To Whatever End: Chapter Twenty-One

-Erin-

"...For Frodo." With that, Aragorn turned and charged the awaiting wall of Orcs, his velvet cape rippling in the wind behind him. Pippin was the first one to react, giving a loud battle cry as he also burst forward, moving as fast as his legs could carry him, and a second later the rest of us followed suit. Roars of determination and fury rang out like thunder as I broke into a run with everyone else, our armies surging forward like the tide in our last stand against the might of Mordor. I screamed as I held Kaia's blade aloft, pulling ahead to the front with Legolas on my tail, his arrows already soaring past me as we came within range. Adrenaline flooded my body as Aragorn viciously clashed with the Orcs first, and I wasn't far behind, swinging my blade high and knocking back the spears and pikes on the front lines as I forced myself forward. We slammed into the Orc's ranks with full force, driving them back several feet, and all hell broke loose as the final battle for Middle-Earth began.

It was madness right from the beginning as I ducked against Orc weapons and moved my own with deadly accuracy as I wove through the crowd. We were packed tight as sardines, my focus centered with every swing as I cut down Orc after Orc without slowing. I could barely tell how far I was moving or in what direction, but I didn't care. Nothing mattered except staying on my feet and taking out as many enemies as I could. I spun to my left and cut one Orc clean across the chest, then in a flash turned a second time to gut another. Before I could so much as blink, I saw a crude blade coming towards my head on the edge of my vision, pivoting just in time to block it and force the Orc's weapon aside before advancing on him and catching him in the neck. Everything felt like it was moving at breakneck speed, and already I could feel sweat beading on my brow as my heart pounded in my chest, but I kept moving. Dodging and slicing and parrying and stabbing, again and again, rinse and repeat. For a split second, I glanced back through the open gate into Mordor, seeing the silhouette of Mount Doom in the distance. We just needed to last long enough.

"Erin!" I turned to my left as I cut down another Orc with Kaia's blade, a familiar set of white knives catching a stray pike aiming for my head. Legolas doubled back and sunk his blades deep into the Orc's chest, its corpse dropping to the ground as I spun to face an Orc shoving its axe in my direction. I cried out as I pushed back against him with everything I had, effectively slamming that Orc into a friend of his and knocking them both down. Without a moment's hesitation, I leapt forward and sunk Kaia's blade deep into the both of them, barely pausing in my stride as I twisted and caught another in the legs from behind. I caught the next blow and parried it, pulling a smaller knife from my belt to take an opening and stab him deep in his exposed side. I barely had time to think as I continued to push forward, Orc after Orc falling in my wake as I was faced with new enemies at every turn. They were relentless and full of bloodlust, but so was I.

A ferocious roar from behind alerted me to another incoming threat, and I turned to see an Orc with fists the size of my head knock a Gondorian soldier out cold. I snarled in response as I ran straight at him, dropping to my knees and sliding beneath a swing at my head before jamming my elbow back into his knee. He dropped, and I was back on my feet in an instant, landing a solid blow on his back. The Orc grunted in pain, but it wasn't enough to finish him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw another Orc blade sailing towards my head, and turned to block it, but the move left me exposed, and as soon as I turned my head back I was met with a fist to the face. I bit my tongue and tasted blood, gasping in pain as the world went fuzzy for a moment and I stumbled back. But I pushed through it, shaking off the hit as my vision realigned, and I turned on the offending Orc with a scowl as I leapt straight at him, bringing my weapon down and cutting right through the arm he'd hit me with. He dropped dead, and for a fraction of a second, I paused, spitting blood on him as I wiped it from my mouth. "Bastard."

As I looked up again, I saw another glimpse of Legolas not far off, and turned to start pushing in his direction as I dove back into the fray. Through every second of fighting, I tried to keep him in my sights, fear gnawing at the back of my mind constantly. Don't lose him, I thought. You've got to stay with him. I'd lost Kathryn within minutes of the battle's start, and it did nothing to help the tangle of nerves in my stomach, hyperaware of every other soldier around me in the hopes that I'd spot her somewhere. But there was nothing I could do about it now - everything was such a chaotic mess. I had no chance of trying to search the battlefield for her, not under the constant barrage of Orcs coming at me. Another one swung his sword wide at me from the right, and I was barely able to dodge it fast enough, turning to throw a punch square in his face. As soon as he dropped, a smaller, more agile Orc stepped right into his place, lashing out with a knife. I raised my arm to block it, cutting him across the stomach, then turned again to drive Kaia's blade into the heart of the next one I saw.

