One of them.
Living with dragons
- Thread starter Hiver
- Start date
So... Atregos is about to fall to the Ring.
Interesting twist.
Interesting twist.
Grey Rook
Genuine Nerd
- Location
- The Quantum Foam
Well, maybe. Hiver might still back down on making his protagonist a villain.
We'll see, the problem with the Ring is that only people of greater power than Sauron at his peak can master it.
And as far as Warcraft characters go, that's the Titanic Pantheon.
In LotR, it's the The Valar, and Tom Bombadil.
Well I always thought that that eye looked a little odd......
- Location
- Hell
- Pronouns
- She/Her
- Location
- Hell
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Yeah, we joked about that in the other thread.
Atregos is all like, "AHAHA! I HAVE UNLIMITED POWER! NOW I WILL WIPE THE LEGION FROM AZEROTH!"
And then the Ring's like, "oh no"
Dragonin
Hugs Everything
- Location
- Blue Lake
Didn't he already wipe the Legion from Azeroth?
- Location
- Hell
- Pronouns
- She/Her
23
I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose. "…Okay, look. We can stand around here until one of the gazillion orcs spot us or you can let me poke the ring and then we fly you straight to the top, so you can toss it in."
Sitting down with my back against a large rock, I crossed my legs and extended my hand towards him, palm down. "Come on."
Frodo looked at me for a long moment before reaching to pull his necklace up to reveal a golden ring hanging from the silver chain.
It was… I felt something from it. A kind of pull.
It was beautiful. Shining.
He seemed fascinated by the artefact before he slowly approached. "It needs to be destroyed."
"No argument here."
"Be careful, Mister Frodo!"
Frodo glanced back at him and then slowly approached me.
…What was that sound?
It was like… whispering. But I couldn't make out the words. The ring almost glowed as he held it out.
Amazing.
As he got closer, I reached out running my hand close to it, feeling the magic around it. It glowed.
There was…
I glanced at Frodo. He seemed almost hypnotized by it as it slowly spun on the chain he was hanging by.
The whispering was getting louder.
Reaching out, I poked the ring and sent my magic into it, feeling out the enchantments.
The world all around seemed to disappear, all that existed was me and the ring against the tip of my finger.
It was amazing. It's like… someone has layered layer after layer of enchantments all through the metal at a molecular level.
Last thing I saw like this, was the Orb of Black Ice. It was at that level of complexity. This thing…
An entirely new way of enchanting an item. It's… it wasn't like it had been created and enchanted or even enchanted while it was created, it was like the enchantment was purely in the metal itself!
Even if you melted the entire thing down into a new shape, it wouldn't affect the enchantment itself!
Is that… that's the power regulation. Had to be. That's a magic transfer circuit and that must be… that's some kind of mind interface. It's so efficient!
That part reminded me of a soulstone spell. A soulstone spell in enchantment form. That was amazing.
This thing held a soul with a lot of power.
No, not an entire soul. Part of a soul, it held a lot of power and if the one who had put part of their soul in this wore it, it would create a positive power loop.
Even anyone else wearing this ring would get stronger. More powerful.
With this ring… with this ring I could be a Flightleader. The greatest ever! Everyone would bow to me, I could have anything I wanted.
I would be able to surpass the Titans! I could make their creations look like toys, forge entire worlds!
Alexstrasza would be my Consort.
The Gatewatch would fall, they would regret not helping me! I could rule all, all the worlds! All the knowledge would be mine!
I… would have all the paperwork in the world.
…Wait, that's not right.
That stray thought pulled me out of it. Why would I want that? I just worked hard to get rid of that!
I didn't want to be Flightleader! Fuck that noise!
This thing… this fucking ring was messing with my head! It was him. Sauron.
He was brilliant, this was the most amazing piece of enchanting I had ever seen. It was basically indestructible by normal means.
Sauron was fucking brilliant… and a complete moron. Who the fuck leaves part of his soul laying about!? Let alone with that much power bound into it?
