nuin-giliath

[nuin-giliath]

So, I was chatting, and well. This came out. I think it describes perfectly the situation.

*sitcom music* Meanwhile, in House Utumno-Mandos...

Poor Gothmog deserves a raise 😂

[nuin-giliath]

[nuin-giliath]

He does not care to look at them, at the arrow, or to show his fear, for he is terrified and would bleed his last drop if it meant to keep Namo safe. His eyes are lost in Namo's tired ones, on the lips that still whisper 'I love you's', and the idea of leaving Namo alone is something that he cannot fathom.

"Little one, you will indeed be alright, for they have not the choice," and his heart is torn as he takes his hands off of Namo and slowly raises them, and for a moment it looks as if he's giving up, but as he looks into Namo's eyes, a cold darkness falls between them and the Valar, colder than the blizzards howling over the mountains of the North, even the stars above are blackened by the darkness pouring over the lands. The arrow and the bow started freezing before the string was loosened and shattered into ice. It was not a threat, just a warning.

"I am not done being the darkness that keeps you breathing, little one," Melkor whispered to Namo and finally turned to face the Valar. A smirk tugged at his lips. "I will wear your chains, brother," he spits the last words as if it's poison between his teeth, and before he can say anything else, chains wrap around him, heavy and burning through his spirit like wildfire. He turns his eyes to Namo as he fights to stand on his feet, "I love you beyond their reach... Do not forget that."

Namo had slowly fallen unconscious, grief, rage and tirednees had washed over him. And the chain had tightened until he could barely breathe. And then his world fell into darkness. No dreams to console him, no nightmares to torment him. Only a pitch black nothingness.

It's only him, and the dark, and the faint hope that Melkor would stay safe.

And then something stirred him up and snapped him out of that unconscious state. He felt a snowflake on his face, light, carrying all the sadness and anger he could feel. Melkor was here. And Namo felt happy, his own heart beating slowly. Melkor's words came to him as if he was far away, but he felt them all, the love, the desperation, the ignored pain of a chain that burned him. He felt all of Melko's tears, tears he had never shed before, to his memory.

And Namo's heart broke. Again.

He weakly moved his head, opening his eyes. Melkor was tuly there, and he could not help but cry, sobbing softly. "Melkor... Melkor..." His tone was a heatbroken plea. "I love you too, I love you so much... So please flee... This is a trap..." He kept sobbing quietly, the remembrance of flogging resurfacing, the aches he felt when Melkor was hurt. He felt breathless, hurt. He wanted so much to save Melkor.

It was in that moment that the two were surrounded. Manwe himself was in charge. "Melkor, Dark Lord. You are now within our domain. You shall be captured and trialled." He gave a signal and swiftly the silhouette of an arrow was pointed straight towads Namo's head. "Should you not comply, we shall dispatch Namo from Arda."

Namo's eyes snapped open. He weakly tried to speak to Melkor. "Please go. They shan't kill me. I will be alright. Please... I love you, with every cell of my body and my soul, and heart, I can't..." But he was weakened. And the words came out in broken sobs as he wept.

[nuin-giliath]

The person holding the knife was so mesmerizing I forgot I was bleeding

[nuin-giliath]

Melkor walks on through realms and temples, trees wither and the ground beneath his feet crumbles like glass. Not even one bird sings and he feels the bond between them burning brighter as Melkor's shadows stretched behind him, the grass and flowers wither in their wake.

He can hear Namo but he does not care, he had come to far now to go back. Not without Namo. And he takes flight, his wings silent as a whisper as he hovers over a cliff and then, he sees him. The chains glimmered like captured starlight and the sight of him makes his black heart bleed and snowflakes fall from the sky, Melkor's tears, shattered into pieces and freezing in the darkness of his shadows. One lands gently on Namo's cheek and soon more follow as Melkor descends. One hand cupping Namo’s face, lifting it gently, the other closes around the chains and pulls. The metal burns his hand and the mountain groans, but the chains do not give. They were made for this exact moment and he feels a change in the air and lets go of the chains, his head falling forward against Namo's. He knows they are coming.

Melkor feels the desperation on his lips, in his movements, his heart slamming against its cage of ribs knowing a fear he had never known before. Yet his words are soft, gentle, but savage in their rawness. "My little one, I will not part with you. I would unmake every star to feel your heart beat next to mine again," his tears fall from his eyes and down Namo's cheek, he does not brush them away. "I would kneel in their filthy light if it buys you time."

