37

"Come on!"

The dwarves ran after their leader, skidding across the long stone walkways as they journeyed through the city. Of all of the ways Talia imagined her return home to be, this was not one of them. Finally, the Company rounded the corner just as Smaug unleashed his fire, sending them into an abandoned storage room as quickly as they could. Thorin was the last to enter the room, and for that, Smaug's fire caught his clothes. He dropped into a roll to extinguish it as the dwarves helped pat him down, standing immediately after.

"Let's go."

Thorin led them off, sending them into the dark and twisting passages. Even those who had never been inside the mountain before understood it's complexity, for it was built in networks intended to keep it hidden. After a few more minutes, Thorin came to the edge of a hallway, peering into the open expanse. Talia held her hand up as Thorin shushed the dwarves, but neither of them could see or hear any sign of Smaug.

The silence gave some of the dwarves hope. "We've given him the slip." Dori grinned.

"No." Dwalin refuted, knowing better from his first-hand experiences with the dragon. "He's too cunning for that."

"So where to now?" Bilbo asked, looking to the King and Queen.

"There's few other exits in this place." Talia began as Thorin looked to her for ideas. "But when I was Head of the Guard, I knew of one."

"The western guard room." Thorin surmised. "There may be a way out."

"It's too high. There's no chance that way." Balin shook his head in doubt.

"It's our only chance. We'll have to try." Thorin slowly crept forward, subtly leading them on the long walkway. "Come on."

But just as Talia took her first step, a coin dropped to the floor in front of her and Bilbo. As the sound echoed, Thorin looked back at them, but they were already fixated on the dragon moving above. More gold stuck to his belly fell all around the dwarves, as he looked for them above, unaware of their presence. Thorin indicated for them to move forward, allowing Dwalin to lead his nephews to the guard room in silence.

They continued on, racing towards the guard room once Smaug was out of eyesight and earshot. "Stay close." Thorin whispered. Then, the Company entered the western guard room, eyes widening at the sight before them.

The decaying corpses of their kin lay strewn about, covered in cobwebs and dust. Their faces were contorted into expressions of fear, hopelessness, and death. Their leathery skin clutched to their weapons in fear, knowing it would do them no good as they hid in the shadows to take their last breath.

"That's it, then. There's no way out." Dwalin said, looking around sadly.

"What is this?" Kili asked, looking to his aunt for answers as his brother did the same. The princes had heard the tale of the desolation of Smaug before, but experiencing it firsthand was a different story entirely. Their eyes glistened with the ghost of tears, for they knew that this barely scratched the surface of the pain and suffering from that day.

"A tomb." Talia replied, gazing at the death surrounding her.

"The last of our kin." Balin elaborated, the same sense of mourning overtaking him too. "They must've come here, hoping beyond hope."

A long pause occurred before anyone could speak again. They feared that they too would end up like this, for this route of escape had been their last chance. 

"We could try to reach the mines. We might last a few days."

"No. I will not die like this." Thorin shot down his advisor, scanning all of the faces intensely. "Cowering, clawing for breath." He turned to face the Company, an idea dawning on him. "We make for the forges."

"He'll see us, sure as death."

"Not if we split up."

"Thorin, we'll never make it."

"Yes, we will." Talia interjected, stepping forward. "I refuse to let this despicable piece of filth take anything more from me—from us. I attempted to slay Smaug once; I will not fail again."

"Talia, this is absurd!" Dwalin stepped forward, siding with his brother. "We have a fire-breathing dragon in our wake, and you wish to cross the entire city without being seen. As Balin said, we'll never make it."

"Some of us might." Thorin rebuked, reiterating his plan. "Lead him to the forges. We kill the dragon. If this is to end in fire, then we will all burn together."

That was when the Company really understood why Thorin and Talia made such a great pair. Yes, they were rational thinkers and reasonable leaders, but they also knew when they had no choice but to resort to hope. They always looked to defy the impossible when it came to their people, and each time, they did so without fail. The Company trusted that their King and Queen would save them because they had done so before—they would do it again.

So the Company split into groups of three or less, pairing those who knew the way to the forges with those who did not. Talia took to guiding her nephews through the city as Thorin, Balin, and Bilbo journeyed in the opposite direction. "This way!"

Suddenly, Thorin and his companions were stopped by none other than Smaug, who had shown his hand once more. "Flee! Flee! Run for your lives! There is nowhere to hide."

Just before they were engulfed in flame, Ori, Dori, and Bombur came up behind Smaug, screaming to shift his attention away from Thorin. Smaug whipped around to attack them, but not before Dwalin and Nori taunted him from his right. The dragon continued to play this game of chase as Thorin took his opportunity, taking the advisor and the burglar along with them.

