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!
Luke watched as the Watcher in the Water quickly regrew its tentacles and continued its assault. He wasn't panicked. So what if it had powerful self-healing abilities? He just happened to have learned a dark magic spell specifically designed to counter such regeneration. It was the perfect opportunity to test its power.
He raised his hand, and an invisible spell shot out from his wand. This spell was unlike other magical incantations that produced various strange visions and lights; instead, it was invisible, silent, and without the slightest fluctuation.
The next second, one of the Watcher in the Water's tentacles was instantly split in two, as if torn by an invisible blade. And this time, the tentacle of the Watcher in the Water that was cut by the curse could not heal itself and grow back. Because at the wound where the spell hit, there was a magical force that prevented the wound from healing itself, causing blue-black blood to continuously flow out.
Seeing this, Luke was immediately cheered and unleashed the spell repeatedly, attacking the tentacles. Soon, more than a dozen thick tentacles were severed. The continuously bleeding tentacles dyed the entire lake surface blue-black, releasing a strong, fishy odor.
"Well done, Luke!" Gandalf exclaimed, severing another tentacle, his eyes lighting up at Luke's success. The other Dwarves also cheered, waving their weapons in support of Luke. The giant dragon Smaug, which had been circling in the sky, swooped down and sprayed hot dragon flames into the lake.
The Watcher in the Water felt pain as it watched its tentacles being sliced and its healing ability rendered ineffective. A trace of fear flashed in its huge eyes. When it saw the dragon's flames approaching, it quickly retracted all its tentacles, then sank directly into the lake and disappeared.
Everyone was stunned. Had the Watcher in the Water retreated? After waiting for a long time, there was no movement in the lake. "Is it scared? Will it come out to attack us again?" Balin asked cautiously and doubtfully, staring into the lake. Gandalf shook his head seriously, staring at the lake without blinking. "The Watcher in the Water is a creature older and more evil than the orcs. Even I know very little about it, but I don't think it will give up so easily."
"What should we do now?" Balin asked. With a water monster hidden in the lake that could rush out to attack at any moment, it wasn't easy for them to get close to Durin's Gate. But it was impossible to rush into the water and fight the water monster on its own terms. Gandalf was also a little distressed.
At this moment, Luke's expression froze, his eyes fixed on the lakeshore. He reminded in a deep voice: "Gandalf, have you noticed that the lake level is rising?" When Gandalf heard this, he immediately followed Luke's gaze and found that the lake was spreading rapidly and silently. His expression suddenly changed, and he immediately turned and ran, shouting, "Run! The flood is coming!" Then he ran towards the nearest big tree. His body was so agile and flexible that he didn't look like an old man, and he quickly climbed up the tree.
"Hurry up and climb the tree! Hold on tight!"
After hearing this, the Dwarves climbed up the surrounding trees without hesitation. Luke immediately took out a flying broom from his space bag, rode on it, and flew into the air. The next second, the water level in the huge lake rose rapidly, and then like a huge basin overturned, the lake water directly set off huge waves and rushed towards the highlands on the lakeshore.
The flood came like a tidal wave, and some Dwarves who climbed slowly or were in a low position were directly washed away. Some trees even couldn't withstand the impact of the huge waves, and fell into the flood along with the Dwarves on the trees.
Luke was riding on his flying broom, looking at the situation below with a frown on his face. He shouted to the sky: "Smaug, Súlond, come down and help!" Hearing Luke's words, Súlond swooped down, his two eagle claws quickly grabbing two Dwarves struggling in the water, then throwing them onto a large tree that hadn't fallen.
Smaug followed closely behind, and his huge dragon claws easily hooked up several Dwarves. Luke also flew down to help, using Levitation Charms to control the Dwarves who were swept into the flood, allowing them to land on the nearest trees. Gandalf climbed high up the tree and used his staff as a stick to hold back two Dwarves who were almost swept away. Then he remembered that he still had a flying broom. With a look of frustration, he quickly took the broom from his space bag and joined in the rescue of the Dwarves.
But the Watcher in the Water who caused this flood obviously did not want everyone to have such an easy time. It hid in the water, its thick and powerful tentacles tearing down trees and sending the Dwarves tumbling into the floodwaters like drowned dumplings.
Perhaps it knew that Luke, Smaug, and the others were not to be trifled with. The cunning water monster simply hid its face, using the power of the flood to conceal its body, and then attacked the trees where the Dwarves were climbing from underwater. This forced Luke and Gandalf to exhaust themselves with the rescue.
"Luke, the Watcher in the Water can control the water flow. We have to find a way to force it out of the water, otherwise we can't do anything about it," Gandalf said helplessly.
Luke thought about it and took out the suitcase containing the Basilisk. "The Basilisk Herpo can move in water. Let's see if we can use it to threaten the Watcher in the Water?" He patted the suitcase and said, "It's your turn!" Then he opened the suitcase and threw it directly into the lake.
