|| Alright, guess I'm out? Oh well, that means I'm flipping soon. Was fun while it lasted.

'𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐃𝐈𝐄'
—— 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦
⠀

|| I’ve been slacking due to muse and mood constraints, apologies.

|| I'm posting it here too because I'm a dirty double-dipper

𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 𝒐𝒇 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆? 𝑨 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑵𝒐 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑰𝒔 𝑯𝒖𝒓𝒕? 𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝑩𝒆 𝑨𝒃𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒅.

𝑯𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒋𝒐𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆

and an army may take the castle, only time will topple the banner atop the spire."

He extends his hand, empty with the palm held up, fingers splayed. There is a pressure building in the center of his hand, a compression of space that at last bursts in a brief plume of the same orange-hot flames. In it, a single bundle of black cloth.

"For while a warrior may slay the king,
--

The portal closes behind Sauron as he strides without pause; though silent until now, he speaks after DIO in a voice that is rasp and rattling, reverb with the voices of the names worn throughout his material existence.

"Time is the gift I bring to you." He replies. "Time and knowledge."
--

|| I've been relaxing on doing stuff here after what happened but we'll be back at it here momentarily.

"Be there no other message you wish to relay to my lord, then we bid thee well, and make to depart!"

"For now, we shall keep our gift the palantír, but rest assured that Lord Sauron will bring it with him when he arrives to treat with you - and if agreement is reached, then as promised, it shall be yours."

The rider rears his beast, compelling it to move. With a grunt, it obliges its jockey.
--

I advise that the travel from Middle-earth to here can be consuming in time and energy, even for one so great as he... but expect his arrival to be swift and soon."

The Mouth then closes the cloth around the palantír, returning it to the harnessed soldier that brought it forth.
--

For a moment that almost went on too long, the entourage did not reply, as far-distant whispers commune back and forth between Sauron and his ambassador. Then at last the Mouth of Sauron spoke.

"My master agrees to this condition... He shall make ready to leave Mordor, and come here - alone."
--

“…….”

He wouldn’t lie, all of this sounds very enticing. This Sauron guy was willing to offer his forces to assist Sora in battle? Even if it were temporary, that would be of great help.

Even so, Sora was hesitant, for as good of an offer this was, it almost sounded too good to be true.

+

+

With that, without meaning to sound offensive in any way, Sora decides to ask a question.

“Is there some sort of catch to this? The offer sounds amazing, but I can’t help but wonder what Sauron’s motive would be to help me.”

These offerings are made in deference to your alliance, a bid for your permission, and this promise and token are given in the name of understanding, for in his wisdom, he understands how making such an ambitious move without counsel could be construed as malign ambition…”

receive blessing by your alliance; to set forth a token force from his realm of Mordor, to establish foothold here in the new world… an act that benefits my lord for obvious reasons, but also serves to your benefit, as my master’s aid is more readily provided when we need not cross the spheres.
—