(continued from "A Dirge In Red - Part the Third")
(Author's note: The events depicted here are scenes from the Sack of Eregion. They are seen as character and kinship canon and are not meant to infringe on book canon or any other character's canon stories and experiences.)
Calidis climbed over rubble and all manner of filth with all the speed and grace of one of the Firstborn, though hindered slightly by her blood-soaked skirts and practically ruined shoes. The material of one shoe caught upon the armor of one of the fallen and she almost fell into a crumbling wall. She cried out in frustration and made to stand once more, kicking off her ruined, blood-stained shoes before running at full speed again, heedless of how battered her feet would become. Nothing was more important than making it to the guild house of the Mírdain where her father had surely run to. She kept to the lesser-used paths in hopes of getting there quicker and avoiding other enemies.
Meanwhile, Droog bellowed in rage, though the sound was certainly weaker than before. The crowd of orcs observing the troll’s rampage looked about the street and noticed that what remained of the survivors had disappeared, escaped with their lives to exit the city and fled towards the Dwarf halls. The space where Calidhriel stood was now vacant as a City Guard half had half-carried her away from the scene.
Xanderian turned her gaze to the space up above the troll and her eyes grew wide. Now was her chance! She moved her aim and let fly with two arrows at once. The arrows slammed into the beautiful crystal decorations suspended within the dome and smashed them to pieces. The loud and terrible shattering sound caused Droog to reach up in a failed attempt to bat away the falling shards of glass and crystal, opening the tear in his armor beneath his arm further.
Nethrida nodded to the familiar voice in her head. She tightened her grip on her sword and re-angled herself in order to deliver a stab towards the opening in the armor made wider by everyone’s combined efforts. The blade drove through gap and into the troll’s hide, in and up, but stopped midway through, stuck even as she tried to pull it out. Droog’s subsequent pain and confusion was barely reacted to as he continued to reach upward towards the falling shards.
Ahmo took this opportunity to bring a few orcish spectators to an end, apparently not satisfied that the survivors had all gone towards safety. In the process she successfully retrieved her spear from where it had landed when she threw it.
Eduwiges sheathed her short sword and dagger and and took her reclaimed greatsword in hand. With a deep breath, she leaped into the air and aimed to bring the blade down upon the troll's neck, aiming to capitalize on the current distraction. However, the blood slick ground did her no favors and her jump was off. Her blow glanced off the troll’s armor instead.
Addiela shook her head from side to side at the warring voices in her head. “No! You don't get to determine my actions or even speak to me. What I do, I do of my own will. Stop talking! Stop!" Her gaze turned to the now jeering orcs watching the fight and whispered a chant, hoping to make the very earth rumble beneath them.
Droog was no longer focused upward, closing the gap in his armor by lowering his arms, Nethrida's sword still lodged in his hide. The emblazoned red eye on Droog's forward flared to life again as the troll turned his head to ‘look’ at Xanderian. That same unsettling, yet smooth and cultured voice that clearly did not belong to Droog issued forth from his mouth again. “Xanderian... Yes, how odd. I do not enslave you for ages yet to come. Why have you come to die here now?” Xanderian paled as the voice’s words struck a chord... or a memory. It took her a moment to master herself again before she raised her bow once more and nocked an explosive arrow. The troll raised his hands to grip at the massive pillars supporting the roof of the dome. "Very well. If you are so eager, let this be your tomb.”
As Xanderian fired her arrow, the pillars began to crack and give way. The arrow sailed through the air and landed uselessly against Droog’s armor, the explosion in the tip failing to ignite in the process. The orcs about them all began to howl, sensing the end of their entertainment and slowly realizing that they were likely to be crushed as well if the dome fell.
Eduwiges leaned on her sword a moment, catching her breath. In a few seconds, her mind was made up and she eschewed a killing stroke in favor of carefully jumping and then hacking away at one of the troll’s arms, hoping to prevent the troll from pulling the pillar down. The sword jammed in the elbow of the beast's armor and stuck fast once again, making a horrible whine of stressed metal. Bits of stone and masonry began to crumble and fall.
Addiela could sense the dome starting to give way and the roof of the structure wanting to collapse. However, she wasn’t trained enough in earth lore to seal the stone shut again. She would focused her chants upon the stone pillars and used her inner fire to heat the stone up to a burning temperature, hoping to get the troll to let go. However, Droog’s master was determined and in control and prevented him from being deterred from his task. More stone is fell and Addiela decided there was nothing to do but make a run for it. She darted past the troll until she stood outside of the dome.
Ahmo got a good grip on her lance and casted it like a big javelin right at the emblazoned eye upon the troll’s forehead, piercing it and rendering it useless. Droog, now free of its influence, faltered and realized that the pillar beneath his hand burned and that a spear was piercing his forehead. He finally recoiled and fell forward but the damage was done. The dome began to crack and crumble in earnest.
“Everyone run now! After Addie!” Xanderian cried as she rushed forward, running straight at the troll and leaping onto his back. Crying out in fear and pain, Droog barely seemed to notice as she climbed to his head and pulled Ahmo’s spear loose. She hurled the weapon as best she could back towards Ahmo who caught it with ease, and made her way towards where Addiela stood. Ahmo nodded her thanks and soon joined her.
Nethrida grit her teeth. She needed her weapon back. She ran up to the troll again and reached under his flailing arm. She gripped the sword by the crossguard and pulled with all her might. After a few seconds she managed to yank it free. She then ran towards the others with all haste.
Eduwiges cursed as she also pulled her weapon free once again. She climbed onto Droog and ran up to his head. She aimed her swordpoint downward at the trolls neck this time, putting all of her weight on it. It bit deep and hit a nerve, causing the troll the pitch forward oddly which sent Eduwiges sailing through the air towards Xanderian and the others, her sword, thankfully, within her grasp. She gave everyone a semi-cheeky grin and wave as she flew by them and then landed on her backside with a pained grunt.
Xanderian nocked two exploding arrows and aimed at the pillars. A soft whisper issued forth from her lips and she let the arrows loose. Her aim was true and they landed and dug deep into the pillars. The stone began to crack and then hissed. From where they all now stood, Addiela closed her eyes and concentrated. She successfully created a wall of flame that would blocked the way of the orcs trying to escape their impending death as the dome crumbled faster. At last the whole structure gave way and collapsed, heavy stone falling upon the now deceased troll and the orcs that had been forced to remain.
As everyone stopped to catch their breath, Ahmo surveyed the area carefully. Her keen eyes searched this way and that and she finally noticed that Calidis was no longer there. She spotted a pair of thoroughly ruined shoes lying on the ground and nudged them with the tip of her spear.
Xanderian searched the area for Calidis and then noticed what Ahmo had found. “We need to find her before it is too late.”
(to be continued in "A Dirge In Red - Part the Fifth")
