Erebor's Guardian

Chapter: 22

I stared down Smaug as he moved his head to get a better look at me.

"I see... Another one I have not smelled before."

"That's a shame. I would hope you would remember me, you snake"

The dragon opened its jaws and spewed out flames. Bilbo clutched to me as I moved both my wings in front of me. There was no pain, no fear. Not anymore.

As the smoke cleared, I looked up at Smaug with a smirk.

"You've lost your spark." Smaug opened his mouth again. I yelled out a war cry and was able to blind the creature and flew Bilbo to another hall near the treasure room. We ran into Thorin, who was breathing heavily.

"You're alive!"

"Not for much longer."

"Did you find the Arkenstone."

I stared at Thorin.

"Now is not the time."

Suddenly a sound came from behind us. I turned around and Smaug was approaching us over the treasure hoard. Smaug looked at Thorin and snarled.

Suddenly everyone ran through into the hall and faced Smaug. Smaug roared and rushed at us his chest and neck glowed with flames.

"You will burn!"

Just a Smaug bellowed the flames at us. I guarded them with my wings

"Paephan!"

"I'm fine, now hurry."

The dwarves and Bilbo turned and jump off the staircase across the hall. They tumbled into the treasure and landed near another tunnel. Bilbo and Thorin waited.

"Come on, Bilbo!"

I suddenly felt the heat off my wings as Smaug lifted his head. I flew into the same tunnel as Smaug breathed fire in all directions. Thorin pushed Bilbo and me in front of him. We were able to get out of the tunnel when Thorin came running through with his coat on fire. He quickly put the flames out as he looked at the others.

"Come on."

After a while, we ended up on a stone bridge but before we crossed Thorin peered around the edge of the tunnel to look for any sign of Smaug. Everyone started to whisper.

"We've given him the slip."

"No, he's too cunning for that."

"So where to now?"

"The western guardroom. There may be a way out."

Thorin turned to the others.

"It's too high. There's no chance that way."

Balin said in a worried matter. I turned to the group.

"It's our only chance. We have to try."

Quietly we moved across the bridge looking around. Suddenly a coin fell in front of Bilbo and rung loudly. The dwarves froze as they glared at him. Bilbo started to look frantically to see if some coin had been stuck in a fold. Another coin fell behind me. Everyone looked up to see Smaug crawling above us. He hadn't seen us yet. Thorin motioned for us to keep moving.

Once we passed the bridge we ran through a hall and arrived in the western guardroom.

"Stay close."

I stopped everyone when I saw that the guardroom was full of rotted, dust and cobweb covered corpses and behind them, the exit was blocked.

Dwalin sighed.

"That's it, then. There's no way out."

Balin looked at the corpses.

"The last of our kin. They must have come here, hoping beyond hope. We could try to reach the Mines. We might last a few days."

Thorin shook his head.

"No. I will not die like this. Cowering, clawing for breath. We make for the forges."

"He'll see us, sure as death."

I looked at Thorin.

"Not if we split up."

"Paephan, we'll never make it."

Thorin turned to Dwalin.

"Some of us might. Lead him to the forges. We kill the dragon. If this is to end in fire, then we will burn altogether."

Thorin, Bilbo and I ran out onto the bridge we had crossed.

"This way."

A booming sound came from nearby, and Smaug appeared.

"Flee, flee! Run for your lives! There is nowhere to hide."

Smaug started to come after us but turned his head to a sound above him. Dori, Ori and Bombur were on another bridge. Smaug looked at them and lunged forward. The others turned and ran.

As Smaug chased them we continued across the bridge. Suddenly Dwalin, Nori and Balin ran across another bridge and yelled to distract Smaug.

Smaug turned and jumped at them. They ran off the bridge and into another tunnel.

We were able to reach a large hallway. I turned into a side tunnel, but Thorin continued forward with Bilbo at his heels.

"It's this way! This way! Come on!

Bilbo stopped by the tunnel and called out for Thorin. Thorin turned and came back toward us but he stopped suddenly. Smaug was at the end of the hallway. Thorin yelled to Bilbo

"Follow Paephan."

"Thorin!" Bilbo called out

"He'll be fine. Come on!"

I pulled Bilbo into the side tunnel just as Smaug's chest glowed and he spewed out fire throughout the hall. Thorin ran the other way and I saw him jump into a pit. He managed to catch a chain hanging in the pit. He started to descend just as Smaug leapt into the pit as well. I saw Dwalin run up to the pit and smash the mechanism to the chains causing Thorin's chain to fly upward narrowly missing Smaug's head. Smaug turned and managed to grab the end of Thorin's chain, stopping its movement.

"Thorin!" Dwalin shouted

Smaug pulled down, as the machinery holding the chain at the top of the pit breaks free of its moorings and falls into the pit. Thorin fell and landed right on the tip of Smaug's closed mouth. He stood on Smaug's top lip as Smaug growled and opened his mouth; the fire was visibly rising up his neck. Just as Smaug snapped closed his mouth to eat Thorin, Thorin leapt to the side and grabbed another chain. Smaug turned to bite him, but the falling machinery strikes him in the face. Nori, at the top of the pit, hits another machine, and its gears spin rapidly, pulling Thorin on his chain rapidly upward. Smaug roared and blew smoke straight up the pit after Thorin. Thorin managed to reach the top and throw himself on a ledge just as the fire erupts beside him. He stumbled over to Nori.

"Go! Go!"