Edoras, the capital of Rohan, stood as a sentinel in the broadest valley at the northern foot of the White Mountains. Built upon a solitary, verdant hill, its defenses were formidable: a moat, earthen ramparts, and a palisade of spiked fences, all accessible through a single black gate. At the hill's summit stood the golden hall of the King of Rohan called Meduseld.
With a soft crack, Luke appeared in a secluded corner just outside the city. He had set out from Isengard, making several Apparitions to reach the capital. The spell required either having been to a location or holding a clear mental image of it to transport oneself accurately. Luke had gathered detailed descriptions of Edoras from Elrond and Gandalf, allowing him to arrive precisely at this place he had never visited before.
Rohan's lands were vast grasslands, sustained by horse breeding and livestock. The country boasted the finest horse breeds in all of Middle-earth, renowned for its powerful cavalry. The mares Luke used for crossbreeding to create Hippogriffs and winged horses, as well as Gandalf's legendary steed, Shadowfax, all belonged to the exceptional Mearas breed, exclusive to the royal family.
As Luke strode toward the city gate, his presence drew every eye. Compared to the people around him, his height was striking, and he wore an elegant, understated black robe. His entire demeanor was as graceful and noble as an Elf's, yet it held the subtle authority of a ruler. Even when he deliberately reined in his aura, he still stood out.
The guard captain, seeing this stranger, did not dare offend him. He approached with caution and respect. "My lord, may I ask where you are from? Outsiders must register before entering the city."
Luke had come only to check in and had no desire to cause trouble. From his years of experience, he knew the highest probability of a successful check-in lay at the heart of the city—Meduseld. Thus, he did not conceal his identity. "I am Luke, from Isengard—the Orthanc Tower in the West. I am here to travel and wish to pay a visit to King Thengel."
The guard captain's eyes widened. As a citizen of Rohan, he knew of Isengard and had heard that a new lord had taken over, subduing the Dunlendings. The king had even personally traveled to the western border to sign a peace treaty. Luke's name, along with rumors of him owning a dragon, had spread throughout the land. The captain did not dare be slow. "Please wait a moment, my lord! I will report this immediately!" He quickly went to inform his superiors.
Inside the golden hall of Meduseld, King Thengel was conversing with his chief advisor, Mario. Mario, a former general, had once been stationed at the western border and had gained the king's trust.
Just then, a servant announced Luke's arrival. King Thengel's eyes lit up, and he immediately ordered Luke to be invited in. The steward Mario, however, frowned at the news. Having once defended the border against the Dunlendings, Mario deeply distrusted and despised them. He had strongly opposed the peace treaty, believing the Dunlendings to be cunning and untrustworthy, and advocated for their complete eradication. Mario's lingering hostility toward the Dunlendings extended to Luke, who had taken them under his wing.
As Luke entered the hall, King Thengel stepped down from his throne and welcomed him with open arms. "Lord Luke, it has been over a year since we last met. Your presence here in Edoras truly brings honor to our halls!" Thengel treated Luke with respect and equality. Since Luke became the new lord of Isengard, Thengel had purposefully sent people to gather information about him. He was astonished by what he learned and decided to befriend his new neighbor.
Luke politely nodded in greeting and said with a smile, "Long time no see, King Thengel. Your glory remains undiminished."
After exchanging pleasantries, Thengel introduced his minister. "This is my chief advisor—Mario."
"I have long heard of you, wizard Luke," Mario said with a false smile. "I was once stationed at the Isen Ford, very close to Isengard, though I never had the chance to visit. Now, I rather regret it!" He then shifted his tone, his voice dripping with feigned curiosity. "But what brings you to Edoras? If you have any need, we will not hesitate to help!"
King Thengel nodded in agreement. "Mario is right, Luke. Please speak freely!"
Luke's gaze lingered on the Mario for a moment, and he frowned. He sensed insincerity and hostility. Since awakening his Legilimency ability, he had learned to restrain his mental powers to avoid being overwhelmed by the chaotic thoughts of those around him. Now, faced with Mario's hostility, he considered probing his mind, but King Thengel's interruption gave him pause. He decided to wait.
He turned back to Thengel, shook his head, and smiled. "Thank you, King Thengel, but I have no important matters on this trip. I simply heard of the beauty of the Riddermark and longed to see it. Also, I am here in response to your previous invitation."
Luke offered this excuse instead of his true purpose. Thengel did not press the matter and promptly ordered a banquet to be prepared. Luke gladly accepted.
