Chapter 117: After the Battle

Hearing that their leader Bolg was dead, the Orc army instantly collapsed into complete chaos. With no giant bats remaining in the sky to block the sun's rays, it became like doomsday for the light-fearing creatures below. Countless Orcs fled frantically across the battlefield, desperately trying to find shadowy places to hide from the burning sunlight. Even more Orcs couldn't escape in time and were caught directly in the purifying rays, collapsing in obvious pain and debilitating weakness. The Elven army and dwarven forces were both exceptionally well-trained elite military units. Recognizing this golden opportunity, they immediately began a systematic, one-sided slaughter, continuously hunting down the helpless Orcs with ruthless efficiency. Even Thorin and his companions, who had been safely guarding within the Lonely Mountain's sealed gates, had somehow emerged to join the battlefield, fighting shoulder to shoulder with the dwarven army led by Dáin Ironfoot. The most ferocious warrior was naturally Smaug the dragon. On the battlefield, he moved like the Grim Reaper incarnate, mercilessly harvesting countless Orc lives with devastating dragon fire and his incredibly powerful tail that could crush enemies like insects. Next came Beorn in his massive great bear form, functioning like a living siege engine on the battlefield, crushing and tearing enemies apart wherever his path led him. The Orcs proved powerless to resist and were systematically eliminated one by one by Elves, dwarves, and humans in absolute terror and despair. This epic war continued relentlessly until the sun touched the western horizon. The hundreds of thousands of Orcs that Bolg had brought from Mount Gundabad were almost completely annihilated in the fighting. The remaining scattered Orcs that had managed to avoid death took advantage of protective nightfall to recover their strength and fled miserably into the surrounding forests and wilderness. But these broken survivors, whose courage had been utterly shattered, no longer posed any meaningful threat and were nothing to fear. On the battlefield now strewn with countless Orc corpses, Elvenking Thranduil, Iron Hills lord Dáin Ironfoot, Gandalf, Bilbo, Thorin and the other leaders finally gathered together for the first time. Except for Thranduil, who somehow still maintained his pristine, regal appearance, everyone else looked thoroughly disheveled, their clothes and armor splattered with dark Orc blood. After this tremendous battle, the ancient enemies no longer harbored their previous deep-seated hostility toward each other. For the first time in centuries, Elves and dwarves stood together in genuine peace and mutual respect. However, everyone's attention was now focused entirely on Kael. The wizard descended gracefully on his flying broomstick, followed closely by the imposing form of Smaug the dragon. Seeing the mighty dragon approach, even though they knew he had been completely subdued by Kael and had fought on their side, playing an absolutely decisive role in achieving victory, The Elves and dwarves still felt instinctive fear and involuntarily stepped backward from the creature's overwhelming presence. Thranduil, Thorin, and Dáin visibly tensed, regarding the dragon with obvious wariness despite knowing he was now an ally. Recognizing their discomfort, Kael gestured for Smaug to remain at a respectful distance and approached the gathered leaders alone. "Let us welcome the greatest contributor to our victory in the Battle of Five Armies! The slayer of Orc kings Azog and Bolg, destroyer of our enemies, master of dragons... Kael the Black-Robed!" Gandalf announced with tremendous joy and obvious pride in his friend's accomplishments. Bilbo gazed at Kael with pure excitement and hero worship shining in his eyes. Elvenking Thranduil's expression grew unexpectedly gentle, and for the first time in memory, he set aside his characteristic aristocratic arrogance. He stepped forward with solemn dignity. "Wizard Kael, I must express my deepest gratitude to you. Without your intervention to turn the tide of fate, I had already foreseen that my people would have bled on this cursed earth and never returned to our beloved forest." As an ancient Elvenking, Thranduil possessed both tremendous wisdom and supernatural foresight that came with millennia of experience. He understood perfectly that without Kael's timely intervention to prevent war between Elves and dwarves, followed by his single-handed reversal of the entire battle situation, His precious Elven army would have suffered catastrophic losses, possibly even complete annihilation against such overwhelming odds. In such a scenario, he couldn't bear to imagine how he would face his subjects in the Woodland Realm after leading so many to pointless death. Therefore, Thranduil felt profound gratitude toward Kael that went beyond mere words. "Kael, you shall forever be my honored guest, an eternal friend of the Woodland Realm. The paths of Mirkwood will always welcome your presence!" Thranduil performed the most solemn Elven courtesy to Kael, a gesture of respect normally reserved for visiting royalty. Legolas, standing respectfully behind his father, also smiled with obvious gratitude and bowed deeply to Kael