Disclaimer: I continue with my tribute to the work of Tolkien and Lucas. I don't own LOTR or SW, except for a few books, DVD's and some other cool stuff.
A/N: To all my faithful readers who have taken their time to review, thank you very much for your advice! I've found it very helpful so far. And to all of you who haven't reviewed, don't be shy! Leave me a comment and let me know your opinion.
Foreword: Lots of non-stop action in this chptr. folks. And a few, minor surprises I'm hoping you enjoy!
I X
The Bridge Of Khazad-Dûm
As the Company tried to surmise their situation, Gandalf walked to one of the many corpses spread on the dusty floor of the chamber and leaned before the poor creature's skeleton. The wizard took a book that the dead Dwarf held in his arms and gave his pointy blue hat and staff to Pippin, who walked to the edge of an old, dried-up well by the corner of the room, leaning heavily against it, right next to the erect corpse of a dead Dwarf.
"It is in quite a deplorable state," observed Gandalf as he went through the dusty pages of the thick book, "But some parts are still readable: 'They have taken possession of the Bridge and the Main Hall…we have mounted our resistance inside the Chamber of Mazarbûl…we do not know how much longer we can hold them back…drums…drums in the deep…they are coming!"
The Istar closed the book and took a deep breath. Suddenly, a loud crashing sound shook the hollow chamber.
Pippin had inadvertently touched the corpse that stood on the edge of the well and his bones just came apart, falling down into the deep, dark pit. Obi-Wan raised his hands in the air and slowly, the bones began to float back to the surface. However, the bones had already made a thudding, resounding noise as they began to fall towards the abyss down below.
"Fool of a Took!" Snapped an irate Gandalf, violently taking his hat and staff from Pippin's hands. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"
The small Hobbit just lowered his head and backed away from the infuriated wizard.
"Patience, Gandalf." Advised Obi-Wan softly, concentrating on sensing the potential danger created by Pippin's unintentional but clumsy incident. "We're not alone in here and fighting among ourselves will only make things worse."
At that precise moment, the Chamber of Mazarbûl began to shake with a deafening roar.
"Drums in the deep..." echoed Obi-Wan with his eyes shut and his hands curled into fists. "They are coming!"
Frodo unsheathed Sting, the Elven sword his uncle Bilbo had given him back in Rivendell. The blade had the unique property of acquiring a bluish hue when around Orcs and at that moment, Sting shone in the dark of Moria as bright as Obi-Wan's own blue laser blade.
The Company moved quickly, placing their backs against the walls, while they all drew their weapons. It wasn't just a handful of Orcs; countless Goblins were approaching, sending savage shrieks into the dark as they came. Obi-Wan looked at the ancient, thick wooden doors of the chamber and spotted two large pieces of wood that lied still to the right of the doors.
"Aragorn, Boromir," instructed the Jedi Master. "Grab those sticks and place them on the doors on my sign!"
The two warriors obeyed immediately. They rushed for the doors, picked up the sticks and placed themselves at each side. Boromir ventured to take a quick glance outside, as the deafening shrieks and wails of the Goblins could be heard getting closer.
"They have a cave Troll!" Announced the warrior from Gondor, thick drops of sweat falling from his temples.
The war cries of the savage Goblins could be heard just meters away from the doors now.
"Now!" Shouted Obi-Wan, raising his right hand and Force-pushing the doors shut.
Aragorn and Boromir moved quickly, placing the thick, wooden sticks on the doors, shutting them tightly. In the meantime, Obi-Wan and Legolas rushed forward and joined the two men on the front, while Gandalf, Gimli and the Hobbits remained in the back of the room. Soon, thundering, wild knocks on the doors were heard as the disorganized but multiple Goblins tried to push their way into the chamber.
"What do you think you are doing?" Asked a bewildered Boromir in Obi-Wan's direction. "You have no bow, no arrows and no shield!"
