The party found suitable shelter from the still raging storm within a cave tucked out of sight behind a rock ledge. It was spacious enough inside for everyone to curl up to sleep and the entrance kept out the worse of the howling winds. The party huddled themselves inside, Oin producing flint and steel in a effort to start a fire as everyone crowded to sit down and relieve their aching feet. Dust and sandy gravel coated the floor making it hard for the kindling to catch. It didn't help that the flint and steel were probably damp from the rain, not protected by the oils of their backpacks, like the kindling which had been stored in Nori's pack.

Luin watched the dwarf struggle for a while before taking pity on him. He languidly lifted his hand and let a tendril of flame drip from his fingers. His Qi mixing with the fire root in his meridians. The flames sparked as he shook them over the kindling. The wood caught instantly. There was a groan of relief as the party began to warm themselves up. Fili, Kili and Ori placed themselves around where Luin had settled into a corner of the cave. "How did you do that?" Ori asked. The three youngest in the group waiting for his answer in anticipation.

"I'm good with fire", Luin shrugged, tone deliberately nonchalantly. It was true, fire was one of his spiritual roots, the second weaker one being air. The combination made a powerful force on the battlefield, not that anyone here knew about cultivation and Qi. He grinned as their faces fell, obviously disappointed by his answer. "Tell me", he smirked. "Have you ever seen Gandalf's fireworks?"

"Yeah, only once though", Fili answered first.
"We were much smaller", Kili continued.
"They were amazing", Ori finished.

"Well who do you think taught him to make them?" Luin asked. It's true, fireworks were invented in his home country and one of his parents crew members had taught him to make them as a child. When the ship had washed ashore, Gandalf had found one of the fireworks and had figured out how to make his own. Luin had helped him of course.

"Really? Fili asked in excitement.

"I suggest you all get some sleep", Thorin's voice echoed around the cave, over the noise of the storm outside, interrupting their conversation. The three young dwarves obediently shuffled onto their sleeping mats. Luin glanced around the cave for a moment. Everyone was curling up under their blankets exhaustedly. Thorin had volunteered to get first watch and he was standing near the opening, watching the storm with his usual brooding expression.

Luin took his time settling down. First, he took a comb from his case and tried to untangle his storm messed hair. "Preening pretty boy?" Came a deep voice. Luin raised his head to see Thorin watching him. Snores from the sleeping group echoed slightly around the cave, disturbed occasionally by a slight snuffle.

"Merely combing my hair Thorin", Luin replied. He winced as the comb removed the last stubborn knot. His hair was his pride and joy. He always took good care of it.

Thorin snorted. "You're like an elf", he remarked sourly. "If they removed your black hair and eyes".

"I'm not an elf". Luin's tone was lazy. The sentence one he had often repeated.

"Could have fooled me", Thorin muttered quietly, so quiet that the howling wind almost washed away his words, but Luin still heard him. "I don't know what you are. Some say you're one of the blue wizards, some say you're a immortal from another country. All I know is that you're friends with Gandalf", he continued a bit louder, turning to glare at him.

"Technically", Luin shrugged as he wound his hair into smooth braids. He spoke plainly, without any annoyance or anger, simply stating a fact. "I am all of those. But if you want to know what I am, then I am nothing of consequence. Although, in my home, there are no such things as elves, dwarfs, hobbits, or orcs. There are just humans. But some of them possess an ability for cultivation. And if you become powerful enough, you can become immortal. It is so more different here".

Thorin snorted and turned his head back to the storm. The conversation was clearly over. Luin sighed and tucked his fresh braids into his robes, taking a moment to settle down comfortably under his blanket. He blinked in the dark light and let the noise of the storm lull him into dreaming.

It was the figure again. They were running through the trees, the occasional flash of gold or a glimpse of pale skin catching Luin's eyes. He followed them, bounding up onto the branches in swift movements as the trees groaned under his feet. The colours blurred and flashed as the figure continued moving. Sprinting through the trees he reached out a hand. "Wait", he called. "Why are you running?" But there was no answer. Luin followed as the figure climbed higher into the canopy, jumping from branch to branch as if it was child's play. Luin desperately tried to catch up when the branch underneath him broke with a snap. He gave a short scream before he was plummeting downwards.

Luin woke to screams. He wasn't dreaming, they really were falling. The cave floor had opened up and now the company were tumbling down a steep stone slide. Their bodies collided as they rolled painfully on hard rock. Reflexively, Luin grasped at his case tightly, his other hand reaching for his swords. They were still tied around his waist much to his relief. A particularly vicious tumble caught him on the side of the head. Pain throbbed in his temple, distracting him for a moment. He was just about to slow himself down when the company fell in a huge heap onto the floor. Luin had managed to land on top of Bombur whose extra padding cushioned him somewhat. The dwarf grunted slightly.