in perfect synchronization. The entire Elven army performed coordinated military salutes to Kael in perfect unison, their movements swift and graceful without unnecessary flourishes, creating an overall atmosphere of tranquil, solemn sincerity. Kael was genuinely startled by this sudden display of formal respect and became somewhat flustered by the attention. "Your Majesty Thranduil, you're far too generous with your praise!" "But I'm truly honored to become friends with the Woodland Realm. The privilege is entirely mine!" Kael replied with a respectful bow of his own. Hearing this gracious response, Thranduil's expression brightened with obvious pleasure, and he immediately extended an invitation. "If your travels permit, Kael, please visit the Woodland Realm at your earliest convenience. I will certainly host you with the grandest feast our kingdom can provide." "And Legolas has always spoken highly of you as his friend. I know he would eagerly anticipate your arrival." "When matters here are properly concluded, I'll definitely visit the Woodland Realm on my journey home." Kael nodded and agreed with genuine warmth. Thranduil's smile deepened with satisfaction. Through this devastating war, Kael's incredible power had been witnessed by every participant. Not to mention he commanded a legendary dragon as his personal mount. Befriending such an extraordinarily powerful wizard would bring nothing but benefits to the Woodland Realm with absolutely no drawbacks. Seeing Thranduil actively courting Kael's friendship, the dwarves were not about to be outdone in expressing their gratitude. Iron Hills lord Dáin Ironfoot immediately stepped forward, completely abandoning his previous arrogant demeanor, enthusiastically declaring with obvious sincerity. "And we dwarves of the Iron Hills feel the same! Kael is a friend personally acknowledged by me, Dáin Ironfoot. The Iron Hills will always welcome your presence!" "Kael, you helped our people survive when extinction seemed certain. To properly show our profound gratitude, the Iron Hills will forge a complete set of dragon armor for your magnificent mount as a permanent token of our friendship. I sincerely hope you won't refuse this gift!" Dragon armor? Kael was genuinely stunned. He hadn't expected Dáin Ironfoot to offer such an incredibly valuable and thoughtful reward. But seeing Smaug's ancient eyes light up with obvious desire and approval, he gladly accepted Dáin's generous gesture of goodwill. The timing was absolutely perfect since Smaug's chest scale had been damaged by the Black Arrow, creating a dangerous vulnerability in his otherwise impenetrable hide. If he wore armor forged by master dwarven smiths, his defensive capabilities would be tremendously enhanced, and he wouldn't need to fear even enchanted Black Arrows in future battles. Seeing that Dáin's gift had struck exactly the right note, making Kael smile with genuine appreciation, Everyone's opinion of Dáin Ironfoot shifted dramatically upward in his favor. Thranduil even regarded this dwarf with new wariness, clearly recognizing shrewd political calculation beneath the rough exterior. He hadn't expected this dwarf, who appeared crude and straightforward, to possess such keen strategic thinking. At this moment, Thorin Oakenshield observed Kael with deeply complex emotions as Elves and his own cousin Dáin competed to court the wizard's friendship. He took a steadying breath, stepped forward from the gathered crowd, and addressed Kael with solemn dignity. "Kael, I thank you for helping me reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon's occupation and now for helping us resist the Orc invasion and preventing our kingdom's destruction." "And I sincerely apologize for the discourteous words I spoke when my mind was poisoned by madness, though I never intended such disrespect toward a friend." Kael's smile faded as he regarded Thorin with calm assessment, his voice remaining carefully neutral. "I'm genuinely glad to see you've recovered your sanity. I accept your apology with grace." Thorin breathed an obvious sigh of relief and immediately made concrete promises. "Rest assured, your rightful one-fourteenth share of the treasure will be sorted as quickly as possible and delivered to you with my personal guarantee!" "And although Bilbo didn't locate the Arkenstone, I won't shortchange his earned share either. Every promise will be honored." Kael nodded approvingly, finally showing Thorin a more favorable expression. Though he wasn't entirely certain how Thorin had broken free from the dragon-sickness's corrupting influence and regained his mental clarity, At least the current Thorin finally displayed some semblance of the wisdom expected from a true King Under the Mountain. Thranduil also seized this diplomatic opportunity to request the return of the commissioned white gem necklace from Thorin. However, this time he chose not to demand it by force, instead expressing willingness to pay compensation satisfactory to Thorin to reclaim this precious memento of his beloved late wife. Thorin, having regained both his reason and honor, directly agreed to return the heirloom to its rightful owner without requiring any compensation whatsoever. He hoped this gesture would repair the damaged relationship