The Dragon (Book Five in the Aerlinniel's Secret Series)

Chapter 10: The Dragon's Coming

Smaug stomps about, I watch as his claws knock the Arkenstone away from where it had been, and I gasp. The Arkenstone bounces down the mountain, and I rush after it.

"Did you think I did not know this day would come, when a pack of canting Dwarves would come crawling back to the mountain?!" Smaug booms.

I trip and slide down the gold. Smaug is following after me, knocking over a stone pillar.

"The King under the mountain is dead. I took his throne."

I get out of a pile of gold beneath Smaug's claw and run down a staircase. I leap off the side as Smaug's head swings at me.

"I ate his people like a wolf among sheep."

The Arkenstone is bouncing rapidly down the mountain of gold, I slide down after it.

"I kill where I wish, when I wish. My armor is iron." Smaug says as I slide under a stone structure. "No blade can pierce me! It's Oakenshield. That filthy Dwarvish usurper! He sent you in here for the Arkenstone, didn't he?"

I hide under it, and look over to see the Arkenstone at the other end of the structure.

"No, no, no. I don't know what you're talking about." I tell him.

I try to sneak over to the Arkenstone, but I'm forced to hide behind a pillar as Smaug looks beneath the structure.

"Don't bother denying it. I guessed his foul purpose some time ago. But it matters not. Oakenshield's quest will fail. The darkness is coming, it will spread to every corner of the land."

The Arkenstone lying a few feet away from the structure and I make a run for it. But, Smaug sees me and whips his tail, sending the Arkenstone, me, and gold flying. I tumble and land against a pillar.

"My teeth are swords! My claws are spears! My wings are a hurricane!" Smaug says and I notice a scale missing on the left side of Smaug's chest.

I whisper to myself, "So it is true. The black arrow found its mark."

"What did you say??" Smaug asks angrily.

I try to think of something to say, "Uh, uh, I was just saying your reputation precedes you, oh Smaug the tyrannical. Truly, you have no equal on this earth."

I slowly start to back up. Smaug faces me. Look down and see the Arkenstone lying just a few feet from me.

"I am almost tempted to let you take it, if only to see Oakenshield suffer, watch it destroy him, watch it corrupt his heart and drive him mad. But I think not. I think our little game ends here. So tell me, thief, how do you choose to die?"

Smaug's chest glows, and his head is coming towards me. He opens his mouth, but I put on my ring before he can get me. I then grab the Arkenstone and run.

Smaug roars and bellows out a wall of flames over the area where I had been standing. I keep running away and go up some stairs. Reaching a hallway, I pull off the ring and continue running. I then see Thorin.

"You're alive!" He exclaims.

"Not for much longer!" I tell him.

"Did you find the Arkenstone?" He asks.

"The dragon's coming!" I try to avoid his question.

"The Arkenstone!" Thorin says again. "Did you find it?"

"No." I lie. I don't think it would be good idea to let him have it. "We have to get out."

I try to enter the tunnel to exit the mountain, but Thorin swings his sword across it, blocking the entrance. He then presses the blade against me, and I stumble back, the sword still touching me.

"Thorin. Thorin!"

Thorin steps forward, forcing me to step back. I look off to the side, Smaug is approaching us over the mountain of treasure.

Suddenly, the remaining Dwarves run out in front of Thorin and I and face Smaug, their weapons out. Smaug roars and rushes at us. His chest and neck glow orange.

"You will burn!" He snarls at us.

Just as Smaug bellows fire at us, the Dwarves and I turn and jump off the staircase. We tumble down the pile of treasure and land near an entrance to another tunnel, which we run into.

"Come on, Bilbo!" Dori shouts to me.

Thorin is the last one in the door, and is pushed in by the force of the flames. The back of his coat is on fire, and he throws himself on the ground and rolls to extinguish the flames. He takes the coat off and jumps up.

"Come on." He says to us.

Smaug roars as we continue to run.

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I hope that you guys enjoyed reading this chapter! I hope to update a couple more times this week! :) Also, if any of you would be interested in making me a trailer for Aerlinniel's Secret, or know someone who would, please let me know.

Love you my elves from the realm of llamas,

~Ellethwen <3