"Guard!" I said "Would you be willing to read the book while we eat?"
"Of course, lord." He said
And thus he began:
-Fourth Entry of Herendil-
So it was that I, Herendil son of Eldacar was taken prisoner by the Orocarni dwarves. It took months of journeying, but at last we arrived at Fikhîb-dûm, capital city of the Red Mountain Dwarves. I walked through the crimson gates and into the beautiful city. It was the fairest settlment I had ever seen. Red brick made up the walls that towered at least a league above me before finally reaching the domed roof. It was not boring red brick, but was carved with a thousand figures fighting ancient battles, and huge banners lined the walls, woven with the devices of the Ironfist clan. This was merely the entry room, and huge doors opened up in every direction, above them signs of runes telling about what lays beyond each door. I looked with awe upon this, while my guide led me through the largest door. The door was huge, It's closed gates were forged out of two fifteen feet tall, three feet thick pieces of metal, each with a huge image of a golden crown carved into the front.
The doors were so well balanced that my guide threw them open without much effort, and I was ushered into the presence of King Thorin Stonehelm I. Thorin would later become my best friend and my companion on many a journey, but at that moment all I knew was that he had bought me as a slave, and that was enough to make him my enemy. I walked to his throne wishing that I had died with honor upon the deck of Mevan's Sword instead of being led to this settlement in chains. That I had died on my feet rather then living on my knees. It was far too late now though, and presently Thorin spoke.
"Welcome" he said "To the halls of the East. Two millennia have they stood, though I do not know how much longer they shall. Our numbers are thinning, Herendil, and you alone of all mortal warriors can save us. We are not warlike people, and neither do we hire slaves, but you were our final hope: If you cannot save us from the shadow, my race shall fall. Thus we were forced to buy you from the pirates."
This threw my bondage into a whole new light, and I now looked upon this king with respect.
"What would dare attack this great fortress?" I said remembering the impregnable gates I had passed through, with there proud crimson banners snaping proudly in the morning breeze. "What would dare attack the Iron City? What has the sufficant forces to even attempt an attack on your gates?"
The young king sighed.
"The threat does not attack our gates" he said "nor is it any exterior force which seeks my downfall."
"Rebles?" I said
"No mere rebles" said the dwarven king "But what we have awoken in our greediness. A few weeks ago we heard trembling in the lowest mines, and heat spread throughout the city. 'We must report these signes to Sinthionel the wise' said warpig, my most trusted adviser 'perphaps it is something evil that we could awaken by digging deeper! We must tell him before we continue.' How I wish I had listened! But the mining operations were going far too well, and if I stopped the mining long enough to seek the advice of Sinthionel we would have lost thousands of pounds in iron and gold. I was too greedy to halt the mining. 'Nay!' I said 'We would lose far to much money. Continue as normal!' These signs got worse, and I still refused to halt the mining. Cave-ins became common and we lost hundreds of miners, but still I refused to halt the mining. Then it happened last Sunday: the mines went dark. All the torch light went out, and when the miners tried to flee, the doors of the mine were shut by a mysterious force. Only one dwarf escaped the horrors to tell the tale, and he is not well. We found him just outside of the shut doors, and he was cut deeply and his clothing was in flames. We wrenched the doors open enough to send in some warriors, but soldiers we sent into mines disappeared forever. We do not know how to fight this evil threat, nor do we even know what it is. But out of the five hundred thousand miners, only one survived. Out of the one thousand warriors we sent in, none survived. We cannot live like this, Herendil! You must help us!"
"Very well!" I said, touched by the sadness in the young king's voice "Suit me up in whatever arms you have, and show me to the mine!"
It was not five minutes later that I was standing outside the gates to the mines, armed fully in iron and chainmail. With my hand upon the hilt of my sword, I stepped slowly through the gap in the door, and into the darkness beyond.
-Fifth Entry of Herendil-
So it was that I went into great danger without any help or reinforcment. Fortunetly, there were many windows in the mines of Fikhîb-dûm, and I could see clearly without torchlight. I walked through what seemed to be a feasting hall into a guard room. Then from there down a flight of steps into another passage. All the while I would see fallen dwarves here and there, burned to death. Whatever this monster was, it was to be greatly feared. Finally, after hours of wandering the deserted halls, I heard huge footsteps echoing behind me. Turning around to face the threat, I saw my advasary and knew what he was: He was wreathed in flame but the flame did not give off light but rather darkness. He held a flaming sword in one hand and in the other hand a warhammer. He was a Balrog of melkor2. He rushed towards me, swinging his sword, and the heat was almost too much to bear. I rushed forward to meet him, and with a mighty stab I pushed my sword into his stomach. So strong was he, that even my mighty sword did him no harm. He tried to stab me, but letting go of my sword, I leaped backwards. The sword missed and hit the stone floor, sending sparks and shards of red rock in every direction. Seeing that I wouldn't be able to harm him, I ran down a hallway to my left side. From there I ran up a flight of steps, the balrog gaining on me with every step. I kept running until I saw, in the dim light coming from a window on the right side, a huge chasm. It was three feet acrossed and spanned the entire lenth of the hallway. There was no going backwards and there were no passages on either side. A jump acrossed it was my only escape. I dived acrossed it in hopes that I could make it. I flew through the air and landed upon the opposite side with plenty of room, but then I felt the mighty hand of the balrog grasping me from behind. He pulled me back from the other edge, and threw me into the chasm with great force. I fell downwards and downwards until I lost all consciousness. I awoke upon the stony shore of an underground lake. How I survived I don't know. Looking for an exit to the cave I saw only one: A small rotting rope ladder. I could not see how far it went up. I crawled up it, trying to not look down, for what seemed like an eternity. Finally I reached the top, a small well, that had aperently been taking water from the lake. I leapt over the side of the well and onto the cold stony floor of an armoury. What could I do? I had time to think now: What could I do against a Maiar? I was just a Numenorean warrior. A good warrior for my kind, but no elf lord. sunlight would kill him, but I couldn't break through the cealing. Suddenly a plan came to me! I knew what I would do. I ran out of the armoury and through the upper halls (Around 300 yards) into the Miner's Quarters were the balrog had taken up residence. Presantly he was sleeping.
"Awake, foul servent of Melkor2! Meet your bane!" I said.
He stirred and and stood up.
"Leave these mines!" I said "Or I shall slay you. I give you this warning: leave now or you shall not live. You do not know your peril!"
He laughed, and his laughter chilled me to the bone "Fight, man!" he said "I have fought one thousand dwarves, fully armed. What can a human do to me? Die!"
He ran towards me, his hammer swinging wildly. I ran back through the upper mines, and into the armoury, the balrog close at my heels. The design of the armoury was such that it's roof was held up by four mighty pillars, each of them almost three feet in diamator. I ran to the first pillar and stopped to let him catch up with me. He ran into the armoury and swung his mighty hammer. So great was the force, and so wild was his hateful swing, that he severed three of the pillars trying to hit me. For a moment all was quiet as he realised what he had done: The room shook for a moment, then crumbled. Huge chunks of rock blocked the main door and only the small side door was open for my escape I dived through it just as the room collapsed behind me, taking the balrog with it. I had won!