Sauron's Second Chance
Chapter 37: Ch 37: Two More Hills
Previous Chapter Next ChapterSahvoz was at the outskirts of the city, he intended to meet with Sauron here as Sauron has said. He didn’t know where exactly. Sahvoz had the Crystal Heart with him, he took it just in case Sauron will fail, although he doubted it as he showed impressive and painful might. Sahvoz was heading towards a farm.
Not so far away there was a tree, he could wait by it and hope Sauron will come. If not, he will wonder alone into the mountains and reclaim what he has lost… why him from all ponies? He didn’t do anything bad to the dragons, he never killed as a mercenary anything that was theirs. The dragons could have heard of his feats, but he wasn’t so special as many thought.
They used him to get this artifact, he risks the lives of thousands of ponies, he risks the life of the city and of the monarchs that live there. The heart itself protects the city from the winter, if the Heart will leave the city the old winds, together with ice shards sharp like spears will come back and destroy the city.
Sahvoz passed the farm, he looked at the farm, they had twenty-two bales of hay. That’s a lot even for someone having a farm that was near the mountains. The Crystal heart was heavy, it was a giant gem, a magical gem in the shape of a heart after all. He is going to have scoliosis for sure. Looking forward again he noticed something sitting on a thick branch of the tree he was heading towards to.
There was… an eagle, or it could be some type of bird that was large, very large. Either way, Sahvoz is going to wait for Sauron there, that thing whatever it is will fly away eventually. Sahvoz continued to walk down the path towards the tree, it was an oak tree to be precise. Sahvoz created some dust after his steps, this road was almost pure sand with some dirt and stones here and there. For every fifth or sixth step he kicked a stone that hit other in the near distance.
Sahvoz didn’t have an idea what the buck could this bird be. Or why it was so large and was sleeping. But it looked weird, maybe it's one of those dragon’s magic? Can they even control magic? He didn’t like a bit, this was an unreal sight for him. If he caught this animal he could sell it for a good amount of coin, it would be enough for him to pay the debt he owns to merchants from where he bought gadgets and materials for his trip inside the Crystal Palace.
Then again, the power Sauron has given him, it's strange, the closer he gets to the mountains the weaker and the more distracted he becomes. Weaker in mind, weaker in his senses but not physically. As if there was some kind of force that messed with his mind, Sauron did it to him. Back at the palace when he met him, he made him see the ponies he has murdered.
One was horrifying…
He was standing in a bipedal posture, he had his wing blades and hoof blades attached. He was an expert at this but not a master like others. He wanted to train on a living target and a as a mercenary there was a high bounty on the head of one pony. Sahvoz wanted to kill him and take one item for evidence the pony was dead.
He remembers launching forward, with his Hoof-blades forward. The pony was a unicorn and he had a sword with him. The sword wrapped around the pony’s magical aura met with his strength and his weapons. Sahvoz wanted to make it look like he wanted to fight only with his hooves, but he wanted to deceive his enemy, and when the time came, and he let the unicorn fall on him. Sahvoz landed on his back from the push of the Unicorn, with his right-wing blade only waiting to soak into the flesh on the unicorns.
Sahvoz let tensed his muscles back then, so that his wing wouldn’t bend and break under the mass of the unicorns. The unicorns tried to avoid his wing blade, and he managed to avoid it and leave, but a part of his horn was cut off and there was a deep cut running from the cut-out part of his horn down to his forehead and his cheek. He cried I help as magic violently escaped his horn. Sahvoz almost died from the dark pink energy.
The dark pink magic hit trees and let them burn, some more blue parts of the magic separated from the stream of the dark pink river and pierced the trees making small explosions. The chaos ended quickly. Sahvoz enemy wasn’t to experienced with magic and had small amounts of mana and energy inside of him, this till didn’t mean he wasn’t strong.
One small, thin like a twig magical ray hit Sahvoz in the back, in the center of his back causing him to stagger and scream. Sahvoz was bleeding, from his back as also his muscles were hit, making his crest and shoulder bones movement impossible from the pain that followed with try after try. Sahvoz barely could stand and look at his enemy.
He didn’t die that night, but he was close too. The rest of the story consisted of him gaining strength again and his enemy running away forgetting to kill him. Later with the help of one special to him person, he managed to get up and finish his work he has started.
‘Lucky Heart…’ he thought with sadness in his mind.
