Chapter 4

The group arrived at the gates of Moria, Gimli still ranting about how amazing its going to be, then Gandalf comes to the "speak friend." Riddle and everything grinds to a halt while everyone waits for Gandalf to figure it out

"Maybe it means...say the word friend?" Asks Fadron

"That would be Mellon in elvish." Says Gandalf

His words were met with the grinding of stone as the doors open.

"I said friend not melon." Fadron sighs, "whatever its open...why is it so dark inside?"

Gimli looks worried and Gandalf sighs, Faramir looks weary as he speaks up, "perhaps the dwarves sleep?"

Gimli tentative approaches, "the torches in this mine never go out...they'd have to be extinguished...destroyed or dispelled somehow..."

Fadron sighed as Peony got out of his backpack, helping Frodo and Pippin out as well, "this isn't good..."

Suddenly Frodo gasps as he's pulled toward the water! A mass of tentacles and rage whirling out of the brackish morass!

Whilst the others hacked at it's limbs, Fadron aimed for center mass with his free hand, electrocuting the muscular mass with more Witchbolt, "CALAMARI BABY!"

The seizing wall of Hadal muscle released Frodo who was caught by Aragorn, "INSIDE!"

The group all rushes into the mines as the creature regains its balance, slamming the doors shut behind the group.

Gandalf and Gallend both cast lignt and the floor is lit up, showing the skeletons of dwarves in armor riddling the floor, Gimli gasping, "No! No no no...NOOOOO!"

"Shit..." Fadron looked about as Legolas plucked an arrow from the nearest corpse, "Goblins..."

Gallend drew his morning star, "Alright...Goblins aren't that difficult...right?"

Fadron motioned to the heaps of skeletons and Gallend poured himself a drink

"We must stay calm." Faramir counsels, "If we panic then the enemy has won before they even kill us.'

Fadron points at Faramir, "I like this guy, you're a good guy, Faramir."

Faramir smiles, "Thank you..."

"We wont get anywhere just standing here..." says Gimli, "I want to know what happened!"

Gallend leads the way into the mine, holding a glowing Madeye on his hand

As Fadron passes Gandalf he stops, "you knew about this, didnt you?" He turns to Gandalf, who looks taken aback, "what?"

Fadron stands firm, with his greatshield now strapped to his arm again he looked quite imposing, "you listened to him go on and on about his cousin Balin and how we'd be getting the best things the dwarves have to offer...and never said a word."

Gandalf's brow furrowed, but he did not say anything, Fadron shook his head and followed Gimli onto a ledge that led to a deep deep pit that passed far beyond the reach of the glowing hommunculus

"BWEGH!" Barks Madeye, rubbing against Gallend's arm as the party stares into the abyss.

"There's a way this way." Gandalf points the group through an adjacent door, "away from the ledge please."

The group followed him into a room full of massive pillars

"Behold." Says Gandalf, "The great dwarf city...of Dwarrowdelf."

Peony laughed, her laugh echoing loudly through the long and wide room

Everyone looks at her and she slowly chuckles to a halt, "Dwarrowdelf...obviously a play on the words Dwarf and Elf...seeing as the Elves helped make it...or...something..."

Gandalf sighs, "while it may seem that way, Miss Peony, the name actually means "Dwarf Delving" in the Westron language, and while the phonetics are the same, it does not. In fact, mean that."

Gallend hiccups from the front of the group, "Linguists man..."

Suddenly Gimli breaks from the group to rush into an open room, Fadron and Peony give chase, closely followed by the rest.

Gimli collapses on to the floor in more pained moans as he sees the inscription on the tomb. the rest of the fellowship gathers around it, Fadron looks at the inscription, "um...I feel bad for asking this, but what does it say?"

Gandalf closes his eyes, "Here lies Balin...Lord of Moria...so he is dead then..."

Fadron stomps an angry foot, "I'm just about done with you, old man, I KNOW you know how this place got so fuckknuckled, now tell us!"

Frodo pulls on Fadron's cape, "Don't speak that way to Gandalf!"

