The end is coming,
Everybody run
Do you remember what we are to do?"
"Yes."
It was as if she was floating in mid-air. Her body felt heavy. Something was pressing down on her chest with force; it was hard to breathe.
Caia felt like she was shrouded in darkness. It held onto her, constricting her every movement.
Something was calling out to her.
There was a shake to Caia's arm.
Her eyelids were so heavy that, for a second, Caia was worried that she would not be able to move them. The ground was uneven and damp, uncomfortably cold. Jagged edges of stone poked at her body, making any movement less than uncomfortable.
"Caia."
Slowly opening her eyes, the first thing that Caia noticed was an Orc, laying motionlessly behind her.
A sense of extreme disappointment washed over Caia. Somehow, she had expected to wake up in her own bed.
The light that had flooded her vision was long gone.
"Come, child," Gandalf's voice was urgent. "We must make haste."
There was another tug to her arm, and Caia found herself being helped up to stand on wobbly legs. She had never been so exhausted.
"Gandalf," a small voice sounded, filled with uncertainty. "What has happened to her?"
Caia's eyes scanned slowly over the room.
Bodies upon bodies were littered on the ground, lifeless Orcs of all sizes. The smell of metallic blood was overwhelming, drawing forth a violent nausea that Caia could hardly keep contained.
I want to go home.
The rest of the Fellowship was standing still, casting wide-eyed stares upon Caia, who had no idea what had happened. Fighting through the grogginess that plagued her seemed nearly impossible, but she knew she couldn't wallow in her exhaustion.
"I am not yet sure," Gandalf answered quickly as Caia struggled to regain her senses. "But we do not have time to ask. Not until we are out of Moria."
As if a sense of urgency was sparked by the wizard's words, he gave Caia another quick shake, sending her brain rattling. She met Gandalf's eyes and, taking this as a sign of stability, he let go, and began to usher everyone from the room.
"Come!" He hissed. "Time is not on our side. To the bridge of Khazad-dum!"
The sound of screeching and the clanging of weapons registered in Caia's mind, giving her just enough of an energy boost to convince her limbs to move. Going from being completely blacked out to running for her life was no easy feat. Her legs, carrying her quickly behind Gandalf, felt almost completely numb. Her entire body ached with fatigue, but the past month of nothing but wandering showed through as she managed to just barely keep herself upright enough to continue running.
Caia had no time to think and wonder what had happened to her in the room of the stone coffin. Shrieking and hoots came from all sides of her as the fear from earlier woke back up, sending her into an alarm. Everywhere she looked, small, wretched creatures were climbing on all fours towards the Fellowship. They emerged from burrowed holes and skittered down the magnificent columns of Moria, an extension of the darkest shadows.
Not a few minutes into the cacophony of screeching and yelling, the Fellowship was completely surrounded by these creatures, sporting weapons and eyes full of malice. Boromir came to such a sudden halt that Caia all but ran into him. Skidding to a halt beside her, Legolas drew in closer, followed by the Hobbits. Even through the absolute terror of being surrounded on all sides, Caia struggled to breathe as she was knocked into by everybody hastily trying to push together. A hand gripped Caia's arm tightly, and she stared in surprise at Pippin, who was standing closely to her, regarding the creatures with wild, petrified eyes.
For a second, time stopped as beady eyes stared at the Fellowship, hissing and waving around weapons.
A loud, gurgling growl sounded from behind them, so loud that Caia's heart practically inverted itself, sending a course of adrenaline rushing through her veins that froze her muscles. A fiery red glow emerged at the back end off the hall, as if a transparent blanket of fire had been draped over the entrance.
The goblins began to whimper and yell in distress, their tight formation around the Fellowship wavering as they took in the sight at the end of the hallway. All of the violence and confidence they had worn so boldly immediately disappeared into shrieks and squeals of terror as the creatures scampered away.
Almost as quickly as they had appeared, the goblins disappeared, crawling back into the shadows and climbing back up the worn columns.
