The Dead Had Laid a Heavenly Net
The Fellowship of the Ring: Aragorn went south to find reinforcements, while Russell, Legolas, and Gimli were responsible for protecting him.
Gandalf and Boromir traveled to the capital, Minas Tirith, accompanied by four Hobbits. It was safest to keep the One Ring with Gandalf, even though Russell was no slouch either...
No buts, it's Gandalf!
This decision was made after everyone voted. Because they were afraid that Russell would be petty and retaliate against the team members who did not vote for him, they chose to vote anonymously. However, the result was not very friendly.
Gandalf got 9 votes! Russell got 1 vote!
Russell: (￣_￣)convex
"We've arrived. This is Dimholt Mountains, where the spirits of Dunharrow roam!" Aragorn gazed at the mountain range ahead, his mind filled with countless thoughts.
The souls of those who broke their oath wandered the mountains, unable to find rest, until the descendants of Isildur lifted their curse.
"I came here according to prophecy, to give the dead a chance to atone for their sins and to erase the shame they bear." Aragorn's expression was solemn. "Russell, do you know, I..."
Halfway through his speech, Aragorn suddenly felt the scene looked familiar and instinctively turned to look. Just as he expected, no one was listening to him at all; Russell and the other two were squatting in a corner, having set up a large pot sometime during the night.
Aragorn: "..."
No one cooperated during the emotional moments, and Aragorn felt his heart bleed. He cursed himself for making the wrong friends, strode over, and decided to turn his grief into appetite and eat two more bowls of food today.
"So this is what Nightmare taste like..."
Legolas and Gimli nodded repeatedly. Unlike Aragorn, they were completely overwhelmed by the Nightmare they were experiencing for the first time.
This Nightmare died in the Battle of Helm's Deep. Although it could no longer move food, it still had to fulfill its duty. Russell believed that the Nightmare felt the same way, so he granted its last wish by cutting it into pieces and carrying it with him.
"It seems pretty good, but I wonder how the unicorn tastes?"
"Legolas, you're the Elf Prince, you must have plenty of unicorns at home, right?" Russell asked casually.
"No, the Woodland Realm breeds Great Deer, not unicorns."
"Great Deer ...that's fine too. I'll get a couple to try sometime." Russell indicated he didn't mind.
"Okay, I'll give it a try!"
Legolas frowned, struggled for a moment, and finally nodded emphatically.
"Cough cough!"
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Aragorn cleared his throat to make sure Russell and the other two were there, and said, "Guys, we're going to cross the Paths of the Dead next, take this shortcut to Pelargir, look for reinforcements in the south, and finally return to the port outside the capital along the Anduin River. Do you have any better suggestions?"
Russell and the other two shook their heads repeatedly. Legolas and Gimli were unfamiliar with the geography of Gondor, and Russell, having lost his memory, knew nothing. So they simply followed Aragorn's instructions.
Aragorn: "..."
Despite being the leader of a four-person team, he felt more like a tour guide, leading three foodies on a sightseeing trip.
"Aragorn, what about the undead?" Russell asked as he put away the iron pot.
"I've already addressed this issue..." Aragorn was speechless and could only repeat himself, "I will give the dead a chance to atone for their sins and let them rest in peace."
"Hey, do you know how your ancestors cursed the dead?"
"What's wrong?"
"I curse that despicable, shameless, scoundrel, lying white wizard!" Russell said through gritted teeth. He cursed Gandalf, the old geezer who had deceived him and failed to keep his promise.
Aragorn: "..."
Take off the 'white robe,' and the so-called mage you're talking about is just yourself!
Russell was filled with resentment. Gandalf had made a promise with him that if he could defend Hornburg, Gandalf would teach him the Illumination Spell.
Hornburg was held, but Gandalf hesitated and refused to teach him the Illumination Spell. He left behind a small booklet and hurriedly led Boromir and the others to the capital.
Following the instructions in the booklet, Russell figured out the Illumination Spell on his own and mastered it after only two attempts.
But soon he realized he had been deceived; the Illumination Spell in the pamphlet could do nothing but illuminate!
In fact, Russell knew from the beginning that Gandalf's magic was necessarily connected to his existence as Maiar. It was more like instinct than magic, or even a power bestowed by God.
It cannot be shared, nor can it be taught!
Knowing this, Russell still clung to a sliver of hope, thinking, "What if I see a ghost?"
It turns out there was no ghost, just a fully-fledged Maiar!
"I heard about the Dimholt Mountains when I was very young. It is said that countless spirits wander in the valley, and fear is their weapon to deter the living from their realm of the dead."
Upon arriving at the entrance to the Paths of the Dead, Legolas felt a sense of unease. The forest here was gloomy and damp, permeated with an inescapable aura of death that transformed into a hazy gray mist, making it difficult for him to feel any goodwill towards it.
"I heard it when I was a kid too: no living person can safely pass through the Paths of the Dead. The spirits of the dead are hostile to the living, and everyone who goes in dies," Gimli added.
"I heard it when I was a child: the Rohan people would rather cross mountains than risk taking this road. The spirits would attack passersby with fear, robbing them of their courage and scaring them to death in the valley," Aragorn said.
Russell nodded. "What a coincidence, I heard about it when I was a child, but I don't remember anything because of amnesia!"
"..."X3
As the group entered the Paths of the Dead, it was as if they were crossing an invisible boundary, and gray mist began to rise from the valley ahead.
In a daze, a haunting, demonic voice whispered in my ear, and I saw hallucinations, as if I saw ghostly figures moving around, and felt a chilling sense of being watched by countless eyes.
"Hissing sound~~~"
The warhorses beneath the four men were restless, stamping their hooves and neighing, refusing to move forward. A howling gust of wind startled them, and they turned back and ran out of the valley.
"It seems the undead don't welcome us!"
Russell drew his Adamantium Blade. Gandalf and Aragorn had both said that the dead have no physical form and cannot harm the living, but they always felt uneasy without a weapon in their hands.
"If they still remember their promise, that's for the best; if they forget, then so be it!" With the Mordor army pressing in Gondor in grave danger, Aragorn wouldn't waste any more time on the undead.
He had an even more arduous mission on this journey: to fend off the elite forces of the Sauron Corsairs of Umbar from the sea.
The four walked along the valley and soon found a cave in the ravine. Legolas, with his sharp eyes, read the ancient writing on it.
"The road ahead is blocked; the dead have laid a trap, and they are guarding this place..."
How are you feeling?
Russell curled his lip. "The standard line for the weak, because they're scared. Even the Demon King would write on the wall, 'Welcome all brave warriors to the resort, food and lodging are free!'"