Chapter 6: The Fall Of Dar-Nuth
Tolkien owns all characters and places
"ORCS ORCS ORCS!" Selvie screamed as he ran down into the newly finished Gel-Thak. Dar-Nuth turned and ran up to him tossing him his sword and shield. Dar-Nuth stood six feet tall with broad shoulders and long golden-laced sword and shield.
"How many Selvie?"
"Hundreds maybe a thousand…"
"A thousand Strong…We have only two hundred here.."
"I know Dar-Nuth…Should we flee?"
"No…Menglar! A thousand are coming…."
Dar-Nuth said turning to Menglar who had just now walked out of one of the newly dug tunnels. Menglar wore Black armor and a long red cape. He unsheathed his long black sword. "Very well. Captain Dar-Nuth, ready the men." Menglar said as he smiled at Dar-Nuth. "You heard him men! Grab your spears and get into the walls!" Most of the tall elven soldiers grabbed spears and ran behind the walls. "Remember if we should fall here..Do not leave those walls lock the door from the inside." Dar-Nuth commanded. The rest of the elven soldiers had tall armor with long two sided swords. "Stand ready men!" Menglar yelled. Dar-Nuth, Menglar, Selvie, and a handful of elven soldiers stood in the Gel-Thak as orcs charged down the hall. The orcs saw only there next meal closer and closer with each step. "Wait for it!….NOW!" Dar-Nuth shouted as about 90 spears came through holes big enough to stick a spear through on both walls. The 180 spears tore into the orcs unarmored sides and just as fast as the spears had gone out they came in and the orcs bodies hit the floor. More and more orcs came charging down the long less and less dieing by the spears each run. Some orcs used their shields to block one side just to be stabbed in the other or in the back. Others picked up two dead orcs on each side and used their bodies as shields. Thirty orcs using these methods charged into the main hall. "CHARGE!" Dar-Nuth and Menglar shouted. Dar-Nuth brought his shield up to his chest blocking the orcs spear and brought his sword down boring it into the orcs skull. He put his foot on its shoulder and yanked his sword out and swung it around cutting another orc in half. Menglar swung his one handed sword with two hands. It was his theory this gave better control and speed and so a shield wasn't necessary. He cut down two orcs with one swift stride of his sword at head level. Selvie threw his shield into one orcs throat killing it instantly. He then drew his elven short sword. An orc swung his sword waist level at Selvie. Selvie blocked with his long sword and jabbed his short sword into the orcs throat. Most of the orcs fell within moments of entering the room. Several elven soldiers fell as well. "There are just to many of them!" Selvie said blocking and slashing with his two swords. "Hold on they are almost spent!" Dar-Nuth said throwing his shield as well knocking over two orcs. He ran up to the first one and swung his sword in a downward arc killing it, raised his sword up again and bore it down into the second orcs chest. Dar-Nuth looked over at the hall. It was filled with bodies so high up the orcs had to pull their dead out of the hall so they could get through just to be killed themselves. Dar-Nuth smiled, There couldn't be very many more. He unsheathed his elven short sword. It was Silver and the handle was made of a smooth wood laced with gold. Dar-Nuth looked around the room to see he and Menglar and Selvie were the only ones left. However the floor was littered with orc corpses. He could barely see the floor! "So much death…Why do they keep coming…What did we ever do to them?" Selvie spoke as he looked up and meet eyes with Dar-Nuth. "Look out!" Dar-Nuth shouted. But it was to late. An orc brought his sword down onto Selvie's Right shoulder pad with such force it pulled him straight to the ground as it peeled through his armor like butter. "Selvie NO!" Dar-Nuth shouted as he ran for the orc. Menglar turned to see Dar-Nuth running for the orc as it raised it sword up. Menglar began to run for the orc as well. The orc smiled as it began to bring its sword down to finish Selvie. The sword stopped in mid air as Dar-Nuth's short and long sword crossed stopping the sword. Menglar brought his sword across the orcs back slicing it clean in half. The two-orc pieces hit the ground. "Dar-Nuth the hall! You must hold it I will tend to Selvie!" Menglar shouted. Dar-Nuth hesitated for a moment turned and ran back to the entrance slicing down the orcs that had been lucky enough to get to the end of the tunnel. "Selvie…I will put you in the Spear wall." Menglar spoke as he tried to pick him. Selvie screamed as he did. "Don't!" Selvie managed. "I want to help you fight….Give me that bow….And the arrows…" Menglar grabbed the bow and the arrows and handed them to Selvie. "Here…Stay back and stay safe." Menglar smiled at him, grabbed his sword and ran over to help Dar-Nuth. Selvie put the arrow and the string in his right fingers and pulled the bow forward with his left arm. He released the arrow and watched it fly across the room into an orcs throat. The orc grabbed at the arrow fell over and died. "This is pretty easy." Selvie said thinking out loud. "Their! The orc lines come to an end!" Menglar shouted aloud drowning out all the screams. "How can you tell!" Dar-Nuth shouted. "I can see the light from the surface again!" Menglar yelled with a small laughter.
