The sun bore down heavily on the barren lands that stretched between Rhûn and Mordor, the heat waves alone caused the horizon to be distorted, blurring everything between the land and open sky. A long caravan crawled eastward further into Rhûn's land, and at the head of it was Sauron on a steed as black as night, the dark silken robes he wore moved almost like living shadows.

The few pieces of black armor that he did wear seemed to negate the sun's heated rays, almost as if they absorbed them rather than reflecting as normal armor would. Behind him were a few of his most trusted servants dressed in robes similar to his but each holding large boxes carrying various jewels and other valuable trinkets that King Khamûl would no doubt appreciate, but nothing was comparable to the ring he was currently carrying on himself. One of the nineteen Rings of Power, one of the nine he's already designated for men he's already garnished favors with even before they had been crafted. The sixteen he currently had with him were all negligible to the one he himself wore however, the one meant to rule above them all.

While his servants and the armored slaves they accrued were behind him, there was only one he permitted to ride beside him. His eyes flickered faintly between the light green he had settled on and a faint golden hue as he observed them. Without fail the ring, not one of power but something that tethered them to him nonetheless, glowed a faint blue as he thought of their time together so far. They had been one of the exceedingly rare individuals of Middle-earth that no matter which tactic he used, his charms were useless upon them.

That however, only made his interest grow, needing them to be by his side rather than having any chance to stand against him. He had them adorned in robes that were the most akin to his but covered them more than he was, not wanting any others to lay their eyes upon them in ways only he was allowed to.

As he spoke, his voice was low, similar to the rumbling that could be heard from Mount Doom. "We will reach the gates of Khamûl's kingdom before nightfall. He's been expanding quickly due to his most recent victories against the other Easterling tribes, forcing them under his command and uniting them." His stallion snorted softly, its massive hooves kicking up more sand and heavy dust.

"He has prospered much since opening trade routes between here and Harad, though I am curious if the rumors are true that he has received a few of the beasts known as Oliphants however. The Haradrim are quite fond of those powerful beasts and for them to be willing to trade even one if not a few makes me wonder just how close Khamûl has gotten with them. There is one flaw however that I know he has, quite a common flaw between all mortal kings." He continued, as if speaking in a conversation though he cared little if they were actually listening or not. "His father before him had been a great conqueror, and his grandfather was a legend amongst their people. The hefty weight of their legacy is bearing down upon him and he desires to be remembered through history instead of being forgotten as most are."

A faint smirk barely rose on the corner of his lips. "I will offer him the chance to be immortalized, the chance to eclipse his own ancestors, to be remembered forever... quite the bargain for just the mere offer of him fighting under my name, isn't it?"

His fingers brushed against the box on the side of his hip where the ring he specifically chose for Khamûl rested in a small black box, covered in golden filigree. The ring inside resonated with his own before moving his hand back to his stallion's reign. "The rings do not immediately corrupt... they simply... enhance what already festers in their mind."

"You will stand by my side as my consort when I present it. You will say little but observe everything, if you must speak you will speak with Khamûl's wives, get to know them and see what they know about the man they call husband. Am I understood, 'wife'?" His eyes peered at their profile, expecting an answer this time.