Chapter Three. Smash down the Light
Aragorn opened his eyes, but there was nothing but blackness... with a moan he sat up, there was pain, and it felt so strange to feel pain... the fields of Pelennor lay before him. Still covered in rubble, and death... where... are the others... a cry came from his throat, weak... so weak... the Fellbeast beside him was not his, but it watched over him still. It creened, lowering its foul head in submission. He stared at it stunned, no...no more memories!!! "NO MORE!!!" the world fragmented, exploding like dropped glass. But the last thing to be seen before the image faded, himself, striding across the field. "Gandalf!! I am holding out! Can you still hear me?! Can you answer me?!"
The speed of the wind threatened to shred them from the form bellow them, every pair of knuckles was white. Still there was nothing to see before them but clouds, and rain. Gandalf closed his eyes, the rain had sprung up so suddenly... "Gandalf!! There they are!!" they plummeted, as a cry echoed before them. "Gandalf... Pippins wide eyes turned to the wizards. "...There are more of them..." Indeed, where there had only been one now their were five. One took the lead, screaming at them before sweeping to the ground. "There!! Go after the one with Gimli, and burn the others with your fire!" The Dragon lord complied, hissing deep in the back of his throat, but his eyes were full of laughter. The riders scattered, flying around them like ravens, and Gandalf watched the deadly blades emerge. Who knew what they would do, without dark power behind them. Gandalf knew well enough that the strength of that blade came from its user, but also from within.
They shrieked and moved in, the fellowship armed themselves quickly. "Remember!! Strike at their mounts!!" Legolas set lose his arrows, many should have struck, but the dragon's wings were still in motion, and blocked the arrows, which bounced of harmlessly. "I cannot hit them with this going on!! Mithrandir! We must land!!" Gandalf hefted his staff aloft, bright light flashed forth and the Nazgul drew back crying. The Dragon squinted, growling his displeasure as he pulled in a deep breath, the fires heat radiated threw the air, and both riders and the fellowship cried out. The fellbeasts avoided it however, and their riders changed tactics, quickly the dark company vanished bellow the clouds again. And swiftly the dragon plummeted after them. A thin whistle like sound was getting louder as they went down, Gandalf's eyes grew wide, "No... Anantaboga!! pull up!! Pull up!!!" but too late, the blades sang as they flew out of the clouds, tearing at the great beast throat and face. A roar of pain, one blade had sunken deep under the flap of the throat. There the scales had been to thin to ward of such weaponry.
The dragon reared its head back, crying out, the wings folded and the dying lord fell to the earth. Faramir turned to Gandalf, the wizard did not look at him. "Everyone, jump!!" The steward nodded, grabbing pippin and merry as he jumped, keeping them with him, Legolas followed, eyes wide, but they trusted Gandalf. The water bellow surprised them all, they came to the surface, gasping an coughing. A splash a distance of signaled the end of the great dragons fall. The fellowship swam to the shore, "Tis an oddity!! There is no river here!!" Legolas looked around and paled, "No, but there was a great crevice... they stared in shock at the great canyon walls around them, from the far end a waterfall of dark water, muddy and brown crashed against chipped pieces of earth. "We are... inside the crevice before Mordor?! Merry Pippen, are you well?" both hobbits nodded at Faramir, not far off Gandalf pulled himself out of the water and onto the small bank. "Is everyone all right? Good." The wizard handed his staff to Faramir, then plunged back in, swimming up toward the waterfall, and the great form sprawled before it.
The dragons eyes were glazing, his breaths weak and far apart. The water rippled gently with his heaving sides, and a trail of red was spreading from around his throat. The proud beasts body, smashed upon the rocks... "Mith... ah...Mithran... ..." Gandalf reached out, his hands laying gently on the great beasts face. "Anantaboga the White, I release you from your servitude, as one who was considered family to Elrond of Rivendell. You have fulfilled your oath, be at peace..." The eyes cleared for a moment, a deep breath, "Free... free at last... and all it cost me... my life..." eyes of amber shut, the straining sides ceased to fight. A short breath, the Dragon lord lay still.
Gandalf bowed his head, "So passes Anantaboge the White, heir of Ancalagon the Black, guardian of Rivendell, and the city of Minis Tirith." And the water was red...
