They approached the entrance doors to the mines of Moria, where an inky looking lake lay at their feet.

"Don't touch the water, no da," Chichiri said. So Tomo put a toe in the water.

Hotohori and Nuriko approached the doors first and tried to read the writing on the door. Unfortunately, they were only presenting the elves, and were not elves themselves. They could not read this writing.

"Chichiri, what does it say?" Hotohori asked.

"I don't know, no da," Chichiri said.

The seven all stood around, gazing at the doors, wondering what to do.

"You're the wizard," Tasuki finally said. "DO something."

Chichiri put his staff up to the door and muttered some spells. Nothing worked. They all sat on the ground, feeling rather defeated.

"I guess we just go South then," Nakago said.

"No!" Miboshi cried. "We can get in, I just know we can!"

Meanwhile, Tomo and Nuriko were playing a game.

"What comes to your mind when I say . . . apple?"

"Red."

"Purple?"

"Me."

"Pineapple?"

"Tropical things."

"Friend?"

"Bela."

Suddenly, the door creaked opened. Tasuki gave a shout for joy. Miboshi hurried inside, talking excitingly.

"There must be a thousand demons and cool creatures waiting down here for us!" he squealed. "Oh, I'm so glad the dwarves picked me! We're gonna have so much fun . . ."

"This ain't no mine," Tasuki growled, pulling out his fan which created fire for them all to see. "This is a freakin' graveyard!"

True, everywhere they looked they saw at their feet, bones and crushed skulls.

"Orcs!" Miboshi cried happily.

"Orcs?!" Nuriko cried.

"Back outside, everyone!" Hotohori cried, and the warriors backed out of the cave, as Hotohori continued to say, "We should have never come here!"

A long tentacle reached up out of the water and grabbed Tomo by the foot. The illusionist was taken high into the air, where he burst into sobs.

"Augh!!!"

"I told you not to touch the water, no da," Chichiri said.

Hotohori raced into the water and slashed off the tentacles of the giant squid monster that had suddenly appeared. Tomo dropped onto top of him, and hugged him tight.

"Geroff!" Hotohori cringed, and pulled him to the shore. They raced back into the cave, with the squid following them. Then, with a loud roar, the squid closed the door and locked them inside. They were trapped.

"Well," Hotohori said, as Tasuki got out some fire for them, "it looks like we ARE going through the mines after all. I hope you're happy, Miboshi."

"YESS!" he shouted, and the others hushed him down.

"You want them orc things finding us?!" Tasuki cried in a whisper. He knocked Miboshi on the head with his fan, his tessen, and the demonic child passed out. Once again, only Nakago would carry him as the others were truly hating the little demon for dragging them to the mines of Moria.

So, the warriors walked in silence and darkness, through the tunnels and steep stair ways of the mines. For three days they walked. One day, as they were resting, Nuriko noticed something moving far below them.

"Look at that, your majesty," he said to Hotohori. "Something's following us."

"Something has BEEN following us, no da," Chichiri said, cutting into the conversation. "I believe it also wants the Ring."

"I won't let him have it!" Hotohori said. "This Ring was said to be dangerous if it fell in the wrong hands. Do you know who the creature is, Chichiri?"

"Not a clue, no da," Chichiri answered.

"Oh, Hotohori," Nuriko squealed. "I'm scared." He huddled up to Hotohori.

"Don't be," Hotohori said, edging a bit away from Nuriko. "Be a man, Nuriko. Look at the thing. It's small and absolutely horrid looking. I can't bare to look at it any longer."

"Can we eat it?" Nakago asked.

"No!"

Suddenly, Chichiri stood up, sniffing the air. "Let's go this way," he said, pointing towards a tunnel with a stair case leading down. "The air doesn't smell too foul down here, no da. We've been resting for quite some time, now, and I think we ought to start moving."

The seven got to their feet, and followed Chichiri down the stairs. Tasuki walked ahead with him, holding up his firey fan, lighting the way. The stairs led to a magnificent hall, which towered over their heads. Everyone was in awe, except for Miboshi and Nakago. Miboshi jumped down from where he had been ridding Nakago's back, piggy-back style, and ran into a room nearby.

"Miboshi!" Chichiri cried, and they all followed him.

"Look at the death!" Miboshi cried. "Poor dwarves . . . but my turn has come!"

Chichiri looked over a large tombstone in the middle of the room, and several bodies covered in dust sitting about. Tomo grabbed a large book out of the hands of one, and both he and Chichiri tried to read the confusing text. They were arguing, and no one noticed Nakago walk back to a well in the far left corner of the room, where he laughed to himself at the corpse sitting on the ledge, then prodded and poked the corpse. He must have prodded and poked too hard, though, and the corpse came tumbling down the well with a heavy crash.

Everyone's head snapped up, listening to the echo of the corpse as it fell down the well.

Chichiri snapped the book shut. "Fool of a general! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidy!"

Nakago just laughed.

Suddenly, something like the sound of drums were heard in the distance, and Tasuki ran to the doors, getting ready to close them. An arrow whizzed by him and he shut the door, saying, "It's them. It's gotta be . . . them orc things! A billion of them!"

"YESS!" Miboshi shouted. "The fun part has finally come! Thank you, Nakago!"

"My pleasure," Nakago said, smirking.

So, the seven poised themselves for an attack, putting up their weapons, facing the doors, waiting for the orcs to come.