An Unexpected Companion
Chapter 11
Shadow and Flame
The first sensation Tiki felt was cold. The air was frigid, gnawing on her skin with icy teeth. Slick rocks scraped against her arms and legs as she stirred. A groan slipped from her lips. Her head throbbed as she rolled over onto her side. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open.
Blackness. That is all she saw. An inky abyss surrounded her. Not a shred of light penetrated her surroundings. She couldn't even see the rocks beneath her hands as she pawed along the ground. A ragged gasp tumbled out of her as she struggled to get her bearings, the knot on the side of her skull pulsing with each movement she made.
Where… where am I?
A question without an answer, but she could still find the solution. After taking a calming breath, she opened her hand, calling upon her latent power. A small flame bloomed to life in her palm, illuminating her surroundings with a soft, orange glow.
She was in a tunnel, from the looks of things. Narrow walls of rock sat on either side of her. A quick glance up revealed little. The ceiling was too high for her to make out. The stone floor beneath her was smooth to the touch, carved and paved, like a road.
The haze that clouded her mind cleared slowly. Tiki reached up with a tender hand and touched the side of her head, wincing at the growing welt beneath her hair.
That won't go away anytime soon. She pushed herself to her feet, her head swimming, forcing her to brace against the rock wall. Gotta find a way out of here. Need to find the others. Hopefully, they didn't fall as far as me.
She staggered forward a step, one hand brushing along the tunnel wall, keeping her balanced as her head continued to swim and the world spun. A few stumbles later, she finally began to catch her bearings.
The tunnel kept going. Further and further into the dark she delved, the floor sloping downward. Beside her, the walls turned from craggy rock to smooth stone. Geometric patterns were carved into it. Eventually, the light from her makeshift torch showed the end of the tunnel.
It opened up into a massive cavern. Gargantuan pillars, hexagonal in shape, towered upward, reaching for a ceiling Tiki could not see. The crackling of the flame in her palm echoed off walls shrouded in darkness. Her steps tapped against a floor as smooth as glass. Her mouth fell open the further into the cavern she went.
In all of the years she had lived, Tiki had never seen a place like this. The only place she could recall that even resembled this place might have been Thabes, but she had only seen that place in ruins, nothing more than frozen pillars and temples located in the icy tundra of Regna Ferox. The mountain kept this city perfectly preserved. It would not have surprised her if she ran into people living inside of this place.
But, not a soul emerged. Only shadows and silence surrounded her. A lonesome, dark walk, which only added to her growing sense of unease. Shouldn't she have found a way out by now? Why did it feel like this place went on forever?
Where is everyone?
She paused, that rancid stench she smelled in the cave returning. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. Her free hand clenched tight as she paused amid four columns, eyes roving the darkness, looking for the source of the smell. Her long ears twitched when she heard faint scuffling against the ground; claws scraping against rock.
A metallic clink rang through the air. Tiki spun and let the fireball in her hand loose, watching the flame dart across the cavern, illuminating the space around it as it flew. As soon as that one left her hand, she ignited another just in time to see a dark, stooped shape lunging at her from beyond the light's range.
She stepped back. The sound of sharp metal hissing through the air hit her ears. She knew that noise anywhere. Instinct kicked in. She shot her free hand out, one powerful fist slamming into a rusted breastplate. A chittering screech shot through the air, followed by the sound of a body smacking against a nearby pillar. Tiki did not give her attacker time to get up.
She pounced, slamming a small flame right into the armored chest of a repulsive, green creature. Its skin was slick with slime. Black blood bubbled from the creature's lips. Big, round eyes, jaundiced and sickly, bugged out of its small skull as the fire burned through its chest. After uttering a choking scream, it died, and its sickle-shaped sword clattered to the ground.
Tiki stood over the body, eyes narrow, a new flame flickering between her fingers. This had to be a goblin. Yes, that's what it was. That's the only thing this misshapen, ill creature could be. She recalled her brief encounter when she first awoke in Middle Earth. Thankfully, Gandalf handled it then. This time, she had to deal with any enemies herself.
