The fight for Middle Earth begins as the Ring of Power has been found. Once forged by the Dark Lord Sidious himself, his watchful eye upholds an iron fist over the kingdoms while 9 servants, doomed to eternally serve the Dark Lord and the One Ring...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Kylo tightened his arm around her torso, firmly holding Rey's back to his chest, his shoulder providing support for her head. He kept a strong grip along the underside of her arm with an armored hand, his other tightly grasping the reins. He urged the steed into the darkness, driving it hard and fast, while its hooves viciously pummeled the plains of Middle Earth. And its defiant snorts and grunts resounded into the night.
The splinter of Morgul blade had begun claiming its victim: more rapid than he'd anticipated it would. He hoped to have had them residing in Mustafar before the venom started spreading further into her system. However, as the minutes passed into hours, the likelihood that Rey would survive the journey turned bleak.
He could feel a part of him die as she neared that abysmal shadow of death and the void in his heart was burrowing itself deeper into his chest as the rhythm of her pulse slowly diminished. Now it had come down to being nothing more than a race against time. Every breath that she took was quickly becoming her last amongst the living.
"Stay with me," he hissed. "Do not give in, Rey. You have to stay with me."
Her name rang as peculiar to his ears, yet its appeal on his lips was familiarly sweet. Like the kiss in his vision. It felt as if he'd said her name aloud for days – years even – rather than hours. Instead of a few simple words in response, the abhorrent sound of her lungs choking on air came in place of her voice, letting forth a cry that sounded freakishly inhuman.
Kylo knew that it was only a matter of time before the poison's effects would swallow her completely, bringing him to the conclusion that he would have to hinder her transformation sooner rather than later as he'd planned. By doing so, he would need to cast aside every desire of the Wraith and cave to his instincts of elven nurturing.
He had to heal her – now. Except one crucial element was missing.
The Kingsfoil plant was a healing herb, most commonly used to disinfect wounds and lessen pain; although, it was one that also grew sparsely and found only in thickets. Having to find a rare plant in such stark lands at night would be a challenge of its own, along with the fact of being uncertain if he was even capable of healing her.
But Kylo would worry about the latter should that moment ever come. He needed every sense of his to be finely honed and find the herb in question; specifically, his sense of smell, regarding Kingsfoil's poignant fragrance. Fortunately, he traveled no more than a few miles from their previous location, discovering the herb's minuscule-sized white flowers nestled inside a small area of forest groundcover.
He eased her frail body from the mount with vigilant care into his arms, leaving her bow and quiver behind with his gloves. He would need full contact with the flesh around the wound, though removing the fragment of steel from the affected area for Rey to heal properly would have to be saved for when they completed their journey. Right now, he was merely buying her extra time.
Maintaining his grasp under her knees and back, he carefully positioned her onto the detritus turf, bearing in mind not to move her in ways that would intentionally cause her more pain. It wasn't until he had her completely settled under the moon's luminosity when Kylo was able to finally see how far she'd faded, retaining her soul-piercing gaze as he knelt beside her.
Her irises were as cold as ice, bluer than the purest water that could be found in Middle Earth with pupils dilated to the size of needle points. The ashen-colored pigmentation of her cheeks and face reflected lucid and grave in the moonlight. He gave her no more than a day before she was to resemble him in appearance.
For reasons unbeknownst to him, he was tempted to reach out and touch her face in a way that an enemy shouldn't have wanted, meaning to ensure he wasn't about to allow the darkness claim her as it had him; although, how he came to be a Wraith was vaguely known.
But he didn't.
His eyes lowered to inspect the incision on her shoulder. He tore open the shredded piece of fabric in order to apply the remedy directly to the wound. The flesh surrounding the lesion was rapidly decaying, a dark web of infection splayed over a sizeable fraction of the area. He would be surprised if it wouldn't leave a scar if he succeeded in what he was about to do.
Kylo closed his eyes and tuned out the rustling leaves that moved steadily with the breeze. The words and motions came to him as he gathered a small batch of the herb, palming it with his hands. He rolled the greens in a slow and circular motion, reciting the terms in a hushed voice.
"Menno o nin na hen i eliad annen annin, hen leitho o ngurth. Menno o nin na hen i eliad annen annin, hen leitho o ngurth."
Repeating the phrases to the chant, Kylo pressed the vegetation to her wound, his hand cupping the other. The more he recited the words, the more he felt himself drifting further into the trance, droning out Rey's asphyxiated cries in pain.
He could feel the magic's warmth surge through his chest, presenting itself as golden particles of light that extended through his fingers and palms. It felt like nirvana, peaceful, and serene as if the heavens of Valinor had descended upon him.
Within the moments it took to complete the procedure, his obsession with the Ring was forgotten, and it was Rey's feeble voice that awoke him from the mystical enchantment.
"Ben," she whispered softly.
Had Kylo not opened his eyes, he never would've witnessed the faint smile tug at the corners of her mouth. She stared at him as if she had spoken directly to him, addressing him by a name that should've been foreign; yet hearing her say it sounded familiar.
He held her gaze, appearing no longer icy yet still deviant. A tear descended her cheek from the corner of her eye when she blinked and she slowly drifted into unconsciousness, leaving all questions relevant to Ben to be left unspoken for now.
