The tunnel exploded with light.
elven lanterns . This was true light, pure, burning. The light of the midday sun captured in the form of a man, and that man was Escanor .
His body shone like a fallen star, so bright that the nearest goblins spontaneously combusted, their screams abruptly cut short as they turned to ash. The air itself rippled with heat, and the cavern's stone walls began to glow red from the sheer temperature Escanor emanated.
" What... what are you?" The Great Goblin stepped back, his arrogance evaporating before this display of brute power.
"I told you," Escanor 's voice resonated with an authority that shook the very stone. "I am the sun."
Rhitta sang into her hands as she swung it in a wide arc. A wave of golden fire swept through the tunnel, incinerating dozens of goblins in an instant. Those who didn't die immediately fled, shrieking in terror, disappearing into the side tunnels like rats escaping a sudden light.
But more came. Always more.
Goblin City was vast, home to thousands of these twisted creatures. And all of them, it seemed, converged on this single tunnel.
" Kill him!" shrieked the Great Goblin . "Kill him before he destroys us all!"
The goblins surged forward in an ugly wave of rotting flesh and rusted weapons. They came from all sides, dropping from cracks in the ceiling, bursting from side tunnels, clambering over the bodies of their own dead in their frenzy to reach Escanor .
And Escanor met them with the fury of the sun itself.
He moved like an ancient war god. Rhitta sliced through flesh and bone as if they were paper, each blow eliminating multiple enemies. His free hand generated spheres of solar fire that he hurled with deadly precision, each exploding in a blaze that consumed everything in its path.
A goblin leaped from above, its dagger pointed at Escanor 's neck . Without even looking, Escanor reached out and grabbed the creature from the air, his grip so hot that the goblin was instantly incinerated, leaving only ashes that fell between his fingers.
" Cruel Sun !" he roared, and a massive sphere of golden fire materialized above his head, as large as a chariot, so hot that the very stones began to melt beneath its heat.
She hurled it toward the larger mass of goblins , and when it struck, the explosion was catastrophic. Dozens died instantly. The tunnel partially collapsed, crushing more. And the survivors... the survivors finally understood what they were dealing with.
" Run!" one shouted. "Run from the sun demon!"
" There's no escape!" another one shrieked. "He'll kill us all!"
They had reason to fear. Escanor showed them no mercy, no quarter. These creatures had tried to kill his friends, had tried to kill him, and most importantly, had threatened his ability to return to Arwen .
That's why they wouldn't live.
He channeled more power, feeling Sunshine roar through his veins like molten lava. His skin glowed so intensely that looking directly at him was impossible. The Elessar around his neck resonated with his power, shining with a light that rivaled his own.
Arwen , she thought, touching the pendant for a brief moment. I promise I'll come back. But first...
He turned to face the Great Goblin , who was now alone, his followers either dead or having fled.
"You," Escanor said , walking forward, each step leaving imprints fused into the stone. "You caused this. You attacked us without provocation. You chose violence."
"I... I just..." the Great Goblin stammered, his previous bravado completely gone. "We were defending our home!"
"No," Escanor said, lifting Rhitta . "You were feeding your cruelty. I've heard the stories. I know what your people do to the travelers they capture. The torment. The torture. The senseless murder." His eyes shone more brightly. "Today, that ends."
" Wait!" the Great Goblin raised his hands. "We can negotiate! Treasure! I'll give you treasure! Anything you want!"
"I don't want your treasure," Escanor said coldly. "I just want to make sure you never hurt anyone again."
Rhitta descended, and the Great Goblin tried to block it with his staff. The staff snapped like a dry twig. The axe continued its arc, and the Great Goblin had time for one last scream before being ripped in two, his body falling into pieces that incinerated before they hit the ground.
Escanor stood amidst the ruins of Goblin City , surrounded by ash and molten stone, breathing heavily. He had used a great deal of power, more than he had used since arriving in this world. He could feel the exhaustion pulling at him, but he refused to give in.
I still needed to find a way out. I still needed to meet with the Company.
He still needed to keep his promise.
He let his power recede, the golden light fading until it only glowed softly. The heat lessened, though the stones around him would remain hot for hours.
—Now —he muttered to himself— to find the way out.
He started walking, choosing a tunnel that seemed to lead upwards. As he did so, he noticed something strange: some of the goblins hadn't died. They had fled into the depths, yes, but also...
They were also being persecuted.
