[General POV]
-Aldril-
Darkness, only darkness flooded his vision. What human, elf, or dwarf could withstand such an impact? He was no exception. It was a miracle, granted by his attributes and the blessing of a Valar, that he managed to stay conscious. His arms, scorched like charcoal, were now useless, his chest ached, and his breath stalled. It wasn't as if he could breathe underwater, but his strong constitution allowed him to stay beneath the surface for at least an hour, even surpassing the dolphins.
He couldn't hear a single sound at the bottom of the lake. 'Is this how it ends?' he thought as the depths of the lake slowly claimed him. 'Ah! It was fun,' an unconscious smile formed on his face. He regretted nothing, though perhaps he'd be disappointed for not living up to others' expectations. But what could he do? His burnt arms were useless, his broken ribs pressed inward, and blood was draining from his body, diluted by the lake's water.
He was weak, extremely weak. His blurry eyes could barely make out the figure of Smaug. The dragon had not escaped unscathed. In his arrogance, he thought he could endure the impact, but even his magic hadn't shielded him entirely from the damage. Part of his left wing was broken, caused by the friction of the impact. Dazed and floating like a mass of wood, the dragon was stunned by the collision.
His eyes lazily moved in Aldril's direction, glaring at him with hate and a touch of satisfaction, watching as his figure slowly disappeared into the dark depths of the lake. "Be honored," he heard the dragon's voice below the water, "you will die by my hand, the greatest and most powerful dragon of this age!" Smaug said, then thrashed and left the lake's bottom, believing he'd emerge victorious. Now he would only need to strike against those greedy humans. He would remind them that dragons were not to be trifled with!
'What frustration,' Aldril thought as he watched Smaug ascend. He could only look on helplessly, having failed Bombur and all those who believed in him. He closed his eyes, the only sound left being that of water filling his ears. He could do nothing now.
However, a faint moonlight illuminated his face, and the deafening pain had disappeared. He felt the gentle whisper of the wind on his face, urging him to open his eyes.
Slowly, he did so. A vast meadow filled his vision, trees, and flowers around him bringing a sense of peace and security. The soft moonlight touched his skin, giving him a feeling of comfort. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, the fresh air filling his nostrils. He didn't understand where he was, but it seemed to be his mental landscape, only this place was different from where he usually trained. This space felt as though nature itself had demonstrated its architectural power, a place where he could rest. Yet the intoxicating silence was broken by soft footsteps behind him.
Puzzled, he turned around to face the owner of those steps. Upon seeing that figure, he froze, his pupils dilated. Just the hair of that person had blinded him; he couldn't describe the magnificence and beauty that lay before him.
"It seems we finally meet."
----
-Lake-town, Smaug-
Cries and wails echoed through Lake-town, houses collapsed from the waves caused by Smaug, with many drowned, missing, or buried under the sea of rubble from ruined homes. The long-standing town had slowly succumbed. Brave guards and civilians hurried to help. Who led them? Of course, it was Bard, showing courage as he stayed to aid those in need.
"The governor? Where is the governor?" Voices of those loyal to that obese man kept echoing, hopeful that the person they'd dedicated their loyalty to would come to their rescue. But nothing could be further from the truth. The governor had already been hiding in his mansion for some time. Being one of the few buildings made from the best wood had allowed it to withstand the two waves that struck like a furious tsunami.
The governor lay hidden there like a rat, alongside his cowardly follower. "My lord, we must evacuate," said Alfrid in fear. "Let's go to the elves; surely they are taking care of those who left early."
"Yes, you're right," replied the governor, curled up under a table in fear. Beside him, several guards were also hiding, a sight that caused the governor to bellow in fury despite the situation. "What are you waiting for? Help me pack all my treasures. We must get out of here!"
"But, sir! We can't abandon our people to their fate!" protested one of the guards. Despite his position, he was one of those who fervently opposed the governor. He feared nothing for his family, for they were already safe in the refuge provided by the elves.
"I don't care," the governor spat, fury and urgency in his voice. "If you want to stay here and die, stay!"
Outside in the city, Bard was giving instructions and helping those who still lingered despite his warnings. The mist, created from the steam that rose when water struck the fire from Smaug's fall, slowed down their efforts. Just minutes ago, the dragon had fallen. Bard hoped it had died from the fierce impact. "Hurry up!" he shouted, helping a woman out of the cold lake. "Anyone with strength, help!" With each hurried step, he assisted in clearing debris or helping people out of the lake.
It was a profoundly tragic sight to him: babies, children, women, and men, all lay as corpses, with no distinction. This city was destined for disaster. It was fortunate that more lives were saved because there was not as much fire as he had feared. Bard the fool! That thought seemed a cruel irony, for as he lifted the corpse of a child, the lake rippled violently, causing instability on the rotting bridges that miraculously still held.
The rippling grew more intense. Those nearby looked on in fear and horror at the sight of a reptilian head emerging, one eye closed with a visible reddish scar. The fire had burned and partially sealed the wound. His red scales were an omen of death.
"It hurts!" the dragon roared as he used his broken wing to support himself on the bridge that connected to the shore. This bridge was the city's only link to the mainland. Many were running across it, trying to escape the city, but now they had no way out. The bridge was being overtaken by the dragon, who, with difficulty, positioned himself upon it. The massive wooden structure, a gift from the realm of Mirkwood, miraculously bore his weight.
Despite the pain, Smaug straightened himself, his face a blend of agony and ecstasy. He had won! He had avenged himself on that elf by killing her son. What better way to celebrate than by burning these greedy humans? Soon, he would go after the dwarves once he finished here. A mocking smile appeared as he looked at the scene before him.
"It seems you greedy wretches wish to flee from me," he said to the terrified people frozen in fear. "Who gave you permission to run?" With a growl, Smaug raised his head high, a spark igniting in his chest. Slowly, a red light began to grow.
