Chapter 8 a - The Battle for Freedom Part 1
Thanks to Teanna and Eve again :) - people are reviewing twice, Joy!
This is the last chapter...split into two - sorry, I was having huge problems with the ending. This story is subject to change, it is currently being beta read. I've uploaded to stop me from fiddling with it in the meantime.
"Archers!" The snarling beasts knelt down allowing the archers clear view of their collective targets. "Aim." The Orc archers drew their bows. "Fire" The sky was immediately filled with a shoal of arrows. They glided across the darkening sky and rained down on the enemy. The resistance crouched down as close to the ground as possible and held their long shields over their heads and the body of the man in front of them. The arrows bounced of the mithril defences, mostly. Those that could stood up and readied their own arrows. The resistance army's archers were mainly Elven. Their arrows soared through the sky with a much more deadly trajectory. Not one single arrow was wasted. They plunged into eye sockets, arms, necks, anywhere left vulnerable and unarmoured. Realising that if things continued in this fashion, Sauron's army would be decimated within hours, the Orc general gave the order to charge.
A terrifying scene of chaos ensued. The growling, slavering beasts roared in agreement, their bloodlust heightened to frenzy, they tore across the field ululating their own horrific battle cry in their own language.
"Duump u pushdug glob, skai!"
The resistance army stood still. Thousands of beings from of every race
of Middle Earth had united to fight the dark forces. They kept the advantage by picking off as many Orcs as possible with bows until the inevitable clash. Then, the blood flowed in torrents.
Boromir and Aragorn forced their way to the front, demonstrating their willingness to lead by example. Aragorn screaming at the top of his voice.
"We have the Dark Lady, she is here"
It had the desired effect on anyone within earshot. The fighting became more fervent. The information guaranteed victory in the resistance's eyes. Raising his giant sword he grunted with the immense effort of separating Orc heads from Orc bodies.
##############################################################
Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas and Elise left the raging war out on the battlefield and sought an entrance to the huge tower. Elise stood at the foot of the tower and glanced up. She couldn't see the top, just row upon row of dark grey stone bricks, neatly arranged. It looked pretty impenetrable.
Gandalf held his staff high above his head and closed his eyes.
"What's he doing?" Elise asked Legolas.
"He's seeking a weak spot in the walls, perhaps a secret entrance used by Sauron's servants."
Gandalf began to mutter to himself and walked alongside the tower's wall. He tapped his staff against the wall, at his head height, at regular intervals. The remainder of the group stayed put, watching carefully for any signs of their presence being discovered.
Gimli was becoming increasingly impatient. Finally, he threw down his axe in a blind fury.
"Argh, what folly is this? There is a war hither and yet hither we stand like trees!"
"Not all trees stay still Gimli," replied Legolas, almost nonchalantly. This further incensed the Dwarf.
"I have had enough of your smart tongue Elf! Long have I had to endure your incessant ramblings about how there is time for everything. I should have cleaved your head in two when I had the chance back in the Glittering Caves!"
"My dear Gimli, a fierce threat indeed, had I not already known you could barely reach my elbows!" Legolas smiled at Gimli, dissolving the tension in the air and causing him to chuckle.
Gandalf returned to see the inapposite scene. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Elise, who merely shrugged her shoulders in equal bewilderment. Gandalf shook his head and addressed the small group.
"I have found an entrance used by Sauron, to take secret deliveries I would guess. We will enter through it and set up everything we need. The sun will arrive soon. We have little time to waste.
The inside of the tower was even more ominous than its fearsome exterior. A black onyx type material lined the walls. Gothic furniture lay scattered here and there. They were barely seen in the flickering, dim light of the torches positioned high above their heads. Elise winced as each footfall they made rang out and declared their existence to the tower's occupants.
"We must pass unnoticed," hissed Legolas.
"Hmph, easy for you to say." Grumbled Gimli.
"Why? Don't fairy's make any noise when they walk?" asked Elise, in all innocence.
"Elves!" Hissed Legolas, growing annoyed.
"That's what I said!" Elise retorted, wondering what all the hostility was about.
They reached a huge pair of ebony double doors that were decorated with intricate carvings. They depicted explicit scenes of torture and oppression. Legolas narrowed his eyes in disgust as he took in the vivid illustrations of people being mutilated, watched by overjoyed Orcs.
Gandalf pushed these doors open, which creaked more loudly than a pneumatic drill in a tunnel, Elise thought. The open doors led to a large chamber with small windows lining one side of the curved wall.
Gandalf strode over to the window. "East facing, perfect." He began to busy himself, pulling various tools out of his robe pockets. He knelt down and began to draw a shape on the stone floor. Legolas helped him.
