Sighter Tnailog vs. Elrundir [Archive]

Elrundir

02-16-07, 08:03 AM

The taint had been growing restless. Elrundir’s mind, which was relegated to the shadowy nooks of his own consciousness by the powerful darkness, had been getting stronger and stronger, and while its influence was still no more than that of a pitiful revolutionary against the might of an empire, it was growing. Today, it was nothing, but a more significant nothing than it was yesterday; tomorrow, it might be a minor concern; and then a week later, something to truly contend with. Had the taint underestimated the elf? No, it was certain; it just needed to cut off his routes of escape.

There was one such target that the taint had avoided for so long, because of the danger he posed, but now the danger was far greater, and would escalate exponentially if left alive. Findelfin ap Fingolfin – the elf responsible for freeing the taint from its bondage in the red forest those years ago, and therefore responsible for his inhabitation of Elrundir, who assisted in the process. He was the one elf alive who possessed the intimate knowledge necessary to drive the taint out of Elrundir’s body. Dangerous as he was, his destruction was no longer a mere option, but a necessity.

It was unfortunate that the taint would have to direct his host to Raiaera in order to find the man they were in search of. That was the most likely place: drawing on Elrundir’s memories, the darkness knew that Findelfin was the man in charge of foreign wars for the Raiaeran government, and with tensions with Alerar at a peak, he could be nowhere else but here, in Eluriand, preparing for the inevitable. As long as he was not housed within those blasted Turlin walls, Elrundir had a fair chance at defeating him without the taint’s influence being purged.

There were protests, of course. Elrundir vowed that he would interfere with the taints plans in every possible way. The taint, naturally, laughed and dismissed these claims as the weightless screeches of a child with a temper, but secretly it wondered if there was more to it than that. Either way, there was nothing else that could be done; even if Elrundir was strong enough to pose a threat, that fact would only escalate as time marched on. The best time to strike was as soon as possible. Then the elf’s fate would be sealed, and perhaps, in his despair, the taint would be able to strike a decisive blow against his consciousness as well. How free it would feel to have complete and total ownership over this vast intellect, without its former resident nagging constantly from the closet!

Just a moment longer, the taint reassured itself as it slithered in shadow-form from nook to cranny through the sprawling metropolis. Findelfin was somewhere in here; he would not see Elrundir coming; one blow would do it. A decisive strike from behind and the battle would be over. Or perhaps he could use Elrundir’s acquaintance with his target to lull him into a false sense of security, and strike then? The taint displayed no lack of amusement; So many possibilities, it thought gladly, feeling comforted as though surrounded by its own kind. There was no chance for error; there were too many ways to succeed for this to fail.

But there would be just as much resistance. It just didn’t realize it yet.

((Oh well. ^^;; ))