Chapter 10

If I learned anything from flying around Middle Earth, it would be this: Middle Earth is gorgeous. It holds a beauty I had not seen in either life, from the snow-capped mountains to the lush forests. The original Lord of the Rings movies were shot in New Zealand, but the actual world of Tolkien was a thousand times better than the film could ever hope to display.

Equally vivid is Mordor. The Ephel Dúath, or Mountains of Shadow, were barren and extended far into the South, where I know it turned sharply East and continued. They seemed to be nothing more than solid rock and caves, as dark as night, dripping wet and smelling foul. In the distance, I could see the famous Mount Doom, also known as Orodruin in Elvish. It was much bigger than I had imagined, and the power of Darkness was almost tangible in the clouds looming over it. That is where the One Ring to Rule Them All was forged.

At the foot of Mount Doom was the Plateau of Gorgoroth. It was currently swarmed by the armies of The Last Alliance and the host of Sauron. Even at this distance, I could smell the stench of spilled blood, hear the screams of the dying, and see the actual toll of war. Brother fought next to brother; some people sacrificed themselves to save another, but their story would never be told as the people around them were slain as well. Axes split skulls, swords cut off limbs, maces crushed bone, and arrows pierced skin. It was bloody, and it wasn't very merciful. And some part of me liked it.

I want to think it was the part of me Morgoth created that shivered in excitement at the scenes where, if I were still human, it would probably have me puking my guts out. The discomfort at seeing so much violence after living peacefully as a human was a distant tug that I ignored quickly.

I would like to address that later.

Shaking it off, I started sucking in air, which tasted rancid, by the way, and then released the most robust roar my Dragon body could muster.

Tearing through the air, every little dot on the battlefield stopped and turned in my direction. Good. Having successfully stroked my ego, I started to dive towards the armies. The response from The Last Alliance was immediate. Like ants fleeing a burning anthill, they fully started to retreat, and the orcs on the opposing side cheered in glee. I think about that as I get closer.

It concerns me as a creation of Morgoth and the people of Middle Earth hunting dragons. They think Sauron has recruited me.

Scanning the battlefield, I spot the most fearsome being in Middle Earth, Sauron. Standing at a towering seven feet and clad in splendid armor, he observed the battle below from his place on Mount Doom. He would be my target.

Speeding myself up, I angled myself directly for him. Now, anyone seeing this scenario would think: "Hey, that's dumb to take on Sauron while he still has The One Ring and an entire horde," but let me tell you, I'm an arrogant boy. And I REALLY want Elrond to like me.