Whoops and snarls sounded around her. Dozens of them. They rushed toward her; moths attracted to the fire in her grasp. With a frown, she reached down and plucked the dead Goblin's sword, twirling it in her grasp and then facing the first attacker. She heard it coming. That ax it wielded was too clumsy to not make noise.
Tiki ducked beneath a chop aimed at her head then impaled the goblin with the sword. The beast shuddered. She kicked it free from her weapon and then raised the sword to parry a savage slash at her right flank. Fire erupted from her other hand, engulfing the next goblin. She slashed through the third without much effort.
The rest of the goblin band hesitated, eyeing her with fear and suspicion. They circled her, searching for an opening. Their crouched posture caused Tiki to look down on them, and from her position, they looked like nothing more than wretches only interested in violence and killing. Not one of them even bothered to ask if she intended to wind up down here. Then again, they didn't seem to care, so long as they tried to get her blood.
But these are not the most terrifying beings I've faced. She blew a strand of emerald hair from her face as she turned with the goblins, keeping them in front of her. Her unblinking stare kept them from striking, the calm she exuded telling these creatures that she was not their prey.
Old bloodlust bubbled inside of her. Ancient instincts passed down from generations of dragonkin burned in her veins. A little voice in the back of her mind beckoned her to strike. Kill the wretches! They're trying to kill her, after all.
But, three thousand years of wisdom and control reigned in the beast stirring inside of her. Tiki relaxed, a small smile tugging on the corner of her lips.
"Are we going to keep spinning, or are you going to leave me alone?"
The biggest goblin of the group stood up straighter and sneered at her. "Filthy elfling! Your flesh will be ours."
"I quite like my flesh where it is, but if you insist on trying to take it, know that I'll happily take yours in return. Make your choice, creature. Leave me alone or die. There is no third option."
Dark creatures, they were far too similar to some of the roving bands of brigands and bandits she helped put down throughout Valm and Archanea. Leeches on society, preying on the weak and helpless, thinking that they could do as they pleased. It seemed these goblins were no different than the worst humankind had to offer in her world. That was fine though. That meant Tiki knew exactly how to deal with them. The goblins were not going to listen to reason. Dwalin said as much before. They only understood one language.
Violence.
Tiki darted right at the lead goblin. She moved too fast for him, impaling her blade through his gut. The goblin gasped, staggered, then fell backward off her sword. Its companions hopped back a few steps, terrified that their leader was now dead.
"Well?" Tiki asked, black blood falling from the tip of her sword in small droplets. "Are we going to continue?"
Ancient stirrings. She was enjoying this too much.
"More come!" One Goblin shrieked. "We will eat your bones!"
Tiki's brow furrowed. She strained her hearing. The goblin might be a wretch, but it wasn't a liar. She heard more scraping and armored steps approaching from all around, and from above. This wasn't just a roving band of enemies that stumbled on her. This group of goblins was a scouting party for the horde.
Time to run.
Tiki dashed away from the goblins, racing for an open path she saw among the dark pillars. She glanced up. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched the darkness churn around the ceiling. The pillars rippled and waved, but it wasn't because they were crumbling. It was because of hundreds of goblins clambering down the stone, yellow eyes glowing in the darkness, each gaze focused solely on her.
They were going to cut off her escape. Already, she could see the path ahead of her tightening. Soon she wouldn't have room to run. That left her with one option, but could she take that chance? She could transform into her draconic form and take flight, but where could she fly too? She didn't know the way out of the cavern. She didn't know if she could soar straight up and be free. For all she knew, the goblins had hundreds of archers ready to take her out of the air. Not only that, the raw power she could unleash could bring the mountain down on top of her. She couldn't escape if she was buried alive.
Her throat bobbed as she kept running. Up ahead, she swore she saw a doorway of some sort. A tall tunnel was ahead, but goblins blocked the way, hundreds of them.
She was trapped.
Tiki clenched her teeth, allowing her draconic fangs to peek out from behind her lips. She skidded to a stop before she could run into a wall of rusted iron. The goblins jabbed their weapons at her, forcing her to hop back toward the group chasing her.
