Chapter 28: Dark flowers and flame.

Fjalir was making the two elves feel slow, he was running so fast they could hardly believe it. The short legs moved like drumsticks and they regretted it if they had believed that the dwarf would slow them down. He was almost panting and now they followed a rather wide tunnel which was natural but they could see that it had been worked on. The air had a sort of freshness and they felt that it was very moist. Fjalir stopped by a huge rock, he stared at them. "We are getting closer to the lake with the flower, from here on we cannot use any open flame, just so you know it"

Maglor frowned. "Why?"

Fjalir raised an eyebrow. "Because the lake has something on it which burns, like coal. It is slimy and black and disgusting"

Rog had to grin. "Something tells me that this is something you have learned by example?"

Fjalir scoffed. "Some idiot did test some of the goo, and got burned. It was worse than dragon's fire"

Maglor stared at the tunnel ahead of them, "Are there any more dangers down here, except the goo?"

Fjalir shrugged. "I do not think so, we are at the very bottom now, nobody has found any passages leading further down from here."

Rog looked a bit uncomfortable and Maglor shuddered. It wasn't a pleasant thought at all. Fjalir took a deep breath. "However…"

Rog got a menacing look on his face. "Right, spit it out"

Fjalir made a grimace. "The area is instable, there is a risk for rock slides"

Maglor sighed. "So it is dangerous after all?"

Fjalir sent him a narrow glance. "Only for those who are not careful!"

He pointed at the tunnel ahead. "We have to move swiftly and be quiet, follow me"

He just took off and the two had to run to keep up with him. the tunnel turned abruptly and then there was a very steep and narrow path leading down towards what looked like utter darkness. The lake was very odd, Maglor had to stop and stare. It did look like a smooth polished surface, like a marble dancefloor, only that it was pitch black. The cave they entered was huge, enormous, so vast there was no chance to see the other end but it wasn't very tall. Fjalir did point upwards and they saw that there were huge cracks in the rock several places. This cave was indeed dangerous. Fjalir moved swiftly, there wasn't really a path there, more of a very vague track along the edge of the lake and the two elves followed the dwarf without a word.

After a while they reached a sort of peninsula, it was narrow and rocky and above it they could see several crystals of a very odd colour. It was as if the rocks had no colour and yet all and the light from them was unpleasant. Even an elf lost the sense of perception after a while and Fjalir made some gestures which had to indicate that they weren't to look at the crystals. At the very end of the peninsula there were a flat area, made from black sand and on it grew something which made Maglor stop and really stare. It looked like flowers made from crystal and they were probably the loveliest thing he had seen for a very long time with the exception of his father's jewels. They were delicate and very fragile looking and the shape was strange too. They did resemble orchids perhaps, or some other exotic flower but the stems did swirl and form a dense weave of some sorts.

Fjalir stopped and signalled for the two to stand by. Then he took a piece of cloth from his pack and moved forth, he was more or less sneaking his way and didn't make a sound, nor did he stomp on the ground. He was like a mouse and he stopped and seemed to examine the flowers for some minutes. He didn't touch them and Maglor sighed inwards. Of course they were dangerous, what down here wasn't?

Fjalir moved swiftly all of a sudden, he bent down and snapped one stem, with a very fast and powerful movement. There was a sound as if of crystals breaking and they saw that two of the flowers stopped glowing. They went out in lack of better words. They turned black and Fjalir did snap them off and covered them with the cloth, then he stuffed them into his pack without touching them with his bare hands. He grinned at them and sneaked back. "We have to hurry"

He was whispering and they moved along the shore again, the whole place was unreal and the odd light from the moss and Fjalir's lamp made it seem even more so. They had gotten a bit forwards when Fjalir stopped, his eyes were huge. "Oh no!"

Rog hissed. "I hear something"

Maglor tilted his head. "So do I"

Fjalir bared his teeth. "To the right, the tunnel you see, follow me now!"

He took off and ran and they had to tag along, as before. Maglor heard what could only be voices but they were distant. The room had some odd qualities and he understood why sound was such a bad idea there, it was like a huge magnifier, made everything sound louder and more powerful than it was. If there was orcs coming it could spell trouble, for real!

The two balrogs had lost many of their orcs to the beast in the cave but they weren't giving up, the thing had that gem, they could sense it and they had to retrieve it. The orcs were no big loss after all, there were more where they came from. The few they had left were rather burly large ones and the two did think fast. The beast had to have some sort of weakness right? Every living thing does and what about fire? It had been soft and maybe it could burn. So they sent some of the orcs off to look for something flammable. There could be coal there in the deep or something else and they needed it now.