Escanor stopped, squinting as he stared into the darkness ahead. There were sounds. Sounds of fighting. Sounds of... something else. Something that wasn't goblin .
Curious, he followed the sounds, moving silently despite his size. The tunnel widened into a larger cavern, and there, under a faint ray of light filtering from above, he saw something that made him stop dead in his tracks.
A creature.
Small, pale, with large eyes that glowed in the darkness. She was devouring a dead goblin , tearing at the flesh with sharp teeth, muttering to herself in a voice that alternated between shrieking and cooing.
—My precious... yes, yes... we have fish. Fish and goblin meat . Disgusting, but we're hungry, precious , so hungry ...
Escanor stood still, watching. The creature hadn't noticed him yet, too engrossed in its meal. But there was something about it... something that set off alarm bells in Escanor 's mind .
It wasn't natural. It wasn't right. There was power in this creature, power it shouldn't have.
And then he saw it. Around the creature's neck, on a thin chain, hung a ring. Simple, golden, innocent in appearance.
But Escanor could sense the darkness emanating from him. He could feel the malice, the corruption, the crushing weight of centuries of evil compressed into that small golden circle.
The Ring , he thought, without knowing how he knew. That is the Ring Gandalf was worried about.
The creature suddenly looked up, its large eyes fixing on Escanor . For a moment, they simply stared at each other.
" Who are you?" hissed the creature. "What do you want? Do you want our precious ? You can't have it! It's ours! Only ours!"
"I don't want your ring," Escanor said calmly. "I'm just looking for a way out."
" An exit?" The creature relaxed slightly. "Yes, yes, an exit. Gollum knows the exits. Gollum knows them all." He moved a little closer, studying Escanor with curiosity. "But you... you shine. You shine like the cruel sun. Gollum doesn't like it. It hurts his eyes."
"I can dim my light," Escanor said, letting his glow fade even further. "Is that better?"
"Better, yes, yes," Gollum nodded. "But he still doesn't trust. Why should Gollum show the way out to the glittering one? What does Gollum get ?"
- What do you want?
Gollum 's eyes gleamed with cunning.
—A game. Let's play a game, yes. Riddles. If Gollum wins, you stay here forever. If you win, Gollum shows you the way out.
Escanor considered this. He could simply force the creature to show him the way out, but something told him that would be a mistake. Gollum was more dangerous than he seemed, and that ring...
That ring was something that needed to be handled with care.
"Alright, " Escanor agreed . "Riddles. You first."
Gollum grinned, revealing sharp teeth.
—Very good, very good. Here it is: What has roots that no one sees, is taller than the trees, goes up and up, and yet never grows?
Escanor thought for a moment.
—Mountains. The answer is mountains.
Gollum hissed in disappointment.
—Too easy! Too easy! Now it's your turn.
Escanor considered, then spoke:
— I shine in the sky but I am not the sun. I guide travelers when the day is done. I have thousands of brothers, shining in the night. What am I?
" Easy! Easy!" Gollum laughed . "Stars! The answer is stars. "
And so it continued, exchanging riddles in the darkness. Gollum was cunning, his riddles twisted and difficult. But Escanor was clever too, and though his memory of the past was blank, his mind in the present was sharp.
Finally, after a dozen riddles, Gollum admitted defeat.
" Enough! Enough! You win, brilliant one. Gollum will show you the way out." But there was something suspicious in his tone. "Follow me. Follow me into the depths, where the exit awaits."
Escanor wasn't stupid. He knew Gollum was probably planning to betray him. But he also knew he could handle anything the creature tried.
"Lead the way," he said simply.
Gollum slithered forward, leading him deeper into the caverns. And as they walked, Escanor kept his hand close to Rhitta , ready for anything.
The tunnel finally opened into a vast cavern with an underground river running through it. And there, on the other side of the river, was an opening that let in daylight.
"There," Gollum pointed. "The exit. Right there, shining."
—Thank you— Escanor began walking towards the river.
" Wait!" Gollum squealed. "Don't you want to see the precious thing ? Don't you want to hold it?"
Escanor stopped, turning around slowly.
—No. I have no interest in your ring, Gollum . Keep your precious. I just want to leave.
Gollum blinked, clearly confused. Probably no one had ever refused to see the Ring.
—Don't you want it? Not even a little bit?
"Not even a little, " Escanor confirmed . "It's an ugly thing, full of darkness. I want nothing to do with it."
Gollum 's expression . For a moment, just a moment, his eyes lost some of their madness and became... almost lucid.
