Chapter 96: Flying on a Broomstick

Kael had grown fond of Bard's family. The ferryman was warm and hospitable, and his son and daughter were innocent and kind. Kael, in turn, had been generous, taking beautiful jewels from his enchanted pouch and gifting them to the wide-eyed children. Three days had passed since Thorin's company and Gandalf had departed. In that time, Kael joyfully welcomed the first flying broomstick of his life. The broom handle was made from the hardest heartwood of the old willow, jade-white in color, with smooth, flowing lines. Complex runic symbols were inscribed within its grain, and a faint thrum of magic could be felt just by holding it. The tail of the broom was made from the remaining material, cut into countless neat, fine twigs to ensure its streamlined shape and balanced precision. With the flying broomstick completed, Kael couldn't wait to try it out. He placed the broomstick by his feet, held out his hand, and called out, "Up!" The broomstick rolled over on the ground. "Up!" This time, his tone was firm and brooked no refusal. With a whoosh, the broomstick leaped up from the ground and landed perfectly in Kael's hand. Holding the flying broomstick, a smile quickly spread across Kael's face, his excitement and sense of accomplishment palpable. Now that the broomstick was made, the first thing to do was, of course, to test its performance. Kael eagerly went outside Bard's house, swung his leg over the broomstick, and gave a gentle push with his feet. His entire body was immediately lifted up by the broom, slowly floating off the ground. Beneath him, an invisible cushion of air provided support, making it feel like riding a bicycle, with no fear of falling. Bard's family, who had followed him out, stared dumbfounded at this scene. Bard's young son, after the initial shock, was filled with excitement and eagerness, wishing he could ride it himself. Flying for the first time in his life, Kael was exceptionally thrilled. He leaned his body forward, and in an instant, shot off like a skyrocket. "Ahhhh!" Kael careened through the air with little control, one moment shooting straight up toward the clouds, the next nearly crashing into a rooftop. It was a heart-stopping sight to behold. The residents of Lake-town were all drawn by this scene, and were subsequently shocked beyond belief. They recognized the person flying on the broomstick as the guest staying at Bard's house. They never imagined he had such an ability... to be able to fly! The Master of the town, whose own roof had nearly been grazed, was especially wide-eyed, craning his head out of a window. His eyes showed deep regret. Though he was greedy and short-sighted, he still had some worldly knowledge. He only regretted not having invited such an extraordinary person himself, instead letting that fisherman Bard get lucky. Meanwhile, Kael, oblivious to the reactions of Lake-town's residents, finally began to get the hang of the flying broomstick. He managed a shaky but successful landing back in front of Bard's house. Seeing the envious and longing expressions on Bard's children's faces, Kael smiled and promised to take them flying in the future. After formally bidding farewell to Bard, he mounted his broomstick and soared into the sky, flying off in the direction of the Lonely Mountain. As for Bard's Black Arrow, Kael had considered taking it to use against the dragon Smaug. But after some thought, he decided against it. Although the Black Arrow was currently the only known weapon in Middle-earth that could pierce dragon scales, it didn't mean it was the only thing that could deal with the dragon. Kael possessed the divine spear Aeglos, whose piercing power was second to none. The High King of the Noldor, Gil-galad, had once used it to pierce through Sauron's hardest armor and leave a wound on him. Kael believed his divine spear was no worse than the Black Arrow. So, he left the arrow for Bard, to see if he could still accomplish the great feat of slaying the dragon. The speed of a flying broomstick depends on the level of craftsmanship. The wizarding world had series like the Cleansweep and Comet, as well as the Nimbus series and the fastest of all, the Firebolt. Although Kael had acquired the techniques for making flying broomsticks, he was just a novice. The flying broomstick he made was even slower than the slowest ones in the wizarding world. Even so, with his flying broomstick, it only took him half a day to successfully catch up with Thorin, Gandalf, and the others, who had a three-day head start. It was unknown what had happened in those three days, but Gandalf had not succeeded in persuading Thorin to give up on heading to the Lonely Mountain. Instead, he was continuing on with them. When Kael was still just a small black dot in the distance, Gandalf had already spotted him, a smile appearing on his face. "Aha, our final member has finally caught up!" Hearing Gandalf's words, the others followed his gaze with curiosity. They then saw a blurry figure in the distant sky rapidly approaching them. Soon, Kael's figure came into view. "Kael!" Everyone looked at the flying Kael in disbelief. "By Aulë's beard, am I still dreaming? Why am I seeing Kael flying on a broomstick?" The dwarf Bombur rubbed his eyes and exclaimed in amazement. "Gentlemen, I'm not too late, am I?" Kael leaned forward slightly, slowly descending from mid-air and landing on the ground, smiling as he asked the group. "Welcome back, Kael." Gandalf happily stepped forward to give Kael a hug, then looked eagerly at the broomstick in his hand. "I didn't expect you to finish the flying broomstick so quickly. How does it feel to fly?" Seeing Gandalf's eager expression, Kael chuckled and handed the broomstick over. "It feels pretty good. You can give it a try." Gandalf's eyes instantly lit up. He took the broomstick, his face beaming with joy. "Then I won't be polite!" Leaving Gandalf to excitedly examine the broomstick, Kael turned to greet the others. Seeing Kael, Bilbo felt as if his pillar of support had returned, but he also felt a little guilty and didn't dare to meet his gaze. As an honest and trustworthy hobbit, Bilbo didn't know how to refuse. After being threatened by Thorin with the contract he had signed, he had agreed to risk stealing the Arkenstone for Thorin, even knowing the dragon had awakened. That was why he had left Lake-town early with the dwarves. Of course, more importantly, Bilbo had confidence in the magic ring in his possession. He felt that when the time came, he just had to put on the ring, and he could steal the Arkenstone right from under the dragon's nose. This would also fulfill the contract he had signed. It was just that leaving Lake-town with the dwarves had been very sudden, and he hadn't had time to tell Kael and Gandalf before he left. Now, seeing Kael again, he felt a little guilty. Kael, however, didn't mind. Bilbo was his friend, not his subordinate. He didn't need to ask for his opinion on every decision. He patted the hobbit's shoulder, then smiled and greeted the dwarves. To be honest, after spending so much time together, apart from Thorin, he had a good impression of the dwarves. For instance, the eldest, Balin, was the wisest and most mature of the group, a true strategist for the dwarven team. The youngest, Fíli and Kíli, although they were Thorin's nephews, were lively, quick-witted, and friendly. The fattest, Bombur, was easy-going, loved to eat and sleep, and was the "jester" of the group. The other dwarves also had many shining qualities. But when it came to Thorin... Kael didn't know what to make of him. "Welcome back, Kael," Thorin's attitude was wary, his eyes full of suspicion. "I hope you are here to help reclaim the Lonely Mountain and not to persuade me to give up, like Gandalf?" [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!