In advance, this isn't going to be like any of the other Verdantian installments.

My disclaimer is coming now.

Be prepared, because this is the only one you shall see…

I do not own Lord of the Rings. But my character is going to kick ass in it. That is all.

~ THEMESONGS ~

Blackout ~ Breathe Carolina

.M.I.W.

1. Take a Walk

I rolled out of the portal and landed on warm prickly grass. I groaned and curled my hands into the stuff, trying to regain my bearings. The sun beat down on me and my dark clothing quickly absorbed the heat.

I could have sworn my head was ringing off its hinges. It was obnoxious and throbbing and painful and made it impossible to move. I groaned again, willing it to stop. Only it didn't. I pressed my head further into the grass.

"That was hell," I muttered. "That was hell. That was total. Fucking. Hell."

Finally, I managed to pull it together to sit upright. Only to realize I was in the middle of nowhere.

Seriously. Nowhere.

Grasslands stretched out as far as I could see. I frowned. Did it work?

My name is Madi Verdantia, and I'm a Rogue – a regular person like you who can go into different worlds. These worlds are usually found in books and movies and TV shows (I think, I haven't tested out that last theory yet). I can create portals that let me go into them. In fact, my latest escapade was what got me into this mess.

I'd gone into a world by Cassandra Clare called City of Fallen Angels. Heard of it? No? It's all good. Anyways, I fought in that world, and died.

Yes. I died. But that's a long story I really don't feel like getting into.

The point is, I got brought back to life by something. I had no clue what, but with my luck, it wasn't going to be good.

So I decided I needed to get off of the radar, do things quietly for a while. Get back to square one. I used to travel to any world I wanted to without any complicated stuff happening. I wanted to get back to that.

So I chose our very own Middle Earth.

In the world of Lord of the Rings.

Starting with the first book.

Okay, shut up. I'm a nerd. I know this. In fact, I proudly accept it on a regular basis.

After my headache finally subsided (portal traveling, it'll do that to you), I pulled myself up. I brushed off the grass from my jeans, and looked around me.

Right… Stuck in the middle of nowhere.

I did a full three-sixty in order to gain my bearings. Yup. Grassland everywhere. A huge blanket of it. Off to the right, there were some snowcapped mountains. To my left, forest. In between it? You guessed it! Grass! Yay!

If you couldn't have guessed what was above, kiddies, that's what we call sarcasm.

I swear I could've done a face-palm then and there. Yes. Chanting Middle Earth, Middle Earth, Middle Earth, Middle Earth was uber-specific when calling upon portals. Once again, another moronic move. I'm pretty good at those.

I spun around again, which only seemed to piss off my head. It began to hammer again, making me press my hand against my temple. Ugh.

I debated on whether or not to use another portal. Just to get me to Rivendell. When my head pounded even harder at the thought, I dismissed it easily. No way. No way in hell was that happening anytime soon.

That was also when I noticed a wet feeling on my lips.

I brushed at it quickly, and pulled my hand back, seeing blood smeared on my fingers. I rubbed underneath my nose, and realized it was bleeding.

Double-damn. Could my life really be so unfair?

Obviously. My nose was spewing blood, making me feel like a human faucet (now isn't that disgusting?), and I had nothing to soak up the stuff. There was obviously no town for miles where I could get assistance, but was there a road?

Holding my hand under my nose, I jogged towards the nearest hill. This only aggravated my headache, and I pressed my free hand against my head. Okay, no running. Running was definitely out at this point.

I scanned the countryside, and suddenly felt a burst of pride. There was a road. A road! A long, winding dirt road that looked like it was made more from constant use and less than construction.

All right… road. Now which way was I supposed to go on this said road?

I hooked my thumbs in the pockets of my jeans. The pounding in my head was beginning to fade again. I rubbed my nose experimentally, and when I pulled my hand back, I saw only dried blood. Progress.

I sighed and pulled my twin blades, Metatron and Sandalphon, out in front of me, yanked out my new gun from my belt and sat down on the ground.

Yes. I have a pistol, a couple of seraph blades, a tough leather jacket with a cotton hood, some skinny jeans, a Led Zeppelin T-shirt, and some black combat boots.

In my defense, I used to look a lot more professional than this. Like, I had a whole urban armor outfit, and a leather rucksack to boot. But, when you're kind of on the run for your life, you end up forgetting some stuff.

I frowned when I remembered that. Shit. I had some pretty technologically advanced stuff too, and now no bag to hide it in. New iPhone and iPod (since I left my old stuff in another dimension), a kickass pistol, and nowhere to really stow them. The magic of shoplifting clothes and pricey technology, and I forgot to get another backpack?!

The idea of portaling somewhere still sent my stomach spiraling into nervous cartwheels, so I decided leaving to get one would be a bad idea.

I kept my phone and iPod stuffed in my jacket's inner pockets, and put the gun in another pocket.

Before I did, though, I paused to look at said gun.

It was a gift from a Greater Demon from my past escapade, a weapon said to kill anything in sight. What was it called? A Colt, I think. I killed the same Greater Demon with it. It could come in handy in the future, but I sincerely doubted any member of the Fellowship would stand for all the witchcraft I had stowed up my sleeves.

That's right. I'm not in this world just for the scenery. Hell no. I'm going to go on the quest to help destroy the One Ring, and be a total badass while doing it. It's how these things just ought to be done. I think I've earned the right to do this too, I think I'm about at the same level as Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas when it comes to fighting. Now that I've earned my stripes, I can belong in this world.

I yanked out my iPod at the thought, smiling. Yes, hide a pistol but not an iPod? Well, there was no way in hell I was walking a desolate countryside in silence. I'm too American to appreciate that.

Once I hit the first town, I'd stow it. With that thought in mind, I put in the earbuds, and stood up. I looked down to scroll through my songs, and grinned. How perfect.

Take a Walk by Passion Pit blared through my earphones and into my ears, which brought on my second wind.

Take a walk, I would.

.M.I.W.