They didn't want to waste their own energy by using their own dark power and if the orcs did die, well, it was expected of them to die.

The orcs which entered the huge cave were as all orcs convinced that they were the smartest and toughest of all and they did in fact see that someone had moved past there not so very long ago. The dust had clear marks and it had to be at least one being, probably a dwarf or two. The lake was not anything they bothered with, it was just black water, it wasn't dangerous. But there could be something useable in there and they followed the tracks, if they didn't find what the bosses wanted they could at least kill something right? Orcs are hardly stealthy, even when they try to be, they scurried along the beach and the metal on their armour did clang and bang and they shouted and grunted to each other. They didn't bother with watching the rocks overhead.

They reached the peninsula and saw those glowing crystals and naturally enough they were drawn to them. The orcs carried a sort of lamp with thick glass and they didn't give much light at all since the source was fat, but they had excellent eyesight in the dark. They ran down to the shore and now they did their worst mistake, and their last. They saw the flowers and orcs have a very specific oddity, they hate beauty. It didn't matter what form it took, if it was pretty they wanted to destroy it. So the orcs went full on tilt and started kicking and stomping and cutting into the flowers while growling and screeching.

The effect was instantaneous and terrifying. The huge crystals in the roof exploded into a shower of shards, sparks flew and landed on the lake and there was a loud boom, like a slow explosion. The orcs were thrown off their feet, then the lake caught fire and it wasn't as if one small part started to burn and then spread out. No, the entire surface was suddenly burning, at once. The temperature was insane and the orcs were literally cooked in their armour as they screamed and writhed and fell. The flames reached for the ceiling and there was a crack, the sound almost like that of whiplash. Rocks started dropping and the flames jumped, reached layers within the rock which held more of that black goo. The entire chamber was a flaming inferno, rocks falling into the lake, tossing the black goo around, and the fire spread rapidly, as if it was a living being with a will of its own.

The two elves stopped. The air had a very foul smell and they heard the sounds, the thunder and the cracks and smoke was drifting up alongside them. Fjalir was pale. "Oh no, the lake is burning. We have to move, this is very dangerous indeed. The entire cave system may collapse"

Maglor stared at him. "What happened, did they bring fire?"

The dwarf had huge eyes, he was clearly terrified. "I bet they tried to ruin the flowers, but you cannot touch them, only those who have started to wither and you have to be very careful and only touch the stem. The flowers and the crystals sort of cooperate, destroy one and the other goes too. They are linked somehow."

Rog coughed. "There is a way out of here yes? Or else I will skin you before I die!"

Fjalir seemed to have shrunk a bit. "It is, believe me, it is just a bit hard to find."

He ran off and they stared at each other, the tunnel they were following was very narrow and not very tall and the ground was shaking constantly. Fjalir held a phenomenal speed, and they realized that it was needed for the rock was groaning around them and the air was suddenly like that from an oven. It was no good staying there, that was for sure. Fjalir was panting. "There should be a river up ahead, if we reach that and manage to cross it we should be safe, the rock is different on the other side, more solid"

Rog was growling. "If we reach it?"

Fjalir looked apologetic. "I haven't been this far down before, and this area, well, I have not explored it very well"

Maglor rolled his eyes. "Perfect"

The ground was heaving up and down like a bucking horse and rocks fell from the roof, the situation was terrifying and they were covered with sweat and thick black dust. Nobody could have recognized them, they looked like some sort of cave monster.

The fire spread with amazing speed, the layers there were all saturated with the flammable stuff and there were also layers of coal, the two balrogs hadn't really expected any danger until the rock they walked on suddenly felt strangely hot. They didn't fear fire nor heat, after all, they were fire spirits but the thing which had been awakened was beyond even their powers to control. The entire bottom of the mountain seemed to be burning and they were not sure of what to do. If they stayed they would possibly be damaged and the gem wasn't going anywhere. If the beast did burn they could retrieve it later. They did the smartest thing and ran back up towards the surface where their master was waiting, even he had to admit that they had done all that they could.

