Chapter 107: Dragon Knight

Smaug the dragon's submission filled Kael with immense satisfaction. Gandalf stood at his side, sharing in his young companion's joy. "Well done, Kael. You are now the sole being in all of Middle-earth capable of controlling a dragon. What an extraordinary accomplishment!" The dragon race, as powerful creatures forged by the Dark Lord Morgoth himself, had once rampaged across the continent of Middle-earth, bringing terror and destruction to all its peoples. Though they belonged to the forces of darkness, their power and ferocity were undeniable. Even the Dark Lord Sauron had once attempted to subjugate dragons to serve his cause but had never succeeded. Dragons cared only for gold, silver, and precious jewels, showing no interest whatsoever in ruling Middle-earth or serving any master. This greed had formed a hatred lasting thousands of years between dragons and the wealth-accumulating dwarves. Thorin's ancestors had originally lived in the Grey Mountains north of the Lonely Mountain, but their prosperity attracted deadly attention. Dragons attacked without mercy, killing the dwarf king Dáin I and his son Frór in their lust for treasure. Only the surviving eldest son, Thrór, managed to lead some survivors to the Lonely Mountain, establishing the Kingdom Under the Mountain. But their accumulated wealth attracted an even more ferocious predator. Smaug's invasion eventually led to the wandering lives that Thorin and the other Lonely Mountain dwarves now endured. Now this same dragon had been completely subdued by Kael, becoming his unwilling ally. Kael's power had undergone earth-shattering changes, making him one of the most formidable individuals in all Middle-earth. Having secured the dragon's submission, Kael and Gandalf climbed onto Smaug's broad back, preparing to leave the lake behind. After all, they were still standing in several feet of water. With one wing severely injured, Smaug couldn't take flight, so he was forced to travel on foot through the shallow waters, carrying his passengers toward Lake-town. Thanks to Kael and Gandalf's timely intervention, Lake-town hadn't suffered catastrophic casualties. However, the houses ignited by dragon fire continued burning fiercely, and the flames proved incredibly difficult to extinguish with ordinary water. The residents were mourning their destroyed homes when they spotted the dragon approaching from the distant lake. Terror and despair immediately swept through the crowd like wildfire. Bard was especially startled, instinctively drawing his bow and aiming at the approaching beast. Although he knew arrows would be useless against dragon hide, he refused to simply wait for death. However, his sharp eyes soon spotted familiar figures riding on the dragon's back. Kael and Gandalf sat calmly between the creature's shoulder blades, showing no signs of distress or captivity. Bard took a shaky breath and, despite the residents' cries of alarm, walked boldly to the dock's edge. He positioned himself mere meters from where Smaug would arrive, though his heart hammered against his ribs. If the dragon suddenly decided to breathe fire or snap those massive jaws, he would have absolutely no chance to escape. "Kael, Gandalf, what in Middle-earth is happening here?" Bard called out, his voice mixing amazement with deep suspicion. Rather than answer immediately, Kael raised his wand and began systematically extinguishing the flames spreading through the town. His magic worked swiftly, containing the fire before it could consume more buildings. Gandalf slid gracefully down the dragon's neck and massive head, hopping onto the wooden dock with surprising agility for his apparent age. His face beamed with obvious joy. "The dragon has been completely subdued by Kael's magic! Smaug now obeys his every command and will never again pose a threat to your people!" The crowd stared in stunned disbelief at Gandalf's words. They looked between the calm dragon and the wizard on his flying broomstick, struggling to process this impossible turn of events. As descendants of Dale, Lake-town's residents knew Smaug's terrible reputation better than most. When the dragon had destroyed their ancestral city, their forefathers were forced to abandon everything, drifting downstream to establish this precarious settlement on the lake itself. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that this nightmare made flesh would one day bow to anyone's will! Every eye turned toward the figure hovering on his broomstick, methodically extinguishing fires with casual waves of his wand. Awe and reverence filled their hearts as they watched him work. Within minutes, Kael had successfully contained the great blaze threatening Lake-town. However, the buildings already destroyed by dragon fire couldn't be restored to their original condition, even with his powerful Repairing Charm. Dragon fire left permanent scars that magic couldn't easily heal. Looking at the residents who had lost their homes to the flames, Kael felt a stab of guilt. After all, this destruction had been caused by his dragon. Now that Smaug served him, the creature's past actions felt like his own responsibility. He reached into his enchanted pouch and withdrew a seemingly ordinary leather bag, offering it to Bard. "This contains gold coins and precious gems. Please distribute them to help the disaster victims." Bard accepted the small pouch with curiosity, surprised by how light it felt. However, when he opened it and peered inside, his breath caught in his throat. The bag's interior had been magically expanded, creating a space about two meters wide that was packed absolutely full with countless gold coins and glittering jewels. Such wealth exceeded even the town's greediest merchant's wildest dreams. Distributed among every resident, it would provide enough for each family to live comfortably for years. Though shocked by the incredible generosity, Bard felt no stirring of personal greed. Instead, he nodded gratefully to Kael with deep respect. "Thank you for your extraordinary kindness, Kael. I accept this treasure on behalf of all our