Veryan didn't think he'd sleep tonight. He really didn't. What he also didn't expect, was the walk they have set out on onto the evil road of the mountain. Aragorn rode in the front with Brego, Veryan road in the middle on Bathriel. Legolas and Gimli road on Arod together. Chattering of everyone around was clear in Veryan's ears, but he did not answer. None of them did. They just road in deeper, ignoring the confused people behind.
The road soon turned wider, and as the wider the road got the less claustrophobic Veryan felt. They didn't rest, they couldn't. Soon the night turned to day.
"What kind of army would linger in such a place?" Gimli decided to ask after so long of them staying silent.
"One that is cursed. Long ago, the Men of the Mountains swore an oath to the last King of Gondor to come to his aid to fight. But when the time came, when Gondor's need was dire, they fled, vanishing into the darkness of the mountain. And so Isildur cursed them never to rest until they had fulfilled their pledge" Legolas explained to Gimli, keeping his voice low.
"Who shall call them from the grey twilight? The forgotten people. The heir of him to whom the oath they swore" the further Legolas spoke the more uneasy Veryan got. His hands gripped Bathriel's reigns harder, making the Mare lowly neigh. Veryan was quick to shush her, patting her neck. "From the north shall he come. Need shall drive him. He shall pass the door to the Paths of the Dead"
~~~~~~~~~~
The road has once again began to narrow, and soon turn into a rocky hill they had to climb. They got off of their horses, and holding them by the reigns continued on foot. At the top of the small hill there was a narrow path, just barely fitting them and their horses through. On the right side of them were dead trees, the floor was scattered with dead leaves. And in front of them they saw the opening to the mountain.
"The very warmth of my blood seems stolen away" Gimli muttered as they finally stopped in front of the entrance.
"The way is shut" Legolas spoke aloud. It seemed to be covered in stone, that looked like it had been there for a while. "It was made by those who are dead. And the Dead keep it. The way is shut"
Just then, a loud exhalation came from right before them, being enough to scare the horses. The three horses jumped out of the hold the other's held on them. As Arod and Brego ran the other way, Bathriel neighed after them, turning to run after them seconds later.
"Brego!" Aragorn called out to his horse, but the Stallion was long gone already. They all looked at one another, before Aragorn turned to the entrance, glaring. "I do not fear death"
With those words told, he confidently stepped into the mountain, disappearing in the dark. Legolas and Veryan looked at one another, grabbing each other's hand before quickly walking after Aragorn.
"Well, this is a thing unheard-of. An Elf dare go underground where a Dwarf dare not? Oh, I'd never hear the end of it" with that little grumbling session out of the way, Gimli followed the groups lead, entering the mountain.
~~~~~~~~~~
Not long after being in the dark, Veryan used his magic to find themselves a light. He picked up the metal holder and lit it aflame, handing it over to Aragorn who was walking in the front. It wasn't long before they witnessed a trail of skulls, good thing they didn't decide to go that way.
"What is it? What do you see?" Gimli whispered to Legolas, seeing the man stop in front of the pile. This made Veryan turned back, looking at Legolas's form.
"I see shapes of men" he slowly spoke as he moved away from the pile, slowly moving after Aragorn. "And of horses"
"Where?" Gimli asked again, gripping his axe even tighter. Veryan gently placed his hand on Legolas's shoulder, guiding the almost out of it Elf. "Pale banners like shreds of cloud. Spears rise like winter-tickets through a shroud of mist. The Dead are following. They have been summoned"
Gimli once again began to mumble to himself, but this wasn't their main problem right now. With their weapons pulled out at their sides they made their way through thick fog, hand like shapes swirling all around them.
Aragorn suddenly stopped, his body shifting from side to side. "Do not look down" he whispered to the other men. But there really wasn't a point to look down, the crack of bone told them everything they needed to know.
They moved as quickly as they could, and ended up in a huge cavern, a castle looking structure infused with the mountain. But their troubles didn't end there. A croaking voice soon surrounded them. "Who enters my domain?"
They tried their hardest not to jump back when the King of the Dead appeared right at the foot of the stairs. "One who will have your allegiance"
"The Dead do not suffer the living to pass" the King spoke again, his voice way clearer than it was just moments ago.
"You will suffer me" Aragorn replied, holding his ground.
The King couldn't help himself a cackle. The whole cavern lit up in a green mist, shaping itself to be the rest of the castle that the dead marched from. Veryan couldn't help but gulp at the sight. Sure, he had magic, but what is going to do to a dead being? News flash, absolutely nothing.
"The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead. And the Dead keep it. The way is shut" the King recited what Legolas read out to them on the entrance's wall. It didn't take long for them to get surrounded by the dead. "Now you must die"
Legolas quickly took aim, and shot at the King, but the arrow went through him with ease. Veryan tried his luck too, using his magic he went to trip the King, but just as the arrow it did nothing. It actually looked like it absorbed into the King, quickly turning his beautiful purple magic into that of a green mist.
Aragorn took a step forward. "I summon you to fulfill your oath"
"None but the King of Gondor may command me" the King replied, swinging his sword at Aragorn, but the male blocked his sword with his own.
"That line was broken" the King croaked out when Aragorn lowered his sword. The living male then grabbed onto the King, putting his sword against the others throat. "It has been remade"
He pushed the King away, the dead man stumbling back. He stayed quiet after that, letting Aragorn talk. "Fight for us, and regain your honor. What say you?"
The dead men said nothing, letting Aragorn walk past them, his sword raised. "Ah! You waste your time, Aragorn" Gimli told the other male. "They had no honor in life, they have none now in death"
Veryan flicked his hand Gimli's way, sealing his magic around the Dwarf's lips so the other would stop talking. Gimli grumbled, turning to him glaring. Veryan pretended like he didn't see the angry look thrown his way by the shorter.