The beast was resting in its lair when it felt a change, its instincts were keen even if its intellect was sort of limited and it knew something was wrong. It changed colour, moved its fangs to attack and enemy but this wasn't an enemy it could face. The heat made it hurt and it shrunk a bit and pulled away from the unpleasant feeling. The tunnels were its home and it knew them and yet they changed now, some closed and they were so warm, unbearably so. It was desperate. Such heat wasn't anything it could cope with at all. By now the fire had reached the levels it lived in and it became frantic, desperate. It pushed forth, forced its way through tunnels it had never entered before, too narrow and too long but it was driven by fear and managed the impossible. In the end it reached a void and the air was cool there, came from an even deeper chasm nobody had discovered yet. It flung itself into the very air itself, desperate to escape the terrible heat and it fell like a flaming torch through the darkness, it fell for a long time, its gelatinous body stretching, slowing it down.

Then it reached water, in a giant splash it hit the surface of a hidden lake, enormous and cold and if it had had a voice it would have sighed with relief. It was cool and pleasant and it was safe now. Everything was good. Its brain could only handle one thing at a time, the fire was gone, the danger was gone, it was in water which was its favourite element. Things were good again. It had no idea that the lake it had ended up in only had one entrance and exit, and that it would be trapped there now. It had eaten well, it would last it for a very long time before hunger would make itself known again, but by then it would have discovered that there was no way out. The gem inside of it would attract dark entities for sure, but this deep down they were few and far between.

The mountain was very old, the Orocarni mountains had deep roots and weren't as tall as the many mountains to the west but they were no less imposing in their own way. The dwarves had transformed parts of the mountain into something which could be compared to a Swiss cheese, holes and tunnels everywhere but the natural cave systems there was just as impressive. The heat and smoke did rise and sought a way out, and there was in fact a stretch of natural tunnels the dwarves hadn't discovered yet since the opening was in the roof of a very huge chamber. The smoke rose through it and filled the entire system and way way up there it had an opening. Black smoke rose and spread, soon visible from afar.

Within the city the dwarves did notice that something was off, the heat was felt, so was smoke and fumes and they realized that the coal layers were on fire. Dwarves know rock, they know rock like a mother knows her firstborn child and thus they also knew the dangers the mountain could create. Burning coal layers were something they had encountered before and they knew that there was no power on this earth which could put them out until they ran out of fuel, possibly many centuries from now. They ran into action, sealing off vents, blocking doors, making plans for evacuation. The king was worried, the three they had sent down there hadn't returned yet and he was afraid that this new development could mean that they had perished.

And there was no doubt that the orcs were still down there for they had heard them screaming through one of the very narrow vents. The idea of some orcs being charred was delightful but at the same time, very worrisome. The fire would spread upwards, and the king gave orders and made sure that everybody who didn't fight were moved to the upper levels of the city. From there they could escape if need be. They didn't know that their long hidden city by now was being watched from afar, the smoke did draw the attention of many, not all of an honest disposition.

Fjalir ran still, Maglor wondered how the dwarf got that infernal energy for he kept a speed which was impressive even in the very steep inclines. The river they were supposed to cross was still not making itself known and the two elves could feel that the air was filled with fumes. Also, the ground under them shook and groaned and they heard odd sounds which could be explosions. Fjalir did explain that things which heat up often expand and that was what happened, whole layers of rock was trying to push their way up and the mountain was in fact moving, how impossible it may have sounded. They had been running and crawling and jumping for about half an hour when Fjalir stopped, he lifted his head and there was something odd in his eyes, almost disbelief. "I think we are being followed"

Rog frowned, he was covered with black soot and dust and only the odd eyes did glow and made him rather sinister to look at. "What? By what?"

Fjalir grunted. "There are living creatures down here not created by the dark one you know, natural things, animals. I think that whatever it is, it is trying to escape the fire and chose the same route as us"

Maglor rolled his eyes. "Right, but what is it then?"

Fjalir sniffed the air and by now the two elves could hear a faint squeaking sound. "Rats?"

Rog clenched his jaw, he was nervous and Maglor suddenly remembered some rats he had seen in the city of the Sha'al. Big as lapdogs, and hungry all the time. "I think we better speed things up here, if we can"

Fjalir nodded "Rats down here can be very large, and they are smart, and work in packs."

