The undercurrents surging through Easterling territories were something Kael had neither leisure nor energy to focus on at the moment.
He flew eastward on his broomstick all the way.
To avoid being noticed during the journey, he cast Disillusionment Charms on both himself and his broomstick.
Thus, he smoothly flew over the largest mountain range in the Far East, the Orocarni Mountains.
Wild forests grew on the western slopes of the Orocarni Mountains. Legend said that Cuiviénen, the awakening place of the Elves, was somewhere nearby, where a mountain river and waterfall flowed into Cuiviénen Bay of the Helcar Sea.
The Elves first awakened here, then gradually multiplied and grew, dividing into different tribes like the Vanyar, Noldor, and Teleri.
But after numerous changes to the world, when land and sea had been broken and rebuilt multiple times, rivers changed course, mountains altered their faces, and Cuiviénen no longer existed.
While flying over the mountains, Kael also noticed dwarven figures in the peaks.
Four of the seven great dwarf families traced their ancestors to this mountain, where they had awakened and multiplied, forming the Eastern Dwarf lineage.
But under Sauron's long rule in the east, some dwarves had been corrupted by him, becoming Dark Dwarves loyal to Sauron who constantly clashed with the mountain dwarves, trying to seize their territories.
The two Blue Wizards were allied with the mountain dwarves. Rómestámo and Morinehtar traveled throughout eastern lands, uniting mountain dwarves, eastern elves, and some humans into a strong alliance that prevented Sauron from completely ruling the east.
Kael didn't linger. After flying over the mountains, he followed Rómestámo's route map and continued eastward.
Finally, on New Year's Eve, Kael reached the easternmost edge of the continent.
He looked at the endless eastern sea, facing the rising sun while surveying the coastline below.
Perhaps blocked by the western Orocarni Mountains, or perhaps due to the extreme distance, Sauron's forces hadn't reached the eastern seashore. Here was peaceful and serene, with green mountains and clear waters like an untouched pure land.
Humans also lived here, and these people resembled the Easterners from Kael's memories more than the Easterlings did.
Kael didn't disturb the local residents but followed his route map's guidance toward a coastal mountain range.
The mountains were precipitous and beautiful, full of vibrant life, forming a semi-circular arc like a tall surrounding wall enclosing the towering peaks within.
The mountains blocked moist air currents from the eastern sea, gathering them to form perpetual mist that shrouded the peaks year-round, making the range even more mysterious.
Only when strong winds preceded the sunrise from the east, dispersing the mountain mist, could one glimpse the complete mountain silhouette for a moment.
Thus, these peaks were named the Mountains of the Wind.
And this was also the location of Hildórien, humanity's birthplace.
Rómestámo's route map ended here. Only by waiting until tomorrow, when the first ray of New Year's sunlight illuminated the Mountains of the Wind, could one see Hildórien and enter the Vale of Sleep, where humanity first awakened.
"Point me!"
Kael was curious whether he could use magic to find Hildórien and immediately cast the spell.
A golden line shot from his hand, disappearing directly into the deep mountains shrouded in mist.
Seeing this, Kael immediately pursued the direction the light indicated.
Shuttling through dense fog where he couldn't see his hand before his face, Kael used whirlwinds to blow away surrounding mist, but before he could be pleased for long, the inexhaustible mountain mist closed in again.
Kael cast several more spells, even summoning a tornado, but the mountain mist was endless with no conclusion. It simply couldn't be dispersed.
Kael gave up helplessly and could only follow the Point-Me spell's light trail.
But soon, Kael discovered his guidance spell had failed, or rather, been interfered with. Some incomprehensible great power seemed to exist in the mountains, affecting not only sight, senses, and consciousness, but even rendering magic ineffective.
Despite Kael carefully searching the mountains for a whole day, not missing even a single ravine, he still couldn't find Hildórien.
Kael sighed helplessly. He could only wait until the sun came out tomorrow to search again.
So he simply took out a tent at the mountain's base for the night.
From outside, the tent looked like a small shelter for one person, but inside Kael had cast an Extension Charm, making it three stories tall with a living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and all amenities.
After casting Muggle-Repelling and Concealment Charms around the tent, Kael entered meditation.
His meditation now served not only to grow stronger but also to repair his missing soul fragment as quickly as possible.
Without sleeping all night, Kael emerged from meditation.
He turned to look through the bedroom window toward the eastern sea, where light was already appearing at the horizon's edge. Soon the sun would rise.
Simultaneously, Middle-earth officially entered the Third Age 2946. Kael had been in this world for five years.
Kael left the tent, breathing the cool mountain air while shrinking and storing the tent in his space bag.