Dare I unleash here? Tiki spun. She was surrounded. It doesn't look like I have much of a choice.
She dropped the sword and reached for her dragonstone. A relieved breath slipped from her lips when she felt the smooth gemstone against her fingertips. Power thrummed through her as a faint, white glow engulfed the gemstone. More animalistic instincts flared to life in her mind. The goblins didn't look like opponents anymore. They looked like a meal to her.
Right as she was about to unleash the power of her true form, a deep boom sounded through the cavern. Every goblin screeched to a stop, none of them daring to approach Tiki. Tiki, likewise, hesitated. What could cause an entire army of goblins to stop what they were doing?
Another deep boom, followed by a heavy thunk, like the latch on a massive door unlocking, echoed through the caverns, originating from the tunnel in front of Tiki. A red glow emanated from the darkness, burning brighter by the second. As soon as the glow appeared, the goblins panicked. They scrambled away from Tiki, rushing back up the pillars and back into their dark holes, fleeing from whatever shared the darkness with them.
No, the goblins do not share this place with anything. They are merely tenants. The true lord of this place approaches.
The hairs on the back of Tiki's neck stood on end when a piercing chill hit her, sweeping through the tunnel ahead like a blustering wind. Embers danced on the fell breeze. When they touched the stone, they ignited bursting into mighty, golden fires that danced an unnatural waltz all around her. Deep shadows loomed from the flames, climbing up the walls.
Tiki's eyes followed one shadow until she realized it was not a mere shadow. Great bat wings sprouted from the broad back of an enormous beast wreathed in darkness and fire. A horned head spewing ash and smoke formed, with eyes that glowed like white-hot coals glaring down at her. Cloven feet slammed into the ground, and clawed hands emerged from the shadows.
The beast looked at Tiki. A sharp snort emanated from its nose, letting more embers fly through the air. Tiki glared up at it, shaken, but not disturbed.
The enormous monster stooped over Tiki. It didn't attack her, even though she expected it to strike eventually. For the moment, it studied her. Curious.
Then, its maw opened. A voice like the creaking and cracking of firewood amidst a blazing inferno emanated from within.
"You are not from here… little one…"
Tiki stayed wary, her hand not leaving her dragonstone. "Indeed, I am not. What gave it away? Everyone here seems to think I'm elvish."
A deep rumble rattled her ribcage. "A simple mistake. But, I know Illuvatar's firstborn when I see them. And you are not one of them." A shadowy claw pointed at Tiki, hovering only a few feet away from her face. "What are you?"
Tiki hummed. "What I am is something only my friends are allowed to know. As far as I'm aware, you don't have that distinction."
"But I could?"
"I make a point to not make nice with strange, shadowy figures. It's never exactly worked out for me before, and I don't plan on making a habit of it."
A cracking chuckle sounded from the beast. Tiki remained unwavering.
"You are amusing," it said, the flames that formed its body growing hotter and larger. "Knowledge for knowledge then? Fair?"
Tiki raised an eyebrow. "And if I say no?"
The beast rumbled. "Then your amusement will have run its course."
A threat, and not an empty one. Tiki was not stupid. She could sense the power reverberating through the room, emanating from this monster. Shadow and flames answered its call. It willed them into existence and fed off of them. Any creature, or monster, that could command such force was not to be trifled with, even by her, one of the most powerful manaketes in existence.
"Your name?"
"You first."
A dissatisfied sound left the beast's lips. "I do not recall it. It was lost to me many ages ago. But, I know what I am called, or was once called, by the little insects that roamed these halls. Durin's Bane, they named me. A balrog, the elves of old called me. Maiar, my old masters once titled me."
Tiki's eyes widened. Durin's Bane; this was the creature Balin spoke of when he told her about Moria, and how it fell. Dwalin seemingly dismissed the monster as nothing more than a legend, but here it stood, a very real beast. If this thing was responsible for the downfall of an entire dwarven kingdom, then Tiki needed to tread very carefully.
