The Unexpected | LotR Fanfiction

Chapter 65

I fell tumbling and screaming into the mob of monsters, landing hard and rolling onto my hands and knees. It was hotter down here than my armpits during my trek across Middle-Earth—which is saying something. And all that heat was coming from these third-dragon, third-man/elf/orc, third-demon things. Or maybe they were a combination of some of the creations from Morgoth's days, maybe even part balrog. Whatever they were, they were humanoid, crawling on legs with a tail balancing them from behind, a tongue that glowed like molten rock—with the heat of it too—and an oval head like that of the race of man. But no eyes that I could see, only the smooth, seamless black scales that wasn't quite scales, but not skin either, that covered their entire bodies.

These demons that had haunted my fitful hours during the nights not-so-long-ago were right in front of me. This close, I could smell the burnt odor coming off them in waves, yet through the heat, it was almost hard to tell there was a smell.

I froze while the uur rauko did as well, staring at me with eyeless faces like a piece of trash fell in their midst. Then, growling and dripping molten fire, they pounced.

I shrieked, instinctively curling into a ball. Yet, of course, that did nothing against their talon-sharp claws and burning tongues. Unimaginable pain had me retreating into myself, pulling free that starlight and letting it loose in a burst.

Immediately, the demons yelped, jumping away. But it wasn't long before they were back. Not long at all. This time, as I flung out star-light, I jumped to my feet. When the uur rauko came bounding back after shying away, they were jumping over a few of their kinds' corpses.

But it didn't matter if I had killed a handful. There were hundreds still living, still hungering for my flesh. And I didn't come here to kill them, my bargain didn't claim that either.

I was here to command them. Using that piece of Sauron inside me.

No, I'm not going to use that thing. Not again. Not after learning it's the cause of my mortality.

I backed myself up against the incline of the pit walls, hoping that none would get behind me. As I did so, I caught sight of something that could save me, just over the uur rauko heads: a ladder. But it was on the opposite side of the pit and to get there I'd have to pass through hundreds of the fire demons.

Energy rushed through my veins like a stampede of running horses, I was alight with it. The light escaped through the air around me, radiating out towards those black beasts. I had that ladder in my sights.

They roared back, fleeing, scrambling over each other to get away from the searing star-light. Some fell, never to rise again, but the rest returned after the light receded.

Their hot breaths brushed my face as they pounced, me heaving for breath as I desperately tried spooling out my light. Why did it always feel like this? Like the light is always being restrained, never reaching its full potential—?

Oh yeah, because of the darkness Sauron placed within me. For something to be ultimately powerful, it must be pure. Not tainted.

Just as I felt their claws break through my skin, my star-light was flung out again, casting them away. I repeated the process several times, each time getting more exhausted, more injured. I fell to my knees as the uur rauko were blasted back once again, struggling to draw in breath, struggling to keep my eyes open, all the while feeling blood drip down me, burns on my shoulders and arms.

How long have I been doing this? A half hour? A full hour?

I couldn't keep going, already I felt like the world was tipping. Any longer—and I'll drop unconscious, then the fire demons will, well, eat me. Then I'll be of no use to anyone.