Gandalf sighed, looking tired as he picked up a ragged tome, "No. He is correct...I kept the truth from Gimli and in turn...all of you..." he opened the book, "The Dwarves of Khazad-Düm delved too...too deeply...they found something they could not comprehend...creatures that have no names...deep deep deep into the earth...and it was their doom."

Fadron sat on Balin's sarcophagus, Peony walking up and sitting next to him, "what are we talking here? Demons? Mind flayers? Devils? Dragons?"

Gandalf had lost focus on the conversation and was now reading the desiccated book

"...what now?" Groans Gallend, "i don't like that look."

"We drove out the orcs from the Great Gate and guardroom and took the First watch. We slew many in the bright sun in the dale. Flói was killed by an arrow. He slew the great chieftain. We buried…Flói under grass near Mirrormere…came…ken we repaired…We have taken the Twenty-first Hall of North End to dwell in. There is good air…that can easily be watched…the shaft is clear…gathered…gold…wonderful lay Durin's Axe and…silver helm. Balin has taken them for his own:…today we found truesilver…well-forged helm…made all of purest mithril…go westwards to s…to Hollin Gate."

Gimli stroked the stone of the sarcophagus, " They've all been dead for so long...I had no idea...none..."

Gandalf continued, "…years since…ready sorrow…yesterday being the tenth of November Balin, lord of Moria, fell in Dimrill Dale. He went alone to look in Mirrormere. An orc shot him from behind a stone. We slew the orc, but many more came…up from east up the Silverlode…we rescued Balin's body..after a sharp battle…we have barred the gates but doubt if…we can hold them long. If there is…no escape it will be a horrible fate to suffer, but I shall hold."

As dread began to creep over the party, Gandalf continued to read, "We cannot get out. We cannot get out. They have taken the bridge and Second Hall. Frár and Lóni and Náli fell there bravely while the rest retreated to the Chamber of…Mazarbul. We are still holding...but hope …Óin's party went five days ago but today only four returned. The pool is up to the wall at West-gate. The Watcher in the Water took Óin-we cannot get out. The end comes soon. We hear drums, drums in the deep. They are coming."

Fadron stood again, making sure to hold his tower shield up off the ground to be quiet, "WELP! I'd love to stick around and die, but I'm not-" there's a sudden clang, followed by many many fainter clangs, everyone looked to Pippin who had been in the corner, who's mistouch had caused a skeleton to become dislodged.

there was a mighty pause before Gandalf let loose on Pippin, "FOOL OF A TOOK!" He growled, "Next time throw yourself in and spare us any more of your stupidity!"

Fadron, now thoroughly on edge, joined in, "He was in the middle of reading the LAST account of a dying people and you were...FUCKING with SKELETONS!?"

Peony put a hand on her Husband's leg, "Babe, chill."

Gallend took this opportunity to fill his tankard with ale

Pippin held up his hands, tears in his eyes as there was a massive thrum, followed by the distant collective howl of many, MANY goblins.

As Aragorn opened his mouth to speak, another thrum cut him off, followed by another, and another, quickly building up speed and succession, "they are coming..." groaned Legolas, "we need to bar the doors!"

Aragorn throws up his hands, "No! We need to keep one door open as an escape route!"

As per Aragorn's orders, The party barred the door facing the way they had come and waited, Gallend giving Fadron back his now no longer glowing pet as Legolas peeked out of the hole in the door, "there are many, a few hundred at least...and something else...perhaps a cave troll?"

Gandalf looked more tired still, "Thats...not a cave troll."

The door rocked on its hinges as the first goblins threw themselves against it! Fadron growled as he propped his shield up against the door, his toes splaying and locking into the stone beneath his feet, "What do you MEAN it's not a cave Troll, gandalf?"

The wood gave way in a place and goblin arms began scrabbling at the fragmented wood!

"Are you sure these are goblins, and not zombies!?"

Peony and Legolas shot arrows through the hole, causing the goblin to recoil in pain, "nope, not zombies." Shouts Peony as the drums boom through the stone at their feet.

