Luke observed the lack of joy on Gandalf's face and instantly knew the outcome. "But no success?"
Gandalf nodded, sighing solemnly. "The Dunlendings and the Rohirrim have a long history of grievances and territorial disputes. Now, after Saruman's secret instigation, the Dunlendings harbor even deeper hostility and prejudice towards the Rohirrim. They have formed an alliance with him, intent on reclaiming what they believe is their land." He continued, "I attempted to persuade their leader to abandon their hatred and to allow me to negotiate with the King of Rohan for a portion of land to be ceded as Dunlending territory. But the Dunlendings have been utterly bewitched by Saruman. They are no longer content with merely returning to their homeland; they desire to seize all of Rohan." Gandalf grimaced slightly. "And I was seen as a spy for Rohan by the Dunlendings and nearly imprisoned. It was only thanks to the flying broom you gave me that I was able to escape!"
Luke's brow furrowed with worry. "Will the Dunlendings report your presence to Saruman? If he's alerted, it could lead to unexpected complications!"
Gandalf smiled, shaking his head, a relaxed expression now on his face. "Don't worry. I visited Dunland a long time ago, trying to persuade both the Dunlendings and the Rohirrim to forge peace and unite against the dark forces. So even if Saruman learns I went to Dunland, he will likely just assume I was attempting the same futile endeavor as before, and might even mock me for wasting my time." Luke immediately felt relieved. Balin, who had been standing by, was curious about the "person" they discussed, but wisely remained silent.
After his conversation with Gandalf, Luke turned to Balin and began to inquire about the upcoming expedition. "Balin, how many Dwarves have you organized this time? What's your plan?"
Balin, clad in his armor, confidently patted the iron box in his hand. "I've brought a thousand elite Dwarf warriors with me this time, all well-equipped and fully armed, and they've all been packed into the enchanted chest you enchanted earlier. Lucky bastards will party inside and enjoy ale the whole journey!"
Gandalf added, "We plan to enter Moria from the main gate on the west side of the Misty Mountains, and then coordinate with the Elves of Lórien at the back gate on the east side. We'll first eliminate the orcs inside without alerting the Balrog, and then focus all our strength on dealing with him."
Though there were only a thousand Dwarf warriors, opening the box revealed that these Dwarves were clad in hard armor meticulously crafted by artisans, armed to the teeth. Each wielded a hammer, sword, or other weapon, moving like a well-oiled war machine, unafraid even when facing orcs ten times their number. Among them were two faces Luke recognized: Óin and Ori, who had been part of the previous expedition to the Lonely Mountain and had chosen to follow Balin on this new venture into Moria.
Since everyone was assembled, Luke wasted no time. He immediately awakened the dragon Smaug from the cellar treasure hoard. Smaug had initially been reluctant to rouse, but upon hearing that Moria held treasures comparable to those of the Lonely Mountain, he became suddenly excited. Even the mention of a Balrog in Moria made him feel the risk was worth it; if he couldn't defeat it, he could simply flee, but at least he could take some gold.
Next, Luke went to the secret room and roused the Basilisk Herpo. Even Luke was surprised by Herpo's sheer size. At this point, Herpo was a full 50 feet long. In just one more year, he had shed several layers of skin, reaching the size of a fully grown Basilisk. This rapid growth was thanks to Herpo's endless supply of Giant Spiders, especially after consuming the Spider Queen, Senesa, which caused Herpo to undergo a qualitative transformation. The dark magic within his body surged, his deadly eyes became even more dangerous, and his venom grew far more virulent.
Luke placed the Basilisk into a space box and brought it out. Gandalf looked at the box in Luke's hand and asked in surprise, "It seems you are well prepared?" Luke shrugged. This time, he was facing a Balrog, so of course, he had to be fully prepared and exert all his strength.
Then, Luke, Gandalf, and Balin, with the chest containing a thousand Dwarf warriors, mounted the dragon Smaug and flew directly to the southeast. At the same time, the Giant Eagle Súlond also accompanied them. Being young, he wasn't considered a main combatant. His primary role was to patrol the skies, keeping an eye on movements outside Moria and delivering messages to the Elves guarding the back door on the other side of the Misty Mountains in a timely manner.
The dragon carried everyone, flying all the way south, crossing the Greyflood River, and arriving above Eregion. Eregion, adjacent to Moria (Khazad-dûm), was once a glorious Elven kingdom. After the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age, a group of surviving Noldor, overwhelmed by the destruction of Beleriand, migrated eastward to the foot of the Misty Mountains and founded Eregion. Because of its proximity to Moria (Khazad-dûm), the Elven craftsmen of Eregion maintained close trade relations with the Dwarves of Moria. The Dwarves mined mithril, and the Elves created various exquisite works. The relationship between the two peoples had always been amicable.
It was also here that Sauron, disguised as Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, taught the Elven craftsmen the art of forging the Rings of Power. He ultimately created three rings for the Elves, seven for the Dwarves, and nine for Men, a total of nineteen rings. Afterward, Sauron declared war on the Elves and conquered Eregion. Celebrimbor, the forger of the Three Rings of the Elven Lords, was killed. The Seven Rings of the Dwarves and the Nine Rings of Men were taken by Sauron, and Eregion was completely destroyed.
