Chapter 20: Reach the bridge of Khazad-dûm, Gandalf fights the Balrog
After the stabbing of Frodo by the Cavetroll, Merry, Pippin, and Carley continue to attack and stab the creature wildly. The Troll grabbed Merry and Carley and threw them off. Doug swiftly catches them both. Pippin, was the only one who continued his assault on top of the Troll…
Gandalf and Gimli fought the Troll head on. Larry then came in, using his axe to slash both of the troll's legs. The creature cried out in pain. Legolas aimed his arrow at the troll, hoping not to shoot Pippin. Pippin, then stabbed it again hard, making the troll lean back, screaming. Legolas and Doug shot their arrow…
SWOOP!
And hit the Troll through the mouth through the brain. The Troll then began to swoon… and swoon even more until…
The Troll slowly collapsed onto the ground… with a loud thud, throwing Pippin off of the monstrous creature.
Everyone looked at the dead creature. Lee finally regained consciousness… and immediately looked down, sadly at the creature.
'The giant creature's death,' thought Lee, with a sorrowful look on his face, 'was really unnecessary, that it was. Judging by how it was carried in chains by the Orcs, I could instantly tell that it was a slave, under their control… there could've been another way.'
As Lee continued to feel sorry for the creature… he looked to his side… and saw Frodo, lying dead on the ground.
"…Frodo!" Lee gasped.
Lee and the Fellowship then rushed over to Frodo. They saw for themselves that Frodo was very much dead. Larry, as usual, doesn't shed tears for the fallen… he never has.
Kenny cursed under his breath as he tightened his fists in anger. Katjaa hugged in Kenny's arms… as well as grief. Sam, Duck, Clementine, Lilly, Lee and Aragorn were the closest to him. Lee observed the dead Hobbit's body… without saying a word.
'…Frodo… Lee thought sadly, bowing his head in great grief, '…in the end… I couldn't even protect… an innocent Hobbit, that I could not.'
Lee, still wallowing in his grief… tightened his hands into fists, cursing his mistake.
"Oh no," said Aragorn in great shock.
As Aragorn started to roll Frodo over…
Frodo quickly sat up, panting for breath… he was still alive!
Lee quickly brought up his head and relaxed his hands. He hasn't failed to protect Frodo after all. The rest of the Fellowship lightened their expressions knowing that Frodo was still alive, after being stabbed.
"Don't you ever do that to us again Frodo," said a reproachful, but relieved Carley, as she smiled brightly.
"He's alive," said Sam in great relief.
"Thank goodness," added Duck.
"He's okay," added Clementine.
Lee and Lilly were especially and greatly relieved to know this.
"Heh," smirked Larry, "this little guy's more tougher than I thought if he could survive being stabbed by a spear."
Frodo placed his hand over the spot, where he was stabbed… but was miraculously unharmed by the troll's weapon.
"…I'm alright," said Frodo… continuing to gasp for breath, "…I'm not hurt."
"You should be dead," said a skeptical, but relieved Aragorn, "…that spear would've skewered a wild boar!"
"Indeed," interjected Lee, still puzzled by the Hobbit's survival, "…how is it… that you've survived, Frodo?"
"I think," opined Gandalf, "there is more to this Hobbit than meets the eye, Lee."
Frodo showed them the reason for his survival as he pulled open his shirt to reveal… a protective undershirt made of Mithril that Bilbo gave him. The sight of its presence astounded everyone. Sam felt how soft the material was as it gleamed brightly.
"What the heck is that?" asked Larry.
"…Its Mithril," answered Gimli in great awe.
'It seems that Frodo came prepared,' thought Mark with a grin.
"You are full of surprises, Master Baggins," Gimli added brightly.
"You sure are," Kenny also added brightly.
"You really are," Katjaa also added brightly
"We're Glad you're alive," Doug also added brightly.
But their celebration was about to be cut short…
They heard more loud noises coming. More Orcs are approaching!
