Chapter 114: The Battle of Five Armies

"All of you, get lost! Get lost now!" Dáin Ironfoot roared with unbridled arrogance, his voice carrying across the battlefield with unmistakable disdain. "Lord Dáin, might I have a word with you?" Gandalf emerged from between the Elven ranks and called out desperately to the dwarven commander. "Gandalf the Grey?" Dáin squinted suspiciously at the approaching wizard. "Get these rabble to leave immediately, or I'll water this earth with their blood!" "Dwarves, men, and Elves should not wage war against each other like this," Gandalf said with grave urgency. "There is a massive Orc army marching toward the Lonely Mountain as we speak. Stand down your forces immediately! Your weapons should be pointed together at our common enemy, the Orcs!" "I will not stand down before Elves, especially not this graceless woodland sprite!" Dáin pointed his war hammer contemptuously at Thranduil. "That one harbors nothing but malice toward my kinfolk. If he plans to stand between me and my rightful king, I'll cleave his pretty head clean open and see if he can still maintain that smug smile!" Thranduil laughed coldly, his ancient eyes regarding Dáin II with the icy disdain one might show a bothersome insect. "Dáin, please wait and listen to reason..." Ignoring Gandalf's increasingly desperate persuasion, Dáin turned back toward his assembled army, clearly preparing for immediate battle. "Let him advance then. Let's see exactly how far these mountain folk can get," Thranduil snorted with aristocratic contempt, clearly not taking the dwarven threat seriously. But Dáin possessed a notoriously short temper and immediately retorted with volcanic fury. "Do you think I care about your pathetic threats, pointy-eared princess? You all heard that insult, warriors! This time let's give these arrogant bastards a proper hammering they'll never forget!" A war horn's deep note echoed across the valley. The dwarven army charged down the rocky slope toward the Elves with thunderous battle cries, their heavy armor clanking like an approaching avalanche. "Loose arrows!" At Thranduil's sharp command, the Elves swiftly nocked their bowstrings, and thousands of deadly arrows arced through the air toward the charging dwarven forces. Just then, a great horned owl suddenly dove into the airspace directly above the battlefield, intercepting the lethal arrow volley with incredible precision. The owl instantly transformed into human form, and in that moment of magical suspension, Kael waved his wand at the descending rain of death. The arrows rapidly transformed, becoming a spectacular shower of colorful flower petals that drifted gently downward on the mountain breeze. Kael, appearing dramatically in the airspace above the battlefield, descended slowly like a weightless feather, his black robes billowing majestically around him. He landed gracefully in the tense no-man's-land between the Elven army and the charging dwarven forces. The dwarven army stumbled to a confused halt, startled by Kael's sudden magical intervention directly in their path. "Who are you to interfere in our battle?" Dáin Ironfoot demanded warily, staring at the flower petals scattered across the ground where deadly arrows should have landed. "I am the Black-Robed Wizard Kael, and I'm here to prevent your pointless destruction," Kael's voice rang with magical authority that carried across the entire battlefield. "The Orc army has already marched from Mount Gundabad toward this very location. Hundreds of thousands strong, they'll arrive within the next hour or two. If you don't want to be slaughtered like cattle by Orcs, then prepare your defenses immediately instead of killing each other here like fools!" Hearing Kael's dire warning, murmurs of concern rippled through both armies. The combined forces of Elves, dwarves, and humans gathered here numbered only in the tens of thousands. Compared to the approaching Orc horde, they were outnumbered more than ten to one. "How am I supposed to believe what you're claiming is true?" Dáin squinted with deep suspicion. "I know you're working with Gandalf the Grey. How do I know you're not lying to protect these rabble and pointy-eared bastards?" Kael sneered coldly at this stubborn skepticism. "Whether you choose to believe me or not is entirely your own business. I don't need to prove anything to someone too foolish to recognize salvation." Just then, Beorn soared overhead on the flying broomstick with Bilbo clinging tightly behind him. The skin-changer leaped down from a considerable height, transforming mid-air into his massive great bear form while catching Bilbo safely with one enormous paw. He landed with earth-shaking impact and let out a thunderous roar directly at Dáin. Dáin's war boar squealed in terror at the great bear's intimidating presence, scrambling backward so violently it nearly threw its rider to the ground. Ignoring Dáin Ironfoot's flustered reaction entirely, Kael turned and walked purposefully toward the combined Elven and human forces. Gandalf hurried to intercept him, asking with obvious anxiety, "Kael, has the Orc army truly begun their advance?" Kael nodded grimly. "I witnessed it through the palantír. The threat is very real." Gandalf immediately understood the gravity of their situation, but his weathered brow furrowed even more deeply with concern. "Hundreds of thousands of Orcs... this will be an extraordinarily difficult battle!" But what caught Gandalf completely off guard was witnessing the Elves suddenly sheathing their weapons and