Golden Eyes

Chapter 25: The Lake Shall Shine and Burn

Smaug felt her anger take hold as she swept over the city once more. The screams of the fearful and the dying sounded in her ears and the sweet smell of burned flesh was everywhere. She gazed upon the havoc she had made. Let this be their lesson. To threaten her was to play with one's own life. She took great pleasure in their displeasure. No more songs of how the King Beneath the Mountain would bestow riches upon these lands and slay the beast. The beast had truly awoken and would not be tamed by any one. Neither dwarf nor the greedy men beneath her. She swept over the town and released her fire. No more than they deserve those mewling quim. Then she saw something out of her eye corner. A little man jumping over the rooves and in his hands... a bow and arrows! She smirked. What exactly was he going to do? What could he do against her? That little peasant did not know who he was dealing with. He slid down and roof and balanced on the next. She growled and went after him. Maybe she could scare him off. Make reconsider his intentions. She swept down and was just behind him. She managed to catch his horrified face as turned around and realised how close she was. However, just before her claws crushed the roof he jumped had managed to break his fall before he was lost in the furnace below. She swept up again and made a new attack twisting her massive body with no effort, creating a cascade of fire around her. The force crushed the houses below and the remains fell into the water. She began to search for spots that had not been swallowed by the furnace yet and she swept down to set them aflame. There should be nowhere to hide. As she passed the tower she heard a whizzing sound. She scouted across the city but could find the source. She doubled back. Then that blasted bell stopped ringing. She not near the tower. It must have been something else. The she heard it again and this time she caught glimpse off something very small bouncing off her skin. By the looks of it, it must have come from around the bell - tower. She laid a new trail of fire close by. She tried to pinpoint the exact location when heard the sound again. This time she saw where it had come from. The top of the tower. She swooped around burning the some of the last remaining houses on the way and flew strait towards the tower. There you are! She thought as she stared at the little bowman from earlier. She smirked as he drew his arrow and tried to look confident. Had he not realised he was caught? He released the arrow and hid her right on her forehead. She felt not even a prick as the arrow once again bounced off. She swept pass the tower. Hitting it with just enough force to send the man falling to his back. She gave laughter which to others sounded more like a roar. She turned a dove towards the tower. She stretched her legs forward and crushed the top like a match house. The construction crumbled and fell into the inferno below. But it was not over yet. She heard a childish scream coming from the tower and saw that there no longer one but two still clinging to the remnants. She landed, crushing houses and people on the ground. The man rose to his feet and stared at her, "Who are you to put stand against me?!" she growled. The man faltered just a little and she smirked. Apparently he had not expected her to talk. The it struck her. This was the same man she had almost killed here in the town a mere day ago. Now this was interesting. Bard. Descendant of Girion. Well, it seemed the defiance ran in the family. Smaug watched as he did not answer her but instead went to grab his bow only to find it broken and of no use. She smiled, "Well that iss a pity" he looked at her with fear, "What will you do now? Bowman! You are forsaken! No help will come" She crawled towards him. Like predator stalking its prey. He was becoming frantic as he tried to come up with something he could do. She continued, "No help will come". Then the second person peeked his head up. A boy and the man seemed to try to protect him from her gaze she had to ask, "Is that your child?" His immediate reaction was answer enough. She smiled, "You cannot save him from the fire, he will BURN!" She growled and moved closer. This seemed to send Bard into action. He plunged the bow parts into a broken plank and to her astonishment used boy's shoulder a way to balance the arrow. She narrowed her eyes. It would seem he had inherited more than his defiance. In his trembling hands was a black arrow. She growled. He would undoubtedly try to hit her mark. "Tell me, Wretch!" she sneered, "How now could you challenge me?" She exposed her mark and saw how a small smile showed upon his face. This was the moment she had waited for in a long time. How the tales and songs would fail and she would give the miserable peasants a show to remember. "You have nothing left but your DEATH!" she roared and charged. She intended to kill them that was no lie. But she gave him a fair chance to fire the fabled shot. He was directing his spawn as where to stand. Then finally let go of the arrow.

Bard watched how the arrow flew through the air. The dragon roared as it came towards them with tremendous force. The arrow hit the beast just where he wanted it to. The only weak spot in his armour. He would no longer terrorize the lands. But Bard's joy soon turned to dread as the dragon did not stop. He reached for Bain and hugged him close. The dragon opened his jaws and was about grab them but was knocked off course and only managed to hit the tower. The tower however was not able to withstand the force and began to crumble. Bain yelled and Bard tried to brace them for a rough landing. The water was a welcoming embrace compared to the alternative in that of burning remnants of the street. He popped his head above the water and found he was alone. He looked around frantically, "Bain? Bain!" He searched his sorroundings all the while he could hear the dragon roar in anger and houses crumble. "BAIN!" He yelled. "Da!" He turned around. Bain was swimming towards him and he wrapped his arm around his son's shoulders. He used his other arm to hold on to a pole that was sticking out of the water. They both looked up to the sky and watched as the furious creature turned and flapped its wings as it climbed higher and higher through the clouds. Bard could still see the bright light from its chest and jaws as the serpent still sprouted flames in what must be its final death struggle. Then it stopped mid-air, stretched its long scaly neck and roared towards the sky.

Bilbo could not believe his eyes. He had lost count of how many times she had soared over city. Each time setting a new part on fire. His little heart sank when he thought of all those who were now doomed to die. Then she landed. Bilbo was torn was this her true self? Did she truly crave this mayhem? Such death and ruin. Balin's words repeated themselves in his mind. Still in his heart, he dared not say it out loud, he hoped for another truth. A truth that could explain her actions. The good and the bad. He looked at Thorin. His eyes had not glimpsed at the chaos on the lake. Never left the doors to the mountain. One thing he knew had not been a lie. He was brought back to the present when he heard a roar. He looked towards the lake and saw Smaug rise towards the sky. Something seemed wrong however. The way she flew, tossing and turning until she suddenly stretched her head up and gave ear shredding roar. She dove, no, she fell! Bilbo waited for her to level herself and glide over the water but the more she fell the more his heart sank as he realised what was unfolding before his eyes. She was dying. She plummeted down in the water and burning remnants. He found himself whisper a silent "no". As she hit the water a large crash was heard. Enough for the others to ear, "What was that? What happened?" Ori asked, "It fell I saw it" Bilbo said walking closer to the edge. The others followed suit gazing at the town trying to see the giant. Bilbo realised he had to accept it "It's dead" he whispered then turned to the others behind him, "Smaug is dead" The others did not know what to do. They looked at each other, "Could it be? Are you sure?" Gloin asked. Bilbo did not look at him but only nodded. His thoughts circled around those in the town. Fili, Kili and the others. Where they alive? He truly hoped it. He others began to walk back to the mountain as Thorin had done at the moment he heard the dragon had fallen. Bilbo gazed back to the fire on the lake. Hoping to see a large creature rise from inferno and take to the sky but he was disappointed and joined the others. "And the lake shall shine and burn" he thought.