A Fine Line Between Light and Darkness

The Journey Begins

A/N: ~Originally posted on 1/26/19 on AO3. The fic collection for this games series is barely existent on this site, but I'll contribute a fic to it anyway.~ I finally finished Shadow of War and I am devastated. And pissed. And screaming on the inside at how Cel and Talion's story ended. And I won't stand for it. I will go down with this ship and I won't rest until I find a way to somehow fix the mess our boys got themselves into. I should probably finish reading LOTR first, but you know. Also, this author's note is being written right after finishing the game. I'm going to look back on this and cringe at how stupid and upset I sound, but for now let the journey begin.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize here except my poorly written non-profit story and ideas. For better writing for this pairing, go read some works from the lovely Achromos, who inspired me to finally write a fic for our boys. :)

Talion stood in front of the Witch King's barrier that once barred him from the stronghold of Minas Morgul. Hand shaking less than the time before, he lifted it until it was a hairsbreadth away before slowly reaching forward. It passed through with no difficulty, no injury. He jerked it back, staring at the offending appendage as if it had wronged him. It was these kind of moments that reminded him that the darkness hadn't consumed him, not today and not any other day. So far from the light was he now, but he was not completely devoid of it. A part of him still marveled at how the energy welcomed rather than shunned him, strengthened him instead of weakened him. He was more Ringwraith than man now. He knew that, but so long as he still had breath in his lungs Talion, Ranger of the Black Gate, Gravewalker of Mordor, husband, father, and warrior of Middle Earth lived on.

He turned away from the barrier, back towards Minas Morgul, and found himself wandering aimlessly along the ruined streets. Wights of the men felled during the battle for Minas Ithil ambled along, uncaring of the rubble and destruction around them. The city was proud once, bustling with life. Castamir, Idril, Baranor, Minas Ithil's citizens, all once dwelled here. The city used to be bright. And that word made his heart clench painfully because of who it reminded him of.

Celebrimbor.

The wraith had betrayed him, called him nothing more than a vessel, taken back the ring and abandoned him for Eltariel, and for what? A mere chance that Sauron could be dominated, could be put under his control? No. Talion had felt the power shift before, and one thing was for certain: Celebrimbor and Eltariel had failed. Sauron's defeat would be felt all across Middle Earth when the day came, but that day was not today. Yes, the two had failed, and while he couldn't be sure of Eltariel's fate, one thing he was sure of was that Celebrimbor was alive.

Though no longer connected, part of Talion somehow just knew that Celebrimbor was alive. Perhaps it was the shard of his soul within the New Ring, something neither he nor Celebrimbor had expected at the time of the forging, that assured him, or perhaps through sheer willpower alone he had convinced himself, but Celebrimbor was alive, and fighting. So help him Celebrimbor may have betrayed him, but Talion could not turn his back on the wraith, not after everything they'd been through together. Talion would find him, find Sauron, and with everything he had he would free his friend and end Sauron evil reign. And when all was said and done? He and Celebrimbor had much to discuss. There was one thing in particular that absolutely had to be discussed, but Talion couldn't bare to even think the words at the moment.

He was startled out of his thoughts as an Uruk mounted on a caragor rode swiftly towards him, stopping and dismounting a short distance away. He knelt as Talion approached.

"Speak, Amug. You are a long way from your stronghold," Talion addressed him, just suppressing a shiver at his voice, which sounded less and less like his own the more he heard it.

"My Lord, there is news of a Ring of Power beyond the walls of Mordor. The One Ring has been found." His eyes widened. He couldn't deny that a strange power had called to him from afar not too long ago. Days, weeks, years, he had lost any notion of time. How long since that day? How long since his second life, as Baranor might refer to it as, ended and his third began? He did not know, but it was clear that this life, that this existence as a man walking a fine line between light and darkness, would not be uneventful.

"What more do you know of it?" he questioned.

"The one who possesses it hails from a land called The Shire, far west of here. The other Nazgul have already left to retrieve it." Talion's eyes flashed the color of flames for a moment as his temper flared.

"I am no Nazgul," he growled, and the Uruk quickly began blubbering apologies.

"I didn't mean anything like that, my Lord! I swear!" Talion's eyes returned to their normal steely blue hue as he glared.

"You will bring me any more news you hear of the One Ring or the Nazgul, you and any other captain," he demanded.

Amug nodded and emphasized his assent fervently as he clambered back onto his caragor with a "Yes, my Lord!" and "At once, my Lord!" Talion watched him disappear out of the city, and his gaze fell to the ring currently resting on his finger. Isildur's ring… If the One Ring had truly been found, then Sauron would be the first to know. If Talion wanted to defeat Sauron once and for all, he would have to destroy it. This, however, was not a task he could do alone. As loathe as he was to admit it, Eltariel had been a valuable asset in his and Celebrimbor's conquest of Mordor. If anyone could assist him without getting themselves needlessly killed it was her. Her whereabouts, however, were currently unknown to Talion… But he could guess. If she and Celebrimbor had failed to bring Sauron under their control, she would still be in Barad-dur, provided she was still alive. He held onto that hope as he made up his mind.

He would free her from Sauron's fortress and she would come with him on his quest for the One Ring, willingly or not. She at least owed him this. Without hesitation he set off towards the Dark Tower, daring Sauron to stand in his way when he arrived.

Closing A/N: Pretty short opening chapter, but I also need sleep as it is 2 A.M. and I need to be up at 7. Don't know when I'll update again, or if anyone will read this, because I am a mediocre author at best, not informed enough about this fandom, and have too many WIPs to begin with, but Talion's got a long, dark journey ahead of him, and it starts with a return to Barad-dur.