Wild Monster

by Matthew Harrington

  "Leithio i philinn!" [Release arrows!] Aragorns command was immediately answered by the twang of bowstrings. Maethien watched as her arrow sailed through the air and lodged itself into the leaders head. She turned a smug look to Legolas but was met by an equally smug look from the elf, he gestured toward the leader and, confused, Mae turned to look. Legolas arrow had apparently struck the leader's eyes... perfect bulls-eye. Maethien's jaw dropped and she made to complain... but instead she threw back her head and laughed.

  "Well played, elf." She said.

  "Did they hit anything?" Gimli demanded.

  "Of course we did." Saeleth said with a laugh.

  "Ribed bant!" [Full volley!] Maethien took full advantage of the order, firing arrow after arrow at the speed of light, shooting at the front of the line as they Uruks continued to charge.

  "Send them to me, come on!" Gimli roared, stamping his foot impatiently. As Maethien watched the army descend, she knew that Gimli would soon get his wish.

  "Pendraith!" [Ladders] Aragorn shouted in warning.

  "Here they come." Maethien called out as she replaced her bow with her sword.

  "Swords! Swords!" Maethien focused on her first opponent, a rather large and ugly Uruk, or at least she assumed he was ugly since his face was completely covered by an odd armor mask. Mae moved fast, flipping it over her head and bringing her blade down onto it's back. She pulled her sword free and dodged the strike of an axe, feeling the breath of the strike only inches from her ear, she swung out and beheaded another that had come at her from behind.

  "Legolas! Two already!" Maethien snorted as she ducked another blow and shoved her sword into an opening at the pelvic region.

  "I'm on seventeen!" Legolas called back with a grin.

  "What?!" Gimli roared. "I'll have no pointy-ear outscoring me!" Gimli declared then proceeded to slam his axe into the groin of a charging Uruk. Saeleth grimaced, then quickly ducked a swing at her face, curving her bladed saff into the Ururks stomach, slicing through the opening between it's armour.

  "Nineteen!" Legolas called out, Gimli's brusque voice could be heard over the roar as he cursed at the elf. Saeleth gasped as she narrowly missed the strike of an axe, feeling the sharpened edge cut into her robe as she rushed to get out of the way of a second strike.

  "This is new, you bastards!" Saeleth cursed as she pulsed with golden energy, weapons falling to pieces within three feet radius from her, giving her, and multiple other elves, the perfect opportunity to strike down the defenseless Huruks.

  "Causeway! Na fennas! Hado ribed! Hado!" Aragorn's voice reached Maethien and she quickly rushed to the wall, taking her bow and aiming with her elvish kin at the Uruk-Hai who were slithering up the causaway like a long, black snake. Mae released a volley, smiling when she succeeded in striking down a good line of Uruks, watching them as they fell into the dark abyss beneath the causaway.

  "Watch out!" Maethien turned around in time to see Legolas strike down a Uruk that had been aiming to dig his sword into Maethien's back. She called out her thanks to the elf prince then turned to do the same favor for a fellow elf at her side, nodding back to the elf when he nodded his thanks to her.

  Saeleth was shoved against the wall, the air getting knocked right out of her as her stomach hit the edge, her upper body leaning dangerously close over the edge of the wall. It was there, looking down onto the army of Uruks, that Elle remembered something very important. Her eyes widened when she spotted the Uruk with the flaming torch running toward the wall, she was too late!

  "The drain! Get away from there! Get everyone back!" Saeleth shouted, catching Maethien's attention as she pulled her blade from a Uruks back. Turning, she spotted the flaming torch and immediately remembered what was going to happen, her heart raced as she whirled around to find Aragorn, he too had heard Elle's call and was shouting orders as he moved.

  "Clear this section! Clear it! Noro!" Aragorn shouted. Maethien looked over the side of the wall... Aragorn was standing exactly above the drain. Maethien's blood turned to ice.