preparing for an organized retreat. "Your Majesty Thranduil, with such a great enemy approaching, why are you withdrawing your forces?" Gandalf found the Elven king and asked with urgent desperation. Thranduil replied with cold pragmatism, "This is fundamentally a war between Orcs and dwarves. I must remain responsible to my own people first and foremost. Every Elf in the Woodland Realm is precious beyond measure. They cannot be sacrificed on a battlefield that doesn't truly belong to them." "But if even the mighty Lonely Mountain falls to this enemy, how long can the Woodland Realm possibly hold out alone?" Gandalf argued passionately. "Do you honestly believe the Orcs will spare your kingdom, or is the great King Thranduil prepared to bow in submission before them?" Thranduil snorted with regal disdain. "Gandalf, you need not attempt to provoke me with such transparent tactics. I survived Morgoth's darkest hours, witnessed the fall of countless beloved kinfolk, and personally killed more Orcs than there are trees in all of Mirkwood!" "But my woodland children will only die fighting valiantly to defend their ancestral homeland, not perish meaninglessly alongside these stubborn dwarves in their private war." "But I'm afraid our enemies won't give you any chance for organized retreat!" Kael suddenly pointed toward a distant mountain peak with obvious alarm. Thranduil and Gandalf followed Kael's indication with growing dread. They could see Orc battle standards appearing along the distant ridgelines like storm clouds gathering. At the same time, a deep, ominous rumbling sound emerged from beneath the ground itself. The next second, colossal were-worms burst explosively from the mountainside, boring massive tunnels through solid rock with terrifying efficiency. Countless Orcs poured from these newly created passages like water from a broken dam, spreading densely across the surrounding peaks and completely encircling both the Elven and dwarven armies in an inescapable trap. "Stand to arms! Battle formations!" Dáin could no longer afford the luxury of confronting the Elves and immediately ordered his army to wheel their defensive positions toward the true threat. This was Kael's first time witnessing Middle-earth's version of massive "tunnel boring machines." The incredible speed with which they carved through solid mountain would put even his previous world's most advanced engineering teams to shame. If the opportunity arose, he would quite like to capture one of these creatures. They would prove excellent for digging tunnels or major construction projects in the future. Battle erupted with explosive violence. The dwarven army positioned on the front lines became the first to clash directly with the overwhelming Orc forces. The dwarves fought with disciplined coordination despite being fully armored, but the Orcs outnumbered them by countless multitudes. Even worse, the enemy forces included Wargs and massive trolls in active combat roles. Both sides engaged in fierce, desperate combat, with screams of agony and rage filling the mountain air. Just when the dwarven lines were beginning to falter under impossible odds, the Elves, who had remained motionless observers, suddenly sprang into coordinated action. The Elven warriors swiftly joined the battle, fighting shoulder to shoulder against their common Orc enemies. Countless arrows flew toward the Orc ranks with deadly precision, instantly killing numerous enemies and providing crucial relief for the embattled dwarves. But even though Orc casualties far exceeded the combined losses of Elves and dwarves, more Orcs continued pouring endlessly from the mountain tunnels like an inexhaustible tide. Bard and several hundred humans from Lake-town also courageously joined the desperate fight for survival. Beorn had charged directly into the Orc masses early in the battle, moving through enemy ranks like an unstoppable force of nature, swatting Orcs to death or hurling them through the air with bone-crushing impacts. Gandalf drew his sword, Glamdring, surveying the Orcs covering the mountainsides with grim determination. He called to Kael urgently, "Kael, where is your dragon? We desperately need Smaug's power!" Kael gazed into the distance with knowing anticipation, displaying a confident smile. "I believe he's arriving right now!" Before the words finished leaving his lips, Smaug's imposing figure appeared dramatically atop a distant peak. The dragon stood majestically on the rocky summit, raised his massive head, and released a deafening roar that echoed across the entire battlefield, then breathed scorching flames directly at the Orc forces covering the mountainside. The dragon's spectacular appearance made the entire battlefield pause in stunned silence for several crucial seconds. The dwarves and Elves were initially startled by Smaug's presence, but seeing the dragon systematically attacking Orcs, they immediately felt renewed hope and determination. The Orcs fell into complete panic, their organized formations crumbling as the Elves and dwarves seized this golden opportunity for a fierce counterattack. "Kael, there are simply too many Orcs! We cannot possibly kill them all through conventional means. We must locate Bolg's command position. Once we eliminate him, the Orc army will fall into chaos, and then we can transform this defeat into glorious victory!" Gandalf cut down an attacking Orc with his blade and shouted strategic advice to Kael over the battle's din. Kael nodded understanding, waving his wand to eliminate all