Chapter 33 - The Shadow of Greed

Bilbo and the dwarves stand at the gates of the Lonely Mountain, horrified as they watch Smaug set Lake-town ablaze.Bilbo: (gazing down in horror) "He's going to destroy them all."Dwalin: (grimly) "There's nothing they can do. No one can fight a dragon."Kíli: (quietly) "Bard. What about Bard?"Taranis: (gritting his teeth, whispering) "Bard has to make it... he's their last hope."As they watch, Bard escapes from his cell in Lake-town, rushing to find his children amidst the chaos. Climbing the bell tower with Bain, Bard prepares the Black Arrow as Smaug circles ominously.Bain: (terrified, but brave) "Father..."Bard: (trying to reassure him) "Steady, Bain. Just hold it steady."High above, Taranis silently wills Bard on.Taranis: (almost to himself) "If anyone can do this, it's you, Bard. End it now..."With a final, steady aim, Bard releases the Black Arrow. It strikes Smaug in the heart, piercing his only weak spot. The dragon roars in fury and pain, plummeting to the earth in a fiery death that rocks the town.Bilbo: (shaken, softly) "It's over..."Balin: (somberly) "The dragon is dead."Kíli: (looking down at the burning city) "Lake-town... it's in ruins."Taranis: (sadly, but with respect) "But Bard... he did what no one else could. He saved them."As they watch the flames die down, Taranis notices Thorin's face, filled not with relief, but with an intense, feverish focus.Amid the ruins of Lake-town, Bard organizes the survivors, his voice carrying authority despite his reluctance to lead.Bard: (calling out) "Gather what you can! We make for Dale."Alfrid: (panicked, trying to keep people from leaving) "Stay together! You'll freeze to death out there."Woman from Lake-town: "We'll die if we stay here!"Bard: (decisive) "There is nothing for you here. The town is destroyed."Taranis: (watching from the mountain with the dwarves) "He's stepping up for them, guiding them to safety. They need a leader now more than ever."The survivors of Lake-town, including Bard's family, begin their journey to Dale, exhausted but following Bard's lead.Back inside the mountain, Thorin continues his obsessive search for the Arkenstone among the treasure hoard. He mutters to himself, growing more erratic with each passing day.Thorin: (muttering) "It has to be here... The Arkenstone. It's mine by right..."Outside, Fíli, Kíli, Bofur, and Óin return from helping the refugees and find Bilbo near the mountain's entrance, pacing nervously. Taranis joins them, sensing Bilbo's distress.Bilbo: (uneasy) "Thorin... he's not well. He's been struck with... dragon sickness."Fíli: (dismayed) "Dragon sickness? No... not Thorin."Kíli: (pleading with Bilbo) "Can you help him? Speak to him, make him see sense."Bilbo: (reluctantly) "I tried... but he's becoming someone else. He's lost in the gold."Taranis: (sighing heavily) "This isn't the Thorin we pledged to follow. He's not our friend anymore—he's something... darker. But we can't give up on him. Not yet."Bilbo: (hesitant, glancing at the dwarves) "I've been keeping something from him... something he's desperate to find. The Arkenstone."Óin: (concerned) "You have the Arkenstone?"Bilbo: (nodding) "I thought if I kept it from him... it might keep the sickness from overtaking him completely."Taranis: (thinking aloud) "It's a risk, but it may be our only chance. We have to hold onto the Thorin we know, or we'll lose him completely."Inside the mountain, Thorin stands at the main entrance, addressing his company with a hardened expression. His face is etched with suspicion and mistrust.Thorin: "Seal the entrance. Let none come in or out."The dwarves exchange uneasy glances, hesitant to follow the order. Taranis steps forward, challenging him.Taranis: "Thorin, listen to yourself. These people—your kin, your allies—they're outside waiting for aid."Thorin: (growing angrier) "They are no kin of mine. I am King under the Mountain. This treasure belongs to my people, not beggars and thieves!"Bilbo: (pleading) "But they helped us! They fought alongside us!"Thorin: "They can have nothing of ours. Not a single coin, not a single stone. This is my inheritance, my birthright!"Taranis: (frustrated) "The Thorin I knew wouldn't abandon his people. You're letting your own greed consume you, Thorin! At this rate, there will be no kingdom left for you to rule."Thorin: (snarling) "I will not be questioned. This is my decision, and it will not be challenged."The dwarves fall silent, dismayed by the change in their leader. Taranis clenches his fists but knows there's nothing he can do to sway Thorin at this moment.Dwalin: (to Taranis, quietly) "We've lost him, lad. Just as his grandfather was lost to the sickness."Meanwhile, in the dark halls of Dol Guldur, Gandalf lies imprisoned, battered and exhausted. A dark, shadowy form taunts him, its voice whispering through the air.Sauron: "You cannot stand against me, Grey Pilgrim. The age of the Elves is over. The time of the Orc has come."Galadriel suddenly appears, her presence piercing through the darkness. She approaches Gandalf, lifting him gently in her arms.Galadriel: (whispering) "Gandalf... you are safe now."As they make their way outside, Elrond and Saruman arrive to confront the Nine Ringwraiths that circle them, spectral figures wreathed in shadow and malice.Elrond: "These foul creatures shall not have him!"Saruman: (with conviction) "Stand firm, Lord Elrond! I will not allow them to take the Grey Wizard."The Nazgûl advance, but Galadriel steps forward, her face resolute as she channels the power of Nenya, her voice ringing with defiance.Galadriel: "You have no power here, servants of Morgoth! Begone!"With a final surge of light, she casts Sauron and the Nine from Dol Guldur. She collapses, her strength drained, and Elrond supports her as she falls.Elrond: "We must warn the Free Peoples. This darkness has not yet passed."Saruman: (calmly) "Take her to safety, Elrond. I will deal with Sauron."As the refugees camp in the ruins of Dale, Thranduil arrives with his elven army, determined to reclaim his share of Erebor's wealth. Meanwhile, Azog marshals his orc forces nearby, sending Bolg to gather reinforcements from Gundabad.Inside the mountain, Taranis, Bilbo, and the dwarves observe the gathering forces with growing anxiety.Bilbo: (pacing) "Thorin won't listen. He's sealed himself off from reason... from everything."Dwalin: "I've known Thorin my whole life, but I don't recognize him now. This madness... it's consuming him."Bilbo: (worried) "And it's brought them here—Thranduil, the refugees from Lake-town. And now orcs... we're surrounded."Taranis: (with determination) "If Thorin won't protect his people, then we will. This isn't just his fight anymore."Kíli: (resolute) "We can't abandon them. Lake-town suffered enough; they don't deserve this."Taranis: "We've been through too much to let this end in greed and bloodshed. Whatever it takes, we'll defend those who can't defend themselves."The dwarves exchange nods of agreement, rallying themselves for the impending battle.