"I am Isildur's heir. Fight for me, and I will hold your oaths fulfilled. What say you?!" It was obvious to see that Aragorn was getting a bit desperate, but he held his cool nevertheless.
The King cackled, and unlike the last time, the dead began to slowly disappear around them. "You have my word! Fight, and I will release you from this living death! What say you?!" Aragorn shouted sounding more and more desperate with each word, but the dead just kept disappearing.
"Stand, you traitors!" Gimli shouted after Veryan got too distracted to hold his magic against his lips any longer.
A big gust of wind, that wasn't there before, came their way. The ground beneath them began to crack, and skulls began to fall from above. The group turned to the castle, and saw the walls around it begin to collapse, tons upon tons of skulls rolling out.
"Out!" Aragorn commanded them. They took to running, but the skulls kept piling on, making it more difficult to cross. Veryan did his best to clear the skulls littering their path, but he could do only so much with more of them coming down. Fortunately they did make it across the path, quickly running along the corridor that they have ended up in.
They made it out of the mountain right back to the outside, but what waited before them stopped them in their tracks. So much of the enemy's ships sailed the waters, and the towns along side the river side were burnt, probably no one left alive in the destruction.
Tears began to slip out of Aragorn's eyes as he fell to his knees. Veryan was quick to kneel by his side, rubbing gentle circles into his back whilst Legolas placed one of his hands on the other's shoulder's, the both of them trying to comfort the Human.
Veryan and Aragorn however were quickly brought back to their feet when the wind began to whistle. They turned around, and saw the King of the Dead. He marched up to Aragorn. "We fight"
A relieved laugh left Veryan's lips as he turned to Legolas, enveloping his lover in a tight embrace, feeling Legolas's chest shake against his own.
~~~~~~~~~~
The four of them stood on the stone covered shores of Gondor as the enemy's ships sailed closer. "You may go no further" Aragorn called out to them when they were close enough. "You will not enter Gondor"
"Who are you to deny us passage?" the leader of the ships shouted, pushing himself out of his seat.
"Legolas, fire a warning shot past the bosun's ear" Aragorn told Legolas with his inner voice once again. "Mind your aim" Gimli commented as the Elven Prince pulled out his bow, but Gimli moved the bow right before Legolas let go of it, making the arrow fly right into one of the bosun's men.
Veryan couldn't help but try and hold in a snort. Legolas looked down at Gimli, his eyes shot open as the Dwarf faked surprise. "That's it. Right. We warned you. Prepare to be boarded"
"If this war doesn't kill you, I will" Veryan lowly spoke to Gimli, seeing the Dwarf visibly shiver as the men in the ship began to laugh.
"Boarded? By you and whose army?" the bosun shouted down at them, he really wasn't taking them seriously.
"This army" Aragorn spoke under his breath, and moments later the dead showed themselves. Weapons raised they charged twords the ships filled with screaming men. Veryan COULD of helped, but this was the moment for those men to prove themselves. To earn their peace. Oh, but ending the life of these men is definitely not the end.
~~~~~~~~~~
They reached the docks of Gondor, and jumped out of the boats, surprising the Orcs waiting for the bandits. Veryan smirked twords the lost Orcs, his hands sparking with magic as they began to advance twords the enemy.
"There's plenty for the three of us. May the best Dwarf win" Gimli shouted over to the Elf and Wizard. "In your dreams Gimli" Veryan commented last as he shot himself into the sky before coming down, blowing up some of the Orcs standing around him. He didn't even think of taking his sword out, using quick movements to blow up every Orc in sight whilst the dead also fought along side them. With the help of the dead they plowed through the Orcs at the docks with ease.
As Veryan blew up every Orc he spoted in sight he also kept count of how many he killed. He could also hear Gimli and Legolas counting allowed, but oh their numbers were so puny compared to his.
At one point Veryan rapped his magic around one Orc, and used his body to swing at the others, making them fly up into the sky before landing on their heads (most of the time). When he thought he'd done enough he let go of the Orc he was swinging, and watched it fly up, before plummeting into the ground, it's insides splattering all over the ground.
"Legolas! Veryan!" A panicked shout from Aragorn made the couple stop and turn around, seeing a huge elephant heading their way.
Veryan smirked at Legolas "What about a team effort, my love?" Legolas chuckled and pulled Veryan in by the waist "I would love to"
Veryan turned back to the elephant heading their way, and using his magic propelled them up and onto the animal. When he landed Legolas let go of him and proceeded to shoot at the Heradrim people. Veryan thought that blowing them up was a bit too graphic, so he chose to take out his sword and kill them the more humane way, counting his kills as well of course.
Before Veryan could swing at yet another Human he felt someone grab him by the waist. He yelped as Legolas's arm tightened around him, the two of them swinging on the side of the elephant. Veryan quickly got back to his senses, grabbing Legolas's dagger from his belt, cutting the ropes holding the tent structure on top of the elephant, dropping everyone else still alive.
Veryan and Legolas pulled themselves back up by the rope as the tent fell. Legolas then quickly pulled three of his arrows out, and shot the best straight in the head, making it roar in pain before it began to collapse. Legolas quickly threw his bow back onto his back and scooped Veryan into his arms, sliding down the elephants trunk all the whilst pecking the Wizards cheek.
Veryan chuckled as he climbed out of Legolas's arms, pecking the others cheek back. Gimli stood in front of the both of them, glaring. "That still only counts as one!"
Veryan shook his head at Gimli who proceeded to go of and kill the first Orcs he laid eyes upon. "That was awfully romantic of you. Save that for later!" Veryan told Legolas as he flew of once again, leaving Legolas with rose colored cheeks.