Chapter 29: The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm

But their celebration was about to be cut short…

They heard more loud noises coming. More Orcs are approaching!

"To the bridge of Khazad-dûm!" commanded Tommy…

The Fellowship began running out of the tomb, through the giant cavern, following Tommy's lead. Greater numbers of Orcs were right behind them. And if that wasn't all…

More Orcs sprang out of the cracks, numbering in thousands of creatures, both on the floor and on top of the ceiling…

The creatures crawled down the grandiose pillars like a swarm of spiders. The number of Orcs kept growing… and growing… and growing… until the Orcs became overwhelming for everyone,

Despite this, the Fellowship kept running throughout the cavern…

But alas… the Orcs came in front of the Fellowship… cutting them off from getting to the bridge. The swarming number of Orcs instantly surrounded the Fellowship. The Orcs and Goblins growled at the Fellowship, crying out for their blood. Blake swallowed a gulp in fear. Everyone had their weapons at the ready… awaiting the final battle…

"Grr!" Max growled in anticipation…

As they all were ready to fight…

GGGRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

There came a loud, thunderous roar in the distance and the Orcs began to scatter away from the Fellowship…

Max cried out in great triumph, knowing that the Orcs ran away…

But the others knew that it was more trouble that was coming. The cavern was completely clear again, awaiting this new challenge…

The Fellowship then saw an incoming, fiery-red light, which lightens up the vast, high-towering caverns…

"What," asked Shane, "is this new devilry?"

A few moments of frightening silence began passing between the Fellowship…

Tommy was concentrating…

Trent, and the rest of the Fellowship wait in surprise, as well as horror… to find out what this new threat is…

Tommy… after a few, frightening moments of meditating… slowly opened his eyes as the roar became louder… and louder…

GGRRRRRRRRRRR!

That growl made most of the Fellowship, tremble in great fear and horror…

"…A Balrog," Tommy announced quietly, also in great shock and horror…

"…A demon of the ancient world…" Gandalf answered, maintaining his horrified behavior…

GGRRRRRRRRR!

The frightening roars became even louder as the horrifying fiery light got closer… and closer towards them, making them fear this inhuman creature…

"This foe is beyond any of you… RUN!" Tommy commanded.

The Fellowship ran towards a passageway. Tommy let the others pass before him. Shane… while in the front… runs abruptly toward the edge of the path, dropped his torch… and teetered very dangerously on the edge of a very long drop. Dustin pulled Shane back from the edge to keep him from falling.

The others reached up to them, one by one, stopping at the edge of the path where Boromir almost fell.

Trent, and Tommy were the last ones through.

Trent tended to Tommy. "Tommy," he said.

"…Lead them on, Trent," said Tommy, "…the bridge is near."

The wizard pointed to the stone bridge, just ahead of him. Trent wanted to go and fight the creature… but Tommy pushed him back.

"Do as I say!" cried Tommy, "…swords are no more use here."

The Fellowship began running down the flight of endless staircases, trying to evade the Balrog. And as they continued going downstairs… they reached a gap and stopped. Dustin jumped the gap first. The Balrog's roars became louder… and louder as Tommy looked back.

Dustin beckoned to Tommy, "Tommy!"

Using all of his strength… Tommy jumped the gap, as arrows started to whistle through the air, striking the stones at their feet.

As the arrows continued to whistle through the air, Trent and Dustin shoot back and hit a few Orcs, one of which… was shot in the head by Dustin and fell into the abyss.

"Hunter, Blake!" Shane cried out, grabbing the two Hobbits and jumped across, causing the edge to crumble.

More Orcs started to fire more arrows. And Dustin countered each of them…

Then Trent grabbed Conner, "Conner! He said as he tossed him over, Shane caught Conner.

Trent proceeded to toss Max next but he stopped him, holding up a hand.

"Nobody tosses a Dwarf," said Max.

The insistent Dwarf took a jump across the increased in size gap. He managed to land on the edge of the other side and nearly fell… but Dustin caught him by the beard, which Max didn't appreciate very much…

"Arg! Not the beard!" he called out reproachfully. Dustin managed to pull the Drawf onto the staircase from the chasm.

Only Ethan, and Trent were left to jump across. But that would be more difficult as more of the stone steps crumble and fall into the abyss.

They scramble back and struggle to their feet, looking at the widened gap that now is too far to Jump.

"Steady," Trent said to Ethan, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Despite the very large gap that lies before them, Trent was ready to try to jump the gap with Ethan… if he was ready to.

"Hold on!" Aragorn cried out to Frodo, preparing to jump…

CRUSH…!

The Balrog is heard approaching from the other hall, as its fiery light is seen, getting closer.

Stone structures around the mine begin to collapse. As the Balrog draws near…

A huge rock falls from the ceiling and smashes down the steps behind Trent and Ethan…

CRASH…!