His enchanting was amazing beyond measure, but man was he a moron. Luckily, I didn't need to be quite as brilliant to wreck his shit. I may not know how to make amazing porcelain plates, but I can still be the dragon in the china shop.
Starting with the mind interface, I sent precise spikes of magic into the complex enchanting matrix, snapping connections, overpowering power circuits.
I ripped and pulled and the ring screamed in my mind, clawing, twisting.
Submit! Mine! I AM ALL!
No! Fuck you! Fuck you and the dick you rode in on!
Snarling, I snapped every connection I could find to the soulstone-like containment. I didn't need to understand all of it to wreck it, I clawed, metaphysically going for the eyes with everything I had.
I opened my eyes and glared at the ring. "Get fucked!" I snarled as it started to glow brighter and brighter, turning into a miniature sun.
Frodo panicked and moved to pull away. I didn't let him, snatching the ring and ripping it from his necklace before throwing it as far away as I could.
It got about half a meter from my face when everything went white.
AN// Many thanks to Grey Rook for betaing this section. Posted early because of early morning tomorrow.
Sitting down with my back against a large rock, I crossed my legs and extended my hand towards him, palm down. "Come on."
Frodo looked at me for a long moment before reaching to pull his necklace up to reveal a golden ring hanging from the silver chain.
It was… I felt something from it. A kind of pull.
It was beautiful. Shining.
He seemed fascinated by the artefact before he slowly approached. "It needs to be destroyed."
"No argument here."
"Be careful, Mister Frodo!"
Frodo glanced back at him and then slowly approached me.
…What was that sound?
It was like… whispering. But I couldn't make out the words. The ring almost glowed as he held it out.
Amazing.
As he got closer, I reached out running my hand close to it, feeling the magic around it. It glowed.
There was…
I glanced at Frodo. He seemed almost hypnotized by it as it slowly spun on the chain he was hanging by.
The whispering was getting louder.
Reaching out, I poked the ring and sent my magic into it, feeling out the enchantments.
The world all around seemed to disappear, all that existed was me and the ring against the tip of my finger.
It was amazing. It's like… someone has layered layer after layer of enchantments all through the metal at a molecular level.
Last thing I saw like this, was the Orb of Black Ice. It was at that level of complexity. This thing…
An entirely new way of enchanting an item. It's… it wasn't like it had been created and enchanted or even enchanted while it was created, it was like the enchantment was purely in the metal itself!
Even if you melted the entire thing down into a new shape, it wouldn't affect the enchantment itself!
Is that… that's the power regulation. Had to be. That's a magic transfer circuit and that must be… that's some kind of mind interface. It's so efficient!
That part reminded me of a soulstone spell. A soulstone spell in enchantment form. That was amazing.
This thing held a soul with a lot of power.
No, not an entire soul. Part of a soul, it held a lot of power and if the one who had put part of their soul in this wore it, it would create a positive power loop.
Even anyone else wearing this ring would get stronger. More powerful.
With this ring… with this ring I could be a Flightleader. The greatest ever! Everyone would bow to me, I could have anything I wanted.
I would be able to surpass the Titans! I could make their creations look like toys, forge entire worlds!
Alexstrasza would be my Consort.
The Gatewatch would fall, they would regret not helping me! I could rule all, all the worlds! All the knowledge would be mine!
I… would have all the paperwork in the world.
…Wait, that's not right.
That stray thought pulled me out of it. Why would I want that? I just worked hard to get rid of that!
I didn't want to be Flightleader! Fuck that noise!
This thing… this fucking ring was messing with my head! It was him. Sauron.
He was brilliant, this was the most amazing piece of enchanting I had ever seen. It was basically indestructible by normal means.
Sauron was fucking brilliant… and a complete moron. Who the fuck leaves part of his soul laying about!? Let alone with that much power bound into it?
His enchanting was amazing beyond measure, but man was he a moron. Luckily, I didn't need to be quite as brilliant to wreck his shit. I may not know how to make amazing porcelain plates, but I can still be the dragon in the china shop.