  "Legolas!" Saeleth shouted. "Togo hon dad, Legolas! Dago hon!" Legolas drew his bow and began to shoot but the Uruk wouldn't die! Frantic, Saeleth turned to the scrambling elves and shouted at them to run away as Maethien ran toward Aragorn... right into the line of fire. Maethien did not hear her sister's calls, her mind solely focused on getting to Aragorn; she gripped him by his clothes and pulled him away, running from the explosion she knew would kill them if they did not get away fast. The blast rattled in her ears, Mae felt herself fly as mounds of rock and stone blew apart, rocketing into the air. Maethien was hurled to the ground, reacting on instinct, the elleth lifted her shield arm to protect herself from the falling stone, and her shielding power ignited, the sheer golden force field creating a dome around her. It was thanks to her shield that she able to protect, not only herself, but many others as well from the falling stones.

  "Aragorn?" Disoriented, Maethien slurred her words as she staggered to her feet, unaware that she was bleeding onto her robes on her right side. "Aragorn!" Mae searched for him, her mind slowly focusing on her surroundings as she stumbled through the debris and found Aragorn sprawled on the ground near the entrance that had been blown apart. The Uruks charged through the opening... Maethien knew that if she didn't stop them, they would kill Aragorn, she was too far to protect him.

  "No!" Maethien's hand shot out and, suddenly, the water began to climb up the opening, building itself up to create a wall where there was no longer one. Shocked, Maethien looked down to see a new mark etch itself into her right forearm, the stinging making her hiss as she realized that she had earned herself a new power. Water. Uruks backed away from the wall, screeching as they stumbled away from the wall, unsure what to do with this new obstacle.

  "Thank you." Maethien whispered to the Valar, before giving the order to the water wall, it fell forward with empowered strength, crashing over the Uruk-Hai and washing a lot of them away, drowning them mercilessly. Lowering her hand, Mae turned to search for Aragorn again, and found herself beneath the looming blade of a Uruk. The blade descended, but suddenly someone cut him down from behind, his head rolling away and the body slumping to the ground.

  "Haldir." Maethien breathed, with a grateful nod to the elf. Haldir touched his brow and gestured to her in a sort of salute then turned and charged at a pack of Uruks.

  "Aragorn!" Gimli's bellow made Maethien turn in time to see the brave dwarf hurl himself from the wall and onto the line of Uruk-Hai now racing into the keep eagerly.

  "Gimli!" Aragorn and Maethien shouted together. Mae rushed forward, reaching the dwarf in time to knock away a Huruk that had aimed for his back. Whirling around, Maethien released her shield and slammed the golden haze into the Uruks to her left while she swung her blade, striking ferociously at any Uruk who came at her.

  "Gimli!" Summoning all of her strength, Maethien pushed a glowing hand forward and watched as Uruks flew in every direction, her active power, which she suspected was a sort of psychokinesis, having pushed them away. "Gimli!" Maethien finally reached the dwarf, grabbing him and pulling him up to the surface of the water, the dwarf sputtered as he emerged.

  "I'm wet again!" He roared angrily.

  "That's what water does! Now get down!" She pulled him behind her then crouched down, igniting her magical shield again to create a dome around her and Gimli. Aragorn took her hint and called out the order.

  "Hado i philinn!" The elves behind him released arrow after arrow at the Uruk-Hai. Any attempt upon the protective dome by a Uruk sent a shock so powerful through the attacker that it killed the beating of it's heart.

  "Herio!" As the others came running forward, Maethien leaped from her protection, pulling Gimli with her.

  Saeleth watched with great relief as her sister emerged from her golden shield unscathed and charged at the oncoming Uruks with Gimli, Aragorn, and all of their kin at her sides. Sure that Maethien could handle herself, Elle turned to look over the crumbled wall... The Uru
ks had abandoned their ladders and had taken to using the stairs to the sides of the opening they had created. They were swarming into Helm's Deep, wreaking havoc as they charged.

  "Make way!" Saeleth turned and jumped out of the way as Legolas, bow drawn and ready, slid passed her atop what looked like a shield and rode it down the stairs, shooting arrows as she flew. He jumped off the shield as he reched the landing and launched the shield into a Uruk, the sharpened corners digging in it and killing it as the elf pulled out his blade and jabbed it into the neck of a charging Uruk.

  "Show off!" Elle called out to the elf as she leaped from the wall, using her command over the air to soften her descent onto the ground. Legolas turned to her with a smile as he threw a dagger at her, Elle glanced to her side and saw the dagger pierce the throat of a Uruk that had ran at her from behind.

