"Kael, would you and Smaug stay here while I have a conversation with Thorin?" Gandalf didn't want to see conflict arise between Kael and the dwarves.
The original Kael was already more than the dwarves could handle, and now with a dragon added, even the Durin folk at their peak might not be a match, let alone the current thirteen dwarves holed up in the Lonely Mountain.
Kael remained indifferent about the whole situation. He had no covetous feelings toward the Lonely Mountain's treasure, nor did he plan to take action against the dwarves.
"Go ahead."
"But I think you're going to be disappointed, Gandalf. Thorin's dragon-sickness should have fully erupted by now. Having lost his reason to madness, he probably won't accept your goodwill."
Gandalf sighed heavily. "I have to try anyway."
He jumped down from the dragon's back, strode to the blocked gate, and his voice bood across the mountainside.
"Thorin Oakenshield, co out and et !"
After several long minutes, there was no response from behind the sealed entrance.
Gandalf frowned, his voice carrying natural authority without anger. "Thorin Oakenshield, co out to see !"
Still silence.
Anger flashed across Gandalf's weathered features, and he raised his staff to strike the boulders blocking the door.
At that mont, a diminutive figure appeared atop the ramparts, frantically waving his arms.
"Gandalf! Over here!"
The wizard glanced upward in astonishnt. "Bilbo! What are you doing here? Where are Thorin and the others?"
Upon spotting Gandalf, Bilbo's face lit up with profound relief as he hurriedly explained, "Thorin's lost his mind entirely. After you departed to pursue the dragon, he ordered Bofur and the rest to detonate the entrance, blocking it completely. He's got everyone tearing through the treasure hoard looking for the Arkenstone... great heavens, what is that creature?!"
Mid-sentence, Bilbo's attention shifted to the distant form of Smaug, his face draining of color in sheer terror.
"Gandalf, why on earth did you bring the dragon back with you?"
Gandalf smiled patiently. "The dragon has been subdued by Kael. He is now Kael's mount."
"Is this really happening?" Bilbo stared in amazent, incredulously rubbing his eyes to confirm he wasn't dreaming.
How was it that after going out for just half a day, the dragon had suddenly beco Kael's mount?
"Alright, Bilbo, go call Thorin. I need to speak with him."
Bilbo was still imrsed in the shock of the dragon's subjugation, nodding dazedly and turning to summon Thorin.
Ti passed slowly. When Gandalf's patience was nearly exhausted, Thorin finally appeared leisurely atop the wall.
However, before he could voice his arrogance, the sight of the dragon behind Gandalf caused his pupils to dilate in shock and his feet to stumble backward involuntarily.
"Gandalf, what treachery is this? Why have you brought the dragon back with you? Have you conspired with that monster to steal my gold!"
Gandalf rolled his eyes, completely helpless at Thorin's mad appearance of speaking only about treasure. The current Thorin was obviously deeply ill, with only greed and possessiveness toward wealth remaining in his thoughts.
"Thorin, son of Thráin, you have reclaid the Lonely Mountain, and we rejoice for you," Gandalf called loudly. "But why does the King Under the Mountain cower within his own walls, like bandits in a stronghold?"
Thorin looked at Gandalf below with guarded and suspicious eyes, as well as Kael and the dragon in the distance.
"The reason, naturally, is that I have bandits at my door, intending to seize my treasure! And I am not yet the King Under the Mountain. My clan's hereditary treasure, the Arkenstone, has not been found. I will seal everyone out until the Arkenstone is discovered!"
Gandalf was so angry at Thorin's words his heart ached. "By the Valar, Thorin Oakenshield, no one here covets your treasure! It is utterly insignificant!"
"What you should be doing now is not guarding your pile of gold, trapping yourself in a cage, but actively contacting other dwarf clans and allying with the humans of Lake-town, building defenses, and forging weapons to jointly resist the coming danger!"
"Danger? Apart from you bringing a dragon that makes feel threatened, I see no other danger!" Thorin said coldly.
"Thorin Oakenshield, wake up! We are not your enemies. The dragon Smaug has been subdued by Kael... he is on our side!" Gandalf's voice carried power that shook the mind. "The threat to the Lonely Mountain is not over. Orc armies could appear at any mont. We must organize more forces to deal with the Orc threat!"
A hint of struggle appeared in Thorin's eyes, as if he were being swayed. But ultimately, his possessiveness over treasure took precedence, and his eyes beca cold again.
"Gandalf, you are not welco here. Please leave!"
Gandalf's beard trembled with anger at Thorin's stubbornness.
"What about , Thorin Oakenshield?" Kael's voice ca as he rode his flying broomstick before Thorin, looking down at him coldly. "You promised before that when I helped you reclaim the Lonely Mountain, one-tenth of the mountain's treasure would belong to ."
"Now I have helped you solve the dragon problem and let you reclaim the Lonely Mountain. When will you honor my reward?"
Thorin looked at Kael flying before him, his pupils contracting as his expression beca wary and guarded. The dragon Smaug in the distance also let out a deafening roar, staring fixedly at him.
The fear of the dragon at this mont made Thorin instinctively regain a bit of rationality, causing him to swallow his words of refusal.
He looked at Kael holding his wand, then at the distant dragon, his face extrely grim. His heart seed to struggle like dripping blood and cutting flesh for a long while before he said through gritted teeth, "I promised to give you one-tenth of the treasure after finding the Arkenstone!"
