bookbashuk Chapter 185 Anuminus
Chapter 185 Anuminus
Chapter 185 Anuminus
Lake Twilight is surrounded on three sides by rolling hills, with only a plain to the east. The lake water flows eastward from there, then turns south and eventually flows into the sea.
Dui rode on the back of the giant eagle, high above Twilight Lake, overlooking the area.
What comes into view is a lakeside city ruin built on a hillside in the southeast direction of the lake.
The city is ancient and magnificent, built entirely of white marble. Although it has been ravaged by time and war, traces of trade markets, residential areas, pools, gardens, palaces and other man-made structures can still be discerned from its still-standing ancient buildings and ruins.
This is Anúminas, the capital of the once-lost kingdom of Arno.
In the very center of the city of Anumminas, a magnificent round tower, almost level with the mountaintop, has stood for thousands of years.
That is the seat of the king's power—the Chamber of Annuilandil.
The ancient kings of Arno, and even Elandir, once worked here.
That is also where the Anuminas Crystal is housed, and together with the Amonsur Crystal in the Wind and Cloud Tower, it is one of the three True Knowledge Crystals of the Northern Kingdom.
Also placed here is the Scepter of Anuminus, which originally belonged to Prince Anduni of Númenor and later became a symbol of Arno’s royal power.
After the Kingdom of Arno split, the Annuminas Crystal and the Annuminas Scepter were taken to Fornost, the capital of Asedan.
When the kingdom of Azerdan was finally destroyed by the Witch-King of Angmar, the Anuminas Crystal and the Amunsur Crystal were taken away by the last king of Azerdan by ship, but unfortunately they sank into the sea.
Only the Scepter of Anuminus was rescued after the Witch-King of Angmar conquered Fornost and then entrusted to Elrond for safekeeping.
Dui had seen it in the valley, where it was placed next to the broken holy sword Nasir.
To the east of the city lies the Road of Kings—the cemetery of the kings of Arnor, including the tomb of Elandil, the founder of the Kingdom of Arnor.
In addition, there were magnificent city gates and tall city walls.
Even though it has been abandoned for many years, this city, which was once the largest human settlement in the north, still exudes an indescribable beauty and a profound sense of history.
It's hard to say whether this was a blessing or a curse for the city. Annuminas was abandoned voluntarily, so it didn't suffer the destruction caused by the Angmar Witch King's army like other cities such as Fornost.
Therefore, the main buildings of the entire city were preserved intact.
If properly restored, this declining city might be able to regain its former glory.
After admiring the scenery of Anuminas, Dui patted the giant eagle beneath him.
"Zorondo, go down first."
He was preparing to land in Annuminas and first checked in.
However, just as the giant eagle was about to approach the city of Anuminas, several figures appeared from a corner of the city below, holding bows and arrows high, looking at the giant eagle and Dui on its back with vigilance and wariness.
Dui noticed them and, seeing their striking features—tall stature, handsome appearance, and dark hair—made a guess.
"Are you friends of the Dúnedan? I mean no harm." Dui's voice wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of the people below clearly, as if he were speaking right next to them.
The people below narrowed their eyes, realizing that the newcomers were extraordinary. They lowered their bows and arrows, but remained vigilant.
Especially when looking at the giant eagle's enormous body and its massive wings that whipped up a gale, I was filled with awe.
The giant eagle flapped its wings and landed in a wide, plaza-like area.
Dui jumped off the eagle's back and walked towards the group of people who looked wary, with a friendly smile on his face.
"Please don't be alarmed, everyone. I was just passing through and came across this magnificent ancient city, so I came down to admire it. Please forgive me if I have caused any disturbance!"
"Who are you?" asked one of the oldest Dunedans, who looked to be around forty or fifty years old.
"I am Duir, and I live on the summit of Fengyun Peak," Duir introduced himself with a smile.
Several Dunedan people looked surprised. "You're the black-robed wizard Duir? The Dragon Lord?"
"That must be me." Dui nodded with a smile.
Seeing this, the Dunedan men relaxed and put away their bows and arrows.
"I am Talmir," the elder Dúnedan introduced himself, then introduced his companions beside him, "This is Karen, Kelem, and Anfalas and Fendal. We are all the people who protect this land."
He then tentatively inquired, "Where is Wizard Duir heading? And why is he passing through here?"
Dui was somewhat surprised, not taking the other party's probing seriously.
"I heard that Anuminas has long been abandoned and deserted. I didn't expect that someone would still be guarding it. As for me, I am going to Grey Harbor to visit the lord there."
Since we were also planning to visit some historical sites along the way, we first went to North Hill Fornost, but unfortunately it's now in ruins. We could only regretfully visit the ancient ruins of Anunminas instead.
Talmir was startled. "You've been to Fornost? You didn't awaken the evil spirits sleeping there, did you?"
Dui shook his head. "I wasn't very lucky. I not only encountered evil spirits, but also fairies and demon wolves. It's quite troublesome."
The Dunedan people were immediately taken aback.