Just then, however, I heard another screech, and whirled around in the same moment an Orc swung his massive mace in my direction. I tried to move back, but wasn't quick enough, pain bursting in my arm as it tore across my shoulder. I cried out, and a vulgar grin split the Orc's face as he drew blood, advancing on me again. I grit my teeth against the burning sting and clumsily deflected his next blow, again and again until he finally faltered and gave me an opening to stick my blade in his gut. I sucked in a breath as he fell to the ground dead, shoulder throbbing as blood slowly dripped down my sleeve. My eyes swept back and forth over the chaos, seeing soldiers of Rohan and Gondor alike falling on all sides. There were so many enemies, all fighting ruthlessly. Again, my gaze jumped to the smoking volcano in the distance, praying our two heroic hobbits were nearly there. At this rate, we weren't going to last very long.

–

-Kathryn-

I ducked beneath an incoming blade and swung low with Kaia's, catching an Orc across the legs as Faramir also took down a couple more nearby. He and I had been able to stick together fairly well for most of the battle, just close enough to keep an eye on each other through the surrounding insanity. I put Kaia's sword to good use hacking my way through every Orc I crossed and trying not to get killed along the way, though I did endure a few hits here and there. It was by no means an easy fight - we were entirely overwhelmed by the sheer numbers Sauron had against us, and bringing the fight to his front door was only another advantage for him. I slashed an Orc across the face with Kaia's blade while whipping a knife from my belt and sticking it deep into the chest of a second one, yanking both weapons free as they fell away. With a quick step to the left and a slash downwards, I cut down another Orc before briefly looking to Faramir. "You good?"

He slammed the hilt of his sword into an enemy's skull, stepping back to catch his breath with a nod to me. "Well enough," he shouted back.

I nodded, but just then my eyes caught sight of an Orc trying to sneak up on him from behind. "Look out!" As Faramir turned, I drew a knife and threw it hard, nailing the Orc in the face before it could axe Faramir across the back. The young captain gave me a nod of thanks before pulling the knife free and using it to slit the throat of a new opponent. Just then there came a deep growl from behind me, and I turned around as a fist struck me across the face. I stumbled back, the world going fuzzy as I felt blood drip from my nose, and I swore as I brought Kaia's blade up overhead again to block the offending Orc from slamming his club into my head. But I was pinned on my knees now, and if I moved to draw a second blade, he'd crush me. The Orc bearing down on me growled again in satisfaction, and I grunted in pain as he pressed harder against me. Shit, shit, shit!

"Hey!" The sharp cry cut through the din of battle around me, and a second later I heard the Orc emit a squeal of pain as a familiar throwing knife sailed through the air and sunk deep into its chest. It fell down dead, and I let out a gasp of relief as I finally got back to my feet, turning just in time to see Faramir standing behind me as he gave a pointed nod to the Orc on the ground. "You may want to hold on to those."

I gave a wry grin as I reached down to pull it free and return it to its sheath. "Yeah, thanks."

He smiled back, but in that instant, the moment was ruined as an ear-piercing scream suddenly cut through the air, and my heart dropped to my toes as every man on the field turned fearful eyes skyward. Sure enough, from the smog of Mordor emerged all nine Nazgûl atop their Fell Beasts, their massive wings spread wide as they bore down on us like vultures. From overhead, they cast their shadows over the battlefield, preparing to destroy us all and end the fight then and there. Panic shot through me as I saw them draw closer, and I immediately ducked my head, fearing the worst.

But just as I thought we were about to be torn to shreds, another chorus of screams echoed through the air - cries that drowned out those of the Ringwraiths. As I engaged another Orc, I felt a new shadow pass over me, and looked up for a split second to see an eagle spanning nearly a hundred feet slam into a Fell Beast midair. My eyes widened as I saw more of the majestic birds swoop in from behind us, with Pippin's joyous cry sounding somewhere nearby. "The Eagles are coming!" They attacked the Nazgûl and their wraiths head on, tangling them in an airborne battle and driving the terrifying creatures back as we continued our fight below. I returned my attention to the battle at hand, slashing two more Orcs across the stomach and watching them fall. But something wasn't right; there was still a sense of unease lingering in my mind as I kept glancing upwards, eyes bouncing everywhere, searching in fear...

