The Lord of the Rings: Lords of Middle-earth.

Chapter 278 Throne!

"Hold the bridge! Fight! Fight! Don't retreat an inch! Take back our homeland!" Balin roared, rallying his dwarves.

These simple-minded dwarves were enraged when they saw the orcs and trolls trying to destroy their Turin Bridge! They wielded their battle axes, quickly crossed the Turin Bridge, and began to slaughter the orcs.

"Watch your step! This bridge is about to collapse! Several people are going up at a time! Be careful!" Roland anxiously stopped the dwarves who were rushing up like a swarm of bees. If he didn't stop them, they might trample the bridge down!

"Damn it! Why didn't I bring Grandpa Radil this time?" Roland stared at the cracked bridge, driven to madness. If an earth mage were here, Roland wouldn't have cared about this thing at all. He could have easily conjured several wide stone bridges out of thin air with Grandpa Radil's help... Even more unfortunately, the only elven dragon that could help Roland was still asleep, recuperating...

"Watch out! Two at a time!" Roland ordered the Royal Guards, thanks to their heavy plate armor and tower shields! Everyone's heart trembled as these iron cans stepped onto the bridge.

But it was all worth it! By the time the first Royal Guard had established himself on the other side, the attacks from the orcs and trolls had become a desperate last stand before their demise! With the precise coordination of the Lordaeron Rangers, the Royal Guard, equipped with superior gear, plunged into the horde of orcs, and a bloody storm ensued. Even with the massive, powerful attacks of the giant trolls, the Royal Guard were still able to counterattack and hold them off with ease.

"Omske, go and precisely eliminate those most threatening targets!" Roland ordered. Although he couldn't let his heroes fight with all their might, precise targeting was still possible. With Omske's abilities, clearing out those giant trolls shouldn't be a problem!
“Your Highness…” Caslo was eager to try, his eyes filled with fighting spirit!
"Don't go and join the fun... It's chaotic enough over there!" Roland watched as hundreds of people fought fiercely in an area of ​​less than a thousand square meters, with orcs and dwarves being thrown out of the battle. However, Roland didn't see himself being thrown out... After all, the Royal Guards of the past were not people that these nobodies could defeat.

"Advance!" Under Balin's command, more and more dwarven soldiers crossed the bridge and began to fight back against the orcs. They used their iron will and determination to force the orcs back!
One meter! Two meters! Three meters! The orcs were forced into retreat under the allied forces' relentless attacks. Even more shameless, they not only had to fight the allied forces head-on but also endure the precise fire of the Lordaeron Rangers. Those unlucky enough to be caught in a hail of crossbow bolts from the Lagrange City Guards! After all, the Lagrange City Guards were clever enough to aim their crossbows at the Royal Guards' rear! Even if they hit their own men, it didn't matter; the bolts couldn't break through the Royal Guards' "shells." But for the orcs, it was a nightmare! Their crude leather and iron armor were like paper before the elite Lagrange arrows, and the Royal Guards' fighting speed was even slower than that of the Lagrange City Guards firing indiscriminately from behind.

"Drive them away! Don't let them near here!" Balin chopped off an orc's thigh with his axe and swung it back, sending a large orc's head flying.

"Fight! We must fight! Drive out these damned orcs! Our hope of reclaiming our homeland lies ahead! That is the heart of Caesar'doom! Our homeland that we yearn for! Fight! Sons of Turin! So that our descendants may stand here again! Fight!" Balin roared excitedly, this was the closest he had ever come to his dream.

……

"Tsk! These guys are ruthless! We've already repelled three waves of attacks!" Roland gasped, looking at the injury on his arm. Although he had used his skill to heal it, it was still painful! This was from when Roland impulsively used his right arm to block the giant ogre's falling warhammer...

We should thank this lord's armor for its versatility! Otherwise, Roland's hand would be twisted and deformed today.

"I'm so sorry to have troubled you! And to have you injured! King Roland... it's all my fault!" Balin felt incredibly guilty, blaming himself for not taking good care of Roland and causing his injury. "It's nothing serious! I underestimated him!" Roland smiled awkwardly. If he hadn't been so reckless, this wouldn't have happened. That powerful hammer blow almost sent Roland flying!
"Are your men alright? Do you need me to treat them again?" Roland asked solemnly.

“It’s alright…the rest are no longer needed; they have already returned to the embrace of our ancestor, Turin…” Balin covered his face and shed tears.

"How many people are left?" Roland sighed.

"There are still 467 men left! We have already lost 33 brothers!" Balin shed tears of anguish; those dwarves had given their lives for the recapture of Moria!

This is why the Lagrange army suffered virtually no casualties in the allied forces. Unlike the dwarves, humans fight for resources, and regardless of victory or defeat, as long as their people are unharmed, it has a huge impact on Roland! But for the dwarves, this is their homeland, and fighting for their homeland naturally makes them fight much harder than humans! This resulted in the tragic situation of significant dwarf casualties!

“It was all worth it! Your descendants will be grateful to them! They were all heroes!” Roland said slowly, gazing at the dwarf corpses laid out on the ground in the distance, covered with cloth.

"Bahrain, don't put too much pressure on yourself! People always die in war. I still did it back then at Lonely Mountain..." Roland stopped speaking, the image of that swift infantry corps still lingering in his mind, unforgettable!

“You are right, but I don’t know how to face their families in the future… I said I would bring them home… They…” Balin sat on the ground like a child, looking at the sacrificed dwarves in a daze.

"They shouldn't have died! These orcs shouldn't have killed them! They gave up their defense... They could have avoided so many fatal wounds!" Balin was heartbroken! If it weren't for the dire circumstances, why would these dwarves have been willing to risk their lives against the orcs? They didn't deserve it! They weren't worthy!
"The Royal Palace..." Roland finally saw the most magnificent place in all of Moria. With the help of the torches the orcs had planted diagonally on the pillars and walls, Roland could clearly see the entire hall! The exquisite carvings and bold lines all showcased the characteristics of the dwarves...

"Hmm? That's..." Roland was suddenly drawn to the golden light emanating from the distant high platform.

"The Throne of Turin!" Balin murmured, gazing at the golden throne and falling into silence.

(End of this chapter)