Legolas and Aragorn wielded large bows, ready to launch sharp, pointy arrows, while Boromir wielded his blade, well protected behind his huge, round metal shield.
"I don't need a shield." Responded Obi-Wan delving deep into the Force.
The doors began shaking violently and the shrieking, savage wails of the Goblins filled the Chamber of Mazarbûl. Even though he didn't really know anything about these creatures, Obi-Wan immediately decided that reasoning with them would be completely out of the question.
"Let them come!" Roared a defiant Gimli, standing tall over the tomb of Balin, wielding his sharp axe menacingly. "For there is a Dwarf in Moria who still draws breath!"
Sling! Legolas took a shot in the dark and a sudden, shrilling cry of pain could be heard as the accurate and lethal projectile penetrated a small hole in the doors, hitting a Goblin right between the eyes. Still, the overwhelming wails continued without end, as did the savage pushing and shoving on the doors.
Finally, the abused wooden doors yielded and a numerous horde of greasy, grey-skinned and deformed monsters flooded the chamber, their ugly faces filled with immense hatred and malice. Once again, Obi-Wan was reminded of the Noghri, the lethal warriors of the Honoghr system, though fortunately for the Jedi Master, these Goblins, slightly shorter than humans, were not nearly as formidable combatants as the Noghri.
Legolas and Aragorn kept firing at the doors, killing and maiming countless enemies, while, protected by his thick shield, Boromir started slashing wildly to his left, then to the right, killing any foe that stood on his way with relative ease. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan used the blade of Gloérach just as if it had been his damaged lightsaber effectively dodging enemy arrows fired his way. Unlike laser bolts, which would ricochet off a lightsaber's blade and return in the direction whence they came, the primitive arrows would fall harmlessly on the floor, right at the feet of the Jedi Master.
His companions looked at Obi-Wan in wonderment and awe and soon, the entire Company got involved in a frantic, violent confrontation with the invaders of the citadel. Totally immersed in the ethereal power of the Force, Obi-Wan began to move with the grace and swiftness of an expert dancer. Back in the Known Galaxy, any sentient being was well aware that a Jedi was a lethal fighter in close quarters. Fortunately for the Jedi Master, these Goblins had no idea whatsoever. With amazing speed, Obi-Wan began to sever the heads, arms and legs of countless Goblins and only a handful were fortunate enough not to meet their death when reached by the lethal metal blade of the Elven sword.
Legolas produced two small, sharp daggers that hung from his belt and rushed in Obi-Wan's direction, dancing, leaping, and swirling around in swift and well-coordinated moves. The Elf and the Jedi stood back to back, facing their savage enemies, forming a formidable tandem, comparable only to a Master and his Padawan. In just a few seconds, the first wave of attackers had been defeated. Nevertheless, a second and much larger horde of Goblins charged the chamber.
Before these new arrivals could reach the Company, though, Obi-Wan Force-pushed them violently backwards. Dozens of Goblins were crushed as they crashed against the walls and pillars of the chamber with astounding velocity and furious intensity. The Company regrouped and anxiously waited for yet more enemies to come.
Suddenly, the dusty floor of the chamber shook violently. Obi-Wan looked up and spotted a huge, green-skinned humanoid monstrosity that broke into the room with a deafening roar. The creature stood three meters above the ground and carried a huge metal mace in his muscular right hand; the cave Troll Boromir had mentioned. Legolas and Obi-Wan barely got out of the way, as the Troll let his mace fall on them with all of his superhuman strength. The floor broke and the Jedi and the Elf fell flat on the surface.
The terrified Hobbits backpedaled to the back of the room, protected by Glamdring, Gandalf's lethal Elven sword, as well as their own small daggers. The huge Troll moved swiftly past Obi-Wan and Legolas, savagely charging Gandalf and the Hobbits. Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin stood their ground bravely as the monstrous creature approached them, roaring wildly.