At the same time, the system responded.
[Hogwarts Check-in System: Location locked—Kingdom of Rohan, City of Edoras. Check in?]
"Check in."
[Check-in successful! Congratulations on obtaining the Metamorphmagus talent!]
Luke was delighted, never expecting to gain this from the check-in. Metamorphmagus was different from Animagus. Animagus allowed a person to transform into one specific animal, a learned ability.
Metamorphmagus, however, was an innate magical talent, allowing the user to change their appearance at will, without potions or spells. The transformation had no time limit and could not be magically reversed. In Harry Potter's world, Nymphadora Tonks was a Metamorphmagus who often changed her hair color and facial features to reflect her emotions.
This rare talent was excellent for disguise. Luke could immediately feel a new malleability in his physical form. If the environment were more suitable, he would have loved to test it immediately.
With anticipation, Luke attended the banquet. As the people of Rohan were mostly nomadic, the celebration was rugged, with meat and wine as the main highlights.
During the banquet, Chief Advisor Mario acted enthusiastically, frequently toasting Luke and subtly probing for information. Luke saw through Mario's attempt to get him drunk but did not refuse the toasts. His physical condition was now similar to that of an Elf, and ordinary alcohol had little effect on him.
He drank cup after cup without showing any signs of intoxication. Mario, in contrast, grew redder with each drink until he could barely stand.
Mario looked at Luke's clear eyes in disbelief. "You… you can't get drunk?"
Luke calmly shook his head and delivered a classic line. "Of course not. I can already feel a bit of a tingle in my fingers, so I must be drunk."
Mario's face flushed even deeper, whether from anger or drunkenness, and he could no longer hold on. With a look of unwillingness, he collapsed to the ground, completely passed out.
The other attendees were in an uproar, then cheered and expressed admiration for Luke. King Thengel laughed heartily and gave Luke a respectful thumbs-up. "Mario has the best alcohol tolerance among us and has never met his match until today! Luke, you've defeated him! This is truly a rare sight!"
Luke modestly shook his head. "Mario was going easy on me. Any more, and I would have drunk myself into a stupor."
Everyone else, seeing not a trace of flush on his face, expressed disbelief.
Meanwhile, Luke's gaze fell on the unconscious Mario. In his drunken sleep, Mario's mind was completely undefended, allowing Luke to freely read his memories through Legilimency. After perusing them, Luke's eyes turned cold, and a mocking smile appeared on his face.
He took no further action, allowing the drunk Mario to be carried away by servants. He waited for the banquet to conclude before returning to his guest room to rest.
Then, he conjured a large mirror and stood before it, calmly observing his reflection. His originally black hair rapidly grew longer and turned golden. His black eyes deepened to a vibrant blue, his facial structure and skin changed, and his ears became pointed…
What finally appeared in the mirror was unmistakably the form of a male Elf.
Luke looked at his new appearance, a wave of fascination washing over him. The Metamorphmagus talent made him feel as though his outward form was like soft clay, ready to be molded by his will. If he were to travel to Rivendell or Lothlórien now, most Elves would likely be unable to discern his true identity.
Of course, this talent still required practice to master more deeply. For now, he could only change superficial features like his hair and skin, while his voice and height remained unchanged. However, with greater proficiency, he would be able to alter his gender and age as well.
This ability was a magical version of the "Mystique" X gene, offering the ultimate form of disguise. With this new skill at his disposal, Luke felt that his journey to the East would be much smoother. He continued to experiment with different forms until late into the night before finally stopping.
Early the next morning, Luke formally bid farewell to King Thengel. Thengel tried to persuade him to stay, but failing to do so, had no choice but to see him off. However, before leaving, Luke said something to the king, then left the palace with a slight smile on his lips.
Only King Thengel, his expression grim, remained seated quietly on his throne, ordering a servant to summon Chief Advisor Mario.
Mario, still reeling from the previous night's drinking, was groggy from his hangover when he was summoned. "Your Majesty, you asked for me?" he asked respectfully, puzzled.
King Thengel's gaze was cold and scrutinizing, making Mario uneasy. After a long silence, the king finally spoke. "Mario, I have treated you well. Why have you conspired with Saruman to betray me and Rohan by inciting hatred between our people and the Dunlendings?"
Mario's face instantly turned pale, and he scrambled to defend himself. "Your Majesty, I am wronged! I have always been loyal to you and Rohan. How could I possibly conspire with Saruman? Someone is whispering lies to poison our relationship. You must not believe them!"
