"Ayu-sama, where's my mama?"
Ayu could feel the sweat roll down her face as she tried to smile convincingly at the child.
"She's... Away! Yeah, she's on a mission right now." She looked to her left and saw Seijuro shrug.
Glaring at the General, she looked to her Champion and saw him staring blankly ahead. No outside reaction whatsoever.
The Orochi seemed calm but was really trying to think on what to say. Tanaka was missing for nearly a month now. The last report they had on her was that she was escorting an envoy from the Iron Legion only to be attacked by mercenaries. The Aramusha chased after the mercenaries and told the envoy to go ahead without her. When the Dawn Empire sent help, all they found were the bodies of the mercenaries and one survivor.
The shaken bandit kept saying about the 'Shi no Ryū' and how she banished in a white light. That wasn't really something the Dawn Empire was used to hearing about.
"But mama's been on a mission for a month now. Where is she?" The little girl asked as she hugged the little doll-version of her adoptive mother.
"Did she leave me?" Tears fell down Akane's face and Ayu immediately comforted the child.
"No, no, no. She would never leave you! She loves you with all her life. Her mission is just taking longer than expected." She said as she knelt down and wiped the tears away.
Akane sniffed and tightened her hold on the doll.
"I'm sure she misses you every single moment she's away from you. So chin up, Akane-chan. You don't want your mama to see you like this, would you?"
The little girl shook her head and wiped her tears away. She looked up at the Empress and held out her arms.
The Empress wrapped her arms around Akane and lifted her up from the ground. She could feel the little girl tighten her hold around her.
"Is my mama dead?" The girl whispered.
Ayu hesitated before replying "No. No, she's not. She's tougher than the hardest metal across the land. A band of mercenaries is barely a threat to her."
She'd be lying if she said that wasn't the truth. Rin Tanaka has earned her titles. Most of them given by the fortunate ones the woman decided to spare.
'The Shi no Ryū. The One-eyed Dragon of the Myre. The Whirlwind of Blades.'
All titles given to her by the very same people she kills for a living. Some even said she was the one that sent the message of Damocles across the Dawn Empire. Though, that's highly unlikely. It wasn't her style to lie and wait in the shadows.
Ayu shook her head as she heard the child let out a soft snore.
She took Akane to the child's temporary room in the Imperial Palace and laid her gently on the bed.
She sent a silent goodnight and left the room. As soon as she shut the doors, she turned around and looked at her Champion.
"Find out whatever you can from Rin's disappearance. Ask the Legion if you have to, luckily they won't kill you on first sight. See if they have something similar happen to them."
The Orochi nodded "Yes, my Empress. It will be done."
The Orochi bowed and quickly left.
Ayu sighed and headed to her room. Her Empress duties be damned. She was tired.
~Line Break~
Rin felt the rain drop on her skin. She, along with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Titus, stared at the massive army of Isengard.
The Uruks started pounding their spears and roaring. The Men and Elves archers readied their bows, waiting for the signal to strike.
The roars intensified and one old man accidentally released his arrow.
"Dartho!"
Amazingly, it hit precisely on an Uruk's neck, killing it.
Silence followed as everyone watched it's body drop. No sooner than that did the Uruks roared in anger and began their siege.
"Leithio i philinn!" The Ranger ordered and the archers released their volley.
"Come on, send them to me!" The dwarf yelled.
A second volley came from the Keep.
The Uruks fired back with their crossbows and prepared ladders to scale the wall.
"Pendraid!" Aragorn warned.
"Good!" Exclaimed the dwarf, finally getting some action.
The first ladder was set in front of Rin. When the Uruk reached the top, it received a kick that sent it, and the ladder, off the wall.
Looking at her handiwork, she counted and smiled.
"That's nine for me!" She yelled out.
"I'm on seventeen!" The elf replied back.
"Argh! I'll have no straw hat lass or a pointy-ear outscoring me?" The dwarf declared before hacking away with his axe.
The clashing of blades, screams of men and roars of Uruks filled the air as the battle went on.
The night has only just begun.
~Line Break~
"Is this it? Is this all you can conjure, Saruman?" The King asked as he watched, satisfied that the Uruks are kept at bay.
Aéd didn't share that thought, however. He looked to the enemy's ranks and saw two Uruks carrying something big. He saw their pathway and his eyes widened.
"Out of the way!"
He pushed anyone away from his path as he rushed to the Wall.