  "I repeat: Show off!" Elle laughed with the elf and twisted her staff, turning it from a dual bladed staff into her twin blades. Swinging a blade, she blocked the strike of a Uruk and used her second blade to drive into it's gut, twisting the hilt then ripping it out from the Uruk harshly. She turned and was forced to spin out of the way, grabbing the spear, Elle shoved the tip of the Uruk's weapon into another that had been prepared to bring down it's blade onto a fellow elf. Elle then kicked the Uruk holding the spear, forcing him to drop to his knees, and swung her blade, slicing his throat with ease before kicking him away.

  "Saeleth!" The call came a second too late, Saeleth felt something ram into her back, shoving her to the ground with great strength. Her temple collided with a fallen jagged stone and Elle cried out in pain, her vision blurred and her head pulsed as she struggled to find her swords, hands searching the ground wildly.

  "Saeleth." Elle flinched when arms wrapped around her.

  "Haldir." She breathed, the elf had turned her around so that he could look at her injury, from the look on his face, Elle could only assume that she looked as bad as she felt. It was there, lying in the arms of Haldir that Elle saw a fire high up in the sky... she wondered if perhaps she'd hit her head much too hard. What would fire be doing in the sky? It looked like it was getting bigger... but how could it be?

  Lungorthin... Saeleth was on her feet in an instant, her vision still blurred but her mind on high alert. It all made sense to her now! The shadow, the smoke... the fire! Her vision! She'd had a vision before, a vision of smoke, shadow, fire... and the roar of a mighty elleth warrior...

  "Oh, no." Saeleth whispered, her eyes searching the crowds wildly for a sign of her sister, if she was right about her vision... Maethien was going to be in grave danger. Saeleth looked up to the sky as the fire drew closer, flames billowing into the black clouds and wrapping the darkness around the red fire. Second later, an all-powerful roar erupted from the darkness, a roar she knew all too well.

  "To the sky!" Saeleth screamed at the top of her lungs. "Balrog! Balrog!" Shocked, Haldir looked to the sky then called out the order, instantly elves began firing volleys at the massive creature.

  Maethien couldn't believe her eyes... A balrog? Was this what Melkor had hidden from her memories? The monster was colossal! It landed on the wall, stones crunching beneath the strength of it's talons, and bellowed again, releasing a gust of hot air. This one was different from the one that Gandalf had fought... less smoke and more fire, and this fire was a gleaming pure white with a powerful heat that could be felt from miles away. She wasn't sure where the name came from or how it found itself into Maethien's mind, but she was sure that this balrog went by a name... Lungorthin. The monster lifted it's white flamed sword high... Men screamed, Uruks cheered...

  Maethien turned and found a pair of familiar amber eyes, Saeleth looked utterly terrified and, somehow, Maethien knew exactly why... the words of Lady Galadriel ringing in her mind.

  They will face his wrath as well. He has targeted all of you, each in a different way and for a different reason.

  This was Melkor's little gift for her. This balrog was here to kill her.

  Maethien looked away from the gleaming amber and turned to find the crystal blue. Aragorn met Maethien's gaze... and he knew.

  "No." He shook his head, his heart stopping when he saw the apology rise in her green eyes. "No!"

  "I'm sorry." She whispered, then turned her back on the man she loved and ran up to the wall.

  "Avo garo! Maethien!" [Don't do it!] Mae did not turn back. Lungorthin had been sent by Melkor to kill Maethien... but there was one problem with that: Maethien had no intention of dying. The balrog swept its blade along the wall, killing both Uruk-Hai and men, Mae could hear the screaming of children as they ran for their lives.

  "Lungorthin!" Maethien bellowed with all her might, catching the monsters attention. Shadow and fire met the eyes of the Warrior and Maethien steeled herself for what came. "Come to me." She beckoned to it with her blade, provoking it's fiery roar. Black and flaming white wings unfurled and swooped low toward her. Maethien summoned all of her strength into a psychokinetic blast, forcing the beast backward but it took a considerable amount of her strength, it weakened her almost entirely. Lungorthin came at her again, swinging his flaming sword. Maethien rolled out of the way, purposely rolling into a group of Uruks, as expected... several of them lost their heads to the blow. The elleth bounded to her feet and led the chase, bringing the balrog away from the men and into the thick of Uruk-Hai that had swarmed the inside of the wall.

  "Come on, Lungorthin! Come to me!" She shouted at it as she ran.

