Return to our Destiny.

23. The Bridge of Khazad-dûm

The Fellowship runs out the chamber into a hall of pillars. The Fellowship is closely pursued by an army of Orcs. Other Orcs spring out from the floor or crawl, like spiders, from the ceiling and down the pillars. They surround the Fellowship, who have drawn their weapons outward in a circle. The Orcs snarl and leer. Gimli lets out a yell, and Thilia growls and keeps the hobbits within her reach. A fiery light appears at the end of a hall followed by a thunderous rumble. 

The Orcs flee in all directions. Gimli laughs, thinking he has scared off the Orcs. The Fellowship are left alone. The weary wizard stares down the hall. Boromir stepped up behind Gandalf, "What is this new devilry?" he asked. Gandalf does not respond for a moment. He closes his eyes, concentrating. The rumble is heard again. Gandalf opens his eyes. "A Balrog — a demon of the ancient world."

The thing growls, still hidden around a corner of the vast hall, throwing fiery light on the pillars. Legolas's eyes show fear. Thilia felt her heart drop, "This is why I didn't want to come in here," she said. "This foe is beyond any of you... Run!" Gandalf said before turning and running from the following glow. The Fellowship runs to a small doorway. Gandalf shepherds them through. "Quickly!" he ushers. He takes a last glance behind him, and follows.

The Fellowship enters a passageway and goes down a flight of steps, Boromir is ahead of everyone and taking the steps down too fast, "Boromir not too fast!!" Thilia warns. But he is going too fast to slow down quick enough. The flight ends in a missing segment, and Boromir nearly falls but Legolas, who is right behind him, pulls him back. His torch whirls away into the vast underworld beneath. 

Legolas and him fall back onto each other against the stairs as everyone comes up on the same segment of stairs and stop to stare down into the hot abyss. "Gandalf," Aragorn says worriedly as he supports the old wizard as Aragorn and Thilia turn to the wizard, his hand gripping Aragorn's shoulder tight. "Lead them on, you two. The bridge is near." They look across a wide space to a long bridge spanning the gap between a hall and a cliff face. 

Away behind them, the Balrog roars again. Aragorn moves towards Gandalf, but Gandalf pushes Aragorn roughly away from him, and into Thilia who catches the Ranger. "Do as I say!" Gandalf snaps, hurt and confusion register on Aragorn's face as he looks between Gandalf and Thilia, who is just as confused. "Swords are no more use here!" he adds as they continue moving. The Balrog roars again. The Fellowship descend a flight of massive stairs.

The Fellowship encounters a gap in the stairs. Legolas leaps and lands on the other side. The Balrog rumbles again. Foundations splinter and crumble, sending huge rocks tumbling into the depths. "Gandalf." Legolas calls as he holds his arms out for the wizard. Gandalf leaps after him. The archer is quick to catch him and move him out of the way for the next person. Arrows whistle into the air from a far ledge, striking the stone steps. Legolas shoots back. 

His arrow rises through the air and pierces the skull of an Orc. The Orc tumbles down from his ledge. Thilia turns to Boromir, "Get across, I'll toss the Hobbits to you." she said and he nodded. Leaping across Legolas caught him, like he did with Gandalf, and then he turned back to the other side and held his arms open. Thilia picked up Pippin first and tossed him over. Boromir was quick to get Pippin passed off to Legolas before getting ready for Merry.

With Merry in her hands, she tossed him and he sailed into Boromir who waited for Sam next. An exchange of arrows follow from the stairs to the ledge, while Thilia got a good grip on Sam. Aragorn kept up the return fire from their side while Legolas did the same from his. When Thilia had a moment she pitched Sam to the other side where the Hobbit is caught by Boromir. Aragorn prepares to pick up Gimli.

But the Dwarf refused. He held up his hands, stopping Aragorn, "Nobody tosses a dwarf." he snapped before he leapt forward but nearly falls back into the chasm. Legolas grabs his beard and pulls him up. "Not the beard!" the dwarf screamed. Some of the stone steps crumble and fall. Thilia pushes Aragorn to safety before tossing Frodo to Legolas who moved forward due to his worry about the crumbling stairs. 

They climb to their feet and look at the now widened gap that separates them from the rest of the Fellowship. Making herself bigger, she quickly hooked Aragorn's waist and tugged him into her side before leaping over the last bit before the stairs gave way, she used her wings to glide and when they landed, she quickly pushed Aragorn to get everyone moving again. Around a great pillar in a fiery hall comes Gandalf, leading the Fellowship. 

A wall of flame whirls behind them. "Over the bridge! Fly!" Gandalf shouts. The Fellowship flees. Gandalf does not follow, but turns, looking into the wall of fire. A great form of black shadow leaps through the flames, its eyes of white fire, great ash-black horns curling around a bull-like head. It opens its maw, rippling heat pouring out with a rumble. Gandalf turns, running after the Fellowship. A great, black, cloven foot stomps down into the hall, bursting into flame. 

A narrow bridge of stone appears in the fiery light, and the Fellowship crosses the bridge. Gandalf turns to face the Balrog. Thilia tried to go back to help but crumbling fixtures came down and hit her, it pinned her down hurting her back, one arm and the wing on the same side making her cried out. "Thilia!" Boromir shouted as he and Legolas rushed to help her. "You cannot pass!" Gandalf roared. 

"Gandalf!" Frodo screamed as he tried to help as much as he could for Thilia. But the wizard never looked back, he couldn't as he shouted up at the beast. "I am the servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor...The dark fire will not avail you! Flame of Udûn!" The Balrog strikes down on Gandalf, who parries the blow with his blade, shattering the Balrog's sword. Glowing embers run off the circle of light around the wizard. 

The monster bellows at the wizard. Frodo gasps. Aragorn runs forward. Gandalf clenched his teeth as he growled at the beast, "Go back to the Shadow!" The Balrog steps onto the bridge. It brandishes a flaming whip. Gandalf raises his sword and staff together into the air. "You — shall not — pass!" Gandalf drives his staff into the bridge, causing a bright flash of blue light to appear. 

There is a rumble and the rocks pinning Thilia shift making it easier to help her, but she is no longer able to fly for the time being. Flaring its nostrils, the Balrog steps forward onto the bridge. The bridge collapses from under it as it moves towards Gandalf, and breaks before the wizard's staff. The demon plunges backward into the chasm, still wielding its glowing whip. Gandalf, exhausted, leans on his staff and watches the Balrog fall. 

He turns to follow the others. Thilia is now being supported by Legolas as Boromir, Gimli and Aragorn with the Hobbits wait for Gandalf. The flaming whip lashes up from the depths of the abyss and winds about Gandalf's ankle, dragging him over the edge. He clings onto the bridge but strains to keep his grip. Frodo rushes forward but Boromir restrains him. "No, no!" Boromir shouts as he quickly grabs for Frodo. "Gandalf!" the young Baggins cries. 

The wizard grasps the bridge, looking into Frodo's eyes. He stops struggling. "Fly, you fools!" he gasps out, Gandalf lets go of the stone and falls into the chasm, spreading his arms, the light of the Balrog glimmering far below. "No!" Frodo screams from Boromir's grip still trying to get to Gandalf. Boromir picks up Frodo and starts to leave up a flight of stairs calling to a stunned Aragorn as he moves, 

"Aragorn!" Frodo is still screaming and struggling, "No!" For a moment Aragorn does not move, but then Orc arrows start whistling by once again, shooting at the companions. Dodging them, he turns and follows the others up the stairs.