As soon as he stepped one foot on the wall, everyone there was thrown back by an explosion. Sending rock and rubble flying on both sides, crushing anyone unfortunate enough to stand where the rubble fell.
He saw the Uruks rushing through the Wall's breach. Without a second thought, he jumped in the middle of the Uruks.
"Raaaarrrrggghhh!"
The Uruks watched in bewilderment as a giant human dropped from above and skewered one of their brethren with a massive blade.
Aéd pulled his Claymore from the corpse and gave a huge swing that decapitated some Uruks or sent them flying to their fellow soldiers.
"Aéd! Get down!"
He turned around saw the Elves behind Aragorn ready to release their arrows. He ducked just in time as Aragorn ordered the Elves to fire.
"Hado i philinn!" The Ranger yelled and the Elves fired a volley at the Uruks.
"Herio!"
Aragorn and the Elves charged at the Uruks. Aéd rose from the ground and drove his Claymore through two Uruks then swinging them around, hitting other Uruks on the breach.
Legolas took a shield from the ground and used it to slide down the stairs, firing arrows at Uruks on his way down.
Men, Elves and Dwarf fought bravely as they held the Uruks from advancing through the breach.
~Line Break~
Titus roared as he kicked an Uruk square in the chest, sending him off the wall and impaled on a pike sticking out on the ground.
"Titus! Pull back to the keep!"
Titus heard the King order. The Centurion pulled out a whistle underneath his armor and blew it.
"Fall back! Fall back to the Keep!" He ordered and looked down on the breach to his friends.
"Aragorn, pull back to the Keep. The wall is lost!"
The Ranger nodded and looked to the Men and Elves.
"Am Marad!" He yelled.
He looked up to the Marchwarden on the wall and said "Nan barad! Haldir! Nan barad!"
Haldir nodded and ordered his Elves to fall back.
Gimli was grabbed by Legolas and Aéd by the arms and dragged him away.
"What are you doing!? Stop it!" The dwarf demanded.
Titus whistled one last time before seeing an Uruk berserker sneak up on Haldir.
Titus took one of his Pugio and threw it at the Berserker, hitting it on the shoulder and causing it to stumble back.
Haldir saw this and turned around to finish the Uruk off. He nodded his thanks to Titus and together they pulled back.
They passed Rin on the way, who was swung one blade to cut off one head and used the other to stab one in it's open mouth.
"Rin, let's go! The Wall is lost! Move!"
She heard Titus yell before pulling her blade free and running towards them. She was the last one before they barred the gates.
Rin ran to the gates and saw the hole the Uruks made. She watched as the King was stabbed in the shoulder by a spear only for him to pull it back and use it to stab the Uruk.
She helped the King lean on the wall.
"Hold them!" He ordered.
"How long do you need?" Asked the Ranger.
Théoden grunted in pain before answering. Rin helped the King stop the bleeding and patch the wound up.
"As long as you can give me!"
Titus blew on his whistle and ordered "Hold Steady! Don't let these filthy bastards through!"
Outside the gate, Aragorn and Gimli were fighting tooth and nail to give the King a little breather.
"Shore up the door!" Théoden ordered.
Titus heard this and looked through the door's breach.
"Aragorn! Gimli! Get out of there!" He left just as a soldier sealed the gate.
Titus went to the King and awaited for orders.
"Pull everybody back." Théoden ordered "Pull them back!"
Gamling did what he was told "Fall back! Fall back!"
Titus blew his whistle again "Fall back! Fall back to Hornburg! Move!"
The Wall is lost and the Uruks have taken the gates. Yet dawn is approaching... can they hold 'til first light?
~Line Break~
Aéd could hear the banging outside. Hornburg and whatever's left of Rohan and the Elves are the only thing standing between the Uruks and Rohan's people.
They have barred he gates with whatever they could find. The sun is nearly up, they have held them off for far too long. That gate will be broken soon and Uruks will flood these halls.
"The fortress is taken." The King said in defeat "It is over."
Aragorn walked up to him "You said this fortress will not fall while your men defend it. They still defend it! They have died defending it!"
They heard a loud bang as the Uruks used their battering ram to breach the door.
"Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?"
No response came as the King stared into nothingness.
"Is there no other way?" This time he directed his question to Gamling.
"There is one passage. It leads into the mountains. But they will not get far. The Uruk-hai are too many." Gamling answered.
The Ranger grabbed him on the shoulder and ordered.