between the Kingdom Under the Mountain and the Woodland Realm. This magnanimous act greatly softened Thranduil's long-held attitude toward Thorin, and he reciprocated by agreeing to return the confiscated sword Orcrist to its proper owner. Additionally, Thorin agreed to provide Bard and the Lake-town survivors with one-fourteenth of the mountain's treasure as compensation for their losses. He also granted one-fourteenth of the wealth to his cousin Dáin Ironfoot, thanking him for leading the dwarven army thousands of miles to provide crucial military aid. Similarly, the twelve dwarves who had courageously accompanied Thorin to the Lonely Mountain also each received generous shares of the recovered treasure. Such unprecedented generosity from Thorin impressed everyone present and demonstrated his complete recovery from the madness. Gandalf, who had long been disappointed by Thorin's behavior, felt especially pleased by this transformation. He believed the Lonely Mountain would welcome a truly wise dwarf king, and the Kingdom Under the Mountain would prosper more than ever before. After the battle's conclusion, once Thranduil obtained the precious white gem necklace, he formally took his leave and led the Elven army back toward Mirkwood. During this departure, a small but significant incident occurred. The female Elf Tauriel requested Thranduil's permission to leave the Woodland Realm permanently, as she desired to be with the dwarf Kili. When the dwarves had been captured in Mirkwood and imprisoned in the Elven dungeons, Tauriel and Kili had developed a connection through their interactions. Later, when she was ordered to pursue the escaped dwarves to Lake-town, Tauriel had even used healing Athelas to save Kili from a potentially fatal Morgul arrow wound. Through these shared experiences, the two had unknowingly developed deep romantic feelings for each other. Thranduil strongly disapproved of Tauriel's desire to be with a dwarf, viewing it as both impractical and tragic. Elves possessed eternal life spans, while dwarves lived merely a few hundred years at most, barely a fleeting moment to immortal Elven perception. Though Elves enjoyed unlimited lifespans, they were not truly immortal in all senses. They could be killed in battle or die of profound heartbreak. If Tauriel chose to bond with Kili, as their relationship deepened over time, when Kili inevitably aged and died of natural causes, Tauriel would likely die of grief and overwhelming heartbreak. Sacrificing eternal life for temporary love seemed utterly irrational to Thranduil's ancient wisdom. Legolas, who maintained a close friendship with Tauriel and regarded her as a beloved sister, also couldn't accept Tauriel's seemingly self-destructive choice. He attempted to persuade her to reconsider such a momentous decision. Even Kili himself didn't want Tauriel to sacrifice her precious immortal life for his sake. However, Tauriel remained absolutely insistent. Lost completely in love's powerful grip, her determination proved unshakeable. Recognizing her unwavering resolve, Thranduil stopped attempting to change her mind. After reluctantly agreeing to her request, he returned to Mirkwood accompanied by the heartbroken Legolas. On Kili's side, deeply moved by Tauriel's incredible sacrifice, he also made a difficult request to Thorin. Since Tauriel wasn't suited to life within the Lonely Mountain's underground chambers, he was prepared to leave his ancestral home and live with her wherever their hearts led them. Thorin was naturally extremely reluctant to grant this request. Kili was not only his most trusted right-hand adviser but also his beloved nephew. Thorin had never produced any descendants of his own. Both Fili and Kili were his sister's sons, and the future position of King Under the Mountain would eventually be inherited by one of them. But faced with Kili's passionate insistence, Thorin could only agree with a heavy heart. Kael chose not to express personal opinions about this unusual interracial romance, but he found himself somewhat curious about the potential outcome. What would the offspring of dwarves and Elves actually be like? Would they lean toward appearing more dwarven or more Elven in their characteristics? An amusing image of a dwarf with distinctly pointed ears involuntarily popped into Kael's mind, leaving him somewhat speechless at his own ridiculous imagination. He quickly dismissed this absurd thought. When Kili and Tauriel were preparing to depart together, Kael approached them to express his genuine blessings for their unconventional union. He asked with friendly curiosity, "What are your plans now? Where do you intend to make your new home?" Kili and Tauriel exchanged glances filled with such obvious love that it seemed almost tangible in the air between them. Kili smiled with radiant happiness and replied, "We plan to travel extensively and see everything the world has to offer. If we discover a place that speaks to our hearts, we'll settle there permanently." "If your wanderings take you westward, please visit me at Weathertop as my honored guests, and allow me to be a proper host." Kael invited them with a warm, welcoming smile. [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! Want more? Check out my other stories!