But Kael wasn't easily fooled. He narrowed his eyes and said, "But if the Arkenstone isn't found, or if it is found but not ntioned, you're not planning to give it, are you?"
Thorin's face beca even uglier. "Of course not, but you promised to help reclaim the Lonely Mountain. If you want a share of the treasure, you must first help find the Arkenstone!"
Kael smiled and shook his head, his finger moving slightly as the contract flew out of his pocket and floated before Thorin.
"I think you've misrembered, Thorin Oakenshield. The contract only requires to help you reclaim the Lonely Mountain. It says nothing about helping you find the Arkenstone. That's a demand outside the contract, which I never agreed to."
"Besides, Smaug breathed so much dragon fire in the treasury earlier. Who knows if the Arkenstone was burned to ash by dragon fire? I have completed what's in the contract. You should now honor your original promise!"
Faced with Kael's forceful attitude, Thorin's grim face seed ready to drip ink.
"Give one month. After one month, I will place your share of the treasure before you, not a single piece missing."
Kael looked at him aningfully. "I hope you keep your word."
He then turned his flying broomstick around and asked Bilbo nearby, "Bilbo, would you like to co with Gandalf and ?"
Bilbo looked at the grim-faced Thorin, then at the smiling Kael, hesitated for a mont, and then nodded.
Hearing this, Kael lowered his broomstick and reached out to pull Bilbo onto it.
"Don't leave!" Thorin's voice suddenly rang out.
Kael paused, turned to look at Thorin, his expression turning cold. "Do you have an objection?"
Bilbo also looked at Thorin in surprise.
"You can leave, but you must prove you're not taking anything belonging to the Lonely Mountain!" Thorin looked at Bilbo with suspicion.
Raw magical energy poured from Kael like a crushing wave. "Thorin Oakenshield, am I being too kind to you? Does my kindness make you bold enough to insult my friend?"
The very atmosphere around Thorin compressed into an invisible vise, each breath a desperate struggle. Yet still he managed to rasp through clenched teeth, "If he hasn't stolen anything, why doesn't he dare let inspect? Is the Arkenstone hidden on him?"
Kael drew his wand, about to teach him a harsh lesson. But Bilbo stopped him. Bilbo blocked Kael's wand, his face calm as he shook his head slightly. "Kael, it's fine. Since he suspects , let him inspect to prove my innocence."
At Bilbo's intervention, Kael's fury cooled to contempt as he released his magical hold on the dwarf.
Thorin collapsed to his knees, gulping air in ragged gasps, though his eyes now held genuine terror alongside their previous wariness when they fixed upon the wizard.
With deliberate care, Bilbo turned out every pocket and pouch he carried, his movents precise and unhurried as he vindicated himself before the mad king's scrutiny.
"Wait, there's that money bag. I know it's been enchanted to hold many things."
Bilbo was now completely disappointed in Thorin. Expressionlessly, he nodded, then opened the money bag and poured its contents onto the ground.
Instantly, various gold, silver, and jewels ca pouring out, quickly piling into a small mountain on the ground. These were so of the treasures Kael had previously obtained from the goblin caves.
Thorin looked at the treasure before him, a flash of greed in his eyes. Afflicted with dragon-sickness, he wanted to collect all the treasure he saw.
However, with a trace of rationality remaining, seeing Kael before him and the dragon watching from afar, he suppressed his greed.
Kael naturally noticed Thorin's change in expression. He sneered and pointed at the pile of treasure on the ground, saying, "Now go through this treasure and see if there's anything belonging to your Lonely Mountain. If you don't find anything, then please put them back in the money bag piece by piece and return them to Bilbo!"
Thorin naturally couldn't find the Arkenstone he wanted among them. Under Kael's threat, he could only reluctantly and humiliatingly put the treasure back in the money bag and return it to Bilbo.
Then Kael took Bilbo away from the wall, flying toward Gandalf.
"Welco back, Bilbo." Gandalf smiled at the hobbit.
The wizard had observed the scene atop the walls with growing dismay at Thorin's transformation. Where once stood a noble king driven by justice, now remained only a creature consud by possessive madness and insatiable greed.
A weight of guilt settled upon the wizard's shoulders. Had he erred in orchestrating this quest? If he had never set this journey in motion, would Thorin have been spared this terrible fate?
Fortunately, Kael didn't know Gandalf's thoughts now, or he would only say he was overthinking. Reclaiming the Lonely Mountain was Thorin Oakenshield's obsession. Even without Gandalf, he would probably have gone to the Lonely Mountain anyway.
And without Gandalf's care, he would either have t his end halfway like his father Thráin II, dying at Orc hands, or reached the Lonely Mountain only to be consud by dragon fire.
The three left the Lonely Mountain's gate, heading toward Dale.
During this ti, Bilbo experienced riding a dragon for the first ti, his face flushed with excitent throughout, completely forgetting the unpleasantness that had occurred on the wall.
"Oh, Kael, the Mandrake you lent ... I searched the entire treasury but couldn't find it. Could it have been destroyed by dragon fire?"
On the dragon's back, Bilbo suddenly rembered sothing and said apologetically to Kael.
Kael smiled and shook his head. "I forgot to tell you earlier, but I actually retrieved the Mandrake long ago. After all, a simple Summoning Charm could solve it."
Bilbo finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. "That's good. I thought I had lost your Mandrake."
[Chapter Complete]
***
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