"My apologies", Luin muttered as he hastily got to his feet. The head wound made him slightly dizzy.

"No harm done", Bombur replied nicely as Luin and Oin helped heave him upright. Around them came several groans as everyone got to their feet. Everyone was covered in bruises and was sore from the bone jarring slide. They were barely upright when several small pale creatures that Luin recognised as goblins swarmed them. They were ugly bastards. Only coming up to Luin's waist but their skin looked like mould and they stunk of filth. The goblins seized them harshly, several of which clawing at his arms and one pulling him by his braids down a wooden bridge and deeper into the caves. Luin gasped as the one holding his hair gave a particularly vicious tug which almost tore the strands from his scalp.

"Why you little fiend!" He seethed, not taking kindly to having his hair pulled. The goblin retaliated by kicking him in the knees, the blow sending him sprawling to the floor. They yanked him forward again to make him keep up. The pull sent him falling forwards and they kicked him to his feet. Luin snarled and let the air billow around them threateningly.

"Luin!" Bofur, who was the nearest to him, called out in alarm as everyone's ear popped at the change in air pressure. Luin stopped struggling and allowed the Goblins to herd him forwards, glaring at any goblin that came too near. The goblins seemed to be wary of his dark eyes and they flinched when Luin stared at them. This gave him a small bit of satisfaction.

They were herded into a huge cavern populated with wooden constructions such as walk ways and plat forms. It was lit up from numerous lights around which thousands of goblins gathered. They screamed and howled, jeering as the company was moved onwards towards the central platform which was occupied by a massive wooden throne. In front of the throne stood the biggest, fattest and most genuinely disgusting goblin that Luin had ever seen, and he appeared to be singing.

"Catchy isn't it?" The goblin king asked once the song was over. Luin wondered if that noise could even count as a song, much less if it was any good.

"That's not a song", Balin spoke up. "That's an abomination". There was uproar from the surrounding goblins. Luin agreed with Balin.

"Abominations, mutations, deviations", the goblin king replied. "That's all your going to find down here. Search them".

At once the goblins were on them, filthy cold hands prying at their clothes. Luin let fire settle in his palms, burning any goblin that came near. They surged back screeching only to come at him again with claws ready. Two of them managed to wrestle his case off his back, taring through his outer robe as they did so. Three more groped at his belt only to howl as Luin sent their flesh smoking. He dared them to touch his mother's jade swords with their slimy hands, they would burn first.

"Who would be so bold to come armed into my kingdom?" The goblin king asked, narrowing his eyes down at them. Luin wondered if those bulbous eyes could actually see. He doubted that the goblin king got out much. "Spies? Thieves? Assassins?"

"Dwarves your benevolence", a goblin spoke up. "Dwarves and some sort of dark elf". Luin snorted at the word 'benevolence'. This king wasn't benevolent, he was a tyrannical moron with a eating disorder.

"A dark Elf?" The king asked. "What even are dark elves?" He eyed Luin up greedily. Luin refused to be intimidated and raised his head high in distain. He refused to let this over grown slab of fat scare him.

"We found them on the front porch your highness", the goblin spoke up again.

The king bellowed, sending every goblin flinching. "Well don't just stand there! Search them! Every crook! Every crevice!" The goblins swarmed them again. Several more burned under Luin's touch but this time it was not enough. They snatched the scabbards from his belts and tossed the beautiful swords on to the steadily growing pile of weaponry. Luin felt himself wince as they clanged harshly and hoped that they were not to badly damaged. The spirits of the weapons would hopefully not hold this against him, they could be really temperamental otherwise. They also took his case but they were unable to open it, their goblin nails scratching into the lovely soft wood. Eventually they threw it aside and Luin wince again at the clattering noise.

One of the goblins made the mistake of taking Thorin's sword. It unsheathed the blade and let out a screeching yell. The sword slipped out of its grasp, hitting the wooden floor with a bang that drew everyone's attention. Upon seeing the blade all the goblins reared back in fright.

"I know that sword!" The goblin king screamed. He staggered back, climbing back into his throne to put some distance between him and the blade. "It is the goblin cleaver! Kill them!"

The previously scared goblins leapt at the company with fearsome screeches. Nail tore through clothes and teeth bit into flesh as they physically manhandled and forced everyone too the floor. Five goblins attacked Luin. Two seized his ankles, pulling them out from under him whilst two more pinned his arms. He fell face first onto the floor with a thud, hitting his already sore head. The fifth goblin climbed onto his back as the others held him down. Twisting his head, Luin could just about see the cold shine of a knife raised above him. Fear tore at his stomach and he held out a hand.

"Kill him!" The goblin king was still screaming. "Chop off his head!"

White light exploded outwards.