And then I heard it again - the bloodcurdling shriek from behind, and as I turned my eyes found the one I'd been looking for, cloaked in shadow beneath his iron helm as he sat atop his beast. His piercing gaze cut right through me, freezing me in place, and I could feel nothing but anger; rage and utter hatred wrap itself around my throat to choke me where I stood. The Witch-King shrieked again, his Fell Beast diving low with talons outstretched, and I dove out of the way in a blind panic, face first into the dirt as he brushed over me. The Beast roared as it missed its target, a dozen men and Orcs caught in its grasp instead as it swept upward again, crushing them all and dropping them to plummet to their deaths.

I twisted onto my back as it circled around, eyes wide with fear as I saw the Witch-King set his sights on me again. Scrambling to my feet, I tightened my grip on Kaia's sword, fighting desperately now through the crowd, barely leaping out of the way as he dove for me again. Again he missed, and I spun to block a stray sword as I kicked back the Orc in front of me, turning to glance over my shoulder again. More men rained down from the skies as the Fell Beast dropped them, and I felt a growing dread in my chest as I watched it loop around. The Eagles were fighting hard, but the Nazgûl outnumbered them by three, and there was no one to stop the Witch-King from taking passes at me over and over until he got what he wanted. And every time he did it, he tore through our ranks, taking out dozens of our men in a single hit. I twisted around and drove Kaia's sword backwards into an enemy's stomach, again barely jumping out of the way as the Witch-King dove past, screams of fear erupting from the other men around me as he obliterated them. I glanced back at the bloodbath he left in his wake. We couldn't afford this kind of attack over and over. If the Witch-King kept this up, he'd decimate our already small army and slaughter us all. Again, my eyes found his form atop his beast as he took to the skies. Oh God... what do I do?

–

-Erin-

I paid little mind to the arrival of the Nazgûl, focusing all my efforts on my groundwork as the battle raged on. The Orcs just kept coming and coming; there were so many of them now, their numbers endless. I was giving it my all, but slowly I could feel myself beginning to wear down beneath my pounding heartbeat. My swings were getting clumsier, my footwork sloppier, my strikes weaker than before. Adrenaline could only carry me so far, and with every fallen foe I could feel the fatigue seeping into my bones as my breaths grew heavier. I spun Kaia's blade and blocked a double strike from an oncoming Orc before kicking him in the gut to stun him, followed up with a stab to the heart. They just kept coming. I could barely pause to catch my breath. Another Orc swung his crudely cut sword towards me and I knocked it away with my own, quickly switching hands to bring it up and around into his neck. As he fell, my gaze swept the field around me, no sign of any familiar face within sight. Where was Legolas? Where was Kathryn? Where was anybody? A Nazgûl passed low overhead and I ducked away from it, turning to punch him.

All of a sudden, a deep, rumbling roar sounded from behind, and as I turned my eyes went wide at the heavily armored mountain troll storming through the swarm of bodies. Its legs were as thick as tree trunks, a massive broadsword in its hand, and it stood at least twice my size as its beady eyes settled on me. Oh, shit. My grip on Kaia's blade tightened as I reached to draw my own elven sword with my other hand, swallowing hard before giving a battle cry and charging towards it. The troll roared loudly again in response, bringing its sword down hard, but I sidestepped and let it fall into the dirt. I swung both blades down to its outstretched arm, but they did nothing against the thick plate armor. As the troll brought its arm back up and swung at me again, I ducked beneath it, attempting to lash out and cut into its stomach, but that was no use either. Again I aimed high, nicking a bit of its exposed shoulder. The troll let out a grunt of pain, but rounded on me a second later, and I barely caught the tip of his blade between my own, stopping it inches from my face. My jaw clenched and I cried out as I strained against the strength of the troll, forcing its sword up and away from me just enough so I could dart under the arm and take a stab at its side. A pained, angered bellow erupted from the creature, and I saw the massive hand coming to yank me away on the edge of my vision, doubling back just enough for it to miss. But then, before I could blink, the troll reared back, backhanding me as it armored fist slammed against my skull.