Pippin's grip on Caia's arm did not diminish, and she finally had time to wonder why the halfling was holding onto her arm, almost hiding behind her. His demeanor around her had clearly changed. He was seeking safety, and trying to find it in Caia.
What happened when I blacked out?
Gimli's laugh at the terrified creatures was arrogant and loud. The dwarf was clearly finding amusement in the situation, and Caia might have too if she didn't know what was coming next.
Her eyes were locked on the fiery glow approaching them. With it came a heat so thick that Caia immediately felt herself beginning to sweat. The air was humid, comfortably warm though they were a football field away from its source; the cause of Gandalf's death.
The growling echoed throughout the hall, resembling that of a rabid dog. The sound sent chills skittering up Caia's back with sticky, ice-cold fingers.
Boromir's voice broke the silence between the Fellowship, filled with poorly concealed anticipation.
"What is this new devilry?"
There was no immediate reply as the growling continued among the exhausted pants of the lot, still huddled together.
The seconds drew on, becoming longer and longer as a massive weight of lead descended upon Caia's lungs, stifling her heavy breathing. The orange-red glow grew ever closer.
"A Balrog."
Despite Gandalf's voice remaining eerily calm, his words sent a chill through Caia's heart. "A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you."
Gandalf turned back around. It was the first time Caia had seen his eyes filled with so much fear.
"Run!"
Immediately, Caia sprang into action as the Fellowship dispersed ever so slightly, sprinting through the now empty halls. The growling and gurgling followed behind them. Caia's breathing came out in whistling, heavy pants, lungs burning with overuse as she forced her legs to stretch out, carrying her across the ground as fast as she could physically manage.
She had never run for her life before like she was now, and Caia didn't know if she ever would again.
Stumbling through a doorway, Caia stumbled to a stop as the sight of stairs froze her still. This room was brighter than the hallway, sporting the same orange, fiery glow. It taunted Caia, illuminating the sheen of sweat that covered her grimy skin.
Trying with all of her might not to slip on the rocky stairs, Caia stumbled down amidst the rest of the Fellowship, unable to help her despair. It was as if the stairs, turning left and right, were meant to slow them down instead of showing them to the way out. The stairways were uncomfortably narrow, and Caia felt no more than an ant, skittering to try and save its own life.
Coming across a break in the stairway, the entire Fellowship came to a sudden halt. Caia watched with wide eyes as Legolas cleared the jump easily, looking back up with a focus in his eyes that Caia envied. How was he so composed?
"Gandalf!" The elf urged, waving the wizard over.
Gandalf hesitated for no more than a second before jumping towards Legolas, who helped to steady him as he landed upon the stairs. Gaining a better view at the distance, Caia's heart beat even faster.
How could she jump that far?
There was a high-pitched break in the air, and a skinny, wooden arrow bounced off of the stone just by Caia's feet, causing her to stumble. She was quickly steadied by Boromir, who, with a sudden otherworldly strength, lifted Caia and threw her. For a split second she flew through the air with a cry of surprise. She was caught by Legolas, who dropped her on her feet behind him.
Dizzy and nauseated by the sudden journey through the air, Caia hardly noticed as Boromir leaped over, holding onto Merry and Pippin with a loud yell.
There was a rumble, and more of the stairway crumpled off, leaving Caia glad that she had been thrown so early.
Sam crossed the distance, followed soon by Gimli, and Caia stepped down a few stairs to make more room for the new additions.
Caia turned to see Aragorn holding tightly onto Frodo. A boulder had crushed the stairs behind them, leaving the pair on a teetering piece of unstable rock. The fear in Frodo's eyes was evident, even at this distance, and Caia held her breath as they leaned forward, guiding the falling stairway.
It crashed forward, leaving the pair to leap through the air, caught by Legolas and Boromir. Not a second later, Caia was being ushered down the stairs once more, suddenly not as bothered by the narrow stones.
At least it's somewhat stable now.
Extremely grateful that she didn't have to cross any more wide jumps, Caia's heart danced in joy as she crossed the bridge, wind whizzing past her face as she sprinted.
