Angel On Fire

Chapter 20 - Dragons

Getting Smaug to follow me to the forge was simple. Insult his ego and that would do the trick. It was surprisingly easy to do. Calling to wind I use the breeze to lift myself up into the air so that I am floating high enough above the ground so that if I needed to get away quickly I could.

"Where are you little insect?" I hear Smaug call out and I smile mischievously.

"Now that's just rude, I never called you any names." I retort as I slink behind a column.

"Why do you help the dwarves? He will betray you; you know this." Smaug growls his voice inching closer to me.

"He wouldn't be the first, and I doubt he'll be the last." I add my mind drifting to think of Bucky. "I'm starting to think I should just switch to women permanently. They're nicer to be around anyway, and the sex is pretty amazing."

"You didn't answer my question, Princess." Smaug adds and I narrow my eyes.

"I don't see a need too. I'm just helping them with what they need." I reply as I watch Thorin, and the rest of the company sneak through a large hallway. Balin turns into a side tunnel, but Thorin continues forward with Bilbo at his heels.

"Don't you wish to return home?" Smaug asks I feel my heart clench. "I know the one who can help you."

Thorin hearing Smaug's words is distracted from his current mission and stops in his steps. He turns towards me, and our eyes meet.

"Is it the same one who wants me for his own selfish desires? Cause if so, I hate to break it to you, but I don't negotiate with evil dictators."

Thorin turns and begins to go back to Bilbo and Balin but stops suddenly. They all see Smaug at the end of the hallway. He had taken the opening from our talk to sniff out the dwarves. Thorin yells at Bilbo to follow Balin. I rush forward and place myself between them. Balin pulls Bilbo into the side tunnel just as Smaug's chest glows orange and he unleashes his fire throughout the hall.

Thorin runs the other way and leaps into the air, falling into a deep pit. He catches onto a chain with a bucket at the end of it, and it begins descending just as Smaug rushes past me and leaps into the pit as well. Smaug claws his way down the tunnel, snapping at Thorin on the chain.

I race to the pit as Dwalin runs up beside me. He yells after him into the pit and I look around for something to help get him out. Dwalin smashes his axe into the machinery holding the chain Thorin is holding on to, and the chain stops descending abruptly. Beside Dwalin, a heavy holding bucket on the other end of the same chain begins descending rapidly, causing Thorin's chain to fly upward.

I hold my hand out and calling earth send out a fist of rock that wraps around Smaug's mouth holding it closed as Thorin soars upward, narrowly missing Smaug's head. Nori, at the top of the pit, hits another machine, and its gears spin rapidly, pulling Thorin on his chain rapidly upward. Smaug thrashes wildly against my stone grasp causing the earth to crumble around him. Smaug roars and blows smoke straight up the pit after Thorin. Thorin manages to reach the top and throw himself on a ledge just as the fire erupts beside him. I place myself between him and the pit letting my body absorb the fire.

"Go! Go!" I yell out as I feel my body start to become overwhelmed by the sudden overuse of my powers.

Thorin and Nori run through narrow slits between tall, stone pillars and join the other dwarves and Bilbo. They are standing in front of several massive dwarf furnaces, each at least 10 yards high.

"The plan's not going to work. These furnaces are stone cold." Dwalin cries out as I move over to stand near them my body burning hot.

"He's right; there's no fire hot enough to set them ablaze." Balin adds and I eye the forge.