  "Mae!" Aragorn continued to shout her name, but she, again, ignored him.

  Lungorthin lunged for her again, Maethien evaded each swing, leaping and jumping out of the way of the blade, though she could not escape the intense heat that lashed at her flesh. Shoving away the pain, Mae continued to run until she reached the edge of the wall, whirling around she lifted up her arm and her shield ignited, billowing around her in a sheer golden haze. The balrog's sword crashed against it and the force of the blow felt as if an Oliphant had crashed onto Maethien. She was hurled from the wall, colliding harshly into the open space where the wall had been opened out, where the water still remained.

  Maethien emerged from the water, gasping for breath as the balrog flew up into the air and landed heavily before her, creating a huge crater with every step it took toward her. He stalked toward her menacingly, opening it mouth to roar, blowing white hot flames toward the elves standing yards behind her.

  "Water... Water!" Maethien surged to her feet, water dripping from her every limb as she looked to the heavens and prayed. "Rain! Please! Please make it rain, let the water fall from the skies harder than it has ever fallen before!" For a fearful moment, nothing happened... then the sky darkened and the moon disappeared behind the black clouds, the torrents of rain hurled down like the blessing it was. Maethien surged to her feet and held out both hands, one holding Silmacil whilst the others hovered over the river at her feet. The water climbed and climbed up the balrogs feet, causing it to roar in anger as the water doused some of the flames at it's feet, steam sizzling from the ground as water collided with white hot fire.

  Lungorthin aimed a mighty blow at Maethien, sure that she was the cause of his waning fire. Mae ran forward and missed the blow, ramming her sword into the balrog's leg then quickly yanking it out to slice the other, making wounds for the water to flow into. The balrog roared in rage and pain and delivered a mighty kick at Maethien, stopping her attempt to be rid of the beast one and for all.

  Maethien's body rammed into the wall with an immense force. The elleth cried out in pain as she landed on the ground, paralyzed from the pain constricting in her every limb. Mae lied there, unable to move for a moment, and the Uruk-Hai leaped at her, ready to take advantage of her moment of paralyzed shock.

  "Mae!" Saeleth's voice pierced through Maethien's agony, and she opened her eyes in time to see her sister descend upon the Uruks. Saeleth gleamed a powerful gold as she threw out her hands, a pulsing wave of incredible energy rolling off her and into th
e screeching Uruks who had forgotten all about the elleth lying helpless on the ground. Maethien recognized the power, it was her disintegration ability... she was shocked to see that Elle did not just destroy their weapons... but she disintegrated their very bodies into a heap of black dust.

  "What? How did-" Maethien cried out as Saeleth pulled her into her arms gently.

  "I don't know, but it definitely works." Elle said, not caring that she had actually managed to turn actual bodies into nothing but a pile of dust. Being as careful as she possibly could, Saeleth helped Maethien to her feet, knowing that her sister had likely broken more than one bone in her body in that crash.

  "Mae you-" The sound of petrified screams and the roar of Lungorthin cut off whatever Elle was going to say. The sisters turned, the balrog, having lost her, was satisfying his blood lust by swinging his flaming blade at the armies of men, forcing them to run from it to try and save their lives.

  "No!" Maethien bellowed and made to rush at the beast, but she was stopped by Saeleth. "Elle! Let me go! You know I need to do this. You know he sent him for me. I need to kill him before he kills us all!" Mae looked at her sister with wide frantic eyes, pleading with her to understand that this was her fight to finish.

  "I know, Mae. That doesn't mean I can't help you." Saeleth said then, before Maethien could say another word, she wrapped her arms around Mae in a tight hug and pulled from within her the blazing golden power that she knew she held within her. "Le nathathon." [I will help you.] Saeleth whispered to her sister as she began to glow an incredible gold energy, the marking on her body shining, even through the layers of cloth and armour.

  "Elle, what are you-" Saeleth ignored her sisters questions and began her chant.

  "What is mine, I will now share." Elle whispered, as she channeled her magical energy into a very surprised Maethien. "Estë, let your power sing. The Gentle, hear my mighty prayer. I give, to her, everything." The brilliance intensified, consuming the sisters in golden light and drawing the attention of every man, elf, Uruk-Hai, and even the massive balrog that had stopped his attack on the men to look at the radiant magical glow.