Legolas sprang back to his feet and opened fire on the Troll, though he could not even slow down his advance. Obi-Wan sensed an urgent warning and was barely able to turn to his left, parrying a lethal blow from a Goblin's scimitar. The Jedi Master grabbed the nefarious creature by the neck and pushed it away, propelling it with the Force. The Goblin crashed against a wide stone pillar, with a bone-crunching thud and fell lifeless on the floor.
"Nice creatures!" Said the Jedi Master to Legolas through the Force. The Elf nodded briefly, as he continued advancing in the Troll's direction with great determination.
The savage monster had been able to pit Frodo into the farthest corner of the room, while Gandalf, who had been forced away from the Hobbits by a half a dozen Goblins that fell on him furiously, was desperately trying to fight his way back to the harassed Frodo. Momentarily free of any opponents, Aragorn ran at full speed in the direction of the Ringbearer as the rest of the Company took care of the numerous Goblins.
From the distance, Obi-Wan sent a powerful Force-push the Troll's way. The gigantic creature fell heavily on the ground, as the Hobbits jumped on him and began to furiously stab his head with their short daggers. The Troll growled, raised his left hand and pushed the Hobbits away as if they were nothing more than annoying insects. Then the monster got back up and charged furiously at the tomb of Balin, where an unsuspecting Gimli found himself in a very precarious position.
The stout Dwarf had just defeated two enemies, when all of a sudden he realized that he was standing right in the infuriated Troll's way. The monster raised his huge mace above his head and swung down with all his might, trying to crush the helpless Dwarf. Obi-Wan pointed at Gimli and a gentle Force-push lifted the Dwarf up in the air, as the heavy mace shattered the top slab of the tomb. Gimli quickly recovered and ran in Obi-Wan's direction.
"I am most grateful, my dear friend from…" Began the Dwarf.
"Beyond the stars, blah, blah, blah." Interrupted Obi-Wan hastily. "You can thank me later, Gimli. Now let's get this over with!"
Saying this, the Jedi Master leapt high in the air and descended cleanly in front of the Troll, cutting off his furious and rapid advance. The creature looked down at the bearded human who stood before him and raised his mace over his head once again. The moment the lethal weapon fell, Obi-Wan fell on the ground and rolled to the right, then lifted his left hand and the broken stone slab of the tomb was shot in the direction of the surprised Troll. The stone hit the creature directly in the back of the huge head, killing him instantly.
Obi-Wan got back up on his feet and looked around. The Company was still fighting several Goblins; Boromir, Gandalf and Sam were fighting about a dozen opponents. Merry and Pippin had found their way to the center of the room and were standing right next to Legolas and Gimli, the Elf firing arrows at any foe who tried to come near them.
But, there was no sign of Frodo.
Fearing the worst, the Jedi Master made his way to the back of the room.
After disposing of three Goblins who were unfortunate enough to be standing in his path, Obi-Wan spotted Aragorn who was fighting five opponents at once. The Jedi Master sighed in relief as he saw now that Frodo had not panicked and put on the ring as he had done in Weathertop. Obi-Wan ran to his friends, joined quickly by Gimli, Legolas, Pippin and Merry.
Too late!
Aragorn took a bad step, slipped and hit his head against the stone floor, lying still on the ground, while a larger Goblin, perhaps the leader of the enemy army, picked up a large and sharp spear and stabbed Frodo hard in the chest. With a sharp grunt, Frodo fell on his back and exhaled loudly.
"No!" Cried Merry and Pippin at once, while they charged furiously at Frodo's attacker.
The two pained Hobbits made short work of the assassin as the chamber slowly went silent again. The battle was over. Sam rushed to his master's side and quickly knelt before him, taking Frodo's right hand in his.
"Mr. Frodo!" Cried Sam, tears running freely on his chubby cheeks. "Mr. Frodo, please! Say something!"
Suddenly, Obi-Wan sensed a spark of life in the Force. In some strange, inexplicable way, Frodo was not dead!
