Chapter Six
Back at Isengard, the Orcs had made great progress. They had uprooted a significant part of the surrounding woodlands and were now tunnelling deep underground where they continued to carry out their plans.
Atop the tower of Isengard, Chizuru Kagura could only watch N.E.S.T.S. carry out their new task from where she sat.
Just then, something caught her eye and the sorceress stretched her hand out to catch the small moth that was fluttering in the air around her, looking at it as it rested on her hand before whispering something to it and letting it fly into the night again.
Deep underground, the Orcs were making solid weapons and armoury for the army that they were to create.
K9999 stolled through the area, a twisted smile upon his face as he headed towards a particular area where Orcs were digging.
A few years ago, N.E.S.T.S. had created a powerful army, stronger than the Orcs that they had created many years ago. However, it seemed that such strong forces were not yet needed, so they stored their creations deep in the ground around the Isengard tower. But now that Orochi was in need of an army worth reckoning, K9999 could see no better time to unleash this new force than at the present.
He stood watching as one of the Orcs pulled one of the twisted bodies from the muddy ground, only to see it suddenly come to life and grab the surprised Orc by the throat. The rest of the Orcs behind K9999 couldn't help but wince or take a few steps back as the captured Orc's neck made a loud and sharp crack before going totally limp.
K9999's eyes sparkled with evil as he looked at one of N.E.S.T.S. latest creations, standing before him with a feral look in the glinting red eyes.
"Shingo?"
Sie Kensou knelt by his wounded friend as the group rested for a while, checking his temperature, aware that Shingo's dark brown eyes were already becoming clouded and sickly. "He going cold!"
"Is he going to die?" Bao looked at the Ranger who was checking the vegetation around them.
Strider turned to look at Bao. "He's passing into the Shadow World. If we cannot get him help in time, he will soon become a Wraith like the Nazgûl."
A piercing scream echoed around them, making them instinctively reach for the hilts of their weapons.
"They're close." Chris whispered, looking at the area around them, his hand never leaving the hilt of his sword.
"Kensou," Strider looked at him. "Do you know what the Athelas plant looks like?"
"Athelas?"
"Kingsfoil."
"That's a weed ain't it?" Bao interrupted.
"Bao, help me to look for some of it," Strider started searching the woods nearby. "It may help to slow the poisoning. Hurry!"
The Ranger was scanning the ground quickly. Shingo would die if they could not get help for him soon.
No.
He wouldn't die.
He would become an almost mindless slave, working for the Orochi.
It wasn't long before he found the plant he was looking for. There was a huge clump of it growing on the ground in front of him.
Strider set to work immediately, drawing a small dagger and cutting a sufficient size of the small weed from the large patch.
He was so intent on getting the Kingsfoil back to Shingo that he had not noticed that there was somebody else in the woods untill the sharp blade of a sword was pressed against his neck.
"What's this? A Ranger caught off his guard?" came a feminine voice from behind and K' immediately recognised who it was.
Shingo was drifting in and out of consciousness.
He wasn't entirely sure of what was happening to him - aside from the fact that he had been in a great deal of pain that had now subsided to numbness.
Other than that, he had no idea where he was, where everyone else was..
. And what that strange glow of light seemed to be coming from the right of where he lay.
"Shingo."
He turned now in the direction of the light, hearing a soft voice.
"My name is Kula Diamond. I've come to help you."
Kula Diamond. She was truly beautiful. But where did she come from?
"Shingo. Hear my voice. Come back to the light."
Shingo saw the light in front of him slowly disintergrate away and the pain was suddenly back making him grit his teeth.
Kula Diamond looked from Shingo to Strider as he used the sap from the Kingsfoil herbs to try and slow the poison in the wound to Shingo's shoulder, whilst the other three young Hobbits could only stare and watch.
"Who is she?" Bao whispered to Chris and Kensou.
"An Elf." Chris whispered back.
"He's fading," she said in a soft voice. "He's not going to last. We need to get him to Rivendale."
Strider nodded his head and lifted Shingo up, seting him upon Kula's white horse, ignoring the other boy's quaetions as to where they were taking Shingo.
"I've been looking for you for two days," she told him, speaking in her Elvish tongue so that only he could understand. "There are five Waithes behind you. I do not know where the other four are."
"Stay with the Hobbits," Strider whispered to her, using the same language. "I'll send horses for you."
"I'm the faster rider," Kula told the Ranger. "I'll take him."
"The road is too dangerous."
"If I can get across the river, the power of my people will protect him," she paused and then spoke again in English tongue, her hand over his. "I do not fear the Nazgûl."
Strider looked at her for a moment longer, holding her gaze, before helping her up onto her horse. "Ride hard, Kula. Do not look back."