My head snapped back, and I instantly crumpled, waves of pain rolling through me as I fell and skidded through the dirt. Pain, blinding pain burst in my head like it'd been split in two, and I dimly registered warm blood dripping down my face, the world around me suddenly losing focus and starting to spin. Stars danced on the edge of my vision, the wind knocked from my lungs, and I gasped for breath, my swords fallen from my hands. Everything was moving in slow motion, and I couldn't think - I couldn't move. I felt a tremor shake the earth, then another, then another. Saw the foggy form of the troll take shape on the edge of my vision. Saw it lumbering towards me. Saw my sword lying uselessly by my side, and I blinked, trying so hard to shake the grogginess, but I couldn't - it was too late. My fingers stretched desperately for the hilt, but it wasn't close enough, and then the troll was there, looming over me, and just as everything began to clear I saw it raise its mighty sword over my head, saw it start to fall, and I closed my eyes, just waiting, waiting -

But it never came.

Just as I was convinced I'd met my end, there came a shout, then a cry of pain, and then a thud, and when I opened my eyes I saw the troll lying dead on the ground, sword fallen, three arrows in its neck and a white-handled knife buried in its skull. And there was Legolas, standing over the beast with the fires of Mordor behind him, blood streaked across his face and the wind wild in his golden hair. He stood over it all with a fierceness and a fire in his blue eyes, a single hand outstretched as our eyes met. "...Together?"

It was a single word, yet it sparked something deep within my very core that swelled and filled all of me in seconds. "Together."

I set my hand in his, grabbing my swords as he pulled me to my feet, and held his gaze for a moment longer before we turned to face the sea of enemies side by side. In that moment, everything changed, as if I'd been born entirely anew, fighting back against the horde of Mordor with newfound strength I could barely understand. Every punch, every swing, every movement perfectly in time as Legolas and I fell into step with one another, a deadly blur of steel that no Orc could touch. Pain only fueled me further as I sheathed Kaia's blade and went to work with my own, stepping back as Legolas shifted forward and taking a clear swing across the chest of one Orc before spinning with my momentum to deflect the blow of another. As I crossed swords with him, Legolas' knife sunk into his side, and I turned to cleanly decapitate another Orc a moment later as he forced it back. I could feel his every movement, as he could mine, and together we kept the Orcs at bay in a way I never could've managed on my own.

One Orc came charging at me straight on, and I moved to press my back up against the elf's, linking our arms together. "Lean forward!" I shouted, and as he did, I leaned back with him, my feet lifting off the ground as I drew back and kicked the Orc square in the chest, sending him flying. As soon as my feet hit the ground again, I grabbed my sword and drove it into another's chest, turning as he dropped to see Legolas flip his knives and slash two Orcs' throats in one fluid movement. For a moment, there was a lull in the insanity, and as he turned back to face me, I couldn't help the awed smile that crossed my face. "God, I love you."

Legolas smirked, but before he could open his mouth to respond the Orcs leapt on us again, and I turned to engage two more as he took on his own. I fell back into my natural rhythm, trying to ignore the dull throbbing in my head as I fought those in front of me, with Legolas doing the same. Everything was moving so fast and in such a blur, demanding all my focus to stay alive.

I suppose that's why I didn't see it coming until it was too late.

I felt the shadow fall over us first, and as soon as it happened, I knew. All it took was a single glance upward to see the massive winged terror overhead, and as soon as I saw it, I felt fear ripple through my body. But I had nowhere to go - there were too many Orcs, I was still locked in a fight. I looked up again as the Nazgûl started to dive, giving a panicked shout of warning. "Legolas, look out!"

Legolas' last opponent dropped, and his head snapped up at my cry, eyes immediately spotting the incoming Fell Beast as it roared, jaw open wide and talons ready to ensnare us both. For a split second, I saw horror cross his face as he realized what was happening, and then his gaze fell to me, still trying desperately to escape the Orcs and get away without success.

Again, our eyes met amidst the chaos, and again it felt like time slowed as I saw the fear in his eyes. And then it shifted, and his expression changed into one of grave desperation and determination, and I knew. I knew exactly what he was thinking, eyes widening as I shook my head. And then, all in the same breath, the Nazgûl reached us, and Legolas dove, arms outstretched, and my screams were lost amidst the shrieking of the wraith as it hit. "NO!"

Legolas slammed into me with full force, and again I went flying, falling several feet back and away from the point of impact. It all happened in the blink of an eye, and I saw nothing but grey as the Fell Beast tore through everything before I hit the ground rolling. It was a blur of dust and dirt and men and Orcs, and when I finally stopped and pushed myself up, I whirled around instantly, panicking when I didn't see him. "Legolas!" I pushed myself to my feet, running back, shoving and forcing my way through the hysteria. "LEGOLAS!" No answer, and I felt a hollow dread in my gut. "LEGOLAS!" I screamed again, heart thundering in my ears. Please, no. God, please...