An exhausted Gandalf approached the unconscious Hobbit and bent down, gently taking Frodo's face in his hands. The Ringbearer opened his eyes, coughing hard while he held his chest.
"He's alive!" Exhaled Sam nervously.
Meanwhile, a relieved Obi-Wan leaned down in front of Aragorn and concentrated hard. The valiant man had just suffered a slight concussion. The Jedi Master touched Aragorn's forehead gently and the Heir of Isildur started to come around.
"Where's Frodo?" Asked a worried and confused Aragorn.
"He's fine." Said Obi-Wan. "I still can't understand it, but he's fine…thank the Force."
Both men stood up and approached the rest of the Company, who were now looking down at Frodo with amazed looks on their faces.
"That spear would have killed a wild boar!" Exclaimed an astonished Boromir. "How could you survive it?"
"I think there is more to this Hobbit than meets the eye." Muttered Gandalf softly, with great relief.
Slowly, Frodo got up on his feet and opened the top buttons of his tunic, revealing a beautiful, shinny mail coat that hung from his chest.
"Mithril!" Whispered Gimli breathlessly.
Obi-Wan remembered having read about the precious metal in Elrond's library and he realized that his fascination with Middle-Earth grew by the minute.
"We have to get out of here." Warned the Jedi Master, coming back to the present. "Now!"
Everyone got back on their feet and quickly raced out of the infernal Chamber of Mazarbûl. Obi-Wan came to realize that the brief, but violent skirmish had been nothing more than a prelude, as he could sense thousands of evil presences lurking in the shadows; getting ready to ambush their unexpected guests. It would be just a matter of time before the real armies of Moria pounced on the Company and the feeling was truly overwhelming.
The moment the Company made it back to the main halls of Khazad-Dûm they were greeted by hundreds of savage, shrieking Goblins. The foul creatures of darkness started to descend upon the Company, sliding down the huge pillars and walls of rock like lethal, silent Kouhons. Finally, the Company was forced to a halt, surrounded by their ferocious, malignant enemies right in the middle of the hall.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Whispered Obi-Wan. However, his comment was not directly related to the Company's current situation, but rather to something else…something darker and far more perilous that appeared to be emerging from the dark depths of Moria at that moment.
The Company remained frozen. They all drew their weapons once more and prepared to meet their apparent doom, as the Goblins came closer, ready to pounce on their prey. But before the devilish creatures could make their move, a dim, reddish light began to weakly illuminate the dark halls and corridors of the citadel and the ground began to shake almost imperceptibly.
The Goblins stood still and turned their attention to that red light, as it grew accompanied by steady, giant footsteps. A sudden, chilling roar shook the halls and corridors of Khazad-Dûm and the terrified Goblins began to scatter and climb back up the walls and pillars, disappearing as quickly as they had come. Gimli let out a triumphant cry, raising his axe gleefully over his helmeted head. The rest of the Company, though, was not nearly as relieved.
"Gandalf, what is this new devilry?" Asked Boromir, shuddering visibly.
The old wizard closed his eyes and grimaced before responding. Nobody dared to move as the red light kept growing and the ground under their feet shook more violently.
"A Balrog." Replied Gandalf finally. "A demon of the Elder Days."
The wizard turned swiftly and looked straight at Aragorn and Obi-Wan.
"Swords are no more use here!" Exclaimed a terrified Gandalf. "Run!"
Saying this, the old Istar broke into a desperate run that would've just seemed impossible for a man his age. Without making any further inquiries, the rest of the Company rushed after their leader.
The Balrog had come.
It was the same evil monster that Obi-Wan had seen so clearly in his dreams the moment he had entered the nightmarish mines of Moria. The infernal red light generated by the flames that covered the demon's frame had become blinding and the thundering footsteps made it feel like the stone floor of the halls would crack open at any time. The Company ran as fast as they could, forgetting all about any weariness or hunger they might've been experiencing at that moment. Finally, they reached a dark and long tunnel that led to a narrow and fragile stone platform: the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm.