"Now, you."
"Me?" Tiki hummed. "Well, I do not share a propensity for titles such as yourself, but I have been called by one in my many years. I am the Voice of Naga. Bear that in mind as you speak."
"Voice of Naga?" The Balrog rumbled. "A name I do not know. A title I fail to recognize. There is no Naga among the Valar or Maiar. No voice may speak for them, save those appointed, and I know who those are. Do not lie again, little one, or my patience shall wear thin."
"I am not lying to you, and I'm fairly certain you know that. You simply dislike my answer, because you do not understand it. A fair reason for getting grumpy, but not a fair reason to threaten my life." Tiki kept her unwavering gaze focused on the Balrog. The power of this monster grew by the moment. If she did not find a way out soon, she would no doubt have to battle the Balrog. That was not a fight she was sure she could win. "Information for information, that is what you said. I gave you yours, now reciprocate once again, if you would be so kind."
The Balrog's rumbling laughter echoed around her. She was still amusing to it. Good. That bought her time.
"I come from the Shadows. I was born among the Maiar, but was born again within the pits of Angband. To me, you are nothing more than an infant. I wish to know where you come from as a child. What place escaped my master's notice so that an unknown spawn such as yourself could emerge?"
"And why would I reveal that to you? You have admitted that you are Durin's Bane. The terror you unleashed destroyed a kingdom, so why should I inform you of my home?"
"Clever child, but I shall know of it soon enough. For, you have revealed much already. You already acknowledged to me that you are not from Arda. You are a stranger on this plane. The place you come from is untouched by the influence of my master, which would greatly intrigue him. Does your home fall under Illuvatar's will? Is it separate? If so… how?"
"Sounds like some rather large questions. Unfortunately, I don't feel like answering those."
"Because you do not wish me to know, or because you lack the knowledge I seek?"
Tiki bristled. She had not anticipated how intelligent this monster was going to be. Already, it had deduced how little she actually knew about how she came here, and she barely even mentioned anything about it.
"If you refuse to say anything more, then my fun with you is at an end. I do not suffer intruders into my domain." A blade of pure flame burst to life in the Balrog's shadowy grasp. "Now, I shall send you back to the one who made you!"
Tiki was out of time.
She dove out of the way. Heat washed over her back as the flaming sword cleaved into the stone floor, cutting through it like a hot knife through butter. The Balrog snarled and twisted, swinging its massive weapon at Tiki once again. The manakete ducked, then conjured forth a blast of green wind, smacking it like a whip against the Balrog's horned head.
The demon uttered a roar of pain, caught off guard by the sting of Tiki's counter. As it stumbled back, she darted forward, slipping between the Balrog's legs, and sprinting into the narrow tunnel.
The earth shook as the Balrog pursued, each step causing Tiki to stumble. She raced toward a small doorway, just big enough for her to pass through. When she got through it, she heard the Balrog roar in fury behind her. The stone wall shuddered as it pounded against it, seeking to shatter the rock and chase Tiki down.
Precarious stairs with no railing descended in front of Tiki. She rushed down them, taking steps two at a time as she bounded towards her first sign of escape- a bridge, leading to a set of stairs and a tunnel bookended by daylight.
A black arrow skipped against the step in front of her. Several more arrows hissed around her head. Goblins were taking pot-shots at her from a balcony overlooking the stairs and narrow bridge. They were trying to stop her.
Rage built inside of Tiki. First the goblins, now the Balrog, and she still hadn't found Bilbo or any of Thorin's company. Were they alive? Did the goblins already find and kill them? Were they victims of the Balrog? She didn't know, and the fear churning through her from that lack of knowledge spurred her to finally throw caution to the wind.
She grasped her dragonstone and poured her power into it. Pure, focused magical energy burst through the gem. A cocoon of white light enveloped her, blinding the goblins on the balcony.
Tiki felt her body shift and pulled. Her limbs grew longer. Scales formed across her skin. Her teeth grew sharped. Wings sprouted. When the transformation finished, she shattered her chrysalis with a thundering roar that shook the ceiling. The goblins on the balcony screamed and scrambled back as she spread her wings and soared directly toward them.