I burst past the last few men, into a gap of nothing but dead Orcs and dead soldiers left from where the Fell Beast had torn through. My gaze swept frantically back and forth, clinging to the hope that he'd step out from somewhere and be okay, that I'd see his face and know he wasn't-

And then a flash of metal caught my eye, and I stopped dead in my tracks. My mouth went dry, and my body numb as I stared at it. No... I reached it, knelt before it, bile rising in my throat, and the horrible hollow feeling spread.

A single, white-handled knife left in the dirt.

I didn't want to touch it, but I did, slowly reaching to pick it up, hands trembling. I stared at the knife, and all I could think was Kaia - her blades falling from her hands as the Fell Beast crushed her in its jaws - and my grip tightened. No. I felt tears slip down my face, but said nothing as I slowly lifted my head, seeing the faces of more snarling Orcs standing above me. Seeing the Nazgûl swooping freely through the skies overhead. Mocking me. Taunting me. My grip clenched white-knuckled around the knife's hilt, and I felt my body shaking as I slowly got to my feet. Twice now, I had seen this. Twice now, Sauron's wraiths had taken people I loved. I reached for my sword, everything bubbling and burning up in my chest as I set my sights on the first creature I saw, pinned beneath a withering glare as it all erupted from me in a horrific scream. I dove forward in a blind rage, knowing nothing but fury and pain and loss, all of it pouring out of me unbridled as I lost it, driving the knife into the heart of every Orc within my sight. Punching and kicking and slashing my way through them unhindered, screaming my hatred for every single one of them as I brutally ripped through the lines of Orcs like nothing else. I couldn't form words or coherent thoughts or anything amidst the massacre, my throat going raw as tears streamed down my face.

–

-Kathryn-

Again, I ducked against the shriek of the Witch-King as he swept low, barely missing the attack and stabbing another Orc in the back as I dodged. My mind scrambled to piece together some sort of plan - I had to do something, I just didn't know what. I glanced around as I deflected another Orc blade, no longer seeing Faramir or any of the others within range. I was absolutely alone in this. No one else to consult, no one else to bail me out. It was all up to me. The roar of the Fell Beast sounded once more from above as it drew itself up and started to circle back around, and my eyes followed the creature as it rose through the clouds. But he's got the advantage, I thought, watching the Ringwraith on its back. As long as he's up there, I can't do anything.

And then the idea struck me like a lightning bolt, and I paused. ...As long as he's up there...

It was an insane plan. The moment it crossed my mind, I knew it had only the smallest chance of actually working, but if it did... if I could rob him of his greatest advantage... My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest, but I forced myself through it, watching as the Beast turned and set its sights on me once more. I was right in its path, but this time, I didn't move. It roared again, and the Witch-King let out another scream that sent a sharp pain shooting through my head, but I clenched my teeth, refusing to budge even as the Fell Beast dove straight towards me. It picked up speed, plummeting down with its wings spread wide to meet me, and I stayed right where I was, knowing I only had one shot at this. "Come on," I muttered to myself. "Closer..." The Beast came lower, Orcs diving out of the way to avoid being hit. "Closer..." I could almost count all of its teeth as it opened its mouth wide, ready to devour me whole...

...Now!

In a flash, my hand shot to the knives at my back, and before I could second guess myself I drew back and let the dagger fly. It sailed through the air and found its mark just as I was about to be eaten, a direct hit as the blade pierced the Fell Beast's hide and sunk all the way to its heart. Immediately, the creature let out a wail of pain and reared back against the fatal blow, unable to stop itself as it came crashing down. I stepped out of its path as it hit the ground, plowing through the ranks of Orcs and tearing up dust and dirt as it slid. But it made no further sound nor movement, and as I coughed and choked on the air, I stared after it in shock. Holy shit... that actually worked. Orcs around me drew back in fear, bewildered at the sight of one of their greatest weapons brought down so easily. For a moment, I almost smiled, feeling the smallest inkling of pride.

But the moment didn't last. At first there was nothing, nothing at all as the Orcs scrambled back from the fallen beast, dirt filling the air like smoke. And then I saw him. The dark, cloaked form rise from the ground through the haze, a bone-chilling hiss escaping him as he slowly turned around. The moment he saw me, my face fell, for as I looked into the dark abyss beneath his spiked crown I realized my grave mistake.