Their moment of happiness was cut short as the light was once again cut off. By the "artillery" of their battle force. "No one said anything about that…" Menglar said slicing down another orc. "That is not possible….I didn't see that before…" Selvie shouted from behind them. The tunnel was filled with a different kind of light. That from the flaming skin of a Balrog. "A Balrog!" Dar-Nuth shouted. "Hold your spears!" Dar-Nuth shouted. "What are you doing?" Menglar yelled. "If the Balrog sees that it is being attacked by enemy's hiding in the walls it will crush the walls…and all over our men." Dar-Nuth quickly explained as he spun his sword around him into the throat of an orc. The Balrog pushed itself down the cramped hall. Its shoulders touched both walls and scorched the solid stonewalls. The orcs pushed their way into the room, being rushed by the beast made of fire. Several orcs pushed there way past Dar-Nuth, less concerned with him than they were with the Balrog, past Dar-Nuth and Menglar. The first two fell as one arrow went from Selvie's bow through both of their throats. Dar-Nuth spun a full circle with his sword out cutting down several of them. Finally the last orc came into the room and fell as soon as he entered. Dar-Nuth and Menglar took a step back as Selvie slung two arrows. The Balrog stepped into the room and shook off the cramped feeling and spread its wings and closed them again. The balrog pulled at its side and with a quick flick revealed its fiery whip. Selvie released his two arrows as they bored themselves into its chest. The balrog let out a terrible cry and flinched in pain. It flicked its whip and slung it around Selvie's foot and threw him into a wall across the room. Selvie did not move nor try to recover. "NO!" Menglar and Dar-Nuth Shouted together. The both raised their swords and charged. It swung its left claw at Menglar as he ducked and jammed his sword up into the beast's ribs. It cried out and pulled its left claw backs again and hit him with the back of his hand. Menglar hit the wall with a thump and got back up, grabbed his sword and charged back to the beast. The Balrog turned to Dar-Nuth and rose up its whip and brought it down toward to Dar-Nuth's head as he raised his right arm, which held his long sword, to block it. The fiery tendrils of the whip wrapped around the sword as the two pulled for it. Dar-Nuth swung his short sword up slicing the Balrogs wrist. It screamed with a howl that shook the room as it dropped the fiery whip. Menglar Jammed his sword into the Balrogs back and pulled it back out again before the Balrog could counter. It arced back and screamed; Spun around and batted Menglar again, this time into the ground. He slowly recovered as the Balrog turned back to Dar-Nuth. The Balrog put its hand together as a spike of fire rose from its left wrist. The fiery sword was attached to its wrist and about four feet long. It swung down its sword as Dar-Nuth crossed his swords to block it. The force of the blow knocked Dar-Nuth back onto the ground. The Balrog quickly ran over to Dar-Nuth and rammed its sword into his stomach. Dar-Nuth screamed in pain as the fire sword pierced his right side and burned shut the wound instantly. Dar-Nuth part smiled as he grabbed his short sword and jammed it into the Balrogs throat. The Balrog went to grab it but was to slow. It tried to scream stumbled back ward and fell onto its back as its fire disappeared. Menglar ran over to Dar-Nuth and looked at his side. "…I wont lie to you..The only reason you are still alive is because the fire sealed your wounds." Menglar spoke softly sitting down next to Dar-Nuth. Dar-Nuth stared up at the ceiling and finally spoke. "I want my son…to have my…Sword…and the one that I slayed the Beast with……Take care of him….Good bye my friend." Dar-Nuth spoke his last and drifted away. "Damn You…." Menglar screamed.
"That is how your father died Darenth." Menglar spoke. He looked up at Darenth whose eyes were tearing up as he tried to hide it. "We hunted the orcs who fled for three days…until we came upon them and slaughtered them in the nights cover." Menglar said with a small smirk on his face. Darenth looked up as if he was about to speak but was cut off by Menglar. "Now Darenth Son Of Dar-Nuth Former Captain of Fel-Dunel I give you the sword of your father." Menglar said as he stood and turned to face his throne of wood and golden lace. Darenth now noticed something he had not noticed before a sword with no sheath. The branches that held the sword in place began to move and lifted the sword up and glided it down to Menglar's hand. Menglar took the sword with two hands and turned to Darenth. Darenth looked down at his sword, which he had made, and fitted into his father's sheath. "Darenth Son Of Dar-Nuth I give you your fathers sword…I just wish I had the knife that had slain the Balrog. It was lost being sent to you." Menglar said as he handed Darenth the sword. Darenth unsheathed his sword and handed it to Algale. He took the sword from Menglar and sheathed it…It was a perfect fit. "Oh by the way Lord Menglar…Were you talking about this short sword?" Darenth said pushing his cloak aside and unsheathing the short sword. Menglar's eyes widened as he gazed his eyes once again upon the curved hand made elven blade know as Giliath. "I can't believe it… The blade…Star…." Menglar said in utter astonishment. "Star?" Darenth said curiously. "Yes the word Giliath is its name which means star…it was forged at night only and was thought to carry the light of the stars themselves. Take it…It is yours to keep now." Menglar smiled and sat back into his throne. Darenth sheathed the "Star" blade and smiled back. "Now…" Menglar spoke with a more serious and professional tone. "If you want to stay here you will need a job…and I am going to assume you want to stay?" Menglar said with anticipation. Darenth nodded and Menglar continued.
"Very well,…Celenas!"
"Yes sir!"
"Your last amount of food was not enough so I am permanently assigning you a new member…Darenth."
"Very good sir."
Celenas looked at Darenth and nodded. "You start tomorrow I will have a guard show you to where your new living are will be." Menglar smiled and stood up. Shook Darenth's hand and sat back down. "Fels…Your are dismissed." Menglar said with a nod. Darenth did not move for a moment then realized that he was a Fel now to and followed them out. The Chamber was entirely empty accept for Menglar, King of Fel-Dunel. "So he has returned…and perhaps not a moment to soon." Menglar spoke quietly thinking out loud.