Rog grunted. "Yeah, I know the type. Angband had its fair share of those bastards. They often ate prisoners alive"

Fjalir ran again, the tunnel was very narrow there, almost too narrow to get through but somehow they managed to squeeze their way forth and finally it did widen again. Now the squealing was loud and Maglor did gasp as the first rat made its way out of the narrow crevice. It was the size of a very good hunting dog, had small red eyes and a set of teeth which would have made a dragon green with envy. The animal was obviously seeking to get away from the fire but the moment it did lay eyes on the three of them it changed its mind. It was obvious that down here no chance to eat was to be wasted ever and it let out a shriek and attacked. Rog swore and swung one of his hammers and crushed the disgusting head with a horrible crack, blood splattered everywhere. More rats were pushing forth now, they smelled the blood and went berserk and Fjalir was pale. "Run, they are too many."

The elves ran, and in some places they lifted Fjalir and carried him between them since the dwarf couldn't match their speed on flat terrain. The area they were inn had wide almost flat tunnels and they were so open it was easy to run. The rats had devoured their fallen comrade already and came swarming behind them and it had to be hundreds of the dark menacing monsters. Rog swore again. "I wish they could have turned around, I bet there are still some orcs alive down there."

Fjalir was squealing now, almost as bad as the rats. It was obvious that he was absolutely terrified of them. "The river shouldn't be too far away now"

Rog had a menacing look on his face. "Rats do swim"

Maglor stared at him while helping Fjalir over some rocks. "No shit?"

The tall noldo nodded. "Very well actually, and they can gnaw through almost everything"

The air had gotten a bit fresher and it held moisture again, but a different kind. This felt like real water, clean cold water and Maglor sighed with relief. The dwarf was right, there was a river there. But there was an odd sound coming from ahead of them, it was almost like a low frequency hum and the ground was shaking but not violently, it was a vibration of some sort, consistent and even. Fjalir said something in khuzdul which none of the two elves did understand, it sounded like curses for sure. They ran through a rather narrow opening and a huge chamber was visible in front of them, the lamp did reveal that yes there was a river there, yes it was cold fresh water and yes, the rock on the other side was more solid but the river was not the friendly placid ones Maglor had played in and around as an elfling. This was a rather narrow and wild one, without a doubt deep and the hum came from the water. It was moving, throwing waves and splashing everywhere, as if something was alive down there, tossing about.

The hum had become very loud and they saw that the water entered from a hole in the rock and also exited through one. There was nothing else there, just a narrow beach on their side and the river and a larger cave on the other side. There was an opening there, a tunnel which did look as if it had been worked on and Fjalir was waving his arms. "Mahal's beard, I never thought I would see this. It is a meat grinder, a trap made by nature. Nothing which enters this river can survive"

Rog stared at the water and Maglor realized what it was. The river was filled with boulders and the water pressure was so great it made them move around constantly, grinding together. The river was probably extremely large but the crack it ran through narrow and this created an insane water pressure. Rog stared at the dwarf. "How do we cross?"

The rats could be heard behind them and Fjalir squeaked. "I don't know?"

Rog took a deep breath. "Right, it isn't very wide, we can jump it"

Maglor stared at the river, yes, they could jump it, elves are after all natural athletes, it would be easy enough to get over. They had room to gain speed, but Fjalir? He wasn't a jumper at all. Rog stared at the dwarf with narrow eyes and Fjalir got even more pale than before. "Oh no, I know what you are thinking but no…"

Rog just grinned, that wide devilish grin Maglor had come to appreciate. It really showed that this elf was a very strange creature for sure. He grasped Fjalir by the belt and lifted the dwarf, started spinning around gaining momentum and Fjalir screamed like a little girl. He was flailing about but didn't dare to fight back. Rog gathered all his strength and threw the dwarf over the river with a huge grunt and Fjalir did scream again. He landed on the other side with a thud and Maglor knew that even if the river had been a normal one he would have been in trouble if he had hit the water, dwarves are about as buoyant as a ton of lead.

The rats started scurrying inn and Rog grinned at Maglor. "Let's go"

The warriors ran, they knew how to make the jump and didn't hesitate and Maglor landed and rolled elegantly before getting back on his feet. Rog turned and stared, the rats were smart but they hadn't encountered this river before and many ran into the water to swim. They were pulled down by the currents and the waters turned red. The rest of the pack stopped, squealing and screaming, they realized that they couldn't cross.

Fjalir moaned. "My arse, you bloody broke my arse. I cannot sit again for months, maybe ever"

The dwarf had probably landed right on before mentioned body part and Maglor had to laugh. "Be glad you have an arse at all, let's go, we have to get back to the city now!"

