Chapter 58: Palantír

The vial Kael held contained what was, strictly speaking, a failed potion. During an attempt to brew a simple healing draught, he had intentionally added porcupine quills before extinguishing the flame, a misstep that had transformed the concoction into a highly corrosive liquid. It was a mistake he was now grateful for. He carefully uncorked the bottle. Using a Levitation Charm, he guided the vial until it hovered silently above the trolls' bubbling cauldron. With a flick of his wand, he released the spell. Plop. The vial dropped into the stew with a small splash. "Oi, what fell in?" one of the trolls asked, glancing up at the cavern ceiling. "Rock fallin' again?" "Who cares? I'm starvin'!" another grunted, already scooping a massive bowlful from the pot and beginning to wolf it down. At the sight of food, the others scrambled to join in, shoving and snarling, each terrified of being left with an empty bowl. It was only when they had scraped the cauldron clean that they noticed the small glass bottle at the bottom. "What's this thing?" "Looks like somethin' a man would make." "Why's it in our stew?" Before they could ponder it further, a searing pain ripped through their bellies. Their insides felt as if they were being dissolved by acid, a torment so intense it sent all eleven trolls crashing to the ground, howling in agony. Their deafening screams echoed through the cavern, drawing the terrified gazes of the prisoners in their cages. Yet even this horrifying commotion failed to stir the troll chief from his magically induced slumber. With their enemies incapacitated, Kael and Gandalf moved as one. Gandalf took Glamdring and charged into the mass of writhing trolls. He moved like a whirlwind of righteous fury, his flaming blade reaping a swift and terrible harvest. Meanwhile, Kael turned his attention to the unconscious leader. He focused his magic on the troll's massive warhammer, levitating the colossal weapon into the air. The hammer, forged from black iron, was incredibly heavy, and the strain of lifting it with magic made beads of sweat form on Kael's brow. When the hammer reached its apex high above the throne, Kael released his spell. It fell with the force of an avalanche, smashing down on the troll chief's head. The sound was a sickening crunch of bone and metal. The blow left a bloody, caved-in crater in the creature's skull. The trolls were indeed formidable; a strike that would have obliterated any lesser being only served to jolt the leader from his sleep. But before it could even register the pain, the warhammer, already rising again, smashed down a second time. This time, the troll chief was not so lucky. Its skull shattered, and it died instantly. Gandalf's work was also nearly complete. His movements were impossibly swift, his blade a blur of golden fire as he dispatched the last of the howling trolls. Soon, a profound silence fell over the cavern, broken only by the whimpers of the captives. Without pausing to catch his breath, Gandalf strode to the cages and slashed the locks apart with his sword, freeing everyone inside. While Gandalf saw to the terrified prisoners, Kael went in search of the trolls' hoard. He ventured deeper into the cave and soon found it: a staggering mountain of gold, silver, and jewels that glittered in the light of his wand, a treasure several times larger than any they had found before. But as he stared at the immense wealth, something else caught his eye. Buried among the gold coins, a dark object emanated a subtle, magical thrum. His curiosity piqued, he walked over and brushed the coins aside with his wand. When the object was fully revealed, he saw it was a black crystal ball the size of a human head, polished to a perfect, gleaming sphere. Within its depths, a faint, shimmering mist swirled, displaying blurry, shifting images. "What is this?" he murmured. He prodded it cautiously with his wand. When nothing happened, he dared to touch it with his hand. The moment his fingers made contact, the crystal ball flared with light. The mist inside coalesced into a sharp, clear image: Gandalf, across the cavern, speaking gently to the freed villagers. As if sensing his gaze, Gandalf suddenly looked up, his eyes seeming to pierce through space and time to meet Kael's. "Who is there?" he roared into the empty air. Startled, Kael quickly shouted back, "Gandalf, come here!" Hearing the call, Gandalf made his way toward the treasure cave, his movements tracked perfectly within the crystal sphere. "What is it?" Gandalf asked as he entered the chamber. Kael held up the black crystal. "Gandalf, can you tell me what this is?" The wizard's eyes widened in astonishment. "A Palantír!" he blurted out. "So that's what it was! I felt as though I was being watched." A look of profound envy crossed his face. "You are truly fortunate, Kael. To find a lost Seeing Stone... this is a treasure men and kings have only dreamed of." Though Kael had suspected as much, hearing Gandalf's confirmation sent a thrill of excitement through him. The Palantíri were legendary artifacts, allowing a user to see events across vast distances, or even glimpse moments from the past. A powerful mind could direct its sight anywhere it wished. It was clairvoyance. It was power. But Gandalf's expression quickly sobered. "Kael, you must be exceedingly careful with this," he warned, his voice grave. "Do not attempt to contact the other Stones. You do not know who holds them now." "I understand," Kael said, nodding earnestly. "Thank you for the warning." He knew that the Dark Lord Sauron and Saruman the White both possessed a Palantír. It was through his Stone that Saruman had been corrupted and turned to shadow. If a wizard as great as Saruman could fall, Kael would not be arrogant enough to test his own will against such a power. With the Seeing Stone now in his possession, the mountain of gold and jewels before him seemed to lose all its luster. Gandalf had already calmed the villagers, rekindling the spark of hope in their hearts. As before, they gave them a share of the treasure and offered them a choice: to travel south to the kingdoms of men, or west, toward Bree and the sanctuary of Kael's tower. Then, for the third time, Kael summoned a serpent from the woods to guide the fearful survivors out of the forest and back to the world of men. (End of Chapter) *** [Check Out My Patreon For More Chapters On All Of My Fanfics!!] [www. 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