I hadn't hurt the Witch-King.

I'd only made him angrier.

Panic flooded my veins as the most enraged screech I'd ever heard tore through the air, and I cried out in pain, clawing at my ears as I turned and ran as fast as I could. "Move!" I shouted, frantically shoving my way through the tightly-packed crowd as I heard screams of pain and horror rising up behind me. "MOVE!" Against my better judgement, I glanced back over my shoulder, eyes widening in fear at what I saw. The Witch-King was absolutely obliterating all in his path, men and Orcs alike, cutting through them like nothing I'd ever seen with his piercing gaze fixed on me. It was like the crowd was barely a hindrance to him, and in a blind frenzy I ripped the second knife from my belt, throwing it at the wraith. It completely missed, passing harmlessly through the air, and my panic only heightened as I saw him start to close in. "MOVE!" I screamed again, pushing and shoving as hard as I possibly could. My heart leapt into my throat, and I felt like I couldn't breathe as I struggled desperately to escape. He's going to kill me he's going to kill me he's going to kill me, I'm going to die. Oh my God, I'm going to die. I forced my way past more Orcs, again glancing back, and I was even more terrified as I watched the wraith cut through three more soldiers in a single breath. He was too close. I wasn't going to make it. I pulled another knife from my belt, taking a split second to aim and chuck it at him. Miss, and my pulse skyrocketed. I only had one knife left. I tried to run faster, but it was useless, I couldn't do it, and I could hear him coming closer and closer...

All of a sudden, I felt an unearthly chill creeping over my shoulders with a rasping, hissing breath in my ears that made every hair on my neck stand at attention. On instinct I reached for Ringil, tearing it from its sheath and spinning on my heel in the blink of an eye. Metal clashed against metal, and my body went rigid as I found myself face to face with the Witch-King of Angmar, our swords locked against one another as everything else seemed to go still.

I sucked in a gasping breath, staring straight into the endless void of shadow inches from my own face as I held my ground. My thoughts spun wildly in my head, desperate to think of some way, any way out of this as he only pushed against me harder, his cruel, grating voice all but overwhelming. "Your hour is at hand." I groaned, throwing every ounce of strength I had back at him as I held his blade aloft. "It is over. Death and darkness are upon you, and all will come to ruin."

But I stared straight back at him, unwavering, with one last burst of determination in my chest. "Sorry. Not today." And then I did the one thing he'd never expected - I let go. I dropped Ringil and immediately stepped back, letting it fall to the dirt as the Witch-King fell forward against the sudden absence of me holding him up. As his sword hit the ground, the King of the Nazgûl looked up, and that was his fatal mistake. Before he could make another move, I drew my final dagger from behind, whipping it forward as hard as I could and hitting him directly in the face, the blade sinking all the way to the hilt.

An agonized scream tore through the air, and he collapsed, writhing in pain as he folded in on himself slowly, shrieking in pain all the while. His once imposing form shrunk smaller and smaller, like a deflating balloon, until finally there was nothing left of him, save for a tattered black cloak in a heap on the ground. In that instant it was like a dark cloud had been swept away, and the air grew lighter, and I stood there looking down on his remains with relief as a great rumbling shook the earth. The Lord of the Nazgûl was no more.

I stood still for a moment, catching my breath before reaching to grab my sword and dagger. Just as my hand closed around Ringil's hilt, I heard another Orc incoming and stood back at attention, turning to raise my sword against it as it charged me. Just as it came within reach, though, it stopped short, jerking back and dropping its weapon as it whipped around. When it turned and looked back into Mordor, it screamed in fear, forgetting me completely as it started running for dear life without even trying to cut me down. I watched as several other Orcs did the same, at first confused. What?

And then came the scream. Not the scream of a man, woman, or Orc, but from the very depths of Mordor itself. A scream of pure, absolute fear.

It came from Sauron.

My jaw dropped as I watched the foundations of Barad-Dûr crack and splinter, sword falling to my side as I stopped dead and looked on in awe. The ancient black stone that had served as the Dark Lord's fortress for an entire age began crumbling and falling to ruin, Sauron's eye of fire withering and wide with terror as his worst nightmare suddenly became reality. His roars of defeat echoed across the expanse of Mordor, and felt my heart swell with joy as I watched him fall. Frodo and Sam had done it. The Ring was destroyed!