As soon as the box landed on the lake, a tentacle emerged from the water and tried to drag it under. The next second, a huge snake head rushed out of the box, bit the tentacle hard, and injected venom. The tentacles felt pain and immediately let go of the suitcase and retracted into the water.
Luke, who saw this scene from above, suddenly had his eyes lit up and was full of anticipation. The venom of the Basilisk is extremely poisonous. Even a single drop is enough to kill an elephant. Besides the tears of the phoenix, there is no antidote. Now that the Watcher in the Water had been bitten by the Basilisk, who knew if the poison could kill it?
But the result disappointed him. The Watcher in the Water was obviously very smart and cunning. It realized something was wrong the moment it was injected with venom and bit off its own tentacles without hesitation, preventing the venom from spreading to its body. Only a large piece of broken tentacle, more than ten meters long, floated out of the lake.
"Herpo, kill that guy in the water!" Luke hissed at the Basilisk that had just crawled out of the box. The Basilisk closed its eyes and nodded, then immediately dived into the water and followed the direction of the Watcher in the Water. Soon, the lake water began to surge, as if a fierce battle was taking place underwater. Suddenly, the lake water, which had been dyed blue-black by the blood of the Watcher in the Water, turned pitch black as if ink had been poured into it, and there was no clarity at all.
Luke felt uneasy. The most powerful feature of the Basilisk is its eyes. They are already restricted in the water. Now that the lake is so dark and visibility is low, can they still be of any use to monitor the people watching in the water? Sure enough, Herpo soon emerged from the water.
"Herpo, what's the situation?" Luke asked hurriedly.
The Basilisk shook his head. "That big creature was very perceptive. It sensed danger before it even saw my eyes and sprayed ink at me. The ink blinded me and I couldn't kill it at all. It tried to wrap itself around me, tearing me apart, but after I bit its tentacle and injected venom into it, it controlled the water flow to keep me away." So the Watcher in the Water feared Herpo's eyes and venom, while Herpo couldn't get close enough to attack because of the Watcher's ability to control the water flow. Neither could do anything, and a stalemate ensued.
Luke couldn't help but frown when he got such a result. This Watcher in the Water is truly difficult to deal with in the water. But it was obviously not easy to force it out of the water. After all, this Watcher in the Water was very cunning and cautious. When he saw that the situation was not good, he immediately hid in the lake and started a guerrilla war with them.
Suddenly he looked towards the downstream of the lake, and his eyes suddenly lit up. There was originally no lake in front of the gate of Durin. There was only a stream called Sirannon Creek flowing in front of the gate. But as time went by, the downstream was blocked. The water was blocked and then gathered to form the current landslide lake, which submerged the entire West-gate area. As long as the impounded lake was drained, the Watcher in the Water would lose the lake water on which it depended for survival, and there would be nothing to fear at all.
Luke immediately told Gandalf about this idea. "As expected, you young people have flexible minds, unlike an old man like me whose brain is almost rigid!" Gandalf nodded and praised. "But we can't directly destroy the dam. The water here has accumulated for thousands of years. If it is destroyed, it will cause a flood that will submerge the entire downstream area, bringing disaster to the residents downstream!"
Luke hadn't expected this and nodded seriously: "Then we should just make a hole and slowly release the water so as not to cause a flood!" Have Herpo continue to harass the Watcher in the Water in the lake to distract it. Luke flew to the landslide dam. This place was built with many stones, dead wood, and soil, forming a huge dam that connected the hills on both sides of the river valley. Such obvious human traces were clearly a barrier lake created by the Watcher in the Water to expand its living space.
In order to avoid the destruction of the dam and the resulting flood, Luke simply asked Smaug to use his tail to carve a canal on the side of the mountain to divert the lake water out. The lake water poured down the aqueduct, causing the stream to swell rapidly and covering the river channel, but no flood was caused.
As time passed, the water level of the lake gradually dropped. The Watcher in the Water noticed the situation, became very anxious, and tried to destroy the canal to prevent the lake water from flowing out. But it was forced back by the dragon flame of Smaug, the giant dragon guarding the flood outlet. In addition, there was a snake monster in the lake that was constantly harassing the Watcher in the Water, and the Watcher was unable to take care of itself. As the water level of the lake got lower and lower, Luke finally cast a Bombarda Maxima, which blew up the dam, and the remaining lake water poured out. The full appearance of the Watcher in the Water was also completely exposed.
Even though he had already caught a glimpse of a part of the Watcher in the Water's appearance, when it was fully exposed to everyone, its sheer size still shocked them all. The Watcher was 50 meters long, and its tentacles were several times longer than its body. If the length of its tentacles was included, it was even longer than the dragon Smaug, reaching about 150 meters! Additionally, the Watcher in the Water was covered in hard, scale-like bones. The Dwarves fired their sharp arrows at it, but they couldn't leave a single mark on its impenetrable hide.