people! Rest assured, I will distribute these riches fairly so everyone can survive the coming winter in comfort!" He also recognized that Kael was helping establish his authority. The former Master had abandoned Lake-town's residents when danger threatened, fleeing with a boat full of stolen wealth, only to be incinerated by Smaug's first breath of dragon fire. Now Lake-town needed new leadership, and as a descendant of Girion, Lord of Dale, Bard was the natural choice. "What are your plans now, Bard?" Gandalf asked with genuine interest. Bard gazed at the damaged buildings surrounding them, feeling ambitious fire kindle in his chest. "We were forced to live on this lake when the dragon first came," he said firmly. "Now that Smaug no longer threatens us, I want to lead our people back to rebuild Dale itself." "Furthermore, if the dwarves hadn't insisted on disturbing the Lonely Mountain and awakening the dragon's wrath, none of this destruction would have occurred! I intend to demand that the dwarves share part of the mountain's treasure as compensation for our losses and to fund Dale's reconstruction." "After all, when Smaug attacked both the Lonely Mountain and Dale, he looted our city's wealth and added it to his hoard. By right of inheritance from Girion, I have a legitimate claim to a portion of that treasure." Neither Kael nor Gandalf objected to this reasoning. The matter lay between Bard and Thorin Oakenshield to resolve. After some additional discussion with Bard, Kael and Gandalf chose not to linger in Lake-town. They climbed back onto Smaug's broad back and directed him toward the Lonely Mountain. Though the residents now knew intellectually that the dragon posed no threat, they still breathed collective sighs of relief as the massive beast departed. Fear of dragons had been burned into their very souls over generations, making terror an almost instinctive response. With his wing pierced by the divine spear Aeglos, Smaug remained grounded for the foreseeable future. He could only carry his passengers overland, though even his ground speed proved impressively swift. Sitting comfortably on the dragon's back, Gandalf chuckled with boyish delight. "Thanks to you, I never imagined I'd experience riding a dragon! This is absolutely wonderful!" Kael shared the excitement, never having dreamed he would become a dragon knight. His only regret was that Smaug couldn't fly yet, which diminished the experience somewhat. "Smaug, when will your wing heal completely?" Kael inquired. "Master, the divine spear Aeglos that pierced my wing contains powerful magic that prevents natural healing. Without miraculous medicine, I fear I won't be able to fly for a very long time!" Smaug's voice carried undertones of resentment and self-pity. Bound by the Unbreakable Vow, he couldn't dare direct any anger toward Kael, leaving him to lament his terrible luck in encountering such a formidable opponent. This news troubled Kael considerably. A dragon's greatest advantage lay in aerial dominance, raining destruction from above while remaining beyond most retaliation. Grounded, Smaug's combat effectiveness and intimidation factor would be drastically reduced. Seeing Kael's concerned frown, Gandalf offered comforting words. "This problem isn't insurmountable. Once our current mission concludes, we can visit Rivendell and seek Lord Elrond's assistance. He is the most skilled healer in all Middle-earth. Even the most grievous injuries yield to his arts. Smaug's wounds would likely require nothing more than a gesture to mend." Previously, Gandalf had worried constantly about a potential alliance between Smaug and the Orc armies. This fear had driven him to organize the dwarven expedition, hoping to use their determination to eliminate the dragon threat permanently. But now that the dragon served the forces of good, Gandalf genuinely hoped for Smaug's swift recovery. A healed dragon would strengthen their side considerably against the gathering darkness. Soon the unlikely trio reached the Lonely Mountain's approach. Upon arriving at the main entrance, they discovered it had been completely sealed with massive stone blocks. "What's happened here?" Gandalf frowned in confusion. The entrance hadn't been blocked when they departed. What could have prompted such drastic action? "Could something else have occurred while we were away?" Kael studied the tightly sealed gate and formed an unpleasant suspicion. He sneered coldly. "I suspect certain people inside don't welcome our return." Hearing this, Gandalf's frown deepened. Remembering Thorin's deteriorating mental state, he reluctantly agreed with Kael's assessment. Smaug volunteered eagerly, his eyes gleaming with predatory anticipation. "Master, allow me to handle this minor obstacle! This pathetic wall cannot possibly stop me. I'll smash through directly and kill every dwarf inside! Then the entire Lonely Mountain and all its treasure will belong to us!" Seeing Gandalf's horrified expression, Kael's face darkened with anger. "Shut your mouth!" Even forced into submission, the dragon couldn't change his fundamental nature. He remained obsessed with treasure and constantly sought to tempt his new master into seizing wealth that didn't belong to them. Seeing Kael's fury, Smaug immediately fell silent. However, his serpentine eyes continued flickering with restless hunger as he stared at the sealed entrance, clearly still plotting ways to claim the mountain's riches. In the dragon's twisted reasoning, since these treasures had originally been plundered from various sources, and since he now served Kael, surely all that wealth should transfer to his new master by right of conquest. And if it became the master's treasure, then naturally he could volunteer to guard it faithfully. He would guarantee that not a single coin would ever go missing! [Chapter Complete] *** Want more? Check out my Patreon for: ✓ Advanced chapters of all my stories ✓ Exclusive novels & fanfics ✓ Early access content [email protected]/meowthtl ???? Community Goal: 500 Power Stones unlocks a bonus chapter! Thanks for reading and supporting the story!