Sahvoz was by the tree, he didn’t even notice it. He looked up to locate the eagle that was looking at him, at him. But his eyes shifted to the crystal Heart he had hidden in cloth, this had to be one of the dragon’s tricks. The eagle and Sahvoz exchanged looks, Sahvoz had a watch with him to check on the time.
He took it with his hooves from behind him, he had a few things with him, he didn’t drop his purses at home but took them with him. He had his weapons and he had some additional things if the transaction went wrong. He pulled out the watch, it was one of the older types, these you couldn’t wear put you had to hold them in your hoof.
Five minutes until eight pm, and he didn’t yet see Sauron here. This wasn’t good. But Sahvoz didn’t count on him from the beginning, even if he feared Sauron, and he feared he may come for the power he as given him or perhaps track him by sensing this ability he received from him.
Sahvoz saw a big shadow fall over him, he looked up to see the eagle hitting him with his wide wing in the face, the eagle grabbed the crystal heart that was wrapped around in cloth and was additionally in a purse. He saw the eagle fly away, Sahvoz with wide eyes dropped the thing he had on his right side and spread his wings.
He chased the giant eagle that flew not to far away, he used the magic that Sauron granted him, he learned how to attack with it. If he while activating his invisibility, does a pirouette and unfolds one of his wings he will shoot a horizontal wave of energy towards his target. He did in fact do it by mistake, while trying to kill a guard with his basic attack.
The outcome, was devastating and very gory. Sahvoz tried to do it right now with more strength then back then. Sahvoz desired to become invisible, and the dark cloud begin to spare from the surroundings, he then before the cloud fully wrapped him, unfolded one of his wings and with a twirl, he sends the wave of energy towards the eagle.
But the eagle himself begin to be wrapped in a golden glow and wind was sucked into it. It looked like a slim and long spining top formed in the air with one cone pointing to Sahvoz . The dark wave of energy met with it and it changed into the gold color. It grew rapidly and then it exploded sending the glow everywhere like the sun blinding Shavoz that tried to stop himself and hover. But a strong wind appeared that pushed him away and Sahvoz hit the dusty, sandy, road, with rocks and leafs being tossed away.
Sahvoz stood up, slightly limping and with his left side hurting. He gasped as he saw it was Sauron. Who took the form of an eagle and hold the Crystal Heart in his claws. He stood there angry after ascending from the air using his powers to manipulate the wind. He looked at Sahvoz with an angry look, that caused him to gulp hard.
The next thing he knew, was Sauron disappearing with an an orange light and appearing in front of him, he saw that he moved towards him with unreal speeds. He could feel his hand on his throat and how he pulled him up, choking him.
Sauron’s hand all the way to his elbow was glowing in the orange light. He could sense the power and the magic behind the light. It was so powerful that it had to glow even if Sauron wanted to keep it invisible. He could sense some kind of force entering his mind, it messed with the power he received from Sauron.
“You dare to use my own power against me?!” He screamed.
Sauron took a swing with Sahvoz in his hand and threw him at the road, he went far. He didn’t expect that Sauron will have such physical power, he seemed to be weaker than he is. However, it could be he used magic to enhance his physical strength. The glow died, and Sauron calmed down. He held the Crystal Heart.
Sahvoz was lifted and put on his legs by Sauron. There really was nothing stopping him, he managed to defeat him with only grabbing him, he managed to manipulate the wind and light. He threw him with the strength of five stallions. What kind of mage or warrior is he? Is it because of those abilities the Crystal Pair keeps him in the city?
Sauron did the same thing he did previously, he ‘teleported’. It wasn’t Teleportation, he just used his powers and with great speeds appeared before Sahvoz and threw the Crystal Heart on his back, almost again tripping him over. The orange glow seemed to also be a decoration for Sauron. But it vanished too quickly for him to see.
He saw that Sauron left a very thin but visible trail of light behind him that also disappeared. Sauron walk past the stuff Sahvoz brought with him, and they levitated towards him. He tied them to his left side and the Crystal Heart to the right.
Sahvoz after being done with it, galloped towards Sauron that was waiting for him impatiently. Sahvoz wanted to say many things as many things as possible but he feared him. He feared Sauron and what could he do to him if he says a word. Sauron was insane, how could he do such things? It was his fault he attacked him, he couldn’t let the Heart by taken by anyone.
“I see you learned a new trick.”
“I-It wasn’t hard to learn, really…”
“I didn’t intend on giving you the possibility to use it that way.” Sauron said.
“Is this then a positive accident?”