They ran again, the tunnel was very well made and Fjalir told them that it had been part of a system of tunnels which had been made simply to explore and search for precious metals a very long time ago. The tunnel would take them up to one of the top levels of the city. There were stairs in many places and they were steep and also very treacherous in places. The tunnel did expand into vast chambers here and there and it was obvious that the dwarves had been digging for something for the walls were covered with tool marks. Here and there you could see traces of ore and crystals and Fjalir was obviously proud of the work of his ancestors. The heat was following them though, and also the smoke but not as thick as before. It was however rather nasty and stung their eyes and nose and Rog did wet some cloth and wrapped around his face. Maglor did the same and it helped a bit.

They reached their goal after a rather long run, the door they came through was a hidden one, only a dwarf would be able to find it and they rushed through the opening with great haste. The room they entered was a storage room and there were only a servant there, he almost passed out seeing them but Fjalir managed to calm him down and they made their way to the king rather vast. The king was relieved to see that they were alive, and also very glad that they had acquired what was needed but even if they now had the mushrooms and the flowers that didn't mean that the medicine was finished. The healers there would have to work on it for a while and Maglor and Rog were exhausted and looked like something out of a nightmare. But the city was in peril, the heat was rising and the fires spread too. The dwarves had sent out scouts and they knew that there weren't any way to stop this, the fire would have to rage on until it had consumed all it could reach.

Maglor sensed that something was off, the dwarves did look nervous and Rog went for it, like a tracking dog. "So, what is the problem?"

Bestur sighed. "We have to evacuate, the smoke cannot be kept out, it gets through all the vents and there are way too many to plug them all. Also, there are tunnels and passages we haven't any records off, they too bring heat and smoke up."

Maglor frowned. "And?"

The dwarf king made a grimace. "Someone has seen the smoke, there are people out there. We cannot risk being exposed, our city has to stay a secret."

Rog tilted his head. "People?"

One of the warriors there stepped forth. "Yes, and they have made a camp not far from our exit doors, we cannot get anybody out of here unseen."

Maglor felt a sting of something which did resemble worry. "What were they like? Could it be just herders or local people?"

The warrior shook his head, his braids were swinging. "No, we know the local people, they don't dress that way"

Rog turned to Fjalir and the king. "The healers are working now aren't they? How is Pallando doing?"

Bestur sighed. "Weak, he is just blabbering, not making any sense"

Rog took a deep breath. "Right, we'll go and check those people out, the inhabitants have to get out of here, the city is gonna be rather unhealthy to everybody in a while, fire eats its way up, and we saw a lot of cracking down there."

Fjalir nodded eagerly. "Yes, lots of cracking, and rock falls. It is gonna be nasty"

Bestur closed his eyes. "Thank you, you know the world outside and its denizens, we do not. If they are harmless they may stay but if not…"

Rog smiled, it was a very nasty smile. "I know, trust us"

He laid a hand on Maglor's shoulder. "Come on, let us see if these people are a danger or not."

Maglor felt a need to roll his eyes but obeyed, he knew that the dwarves couldn't leave if they were being watched, the entrance to the city had to be hidden, at all costs. A few warriors did show them the way and Maglor saw his own reflection in a mirror there and flinched, he looked horrible. He was covered with sooth and grime and he would have scared the living daylights out of a troll for sure.

The exit was an emergency door, near the very top of the mountain and it did lead into a very narrow canyon like valley which was a bit like a maze. You had to know it to find your way there and there were some smaller caves there, well hidden. It could house the inhabitants for a while if the city was to be evacuated and the warriors explained that the caves had been dug by the first dwarves who came to the place, before they started constructing the city.

Rog and Maglor told the dwarves to stay back, they knew more about the people out there than the dwarves and they were way stealthier than a dwarf. The twilight had fallen and it suited them just fine. They smelled humans before long, and smoke and horses and Rog had an expression on his face which told Maglor the tall noldo did expect trouble.

These were no local herders, not even people curious about the smoke and its origin. The two did sneak forth and before long they stared down upon a small camp, it was maybe a dozen men and they had tents and horses and had lit a few bonfires. Rog almost growled. "Vultures"

Maglor frowned. "What?"

Rog bared his teeth. "Slavers, I have seen such before. They gather where they believe that someone will be defenceless and in need of aid and snatch whoever and whatever they want"

Maglor felt anger rising within, yes, he knew what these men were about. "Do you think they will go after a bunch of dwarves?"