Boromir was the first to reach the bridge, followed closely by Obi-Wan. The moment they arrived at the bridge, the Jedi Master was forced to grab the proud warrior's cape as he almost fell into a long, long precipice. The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm was in ruins; only two passages could be seen and crossing to the other side wouldn't be easy at all. The rest of the Company joined Obi-Wan and Boromir almost immediately, with the Balrog right on their heels.
"Jump!" Ordered Gandalf hastily. "Jump now!"
The booming roars were closer by the second. Legolas decided it best to obey the old wizard and leapt high in the air, landing cleanly on the second passage of the ruinous bridge.
"Go!" Pressed a desperate Gandalf, pushing Frodo and Sam forward. The roof over their heads began to tremble and crack. "This foe is far beyond any of you!"
"I'm sure he is!" Yelled Obi-Wan above the deafening roar. "But you can't stay behind, Gandalf. The Fellowship needs you far more than they need me!"
"Do not be stubborn, Master Obi-Wan!" Replied the Istar. "Aragorn and you shall lead…now, get out of here!"
The Balrog was just a few meters behind and for the first time, Obi-Wan could lay his eyes on the demonic creature. It was as tall and imposing as a Krayt Dragon from Tatooine. It's head, crowned with two, long, sharp horns. It's eyes, two balls of savage, untamable fire. It's body, some sort of inextinguishable black and red flame. With his right hand, the demon carried a huge sword of fire, while he wielded a lethal, flaming whip with his left hand. Like the legendary Sith beasts of old, this creature was undoubtedly no mere animal, like an Acklay or a Rancor beast, but rather some creation of an evil and twisted power from the past.
Aragorn grabbed hold of Sam and threw him towards Legolas' waiting arms. The Elf caught the chubby Hobbit and gently put him on the rocky platform, which had begun to crack, falling prey to the Balrog's giant footsteps. Next, Boromir took hold of Merry and Pippin and jumped high in the air, landing right next to Legolas and Sam. The rocky surface where Gimli, Gandalf, Aragorn, Frodo and Obi-Wan still stood began to rock from side to side.
Obi-Wan thought about using one of the two thermal detonators he had found inside Grievous' star fighter's cockpit but immediately thought better of it, seeing how the fragile stone ceiling was already cracking over his head.
"Gandalf, jump!" Legolas yelled back from the other side of the bridge. The old wizard complied and landed with a grunt on the other platform.
Meanwhile, Aragorn tried to grab hold of Gimli, but the proud Dwarf raised his right, gloved hand in a prohibitive gesture.
"Nobody tosses a Dwarf!" Said the enraged Gimli and then, the stout, bearded humanoid propelled himself through the air.
But Dwarves were clearly not as agile as humans or Elves. The heavyset Dwarf didn't make it to the other side. Legolas had to catch Gimli's thick, long beard and pull him up, helped greatly by a little shove Obi-Wan gave the Dwarf through the Force.
"Not the beard!" Cried Gimli to Legolas as the Elf helped the Dwarf back on his feet.
Finally, the weak, old structure yielded. Frodo and Aragorn lost their balance and fell on the steep incline, almost falling down into the abyss below. Obi-Wan might've not been able to face the Balrog, but he knew there still was something the powers of a Jedi could do to help the situation.
The platform had begun to sway more violently. The Jedi Master somersaulted and reached the other side of the bridge with ease, rapidly turning back to assist his troubled friends.
Aragorn and Frodo stood and leaned forward, forcing the platform to sway that way. The fragile structure fell on top of the other side of the bridge, as Obi-Wan helped slow it down with the Force. And just in time as well, for the Balrog's huge, evil head appeared suddenly through the tunnel. The Company raced for the opposite end of the bridge and once they reached it, arrows started raining on them.