"Clever," he whispered. "You're clever, brilliant. The precious one corrupts. The precious one consumes. Gollum knows. Gollum remembers... before. Before the precious one came."
" Who were you?" Escanor asked gently. "Before the Ring?"
" Sméagol ," the creature whispered. "My name was Sméagol . I had a friend. Déagol . We found the precious thing together. I... I killed Déagol . I killed him for the precious thing ." Tears streamed down his pale face. "I'm a murderer. A thief. A monster."
Escanor said firmly. "You are a victim. A victim of that ring and its evil. But Gollum ... Sméagol ... there is still time. You can still choose something different."
" Different?" Gollum looked at him hopefully. "How?"
—Get rid of the ring. Let it go. Find peace again.
For a moment, just a moment, it seemed as if Gollum really considered it. His hand moved toward the ring around his neck, trembling.
But then the Ring pulsed with dark power, and madness returned to Gollum 's eyes .
" NO!" she shrieked. "Never! The precious one is ours! Ours alone! Go! Go now before Gollum changes his mind about letting you live!"
Escanor sighed sadly.
—As you wish. But Gollum ... if you ever change your mind, if you ever want to be free of that thing... find me. My name is Escanor . And I'll help you if I can.
Without waiting for an answer, he crossed the river (the water hissing at the touch of his still-warm skin) and emerged through the opening into the daylight.
The storm had passed, and the sun was rising, painting the mountains in shades of gold and pink. And there, in the distance, he saw smoke. A camp, perhaps.
The Company.
Escanor smiled, touching the Elessar around his neck.
Hang on, Arwen , he thought. I'm coming home. I still have a way to go, but I promise I'll return.
And he began to run, towards his friends, towards his purpose, towards the future he had chosen to build.
Behind him, in the depths of the caverns, Gollum watched the figure retreat until it disappeared from sight.
" Escanor," he murmured. "The bright sun. Kind. So kind to poor Gollum ." He stroked the Ring. "But the precious one is ours. Always ours. Yes, precious one ."
And he slipped away back into the darkness, back into his loneliness, back into his misery.
But for the first time in decades, a part of him wondered if maybe, just maybe, the brilliant man was right.
Perhaps there could be something different.
Some day.
Meeting
Escanor found the Company camped in a grove of trees, all looking exhausted but alive. When Bilbo saw him approaching, the hobbit let out a shout of joy.
—Escanor ! You are alive!
The dwarves leaped to their feet, weapons drawn instinctively, then sheathed when they recognized their companion. Thorin walked forward, his expression unusually emotional.
"We thought we'd lost you," said the dwarf king. "When those tunnels collapsed..."
"It takes more than a few goblins to stop me," Escanor smiled. "Is everyone alright?"
"Thanks to Gandalf," Balin nodded to the wizard, who was smoking his pipe with a satisfied expression. "He got us out before the tunnels completely collapsed."
" And the goblins ?" he asked. Fili — What happened to them?
Escanor looked back towards the mountains, where smoke still rose from cracks in the rock.
—Goblin City is no longer a threat. The Great Goblin is dead, and most of his people with him. The survivors... won't follow us.
The dwarves stared at him with renewed amazement. Gandalf nodded slowly, as if he had expected exactly that answer.
"Then we must go on," said Thorin . "We still have a long way to go to Erebor , and time is running out."
"There's something else, " Escanor said . "In the caverns, I met a creature. Gollum . And he had something... something dark. A ring."
Gandalf straightened up abruptly, his pipe falling forgotten.
—A ring? What kind of ring?
"Simple, golden. But it emanated darkness. Evil. Corruption." Escanor frowned. "Gandalf, what is that ring?"
The wizard exchanged glances with Bilbo , who suddenly looked uncomfortable, his hand instinctively moving towards his pocket.
"It's... complicated," Gandalf said slowly. "But if it's what I think it is... then we need to be very careful. That ring is dangerous beyond measure."
"I left it with Gollum, " Escanor said . "He tried to offer it to me, but I refused. Something about him felt... wrong."
"You did well," Gandalf sighed in relief. "Very well. That ring must not fall into the wrong hands."
Bilbo remained unusually silent, his hand still in his pocket, where a certain golden ring rested, cold and heavy and whispering of power.
But he said nothing. Nobody needed to know. Nobody needed to worry.
It was just a ring, after all.
A simple ring.
"My precious one ," a voice whispered deep within her mind.
And Bilbo shuddered, though he didn't know why.
To be continued...