Rog almost sneered. "It doesn't matter to them, human, dwarf, orc, elf, if you are alive they will try to sell you. And the dwarrow dams are female after all, beards or no beards"

Maglor had to concentrate to keep breathing normally, he knew that female dwarves were rare and treated with the outmost respect, to be violated was something which could kill a dwarrow dam, just as it would an elf. And since they were so different from humans it was likely that they would be treated like some sort of odd animal.

Rog grinned, the eyes had an infernal light now. "Know what, I didn't get the joy of killing something down there, how nice of fate to provide us with something we can use to get rid of some of the energy"

Maglor frowned. "Can we just attack?"

Rog pointed, they saw that a few figures sat down by one of the tents and it had to be some very young men, the clothes were typical of the local shepherds and these had to be captives for they were obviously tied up. "We can split them between us? Six for you and six for me?"

Maglor took a deep breath. Twelve humans who didn't expect trouble? It wasn't even a challenge to elven warriors like them. And he had a suspicion that even a dragon would have fled for Rog for the elf was truly terrifying now. "I go inn from the north, you from the west. We trap them against that rock face"

Rog pointed and Maglor just nodded, he understood the plan. He pulled his sword and Rog grasped his hammers. It was time to let out some steam.

The dwarven healers were good, and the old scripture did provide them with at least some clues as to how this was to be done. There was a sort of laboratory there and the main healer there was an old dwarf who knew a lot few others did. He was working fast for they couldn't stay that much longer, the heat was getting uncomfortable and the smoke was thick. They had tried to seal off all the vents they could find but the rock itself was brittle and let smoke through. They felt what could have been earthquakes now and time was running short. The old dwarf was a master at his craft, the others just obeyed orders and he ran back and forth with flasks and equipment. It wasn't a swift process, but in the end he stood there with a bottle, it held a rather suspicious looking liquid which could have been ordinary ink if it wasn't for the fact that it did glow, with a sinister blue colour.

He walked in front of the others to the room where the sick maia was held, Pallando was delirious by now and couldn't really move. The healer sat down and found a syringe and a needle, they had to be swift, it was no time to make the maia drink the goo. So the healer did inject it all, now they could only cross their fingers and hope that it did work. Everything depended upon it. Alatar was out there somewhere and he couldn't be allowed to continue his service to the dark lord.

Rog was everything but subtle when he finally did attack, he was silent until he was almost among the men who sat by the fire. They were relaxed and self assured and few carried their arms on their person. Not that it would have mattered if they did. A dark figure towered above them and a horrific roar could be heard. It in itself made the men freeze and two fell, with their heads smashed. Some managed to get up to flee and ran into the dark only to lose their heads quite literally. It took less than five minutes before the two had killed all the slavers and they did free the young men. It was as they had guessed, the slavers had seen the smoke and guessed that there could be people there, to prey upon. They sent the lads off and then they returned to the dwarves, the evacuation could start and it was about time for the entire city was filled with fumes now.

The elves ran to the chamber where Pallando was held and they held their breaths, the healers were there and also Bestur and Fjalir. Pallando didn't move, he looked almost dead but he was breathing and the healer smiled, he was a bit nervous but also proud. "It was in the nick of time, but it is working, He just need to regain his energy"

Maglor sat down, he felt drained and the king left, to make sure that everybody left. The city wasn't safe anymore, the very mountain was groaning and moaning the entire time. The air was foul and Rog nodded at him. "If this gets worse we have to carry him with us outside"

Maglor nodded, he agreed. The healer washed Pallando's forehead with a wet cloth. "He is improving, look at his colour"

Maglor saw that the maia in fact had gotten better, he wasn't as emaciated and the face wasn't as sunken as it had been. The medicine had worked remarkably fast. When something happened it happened within the blink of an eye. Pallando opened his eyes and a rush of energy went through the room, dust fell from the walls and roof and a bright light blinded them all. When they could see again Pallando sat on the bed, and now he did look like a very strong and healthy ellon, just glowing. He stared at them, the eyes were shooting flames. "So, where is that son of a bitch? I have some very serious things I mean to discuss with him!"

Rog bared his teeth. "Oh he cannot be too far away, let us escort you to him"

Pallando got to his feet, he was suddenly very imposing and the air around him seemed to crackle. "Oh do point me in his direction but stay back, this is gonna be nasty!"

Maglor held his breath, he had no reason to doubt that, at all!