Starting with the mind interface, I sent precise spikes of magic into the complex enchanting matrix, snapping connections, overpowering power circuits.
I ripped and pulled and the ring screamed in my mind, clawing, twisting.
Submit! Mine! I AM ALL!
No! Fuck you! Fuck you and the dick you rode in on!
Snarling, I snapped every connection I could find to the soulstone-like containment. I didn't need to understand all of it to wreck it, I clawed, metaphysically going for the eyes with everything I had.
I opened my eyes and glared at the ring. "Get fucked!" I snarled as it started to glow brighter and brighter, turning into a miniature sun.
Frodo panicked and moved to pull away. I didn't let him, snatching the ring and ripping it from his necklace before throwing it as far away as I could.
It got about half a meter from my face when everything went white.
AN// Many thanks to Grey Rook for betaing this section. Posted early because of early morning tomorrow.
- Location
- Christchurch, NZ
I'd think the ring would be smart enough to offer things you actually want - but Atregos here pretty much already has everything?
... Wouldn't that be Frodo?
Truly a thought that humbles even gods, haha.
Fallen Lich-Angel vs Baby Dragon Aspect. FIGHT!
So thats... TKO for Sauron in the first 10 seconds.
Canonically speaking, the Ring cannot be resisted, it cannot be denied.
By anyone lesser in power than Sauron himself.
Richardson
CAN YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?
- Location
- Yes
But the horror of beurocracy is a greater force than that of Sauron!
- Location
- Pale Blue Dot
Except, in the books it is indeed resisted for a long long time. By a couple of hobbits, at the very least. Not always successfully... but often enough.
Zap Rowsdower
Ex-cultist vagrant
- Location
- Bright lights, big city
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Most relevantly Sam, who resisted it (literally putting it down after carrying it briefly) by the same "already had what he wanted, so all it could offer was what he already had taken up to comically impractical levels" method (in Sam's case, it offered making all of Mordor into a garden, which Sam resisted by dint of not wanting a garden bigger than he could actually tend himself).
JoshuaSweetvale
Insectovore
- Location
- NL, 65 Million Years Ago
O.O
Don't think I ever saw anyone try and HACK the One Ring.
...beside Gimli.
Let's hope that suddenly detonating half a Gandalf in pure mana didn't kill the Hobbits.
...Or pulverize Mount Doom.
Don't think I ever saw anyone try and HACK the One Ring.
...beside Gimli.
Let's hope that suddenly detonating half a Gandalf in pure mana didn't kill the Hobbits.
...Or pulverize Mount Doom.
Which is pretty much exactly what happened here. Thank Eonar for that +100 Shadow Resistance the Titans added to Dragons. It's not quite as baked-in as with Hobbits and TolkienDwarves but it certainly helps!
Last edited:
24
Fire.
An eye of fire in the dark.
Groan.
Ow. What the fuck hit me? No… wait, it didn't hurt. It felt like the last time I worked for a week straight in the lab and then crashed for two days.
Why was I laying on something soft? Last thing I remembered was having the evil ring of doom go boom.
But that place was anything but soft.
I forced my eyes open. I was in a room with a bed with a white silk canopy drifting slightly in a slight wind.
…That's new. Also, kind of nice to wake up to… maybe I should get one for home. Sheila would love those.
A weight shifted against me and I glanced to the side, pulling Ren a bit closer. She cuddled closer and nuzzled at my shoulder.
How the hell did I even get there?
Okay, dumb question, she obviously carried me. But what happened?
Running my hand along her side, I watched her.
Beautiful.
In mortal form or dragon, she looked just as amazing. Only thing that could make it better was if she didn't hide her real hair colour. But then again, we were travelling, we might be able to get away with one person having blue hair but not two.
…If I kept using the ring keeping my hair black, she could stop colouring it. Then again, Sheila liked my hair as it was.
Reaching to stroke her hair, she stirred and opened her eyes.
