Once Pyrus had sat down, Mairon started to speak.
"When we were created and descended into Valinor, we were all separated. You know this, of course, however, I feel that you and the others, you know, our brothers and sisters who recently joined, do not know the true story. You have some ideas but nothing solid and most of those ideas were corrupted by Manwe or the other Ainur who were jealous and hated us." He reasoned.
"When we were separated, I remember having a brother. Eonwe was his name. We were estranged at the beginning but grew closer after our respective Valar brought order to the chaos and confusion of the Years of the Lamps. I loved him. He was stronger than me, more powerful, but he was blind. He loved Eru and Manwe more than I. His own brother. His true brother.. I felt alone. Under Aule I tried to convince him to allow me to create my own toys. I wanted to build contraptions of flight and speed, something that could ride the waves out on the open sea, an automated servant that could bring spare parts and aid my work. Anything. But, as you know, Aule isn't one for favoring students with a knack for creativity. He shot me down. Even destroyed my own creations behind my back, though, I had built them without his permission. He stripped me of my title and called me Gorthaur the Cruel. The irony was too much for me at the time. I was young like most of us then. I wasn't able to comprehend how or why a lowly Maia could be cruel for trying to create out of his own passion? I wasn't hurting anybody. All I wanted was to have my own toys. My own creations."
"That was when he found me. They call him Morgoth now. The Black Enemy. Because they fear and hate him. He was known to me as Melkor or Melko. He passed me one fateful day eons ago outside the Mansions of Aule. I was with tears, I am not above admitting that I cried when my own master broke my heart and tossed it down the drain. He came to me, kneeled before me, me, a lowly Maia of Aule, a servant, a pathetic runt." Mairon was becoming visibly teary-eyed.
"And he said to me, 'Why are you crying child? You've done nothing wrong. You're not alone, brother. I am here for you.' and took me with him. I was among the first he rescued from the Valar. I owe him everything. Melkor allowed me to create, allowed me to rule, allowed me to become more powerful than all my peers, he entrusted me with powers I could not imagine, bestowed upon me knowledge of Ea that had been hidden by the Valar, he gave me a purpose, allowed me to fulfill my dreams, he saved me. That is why I am so loyal to him. The rest of you are loyal for your own reasons. He gave you freedom, powers, life. Before the Wars. Before everything changed, he used to smile and laugh. He was happy. But now, he is like this. Devoid of emotion. Even then he is still striving forward, Pyrus. For our sake. For his own. Most of you probably believe he just wants to destroy the world and take revenge. That is a viable cause, yet Melkor is just like me, he's like you. Betrayed. Betrayed not by the Valar but his own master. Our father. Eru." Tears had fallen to his cheek and dampened the sandy dune.
"How I had been devastated by Aule and cast out of his service is nothing compared to what Melkor suffered. He fought Eru's wars for him, was his strongest pupil, his loving son, but was cast down for the same reason. Wanting to create. He sang his own song in the chorus that created Ea, you remember? He had his own followers. He was powerful and strong and mighty and so Eru cast him down. Betrayed his first creation. Yet, it was Eru who created Melkor in the first place. How can a faulty anvil be blamed for being faulty if its smith does not upkeep it? You see, Pyrus, Melkor, like all of us, was betrayed. His fight does not end with the Valar. It ends with Eru. And a time will come when we must choose. Our neglectful father or Melkor, our oldest brother, who has carried us up from perdition and saved us from damnation. Who shall you choose, Pyrus?" Mairon asked him.
[user avatar="https://cravatar.eu/helmavatar/DeathValley105/74.png" name="DeathValley105"]15756962[/user]
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His finger blew back as the full force shot out of it and destroyed the tree in an instant blast of wind. His finger broke and was bloodied red from the internal damage. The blast had sent him falling back and he smashed his head into a tree.
Irdis' voice peeped up, "Damn idiot." Before darkness closed on him and his vision went black.
He awoke the next morning when the birds began to chirp and he heard a rooster howling in the distance. His body had mostly healed except the finger which was still broken and swollen. He just realized what had happened to him and that he was late. The Expedition might've left him! He needed to hurry back to Minas Tirith before it was too late!
[user avatar="https://cravatar.eu/helmavatar/KingTraitor/74.png" name="KingTraitor"]13615485[/user]
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Everyone had awoken, eaten a hearty breakfast which was provided to them in the King's Barracks and had time to prepare for the journey ahead. The Shifters were gathered and Lord Celeborn met them on their way down through Minas Tirith. It seemed that alot of the early waking cityfolk and dwellers had taken to the streets to see them go and threw flowers at their feet.
Sigeric was well-rested, Iver had a bad neck from the way he slept, Ha'zi had an incredible night, Miriel, on the other hand, looked like the personification of Death's sister with dark circles underneath her eyes, Cardiloc had slept enough and was ready for the day, Daugo too, Glorfindel walked alongside Dimitri on their way down and multiple females tossed bouts of roses, dandelions, lilies and tulips at both the Forochelrim and the Noldorin elf. Marco turned up a bit later, he had apparently slept over at his mother's house and seemed lively as usual. Ela was dragged out of bed by Lady Eldrith and made to throw a rose at the procession. She didn't like it but upon seeing Cardiloc and Ha'zi she ran out to them and hugged both their legs, giving the rose to Ha'zi and kissing Cardiloc on the cheek in a lovable manner before running back out of the way. She waved them as they passed.
Zaro, alongside Elladan and Elrohir backed up the shifters and moved swiftly through the streets of Minas Tirith, passing through the levels 'till they reached the bottom. They mounted up with the other regiments outside the main gates as the orange bright sun rose in the west over the Ered Nimrais, creating a splattering of fiery tones across the dark blue sky.
Crandiel and over six hundred Gondorian Cavalrymen were already gathered on their steeds outside. Horses had been provided to the shifters, a pony for Daugo and Thoruk under the request of Celeborn, specifically. Before they advanced, all the shifters realized something.
Thoruk was missing.
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((Any interactions before this shall be time-bubbled.))