He feels too much and his voice breaks on the last words, the pain on his face, the anger in his closed fist around the chains that burn but does not give. The desperation in his eyes as he repeats and wraps a hand around Namo's waist, pressing their bodies closer, their lips meeting between whispers. "I love you, I love you, I. Love. You."

Namo felt himself dragged across dimensions until he finally got secured by those same chains he had been wrapped with to the ground. When his mind finally stopped spinning, he could see where he was. And he recognized the Realm immediately.

He was now in one of the holding cells in Ulmo's Realm, deep caves and water all around, and him tied to a cliff. He tried wriggling away, but he could not, the chain holding him so tightly it hurt. And the bond he had, the one with Melko, was burning like molten lava, his marked shoulder pulsating like an open wound. At that point he heard a voice. "Welcome back, brother." He looked up and Irmo held no sympathy for him. Even the word 'brother' held venom and contempt.

Namo parted his lips, but no voice came. Irmo was standing atop of a high cliff overlooking the water below and the cliff Namo had been tied to. And Irmo spoke. "I thought you had simply strayed, but the moment I felt that snap I knew you had gone completely mad."

Namo breathed out a rasped response. "You do not understand, brother, that cost me everything!"

"Oh, I am sure it did." Still more venom, still more sarcasm. "Never call me 'brother' again, you traitor. Never call Nienna 'sister' again."

Irmo turned his back. "You shall serve a purpose. He will come. We will capture him and send him to the Void. And then, finally, we shall deliver your punishment. For now, you shall stay here."

"No, no wait! We can... We can talk..." Namo tried. But Irmo had already gone. And Namo felt it again, that emotion that had been so foreign to him. Not just hurt, not just sadness, not just pain. It was rage, the way Melkor felt it. Rage like nothing before. And he cried. He was never supposed to feel anger, and yet he was never supposed to feel anything at all. And yet there he was, feeling everything, rage too.

He focused his thoughts into the bond. Please, Melkor, do not come. It is a trap. Please be safe.

And yet he could not shake of the feeling that Melkor would come regardless. He could not do anything in that state but grieve and wait.

[nuin-giliath]

His hands reached and grasped at nothing but air and the distant echo of footsteps rushing as Melkor fell to his knees, looking at his hands with wide eyes and parted lips. He stared in disbelief as Mairon rushed to him, tears in his eyes and touched Melkor's shoulder gently. The Vala's eyes turned fierce as if awakened at last, from a dream into a horrible nightmare that was this moment. He growled and the mountains shook and stood up, pacing, his shadows curling and coiling within themselves.

Melkor could feel the bond between them burning like molten light inside his mind. "Trace it. Now!" and Mairon, still kneeling on the floor held out his hand and the fortress shook with the power of his words in black speech. He cut his palm with a nail and drops of pitch-black blood lifted in the air and split the very fabric of reality in half, and Melkor stepped through, the ground beneath his foot cracking as his shape morphed.

Mairon collapsed on the floor, even sided by Melkor's shadows, it took him everything to carve a path for his Master to walk through and curled on the floor, his body shook and tears of exhaustion spilled from his golden eyes. Somewhere in the depths of Utumno, at the edge of consciousness, Mairon was carried down into the deepest pits to safety as gates swing wide, and every balrog takes wing, not to wage war but to guard the path home.

The very air around him screams as Melkor spreads his wings and burst in through large windows, Maiar rushing to stop him obliterated with a flick of his fingers and follows the thread of their bond, the string screaming in his mind and he willed it strong and to guide it to the one he loved. "I will find you, little one. There is no place on Ea or the Void that I will not find you." his voice steady and low, a danger in itself. Not for Namo, but for anyone who dares stand in his way.

Namo felt uncertain. He had felt the anger that spilled from Mairon, the apparent calm Melkor had kept that spoke only of bloody vengeance and destruction. And perhaps his own heart felt the same song as theirs, perhaps he too was angry.

And that was an emotion so foreign to him, never had he experienced anger before, and feeling it through Melkor and Mairon was something unexpected. He also felt Melkor's comfort, which he guessed was something new for him too.