"This way! It's this way!" Balin called to the hobbit, racing into a narrow hallway and pulling Bilbo along. "Come on!"

"Thorin!"

But before the King could follow, Smaug swiveled around to Thorin, licking his lips at his prize. He had approached the end of the walkway, with nothing else around him but a dragon and a drop that went a long way down. Thorin knew the dragon wanted him, and so he looked to the pair, urging them on.

"Follow Balin!"

"Thorin." Bilbo gasped, seeing him freeze before the dragon.

Balin knew better than to wait. "Come on!"

As the dwarf pulled the hobbit into the corridor, Smaug unleashed his fire after Thorin, sending him running off the platform and into the depths below. Thorin reached out and caught a nearby chain, which pulled him down even faster than before. Talia and the nephews watched in horror as the dragon roared, racing after their loved one at breakneck speed.

"Dwalin!" Talia yelled, skidding to a halt and pulling him closer. "Stop the chain!"

"Thorin, hold on!" He screamed, whipping his axe over his head and slamming it down on the contraption. The pulley stopped, halting so suddenly that Thorin nearly fell off from the force. Then, the cart on the opposing end of the line sent Thorin shooting up to the walkway, whizzing past Smaug's good eye as he growled in anger. The dragon pursued him, burying his claws into the solid rock below as he scrambled up the tunnel.

Just before Thorin reached the top, Smaug's jaws finally caught the end of the chain, halting Thorin right where he hung. The dwarves all screamed in horror as the pulley snapped and fell into the chasm below. Thorin landed on top of the dragon's closed mouth, standing and balancing on his lips carefully. Then, Talia saw his lifeline in the form of a chair, hanging off a rope just a few feet from him. "Fuck."

"What?"

"Stay here."

"Talia, what are you—"

As the dragon opened it's mouth, Talia jumped after Thorin into the chasm, making Dwalin and her nephews roar after her in fear. Thorin looked up to see Talia barely grip onto the bottom of the chair in time before she fell to her own death. The orange glow that had blossomed in Smaug's throat was extinguished as he glanced away from Thorin, eyes narrowing at her.

"YOU!"

But Talia was already swinging towards the dragon, one hand reaching for Thorin as the other grasped the wood. Wasting no time, she kicked Smaug away and caught Thorin's arm. He screamed after them, spitting out a few teeth as the dwarves pulled them up. Talia cried out as she hauled Thorin onto the wood alongside her, nearly slipping off at the effort. They gripped onto each other and the wood as their legs dangled below, only being able to watch as Smaug's jaw readied his flame for their deaths.

Then, Nori pulled the pair to safety just as Smaug unleashed his fire. The three of them tumbled back onto the landing above, huddling in the center to avoid the heat on all sides. As soon as the flame stopped, the three of them were up, urging each other on as they ran for the forges.

"Go, go, go!" Talia urged Nori on, staying with Thorin as they ran from the beast.

"Talia, are you kidding me?!" Thorin yelled at her, sparing her a glance as Dwalin, Fili, Kili, and the other dwarves followed in tow.

"What now, Thorin?!"

"If there's a fire-breathing dragon below you, I suggest you don't jump after it to your death!"

"I didn't die, and you were still down there!"

"So?!"

"So, I wasn't going to leave you!"

"Are you two seriously arguing right now?" Bilbo huffed, racing along the other dwarves as they followed them forward. His sass and irritation with the couple was painfully palpable. "Is this really the time?"

"Yes!" They both yelled back, exchanging a glance as the others rolled their eyes.

But before they could bicker more, they reached the forges, glancing around them before the dragon arrived. They had passed through a set of pillars and now gazed upon the large furnaces and melting pots, taking in the structures in their entirety. The room was enormous and overwhelming; it was no wonder Erebor had been the mining capital of the world before it was taken.

"The plan's not going to work. These furnaces are stone cold." Dwalin stated, looking around the chilled room.

"He's right. We've no fire hot enough to set them ablaze." Balin agreed, looking to Thorin.

Then, the scratch of the dragon's claws caused them all to turn around. Thorin looked at Talia, exchanging a devilish smile with her before glancing back at the Company.

"Have we not?"

"Smaug the Terrible!" Talia boomed, stepping forward as she saw the edge of a red-scaled wing emerge. Her green eyes shone with a hatred so strong that no one dared to interject. "It would be a misnomer to call such an utterly repulsive creature a dragon. Snake doesn't even fit your cowardice."

Thorin grinned, taking his turn. "I did not look to see you so easily outwitted! You have grown slow and fat in your dotage—slug."