She looked at him a moment longer before whispering words in Elvish to her horse, which then rode off into the woodlands, leaving the Ranger and the three remining Hobbits behind.
"What are you doing??" Kensou exclaimed as he ran up to Strider. "Those Ringwraiths are still out there!"
The Ranger did not reply. He could only hope that Kula could get Shingo some help on time.
It was day already and Kula's white horse was gallopping through the green fields and woodlands towards Rivendale.
Shingo's condition was worsening with every passing moment, giving her serious doubts as to whether she could reach Rivendale on time.
She was just riding through the middle of the woods when she could sense soomething and turned to her side to see one of the Nazgûl riding through trees alongside her. A glance in the other direction also told of another Ringwraith on the opposite side.
They had found her.
And worse, there were more than two of them.
All nine of the Nazgûl were pursuing her on horseback.
She whispered to her steed to go faster, guiding it through the trees and towards the river. If she could make it across, all would be safe.
The Ringwraiths were closing the distance bit by bit and she urged her horse to go that little more faster as she saw the river just coming into view ahead.
She halted her steed as she reached the other side of the river, turning to see the mounted Nazgûl on the opposide side of the bank. Would they dare to cross the river?
"Give up the halfling, She-Elf!" demanded one of the Ringwraiths, but Kula would not give in so easily.
"If you want him," she challenged, drawing her sword. "Come and claim him!"
On the opposite side of the bank, the nine Nazgûl also drew their swords as they all began to advance across the shallow river towards her.
Kula had been anticipating for this to happen and, under her breath, she began to chant something in Elvish tongue.
Suddenly, the levels of the waters began to rise and a great rushing sound came from the valley around the corner.
The nine Ringwraiths were in the middle of the river and all of them turned just in time to see an immense flood of water come charging down the valley. By that time, it was already too late for them to turn towards either side of the bank, and then they were all hit but the angry, foaming waters of the flood. The nine Nazgûl and their black stallions had all been washed away downstream by the time the waters subsided again along the river.
Kula would have felt truimph in her heart had she not seen Shingo suddenly pitch forwards, nearly falling from the horse.
"No!"
Catching him, she genltly lay him down on the ground as he wheezed and gasped for air like he was being severely strangled.
"Shingo, no! Don't give in!" she knew that her words were in vain as his breathing greatly slowed, becoming shallower before finally ceasing.
She had failed.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Back at Isengard, the Orcs had made great progress. They had uprooted a significant part of the surrounding woodlands and were now tunnelling deep underground where they continued to carry out their plans.
Atop the tower of Isengard, Chizuru Kagura could only watch N.E.S.T.S. carry out their new task from where she sat.
Just then, something caught her eye and the sorceress stretched her hand out to catch the small moth that was fluttering in the air around her, looking at it as it rested on her hand before whispering something to it and letting it fly into the night again.
Deep underground, the Orcs were making solid weapons and armoury for the army that they were to create.
K9999 stolled through the area, a twisted smile upon his face as he headed towards a particular area where Orcs were digging.
A few years ago, N.E.S.T.S. had created a powerful army, stronger than the Orcs that they had created many years ago. However, it seemed that such strong forces were not yet needed, so they stored their creations deep in the ground around the Isengard tower. But now that Orochi was in need of an army worth reckoning, K9999 could see no better time to unleash this new force than at the present.
He stood watching as one of the Orcs pulled one of the twisted bodies from the muddy ground, only to see it suddenly come to life and grab the surprised Orc by the throat. The rest of the Orcs behind K9999 couldn't help but wince or take a few steps back as the captured Orc's neck made a loud and sharp crack before going totally limp.
K9999's eyes sparkled with evil as he looked at one of N.E.S.T.S. latest creations, standing before him with a feral look in the glinting red eyes.
"Shingo?"
Sie Kensou knelt by his wounded friend as the group rested for a while, checking his temperature, aware that Shingo's dark brown eyes were already becoming clouded and sickly. "He going cold!"
"Is he going to die?" Bao looked at the Ranger who was checking the vegetation around them.
Strider turned to look at Bao. "He's passing into the Shadow World. If we cannot get him help in time, he will soon become a Wraith like the Nazgûl."
A piercing scream echoed around them, making them instinctively reach for the hilts of their weapons.
"They're close." Chris whispered, looking at the area around them, his hand never leaving the hilt of his sword.
"Kensou," Strider looked at him. "Do you know what the Athelas plant looks like?"
"Athelas?"
"Kingsfoil."
"That's a weed ain't it?" Bao interrupted.
"Bao, help me to look for some of it," Strider started searching the woods nearby. "It may help to slow the poisoning. Hurry!"
The Ranger was scanning the ground quickly. Shingo would die if they could not get help for him soon.
