Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli rode on horses while Jim, Swann, Stetmann, Kerrigan, Zagara, Dehaka, Stukov, Artanis, Alarak, Karax, and Talandar kept up on foot. "Edoras and the Golden Hall of Meduseld. There dwells Theoden, King of Rohan, whose mind is overthrown. Saruman's hold over King Theoden is now very strong," said Gandalf when they came to a stop.

"Looks more like a village," Kerrigan spoke as the houses were all wood and hay. There was a wall around them and it appeared to be wooden.

"Stay sharp, everyone. Saruman will have some nasty surprises waiting for us," said Jim.

"You won't find him here. But do not look for welcome here," Gandalf spoke with certainty and the group began to enter.

A banner with a horse landed in front of them and Zagara muttered, "That … horse is used to represent this kingdom."

"Yes indeed," Gandalf confirmed and the group passed through the gate.

They passed through the streets and people were all wearing black. Jim and allies attracted a lot of attention from the people.

"Wherever we go in this planet, we always have those … people staring at us," Alarak muttered.

"You'll find more cheer in a graveyard," Gimli muttered.

"I think a member of the royal family must have died recently. Therefore, the people of Edoras are all in mourning," said Stukov.

"I wonder who," said Kerrigan.

Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli dismounted when they reached the hall. A group of soldiers and their captain greeted them, "I cannot allow you before Theoden King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame. By order of Grima Wormtongue."

Gandalf nodded to his allies causing Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli to hand their weapons to the soldiers. Jim turned on the safety of his Gauss rifle and handed it along with hand grenades to the soldiers who stared at the strange weapons with wonder. "Don't pull the rings of those," Jim told the soldiers regarding the grenades. "They'll kill you if you're careless."

"I don't think I should use the grenade launcher inside," Swann thought as he could not take it off from his marauder suit.

Karax handed the drones to a soldier who stared at them with wonder, "Just don't mess with these."

"I guess I cannot use the blades inside," Artanis thought.

"Good thing that the blades are hidden," Alarak thought.

"Your staff," said the captain.

"You would not part an old man from his walking stick," Gandalf looked innocent to the soldiers while hiding his cunning inside.

The captain went ahead inside and bowed before letting Gandalf's group to approach the king who appeared to be a pale old man. "My lord, Gandalf the Grey is coming," a pale black-haired man wearing black whispered to the king.

The soldiers closed the doors and Jim said in a soft voice, "Hostiles are closing in. Don't make a move yet." His radar labeled the men who stared at Gandalf's group with hostility as likely foes.

"He's a herald of woe," the pale black-haired man whispered to the king.

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Theoden King," Gandalf said to the king.

"He's not welcome," the pale black-haired man whispered to the king. "He's not welcome."

"Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?" the king asked in a weak voice.

"A just question, my liege," the pale black-haired man got off from his seat. "Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear. Lathspell I name him. Ill news is an ill guest," he walked towards Gandalf's group.

"Be silent. Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm," Gandalf showed his staff.

"His staff. I told you to take the wizard's staff," the pale black-haired man called out to his "men" that began attack Gandalf's group.

"Okay, you asked for it!" said Jim. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli used hand-to-hand combat on a few thugs handling them easily. Approximately 100 men took on Jim and his allies. One captain held his hand on another captain as they and the soldiers watched the fight. Jim punched a thug right in the mouth spilling his teeth into the ground and elbowed another thug breaking his nose.

"How do you like that?" Swann used his cybernetic arm to smash a thug right at the forehead shattering his skull and gave another thug a backswing.

Kerrigan used Crushing Grip lifting a cluster of thugs into the air with psionic energy stunning them and slew them. She picked the thugs off with her psionic blasts and impaled the thugs with her wings when they got too close.

Zagara impaled the thugs with her talons while Dehaka slashed the other thugs with his claws. "Weapons are not always necessary like in this situation," Dehaka muttered.

"These men have no idea how Zerg fight, they're not even Terrans," Zagara muttered.

Stukov hurled corrosive bolts at the thugs picking them off and Karax had to use his mechanical arms to melee the thugs.

Artanis charged at the thugs stunning before he had to use hand-to-hand combat like Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli did.

Alarak casted Destruction Wave killing a group of thugs before activating his Bane Blades to surprise of the soldiers. He sliced every thug into shreds to the horror of the soldiers and the pale black-haired man.

"Alarak, what are you doing?" Artanis demanded.

"These fools have no idea about psionic blades, a good thing that we didn't give them our gauntlets," Alarak continued slashing every thug.

Talandar used his Purifier blades to melee the thugs until a group of thugs converged upon him causing him to use Whirlwind to shake them off.

