An Olympian's Daughter

Oath of the dead

Hali, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas ride along a barren mountain path.

"What kind of army would linger in such a place?" Gimli looks around.
"One that is cursed." Hali hisses not liking it either. "Long ago the Men of the Mountain 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 goes on in all his princely scholar knowledge. "Who shall call them from the grey twilight? The forgotten people. The heir of him to whom the oath they swore. From the north shall he come. Need shall drive him. He shall pass the door to the Paths of the Dead."

They approach the Dimholt door. It is adorned with skulls.
"The very warmth of my blood seems stole away." Gimli mutters holding tightly to his axe.
Hali reads the hieroglyphs above the door. "'The way is shut. It was made by those who were dead, and the dead keep it. The way is shut.'"
Wind and noise come out of the door. The horses rear and flee.

"Brego!" Aragorn calls after the horse. Aragorn turning back towards the entrance, "I do not fear death!"
Aragorn enters the mountain Hali right dogging his heels into the mountain. Legolas soon follows, but Gimli hesitates. "Well this is something unheard of! An elf will go underground where a dwarf dare not! Ah, I'd never hear the end of it!"
Gimli runs into the tunnel.

Aragorn's party moves inside the Paths of the Dead, past piles of skulls. "What is it? What do you see?" The dwarf whispers in the dark
"I see shapes of men and of horses." Legolas says appearing to be in a trance. "Where?" Gimli hisses
"Pale banners like shreds of cloud. Spears rise like winter-thickets through a shroud of mist. The dead are following. They have been summoned." "The Dead? Summoned? I knew that. Very good. Very good. Legolas!"

Gimli runs to catch up. Shapes of arms are surround Legolas, Hali and Aragorn, who brush them aside. Gimli puffs at the ghosts around him.
"Do not look down." Hali whispers looking back at the other two.
Gimli stops at a snapping sound under his feet. He looks down and sees hundreds of skulls. Every step he takes lets a crackling out.

Hali, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli run into a great underground hall with a large doorway.

The King of the Dead booms "Who enters my domain?" A ghost appears.

"One who will have your allegiance." Aragorn answers, The King of the Dead steps forward "The dead do not suffer the living to pass."

"You will suffer me!" Aragorn orders
The King laughs. A dead city appears.
Dead soldiers walk out of the city and encircle the living.
"Fuck me as if the skeletons of these men in the front hall were back, this shit is fucked up" Hali mutters to herself keeping a firm hold on her sword on owning it probably won't be any help, when those they seek help from are already dead.

The King of the Dead recites the hieroglyphs from his doorway. "The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead. And the dead keep it. The way is shut. Now you must die."

The King approaches Aragorn. Legolas shoots at King, but the arrow passes right through the ghost's head. "Legolas they are already dead that was a waste of a good arrow" Hali elbows him in the ribs.

"I summon you to fulfill your oath." Aragorn commands them "None but the King of Gondor may command me!" The king of the Dead roars in fury. Aragorn draws the sword of the King. The ghosts swings at Aragorn. Aragorn parries the blow with the Sword of Elendil, much to the ghost's surprise.

The King of the Dead looks with hollow eyes in shock "That line was broken." "It has been remade." Aragorn holds fast before he shoves back the ghost. "Fight for us, and regain your honour. What say you?"
Aragorn surveys the dead soldiers.
"What say you?"

"You waste your time, Aragorn! They had no honour in life, they have none now in death." Gimli yells out to his friend. "I am Isildur's heir. Fight for me and I will hold your oaths fulfilled! What say you!"

The King of the Dead smirks. The Dead King laughs as his army begins to fade
"You have my word! Fight, and I will release you from this living death! What say you?" Aragorn asks again looking around as they fade back into the stone walls.
"Stand, you traitors!" Gimli growls.
The ground shakes. Skulls roll on the floor. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli turn to the breaking doorway to see thousands of skulls flowing out of it.
"Out!" Aragorn yells. They run, but are nearly swept away by the skulls. "Legolas! Run!" Aragorn yells at the elf pulling Hali along beside him.

The party fights their way through the sea of skulls and escapes to the outdoors.

Emerging from the doorway in the mountainside, Aragorn sees the black ships and the cities they have sacked.

Aragorn falls to his knees in despair, he hears a sound behind him and turns around. The King of the Dead appears before the heir to the Gondorian throne.

The King of the Dead looks at him before agreeing. "We fight!"

The corsairs of Umbar sail upriver. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas stand alone on the shore watching them.

"You may go no further. You will not enter Gondor." Aragorn commands from the shore with the other three standing beside him. "Who are you to deny us passage?" The captain calls back. "Legolas, fire a warning shot past the bosun's ear." Aragorn whispers to the elf. Legolas prepares to fire. Gimli whispers to him "Mind your aim!" As he fires, Gimli nudges Legolas' bow, causing the arrow to hit a pirate square in the chest.
"Ah!" The shoot pirate gurgles.
"Oh!" Gimli looks on. "Real smooth gents real smooth" Hali barks from the other side of Aragorn.
"That's it. We warned you. Prepare to be boarded." Gimli yell ignoring her.

The sailors laugh at the threat.
"Boarded, by you and whose army?" The captain laughs.

"This army." Aragorn calls as they all take off from the hill side. The King of the Dead appears and runs through Aragorn, leading his men in a charge to the ships. The sailors recoil and yell in terror.