A large fire had sprung up out of nowhere just as Caia made it across. In front of her, Frodo had come to a sudden stop and turned, causing her to do the same.
Gandalf had not yet crossed the bridge. Standing with his back to the Fellowship, he faced a tall, humanoid creature. It was darker than black, sporting two ram-like horns that curled by its face. Its eyes were no more than two, fire-colored beads, but it hissed and growled with such a ferocity that Caia went still.
"Gandalf!" Frodo called, the urgency in his voice cutting through the air.
Caia couldn't move.
It's happening.
The Balrog roared at the wizard, who was no bigger than its foot. Fire spilled from its mouth, and the heat reached Caia in a nauseating wave.
"You cannot pass!" Gandalf bellowed, earning another terrified scream from the ringbearer.
The demon stood straight up, fire curling around its legs and arms and stretching up into the air with an angry roar.
"I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor." Gandalf's voice, though shaky, was bursting with purpose. Though the wizard was small, it was clear that he held incredible power. A bright blue shield, resembling a sound bubble, formed around Gandalf, fighting to be seen among the flames.
It's not enough.
"The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun!"
Bringing down a white-hot sword of fire on Gandalf's shield, the wizard released a yell as he fought to stand upright, deflecting the attack with a spark of bright blue. The Balrog reared back for a second, its beady eyes focused on the wizard. It roared at Gandalf once again, spitting fire.
The air was filled with tension. Nobody moved as they waited for Gandalf.
"Go back to the shadow," the wizard demanded with a steely voice. "You shall not pass!"
The demon's nostrils flared before it began to approach Gandalf again, an explosion of fire spreading throughout the room.
Completely overwhelmed by an irrational panic, Caia lost control over herself. She began to rush forward, but was immediately yanked back by Boromir, who held her in place with a tight grip on her arm and a shake of his head.
She couldn't help the burning of her eyes, which were beginning to water.
"Perhaps our course is already set in stone. If this is the case, then there is nothing that you can do to change what you have foreseen."
The bridge crumbled underneath the Balrog, sending it falling down with a loud roar. Due to its size, it almost seemed as if the demon was falling slowly through the air, its fiery anger falling into darkness with it.
All was silent for a moment.
There was a crack in the air, and the whip of the demon caught around Gandalf's leg, just as he began to turn, pulling at him and tugging the wizard down, leaving him hanging on to the edge of the bridge.
A chorus of yells erupted, and Frodo sprang forward. Aragorn just barely managed to catch hold of the ringbearer, holding him back as the Hobbit struggled to free himself, screaming Gandalf's name.
For no more than a second, a blanket of silence fell over the room as all eyes fixed upon Gandalf, who was looking at them with a wild fear.
Caia couldn't breathe.
"Fly, you fools!"
In a split second, the wizard had released his hold on the stone, and descended into the darkness.
Okay, I know this isn't anything that we all haven't seen before, just described in detail. I feel like this chapter may seem repetitive to you all, at least regarding Gandalf's fight with the Balrog, but there is a lot in this chapter that hints at something underlying going on, and I feel it's important. If you skimmed through it, I can't say I really blame you, but I promise this chapter isn't as meaninglessly drawn out as it seems!
I was traveling all day today. School starts on the 8th. I'm nervous, and writing calmed me down again. I've never stuck with a story quite like this one before. I really hope that you guys are enjoying it as much as I am.
I feel like my eyes are filled with glue. I need to go to bed.
A big big big thank you to O-O-Octopus (sorry! I'm the queen of inconsistent updates ^^"), ColdOnePaul, and yasminasfeir1 for reviewing on my last chapter! Real talk, reading what you all have to say always makes me so happy. I'm glad you have questions! :) It looks like I'm accomplishing what I want to. Some questions may not be answered for a while.
Thanks everybody for reading! I'm really glad that everybody seems to be having fun reading my take on a popular fanfiction plot. I hope I'm executing this cliché decently well.
Please let me know what you guys thought of this chapter with a review. It makes me feel so glad to hear everybody's feedback. I take it into consideration a lot when writing!
I'll see you all next time! Take care :)