She looked at me for a long moment and then let out a breath and put her head back down against my shoulder. "You're awake."
"Of course I am," I said and smiled, nuzzling. "I'm guessing that stupid ring knocked me out for a little while?"
That got a reaction and she glared at me. "Even whelps know not to touch unknown and dangerous items! It's literally the first thing they are taught!"
"It wasn't that bad, no permanent dama…"
She scooted up to glare at me. "Three weeks! You were out for three weeks!"
I blinked up at her in surprise. "…Three weeks?"
"Three weeks!"
"Oh," I said before I frowned. "But… why didn't you put me through my soulstone? That would have…"
"I did!"
"Oh. Oh shit," I sighed and relaxed against the bed.
That literally would have fixed almost anything. We'd never really seen damage surviving past that before something cut Ren. Only theorized about it.
If I was out for three weeks even after that… wow, that must have hit me hard.
"Yes. Exactly," she growled down at me. "Not again."
"…Sorry," I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose. "If it helps, that evil little trinket taught me a lot."
That was so the wrong thing to say if the look in her eyes was anything to go by.
"Where are we?" I asked and moved up to sit, shifting my shoulders. Felt a bit stiff.
Then again, to be expected after three weeks.
"A place called Rivendell," Ren explained and laid back down, head propped up on her arm. "The hobbit, Frodo, thought the elves here could help."
I nodded and stood up. "…Could they?"
"They kept you from getting worse," she said and shrugged. "I think, at least. Zrazta would have been able to tell more. But they helped me with the wraith's attack."
I quickly turned to her. "You said it got better!"
"Better," she sighed and rubbed her ribs. "Better. Not over. It went down to an ache but never went away until they helped me. Us."
"And you say I'm reckless!"
"You are!" she growled and scooted up. "You know it!"
"…Maybe a little," I sighed and sunk back down on the bed again, pulling her close to my side. "What happened?"
Rengosa rested her head against my shoulder. "The artefact threw you and the hobbits a dozen meters across the mountain. It wasn't destroyed, but it kind of… glowed. You were down. The hobbits were far enough away that they only needed some light healing. Problem was that it attracted the attention of every single Orc in the valley."
"Oh. It wasn't destroyed?"
She shook her head. "No. I think you managed to damage it though, the hobbit, Frodo, said that it didn't feel as heavy anymore. They left towards the top of the mountain, leaving me to look after you and keep the Orcs from following."
I nodded. "What happened?"
"They made it. The fortress we saw exploded and then the ground shook. By then, I had gotten you through your soulstone so you were in mortal form. I had barely enough time to grab you and the hobbits who came before the volcano erupted."
I glanced at her and blinked. "Oh. That is a bit more energetic than I expected."
That got a small snort from her and she nuzzled at my shoulder. "I wasn't done. Then the entire valley collapsed into a massive sinkhole that filled with magma. Just so you know, I'm telling Sheila everything that happened."
I couldn't help but cringe a bit at that before I nodded. "Fair enough."
I did kind of deserve that and I just knew I would get an earful about it. Sighing, I nodded and stroked her hair. "…I'm sorry."
"Don't do it again."
"I prom…"
Ren shook her head and closed her eyes as she relaxed against me. "Don't lie. Just stop doing obviously stupid things even whelps know not to do."
"…That I can promise," I sighed and nuzzled at her hair. "I'll be more careful."
AN// Many thanks to Pietersielie for betaing this part.
An eye of fire in the dark.
Groan.
Ow. What the fuck hit me? No… wait, it didn't hurt. It felt like the last time I worked for a week straight in the lab and then crashed for two days.
Why was I laying on something soft? Last thing I remembered was having the evil ring of doom go boom.
But that place was anything but soft.
I forced my eyes open. I was in a room with a bed with a white silk canopy drifting slightly in a slight wind.
…That's new. Also, kind of nice to wake up to… maybe I should get one for home. Sheila would love those.
