Life as a Dragon (LOTR)

The wind whipped past us as we crossed by each other. I had long since disarmed The Balrog's sword, and one of his horns was broken.

I was suffering from a large gash under my left wing along the length of my body. Also, I had lost two teeth on the right side of my mouth and was currently trying to blow the blood out of my right eye from the tiny cut above it.

Our battle has been challenging, and neither of us was willing to back down. Initially, at the start of round two, I was hurrying to defeat him, but, unfortunately, he picked up on that and stuck to a defensive philosophy. That was my mistake, resulting in my energy dropping while he recovered. Round three reversed round two, with me now on the defensive. Round four… we both agreed not to talk about round four. Let's say there was more biting than there needed to be.

Slowly turning, I face him as he does the same. At this point, the heroic spirit I felt to eat Sauron and be the savior of Middle Earth was nowhere to be found. I want to go home.

Breathing heavily, I gulp before I speak. "Hey, Balrog- buddy, old pal- any chance we could just call it quits and both of us go home?"

His gasping breath reached my ears, and I saw his mind pause momentarily before he shook his head.

"You are standing on my home, Urulóki. My den is in the earth beneath Orodruin."

"That's tough, man. Being evil sucks."

Snorting, the Balrog puts his claw upon a jutting rock and leans over slightly.

"I was not always this form, Urulóki. I once sang Ainulindalë (The Great Song) to bring forth creation and followed the will of Eru Ilúvatar (Father of All) in forming the mountains and hills."

I could feel the melancholy and wistfulness in his tone. I could only imagine what it was like to be an angel and then fall into this.

We both paused as a pulse of magic flared in the battlefield's direction. We felt the magic exchanged between the two forces as they fought during our buy.

"Why do you fight for Mairon (Sauron)? The one you followed was Melkor, who has long been banished from Ennor (Middle-Earth)."

He huffs in annoyance, "I do not answer to that weakling. I awoke when he punctured the song of the mountain. You were the threat I was met with when I appeared from my den."

Blinking my eyes, I was dumbfounded.

"Wait… So, we didn't need to fight this entire time?"

This caused him to pause and think about it. I also fell silent in contemplation. After a long moment, he jerks in surprise as I repeatedly slam my horns into a jutting rock while muttering' "Stupid. Stupid."

He could only watch on in bewilderment as I self-corrected. After a few minutes, I stopped with a sigh before turning to him.

"Look. I am willing to make a deal with you. You stop fighting, and I will guarantee with a binding vow that my allies and I will mess with your den or try to assault you without provocation. What do you say?"

The balrog takes a moment to think before finally nodding his head.

"I accept your offer, Urulóki. Make your vow."

So, I made a deal with a fallen Maiar to let him go home and for me to get some sleepy sleep. Thank Eru Ilúvatar, that was over.