...The river flowed red.
Aragorn opened his eyes, but there was nothing but blackness... with a moan he sat up, there was pain, and it felt so strange to feel pain... the fields of Pelennor lay before him. Still covered in rubble, and death... where... are the others... a cry came from his throat, weak... so weak... the Fellbeast beside him was not his, but it watched over him still. It creened, lowering its foul head in submission. He stared at it stunned, no...no more memories!!! "NO MORE!!!" the world fragmented, exploding like dropped glass. But the last thing to be seen before the image faded, himself, striding across the field. "Gandalf!! I am holding out! Can you still hear me?! Can you answer me?!"
The speed of the wind threatened to shred them from the form bellow them, every pair of knuckles was white. Still there was nothing to see before them but clouds, and rain. Gandalf closed his eyes, the rain had sprung up so suddenly... "Gandalf!! There they are!!" they plummeted, as a cry echoed before them. "Gandalf... Pippins wide eyes turned to the wizards. "...There are more of them..." Indeed, where there had only been one now their were five. One took the lead, screaming at them before sweeping to the ground. "There!! Go after the one with Gimli, and burn the others with your fire!" The Dragon lord complied, hissing deep in the back of his throat, but his eyes were full of laughter. The riders scattered, flying around them like ravens, and Gandalf watched the deadly blades emerge. Who knew what they would do, without dark power behind them. Gandalf knew well enough that the strength of that blade came from its user, but also from within.
They shrieked and moved in, the fellowship armed themselves quickly. "Remember!! Strike at their mounts!!" Legolas set lose his arrows, many should have struck, but the dragon's wings were still in motion, and blocked the arrows, which bounced of harmlessly. "I cannot hit them with this going on!! Mithrandir! We must land!!" Gandalf hefted his staff aloft, bright light flashed forth and the Nazgul drew back crying. The Dragon squinted, growling his displeasure as he pulled in a deep breath, the fires heat radiated threw the air, and both riders and the fellowship cried out. The fellbeasts avoided it however, and their riders changed tactics, quickly the dark company vanished bellow the clouds again. And swiftly the dragon plummeted after them. A thin whistle like sound was getting louder as they went down, Gandalf's eyes grew wide, "No... Anantaboga!! pull up!! Pull up!!!" but too late, the blades sang as they flew out of the clouds, tearing at the great beast throat and face. A roar of pain, one blade had sunken deep under the flap of the throat. There the scales had been to thin to ward of such weaponry.
The dragon reared its head back, crying out, the wings folded and the dying lord fell to the earth. Faramir turned to Gandalf, the wizard did not look at him. "Everyone, jump!!" The steward nodded, grabbing pippin and merry as he jumped, keeping them with him, Legolas followed, eyes wide, but they trusted Gandalf. The water bellow surprised them all, they came to the surface, gasping an coughing. A splash a distance of signaled the end of the great dragons fall. The fellowship swam to the shore, "Tis an oddity!! There is no river here!!" Legolas looked around and paled, "No, but there was a great crevice... they stared in shock at the great canyon walls around them, from the far end a waterfall of dark water, muddy and brown crashed against chipped pieces of earth. "We are... inside the crevice before Mordor?! Merry Pippen, are you well?" both hobbits nodded at Faramir, not far off Gandalf pulled himself out of the water and onto the small bank. "Is everyone all right? Good." The wizard handed his staff to Faramir, then plunged back in, swimming up toward the waterfall, and the great form sprawled before it.
The dragons eyes were glazing, his breaths weak and far apart. The water rippled gently with his heaving sides, and a trail of red was spreading from around his throat. The proud beasts body, smashed upon the rocks... "Mith... ah...Mithran... ..." Gandalf reached out, his hands laying gently on the great beasts face. "Anantaboga the White, I release you from your servitude, as one who was considered family to Elrond of Rivendell. You have fulfilled your oath, be at peace..." The eyes cleared for a moment, a deep breath, "Free... free at last... and all it cost me... my life..." eyes of amber shut, the straining sides ceased to fight. A short breath, the Dragon lord lay still.
Gandalf bowed his head, "So passes Anantaboge the White, heir of Ancalagon the Black, guardian of Rivendell, and the city of Minis Tirith." And the water was red...
...The river flowed red.