"To the bridge of Khazad-dûm!" commanded Gandalf…
The Fellowship began running out of the tomb, through the giant cavern, following Gandalf's lead. Greater numbers of Orcs were right behind them. And if that wasn't all…
More Orcs sprang out of the cracks, numbering in thousands of creatures, both on the floor and on top of the ceiling…
The creatures crawled down the grandiose pillars like a swarm of spiders. The number of Orcs kept growing… and growing… and growing… until the Orcs became overwhelming for everyone, including a Lee, to handle. Despite this, the Fellowship kept running throughout the cavern…
But alas… the Orcs came in front of the Fellowship… cutting them off from getting to the bridge. The swarming number of Orcs instantly surrounded the Fellowship. The Orcs and Goblins growled at the Fellowship, crying out for their blood. Pippin and Ben swallowed a gulp in fear. Everyone had his or her weapons at the ready… awaiting the final battle…
"Grr!" Gimli growled in anticipation…
As they all were ready to fight…
GGGRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
There came a loud, thunderous roar in the distance and the Orcs began to scatter away from the Fellowship…
Gimli cried out in great triumph, knowing that the Orcs ran away…
But the others knew that it was more trouble that was coming. The cavern was completely clear again, awaiting this new challenge…
The Fellowship then saw an incoming, fiery-red light, which lightens up the vast, high-towering caverns…
"What," asked Boromir, "is this new devilry?"
A few moments of frightening silence began passing between the Fellowship…
Gandalf was concentrating…
Lee, Aragorn, and the rest of the Fellowship wait in surprise, as well as horror… to find out what this new threat is…
Gandalf… after a few, frightening moments of meditating… slowly opened his eyes as the roar became louder… and louder…
GGRRRRRRRRRRR!
That growl made most of the Fellowship, including Larry, tremble in great fear and horror…
"…A Balrog," Gandalf announced quietly, also in great shock and horror…
"…W… what's that?" asked a trembling Ben…
"…A demon of the ancient world…" Gandalf answered, maintaining his horrified behavior…
GGRRRRRRRRR!
The frightening roars became even louder as the horrifying fiery light got closer… and closer towards them, making them fear this inhuman creature…
"This foe is beyond any of you… RUN!" Gandalf commanded.
The Fellowship ran towards a passageway. Gandalf let the others pass before him. Boromir… while in the front… runs abruptly toward the edge of the path, dropped his torch… and teetered very dangerously on the edge of a very long drop. Legolas and Doug pulled Boromir back from the edge to keep him from falling.
"Whoa, easy Boromir," said Doug, "you don't want to go falling down now, do you?"
"Thanks," replied Boromir, "for the belated warning, Doug."
The others reached up to them, one by one, stopping at the edge of the path where Boromir almost fell. Lee, Aragorn, and Gandalf were the last ones through.
Aragorn tended to Gandalf. "Gandalf," he said.
"…Lead them on, Aragorn," said Gandalf, "…the bridge is near."
The wizard pointed to the stone bridge, just ahead of him. Aragorn wanted to go and fight the creature… but Gandalf pushed him back.
"Do as I say!" cried Gandalf, "…swords are no more use here."
"Gandalf is right Aragorn, that he is," agreed Lee, "we must flee!"
The Fellowship began running down the flight of endless staircases, trying to evade the Balrog. And as they continued going downstairs… they reached a gap and stopped. Legolas and Doug jumped the gap first. Kenny and Larry followed next. The Balrog's roars became louder… and louder as everyone looked back.
Legolas beckoned to Gandalf, "Gandalf!"
Using all of his strength… Gandalf jumped the gap, as arrows started to whistle through the air, striking the stones at their feet.
"Lilly," said Lee, "go on, I'll be right behind you."
Lilly, after a pause, reluctantly jumped the gap. and Doug caught her.
"Gotcha," he said.
As the arrows continued to whistle through the air, some of the Fellowship, who jumped the gap, moved back on the other side of the staircase to allow more room for the others. Doug, Aragorn, and Legolas shoot back and hit a few Orcs, one of which… was shot in the head by Legolas and fell into the abyss.
"Merry, Pippin!" Boromir cried out, grabbing the two Hobbits and jumped across, causing the edge to crumble. Carley and Katjaa began to stumble… but they quickly jumped up high in the air… and managed to land safely on the other side.
"Carley, Katjaa!" cried Lilly, "are you two okay?"
"Yeah," answered Carley, sticking out her thumb, "nothing to it, Lilly."
More Orcs started to fire more arrows. And Doug and Legolas countered each of them…
Then Aragorn grabbed Sam, Ben, "Sam! Ben!" He said as he tossed them one at a time. Boromir caught Sam as Legolas caught Ben.
Aragorn proceeded to toss Gimli next but he stopped him, holding up a hand.
"Nobody tosses a Dwarf," said Gimli.
The insistent Dwarf took a jump across the increased in size gap. He managed to land on the edge of the other side and nearly fell… but Legolas caught him by the beard, which Gimli didn't appreciate very much…
"Arg! Not the beard!" he called out reproachfully. Legolas managed to pull the Dwarf onto the staircase from the chasm.