No.
He wouldn't die.
He would become an almost mindless slave, working for the Orochi.
It wasn't long before he found the plant he was looking for. There was a huge clump of it growing on the ground in front of him.
Strider set to work immediately, drawing a small dagger and cutting a sufficient size of the small weed from the large patch.
He was so intent on getting the Kingsfoil back to Shingo that he had not noticed that there was somebody else in the woods untill the sharp blade of a sword was pressed against his neck.
"What's this? A Ranger caught off his guard?" came a feminine voice from behind and K' immediately recognised who it was.
Shingo was drifting in and out of consciousness.
He wasn't entirely sure of what was happening to him - aside from the fact that he had been in a great deal of pain that had now subsided to numbness.
Other than that, he had no idea where he was, where everyone else was..
. And what that strange glow of light seemed to be coming from the right of where he lay.
"Shingo."
He turned now in the direction of the light, hearing a soft voice.
"My name is Kula Diamond. I've come to help you."
Kula Diamond. She was truly beautiful. But where did she come from?
"Shingo. Hear my voice. Come back to the light."
Shingo saw the light in front of him slowly disintergrate away and the pain was suddenly back making him grit his teeth.
Kula Diamond looked from Shingo to Strider as he used the sap from the Kingsfoil herbs to try and slow the poison in the wound to Shingo's shoulder, whilst the other three young Hobbits could only stare and watch.
"Who is she?" Bao whispered to Chris and Kensou.
"An Elf." Chris whispered back.
"He's fading," she said in a soft voice. "He's not going to last. We need to get him to Rivendale."
Strider nodded his head and lifted Shingo up, seting him upon Kula's white horse, ignoring the other boy's quaetions as to where they were taking Shingo.
"I've been looking for you for two days," she told him, speaking in her Elvish tongue so that only he could understand. "There are five Waithes behind you. I do not know where the other four are."
"Stay with the Hobbits," Strider whispered to her, using the same language. "I'll send horses for you."
"I'm the faster rider," Kula told the Ranger. "I'll take him."
"The road is too dangerous."
"If I can get across the river, the power of my people will protect him," she paused and then spoke again in English tongue, her hand over his. "I do not fear the Nazgûl."
Strider looked at her for a moment longer, holding her gaze, before helping her up onto her horse. "Ride hard, Kula. Do not look back."
She looked at him a moment longer before whispering words in Elvish to her horse, which then rode off into the woodlands, leaving the Ranger and the three remining Hobbits behind.
"What are you doing??" Kensou exclaimed as he ran up to Strider. "Those Ringwraiths are still out there!"
The Ranger did not reply. He could only hope that Kula could get Shingo some help on time.
It was day already and Kula's white horse was gallopping through the green fields and woodlands towards Rivendale.
Shingo's condition was worsening with every passing moment, giving her serious doubts as to whether she could reach Rivendale on time.
She was just riding through the middle of the woods when she could sense soomething and turned to her side to see one of the Nazgûl riding through trees alongside her. A glance in the other direction also told of another Ringwraith on the opposite side.
They had found her.
And worse, there were more than two of them.
All nine of the Nazgûl were pursuing her on horseback.
She whispered to her steed to go faster, guiding it through the trees and towards the river. If she could make it across, all would be safe.
The Ringwraiths were closing the distance bit by bit and she urged her horse to go that little more faster as she saw the river just coming into view ahead.
She halted her steed as she reached the other side of the river, turning to see the mounted Nazgûl on the opposide side of the bank. Would they dare to cross the river?
"Give up the halfling, She-Elf!" demanded one of the Ringwraiths, but Kula would not give in so easily.
"If you want him," she challenged, drawing her sword. "Come and claim him!"
On the opposite side of the bank, the nine Nazgûl also drew their swords as they all began to advance across the shallow river towards her.
Kula had been anticipating for this to happen and, under her breath, she began to chant something in Elvish tongue.
Suddenly, the levels of the waters began to rise and a great rushing sound came from the valley around the corner.
The nine Ringwraiths were in the middle of the river and all of them turned just in time to see an immense flood of water come charging down the valley. By that time, it was already too late for them to turn towards either side of the bank, and then they were all hit but the angry, foaming waters of the flood. The nine Nazgûl and their black stallions had all been washed away downstream by the time the waters subsided again along the river.
Kula would have felt truimph in her heart had she not seen Shingo suddenly pitch forwards, nearly falling from the horse.
"No!"
Catching him, she genltly lay him down on the ground as he wheezed and gasped for air like he was being severely strangled.
"Shingo, no! Don't give in!" she knew that her words were in vain as his breathing greatly slowed, becoming shallower before finally ceasing.
She had failed.
TO BE CONTINUED.