They were well aware of the evil spirits of Fornost, and they never went near the place lest they awaken them. In fact, to prevent outsiders from intruding, they even fueled the rumors of Fornost being haunted, thus scaring away tourists.
They had also heard of fairies.
Those were scattered orcs left behind in the Northhill Mountains after the Witch-King of Angmar destroyed the kingdom of Azerdan and was defeated by the combined forces of humans and elves.
Aside from occasionally coming down the mountain to rob tourists, they are nothing to fear.
But I never expected that there would be demon wolves in Beigang!
The people of Dunedan have spent their entire lives fighting against dark creatures to protect their lost kingdom of Arnor in the north, and naturally, they have also encountered demon wolves.
The cunning and power of the demon wolf are well-known, and the Oak and the war wolves are no match for it. They have suffered heavy losses because of the demon wolf in the past.
That's why Talmir was so terrified when he heard about the existence of the demon wolf.
Seeing the solemn expressions on the faces of the Dunedan people, Du Yi smiled and reassured them, "But don't worry, I've already dealt with the evil spirits, fairies, and demon wolves in Beigang. There's no danger there now."
"You solved it all?!" The Dunedan people were extremely shocked.
Du Yi explained casually, "That place is not far from Fengyun Hills, and there is a plain in between. If they were to invade Fengyun Peak from the south, there would be no obstacles at all. To avoid potential problems, I had no choice but to clear them all out."
The Dunedan people looked at each other in bewilderment.
The Dúnedan people did not all live together in one place, but were scattered throughout the Eriado region. They exchanged information with each other through letters, and only gathered together in the event of a major event such as the Ork invasion.
So they had heard of Duir's great name long ago, and knew that he had repaired Amonsur Tower on Windrise Peak and built a castle and territory.
To be precise, Amonsur Tower, and even Windrise Peak, were once buildings and territories of the Kingdom of Arno, and later the Kingdom of Asedan.
As descendants of the kingdom, the people of Dunedan consider this land their home, and have therefore protected the Eriador region for generations, constantly fighting against the spread of evil forces here.
Dui's establishment of territory at Windcloud Peak was originally expected to cause conflict with the Dunedan people.
However, strength determines status. Given Dui's current strength and status, even the Dunedan people are unwilling to offend him, so they tacitly acknowledged Dui's rule over Fengyun Peak.
Now that they heard that Dui had dealt with all the evil creatures on the North Hill, the Dunetan people finally had a slight understanding of the black-robed wizard's strength.
While talking with several Dunedan people, Dui was also secretly waiting for the system's reaction.
However, seeing that the system was not responding for a long time, he could only ask the Dunedan people, "I am very curious about Anuminas. May I take a look around?"
Several Dúnedan people looked at the eldest one.
The elder Talmir nodded: "That's fine, I'll lead the way for you, Wizard Duir."
"That's troublesome!"
Dui then followed Tarmir on a tour of the ancient city.
As he walked through the trading markets, residential areas, pools, and gardens, Talmir meticulously recounted the history of each place.
Seeing that the system was not responding for a long time, Dui was no longer in a hurry. Instead, he took the time to visit the various places under the guidance and explanation of his tour guide, Talmir.
Then they arrived at the Road of Kings.
The Road of Kings is a solemn and mysterious road lined with the tombs of the kings of Arno.
The tombs are constructed from massive white stones, with a simple yet exquisite design, adorned with fine reliefs and runes that record the lives and achievements of the various kings.
Moreover, the further you go in, the older the tomb's occupant's era becomes.
Dui noticed that unlike the other dilapidated buildings, the Road of Kings was clean and tidy, clearly because someone maintained it regularly.
Follow Talmir to the end of the road, and there stands the largest tomb in the road.
Before the tomb stood a tall statue of a king, holding the holy sword Nasir, his gaze fixed straight ahead, exuding an aura of majesty.
"This is the resting place of Elandil, the High King who founded the Kingdom of Arno, and also the greatest monarch of us Dúnedan."
Talmir bowed respectfully to the statue before introducing it to Dui.
Dui bowed as he looked at the tomb and statue before him.
He also greatly admired Elendil, the founder of the kingdom of Arnor, after all, he was a powerful figure who could fight Sauron head-on at his peak. Although he ultimately sacrificed himself, he temporarily relieved Middle-earth of the great threat posed by Sauron.
"The orchids are in full bloom!"
Colorful flowers suddenly bloomed at the feet of the statue.
This was Dui's way of showing respect to the monarch.
Upon seeing this, Talmir instantly developed a favorable impression of Dui.
Unfortunately, he didn't get a response from the system here. After paying his respects at Elandil's tomb, Dui left the Path of Kings and continued to visit other places.
Finally, in the Chamber of Anu Elendil, the palace at the highest point of the city where the throne of Elendil stood.
The system finally responded.
[Hogwarts Check-in System: Location: Anuminas-Annuelandil's Room. Check-in now?]
Dui silently recited in his mind, "Sign in."
(End of this chapter)