Mordor itself began falling apart along with its master as we all stopped and looked on, every horrible thing Sauron had ever created falling apart, and a smile slowly spread across my face as I stood there, witnessing the greatest event in all of Middle-Earth's history. As the final pieces of Barad-Dûr shattered and fell, the Eye shrunk down like a collapsing star, and after emitting one final shriek, burst and was no more as the last of Sauron's spirit vanished. A massive shockwave shot across the entire land, completely vaporizing anything left standing within Mordor. "FRODO!" I screamed wildly, beaming as I thrust my sword high in the air. "FRODO!" I felt tears well up in my eyes as the Orcs and all Sauron's other servants turned and fled, the ground giving way beneath them and swallowing most of the creatures before they could escape. The foundations of the Black Gate were destroyed, demolished within seconds as it fell into the abyss opening up at our feet, and I could hardly believe it as I watched it all. We'd finally won. It was over! Everything was gone!

The earth trembled beneath my feet, and then finally Mount Doom itself erupted, flame bursting from its peak as the volcano shot a glorious display of fire and ash high into the air. The Nazgûl that remained were destroyed within the firestorm as flame streaked the sky, the darkened clouds above breaking over Mordor for the first time in thousands of years as sunlight shone through, and my smile only widened. I had no fear for Frodo and Sam, knowing they'd made it out just fine, and as I finally turned to the crowd of men surrounding me I saw pure joy on their faces, many weeping as they embraced their brothers and rejoiced in the destruction of a darkness that had smothered them for so many long years. And again, I couldn't help but laugh as I looked back upon the scene, a cheer erupting from our united army as our greatest enemy was finally laid to waste.

It had once seemed so impossible, but now it was over.

The war was over, and we had won.

–

-Erin-

My footsteps drug against the ground as I roamed the battlefield in silence, exhaustion heavy in my bones as I trudged through the aftermath of it all. Sauron was gone. The battle was ended, our army the victor, and Middle-Earth's greatest evil had been destroyed. I should've been happy, cheering and celebrating with all the others, but no smile came to my face, no laughter from my lips as we began moving through standard procedures of regrouping and post-battle cleanup. I felt nothing but the weight of the knife in my hand and the horrible, choking fear holding me in a vice grip as I slowly picked my way through the field of bodies. Because I hadn't seen him. Too much time had passed, and I still hadn't seen him. And I didn't want to even think of it - there was a part of me still clinging to a desperate shred of hope that he was alive, but... still, I walked, aimlessly through the slaughter, and saw nothing. Heard nothing. Felt numb.

I paused, drained to my very core and feeling like I could collapse then and there as my gaze again swept the mass of corpses littered everywhere. The fear that held me now wasn't one of hysteria or panic, but of knowing. Not of denial that it could happen, but knowing it already had once before. Knowing Kaia had been taken, that there was no immunity among the people I loved, knowing he really could be gone... that I could step up to any one of these bodies and it could be his. That I would have to look into dead, dull eyes no longer looking back into mine, and accept it. That it was all possible. All of it. And feeling utterly hollow, my fear growing with every step as I moved forward, wandering aimlessly. For the briefest moment, I turned my gaze skyward in a desperate, silent plea. I can't do this. Not again. I can't... It felt like I was moving through molasses as I moved up a small slope, the bodies piling higher, and my chest tightened, almost not wanting to look down as I passed them. Terrified I'd see him there; see him ashen and grey... I came to the peak of the small hill and stopped, fingers tightening around the smooth wooden hilt, staring out across the sea of death and decay.

But then, just as I was about to turn away, I saw it. Slowly, coming over the peak of another hill, a flash of golden hair. I stopped, my eyes immediately finding his across the battlefield, and for a moment, both of us went absolutely still. And then I broke, a shuddering sob escaping me, and I was running, running, tearing towards him with everything I had, and he met me halfway as we both crashed into each other, sinking to the ground. I felt his strong arms lock tight around my frame and all I could do was weep, unable to process anything else as I felt his heart beating in his chest and it finally, finally hit me that he was alive. That he was okay. I buried my face in his shoulder, shaking as I wrapped my arms around him, and he shuddered in relief against me, shaky breaths escaping him as his own fears slowly fell away.

Nothing was said, not a word as we held each other there for what seemed like a lifetime. In that moment, absolutely nothing else mattered. In that moment, all I knew was love.