Then he quietly waited for the first New Year sunrise.
Time passed bit by bit, the distant horizon growing brighter and brighter, until finally the shy awakening sun rose from the sea surface, its first rays accompanied by strong winds illuminating the Mountains of the Wind.
Mountain winds howled, dispersing the mist between peaks and revealing the complete mountain silhouette.
As sunlight fell upon the mountains, the range seemed to awaken, undergoing changes Kael couldn't perceive.
Like lifting a mysterious, hazy veil to reveal the truth.
Above a canyon in the mountain range, an arched rainbow appeared, looking like a doorway arch.
Seeing this, Kael's eyes lit up. He immediately mounted his broomstick and flew toward where the rainbow was located.
Soon Kael reached the canyon where the rainbow appeared. He had come here yesterday too but found nothing unusual, just an ordinary canyon.
But today, under the rainbow within the canyon, a phantom scene vaguely appeared, looking like a mirage.
Kael landed at the canyon bottom and walked toward the rainbow. Suddenly a gentle breeze blew toward him from nowhere, carrying a sweet fragrance.
Smelling this aroma, Kael felt his spirits lift and his body and mind become very comfortable, as if returning to the womb, filled with security.
He tentatively walked toward the mirage-like phantom scene.
Then the next second, it was as if he had entered another world.
Kael found himself in a vibrant valley.
The valley was surrounded by mountain walls, the air filled with sweet fragrance while nightingale songs drifted around. Time seemed to have forgotten this place. Everything in the valley remained as it was initially.
The valley contained all kinds of trees that were not only pleasing to look at but also hung full of various sweet fruits.
Here it was spring year-round with flowers in full bloom, plus a silver river flowing from deep in the valley, its bottom covered with golden sand, jade stones, and agates that seemed washed from upstream, emanating an aura of abundance.
Kael was completely amazed, his gaze awestruck, feeling like he'd arrived in fairyland.
This place was filled with a holy, sacred aura with very rich magical energy, like a land of eternal youth without any decay or withering. From rocks to streams, everything emanated pure essence.
Smelling the sweet fragrance, Kael came to an apple tree and picked a bright red apple, unable to resist taking a bite.
Immediately sweet juice filled his mouth, accompanied by a thread of sacred energy flowing into his body.
In that instant, Kael felt from his soul inside out an indescribable extreme comfort. Like parched earth meeting sweet rain, his soul's trembling was soothed.
Kael was overjoyed, like someone who hadn't eaten in several lifetimes. He quickly devoured the apple in his hand, then continued picking and eating more.
Until he could eat no more, only then did he reluctantly stop, looking at the fruit still hanging abundantly on trees, only able to lament why he didn't have several more stomachs.
As these fruits were consumed, the sacred energy they contained made Kael's soul feel very comfortable. Where his missing soul fragment had been, barely perceptible growth began.
Though the growth was almost negligible, its effect on his body gave Kael hope.
He had originally thought that for the next dozen years, he could only repair his soul damage bit by bit through meditation.
But he never expected to gain such a tremendous opportunity here at Hildórien!
Hildórien was humanity's birthplace. As Eru Ilúvatar's Younger Children, humans had slept here throughout the Years of the Trees and Years of the Lamps before the First Age.
Before humanity's awakening, to prevent humans from being disturbed, Eru Ilúvatar used his own power to hide Hildórien so that not even the Valar could find this place.
Only when the Years of the Trees ended and the Sun rose from the west did this never-before-visited human birthplace begin appearing in the world.
Influenced by Eru Ilúvatar's power, Hildórien was filled with holiness. The fruit trees in the valley had also been specially grown here to feed the awakening humans.
Nourished by divine power, Eru Ilúvatar left in the valley; the fruit trees became different from those in the outside world, gaining sacred properties.
This was why Kael's damaged soul could experience some recovery.
Seeing such miraculous fruit, Kael was incredibly delighted and couldn't help marveling at Eru Ilúvatar's boundless power. Just a trace of divine influence could give these fruit trees such properties.
He decided to stay here for a while, using the energy in these fruits to repair his soul.
He even looked at this fairyland-like valley and began considering whether to make it a retreat residence.
After all, such a precious place, if it weren't located in the far east, too distant from Weathertop, he'd want to live here permanently.
The magical energy here was very abundant, even surpassing Rivendell and Lothlórien, and more beautiful too.
He couldn't bear to give it up.
After eating his fill of fruit, Kael took advantage of the digestion time to begin walking deeper into the valley.
The innermost area was where humans first awakened. He needed to go there to search for the final ingredient of the Philosopher's Stone: the "Salt of the Body."