The dragon's fire had come. His open jaws unleashed a torrent of flames that burned everything in its path. Smaug took pleasure in watching some fools turn to ashes in an instant.
"Prepare yourselves! Defend the city!" Bard shouted from atop a house in the distance, watching in frustration as the dragon burned many civilians attempting to escape over the bridge—a horrifying sight that made him clench his fists in anger.
"Prepare yourselves! Bows! Do not fear!"
The guards shouted. If they had seen anything, it was that the dragon was injured! And with no other way out, if they wanted to survive, they had to fight!
"Fire!"
One of them yelled, and immediately, those brave enough to face the dragon launched a hail of arrows. Smaug looked on with amusement. How could mere arrows harm him? He didn't resist, allowing them to strike his diamond-hard scales.
Once the arrows ceased, Smaug straightened proudly. He couldn't fly; one of his wings was broken, but that didn't stop him from charging at them and devouring them with his enormous jaws. His fire would annihilate anything in his way. Smaug rushed toward them, their cries, wails, and screams becoming louder, mostly from the women who had stayed in Lake-town out of recklessness.
Bard watched with horror and rage. He quickly took the black arrow strapped to his back. He needed a perfect angle! This was his only chance; he couldn't waste it, or everything would be lost!
In the distance, Smaug had begun to burn down the remaining houses still standing. Hell had arrived for the survivors onshore. Every step Smaug took brought death, his tail sweeping away the houses around him, and the unstoppable fire spread across the lake.
The boats meant for escape were overcrowded; many were lost to the flooding, and the few that remained were filled with women and children. The men, showing bravery, allowed the women and children to leave the city while they stayed behind as distractions.
Smaug noticed this but didn't care. To him, it was amusing, mere worms trying to flee from him! What a joke! Perhaps he'd let them go just to hunt them down later, or even leave them stranded in the middle of the lake, waiting for them to die of hunger.
How fun that would be! It was at that moment of contemplation that he saw it, a boat filled with gold! Dragons were, by nature, greedy, a trait even Morgoth couldn't remove. Seeing this boat of treasure stirred Smaug's avarice. He ignored the screaming worms around him, fixated on that barge laden with riches.
This was something that the brave warrior Bard seized upon! He did not fear the dragon; his children were safe. If anything happened to him, his son would take care of his two siblings. He had to settle the score with the dragon! Throughout the approach, he tried to stay out of Smaug's sight and aimed for a precise shot that could pierce through his hard scales. The opportunity had come! At least that obese governor had served a purpose. Watching Smaug advance with power in each step, Bard placed his black arrow in his bow.
He drew the bowstring and waited, waited for the dragon to be still. It didn't take long. Smaug had come right up to the governor's barge. On it, the fat governor was trembling like jelly. The guards had abandoned him long ago, throwing themselves into the lake, which now burned from the dragon's flames.
"Where are you taking my treasures?" Smaug asked with amusement, his imposing figure enhanced by the flames surrounding him.
"Oh mighty Smaug… this is an offering to you and your greatness," said the governor, the only thing he could think of, flattering the dragon in the hope that he might spare his life. It seemed to work, as Smaug let out a thunderous laugh.
"Good, at least a worm like you knows his place," he said as he lowered his head. The governor was terrified as the dragon now looked at him up close, only inches away. He could feel Smaug's stench and the hot air escaping from his nostrils.
"SHissss..."
Bard took advantage of this distraction, firing the black arrow from a distance, aiming for Smaug's unprotected eye. He hoped the arrow would pierce through the eye and lodge in his brain, killing the dragon.
How naïve he was! Smaug had been fully alert since his battle with Aldril. Had it been the old Smaug, this arrow would have struck him, possibly killing him. But not this Smaug! His instincts told him to move quickly, and he did, raising his head just in time to narrowly avoid the arrow.
With fury, he looked in the direction from which the black arrow had come. He recognized it, they were dangerous to him! He had to kill the one who wielded them. Yes, he believed Bard had more arrows and didn't want to take any risks. So, he quickly turned around, ignoring the governor, who sat down and wet himself in terror.
"Filthy bug!" he roared as he rushed toward Bard, who closed his eyes in frustration. He had failed! Just as his ancestor had failed! He could only watch as the dragon charged toward him with fervor, flames blazing around him. It would be useless to flee once the dragon had him in sight.
He readied his bow with regular arrows. At least he would fall trying. He saw Smaug coming closer and closer, fire building in his jaws, clearly unwilling to risk a close encounter, fearing there might be more black arrows.
It was at that moment Bard saw him, a swift figure charging across the rooftop, flanking Smaug, who didn't have time to react. The figure leaped high, plunging a sword into the membrane of Smaug's broken wing, tearing it further!
"AGGGGH!"
Smaug roared in pain as the figure slid down as if tearing through a curtain, pushing off with both feet and flipping backward, landing solidly on a nearby house. Bard saw him, this person had retrieved his black arrow, which had fallen into the lake.
"Hey! Smaug!" the figure shouted. "I haven't heard the bell toll yet!"
Finally, Bard could see him clearly. The crackling fire illuminated the figure on this dark night.
There, with a wild grin, stood Aldril! Staring at Smaug with fervor and exhilaration, his eyes burning with a desire for revenge. Smaug had not expected this and looked at him with his only eye, his pupils dilated, a deep hatred surging from within.
"You're a damn nuisance!' Smaug screamed with palpable fury, flames streaming from his nostrils. "JUST DIE ALREADY!"
***
filthy orcs!
I wish you a Merry Christmas Eve and a wonderful upcoming Christmas! I am infinitely grateful for your continued support of this fic. A big hug from your beloved author.