Without the cover of the lake, the Watcher in the Water appeared very uneasy, waving its tentacles and making threatening gestures in an attempt to scare everyone away. But at this moment, it was like a tiger without teeth; its immediate threat to everyone was greatly reduced. Luke waved his wand and began to slice off its tentacles one by one.
The Watcher in the Water showed clear signs of fear on its face and immediately tried to flee upstream. It was an evil water creature created by Morgoth, originally dwelling in the underground waters of the Misty Mountains. When the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm endlessly dug for mithril mines, they awakened not only the Balrog, but also the Watcher in the Water. It had ascended to the surface along the underground rivers the Dwarves had dug and built a barrier lake there to survive. Now, it simply wanted to escape back to the underground waters of the Misty Mountains and bide its time.
But Luke wouldn't give it a chance to escape. "Smaug, burn it!" Luke shouted at the dragon. Smaug received the order and flew directly in front of the Watcher in the Water, spraying scorching dragon flames. The dragon fire quickly engulfed the Watcher, causing it to shriek in pain and frantically wave its tentacles to swat away the flames on its body, until it spurted out a stream of ink, extinguishing the fire. But its body, especially its tentacles, were burned red by the flames, emitting the unmistakable smell of cooked meat. One of the Dwarves, upon smelling the meaty aroma, even had his stomach growl, drawing strange looks from his companions. The Dwarf chuckled sheepishly, "Isn't it time for dinner yet? I'm a bit hungry."
Seeing its path forward blocked by the dragon, the Watcher in the Water immediately turned around and rushed downstream. Just when it thought it had escaped, the Basilisk Herpo, who had been lurking in the water downstream, delivered a wave of his deadly gaze. The Watcher's two large eyes were caught off guard and met the Basilisk's pair of yellow eyes. The next second, the Watcher in the Water's body froze, and its enormous form quickly stiffened and turned into gray stone. It looked like a gigantic octopus stone sculpture that had sprung to life!
"Huh?" Luke frowned and immediately flew over, looking at the petrified Watcher in the Water in confusion. Shouldn't staring directly into the eyes of a Basilisk kill it instantly? Why did it only turn to stone? It wasn't until he flew to the Watcher in the Water's giant eye that he discovered it was covered with a protective membrane. Luke suddenly realized that it was through this membrane that the Watcher was indirectly looking at the Basilisk, which was why it wasn't dead but merely petrified.
Gandalf also flew over on his broom and struck the petrified Watcher in the Water with his staff. It felt like hitting solid stone. The Dwarf Balin also ran over, looked at the statue-like behemoth, and asked in confusion, "Is it dead?"
"I think not," Gandalf said. "It's more like a very profound curse of petrification, isn't it, Luke?"
Luke nodded. "Gandalf is right. This water monster was very lucky. If it had looked directly into the Basilisk's eyes, it would have been killed instantly. However, there was a transparent membrane protecting its eyes, which prevented it from directly seeing the Basilisk's eyes. That's why it was petrified." He continued, "But this kind of petrification is not much different from death. The Basilisk's petrification is very difficult to break. If there's no corresponding method, it will remain no different from stone." As far as he knew, even Dumbledore was helpless against the Basilisk's petrification; only a powerful potion made from Mandrake could break it.
Luke looked at the massive Watcher in the Water and suddenly had an idea. He hadn't considered anything else before; he just wanted to get rid of the octopus monster as soon as possible. But now that he had petrified it, he no longer had any intention of killing it. In another world's Hogwarts, there was a giant octopus in the Black Lake. And his current Black Lake under Weathertop Mountain still lacked a guard to prevent anyone from sneaking into the castle by water. And the giant octopus in front of him, the Watcher in the Water, was just right. Luke admitted that he had a collecting addiction.
If he could subdue the Watcher in the Water, he would have another form of underwater helper. In this way, he would have collected powerful creatures from the sea, land, and air. So he expanded the suitcase containing the Basilisk with the Traceless Extension Charm again, and then put the petrified giant octopus in it, allowing the Basilisk and her to squeeze in for a while.
Gandalf was not surprised to see this. After all, Luke already had dragons, Giant Eagles, and Basilisks, so adding a giant octopus wasn't surprising. Balin looked at Luke with a look of relief and said: "We haven't even entered Durin's Gate yet, and we've already encountered such a horrible monster. If it weren't for you, Luke, and Gandalf, I can't imagine what would have happened if we were alone."