He leaned into the hug, the kisses, feeling his own heart now as if in the middle of a stormy night. And Melkor, his anchor. "I thank you, my beloved. I truly am blessed to have you." His voice was soft. They were together. "we both shall carry each other, that is what we have promised to each other."

He felt lonely tears fall down his face. "And I know this should be the end of it, but I grieve." He looked up, where wards were, and wards were fading in and out. "I fear this is just the beginning. I know now they will come. I do not know how, though. And perhaps my wards are not... Strong enough."

He did not know what to do, but a plan was needed, for anything that would come. That was, if it was not already too late.

But lo and behold, not even moments later, a wave was felt through the realm. Namo reached out for Melkor's hands, but in that moment one of the wards faded, and from the faded lines chains not dissimilar from those that held Namo before appeared and wrapped themselves around Namo.

He barely had the time to yelp and call out Melkor's name before disappearing, the wards closed again.

[nuin-giliath]

❝ And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair! ❞

[nuin-giliath]

Namo's gentleness only made Mairon see flames and anger lit up like a volcano ready to burst and burst it did the moment he saw Namo turn away and leave the cell. The Maia behind him starting to babble uncontrollably. "I can leave now, you heard him, Lord Namo said I can leave. I can leave! You have to le-" and Mairon spun so quick and landed the back of his hand against the Maia's cheek that his neck snapped and dropped to the floor. Mairon approached and tilted his head slowly, his eyes wide and expressionless as he whispered softly, "Yes, you can leave now. Give our love to Manwe." and left, feeling tingles all over his body. It felt good but it wasn't nearly enough so he headed towards one of the volcanos for a relaxing lava bath, hoping that would ease the building need that was driving him mad.

Melkor could feel every bit of it, all Mairon felt but said and did nothing as he guided Namo back to the surface, his hand slipping down the other's back slowly but among Mairon's torments he could sense the spark of Namo's doubt, his guilt, and Melkor's first instinct is annihilation. To fly like a comet to the Valar, bring the stars down from the sky one by one and with his hand spread it over the land until it burns and no memory of kinship would ever take root again. The urge floods him, bright and familiar, and for one heartbeat the music of ruin sings in his blood again.

But Namo's light shines gently by his side and stops him, pushes him slowly against the wall and little white flowers part and hug Namo's shape as Melkor's hand caressed his cheek, his jaw, his neck, and Namo's pulse flutters beneath his touch, fragile like butterfly wings and the song falters. His possessiveness is like the void, reaching out greedily. Namo is his, his to protect, his to avenge and his to love, Melkor thinks as the dark tendrils reach out to Namo, coiling adound his arms, his waist, slipping up his legs and coiled around his thighs.

And Melkor realized that all he could do is comfort, hoping that his love would be enough to soothe the gaping casm of doubt. So he is clad in a calmness with the steadiness of mountains and the patience of stone. "I will not steal the guilt from you," he whispered, lips moving against the curve of Namo’s temple. "It is yours, and I will not belittle what it cost you to break this bond. But I will share it if you let me. I was forged to carry heavier things than this."

Namo slowly stepped into the prisons guided by Melkor, his own heart wavering just a little. He was still mulling over the reason as to why a messenger had been sent. But perhaps he did not need to wonder for long. Perhaps this messenger held the answer. Namo could immediately see the anger and the worry in Mairon's eyes, but that to him was the seal he needed to press on.

He gently placed a hand on Mairon's shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze, as if to tell him not to worry, that he would be alright.

So, he approached the imprisoned Maia, who scrambled as he could towards him. Mairon had done a masterful job in torturing him, and all he could see was pain. He sighed softly, as the Maia started speaking. He caught enough, before Mairon cut the speech off. Irmo on the verge of dying? Nienna too, by proxy? He bit his own lips, a hand reaching for his chest, where their bond had been. He felt Mairon trying to pull him away, he heard his concern. He gently placed a hand on Mairon's. "It is fine, Mairon, thank you."

And yet, somewhere deep inside his mind, he felt himselff hesitate. Was Irmo truly dying? He had not died. He was fine. But he also had both Melkor and Mairon caring so deeply about him, and he himself would not define any of the other Valar as caring for anyone but themselves.

But he knew where he was standing, therefore he forced himself to reply, as he turned towards the imprisoned Maia. "Apologies, you may turn back and never set foot here anymore. I doubt he is in such a dire state, as I myself have not died of it, and whilst my brother and I hardly get along, I know his strength well."