Smaug began to climb out of the chasm, his eye narrowing at Thorin and Talia. Both of them saw the dagger in his other iris, the rubies in the hilt reflecting red light. In that moment, Talia remembered why she was there, preparing to kill a humungous dragon. If it was not for her people, then it was for her mother.

Thorin turned back to the Company, nodding at the pillars. "Take cover. Go!"

The dwarves hid behind the stone just as Smaug unleashed his fire into the forge, heat blasting past them on all sides. Talia turned her head to look for her nephews, but Thorin pulled her closer into his chest, protecting her from the flame. She sighed softly into his neck, holding onto him as tightly as he held her.

Thorin's plan had worked. The flame was so hot that it had ignited the fire just below the melting pot, sending heat all throughout the forges. Talia looked at him in surprise. Then, she remembered what was in the melting pot as well as he did.

"You're going to kill him with the thing he would die for."

"Yes." He said, looking around the Company as the dragon tried to break through the iron gate.

"How? There's no way to get it on him." Dwalin asked his King.

Balin trailed into thought. "These tunnels were designed to filter molten metal throughout the kingdom as needed. It will lead to the Gallery of the Kings—"

"Which is where an unfinished mold of Thror stands tall." Talia concluded, looking to her husband. "High enough to drown him in scalding hot gold."

Thorin nodded as the three of them gazed at him in shock. Their King was nothing short of a genius. Then, he began barking out orders to the rest of the Company, for if his plan was to succeed, it would require a great deal of manpower.

"Bombur! Get those billows working, go! Bilbo, up there! On my mark, pull that lever."

The pair raced off into the fray, glancing behind them momentarily to see an angry Smaug berate the iron.

"Balin, can you still mix a flash flame?"

"Aye, it will only take a jiffy!"

Dwalin could only watch as the dragon made his final marks on the metal. "We don't have a jiffy."

Smaug broke through the gate and stepped inside, surveying the forge. The fire within him lit his belly a menacing orange as his eye searched the area for the dwarves. Talia stayed beside Thorin as the rest of the dwarves scattered away, either following Balin to mix the flash flame or running away to hide.

"What would you have me do?" Talia whispered, so as not to alert Smaug to their presence. He was walking a distance away, his gaze fixed on something to their left.

"Stay here. We need to buy Bilbo time." Thorin replied, glancing at Bilbo as he raced up the stairs.

Then, the dragon stopped his prowl, freezing instantly. The quickness in which he did so was unnatural, almost reptilian in a way. But he was more dangerous than any other serpent, as they both knew. His head swiveled in their direction, his eye landing on them and narrowing.

"Of course! How could I have failed to see it?!" Smaug taunted, crawling closer and closer to them. "You two know each other. Did Oakenshield send you to kill me those many years ago, girl? After all, the life of a fighter is always expendable."

"I acted on nothing but my own will." Talia growled, standing firm. "I serve no one."

"Yet you stand before me, awaiting your death next to this rat. Tell me, why are you here, Talia?"

"You remember me! I see I've made an impression."

"As have I." The dragon crept closer to them, licking his lips as he smiled. Thorin and Talia glared right back as he approached them, the former keeping an eye on Bilbo and his proximity to the lever. "I know that look. Fear. You know the consequences of dragon fire. Aren't you tired of fighting a battle you can't win?"

"It wasn't impossible when I took your eye."

"And what did I take in return? Yes, that old wench's life. Who was it? Your grandmother? Your mother? If only she were alive to tell me. I suppose I could ask the ashes."

"You may have taken everything from us." Thorin began, seeing Talia shake in anger. "But we will avenge them. Mark my words."

"You will be nothing." Talia bit back, watching the rage course through Smaug's veins. "As you always should have been."

Smaug laughed, his nose only a few feet from them.

"We'll see."

"Now!"

Bilbo jumped up to the lever the second he reached it, pulling it down and releasing waves upon waves of water. Before the dragon could spew his fire from his throat, the water doused Smaug entirely, extinguishing the flame. It hit him like a brick, sending him reeling back from the force. He flew backwards to avoid the water, away from the dwarves and to the other end of the forge.

Thorin and Talia ducked as the water sprayed around them, running to the lever that controlled the gold. The Company had a moment to recover from the dragon as he collected himself, shaking the water from his wings and roaring. Then, Smaug began to pace towards Thorin and Talia. If he hadn't been mad before, then this was him at his angriest.

But the Company was already onto him, defending their King and Queen with every possible assault. Balin and the dwarves began to throw flash fire at him, creating explosions and bursts of light that did little to deter him. Meanwhile, Bifur and Gloin, who had gotten trapped in the mining network above, sliced the line of carts below them, causing Smaug to get tangled in the ropes. He stomped around the forge, screaming and crashing into every possible mechanism. The stone pillars fell as if they were weightless at the dragon's force. In his rage, it was hard for them to tell if he even knew he was destroying the forges.