A weight shifted against me and I glanced to the side, pulling Ren a bit closer. She cuddled closer and nuzzled at my shoulder.
How the hell did I even get there?
Okay, dumb question, she obviously carried me. But what happened?
Running my hand along her side, I watched her.
Beautiful.
In mortal form or dragon, she looked just as amazing. Only thing that could make it better was if she didn't hide her real hair colour. But then again, we were travelling, we might be able to get away with one person having blue hair but not two.
…If I kept using the ring keeping my hair black, she could stop colouring it. Then again, Sheila liked my hair as it was.
Reaching to stroke her hair, she stirred and opened her eyes.
She looked at me for a long moment and then let out a breath and put her head back down against my shoulder. "You're awake."
"Of course I am," I said and smiled, nuzzling. "I'm guessing that stupid ring knocked me out for a little while?"
That got a reaction and she glared at me. "Even whelps know not to touch unknown and dangerous items! It's literally the first thing they are taught!"
"It wasn't that bad, no permanent dama…"
She scooted up to glare at me. "Three weeks! You were out for three weeks!"
I blinked up at her in surprise. "…Three weeks?"
"Three weeks!"
"Oh," I said before I frowned. "But… why didn't you put me through my soulstone? That would have…"
"I did!"
"Oh. Oh shit," I sighed and relaxed against the bed.
That literally would have fixed almost anything. We'd never really seen damage surviving past that before something cut Ren. Only theorized about it.
If I was out for three weeks even after that… wow, that must have hit me hard.
"Yes. Exactly," she growled down at me. "Not again."
"…Sorry," I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose. "If it helps, that evil little trinket taught me a lot."
That was so the wrong thing to say if the look in her eyes was anything to go by.
"Where are we?" I asked and moved up to sit, shifting my shoulders. Felt a bit stiff.
Then again, to be expected after three weeks.
"A place called Rivendell," Ren explained and laid back down, head propped up on her arm. "The hobbit, Frodo, thought the elves here could help."
I nodded and stood up. "…Could they?"
"They kept you from getting worse," she said and shrugged. "I think, at least. Zrazta would have been able to tell more. But they helped me with the wraith's attack."
I quickly turned to her. "You said it got better!"
"Better," she sighed and rubbed her ribs. "Better. Not over. It went down to an ache but never went away until they helped me. Us."
"And you say I'm reckless!"
"You are!" she growled and scooted up. "You know it!"
"…Maybe a little," I sighed and sunk back down on the bed again, pulling her close to my side. "What happened?"
Rengosa rested her head against my shoulder. "The artefact threw you and the hobbits a dozen meters across the mountain. It wasn't destroyed, but it kind of… glowed. You were down. The hobbits were far enough away that they only needed some light healing. Problem was that it attracted the attention of every single Orc in the valley."
"Oh. It wasn't destroyed?"
She shook her head. "No. I think you managed to damage it though, the hobbit, Frodo, said that it didn't feel as heavy anymore. They left towards the top of the mountain, leaving me to look after you and keep the Orcs from following."
I nodded. "What happened?"
"They made it. The fortress we saw exploded and then the ground shook. By then, I had gotten you through your soulstone so you were in mortal form. I had barely enough time to grab you and the hobbits who came before the volcano erupted."
I glanced at her and blinked. "Oh. That is a bit more energetic than I expected."
That got a small snort from her and she nuzzled at my shoulder. "I wasn't done. Then the entire valley collapsed into a massive sinkhole that filled with magma. Just so you know, I'm telling Sheila everything that happened."
I couldn't help but cringe a bit at that before I nodded. "Fair enough."
I did kind of deserve that and I just knew I would get an earful about it. Sighing, I nodded and stroked her hair. "…I'm sorry."
"Don't do it again."
"I prom…"
Ren shook her head and closed her eyes as she relaxed against me. "Don't lie. Just stop doing obviously stupid things even whelps know not to do."
"…That I can promise," I sighed and nuzzled at her hair. "I'll be more careful."