Gimli, agitated once more, made his way over to the door, he looked like he was wishing for the enemy to arrive so that he could have something to do.
Elise looked out of the window, she could see the sea of men and creatures locked in battle. She looked up at the sky, a band of blackness was being pushed upwards by a band of navy in the distance.
"The sun is beginning to rise." She called out.
Her announcement led to a flurry of activity as Gandalf and Legolas hurried to finish their diagram. Just then, Gimli pricked up.
"I hear the sound of feet." He growled. "Well let them come, Gimli is ready to blunt his axe on some Orc neck."
Legolas looked at Gandalf, who nodded his permission and covered the room in a few long strides to join the dwarf. He drew both his short swords in readiness for the attack. Elise slinked off into the corner, deciding that a lack of weapons or bloodlust was a distinct disadvantage in her current situation.
It wasn't long before an Orc poked its head around the open door, searching for the source of the earlier commotion. It was promptly lopped off by Gimli's axe. The body and head fell to the floor, spilling dark blood in a slow, warm puddle. The next Orc entered, losing his footing slightly on the spilt blood. Legolas brought both of his swords down in a criss cross motion across its front. The Orc stared dumbfounded as its entrails began to pour out of its body.
Three more Orcs joined the scuffle and were very quickly and silently despatched.
A voice called from the back of the room. "It is time."
Legolas closed the door and leapt over the strewn Orc corpses towards Elise. He took hold of her hand and led her towards the shape. Two circles overlapped each other, one filled in white the other left dark, the same colour as the stone that it was drawn on. A larger circle surrounded the drawing.
Gandalf began to chant, Legolas joined him. They repeated the same phrase again and again. The sun broke through the clouds and began to stream through the windows into the room. As soon as the golden rays touched the diagram, it began to smoulder. Suddenly, brilliant blue flames rose from the floor following the shape of the larger circle.
Legolas had to shout to be heard over the roar of the fire. "All you have to do is get in," he cried.
Elise chose this very moment to practice selective deafness, jamming a finger in her ear, she wiggled it vigorously. "Excuse me, what did you say?"
Legolas was about to repeat himself when the doors exploded open. The force knocked the room's occupants to the floor, extinguishing the flames in the process.
"Your doom is nigh," boomed an incorporeal voice that rocked Elise to the core.
Thanks to Teanna and Eve again :) - people are reviewing twice, Joy!
This is the last chapter...split into two - sorry, I was having huge problems with the ending. This story is subject to change, it is currently being beta read. I've uploaded to stop me from fiddling with it in the meantime.
"Archers!" The snarling beasts knelt down allowing the archers clear view of their collective targets. "Aim." The Orc archers drew their bows. "Fire" The sky was immediately filled with a shoal of arrows. They glided across the darkening sky and rained down on the enemy. The resistance crouched down as close to the ground as possible and held their long shields over their heads and the body of the man in front of them. The arrows bounced of the mithril defences, mostly. Those that could stood up and readied their own arrows. The resistance army's archers were mainly Elven. Their arrows soared through the sky with a much more deadly trajectory. Not one single arrow was wasted. They plunged into eye sockets, arms, necks, anywhere left vulnerable and unarmoured. Realising that if things continued in this fashion, Sauron's army would be decimated within hours, the Orc general gave the order to charge.
A terrifying scene of chaos ensued. The growling, slavering beasts roared in agreement, their bloodlust heightened to frenzy, they tore across the field ululating their own horrific battle cry in their own language.
"Duump u pushdug glob, skai!"
The resistance army stood still. Thousands of beings from of every race
of Middle Earth had united to fight the dark forces. They kept the advantage by picking off as many Orcs as possible with bows until the inevitable clash. Then, the blood flowed in torrents.
Boromir and Aragorn forced their way to the front, demonstrating their willingness to lead by example. Aragorn screaming at the top of his voice.
"We have the Dark Lady, she is here"
It had the desired effect on anyone within earshot. The fighting became more fervent. The information guaranteed victory in the resistance's eyes. Raising his giant sword he grunted with the immense effort of separating Orc heads from Orc bodies.
##############################################################
Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas and Elise left the raging war out on the battlefield and sought an entrance to the huge tower. Elise stood at the foot of the tower and glanced up. She couldn't see the top, just row upon row of dark grey stone bricks, neatly arranged. It looked pretty impenetrable.
Gandalf held his staff high above his head and closed his eyes.
"What's he doing?" Elise asked Legolas.
"He's seeking a weak spot in the walls, perhaps a secret entrance used by Sauron's servants."