The demon of the depths of Moria was finally able to destroy the cracked entry to the tunnel and lunged forward. However, the weak and narrow bridge began to crack under the Balrog's huge legs, forcing him to a halt. Showing no fear whatsoever, Gandalf approached the edge of the broken bridge, looking up defiantly at his imposing rival.
The demonic creature roared furiously, raising his long arms menacingly. The old and wrinkled wizard appeared as small to the creature as a Jawa would look to a Bantha. Nevertheless, Gandalf didn't budge.
"You cannot pass!" Exclaimed the wizard angrily and decidedly, as he stomped on the ground with his staff in imperative fashion.
The Balrog grumbled loudly, apparently mocking this inferior opponent. With blinding speed, the diabolical creature brought his flaming sword down on Gandalf.
Right at that moment, the attention of the Company was drawn to the higher levels on the other side of the bridge, where several Goblins kept firing countless waves of arrows against them. Obi-Wan raised Gloérach and brought it before him, using the Elven blade to shield and protect himself, Merry and Pippin. Boromir did the same, protecting Frodo and Sam, while Aragorn and Legolas began firing back.
"I am the wielder of the Flame of Anor!" Gandalf's deep and booming voice echoed throughout the hollow abyss. "You, foul creature, shall not pass! Go back to the Shadow, Flame of Udûn!"
Obi-Wan's jaw dropped as he sensed Gandalf's presence as if it was a blinding, luminescent lighting in the Force. It felt as if the old man had actually become One with the Force!
The Balrog took another powerful swing at his smaller opponent. This time, the Company could clearly see how Gandalf brought his apparently simple wooden staff up and over his head. An intense blue lighting formed around the old wizard's frame, protecting him from the lethal blow. Slowly, the Goblin's attacks began to recede. The accuracy of both, Legolas and Aragorn had begun to cause serious casualties among the Goblin archers.
"You shall not pass!" Insisted Gandalf with authority, standing his ground, unmovable, unflappable.
After several futile attempts and apparently exasperated beyond belief, the Balrog decided to risk crossing the bridge, but his mistake would prove costly…to all. Terrified the members of the Company saw how the demonic monster took a giant step forward, trying to reach the platform upon which Gandalf stood. However, the Balrog's weight was too much for the weak, fragile stone structure and the surprised creature began to fall into the dark precipice below with a chilling roar. The black and red flames that covered the creature's gigantic frame began to disappear as the relieved Company watched their guide and leader pulling back from the edge of the cracked platform.
Suddenly, Obi-Wan lunged forward, the Force screaming at his senses.
"Look out, Gandalf!" Said the desperate Jedi Master, running to the edge of the platform. "Behind you!"
But the revered wizard could not hear the Jedi Master's warning. From the depths of the abyss, the whip of fire of the Balrog wrapped itself around Gandalf's legs, pulling him down into the precipice. Caught completely off-balance, the old wizard slipped and fell towards the edge of the fragile platform. A grunt escaped Gandalf's lips as he tried to hold on to the edge of the platform with the tips of his fingers. Obi-Wan ran and concentrated as hard as he could, trying to hold the fragile body of the old Istar with the Force.
"Gandalf!" Cried out a terrorized and incredulous Frodo, while Aragorn tried to keep him from rushing to the old wizard's aide.
Gandalf was slowly slipping down, his fingernails scratching the rocky surface, desperately trying to hold on. Finally, Obi-Wan reached the edge of the platform and held out his hand. Suddenly, another lethal rain of arrows began to fall on the Company.
"Fly, you fools!" Was Gandalf's last command to his followers as he let go of the platform and fell into the abyss, following right after the Balrog.
Still unable to believe his eyes and in great pain and confusion, Obi-Wan drew out his sword and shielded himself from the relentless attack of the Goblin archers as he ran back to where the rest of the Company stared in disbelief at the horrifying sight.