Rider (A Kili/ Hobbit novel)

Chapter 17: Desperate Attempts

Kinjal's impeccable memory takes us to the edge of the mines quickly, but the sight that greets us there is most unwelcome. As I had feared, there are more than the two Balrogs I had heard speaking; there are three of them.

All three of the horrid creatures stand tall, almost as large as Kinjal, and they are enshrouded by a veil of fire and smoke. The one I know from my father's stories as Gothmog is the first to notice Kinjal and I. He laughs darkly, though it sounds more like the grating sound made when two pieces of metal clash together.

"Ah of course. The Duhului Drakai has come to save the day. It is true your kind are our oldest enemies, but there is one of you, little one. You are going to die."

"I have heard a great many stories about the ferocity of the Balrogs, but none of the tales mentioned how idiotic you are. Can you count, pray tell? I believe there are two of us."

"You dare insult me? I will destroy you!" Gothmog yells in outrage.

"You seem so sure," I egg him on, "but you have not fought me yet. I do hold the title Duhului Drakai for a reason."

"I will take great pleasure in killing you, Duhului Drakai, and that foul beast you ride." Gothmog snarls, baring a set of long fangs at me.

Kinjal nashes her teeth together, barely resisting the urge to rip the Balrog's throat out here and now.

"Fly Kinjal, we must lead them far away from here."

With a great show of restriant, Kinjal turns and leaps into the air, barreling down a corridor large enough to accomodate her wings. I am unfamiliar with the passage Kinjal has chosen, but we had explored the halls of Erebor separately, so she may have found this alone.

"I trust you know where you are leading us." I say, just as Gothmog begins bellowing orders to the two Balrogs that follow him.

"After them!" he thunders. "Kill the Dragon Spirit, kill her! I want her head and that horrid dragon's as well!"

Kinjal flies faster, straining her wings to keep us ahead of our pursuers. The walls blur by, becoming nothing more than streaks of grey to my eyes. We must look like only a blur of bronze as we whip down corridor after corridor at breakneck speed. Kinjal turns sharp corners so quickly that sometimes we are flying completely sideways, but still I can hear the Balrogs closing in behind us.

It is not long at all before I can see Balrogs behind us; slowly and steadily they are closing the distance. I can feel their hate for us rolling off them in waves.

"Please tell me we are close to the surface, Kinjal! They are just behind us!" I yell out loud, looking under my arm behind us again.

She says nothing through our bond, but shows me a map in my mind's eye of where we are currently. I can see she is taking as many side passageways as she can to avoid running into dwarves while still keeping us headed in the right direction to leave Erebor.

"Open the gates!" I hear a voice yell up ahead of us in the corridor.

We are so close now, I can just barely make out the vaguest shape of an opening in the mountain. It quickly grows larger, and I see that there are people opening up the doors for us. Lucky too, because I do not think it would have been possible for Kinjal and I to crash through it and keep going quickly enough to out-fly the Balrogs.

We zip through the large set of doors before they have even been fully opened, and Kinjal pulls her wings out slightly to gain altitude.

Veering off the the left, Kinjal wastes no time in heading straight for the mountain range that was our home for so long.

It takes a terrifyingly short amount of time for the Balrogs to also leave the mountain; they were even closer to us now than they had been inside Erebor. We are so near to each other that I can clearly see their eyes, menacing  and hate-filled, directed at me. All three Balrogs take off from the mountain as a single unit, rising quickly in the air behind Kinjal and I.

Their wings work," I say to Kinjal unnecessarily; she and I can both hear the loud flapping of their bat-like wings.

Kinjal does not tire as we speed for our home kingdom fear and adrenaline giving us both enough energy to stay fully alert. We manage to gain some distance on the Balrogs once we reach the mountain range; Kinjal and I are much more adept at swerving sharply around the mountains, and we also know this land. They to not seem to be as adept at using their own wings as they were with running.

Still, the Balrogs follow, letting out bellows of rage at being evaded for such a great length of time.

The most beautiful sight I could ever imagine appears before me as Kinjal careens around the side of another mountian; more Riders, and all of them are dressed for battle.

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Now no one come and strangle me in the night, but it's going to be a couple chapters before we see Kili again. I will update everyday until then though, so it should go quickly. :)

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