Fadron called to Gallend, " GALLEND! I need your guardian and your spectral sword! On the other side of this door!"

Gallend took a swig of his recently poured ale and began to chant in a language that even gandalf had not heard before, which as before, was most troubling to the Wizard.

Light shone through the holes in the door as a massive dragonborn made of holy light appeared beyond the door, striking down goblin after goblin as a glowing sword appeared alongside it! Lashing out in a similar fashion!"

It was then that there were goblin screams from be corridor they'd left exposed, followed by deep roars of something else from behind the shut door.

"Time to go!' Says Gandalf, "Quickly! Through that door!"

Fadron un-anchored himself from the floor and picked up Peony, "you heard him! Down the stairs!"

The party began their descent deeper into the mine, killing what few goblins remained as Gandalf kept telling them, "We must get to the bridge! Then we'll be out of here!"

However that roar sounded again, along with more drumbeats and Gandalf stopped, Fadron stopping next to him as the party rushed past them, "what is it, Gandalf? What is so frightening?"

Gandalf looked into the emotionless orbs of the Warforged, "It is a Balrog of Morgoth, and none of you can help me with it...go Fadron, to the bridge."

Fadron chuckled, "nope, try again."

Peony sighed as she climbed into Fadron's basket, "he's set in his ways, Gandalf...just let us help."

Gandalf thought for a second, "you may be right...I've seen you...you're very...useful..."

Fadron nods, "what IS a Balrog?"

Gandalf relaxed on his staff, "A demon of the old world, barely corporeal, an old servant of the great evil one, Morgoth."

Fadron nodded as he pulled something out of his belt, "Got you...a chance to use this at last."

Gandalf watched as Fadron unfurled the scroll and placed it upon the wall, infusing the glyph on the paper into the wall itself, "What is that?"

Fadron smiled, "A gift from a paladin friend, it's a Glyph of warding, it'll keep the creature at bay, now lets go join the others, what do you say?"

Gandalf smiled for the first time in a while as he folllwed Fadron down the stairs, stopping short as the creature behind them hit the glyph wall, roaring in annoyance as he could not pass through!

Down more steps to the massive, yet at the same time, very thin bridge. As the party was crossing, the Balrog busted through the glyph and raged down the stairs!

Gandalf stopped again, "there's nothing for it, Fadron, I must keep the Fellowship safe!"

Fadron grumbled and took Peony out of his pack, "go with the others, babe, I gotta help Gandalf."

Peony nodded and rushed across the bridge, looking back once they were on the other side.

"You CANNOT pass!" Shouts Gandalf as the creature reaches the base of the stairs, Fadron draws his sword, "Gandalf, get behind me..." gandalf's staff blazes with light as the Balrog gets closer, "No, Fadron." He raises his sword and staff, emitting more light as he menaces the Balrog, "I am a servant of the secret fire! Wielder of the flame of Anor! The dark fire will not avail you! FLAME OF UDUN!"

The Balrog roars and swings it's flaming sword, only to have his sword bounce off Fadron's shield, the mechanical man ducking around Gandalf to swipe the molten blade aside, it roars in frustration again as Fadron casts Chill shield, causing vapor to rise around him as the rippling corona of the beast tests the limits of his resistance.

He pushes Gandalf behind him, "he's not coming any closer, Dont worry."

The Balrog roared angrily once more as Fadron smashed his shield into the bridge beneath him, not much happened, "Shit...um..." Gandalf looked up in horror as the Balrog stepped forward again, roaring in Fadron's face before Fadron once more struck the bridge. The structure cracking!

"Time to go." He said, grabbing Gandalf and using Misty step to teleport them both to the side where the fellowship waited.

The Balrog angrily roared and stepped on the crack, which gave way, causing the angry fire monster to go careening into the depths of Moria, roaring angrily all the way down.

Fadron looked at Gandalf who suddenly regarded him with much more respect, "You are unique indeed, Master Fadron...come on everyone, we must keep going, the Goblins will soon recover from the shock."

And with that, the fellowship ventured out into the light of day.

To be continued...