Only Lee, Clementine, Duck, Frodo, and Aragorn were left to jump across. But that would be more difficult as more of the stone steps crumble and fall into the abyss. Carley, Katjaa, and Lilly's concern grew.
"Lee!" cried Carley.
"Lee!" cried Katjaa.
"Lee!" cried Lilly.
They scramble back and struggle to their feet, looking at the widened gap that now is too far to jump. Lee, could jump it, but he doesn't want to leave Duck, Clementine, Aragorn, and Frodo behind…
"Steady," Aragorn said to Frodo, laying a hand on his shoulder. Aragorn looked to Lee, Clementine, Duck, as he remembered how he fought against the Orcs.
"Lee, Clementine! Duck," he said, "can you three manage to jump that gap, holding me and Frodo?"
"…Perhaps Aragorn," Lee replied, uncertainly, "…I've never actually done this sort of thing before, that I have not."
Aragorn and Lee looked at each other for a moment… and nodded in agreement. Despite the very large gap that lies before them, Aragorn was ready to try to jump the gap with Lee… if he was ready to.
"Hold on!" Aragorn cried out to Frodo, preparing to jump…
CRUSH…!
The Balrog is heard approaching from the other hall, as its fiery light is seen, getting closer. Stone structures around the mine begin to collapse. As the Balrog draws near…
A huge rock falls from the ceiling and smashes down the steps behind Lee, Clementine, Duck, Aragorn, and Frodo…
CRASH…!
Creating one more gap behind them and weakened the stairs' foundation. The stairs begin to wobble… increasing more despair into the rest of the Fellowship…
Kenny and Katjaa cried out in unison, "Lee! Clementine! Duck! Aragorn! Frodo!"
The stairs continued to wobble. It seemed that Lee wouldn't be able to jump so easily after all. One mistake could cost them their lives…
"Lee, Clementine, Duck, Frodo," said Aragorn, "hold on."
The quartets began to balance themselves… and the stairs…
The stairs were still about to fall…
"Lean forward," Aragorn commanded. They shifted their weight forward, tipping the stairs across the divide…
Everyone cried out to them, "come on."
And then…
BAMM!
The wobbling stairs slammed onto the steps where their companions are. Lee, Clementine, Duck, Frodo, and Aragorn leaped across to safety. Turning, the Fellowship kept running as the enormous section of the staircase… falls slowly into the abyss.
The Fellowship finally reached the end of the stairs, crossing onto the floor. Fire appeared behind them.
"Over the bridge," commanded Gandalf, letting the others pass ahead of him, "…fly!"
Lee was right next to Gandalf as the Balrog began to emerge from the chasm behind them…
"Fly, Lee!" Gandalf commanded to Lee, "…fly!"
Lee began to run as well. Gandalf continued to stand where he is as the Balrog came out of the chasm and appeared standing right in front of Gandalf… and roared very loudly, blowing strong gusts of the creature's hot breath at the wizard. Gandalf then ran along with the rest of the Fellowship.
The Fellowship, seeing the Balrog chasing after them, ran towards and finally… starts to cross the bridge. Aragorn, Lee, Kenny, and Boromir were in the lead, followed by Frodo, Lilly, Clementine, Duck, Pippin, Katjaa, Merry, Carley, Sam, Ben, Gimli, Larry, Legolas, and Doug…
Gandalf, however, stopped at the center of the bridge to turn and face the Balrog with his staff and sword. Everyone gasped in shock.
"You cannot pass!" Gandalf called out to the demon…
"Gandalf!" cried Frodo.
"Gandalf," muttered Lee…
A wave of flame spreads across the Balrog as it readied itself for battle with the wizard. Gandalf began…
"I am the servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Arnor… "
He held out his staff as it illuminated the bridge. The Balrog then draws a flaming sword…
"…The dark fire shall not avail you, FLAME OF UDUN!"
Then the demon strikes his sword down at Gandalf, but Gandalf parried the blow with Glamdring, shattering the Balrog's sword.
"Arg!" growled Gandalf.
Aragorn tried to rush over, but Lee stopped him…
Gandalf continued his assault, "Go back to the shadow…!"
…The Balrog began to step forward, brandishing a flaming whip and lashed it about menacingly…
"YOU…" Gandalf yelled as he raised his staff over his head, "…SHALL NOT… PASS…!"
CRACK!
