The Firedrake's Lost Heir

Chapter 17

Brooklyn stared down his father who was glowering down at him in anger for having acquainted with the dwarves in the first place. Smaug growled at him. "You have to have a good explanation for this!" Smaug snapped dangerously, Bilbo quickly going behind Brooklyn.

"It's really a long story, starting from Rivendell," Brooklyn explained, swishing his tail nervously before suddenly hearing a woofing noise. Smaug's eyes rounded at the sight of a warg pup running into the treasure hold. Brooklyn gasped in surprise and happiness at the sight of his old friend Fangspirit.

Fangspirit raced down the steps to meet with Brooklyn even though Brooklyn didn't look the same as he used to. "Fangspirit!" Brook cried out as he went over to nuzzle his warg companion, Fangspirit licking him. Smaug lowered his defenses slightly, tilting his head. "Is that a warg?" Smaug asked, causing the little pup to yip in fear and go behind Brooklyn too.

Brooklyn got into defense, raising his wings. "I helped free Fangspirit from a trap on my way to see you. But please don't attack the dwarves. All they want is their home back!" Brooklyn begged, his father's gaze somewhat softening, while eyeing the halfling who was gazing at a shiny white jewel that happened to appear.

"I could believe you son, since you apparently made friends with these dwarves and they didn't kill you. But, what is that halfling doing?" Smaug snarled, turning sharply. Brooklyn's heart thumped in fear again, seeing Bilbo inching his way towards what appeared to look like the Arkenstone. The young hybrid himself felt the strong urge to grab the gem and keep it for himself, but tried to keep himself in check.

Bilbo was trying to reach for the Arkenstone, Smaug hissing and moving over, making him freeze in his tracks. "And my son said you weren't here to steal. What exactly do you have to take the Arkenstone for?" Smaug demanded evilly, his voice sending chills down Brooklyn's spine, wishing his father didn't sound like that so much.

He tried pushing his father back. "I-it's not what it looks like!" He pleaded, Smaug shoving Brook roughly out of the way. "You know..." Smaug suddenly purred. "I won't mind letting Oakenshield take this stone, watch it corrupt his heart and drive him mad... for revenge..." He sneered with a cruel smile. Brooklyn felt some surprise if his father was willing to give up the Arkenstone even for the wrong reasons, but Smaug shook his head.

"But no. That belongs to me and my son. I want that stone!" Bilbo took it in his hands, stuffing it in his shirt. Brooklyn's eyes glowed. "Bilbo, please, give it to him!" He shouted in horror as Bilbo took out his ring and changed to be invisible right as Smaug tried chomping him up but missed, Smaug growled at Brooklyn. "I will do anything... to get the King's Jewel back..." Smaug threatened dangerously, hearing Bilbo running out of the treasure hold to warn the dwarves. Brooklyn's ears lowered in fear and disappointment.

So much for reasoning, he thought, seeing his father roaring and running up to the entrance to fight the dwarves. Brooklyn couldn't find it in him to run after Smaug, not wanting to expose his true form any further to the others. Fangspirit yipped in fright, leaning against Brooklyn while the former gargoyle suddenly heard loud rumblings and screams from the dwarves.

Brooklyn eventually knew he had to stop his father's attempts to murder his companions, turning to Fangspirit. "You gotta stay here to be safe, bud. I'll be back ok?" Fangspirit whimpered, trembling as Brooklyn let his eyes glow, charging up through the hallways up into the forge rooms since he smelled smoke through the air from them.

His eyes widened in fear when seeing the great forges that the former gargoyle had heard about from the dwarves while in Rivendell, melting the gold who had for a time gone cold, Bilbo up near the levers to start up the gears for the forges nearby. "Father, stop!" Brooklyn shouted in terror, running up to Smaug who was facing down with Thorin.

Smaug turned, his eyes having taken over with lust for the Arkenstone, not even recognizing his own hatchling, right as Thorin shouted "Now, Bilbo! Now!" Brooklyn wondered what was going to happen when Bilbo pulled down one of the levers for the forge, water shooting out of it, slamming into Smaug who roared in anger, Brooklyn doing his best to keep his father away from the others.

