Kaiell had managed to make his way off the stairs and crawl towards a near wall... And not long after the new guests showed themselves, he did what he could to remain still despite his new injury, hoping they wouldn’t notice him and finish him off. But although Kaiell recognized these newcomers as servants of Angmar, he knew not that they were, in fact, far from allied with Alestair. Indeed, they were here only for him, the Wolf, and something he had — the since-destroyed Black Stone. Though, its essence and power still lingered.
And so, after an exchange of words between Melsulvon and Alestair, the battle began anew. All the while Kaiell treated his wound to his best ability. Even so, he reckoned survival in the end wasn’t all that likely. The pain was too much, the wound too deep. But he had to get up sooner rather than later. He couldn’t sit here until the fight was over, just to be finished off most likely.
It would last longer than he thought though, and there was plenty hope still. After a contest of steel and flame — with the lower servants falling one by one, and the orc Morsann burned and wounded — there stood only Alestair and Melsulvon. Now, like two old fools drenched in each other’s blood, they ended the game for the Stone’s power, with the Angmarim barely taking winner’s place, having the ultimate and final counter... The two relics — white and red — one to draw the essence, and the other to contain it. However, another game was soon to begin, with new players to challenge the current champion. For he was weak, his best cards already played... except for one. After releasing his weapon from Alestair’s flesh — a long shard formed by the power of the combined artifacts — Melsulvon cast aside his enemy, having drained the essence which was now held within the shell, turning from the shard to a small sphere within his grasp. What was a scarred and bloodied body incapable of fighting any longer would soon nearly be one that hadn’t yet received its first wound. Nevertheless, in answer came the warriors Ryton Eastwick, Lomiphell, Durgrimm, and the healer Colerelle, who before had brought light into the otherwise dark room, clearing the minds of those who hadn’t yet met death from the darkness. And before Melsulvon could fully break that which contained the Stone’s power — or rather the reformed Stone itself — and begin to use it, the three charged forth. The old master of Alestair with his bright sword, the dwarf champion with his blade of night, and the dark ranger with her deadly daggers, all of whom Melsulvon had come across in the past.
The servant of Angmar unsheathed his sword of cruel black steel, with his spear he’d used before now broken. The three came fast and soon surrounded him, for there was little space for him to move to. But before his speed and strength could no longer keep up, the sphere clenched within his hand shattered with one final crack, revealing a new Black Stone not unlike the previous...
All the while Kaiell sat up against a wall leaning to the right, his wound wrapped and the dagger out on the floor next to him. His face was somewhat pale and his stomach ached along with all the pain. Yet there was now some ounce of strength in him, for the darkness or dread was now clear from his mind. He slowly and carefully started to get up, for the fight would likely be over quickly...
But what if there was more of the enemy within or outside the walls of this place?—Kaiell thought. They might’ve slain the others outside, or else evaded them and entered a different way, which was unlikely. Regardless, what exactly would he do if he did make it to the shore of the island, especially if there were no rowboats of any kind to be found? He would partly just have to think of things as he went. But for starters he had to get to a potentially safer place. He couldn’t fully tell what was happening in the fight from his point of view, but he assumed the enemy wasn’t close to being defeated based on the very recent experience of his. A better vantage point would be good... So, with a deep breath he weakly managed to stand up fully, turn around, and back away to look up over the short wall at the upper level above him, examining what he saw. The elf called Duindos was back in action it seemed, aiding against the Angmarim who Kaiell imagined was the leader. The orc brute was also up again, trying to hit the black-clad woman with his large axe, but he seemed too slow. That’s all he saw before sitting back down from weakness, though in a slightly more secure place than before. Perhaps then these servants of the darkness would be defeated, Kaiell thought with a new hope. That is, unless there were more of them among the warriors of Duindos. The man Alestair was certainly proof of such possibilities. And as for those called the elves, Kaiell wasn’t ready to fully trust even them despite having heard from some before that they were trustworthy. Perhaps for the most part, but no people were completely void of evil.
