Chapter 26: Moria

The Fellowship made their way toward Moria. As they approached closer, Max spoke with awe, "…the walls… of Moria…

Reaching closer, the Fellowship approaches the walls, looking for the doors. Max announced, "Dwarf doors are invisible when closed."

"Yes, Max," said Tommy, "their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Dustin said to himself.

The Fellowship then walks next to a dark lake. Ethan accidentally steps in to the water, nearly falling.

Tommy approached the stone door. Two great trees framed it. He scrubs away dirt to find a pattern on the wall. "Now let's see... Ithildin," he said to himself, almost whispering, trying to read the inscriptions, "it mirrors only starlight… and moonlight."

The moon slowly came out…

And lit the inscriptions on the door. The writing was in Elvish. Tommy placed his hands on his hips in great surprise and curiousity.

Tommy reads. The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak 'friend'… and enter!"

"What do you suppose that means?" asked Hunter.

"Oh," answered Tommy, "it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open."

Tommy puts the tip of his staff on the door and spoke in Elvish, "Annon Edhellen edro hi ammen!"

But…

The doors didn't open. Tommy then tried raising his hands next, speaking in Dwarvish, "Fennas Nogothrim, lasto beth lammen!"

Again… nothing happened!

"Nothing's happened," said Blake.

Looking annoyed, Tommy tried to force the doors open… but to no avail.

"I once knew," stated Tommy, "every spell in all the tongues of Elves, Men, and Orcs."

"What are you going to do then?" asked Dustin.

Tommy angrily countered, "knock your head against these doors, Blake Bradley Took! And if that does not shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words."

Tommy continued to try again, forcing the doors open and speaking passwords for long, long minutes.

"Ando Eldarinwa…" he continued wearily, "a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa…"

Trent and Conner decide to let Bill, the pony, go home as they unloaded the supplies off of him.

"The mines are no place for a pony," stated Trent, "even one so brave as Bill."

"Bye, bye, Bill," said Conner.

"Go home, Bill," said Trent, letting the pony go. Conner looked sad to see Bill go.

"Don't worry Conner," said Trent, reassuring Conner, "he knows the way home."

Hunter throw the rocks into the lake. Blake was even more bored. He decided to throw rocks into the lake to pass the time. But Trent stopped him.

"Do not disturb the water," said Trent.

Tommy decided to give up as he spoke, "oh, it's useless!" He sat on a nearby rock, frustrated with trying to open the doors.

Ethan look at the inscription once more…

Movement began slowly and frighteningly in the lake as Ethan pondered the message…

"It's a riddle," Ethan realized.

Movement in the lake continued…

"'…Speak "friend"…and enter'. What's the elvish word for friend?" asked Ethan.

"Mellon," he answered quietly,

As they entered… Max started to boast to everyone about Moria's Dwarves.

"Soon, Master Elf," he announced, "you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves…"

Max continued his announcement, "…roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone…! "

Tommy then lit the tip of his staff, which had a crystal embedded on it, providing a glowing, bright light.

"…This, my friend," Max went on, "is the home of my cousin Damon, and they call it a mine… a mine!"

"This is no mine," interjected a speechless Shane, "…it's a tomb!"

Everyone couldn't believe it…

The wizard's light revealed a barrage of dead, rotted dwarf skeletons all over the mine, casting long shadows across the room, scaring and shocking them immensely. Some of the Fellowship members even cringed in great fear because of the dead Dwarves.

Max was the most shocked of all of them. "No…" he said, "…no… NNOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Dustin pulled an arrow out of one of the skeletons and looked at it. "Goblins!" he cried and threw it aside in disgust.

Aragorn, and Boromir pulled out their swords, ready to defend themselves. Gimli still cried in great shock.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan," said Boromir, "we should never have come here. "

Ethan and the hobbits were more than happy to leave as they started to walk backwards… out of the mine.

"Now, get out of here, get out!" Shane added his cry.

As they tried to leave… something grabbed Ethan…

…It was a long, snaking tentacle that came out of the water, pulling him down!

"Ethan!" the Hobbits cried out as the tentacle continued to pull him.

"Strider!" Conner cried out, calling for Trent's assistance.

Trent see the situation that Ethan is in.

"Help!" cried Ethan.

Sam, Blake, and Merry went out to help Ethan.

Conner hacks away at the tentacle, which made a difference.

"Get off him!" he yelled, "Strider!"

"Trent!" Hunter added.

The Hobbits were able to release Ethan from the tentacle and it went back into the water…

SPLOOSH!

…But even more tentacles came out in force, splashing out of the water, slapping the other Hobbits aside and grabbed Ethan again, by the leg. He is pulled out over the water… and into the air!

"No!" Blake

"Ethan!" Hunter cried out.

Dustin ran out onto the shore and shoots arrows. His arrows pierced some three-pronged tentacles that were wrapping themselves over Ethan's face…

"Strider!" Ethan cried out.

Aragorn, and Shane went to go out and fight the creature. The creature flung Ethan wildly in the air.

Trent and Shane cut some of the tentacles that were trying to catch them as well, making the creature cry in great pain…

Despite the Fellowship's efforts…

Ethan is lowered towards a gapping maw in the water, ringed by fangs. Set in a gilled face akin to some ancient kraken with wild, old eyes glistening fish-like from its head…

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!" Ethan screamed at the top of their lungs…

The head of the kraken frightened Ethan. It was ready to eat him. But…

With a last vestige of spirit…

Trent and Shane were able to cut more of the kraken's tentacles… releasing Ethan, and Shane catched him.

"Into the mines!" commanded Tommy.

"Dustin," called out Shane, holding Ethan.

They ran towards the gates as a huge tentacle uncoiled a hand-like appendage, snaking after them.

Dustin takes aim at the creature…

"Into the cave!" commanded Trent

Dustin then fired the arrow at the kraken. His arrow runs deep into the beast's right eye, and it recoiled for a moment with a roar… allowing the Fellowship to run into the mines.

"Run!" Trent cried out to everyone.

The creature then crawled up to the doors…

CRUSH…!

And used its tentacles to slam the doors shut, causing a ton of rocks and boulders to fall down from the roof of the passageway… blocking the entrance completely… entombing them inside the mine…