He turned around, joining back both Mairon and Melkor. "Please, will you let him go? He shan't return here again." His voice was calm, but his frown betrayed his worry. "I am aware that it might be naive of me, but I do not wish to give any more ammunition to the Host to hurt you both."

He would analyze his worry.

Perhaps it would go away, once he had found a logic explanation.

[nuin-giliath]

Mairon thought he heard something and clasped a hand over the Maia's mouth and shushed him and he was right. There were footsteps approaching and stood up, hurried outside and nearly hissed when he saw Namo and Melkor approaching. He rushed to meet them, the fury visible in his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" he shout-whispered to Melkor and pulled him to the side, smiling sweetly to Namo as he did so. Their voices were snappy, hushed but here and there distinguishable.

"I didn't think you would actually bring him here. You know how he is. I don't trust whatever this Maia had to say would be of any good. I came to you for advice regarding the Maia not to bring Namo here! What were you thinking???" Mairon snarreld and poked Melkor's chest with his pointy nail while Melkor watched slightly amused and grabbed Mairon's hand when he was done, the Maia's expression changed suddenly and slowly sank to the floor onto his knees as if he was melting, his mouth parted in a gasp but he did not look to be in pain. "It is not mine or your decision to make, little flame. Now come, we shall join Namo as he wishes us to do. Will you behave?" and Mairon licked his lips, his breathing heavy as he nodded, "Y-yes Master."

Once released, Mairon needed a moment and Melkor let him be, joining Namo again with a smirk on his face and a shrug. "The Maia awaits you, sweet Namo. Mairon will join us shortly too." and guided Namo to the cell door.

If the Maia was not chained he would have rushed to Namo, and he did so but was caught by the chains and kept in place. It didn't matter as he started speaking anyway, just as Mairon entered the cell, looking much different from the outside. There was a viciousness and cruelty about him, his eyes emotionless and burning. The Maia immediately stood back and settled, his eyes shifting from Namo to Mairon and back.

"L-lord Namo of Mandos, I was sent to tell you that something happened, you need to go back! Lord Irmo is on the edge of perishing from this wo-" and he started screaming and cowered into a corner as Mairon huffed and stepped between them. "Stop with your lies, you filth!" and turned to Namo, his eyes softened immediately. "My Lord Namo, please do not take any mind of what was said. There are all lies. Please, it was a mistake coming here." and looked between Namo and Melkor with an almost desperate plea, "Can we leave? This should not have happened!" and he almost pushed Namo out, his hand gently wrapped around the Vala's wrist.

Since that night where Namo had snapped off his own bond with his siblings, he had been mostly in Melkor's care, and busy with his own realm and temple. He had not really had time for anything else, submerging himself in work to cope. To not think.

Therefore, when Melkor came to visit him bearing news that someone wanted to talk to him, he felt surprised, cornered if one squinted hard enough. He had hoped that his actions had been enough to send a message, and yet.

There was something that he had refused to do, which had been grieving for his own loss, which came as an ironic faux-pas for someone who was supposed to be a guide through death and loss.

He welcomed Melkor, listening to him patiently. "I see," he said, "then I shall speak to him. I reckon that Mairon... Having fun had to be expected. Regardless, I shall go."

Namo darkened his expression. He was not really ready to see any of those coming from Almaren, but he couldn't avoid them forever. He glanced at Melkor. "May I ask for you and Mairon to be nearby, please? I am... Worried. There should not be a reason for them to come to me anymore, and yet I fear that there is something. Something I have been missing."

He had a feeling in the back of his mind, and he did not want to be alone, not completely at least, with any of those sent by the Host. He remembered what happened the last time he was.

[nuin-giliath]

The Fair Maiar

Time taken: 3 days

Adobe Photoshop

[nuin-giliath]

Sauron, in “human” form.

[nuin-giliath]

more saurons!! because this is my life now!!

also definitely not sauron, just a cool friend here to help you make some cool things together

[nuin-giliath]

On anon or not, tell me what YOUR headcanons for my muse are.

[nuin-giliath]

The distortion of Mairon, vol2

「今からお前の道は闇にある、アンナータ。闇をへて、世界の果てまで。」 Inspired by Buck-Tick - BABEL

[nuin-giliath]

I’ve been doodling angbang all afternoon, but this is the only marginally tumblr safe one, so here it goes.