A torrent of green fire erupted from her jaws, engulfing the balcony and incinerating dozens of goblin archers. Any survivors retreated, too terrified to try and fight the dragon flying in their midst.
Tiki rolled toward the bridge and her exit. As she did, the wall leading to the stairs crumbled. Golden fire shot like an inferno through the gap, coalescing into the Balrog's hulking form next to the bridge. When it saw Tiki flying though, it hesitated, shock filling its burning eyes.
Tiki flapped her wings and zipped to the exit, when she felt daylight across her scales, she grinned and burst out of the cavern. Before she landed, she twisted mid-air and aimed her wrath at the door behind her. Her fire slammed into the mountainside. Boulders, ice, and dirt crumbled, caving in the exit. Unless the Balrog wanted to take out a mountain, it would not pursue her.
She soared higher, pitching up toward the sun as it sat shrouded behind clouds. When she broke the cloud line, she closed her eyes, soaking in the warmth as she kept her wings spread wide. Thrill filled her. This was how it was supposed to be. This was the power she was supposed to wield.
And in a few moments, it would be done, her reserves drained, her body exhausted, the side effect of using a dragonstone. She needed to land soon.
But first, the others.
Tiki shot back toward the Misty Mountains. Her sharp eyes scanned the mountains and forested plateaus, searching for any sign of the dwarves, a hobbit, or the wizard Gandalf. Right as her draconic abilities were about to be pushed to their breaking point, she caught a glint of metal from an exit in the mountain, near a dense forest. She was about to race toward it when she remembered what the dwarves' quest was all about.
They wanted to kill a dragon that took their home. They would not take kindly to one greeting them in the Misty Mountains, where their ancestral home sat in ruins beneath the surface.
With that in mind, and exhaustion beginning to floor her being, Tiki descended. She touched down in a clearing at the edge of a heavily forested cliff. Bright light engulfed her once again, and in seconds, she was back to her manakete form. Sweat clung to her skin. Heavy breaths labored out of her lungs.
Too much… That was too much.
She wanted to stagger her way toward the dwarves, which she knew were not far away from her, but her body would not have it. After a couple of steps, Tiki dropped to her hands and knees, then collapsed against a gnarled root. She forced herself to remain awake, but she was spent. There was nothing she could do if the others were in danger.
Shouts hit her ears. They twitched when she heard metal singing and clashing. Gandalf's powerful voice boomed through the trees. A battle was happening, and she could do nothing.
Finally, one dwarf sprinted past her. It was Oin. The dwarf slid to a stop when he saw her, his eyes widening in shock.
"Lady Tiki! You're alive!?"
"Barely," she remarked with a twisted smile. She tried to sit up. "Truth be told, I could sleep for an age, but I cannot allow that to happen just yet."
"Indeed not," Oin hurried to her.
Not far behind him raced Dwalin. He skidded to a stop when he saw her as well. His heavy brow furrowed, and he reached for a small ax on his hip.
"Know how to use one of these?" He asked, voice short, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to catch his breath.
Tiki eyed the ax, reached out with a shaky hand, and took it. "Of course."
"Good," Dwalin spun, hefting his battleax in both hands. "Because we've got company and not the good kind."
Tiki followed his gaze. The other dwarves rushed down toward her, with Gandalf at the lead.
Behind them was an entire horde of orcs riding the biggest wolves Tiki had ever seen.
Now this was a fun chapter to write! One of my goals for this story isn't to copy the Hobbit or what Tolkein wrote, as I think all I would manage to do is create a pale imitation. That is especially true for a scene/chapter as brilliantly written as Riddles in the Dark, hence why I'm just going to let that stand as it is in canon and maybe reference it when Tiki and Bilbo next chat. So, instead of showing that, I decided to explore something fun, the intelligence of Balrogs and testing how Tiki would handle being alone in this world. So far, it's been interesting, and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as me.
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have a nice day!
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