"Send word for the women and children to make for the mountain pass. And barricade the entrance!"
"So much death."
This caused the two to stop in their tracks and stare at Théoden.
"What can men do against such reckless hate?"
Aragorn was silent for a moment before
"Ride out with me."
Théoden stared at him.
"Ride out and meet them."
"For death and glory?"
"No." Aéd placed a hand on the King's shoulder "For Rohan. For your people."
"The sun is rising."
As the dwarf said, the sun was indeed rising.
Titus swore he heard Gandalf's voice saying "Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East."
"Yes." Théoden looked invigorated "Yes! The Horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep." He turned to fave them with a look of determination "One last time."
"Yes!" Gimli quickly ran atop of the stairs as he made his way to the Horn.
"Let this be the hour where we draw swords together."
Titus grabbed the King's forearm and shook it the same way he shakes hands with those he respects.
"For Rohan. For your people. For Might and Glory!"
"Aye!" The King nodded and turned to face the doors "Fell deeds awake. Now for wrath. Now for ruin. And the red dawn!"
Everyone with an able horse mounted them and readied their swords.
Titus secured his helm and lowered the face mask. Rin pulled out her Katanas and spat out the straw between her teeth. Aéd let the tip of his Claymore hit the ground with a loud clang. Théoden wore his helmet and pulled out his sword.
The doors broke just as the Horn blew, bewildering the Uruks.
"Forth Eorlingas!"
They charged through the Uruks and cut down any in their path. They passed the courtyard and managed to cut through the gates.
They fight with the ferocity of a cornered animal. Despite being surrounded by Uruks, they showed no fear. The only thing they showed was their might and determination.
Aragorn stopped and looked to the top of the slope. There, on his horse, was none other than Gandalf the White. A second rider joined him and they recognized it as Éomer.
"Gandalf."
Hearing this, Théoden looked up as well and saw the wizard along with his nephew.
~Line Break~
"Théoden King stands alone." Gandalf said as he watched the battle.
"Not alone." Éomer stated beside him before raising his blade "Rohirrim!"
They were soon joined by Éomer's Éored.
"To the King!"
Their battle cry was heard throughout the battle.
They charged down the slope and used their momentum to charge the Uruks.
Behind them, the sun rose and blinded the Uruks. Covering their eyes, it cost them their lives as the Cavalry flattened them.
The Men of Rohan and what was left of the Elves fought with renewed vigor as their allies came to aid them.
Soon the Uruks were pushed back and forced them to fall back to a forest.
"Stay out of the forest! Keep away from the trees!" Éomer ordered as they watched the running Uruks enter the forest.
"That wasn't there before, was it?" Titus asked as he raised his face mask to get a better look.
"No, no it wasn't." Rin replied as she took of her Kasa and dusted it off. She didn't put it back on as they heard the screams of the Uruks and saw the treetops move.
They could heard the crunching of metal and the Uruk's death scream one last time before it was silent.
"Huh. Getting killed by a forest. I don't think anyone thought of dying that way."
"Victory! We have victory!" Théoden proclaimed and everyone cheered at that.
The Battle of Helms Deep has come to an end.
~Line Break~
Titus was sitting on a rock and drinking his wine beside Gimli, who was sitting on a dead Uruk, smoking, also had his axe embedded on, in the dwarf's words, 'nervous system'.
He looked around and saw the dead Uruks being piled up and burned. The dead Men and Elves were gently buried to where they lay.
Legolas walked to them and was followed by Rin.
The Aramusha helped herself as she sat down and took the waterskin from Titus mid-drink.
"Hey!"
"Final count, Forty-two." Legolas proclaimed.
Rin gulped the wine before saying "Forty-two."
"Forty-two!?" Gimli said mock disbelief "That's not bad for a pointy-ear Elevish Princeling and a straw chewing Lass."
The two glared at him as Gimli looked proud of himself.
"I myself am sitting pretty on Forty-THREE." He stressed out the three for good measure.
Legolas pulled back an arrow while Rin quickly unsheathed her sword.
At the same time, Legolas fired his arrow at the Uruk underneath Gimli while Rin stabbed her blade into it's neck.
"Forty-three."
"Forty-three."
The two said together.
"He was already dead." Gimli said.
"He was twitching." The Elf reasoned.
"He was twitching because he's got my axe embedded in his nervous system!" To prove his point, Gimli grasped his axe and wiggled it. The body underneath him twitching as he did so.