During the fight, the pale dark-haired man was knocked down. Jim grabbed him and pinned him to the post. "James Raynor," the pale dark-haired man seemed to recognize him.

"You seemed to learn fast. I guess you're that Grima Wormtongue," said Jim and the pale dark-haired man nodded to confirm.

"Theoden, son of Thengel, too long have you sat in the Shadows," Gandalf approached the king who turned his face away. "Hearken to me! I release you from the spell," Gandalf began his work at the time the thugs were defeated.

Everyone gathered near the king who let out a menacing laugh, "You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey."

Gandalf took off his cloak revealing all white and spoke directly to the person who was controlling king, "I will draw you, Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound." He pinned the king to his chair with his staff and started the remedy.

A beautiful young woman entered and ran towards the king. Jim and Stetmann grabbed her. "Don't go near the king, he's not even himself," said Stetmann.

"What?" the young woman could not believe.

"Wait until the king is cured," said Jim.

"If I go, Theoden dies," Saruman spoke through the king's body.

"You did not kill me, you will not kill him," Gandalf pinned the king down.

"Rohan is mine," Saruman spoke for the last time through the king's body.

"Be gone."

The king lunged at Gandalf who sent him flying back to his chair for the last time and Saruman flying backwards from the Palantir simultaneously.

Jim and Stetmann let the young woman tend the king. "So much for hocus pocus," Stetmann muttered.

"That is the strangest thing I've ever seen," said Alarak.

The king's skin became Caucasian's and his hair was greyish blond. "I know your face. Eowyn. Eowyn," the king said to the young woman. "Gandalf?"

"Breathe the free air again, my friend," said Gandalf.

"Dark have been my dreams of late," Theoden muttered as he got off from his chair and everyone bowed.

"Your fingers would remember their old strength better if they grasped your sword."

A captain gave the king a sword that he drew and the king noticed Jim holding Wormtongue.

"So long sucker," said Kerrigan at the time Wormtongue was thrown out.

"I've only ever served you, my lord," Wormtongue moved backwards with fright.

"Your leechcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!" Theoden spoke angrily.

"Send me not from your sight."

"No, my lord! No, my lord. Let him go," Aragorn stopped the king from killing Wormtongue. "Enough blood has been spilt on his account."

"He reminds me of Alfrid in some way," Jim thought.

Aragorn offered to help Wormtongue up, but he spat at the Dunedain's hand.

"He's getting away!" said Kerrigan.

"Get out of my way!" Wormtongue shouted while shoving through the crowd.

"We'll get him later, Sarah," said Jim.

"Saruman will become aware of our presence," said Artanis as he guessed that Wormtongue was working for the traitorous wizard.

"I fear he already knows you're here, Artanis," said Gandalf with certainty.

"Hail, Theoden King!" a captain shouted causing the people to bow and Wormtongue fled on horseback.

"Where is Theodred? Where is my son?" Theoden asked.

A funeral ceremony was held and the body of the king's son was carried out. Jim, Swann, Stetmann, Kerrigan, Zagara, Dehaka, Stukov, Artanis, Karax, Alarak, and Talandar paid their respects during the ceremony. Eowyn sang in another language while Theodred was buried. Jim and his allies left the Theoden and Gandalf in private outside Theodred's tomb. The king grieved for his son and Gandalf saw two young children arrived on horseback. The boy collapsed and fell off from his horse.

Wormtongue arrived to Isengard and Saruman muttered, "Gandalf the White. Gandalf the Fool! Does he seek to humble me with his newfound piety?"

"There were 14 who followed the wizard. Three are from our lands: an Elf, a Dwarf, and a Man. As for the others: there were three men wearing something we've never seen before and one of them is James Raynor …" Wormtongue informed.

"James Raynor? He knew someday he'll return."

"Eight others are strange creatures we've never seen before and are from another world. Among them were a strange woman and a strange."

"You stink of horse," Saruman sniffed the stench. "The Man … was he from Gondor?"

"No, from the North. One of the Dunedain Rangers, I thought he was. His cloth was poor. And yet he bore a strange ring. Two serpents with emerald eyes. One devouring, the other crowned with golden flowers."

"The Ring of Barahir," Saruman looked into the book and found a match. "So Gandalf Greyhame thinks he has found Isildur's heir, the lost king of Gondor. He is a fool. The line was broken years ago. It matters not if Gandalf sought aid from outside of this world. The world of Men shall fall."

Author's Note

When I was writing the brawl, I listened to a Time Crisis 4 soundtrack that was played in Chapter 5 or Stage 1-3. There will be StarCraft units as reinforcements strengthening Rohan.