King Thengel remained unmoved. "The black wizard Luke told me this. Do you think he is lying?"
Mario's expression shifted repeatedly. He gnashed his teeth. "You must not believe that wizard's words, Your Majesty. The Dunlendings have sided with him, and I killed many of them when they harassed our border. He must be seeking revenge by falsely accusing me!"
"Is that so?" King Thengel's gaze was now piercing. "But Wizard Luke also said that, on Saruman's orders, you planned to poison me to help him gain control of Rohan?"
Mario's pupils contracted in terror, and he quickly shook his head. "Your Majesty, you must believe in my loyalty! That wizard is slandering me! I have never had any contact with Saruman. He must be the one with malicious intentions. He wants you to suppress your loyal ministers so he can seize our territory. You must not fall for his tricks!"
King Thengel ignored his excuses. He waved his hand with cold authority. "Whether you are loyal or not, I will soon find out. When you arrived, I already sent men to search your residence. I believe the results will come soon."
Shortly after, soldiers returned, holding some letters and a small bottle of green liquid. "Your Majesty, we found these letters hidden in the walls of Mario's study, along with this bottle, which appears to be poison."
Seeing the items, Mario's face turned deathly pale. Overwhelmed with terror and despair, he collapsed to the ground. He alone knew about these items, and he had hidden them meticulously. How could they have been found so easily?
King Thengel took the letters and read them with a cold expression, the chill in the hall growing palpable. After reading the correspondence between Saruman and Mario, Thengel threw the letters in front of Mario, his gaze icy. "Do you have anything else to say in your defense?"
Mario, knowing he was doomed, trembled and begged for mercy. But Thengel remained unmoved. He took the bottle of green poison. "Drink it!"
Luke did not witness the events in Rohan but had already guessed the outcome. He had not expected that Saruman had been plotting for so long, not only inciting hatred between the Dunlendings and the Rohirrim but also planting his own agents in Rohan. Mario was Saruman's highest-ranking operative. He had repeatedly provoked conflicts to weaken both sides and help Saruman gain control.
But Saruman had not anticipated Luke's arrival, and Mario had not expected Luke to possess Legilimency, which allowed him to detect Mario's hostility, read his memories, and uncover the secret. Thus, their scheme was abruptly foiled. Luke could already imagine Saruman's hysterical rage. However, thwarting the plot was a trivial matter to him, and he did not dwell on it.
After leaving Edoras, Luke altered his appearance to that of an ordinary Easterling, and his robes became plain. Only his height and voice remained unchanged, but even those most familiar with him would not recognize him at first glance.
The eastern border of Rohan was the Anduin River. Beyond it lay the Mountains of Shadow and then the dark lands of Mordor. Mordor was Sauron's stronghold, and no movement escaped his notice. Even powerful figures like Gandalf and Galadriel dared not venture there. Naturally, Luke would not walk into a trap himself.
He chose to head north, bypassing Mordor, and journey to the Far East via a northern route. North of Mordor lay a vast, sparsely populated wilderness known as Rhovanion. Even with short-distance Apparition and a flying broomstick, it took Luke over a month to reach the land of Rhûn, where the Easterlings lived. Here, he became even more cautious. Although this was not under Sauron's direct rule, it was still within his sphere of influence.
Luke transformed into a rugged Easterling and cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself, blending in and moving from tribe to tribe. The Easterlings had sallow skin, high cheekbones, and a rugged demeanor. Like a shadow, Luke moved among them, secretly inquiring about the Blue Wizards and the land of Hildórien.
To his disappointment, the Easterlings knew nothing of Hildórien. Under Sauron's influence, they even regarded him as their creator god. As for the Blue Wizards, the ordinary tribespeople were equally unaware. It was only after Luke sought out high-ranking tribal leaders and used Legilimency on them that he finally gleaned some information. It was said that in the region of Dorwinion near the Sea of Rhûn, there were sightings of wizards clad in blue robes who organized local resistance against Sauron and his forces.
With this confirmed information, Luke did not linger and hurried toward Dorwinion. Along the way, perhaps because these tribes did not meet the requirements for check-ins, the system never responded.
The Sea of Rhûn was the largest inland body of water in Middle-earth. Dorwinion was located at its northwestern river estuary, a renowned wine-producing region. As Luke flew over Dorwinion on his broomstick, he saw vast stretches of vineyards tended by workers. The peaceful scene surprised him; he had not expected to find such tranquility in this region.