Still, the opportunity presented itself for Thorin to pull the lever, pouring molten gold down the carven path. Talia watched as the yellow glow rushed throughout the floors of the forges, unbeknownst to Smaug. Then, Talia saw Bilbo fall to the ground as Smaug crashed into the structure that held him, her breath catching in her throat.

"Lead him to the Gallery of the Kings." Thorin commanded, sending her off to bait the dragon. She reached Bilbo first; she would keep him in her charge as the dragon followed her, which was about the safest option he had at the moment. Talia looked over her shoulder to see Thorin take a barrel to the flowing gold, landing on the current and riding it to the mold of Thror.

Talia took the hobbit's hand, urging him on. "Come on, Bilbo! Run!"

They followed the rest of the dwarves to the Gallery of the Kings with the dragon hot on their tail. The Company ran faster than they ever had in their lives, skidding into the open hall and hiding against the walls. But they soon realized it was for naught as Smaug crashed into the wall above. Luckily, the tapestries on the stone had also fallen, concealing Talia, Bilbo, and the rest of the dwarves under the thick material. Smaug turned around in circles in the Gallery of the Kings, searching for the hobbit he had his eye on.

"You think you can deceive me, Barrel-Rider? You have come from Lake-Town! This is some sordid scheme, hatched between these filthy dwarves and those miserable trading Lakemen. Those sniveling cowards, with their long bows and Black Arrows. Perhaps it is time I paid them a visit!"

"No. This isn't their fault." Bilbo gasped, watching as Smaug turned to leave Erebor. But before Talia could pull him back, Bilbo was already out from underneath the tapestry. "Wait! You cannot go to Lake-Town!"

That got his attention. "You care about them, do you? Good."

The dragon stopped and turned towards Bilbo, who was frozen in fear.

"Then you can watch them die."

Smaug snarled and continued on his path, making his way out of the Gallery of the Kings and to the front gate. But Thorin refused to let him get any further. This dragon had caused enough pain for his people; he would not let it happen again to another.

"Here! You witless worm!"

The dragon froze, seeing Thorin standing on a column that was nearly as tall as the room itself. Talia motioned Bilbo to creep alongside her, shimmying along the wall to get back to the dwarves. Her gaze was fixated on the stone mold of Thror, where her husband stood unarmed and unprotected.

"You."

"I am taking back what you stole."

Smaug almost laughed at the idea. "You will take nothing from me, Dwarf. I laid low your warriors of old. I instill terror in the hearts of Men. I am King Under the Mountain."

"This is not your kingdom. These are Dwarf lands. This is Dwarf gold. And we will have our revenge."

Thorin and the dwarves pulled apart the large column of stones to reveal the giant statue of Thror, made of pure and enchanting gold. Talia and Bilbo finally reached the others, allowing her nephews to help them to higher ground. While they all knew what was coming, they wanted it to be unbeknownst to the dragon.

And it was. Smaug stood before the statue, mesmerized by the way it gleamed before his eyes. Then, the statue collapsed, taking Smaug down and covering him in molten gold. He fell beneath the river of metal, thrashing until all movement stilled underneath. The Company roared in victory, embracing each other and pumping their fists in the air. Thorin gripped onto the chain that held him tighter, a small grin spreading across his features. The plan had worked. They had finally killed the dragon.

But they were wrong.

"Revenge!" Smaug gasped, bursting from the scalding hot liquid with rage. "Revenge! I will show you revenge!"

Smaug burst out of the mountain, completely covered in molten gold. The Company rushed after him, standing at the gate in shock as he screamed. They were enraptured with the dragon. Though he was still as sinister as ever, the way the yellow gleam hit the moonlight almost made him look beautiful.

He flew higher and higher above the mountain, sending the gold spiraling off him in rivulets. Then, without sparing another glance behind him, the dragon spread his wings, soaring right towards Lake-Town. His first conquest had merely been that of desire. If such a menial emotion had caused such chaos before, who knew what was to come from the motive of revenge.

"I am fire! I am..."

The Company watched in horror, awaiting his final words.

"Death."

Thorin watched wide-eyed as the dragon's wings flapped in the wind. Talia covered her mouth at the sound of trees breaking from his force, just as they had done all of those years ago. But Bilbo could only stand there, in complete and utter disbelief. Smaug was going to kill thousands of innocents on their behalf, and they could do nothing but watch. Smaug was going to Lake-Town.

And it was their fault.

"What have we done?"