The company fled across the ground. They had barely no time to assemble their things or collect their senses from the fight against the goblin army before they were forced to flee. Luin tightened the strap of his case and hauled Gloin by the arm as they picked up speed.
Behind them the snarls and bays of the wargs hot on their tail made their hair stand on end. The occasional arrow, shot by Kili or Fili, gave them few seconds of a head start. But the wargs were catching up and their riders were not far behind. Luin held up his hand as one of his swords flew out behind them. It sliced at any warg or orc rider who got too close. It would not last but it would buy them time. The rapidly falling darkness helped too. Bilbo managed to kill one of the orc with his little sword as Thorin and Gandalf led them on.
"Damn!" Luin swore as the company came to a stuttering halt. The forest had given way to the shape edge of a cliff. Below them was the extensive sunset view of a valley. Any other day, Luin would have loved this beautiful multicoloured view of the sunset below them. But they were stranded to the vicious blades of the orcs behind them.
"Up in the trees! All of you! Quickly!" Gandalf's voice broke through the sudden fear. The dwarfs rapidly began scrambling to climb the the nearest trees. Luin helped by lifting them up and pushing them into the branches as quickly as possible. His sword still floated in the air, protecting them from any orcs th at got to close.
"Luin!" Kili and Fili yelled in unison. Their warning prompted Luin to turn as a orc arrow embedded itself in the wood of a tree trunk where his neck had just been. Scrambling backwards, Luin avoided a swipe of a sword and the snarling maw of a Warg. Feet scrabbling for steady position, he tipped over the edge for the second time that night and plummeted over the cliff. His swords shot after him.
When he rose up in the air, steady on his sword and the other floating next to him, it was to find the company shouting as the wargs threw their weight against the trees. Luin flew up above them with his hands raised threateningly. With his dark blue robes billowing around him, blending into the colour of the night sky, and the black flint of his eyes; he looked like a spirit of the night, dangerous and avenging. His fingers flew in a complicated pattern and a series of glowing symbols flowed in the air. Luin made a thrusting motion and threw the talisman at the screaming orcs below him. Fire burst out in a wave towards them. The wargs backing off with shrieks.
Gandalf seemed to have caught on. He caught a stray spark and lit up a group of pine cones next to him. They were dropped into the eager hands of the dwarfs bellow and they began alighting more, throwing them down at the wargs. Luin laughed at the sight as he shot another flame talisman into the trees. Fire burst up and Wargs yelped.
One particular orc did not back away. He was a massive one, with grey white skin and a metal fork for a arm. He was eyeing them gleefully as the wargs began knocking the trees down. Everyone yelled out in fear as the trees went down like a set of dominos. It ended up with all the dwarves hanging on the last tree right over the edge of the cliff. It teetered before falling and lying over the drop like a gangplank.
Luin soared down as Dori lost his grip. He caught his spare sword by the handle and it hung in the air. Dori dangling off the end like bait on the edge of a hook. Luin dropped to his feet on the grass in front of the fallen tree. He stood in front of the tree as a guard, lit ghostly from the light of the fires. His hair hung around his face like a dark curtain, making his black eyes and high cheekbones seem unreal and haunting. His second jade sword flew behind him as another dwarf lost their grip with a scream. Luin wasn't sure who it was but he could feel the energy of his sword as the dwarf caught hold. Without his two main weapons, Luin raised his chin and stared headlong at the white orc.
"Where's you sword little elf?" The orc asked in English. The surrounding orcs laughed menacingly.
"I'm not a elf", Luin said firmly. "And I don't need my swords". He pulled his case off his back and unclipped it. Inside lay a beautiful silver and blue instrument. The wooden frame was decorated with swirling blue and silver designs and the strings gleamed in the moonlight. Luin fell into a cross legged seated position in the dirt as mist the cries of his companions.
"Luin what are you doing?" Dwalin called.
"Luin! Fight Luin!" Fili and Kili yelled. As an impatient Orc urged his warg forward. The massive beast lunges towards him and it's rider raised his cleaver.
Luin flicked his fingers along the strings of his guqin almost lazily. A burst of blue energy shot out around him. It hit the warg and it's rider, pushing them back and slicing their bodies to pieces like meat. Blood coated the scorched grass as the corpses slumped to the floor. Luin plucked at the strings one by one and a slow tune spread through the air. The soft melody seemed out of place amidst the chaos of the surroundings.