the surrounding Orcs and Wargs with devastating magical force. "I completely agree. Leave this critical task to me!" He immediately withdrew the palantír to search for Bolg's precise location. "Found you, you cowardly dog!" Kael observed Bolg's figure appearing within the crystal ball, quickly determining his tactical position. But just then, something completely unexpected occurred. Bolg's image suddenly vanished from the crystal ball entirely, replaced by a fiery red demonic eye that emanated corrupting dark spiritual waves designed to seduce and degrade! "Black-Robed Kael, wizard who subdued the mighty dragon, I know your deepest desires and ambitions. How about we arrange a mutually beneficial deal?" "As long as you cooperate with my forces and help the Orcs capture the Lonely Mountain, I can teach you the ancient secrets of forging your own Ring of Power, granting you tremendous strength and endless life!" The strand of Galadriel's hair wrapped around his wrist suddenly emanated protective holy power, awakening Kael from the seductive voice's dangerous influence. Kael broke into a cold sweat, realizing he had nearly been influenced and controlled without proper preparation. He hadn't expected to encounter the Dark Lord Sauron again so soon, especially through the palantír's connection. Clearly, Sauron had discovered the seeing-stone in his possession. The Dark Lord also possessed a palantír and was using it to contact him directly, attempting to seduce, corrupt, and control him through dark manipulation. He never thought he would one day receive the same treatment as the fallen wizard Saruman! Kael dared not respond verbally to Sauron's tempting offer. After all, if the powerful Saruman could be corrupted and controlled through palantír contact, he faced even greater danger. "Eat shit, you flaming eyeball!" Kael immediately pulled out the crystal vial gifted by Galadriel, channeling his magic to activate the sacred light contained within its protective shell. The crystal vial instantly erupted with brilliant, holy radiance. The Light of Eärendil blazed forth with divine power. Sauron naturally remembered the Light of Eärendil very well from ancient battles, his malevolent pupils contracting with recognition and pain the moment he witnessed it. The next second, the holy, brilliant light seared his Eye like molten silver, causing him to cry out in genuine agony before instantly disappearing from the palantír's surface. Seeing no trace of Sauron's Eye remaining in the crystal, Kael still wasn't completely reassured and carefully illuminated the entire seeing-stone with Eärendil's Light to prevent Sauron from leaving any hidden magical tricks or surveillance spells. After confirming there were no lingering dark influences, Kael finally breathed a sigh of relief, but decided to keep the palantír and Eärendil's Light stored together from now on. With Eärendil's Light present to restrain dark forces, let's see if Sauron dares attempt spying again! He would blind the Dark Lord permanently if he tried! However, examining the palantír more carefully, Kael frowned with growing concern. Since Sauron now knew he possessed a seeing-stone, he would need to use it far more cautiously in the future. The enemy could potentially observe everything happening on his side through the palantír connection. It was like having a supernatural surveillance camera installed directly beside him. What proved even more infuriating was his lack of confidence to spy on Sauron's activities in return. Otherwise, he might well end up corrupted like Saruman. Storing the palantír and Eärendil's Light together in complete safety, Kael immediately prepared to locate and eliminate Bolg. Although there had been an unexpected and dangerous interruption, he had still glimpsed Bolg's general location before Sauron's interference. This Bolg was proving truly cautious and strategically cunning. He wasn't positioned on an exposed command platform but was hiding deep within the tunnels carved by the were-worms, protected from direct assault. Having discovered Bolg's approximate location, he naturally had to go deal with the enemy commander personally. However, glancing at Bilbo fighting bravely beside him, Kael paused thoughtfully and said with obvious concern, "Bilbo, I'm going to infiltrate the Orc stronghold across the valley to deal with Bolg directly. It's not safe for you here on the main battlefield. Let me escort you to the defensive walls where Thorin and the others are positioned." But Bilbo shook his head with quiet determination, gripping his Elven sword tightly. "Kael, you don't need to worry about my safety. You know perfectly well that I can protect myself when necessary." Seeing Bilbo's stubborn insistence and recognizing the courage burning in the hobbit's eyes, Kael chose not to force the issue. "Alright then, but please take care of yourself! I couldn't bear to lose such a dear friend." Despite his agreement, he still cast several additional protective spells around Bilbo with obvious worry. Then he mounted his flying broomstick and soared toward Bolg's hidden location with grim purpose. But before he had flown very far through the chaotic battlefield, the giant bats that darkened the entire sky like a living storm cloud launched coordinated attacks against Kael. "Reducto! Reducto!" Kael's devastating spells continued without pause, and the giant bats surrounding him fell like black rain, their broken bodies littering the battlefield below. [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!