AN// Many thanks to Pietersielie for betaing this part.
JoshuaSweetvale
Insectovore
- Location
- NL, 65 Million Years Ago
Phew, only a partial boom. That could've been far worse, as I dreaded.
25
He looked like some kind of elf. At least if the ears were something to go by.
"I see you are awake," he said, standing by one of the pillars. "I am Elrond, this is my home."
"Atregos," I said and gave him a nod. "I understand that you're the one responsible for healing me. Thank you."
"You were injured. It's the least we could do for assisting Frodo in his task," he answered and moved up to stand next to me, overlooking the valley.
"…And thank you for helping my Consort," I continued. "She said she felt better after the cut. I believed her."
"Wounds from the blade of the Witch-king are not easily healed. But your Rengosa is strong and fully recovered," he said and looked towards me. "I understand that you made him regret attacking her."
I smirked a bit. "Still regretting unless Sauron exploding killed him."
"Hmh."
I leaned against the railing and frowned at the river below. "He's dead? Sauron?"
"As far as we are able to tell. His armies have been defeated and the ground itself in Mordor has collapsed in on itself. Mount Doom is covering what remains with molten stone."
"Good."
Elrond watched me for a second before he turned back to the valley. "What are you?"
"Dragon. Same as my Consort… which you know as she flew me here."
"Far different from any dragon I have ever known."
I smiled a bit. "That's because you've never seen a true Dragon."
"So, what will you do now then?"
"Leave most likely," I sighed and then looked at him. "Perhaps never to return. This place has little for us."
My eyes went down towards his hand.
That ring… it didn't shine or anything. But it didn't seem normal either. Not like the one I saw before, it didn't have the… draw. But it wasn't a normal ring either.
"Your ring. It's not normal," I finally said, and he looked down at it, raising his hand.
"No. It's not. Vilya is not a normal ring, but it matters little. She's fading now."
"But not as special as that other one."
Elrond looked almost amused as he looked at his ring. "Almost."
"May I see it?"
He went still for a very long moment.
"I promise not to blow this one up."
That actually got a bit of a smile from him before he shook his head. "I suppose it doesn't matter much anymore. Don't put it on, you won't like the result."
"You don't even need to take it off, I just need to touch it."
I reached out to touch it, feeling the magic in the gold band with a sapphire stone. The craftsmanship was really good, but…
"This has a different creator than the one I destroyed," I finally said as I traced the enchantments. "Not as… no, it's just as elegantly made. Just different."
He didn't say anything.
The ring used the same kind of enchantment method as the other one. No separate enchantment, the magic itself was infused in the metal. Such an elegant way of making an enchanted item.
Without some sort of evil malignant spirit within the ring fucking with me, I could take my time studying it. Amazing really, I could see the power connections… it was drawing mana from the air, the general area. It had some sort of mental component, a lot of it in fact.
Some sort of… mental enhancement? Memory? Intelligence?
Yes. Both.
Azeroth had those enchantments too, but nowhere near as elegantly made. To be quite frank, they weren't worth it, which was why I wasn't constantly using them.
This one might actually be worth wearing. But it was… lessened.
It might even…
Oh.
I pulled my hand back and looked at him. "It's part of you. Addictive. If you take it off…"
Elrond closed his hand and looked at it. "The most powerful of the three. It sharpens my mind and my senses and lets me find connections none other might. My memory is perfect."
"But if you take it off, it takes all that with it."
"Yes."
And it was going away now.
Nodding, I walked over to the table and my satchel to pull out one of the rings we keep for trading before sitting down and closing my hand around it, channelling my magic into it as I tried it out. Now, to get that kind of effect into the metal, what would I need to… yeah, that would work. Especially if I shifted the metal at the same time, then I wouldn't need a hammer and anvil.
Opening my eyes, I turned, and I glanced back at him. "This's trickier than it looks," I told him. "Come back in a couple of hours. Unless you want to watch me sitting here."