"He's buying is time", Gandalf explained to the dwarves hanging in the tree. "His music is powerful but he can't keep it up for too long. It costs too much energy".
Thorin growled at the words and hauled himself up to his feet. He stood balancing on the trunk of the fallen tree as he unsheathes his swords. In front of him, Luin's melody was speeding up as more and more orcs and wargs charged towards him. Wave after wave of blue energy sliced them back as Luin's fingers flew across the strings and the melody grew quicker.
Luin did not turn to look as Thorin marched along the tree trunk until the dwarf was standing right next to him. More blue energy shot out from the guqin as Luin raised his head to look at him.
"This is suicide Thorin", he stated calmly as another orc was sliced through. "I can keep this up, buy you all some time. Gandalf has a plan".
"I'm going to kill the white son of a bitch", Thorin growled.
"I won't be able to protect you", Luin warned. "This is a wide rage weapon. I won't be able to use it if you're in the way".
"I don't need no dark elf", Thorin grunted, eyes locked on the smirking face of Azog, the pale orc. He adjusted his grip on his okansheild before running towards. Luin's music stopped as Thorin charged into the clearing, sword raised. As he clashed with Azog, Luin rose to his knees and flicked the strings of the guqin. The orcs descending on him collapsed as he rose, guqin floating in the air in front of him.
He tried to take down as many orcs as possible without hitting Thorin. Azog has knocked their leader to the ground and his warg has its teeth clamped around his shoulder. Thorin yelled in pain. "I can't get to him!" Luin called in panic as more orcs attacked him. A twang of strings had them falling back but more kept coming. Luin's finger were stinging and red. He couldn't keep this up forever.
Suddenly Bilbo was there. He charged the Orc about to take Thorin's head and knocked it to the ground. He stabbed his sword through its chest before scrabbling to his feet in front of Thorin. Luin sprinted to stand on the other side of Thorin's fallen body. His guqin hovering in the air and his fingers poised at the strings. The two of them stood alone against Azog and his orcs.
War cries sounded through the flames and smoke as the rest of the company hauled themselves up onto the trunk and onto the ground. They charged one by one into the flame filled clearing with their swords and axes raised. Luin smiled at the galant show of bravely. They were no cowards. They were going out fighting.
Given a small reprieve, Luin hurried back to where he left the case and packed his guqin back inside. He shut the lid and swung it back onto his back as the dwarves fought the orcs. Now that the flow of spiritual energy between him and the guqin was cut off, he could focus on the connection between him and his swords. Raising two fingers to his lips, the two jade weapons rose in the air. Dori and Ori who were dangling from them, gave yelps of surprise as they too rose up and were safely deposited onto solid ground.
"Thanks Luin", Dori nodded as he unsheathes his blade as charged onto battle. Luin returned the nod as his swords flew to his hands. He held both of them at either side of his body as he returned his gaze to the battle. Raising his swords, he charged in after Dori with a flick of his robes.
Orcs and wargs fell around him as Luin spun and danced through the fire. His two swords gleamed wet in each hand as he took off a orc's head. But he could feel himself flagging. He was exhausted both physically and on a spiritual level. His Qi was drained and he was slowing down. Around him, the company seemed to be doing the same. They were outnumbered and cornered. This could not last.
There was a huge beat in the sky. A draft of wind and a pulse of life. The thud of flapping wings sounded as a massive eagle dropped from the sky and scooped up Balin in its claws. Another one swooped down and caught Kili and Ori in its grip. Luin watched in surprise as more and more giant eagles flew down from the inky black sky. They scooped up the members of the company one by one. One had Thorin held gently in its grip, he head lolling unconsciously as he was carried up into the sky.
"Finally", Luin gasped as he turned and sprinted towards the edge of the cliff. The orc he was fighting howled and gave chase after him. Luin dodges around the flames and threw himself over the edge of the cliff and past the fallen tree. He fell for a second before landing on the feathered back of one of the eagles. He let out a gasp at the impact. The feathers were warm under his hands and he could feel the wind on his face as he watched the flaming forest cliff grow smaller behind him.
Relaxing his tired muscles with a sigh, Luin laid down on the eagle said back. He curled up on his side, warmed by the beast carrying him as the exhausted and lack of Qi caught up with him. Feeling safe, he fell asleep soothed by the beating of the birds wings as the company flew through the night.
AN; If you want a idea at what kind of spiritual weapon a guqin is then check out the video above.
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