Dark Star--Chapter One: Premonitions

Chapter One: Premonitions1

Shortly after the end of the War of Wrath2

Sauron wandered aimlessly about the ruins of once-glorious Thangorodrim, his mind filled with anxiety about what would become of him now that Morgoth had been captured by the Valar. Again.3

“One would think that he would figure out that the Valar aren’t always the world’s most merciful to someone in his position. Someone in my position,” he thought, careful not to broadcast his thought to the world. He was a powerful sender. “For I am in the same position he was in when the Valar sacked Utumno ages ago, after the Elves first awakened.”4

A light, half-hidden by rubble, caught his eye. Sauron walked over to it, wondering what it was, though he thought he already knew. He shifted some of the larger chunks of rubble, able to do so because of the unnatural strength that Morgoth had “given” him. He sighed ruefully. The light turned out to be one of the altogether-too-rare lightstone lanterns Sauron had occasionally seen. The lantern was broken beyond repair, but the lightstone itself was unharmed. He knelt down, retrieving the lantern, and carefully removed the stone from the remains of the lantern. He cupped the priceless stone in his hands, almost mesmerized by its brilliance. There seemed to be images moving within the stone. “Strange,” Sauron thought, looking closer. The images grew clearer. Sauron suddenly froze as a premonition rocked him. “Not again!” was the only thought he had time for before the premonition took hold of his mind completely.5

He was standing now on a desolate plain. The whole of what he could see lay absolutely flat and still, with neither wind, nor greenery, nor life to speak of. Then, on the horizon something finally moved. Sauron felt his gaze ratcheted onto it, though that was the last thing he wanted to do. Wind stirred, blowing words into his ears. That tall black shape: that was Morgoth returned. It was he who had caused all this, he who had killed everything living on the face of Arda. Suddenly, Sauron felt himself moving towards the shadow. He fought against it, but in vain. Eventually, he gave up, and the premonition dumped him on a cliff. Sauron looked down, and there was Morgoth. Sauron recognized him instantly, for he had served him for so long. He found that he was staring at his back. He was standing over something, gloating. Morgoth’s voice floated to his ears: “You will not accept defeat yet, my brother?” He spat the last two words. “You will not accept that I am the rightful King of Arda?”6

Something—or someone—groaned in response. “No…” it said. 7

Sauron started. This voice, too, was familiar. “Manw녔 he breathed. “So this is the future…”8

Morgoth continued. “You did well to throw me out into the Void. I grew strong there, stronger than I ever was. I gained many allies out there. And now I have returned…and now your failure is complete.”9

“If I go down there, if I go and try to help Manwë, I will be sucked completely into the vision, for vision this is. I can’t do that!” Sauron told himself sternly. “Yet even so…”10

Manwë groaned again. “So kill me then. Kill me as you have killed everything else,” he said.11

Morgoth looked down at him and smiled. Though his back was to Sauron, he could still tell that. He heard the smile and suppressed laugh in his voice. “My brother. You always were so naïve. Why should I kill you? I must have someone left to rule over, and you will do just fine.”12

Sauron felt the wind pick up, though this time it carried no words to his ears. “A Eru, manan túcanien ni sino, sina menna? O Eru, why have you brought me here, to this place?” he whispered into it.13

The answer came back swiftly. “Tyára le mano túluva auta, nán lávuvalye sa tyára sina. To tell ye of what will come to pass, but ye will not allow it to do this,” There was a slight pause, for Sauron was silent. “Cenanietye fárea? Have you seen enough?” the wind bore the question.14

“Mana osánan avahera hrón, Aran Eru. Nás mana osánatye tana hera hrón. What I think matters not, Lord Eru. It is what you think that matters.”15

Sauron distinctly heard a chuckle. “Ar osánanye tana cenaniet fárea. Lelya ata, Aþâra. Lelya ata Endórenna. And I think that you have seen enough. Go back, Aþâra. Go back to Middle-Earth.”16

And the wind picked up again, driving Sauron back from the precipice where the scene continued to unfold. Sauron did not fight it this time; he merely let the premonition carry him back to the time from which he had come. He fell back into his body as if from a great height. As he came out of the premonition, he cried “I do not deserve that name, Eru! Call me not thus!” He stood up, meaning to continue, but the effort proved too much; he fainted, still clutching the stone.17