"I won't let you keep me from destroying my enemies, hatchling!" Smaug threatened when the water steamed up around them. Brooklyn tried a bite on the shoulder to snap his father out of it, Smaug screeching and throwing Brooklyn off, slamming him against the wall again. "You can't keep this up, I don't want you to get hurt!" Brooklyn argued back. "The stone has taken you!" At first he thought he could see a spark of life show up again in Smaug's eyes, his face settling, until Bilbo caught his vision.

The halfling backed away in fear, Thorin shouting at him to run. Smaug hissed and charged him, Brooklyn trying his best to get his father to stop attacking, still under the spell of the Arkenstone but not knowing that Bilbo was hiding it in his shirt so he could keep Thorin from finding it.

Smaug followed Bilbo to the hall of the kings, breaking down the walls, one of the tapestry falling down onto Bilbo, Brooklyn running into the hall through the hole in the wall. "FATHER, STOP!!" Brooklyn screeched, his voice having enough of trying to be nice, eyes glowing bright, causing Smaug to sharply turn about, hissing like a devil which scared Brooklyn. "Don't think I see what your 'friends' are up to. I know you haven't come to steal, but they tricked you into believing they won't. And they have come from Laketown."

Bilbo peeked out from under the tapestry, seeing Brooklyn staring down his own father. Brooklyn bared his teeth. "This is the Arkenstone poisoning your head, father. I saw it too but I didn't let it take me over since I already knew the joy of being able to have a family! But you didn't! Please don't hurt Bilbo!" Smaug however still didn't seem ready to snap out of his inner rage and demons.

"I know you love me, hatchling. But those out there wouldn't give a damn about our kind. Perhaps it is time I gave the people of Laketown a taste of my wrath..." He growled, running out of the hall, Brooklyn sitting there in hopelessness. That blasted gem really had destroyed his father all these years even during their moments of affection. Was there any way to save him? Bilbo had gotten himself out of the tapestry, seeing Brooklyn doing one last attempt to grab Smaug and stop him from burning down the town.

Smaug roared and smashed through the outer wall, soaring through the air, the dwarves alongside Brooklyn and Bilbo going outside. Brooklyn could feel tears coming down his face, staring after him. "No!" He sobbed, reaching with his wing, before eventually falling down to the ground, just laying there, not even caring now if Thorin snapped at him about being a dragon all along.

Fangspirit joined them, woofing in ernest, going to lick his friend. Brooklyn couldn't help the purr, missing his father's affectionate nuzzling. "Hey, boy. Thought... I could stop him..."

"Brooklyn! Are you ok?" Bilbo cried out but Thorin shoved him back, face livid with betrayal. "So... this is the real you eh? Another fire breathing worm like him? And his son?! Why didn't you tell us?!" Brooklyn turned about, his face sad, before turning away again and curling up, hearing the screaming of the innocent victims who would die because of him. "Wanted someone in this world to trust me." Brooklyn replied in a weak tone.

Thorin wasn't convinced, hands balled into fists. Balin put a hand on his shoulder. "Settle down, laddie. This one never harmed our group, even with his bloodline being connected to our nemesis. He's just a youngin'. Don't disregard him fer that." Brooklyn felt a smile since Balin's voice felt like Hudson, tears coming down more. Dwalin grinned. "We besides Thorin grew to like ye, Laddie. And if ye want to go save your father, you can."

Brooklyn bared his fangs. "I just don't feel strong enough to stop the power of the Arkenstone that took hold of him." Thorin blinked a few times from that. "Taken by it?" He asked. Brooklyn nodded. "It... It drove him mad, like how it could have done it to you if you took it." Thorin's angry face softened slightly, remembering how his grandfather was addicted to the Arkenstone. He didn't want to go down that path, despite his yearning for the gem before.

"I'm going to save the village and my father, and I'm going alone." Brooklyn stated gruffly, nuzzling his warg companion who whined, pawing his muzzle. Brooklyn turned, eyes narrowed in determination, flying out towards Laketown, hearing his father speak.

"I am FIRE! I... Am... DEATH!!"

....
Hoping the Battle at Laketown will be a longer chapter later.