Upon hearing this, Luke just wanted to tell him the truth. He remembered that in his original destiny, Balin also led 500 Dwarves on an expedition to Moria. Everything went smoothly at first. They successfully drove the orcs out of some areas and settled there. Balin even proclaimed himself the Lord of Moria and found treasures such as the Axe of Durin. But not long after, Balin was shot dead by orcs in Mirror Lake. Then a large number of orcs poured into the east gate along the Silverlode River and attacked Moria. The Dwarf stronghold was broken, and almost the entire army was wiped out.
The remaining Dwarves attempted to escape through the West Gate, but were stopped by the Watcher in the Water in the lake. Óin was even swept into the lake and died. The other Dwarves retreated to Moria, but faced with the overwhelming number of orcs, the Dwarves were unable to resist. As they retreated and fought, their numbers dwindled, and eventually, all the surviving Dwarves, including Óin, died in the Chamber of Mazarbul. During the entire process, they didn't even see the big boss, the Balrog, before they were completely wiped out. Their remains were not discovered until the Fellowship of the Ring arrived in Moria.
But now, with the appearance of Luke, everything had changed. Thorin Oakenshield, who was supposed to die in the Battle of Five Armies, did not die, but became the King Under the Mountain of Lonely Mountain. This time, he even fully funded Balin to recapture Moria. Balin's expedition to Moria was also decades earlier, and the Watcher in the Water blocking the west gate was also dealt with by Luke in advance. So if nothing unexpected happened, Balin and his men would not have died in Moria, and they might even have actually recaptured Moria.
After dealing with the Watcher in the Water, everyone finally arrived at Durin's Gate with peace of mind. Durin's Gate was integrated into the stone wall, making it difficult to discern its true location. But this did not pose a problem for Gandalf. He had been here before Khazad-dûm fell to the Balrog, and he had even come here to look for the missing Thráin II, father of Thorin Oakenshield.
He came to a smooth stone wall between two tall holly trees, tapped the stone wall with his staff, and said in recollection: "I remember it was here. Durin's Gate was located between the two holly trees." Then he introduced the gate to Luke and the Dwarves: "The Gate of Durin, also known as the Elf Gate, was created by Celebrimbor, the Elf craftsman of Eregion, and Narvi, the Dwarf craftsman of Durin's Folk. The gate is inscribed with patterns and words in mithril, called Ithildin. The gate is only visible under moonlight or starlight."
"So we can only wait until night falls and the moon or stars come out to find the gate and enter?" Balin asked.
"I think so," Gandalf nodded.
Luke walked forward, tried to place his staff against the door, and whispered, "Alohomora."
"How is it? Can you solve it?" Gandalf asked.
Luke shook his head. "The gate is under a powerful spell. No magic can force it open except with the correct password."
"Well, it seems we really have to wait until evening."
"Not necessarily." Luke shook his head.
Gandalf looked at him in surprise, "Do you have any other ideas?"
Luke nodded. "Didn't you say that the text and patterns on Durin's Gate would appear under moonlight and starlight? Then does the Light of Eärendil count as starlight?" He smiled and took out a crystal bottle emitting starlight from his space pocket.
When Gandalf saw the crystal bottle, his eyes lit up and he smiled. "Ha, I almost forgot you had this! There's no purer starlight than this!"
Luke raised the crystal bottle and shone it on the gate. In the Light of Eärendil, the stone wall showed the outline of a gate and a delicate pattern outlined in silver and white lines. In the center of the gate was a many-pointed star and two trees with crescent moons. Above the gate was the coat of arms of Durin: an anvil, hammer, crown, and seven stars. And at the very top, there was a vault written in Sindarin.
Luke looked carefully at the words on the arch and slowly interpreted them: "The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria, speak, friend, and enter..."
"Oh, Luke, I didn't know you knew Sindarin?" Gandalf said in surprise.
Luke smiled and explained, "I learned it from Arwen. After all, many of the books in Rivendell are written in Elvish script, so I have to understand them to know their contents."
Gandalf nodded in appreciation: "Yes, it never hurts to read more." Then he focused his attention on the gate and frowned: "The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria, speak, friend, and enter? What does that mean?" Balin asked puzzledly.
"The meaning is clear. If you are a friend, say the password and the gate will open." Gandalf explained.
"What's the password?" Balin asked again.
Gandalf shrugged helplessly: "If I knew, I wouldn't be standing here, Master Balin!"
"Mellon (Friend in Sindarin)," Luke said.
"What?" Gandalf and Balin looked at Luke in confusion. Then the next second, they were surprised to see the door open automatically. Balin was very surprised and confused.
Gandalf, however, quickly realized, "I see. I was overthinking it. The clue is obvious. The Elven text is of course spoken in the Elven language."
Looking at the opened Durin's Gate, Balin and the Dwarves were very excited and expectant. But Luke and Gandalf were more cautious. They all knew there was a great enemy to face inside.