Creating one more gap behind them and weakened the stairs' foundation. The stairs begin to wobble… increasing more despair into the rest of the Fellowship…

The stairs continued to wobble.

Ethan," said Trent, "hold on."

The two began to balance themselves… and the stairs…

The stairs were still about to fall…

"Lean forward," Trent commanded. They shifted their weight forward, tipping the stairs across the divide…

Everyone cried out to them, "come on."

And then…

BAMM!

The wobbling stairs slammed onto the steps where their companion, Ethan, and Trent leaped across to safety. Turning, the Fellowship kept running as the enormous section of the staircase… falls slowly into the abyss.

The Fellowship finally reached the end of the stairs, crossing onto the floor. Fire appeared behind them.

"Over the bridge," commanded Tommy, letting the others pass ahead of him, "…fly!"

as the Balrog began to emerge from the chasm behind him…

as the Balrog came out of the chasm and appeared standing right in front of Tommy… and roared very loudly, blowing strong gusts of the creature's hot breath at the wizard. Tommy then ran along with the rest of the Fellowship.

The Fellowship, seeing the Balrog chasing after them, ran towards and finally… starts to cross the bridge. Trent and Shane were in the lead, followed By Ethan, Hunter, Blake, Conner, Max, and Dustin...

Tommy, however, stopped at the center of the bridge to turn and face the Balrog with his staff and sword. Everyone gasped in shock.

"You cannot pass!" Tommy called out to the demon…

"Tommy!" cried Ethan.

A wave of flame spreads across the Balrog as it readied itself for battle with the wizard. Tommy began…

"I am the servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Arnor… "

He held out his staff as it illuminated the bridge. The Balrog then draws a flaming sword…

"…The dark fire shall not avail you, FLAME OF UDUN!"

Then the demon strikes his sword down at Tommy, but Tommy parried the blow with Glamdring, shattering the Balrog's sword.

"Arg!" growled Tommy.

Tommy continued his assault, "Go back to the shadow…!"

…The Balrog began to step forward, brandishing a flaming whip and lashed it about menacingly…

"YOU…" Tommy yelled as he raised his staff over his head, "…SHALL NOT… PASS…!"

CRACK!

Tommy slammed his staff on the bridge, releasing a flash of white light that drove the Balrog back a little. The wizard holds his own against the monster. As the Balrog tried to step forward…

…The Bridge gives way… dropping the Balrog slowly into the chasm…

Tommy, exhausted, leaned on his staff and watched the Balrog fall… then he turned around to follow the others, but…

The tail of the Balrog's whip caught Tommy's ankle and pulled him down, dangling very dangerously over the edge of the wrecked bridge.

Tommy clings onto the bridge but strained to keep his grip…

Ethan began to rush towards the wizard, but Shane restrained him.

"No, no!" Shane said to Ethan.

"Tommy!" Ethan cried out as he struggled against Shane…

Tommy continued to struggle on the edge, but then… he stopped to look at the faces of the shocked, frightened Fellowship… one last time…

"…Fly you fools!" said Tommy before letting himself lose his grip… and fell right into the chasm, following his enemy, deep into the abyss…

"…NNOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ethan screamed, with great anguish.

Trent looked with shocked, as well as saddened faces. as Shane carried Ethan with him…

"Trent!" Shane called as Ethan continued to scream in anguish of Gandalf's sacrifice…

Trent ran out to the exit together, dodging Orc arrows shooting at Him. He went up the stairs, following the others…

The Fellowship came streaming out of the East Gate of Moria, running as fast as they could… away from the Orcs…

Everyone was distraught over what happened to Tommy…

Conner sat on the ground, bowing his head onto his hands and began to weep greatly…

Shane tried to restrain Max as the Dwarf vents out his rage and sorrow…

Hunter consoled Blake, who lay crying on the ground….

Dustin wore a look of shock and disbelief…

Trent wiped his sword clean. "…Dustin," he said, "…get them up."

Shane objected, "give them a moment, for pity's sake!"

"By nightfall," Trent countered, "these hills will be swarming with Orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlorien."

Trent re-sheathed his sword as he ordered, "…come Shane, Dustin, Max, everyone… get them up!"

Trent went up to Conner and picked him off the ground.

"On your feet, Conner," Trent firmly said to the grieving Hobbit. Then he turned to Ethan, who was at a distance away from them… appearing to be leaving.

"Ethan!" Trent called out, "Ethan!"

Ethan stopped where he was.

Ethan was grieving alone as he slowly turned his head towards his companions… weeping silently.

Still grieving over the loss of Tommy, the Fellowship journeys toward the Woods of Lothlorien for protection. The Fellowship came across a very cold stream called Dimrill Dale. As they drew near towards the woods, Trent ran up onto a rock.