“More like a shameful failure for me, but for now you can have it.”
At that their small talk end, Sahvoz knew the path to the Mountains so he was leading Sauron that went behind him, Sahvoz quickly regret that he didn’t take a scarf with him as the winds and temperature were freezing him alive. Sauron had no problem with the winds that evaded him with the help of his will, the temperature was displeasing but he could live with it.
Time was powerful, time could end and wait for as long as it wanted. If time was a person, it could decide if a second is as long as a year or if a year is just as long as one Valian year. Time was money and here time was Sauron’s success and also Sahvoz's hope. The closer they went, the colder it got and the worse the way for them.
Slowly their way went up, that lead to the great ice caves. Snow begin to pour down on them and it was below zero degree. Sauron locked up at the snow, it was the same like in Arda. He forced the force of nature to avoid him and the snow never fell on him. As for Shavoz, he had some snowflakes on his mane and tail.
Clouds above them begin to block the moonlight that Luna has set up in the sky. Still fascinating that such roles are in this world just like in Arda. The Sun and the Moon are old, but younger than Sauron is. He wonders if it is the same here, after all they might have been a Pony or someone equal to a Vala in this world who created that object.
“The clouds are moving towards the Capital.” Said Sahvoz.
Sauron looked back to the city, they have traveled a good distance since their start from the farm. A long way further into the cold awaited them, he saw no pint on standing here then just to move further. He knows the Heart protects the city, but does it have such an influence? It must be very powerful to just keep clouds away.
“Its because the Crystal Heart isn’t in the city?”
“Exactly, the heart itself even deactivated can do this. The ponies will soon notice the blizzards freezing their homes and filing the streets with snow.”
“Shouldn’t the Heart clear this part of land then? As it keeps the clouds away from the City! If it has the power to keep the clouds away from itself we should see the night sky.”
“It doesn’t work like this, from what I know…” They begin to move Forward again. “The Crystal Heart can only do it in the city, because it sucks the love and the desire to be protected and be happy from the ponies, but because we are here it has no source of power to drain from, making it work.”
“And it just does it like this? Nothing more?”
“That I do not know, I’m not a crystal pony.” Sahvoz said.
He wanted to ask Sauron what powers does he have, he knows he can shapeshift. He didn’t even imagine he could do it. Sauron was powerful but to have the abilities of a changeling? And to manipulate with his magic the winds and the forces of this world to his biding was new and really fearsome.
But he will do that later, for now he can still hear the anger and the frustration in Sauron’s voice. Risking his life just when he is about to reclaim his partner for the rest of his years on the surface of this world isn’t a good idea.
Sahvoz and Sauron walk further and deeper in the northern colds of the mountains surrounding the city. Every ten minutes Sauron would look back and see if the Crystal City was visible. After entering a hollow mountain pass, they encountered the first problem on their way. There was a wall of ice and snow blocking their way.
The wind was too strong for Sahvoz to even try and fly. His wings were almost frozen with him. The cloth from the things he ad with him warmed his body. Sauron wasn’t even touched b the wind and by the snow as he was protected by his will that ripped the winds and the snow into half, avoiding him.
Ice under their feet was glittering, and the snow was crunching. Sahvoz barely saw what was in front of them but he stepped forward and he with his hoof touched the barrier. It was an ice wall that created itself with time. Snow and rain must have fallen on this spot. It froze with time and now they had a problem to deal with.
He hit it with his hoof only to see it wasn’t even damaged, the ice was thick, it could have been at least ten meters thick if not more. He couldn't fly over it as the wind was to strong and he also would hurt himself by even trying. Sauron stood beside him. He also inspected the barrier that was nothing for him.
“Dammit!” Sahvoz kicked the ice wall with his back legs.
“Don’t waste energy on this thing.”
Sahvoz took a deep breath “It's easy for you! I have places to be and this thing blocks us!”
“Come.”
Sauron went back and Sahvoz looked at him nervously. He went back and positioned himself so that he could see the ice wall before him. Sahvoz also went back preparing to witness some kind of spell that would destroy this damn piece of nature! He stood next to Sauron.
“Go behind me, I will need you in the future and I would be more than amused to know that you don’t have a broken bone in your body.” Sauron commanded.
Sahvoz did as Sauron said, he went behind him still looking at the ice wall. Sauron begin to summon energy into his palm. He gathered it in his hand by waving it. He got his hand closer to his chest and wind and snow was absorbed into his hand. There was a flash of blinding light that send a wave sending the snowflakes away.
