Erebor's Guardian

Chapter: 23

Thorin and Dwalin ran through the narrow slits between the tall stone pillars and joined the rest of us. We looked at the furnaces.

"The plan's not going to work. These furnaces are stone cold."

"He's right; there's no fire hot enough to set them ablaze."

I turned to Thorin and smirked.

"Have we not?" I did not look to see you so easily outwitted!"

As I spoke Smaug's claw emerged from the pit with his body following. Thorin turned to the dragon and started to taunt him as well.

"You have grown slow and fat in your dotage."

Smaug snarled at Thorin and me in anger.

"Slug."

As Smaug snarled and moved forward Thorin went behind a pillar and yelled to the other to do the same.

"Take cover. Go!"

I opened my wing to cover myself as Smaug unleashed his flames. The others were able to get behind the pillars before the fire came. Suddenly the fire stopped and the others looked to see the furnace's on fire. Smaug started to growl in confusion and anger. The others started to run from the pillars as Smaug started to ram his body against the pillars, which were able to hold him back for a while but soon started to bend. I ran behind the others as Thorin told them where to go.

"Bombur! Get those bellows working. Go!"

"Alright!"

Bombur ran and pulled on one of the chains next to one of the forges. The chain slid down from his weight. The bellows compressed and blasted air into the furnaces. Thorin and I turned to see Smaug continue to bend the pillars.

"Bilbo! Up there, on my mark, pull the lever."

Thorin pointed Bilbo toward a lever high up near a flight of stairs. Bilbo started to run to it.

"Paephan can you keep Smaug's flames off us."

"Of course."

Thorin turned to Balin.

"Can you still make some flash-flame?"

"Aye. It'll only take a jiffy."

Balin grabbed some of the other dwarves to help him. I turned to Smaug as he spewed more fire toward us. I expanded my wings to cover the others. He had broken the pillars and started to move toward us.

"I will burn you all."

"You'll have to try harder than that."

"I think not."

Smaug moved his head to Bilbo who was clambered up the steps, reaching the lever. Smaug began walking toward him. I flew in front of Smaug and started to attack him with the wings but the coins and jewels protected him too well. Smaug snarled in anger as he tried to catch me in his jaw.

Smaug started to raise his head to look at Bilbo, he then turned to the side to see Thorin. Smaug snarled at Thorin as he yelled.

"Now!"

Bilbo pulled the lever down just as Smaug lunged at Thorin. Huge jets of water burst out of the wall behind Bilbo and slammed into Smaug. Smaug slid into the furnaces as the glow in his chest disappeared. He roared in rage as he flapped his wings and began thrashing around madly. As Smaug thrashed, the others ran into the Gallery of the Kings. I saw Bilbo hanging onto the lever. I flew over to him and got him into the hall as well.

As we entered The Gallery of the King the doorway exploded as Smaug jumped through it. I covered the both of us with my wings as ruble came down. A huge banner landed on us. Smaug leapt to the floor and shouted loudly.

"You thought you could deceive me, Barrel-rider?"

Bilbo and I peaked out from the edge of the banner.

"You have come from Laketown. There is some sort of scheme hatched between these filthy dwarves and those miserable cup-trading Lakemen. Those snivelling cowards with their longbows and black arrows!"

Smaug started to talk to himself, his voice broke in both anger and fear when he mentioned the black arrows.

"Perhaps. It is the time I paid them a visit."

No.

Smaug turned to go to Laketown as Bilbo gasped. Bilbo ran from under my arm.

"Bilbo!"

"This isn't their fault! Wait! You cannot go to Laketown."

Smaug stopped for a moment and turned to Bilbo.

"You care about them, do you? Good. Then you can watch them die."

Smaug turned and strode down the hall. Suddenly Thorin's voice could be heard near a massive stone structure.

"Here, you witless worm!"

Smaug stopped in his tracks, he snarled in anger as he turned to Thorin.

"You."

"I am taking back what you stole."

Smaug slowly started to walk toward Thorin. I pulled Bilbo under the banner as I stood up.

"You would take nothing from me, Dwarf. I laid low your warriors of old. I wounded your guardian. I instilled terror in the hearts of men. I am King under the Mountain."

Smaug moved his head to the same level with Thorin; Bilbo watched as I stepped behind Smaug.

"You did wound me, but I have no fear toward you."

Smaug turned to me as he snarled. I folded my wings in and looked up at him with no fear. In an instant, Smaug spewed fire at me but even with no wings, there was no pain. The flames had no effect on me. Smaug stopped as he growled in anger. Thorin yelled.

"This is not your kingdom. These are dwarf lands, this is dwarf gold, and we will have our revenge."

I looked at Thorin and saw the others holding chains behind the statue. As Thorin spoke Smaug's chest and neck glowed with fire, Thorin suddenly reached up toward a rope above him. Just as Smaug opened his mouth, Thorin yelled something in Khuzdul.

Thorin yanked on the rope and a pin behind the stone fell out as the others pulled on the chain. The statue was shown to be a fully golden statue of a dwarf king. As Thorin swung away on the rope to escape the falling rocks and metal casing, Smaug started at the statue in awe and desire. As he approached it, his mouth opened slightly in greed.

Suddenly, the gold around the statue exploded into liquid and collapsed onto Smaug as he roared in anger as the statue melt, and scrambled to escape the hot liquid. However, he could not move fast enough and the tidal of gold knocked him over. As he roared, his entire self-was smothered and drowned in the gold. I quickly grabbed Bilbo away from the hot liquid and behind the raised pillars.

The gold settled, and there was no sign of Smaug to be seen. The others began to smile in joy, but suddenly, the surface of the golden lake exploded as Smaug lept out. He screamed in anger and pain.

"Ahhh! Revenge?! Revenge! I will show you REVENGE!"

As the others looked in shock. I flew in front of Smaug and tried to stop him, I raised my hands to meet his head and started to push against him, but his strength was too much. He flew past me toward Laketown. Bilbo ran out of the destroyed gates of Erebor and climbed up on some of the ruins, looking at Smaug flying away. He fell to his knees. Watching him fly away, Bilbo despairingly panted and looked on in shock.

"What have we done?"

I flew next to him.

"Bilbo, tell Thorin to stay here."

I walked past him as he looked up at me.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to kill the dragon...once and for all."