Gandalf began to mutter to himself and walked alongside the tower's wall. He tapped his staff against the wall, at his head height, at regular intervals. The remainder of the group stayed put, watching carefully for any signs of their presence being discovered.
Gimli was becoming increasingly impatient. Finally, he threw down his axe in a blind fury.
"Argh, what folly is this? There is a war hither and yet hither we stand like trees!"
"Not all trees stay still Gimli," replied Legolas, almost nonchalantly. This further incensed the Dwarf.
"I have had enough of your smart tongue Elf! Long have I had to endure your incessant ramblings about how there is time for everything. I should have cleaved your head in two when I had the chance back in the Glittering Caves!"
"My dear Gimli, a fierce threat indeed, had I not already known you could barely reach my elbows!" Legolas smiled at Gimli, dissolving the tension in the air and causing him to chuckle.
Gandalf returned to see the inapposite scene. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Elise, who merely shrugged her shoulders in equal bewilderment. Gandalf shook his head and addressed the small group.
"I have found an entrance used by Sauron, to take secret deliveries I would guess. We will enter through it and set up everything we need. The sun will arrive soon. We have little time to waste.
The inside of the tower was even more ominous than its fearsome exterior. A black onyx type material lined the walls. Gothic furniture lay scattered here and there. They were barely seen in the flickering, dim light of the torches positioned high above their heads. Elise winced as each footfall they made rang out and declared their existence to the tower's occupants.
"We must pass unnoticed," hissed Legolas.
"Hmph, easy for you to say." Grumbled Gimli.
"Why? Don't fairy's make any noise when they walk?" asked Elise, in all innocence.
"Elves!" Hissed Legolas, growing annoyed.
"That's what I said!" Elise retorted, wondering what all the hostility was about.
They reached a huge pair of ebony double doors that were decorated with intricate carvings. They depicted explicit scenes of torture and oppression. Legolas narrowed his eyes in disgust as he took in the vivid illustrations of people being mutilated, watched by overjoyed Orcs.
Gandalf pushed these doors open, which creaked more loudly than a pneumatic drill in a tunnel, Elise thought. The open doors led to a large chamber with small windows lining one side of the curved wall.
Gandalf strode over to the window. "East facing, perfect." He began to busy himself, pulling various tools out of his robe pockets. He knelt down and began to draw a shape on the stone floor. Legolas helped him.
Gimli, agitated once more, made his way over to the door, he looked like he was wishing for the enemy to arrive so that he could have something to do.
Elise looked out of the window, she could see the sea of men and creatures locked in battle. She looked up at the sky, a band of blackness was being pushed upwards by a band of navy in the distance.
"The sun is beginning to rise." She called out.
Her announcement led to a flurry of activity as Gandalf and Legolas hurried to finish their diagram. Just then, Gimli pricked up.
"I hear the sound of feet." He growled. "Well let them come, Gimli is ready to blunt his axe on some Orc neck."
Legolas looked at Gandalf, who nodded his permission and covered the room in a few long strides to join the dwarf. He drew both his short swords in readiness for the attack. Elise slinked off into the corner, deciding that a lack of weapons or bloodlust was a distinct disadvantage in her current situation.
It wasn't long before an Orc poked its head around the open door, searching for the source of the earlier commotion. It was promptly lopped off by Gimli's axe. The body and head fell to the floor, spilling dark blood in a slow, warm puddle. The next Orc entered, losing his footing slightly on the spilt blood. Legolas brought both of his swords down in a criss cross motion across its front. The Orc stared dumbfounded as its entrails began to pour out of its body.
Three more Orcs joined the scuffle and were very quickly and silently despatched.
A voice called from the back of the room. "It is time."
Legolas closed the door and leapt over the strewn Orc corpses towards Elise. He took hold of her hand and led her towards the shape. Two circles overlapped each other, one filled in white the other left dark, the same colour as the stone that it was drawn on. A larger circle surrounded the drawing.
Gandalf began to chant, Legolas joined him. They repeated the same phrase again and again. The sun broke through the clouds and began to stream through the windows into the room. As soon as the golden rays touched the diagram, it began to smoulder. Suddenly, brilliant blue flames rose from the floor following the shape of the larger circle.
Legolas had to shout to be heard over the roar of the fire. "All you have to do is get in," he cried.
Elise chose this very moment to practice selective deafness, jamming a finger in her ear, she wiggled it vigorously. "Excuse me, what did you say?"
Legolas was about to repeat himself when the doors exploded open. The force knocked the room's occupants to the floor, extinguishing the flames in the process.
"Your doom is nigh," boomed an incorporeal voice that rocked Elise to the core.