Sauron stretched out his hand, and a beam of fire shoot out of it hitting the ice barrier, it was so strong that a horizontal shockwave was send right and left. The beam that shoot out of Sauron’s hand met with the ice shattering it and piercing through it. Melting the ice and breaking it into shards that melt in the air into boiling water that then transformed into steam.
The steam under the pressure of cold formed into water and then ice again, falling on the snow or being still in the air glittering with white light. That reflected from the fires and energy that the beam of magic Sauron has send. It fell on their heads like small beautiful light diamonds worth thousand of bits and worth family treasures to cath.
Soon after, when the steam and the heat was dying out but didn’t yet vanish. The wind has cleared the path raveling an imagine of the ice wall almost destroyed only with it first layers still there. The center of course was burned as the soil under the snow was even touched by Sauron’s power, when the beam pierced the wall it continued forth.
It hit stones that were covered by snow and melt it into lava, spraying it around. The boulders rolled hot on the snow making water and boiling ponds of it here and there. From the snow and ice Sauron has destroyed, water that was still hot went down, but Sauron wasn’t touched by it as it avoided him and the piece of land he stood on from making his feet wet.
Sauron’s own hand was so hot that it managed to melt the snowflakes that went past his hand to melt into small drops that hit the snow. Sauron himself was surprised by the power behind his attack, he did indeed put a significant amount of power into this, and the result was as he pretended it to be.
He didn’t intend on destroying the ground and burning it, revealing the dirt under the snow. And he didn’t expect the beam of fire to also hit and melt the rocks into lava behind the ice wall that blocked them from going further. The mountain pass wasn’t to great and it seemed to end not so far away. The more of a lesson for him to watch out and hold himself back from testing his power on ponies.
“Lead the way.” Sauron said, hiding his own emotions and his own surprise by the amount of power he released.
“Of course.” Said Sahvoz, with a voice without hope and clearly forced peaceful tone.
They went further into the mountains, the water splashed against Sahvoz as he felt warmth in his legs again, the steam that yet didn’t die down also hugged him and he say that it was warm right now. In such temperatures he could walk in forever and ever, with the cold winds being only a mere force of the freezing temperatures compared to the winds that were behind the steam.
Sahvoz stepped on the dirt that absorbed the water and turned into mud, Sauron took the way around and walked on the snow that was crunching under his feet with every of his steps. The steam was dying down and the snow got thru the warmth.
Sahvoz hooves were partially cleaned he accidently walked into a puddle of water still warm from one of the hot stones that fell into the snow after Sauron’s attack hit the elevation that divided the mountain pass into two ways.
Sahvoz turned right and took the way up wards that lead to the great ice caves of the northern mountains. One of his friends was there once, he in summer with his family had a trip to the caves, summer is the safest time for such adventure as the cold is strong enough to keep the ice from melting and also is it is calm enough not to get lost because of the snow storms.
The great ice caves are one of the most beautiful and scary objects in nature. Its very hard to travel to them and the Crystal Empire doesn’t hold any interests in financing any company or even starting an project that would allow for safer trips to the caves. In those caves it is said, wendigos lived, and also have been born.
Sauron thought about fighting the dragons and what should he use against them, he could show more power before Sahvoz to make him fear him even more as he knows he fear him right now. He could betray him or wait and get rid of whoever Sahvoz is after. He knows that he needs to save them.
It can be family, it can be his wife if he has one, friends or maybe even animals. But he needs to know how many ponies will see him. He doesn’t need Shavoz so much and he could probably spare himself this pony but he likes the way he fights with his hoof blades. With his power and his will, Sauron could turn Sahvoz into someone more than just a pony.
“Sahvoz!” Sauron yelled.
Sahvoz turned back to look at Sauron, he didn’t like that he yelled his name it could mean many good or even bad things. But Sahvoz waited as the wind played with his mane like a child with a puppet. His fur was all in snow and he was shaking from the cold. He breathed with his mouth, steam coming out of his mouth.
“Tell me about your life, and who you were and are right now. I’d like to know with whom I walk.”
Sahvoz didn’t want to tell his life story right now, he has no other choice, and if he lied he could get punished by Sauron. He was forced to go with him. He may sense that he is lying to him and what then? This is a big piece of baloney right there. With a sigh and with Sauron standing before him Sahvoz started.