Gandalf slammed his staff on the bridge, releasing a flash of white light that drove the Balrog back a little. The wizard holds his own against the monster. As the Balrog tried to step forward…
…The Bridge gives way… dropping the Balrog slowly into the chasm…
"He did it!" cheered out both Clementine and Duck.
Gandalf, exhausted, leaned on his staff and watched the Balrog fall… then he turned around to follow the others, but…
The tail of the Balrog's whip caught Gandalf's ankle and pulled him down, dangling very dangerously over the edge of the wrecked bridge. Clementine and Duck's faces of victory had now turned into faces of despair…
Gandalf clings onto the bridge but strained to keep his grip…
"Gandalf!" Clementine cried out…
Frodo began to rush towards the wizard, but Boromir restrained him.
"No, no!" Boromir said to Frodo.
"Gandalf!" Frodo cried out as he struggled against Boromir…
Gandalf continued to struggle on the edge, but then… he stopped to look at the faces of the shocked, frightened Fellowship… one last time…
"…Fly you fools!" said Gandalf before letting himself lose his grip… and fell right into the chasm, following his enemy, deep into the abyss…
"…NNOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Frodo screamed, with great anguish.
Lee and Aragorn looked with shocked, as well as saddened faces. Clementine and Duck's expressions were the same. Kenny led the others out as Boromir carried Frodo with him…
"Aragorn!" Boromir called as Frodo continued to scream in anguish of Gandalf's sacrifice…
"Let's go, Lee!" called out Kenny…
Lee and Aragorn both ran to the exit together, dodging Orc arrows shooting at them. They went up the stairs, following the others…
The Fellowship came streaming out of the East Gate of Moria, running as fast as they could… away from the Orcs…
Everyone was distraught over what happened to Gandalf…
Sam sat on the ground, bowing his head onto his hands and began to weep greatly…
Ben crouched over… pounding many, many times… on the ground…
Lilly went over and held Clementine and Duck in her arms, as they cried their hearts out in great sadness and sorrow…
Doug consoled a crying Carley in his arms… yet Doug himself… seemed to be shedding a tear…
Kenny consoled a crying Katjaa in his arms.
Boromir tried to restrain Gimli as the Dwarf vents out his rage and sorrow…
Merry consoled Pippin, who lay crying on the ground….
Legolas wore a look of shock and disbelief…
Lee lowered his head in great sorrow and grief, watched only by Kenny who tightened his fist, cursing under his breath…
Kenny then turned to stare at Larry, who was smoking and staring at him with his emotionless expression in return. They may still have their differences… but they secretly shared the same, great loss of the wizard… deep down inside of themselves…
Aragorn wiped his sword clean. "…Legolas," he said, "…get them up."
"Carley, Katjaa," Doug said softly to the sobbing Carley, lifting up her head, "…it's time to get moving."
"Katjaa, Honey," Kenny said softly to his sobbing wife, lifting up her head, "...it's time to get moving
Carley and Katjaa nodded slowly, still crying.
"Merry, Pippin… "
The two grieving Hobbits looked up to see Lee standing over them.
"…We have to leave now, that we do," stated Lee.
Legolas came over at Lee's side and agreed, "he's right… we cannot linger here."
"…Okay, Lee," replied Merry sadly, "…Pippin… let's go."
Pippin nodded, also crying.
Kenny came up to Lilly, Clementine, and Duck.
"Lilly, Clementine, Duck, Ben, come on," he said.
They nodded at Kenny, with tears in their eyes.
"…It's," muttered Duck, "…its not fair Dad… its just not fair!"
Kenny, Katjaa, and Lilly deeply share the youth's grief.
Boromir objected, "give them a moment, for pity's sake!"
"By nightfall," Aragorn countered, "these hills will be swarming with Orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlorien."
Aragorn re-sheathed his sword as he ordered, "…come Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, everyone… get them up!"
Aragorn went up to Sam and picked him off the ground.
"On your feet, Sam," Aragorn firmly said to the grieving Hobbit. Then he turned to Frodo, who was at a distance away from them… appearing to be leaving.
"Frodo!" Aragorn called out, "Frodo!"
Frodo stopped where he was.
"You weren't thinking about leaving us now, were you Frodo?" added Larry…
Frodo was grieving alone as he slowly turned his head towards his companions… weeping silently.
Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings, and Telltale Series The Walking Dead are not mine. They belong to their authors, respectively J.R.R. Tolkien and Darrell Rodriguez. This fanfiction is created just for fun, not for any commercial purposes.
This chapter is especially dedicated… to my grandmother, Anastasia Bonilla,… who died on June 3rd, 2020.
Please… read and review.