An Unexpected Trip

Chapter 26

Milana's POV:

Pain.

Blood poured down my face from various scratches across my face.

The spikes in the iron cage I'm currently hanging in were pressing none too gently into my sore ribs, and I struggled to continue standing, so as not to be impaled.

The witch had transported us to this ruin. The place resembled an old castle, seemingly abandoned at first glance, but it soon became clear that it was very much occupied.

Crumbling walls of stone were everywhere, parts of staircases were broken and missing.

Rods of rusting iron lined every still standing wall, and different statues depicting hooden characters were still in pretty good shape.

This home of orcs was familiar, like I had seen it somewhere before.

As I glanced down to see a hideous Orc with a stiff left leg coming towards me, the name of this place came to me.

Dol Guldur.

I remembered reading about it somewhere  online, being  the stronghold of  Sauron. The images of  Dol Guldur from the Lord of The Rings movie, The Fellowship of The Ring, showed Aragorn, Frodo, and the other hobbits camping at the abandoned fortress before the Dark One's servants find them and Frodo ends up stabbed.

Dang it, I'm not dying here! I refuse to die where it smells like someone crapped in their britches,held it in there for a week, then just decided now was the right time to clean them!

My nose crinkled in disgust as the Orc below me was slowly lowering me by the gnarly rope it was currently holding.

When the cage finally was within reach of the creatures short arms, it leaned forward and unlocked the door, hissing as it grasped my upper arm and yanked.

I stumbled out of the cage on wobbly legs and obtained some new cuts on my body  as I fell harshly to the ground.

An evil cackle came from the limping Orc before it took hold of both my hands and bound them with quick movements.

The Orc left my legs from the knee down unbound so that I could still move.

Emitting strange squeals and hisses, the horrid creature took a hold of a longer piece of rope connected to my bound hands and started pulling on the piece .

My body jerked forward violently and it was all I could do to keep from collapsing on the ground in complete exhaustion.

Hunger like nothing I've ever experienced before was slowly filling up my entire body, and my throat was so parched I couldn't even gasp as other creatures of the dark appeared out of nowhere and lined up on either side of us to watch in absolute delight as my beaten body was paraded around like a prized pet.

Looking up at the night sky, I found that the moon was full tonight, but I couldn't see any stars as the grey clouds blocked out everything but the moon.

When we finally reached our destination, which ended up being  the central courtyard of these ruins with a stone circle in the middle, I felt dread enter me.

Goblins were jumping up and down in excitement, some were holding ropes while other Orcs beside them were holding up torches.

This grim scene actually reminds me of the Stone Table in the movie Narnia: The Lion,The Witch, and The Wardrobe, when Aslan sacrifices himself to save Edmund from the evil witch.

Where was Aslan when you needed him?

I was unceremoniously dragged by my hair to the stone circle where I cried out when multiple ropes were thrown over me and the ripped remains of my clothes were shredded, leaving me bare to every eye present.

What was going on?

Eyeing the torches that moved ever closer in the goblins' hands, I shivered from the sudden cold.

It wasn't a normal winter cold, but somehow it was an...empty cold.

The kind that showed you no mercy as it seeps out every bit of warmth left in your body.

All the noise suddenly ceased and I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt a slight pain in my stomach.

I groaned as it slowly started to grow and spread. I was burning up with this feeling of every blood vessel burning alive and my body began to convulse in unusual ways.

"Daughter of darkness. You are weak. But, I have found you and will make you strong. The transformation has begun and on this night, you will belong to me."

The voice appeared in my head and I shook it, trying to get rid of it as it seemed to fill up every space inside my mind.

Suddenly, I was afraid. I have no idea what's happening to me, by whom, or why.

" I don't belong to you!" I screamed inside my head as my body began to burn up.

The voice only laughed with evil mirth.

"Your father was my dragon servant, the best warrior. He was made strong by me. Until he became infected with the disease humans call love, that is.One of the most powerful witches, Shira, your mother, wanted him just as he wanted her. Soon after they first met eighteen years ago on this very night, they conceived a child. A child born of old magic, both from sorcery and fire.  They fled to the mortal dimension, hoping to keep you hidden from me. But, now, both are dead for their treachery. And you will take your father's place."

No. 

My mother was dead?

How!

Suddenly, I hated life. I hated everything. My father died when I was little-killed by an Orc. My mother is now dead as well. Thranduil will not come to save me. Lord Elrond does not know that I even was taken right under his nose. I am alone. 

"That's right. Feed it. Let it grow."

White hot anger filled me and  I screamed as my bones began to break.

"You have nothing left. No one to care for you. All has been taken away. Forget your past life. I will be your new master. You will obey me as we take this land. Burn it and thrive."

The torches came down on my body and the fire broke loose inside me.

" Become the beast you were born to be."

When the pain died down, my eyes opened and everything came into clear focus. My ears could pick up every sound of each beating heart and the hunger inside me grew.

I looked down to find my hands and feet were now  the size of a man's head with lethal claws ready to rip throats.

My body was covered in scales and when I looked to either side, I could see my elongated snout and black, gleaming wings expanding on either side of me.

I was so hungry.

"Milana!" 

My massive head whipped to the side.

I knew that voice. From where, though?

I couldn't remember, my mind was too preoccupied with my sudden hunger.

A body  on came into my view. Gleaming silver armor and long, silver-blonde hair with a metal crown placed upon the brow. Pointed ears peeked out on either side of the elf's head.

He spoke my name again and I stared straight into his icy-blue eyes.

So hungry.

The voice of my master filled my head.

"Kill."

I roared and lunged forward.