“I was born on sixth of February nine hundred and seventy eight Celestial Millennium. Right now I’m thirty five years old in the first Reunion century after Princess Luna’s return and new life after Nightmare Moon.”
“Alright, go on.” Sauron said.
“My mother,” He said painfully, “Died after she gave birth to me, my father was horrified by it and he loved me very much as he knew that my mother’s love wouldn’t be experienced by me, so he tried to act for both her and himself.
“I spend my childhood playing with my pals and friends from the neighboring houses always asking me what happened to my mom and I always told them she is on a epic adventure. I was young at that time and my father didn’t yet want me to know what death meant. When I turned six he explained to me the painful truth, and I remember crying for hours and being depressed for days.
“I had good notes in my school, sometimes I got an F but that’s because no pony is perfect. As an old saying says, ‘an foal without an F is like a royal guard without a spear’. Something very unreal and very hard to look for.”
Sahvoz stopped for a moment to get more concentrated on walking then telling about his life, there was a cliff that he needed to go thru to get to the ice caves with the more quicker path, the shore of the cliff was not too thin and it was quite wide for him to pass safely. He with Sauron went this dangerous path and both of them set their legs on solid ground without the risk of falling down in a matter of one minute.
“Continue where you left at.” Sauron demanded, still snow and wind passed beside him.
“I was always interested myself with weapons, with wing blades and with hoof blades, more than any other weapon. I sometimes took wooden practice wing blades and hoof blades from a nearby Hoofjo* to practice in the forest that was nearby.
“I was very good at it, the more I trained the better I was an the better I was the more advanced things I could do. I sometimes watched what kind of moves did the ponies inside the Hoofjo to train and to do the same in the forest.
“I failed many times but also got a few own tricks and moves from those failures. I do not know if there are familiar moves I have designed in other fight schools, but as long as I live, I haven’t met anypony with familiar training I had.
“My father when I turned sixteen became a gambling addict and hazard was everything for him, and by everything I mean everything. He sold our stuff, most importantly my things and I had lost many valuable trinkets because of this. So I decided to leave my home and I became a mercenary.”
Sahvoz voice got more dark and more aggressive, he was angry when he reminded himself of this thought and how many things he could have had if his Father didn’t addict himself to gambling and maybe spend some time with him after all.
Sauron listened to the story with great interests, as he himself didn’t expect Sahvoz to have such an rich and in some cases dark past. He becamea mercenary that’s why he has some skill in fighting, and that’s why his will has some boundaries which after all Sauron could break.
“At first I fought for small amounts of coin, and with time with more and more experience with scammers and with the militia, I got into more serious jobs, like protection or even killing. Since I got into more serious tasks, I have killed about two hundred ponies and injured a hundred.
“I had problems with drugs and alcohol, I wasn’t to good with money as I never had more than fifteen bits of pocket money per month, I always got everything from my father or from friends. It may be that somewhere out there a family has a bastard son, thanks to me.”
“And you are capable saying all of this without much emotions.” Sauron wondered.
“I have no choice, you told me to tell you everything.”
“That’s the thinking I approve of, continue.”
“With my old life gone I have started my new Life, I do not know where my father is as I have visited my own home and haven’t found him there.”
“What are your moms and fathers names?”
“My mom? Her name was Neat Heart and my Fathers was Iron Grip.”
“Is your name a word from a different language?”
“I never knew why he gave such an name, but someone once said it involved the Reaper of Souls.”
“The reaper of Souls? Who is that?”
“In other words, It's Death, death walking and coming for those whose time has ended to claim their souls and let them swim in the stars together with the spirits of the founders of this world.”
“Death in person…” Sauron then chuckled “Even this world has its own version of Mandos” he whispered.
Mandos wasn’t death, he just had his halls in which held the elves and the souls of men. The elves could be re-embodied by the men awaited tier fate that Eru has prepared for them. Only Mandos and Manwë know what kind of fate. The rest Sauron included didn’t know what it mean or what Kind of fate had Eru chosen for them.
“We’re getting close.” Sahvoz said.
Stress filled him up, he was tense and the cold didn’t help him, he had to move his wings only for some time, so that his muscles may unfreeze after such a long time in the cold and that blood may again fill his wings.
Sauron with his hands behind him, saw the great caves of ice. These caves were giant holes in the mountain that had ice form pillars holding the ceiling of it, and inside there was darkness. There were paths as if made by ancient ponies to each cave on each level. But Sauron and Sahvoz weren’t yet there, only a few hills more and the real struggle would begin.