He frowned a bit but then nodded and walked over to sit down across from me.
Closing my eyes again, I refocused on my work.
AN// Many thanks to Pietersielie for betaing this section.
"I see you are awake," he said, standing by one of the pillars. "I am Elrond, this is my home."
"Atregos," I said and gave him a nod. "I understand that you're the one responsible for healing me. Thank you."
"You were injured. It's the least we could do for assisting Frodo in his task," he answered and moved up to stand next to me, overlooking the valley.
"…And thank you for helping my Consort," I continued. "She said she felt better after the cut. I believed her."
"Wounds from the blade of the Witch-king are not easily healed. But your Rengosa is strong and fully recovered," he said and looked towards me. "I understand that you made him regret attacking her."
I smirked a bit. "Still regretting unless Sauron exploding killed him."
"Hmh."
I leaned against the railing and frowned at the river below. "He's dead? Sauron?"
"As far as we are able to tell. His armies have been defeated and the ground itself in Mordor has collapsed in on itself. Mount Doom is covering what remains with molten stone."
"Good."
Elrond watched me for a second before he turned back to the valley. "What are you?"
"Dragon. Same as my Consort… which you know as she flew me here."
"Far different from any dragon I have ever known."
I smiled a bit. "That's because you've never seen a true Dragon."
"So, what will you do now then?"
"Leave most likely," I sighed and then looked at him. "Perhaps never to return. This place has little for us."
My eyes went down towards his hand.
That ring… it didn't shine or anything. But it didn't seem normal either. Not like the one I saw before, it didn't have the… draw. But it wasn't a normal ring either.
"Your ring. It's not normal," I finally said, and he looked down at it, raising his hand.
"No. It's not. Vilya is not a normal ring, but it matters little. She's fading now."
"But not as special as that other one."
Elrond looked almost amused as he looked at his ring. "Almost."
"May I see it?"
He went still for a very long moment.
"I promise not to blow this one up."
That actually got a bit of a smile from him before he shook his head. "I suppose it doesn't matter much anymore. Don't put it on, you won't like the result."
"You don't even need to take it off, I just need to touch it."
I reached out to touch it, feeling the magic in the gold band with a sapphire stone. The craftsmanship was really good, but…
"This has a different creator than the one I destroyed," I finally said as I traced the enchantments. "Not as… no, it's just as elegantly made. Just different."
He didn't say anything.
The ring used the same kind of enchantment method as the other one. No separate enchantment, the magic itself was infused in the metal. Such an elegant way of making an enchanted item.
Without some sort of evil malignant spirit within the ring fucking with me, I could take my time studying it. Amazing really, I could see the power connections… it was drawing mana from the air, the general area. It had some sort of mental component, a lot of it in fact.
Some sort of… mental enhancement? Memory? Intelligence?
Yes. Both.
Azeroth had those enchantments too, but nowhere near as elegantly made. To be quite frank, they weren't worth it, which was why I wasn't constantly using them.
This one might actually be worth wearing. But it was… lessened.
It might even…
Oh.
I pulled my hand back and looked at him. "It's part of you. Addictive. If you take it off…"
Elrond closed his hand and looked at it. "The most powerful of the three. It sharpens my mind and my senses and lets me find connections none other might. My memory is perfect."
"But if you take it off, it takes all that with it."
"Yes."
And it was going away now.
Nodding, I walked over to the table and my satchel to pull out one of the rings we keep for trading before sitting down and closing my hand around it, channelling my magic into it as I tried it out. Now, to get that kind of effect into the metal, what would I need to… yeah, that would work. Especially if I shifted the metal at the same time, then I wouldn't need a hammer and anvil.
Opening my eyes, I turned, and I glanced back at him. "This's trickier than it looks," I told him. "Come back in a couple of hours. Unless you want to watch me sitting here."
He frowned a bit but then nodded and walked over to sit down across from me.
Closing my eyes again, I refocused on my work.
AN// Many thanks to Pietersielie for betaing this section.