Today, Eregion has become a desolate area, with only old roads and ruins remaining; the former glory of the Elf Kingdom is almost entirely gone. It's worth mentioning that the original founders of Eregion were Celeborn and Galadriel. However, after Sauron came to Eregion disguised as Annatar, under Sauron's influence, Celebrimbor led the members of the Jewelers' Guild to rebel against Celeborn and Galadriel, seizing rule of Eregion. Galadriel thus left Eregion and journeyed through Moria (Khazad-dûm) to Lórien. As for Celeborn, he distrusted and hated the Dwarves due to the fall of Doriath, and was unwilling to enter Khazad-dûm, so he remained in Eregion until its eventual fall.
Having soared over Eregion, the gates of Moria were now within reach. A great road still stretched from Eregion to Moria. Under Gandalf's guidance, the dragon led everyone along this road, bringing them to Durin's Gate at the foot of the Misty Mountains. In front of Durin's Gate lay a vast, impeding lake.
After everyone dismounted the dragon, Balin immediately punched the box and shouted inside: "Alright, lads, come out! We're in Moria!" One by one, the Dwarf warriors clambered out of the box. As the Dwarves emerged, Luke frowned, his gaze vigilantly fixed on the lake before them.
Gandalf noticed his expression and asked, "What's wrong, Luke? Have you discovered something?"
Luke pointed to the lake and said in a serious voice, "I believe there's something dangerous lurking in there!" It was upon seeing this lake that he remembered how, during the Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo and his companions had been attacked by a monster called the "Watcher in the Water" here. After Frodo and the others had hidden inside Durin's Gate, it had sealed the gate with its tentacles and deliberately caused the exterior to collapse, blocking their retreat and forcing them deeper into the mines.
Gandalf's attention had initially been focused primarily on Durin's Gate, and he hadn't paid much heed to the lake. Until he heard Luke's words, his expression suddenly became serious and alert. His eyes fixed on the lake, he tried to pierce through the murky water. Then, as if he had discovered something, he immediately stepped back and shouted to the Dwarves, "Don't get close to the lake! There's danger within!"
The Dwarves had just emerged from the box, grumbling about its stuffiness and someone's flatulence. Suddenly hearing Gandalf's loud warning, they were a little confused and looked at the lake in bewilderment. Balin, knowing Gandalf's capabilities, saw the alertness of both Gandalf and Luke and immediately shouted, "Guard the lake! Prepare for battle!" The Dwarf warriors instantly shed their playful, relaxed expressions, quickly formed a tight group, and erected an iron wall with their shields facing the lake.
The very next second, a colossal tentacle erupted from the lake and slammed hard against the shield wall. The Dwarves could not withstand such an immense impact and were instantly flung backward along with their shields. Simultaneously, another tentacle shot out of the water and wrapped around Dwarf Óin's legs, attempting to drag him into the water. His comrade, Ori, swiftly raised his axe and severed the tentacle, saving him. But in the next moment, more than twenty enormous tentacles burst from the lake and assailed the Dwarves, directly entangling several soldiers and trying to drag them into the water.
"Shattering Charm!" Luke quickly cast a spell, severing several tentacles that were wrapped around the Dwarves. Gandalf also reacted swiftly, drawing his sword, slashing at the tentacles, and saving the remaining Dwarf warriors.
The monster in the lake seemed enraged. As the lake water surged, a gigantic octopus, as large as a small island, fully emerged from the water. It waved dozens of thick, long, curly, light-green tentacles, smashing them towards Luke and Gandalf.
"It's the Watcher in the Water!" Gandalf quickly dodged an attacking giant tentacle, which smashed a deep trench into the ground. Luke waved his wand and directly cleaved through the tentacles striking at him. The tentacle was cut horizontally, and a severed segment several meters long fell beside him, writhing wildly like a python. But this failed to deter the giant octopus's attack; over a dozen more tentacles rushed at him frantically. Luke's expression changed, and he immediately waved his wand.
"Protego Maxima!"
The next second, more than a dozen thick tentacles slammed into the invisible barrier, creating huge ripples. Gandalf was also constantly dodging the attacks of several tentacles, swinging his sword and continuously chopping at them.
Seeing that the two of them had captured the giant octopus's attention, the Dwarf warriors did not idly stand by. Some Dwarves fired arrows at the octopus, trying to divert its attention, while more Dwarves rushed towards the tentacles, wielding axes, hammers, and swords, fiercely hacking and pounding at the massive limbs. They were then flung out by the giant octopus, hitting the ground and feeling dizzy.
"Confringo!"
Accompanied by a dazzling red light, the dozen or so octopus tentacles in front of Luke were all blown into pieces by the huge explosion, and countless fragments of flesh scattered everywhere. The octopus let out an ear-splitting scream of pain and retracted all of its remaining tentacles. Just when the Dwarves thought they were about to win, they saw the giant octopus emit a faint green light all over its body, and then the broken tentacles began to grow back at a speed visible to the naked eye!
A collective gasp swept through everyone present. Luke's eyes widened, somewhat incredulous. No one had told him that the "Watcher in the Water" possessed such an ability!