But now the time for ponder and rest was over. Holding the Black Rock up to his gaze, peering within at its beauty and dread, Melsulvon stood there with the dwarf unconscious, the knight wounded, and only Duindos ready to continue the fight despite his own weariness. A battle of only mind against mind now arose instead of steel against steel, with the sound of ancient tongues ensuing forth, one like a faint, beautiful music, and the other a dreadful blast. But before it could be ended, there came from off to the side an object or weapon flung by Fulton — indeed, he had not yet met death. Swift and well-placed it directly hit Melsulvon’s armored hand holding the Stone, sending the relic of death falling elsewhere—
Now, with grace, yet ferocity, Duindos the Bright immediately sprinted forward, with the Angmarim in this moment without access to the Stone, though he could soon call it back to him. Nonetheless, the elf warrior would not miss this chance. Before he could even react, Melsulvon found himself stabbed and pushed against the wall behind him, his now battle-worn armor not enough to protect against the elvish blade.
From Kaiell’s view he couldn’t see much or any of this, but what he did see was a little, yet noticeable black object fall to the ground not far from him... black except for a peculiar speck of bright blue from its center — and he knew not what it was. For a small moment Kaiell was only somewhat curious, but did nothing... then something clicked from both his recent and distant memories. From all that he overheard before and between each fight, it seemed to him that there was something — a “stone” or “relics” is what he heard — of value that was related somehow to all of this conflict. Jewels worth a fortune in gold, or strange magical gems, Kaiell was not sure what seemed more likely to him... probably both at once. But perhaps most interesting above all else was something he still recalled from the time he partly heard (technically eavesdropped in on) the watchman Agromnir and the strange black-armored elf with him speaking in the back of the Prancing Pony. The words “black stone” had been mentioned more than once, along with other questionable things concerning the Barrow Downs.
Now, there were many dark, black rocks in Middle-earth Kaiell thought to himself... but in the moment he decided to make his way towards the object, considering everything. And as he got closer despite the pain and weakness, he indeed happened to notice someone suddenly on his tail — two in fact. Alestair, bloody and beaten, yet still able to move, and the black-clad woman, her attention now towards his direction instead of on the orc brute. In response Kaiell’s right hand went to unsheathe his sword and swing it half-behind him at Alestair who was now very close, though it served more as a warning attack for he was not quite in range. Simultaneously, he went further and came to the stone, sweeping down to snatch it and place it in a pocket to his left as he now continued down the stairs to the lower rooms. Then, strangely, all seemed dark for but a few passing moments, the cause completely unknown to Kaiell. Along with the lack of strength and balance, this made him partly miss-step, sending him nearly falling.
Meanwhile, Lomiphell had thrown a dagger, hitting the Wolf in the back and slowing him down somewhat, before she turned back to soon finish off the orc, cutting its throat. But most important now to everyone was the rumbling of the old, weak walls — starting first from the major supports — which had taken place once or twice before in short moments. However, this was fiercer than before, and Kaiell knew not the cause of it (or many a strange thing recently) as he continued down the halls, determined to get away and not let the enemy claim their desired item, whatever it was. Howbeit, he was met by Colerelle the elf, who attempted to stop him, ordering him to give her the Stone. Kaiell tried to continue past her — quickly telling her of Alestair — as he had no time to pause. Even so, as he had mused before, how could he know for sure if her intent was good and that she was on the right side? That is, if there even truly was a right side in this accursed place.
Nevertheless, as Colerelle stubbornly kept in the way of him, Kaiell paused to look behind his back — surprised to not see Alestair yet — and reach into a pocket at his right to swiftly bring out a small dark object, placing it in Colerelle’s pouch which she had ready. A number of heartbeats later they were both outside, crumbling stones falling close behind them. For a bit, Kaiell didn’t stop. He saw the old captain Calagand, though he soon passed him, heading into the deeper forest. And before his view of the ruins began to vanish, he peered behind him, seeing the Wolf again who was now fortunately no longer following him. Now, feeling exhausted and light-headed, he stopped and fell to the ground in the midst of thick trees and bushes. Colerelle continued on despite this, seeking to keep the Stone as safe as possible. Kaiell cared not... now was the time for rest and slow-healing. He felt like death in the moment, but in the long run he would come out of it still alive.
