoghan frowned "I'm afraid we are not here for a simple visit."

The green man frowned and spoke with a knowing tone "War then."

Eoghan nodded. "I'm afraid so."

As the two green men discussed the coming danger Beorn barked orders to the force they had brought. As the force dispersed to prepare, Melkor was left with the two green men at the entrance of the tower with nothing but a bundled baby in his arms.

The Green man who was the master of the tower glanced at Melkor. "And he is?"

Eoghan turned back to where Melkor stood. A faint smirk could be seen forming on his lips. "Oh, him, he a friend of mine and Beorns."

Eoghan waved Melkor over "Melkor, I like you to meet the master of Tower Cailin, Balor."

Balor looked like any other Green man that Melkor had met, but he had one feature far different than the others. A third eye atop his forehead closed for some strange reason.

Melkor nodded to the strange Greenman. "Greetings, I'm afraid I must be blunt, but Eoghan tells me this tower protects the great weapons of your people. I wish to see it, the scar in the world."

Balor eyes widened before turning to Eoghan with a sharp and deathly glare "You spoke of the scar to an outsider! Do you not know the consequences of such actions."

Eoghan did not back down "It was the only way to convince him and Beorn to come with me, He is a warrior like none I've seen before, we need him for the coming battle."

Balor balled his fists. "I, can not argue with you elder, forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive. Now, take him us to the scar."

Balor nodded "Follow me."

Before they set off Melkore needed to do something first "Balor, do you have a nursery or someone to take care of my young?"

Balor nodded and whistled for something, they waited only a few moments before a Child of the forest appeared, Melkor lowered his daughter to her before whispering something to her, and an aura of dread appeared around him, causing the child to freeze in fear "If any harm comes upon her, I shall throw you into pits of lava and make you suffer."

The Child nodded franticly before doing her best to watch over the newborn and walking off to take care of her.

"Lead the way."

Balon nodded to Melkor "You should not fear, she is in good hands, she will be taken to the safest room we have, and watched over by caring mothers."

"Thank you." Melkor could not remember the last time he had thanked someone other than his wife, for it had been an eternity since his mind had been whole again.

...

Melkor, Eoghan, and Balor had arrived at a massive vault door of stone, carved across the door were hundreds of runes. guarded by two enormous giants.

Melkor glanced over the runes, recognizing some of them from his old home, and some entirely new. "The runes, who made them?"

Eoghan shrugged "Some believe the old gods, others, think was some elder race before even us, all we know was this tower is old, older than most of us."

Melkor curiosity only grew. "Interesting."

Eoghan began to approach the mighty stone door. He waved his hand over it speaking in a language not even Melkor could understand. As Eoghan finished his chant, he, Balor, and even the giants stepped back away from the door as it opened inwards.

Slowly Melkor approached the dark room.

"Careful, I must warn you, do not touch it, or else you'll never be seen again," Eoghan warned

Melkor looked back to the elder Greenman "Do you fear, for the void and I have known each other for some time now."

Eoghan did not know what to make of what Melkor spoke of, but he did not dwell on it for Melkor had entered the vault.

"As he entered, there was nothing but darkness all around him, the only light was a faint glow of the room he had just come from.

He had walked for what felt like forever... until he found it. Eoghan had spoken true. It was like looking at a scar, in reality, a blackness that led to nothing, exactly what his prison had been.

Slowly, Melkor raised his hand to the rift, slowly reaching for it, and as he touched it, hoping it would show him a land he once called home, to reveal the truth behind his arrival in this strange land, but nothing happened.

Disappointment clouded his thoughts as he walked away from the scar, a lost cause he should never have hoped for.

But before he could leave, he heard a voice. Not Eoghan, not Beorns, and not Balors. But a voice he had not heard since before he was imprisoned. It spoke two words he would cherish forever.

"My love?"

He turned back to the rift

"AINA?"