A/N: Hey guys! I'm writing this as an entry to a contest on the Lord of The Rings Amino. That being said, I haven't submitted it yet, so any/all reviews and comments would be AWESOME! Because it takes me a while just to get 1000 words written and I want to publish this first part today, I will presenting this is chapters. I'm not planning on it being too long though, just 2-3. This story is based off a drawing I found somewhere on Pinterest.

Time took: About 1 hour, including the research I did to write this.

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 1

"Do not talk to me of dragonfire! I know its wrath and ruin..

I have faced the great serpents of the North."

~King Thranduil, The Desolation of Smaug

Fighting for your people is always a brave and courageous thing. When you're a leader, it shows that you care, and it shows that you are worthy of your throne. Yet.. Battle can also be a very dangerous thing. It is rare to return home with everyone intact, much less alive. Even for a small army of elves, who are quick to heal, the effects of battle can be devastating… There are some injuries that not even an elf can recover from.

Many, many years ago, about 1,000 years to be more precise, the mighty Elven King Thranduil took a small army of Greenwood's finest warriors to the north. There, at the Withered Heath, they went to kill the last of the dragons living and breeding there. Dragons were horrible, deadly, greedy creatures, who, in the minds of countless people, needed to be killed.

Thranduil was many things, but he wasn't a coward. He wasn't afraid to kill a dragon. The only thing he worried about is what would happen to his son if he got injured or even died while fighting the dragon.. Legolas. After Thranduil's wife had been murdered by orcs, Legolas was all he had left. If it hadn't been for him, he would have faded away. Despite the growing darkness of the shadow, Legolas had always been like a beacon of light. Thranduil couldn't imagine his reaction if he returned to Greenwood in a.. Less than satisfactory condition.. Legolas was very young in the eyes of their people, a mere elfling. The risk was worth taking though. It was because of Legolas that Thranduil wanted those dragons dead. He didn't want his son to grow up in any more of the shadow than he had to…

The warriors of Greenwood the Great had been traveling for about four days now, and they were nearly to the Withered Heath. Though every single warrior here was very brave, some did fear. They had faced many foes before, but none had been as destructive as a dragon. Never had faced a dragon before, they didn't know what to expect. They had heard rumors of course, but they didn't know how many of them were actually true. One thing they knew was true though - dragons took many lives in the past.

Once they finally reached the dragon territory, Thranduil held up a hand, signaling for the warriors to stop. "Be on guard. Look for any sign of dragons. If you catch sight of one of their lairs, alert me immediately." He spoke quietly, yet with their elven hearing, every single warrior heard perfectly well. They continued on, their light footsteps not heard by any living thing.

Hours had passed before they finally stumbled upon a lair. Thranduil could only guess what was inside. There could be one single dragon, or multiple. There could be hoards of treasure, or none at all. Giving out orders to the other elves, they started in.

Even for an elf, it was mighty dark inside. Several held torches so they could see, but were careful not to make the flame too big. They wanted to come across the dragon asleep, for it would be much easier to slay. Suddenly though, the cave was filled with noise. Thranduil looked to the ground and found that they were walking on gold coins. As hard as they tried, they couldn't help but make a little racket as they walked. It was a shame, for the noise of the elves walking on gold was all it took to awaken the great beast.

A loud rumble echoed throughout the large cave as the gold shifted, knocking several elves over. Thranduil's eyes narrowed. So the dragon was awake. Fine. He could handle a dragon, even if he was alone. He held his sword out in front of him as he waited for the dragon to emerge. It was silent for a moment. Then, a huge form flew out of the enormous pile of gold and other treasures. The warriors all jumped back in alarm. This beast was larger than any of them could imagine. The dragon looked Thranduil in the eye.

"It has been a while since I last had visitors," a deep and frightening voice rang out. "-And elves no less. What brings you to my lair?"

Thranduil glared at the scaly beast. "We have come to slay you. You're kind are no longer welcome in this land," he said cooly.

The dragon growled at this news and suddenly flew up, the cave being big enough for it to do so. "If one of us is to be slayed, elf, it will be you."

With that, the dragon blew fire at the warriors, who managed to dodge it in time. Several archers shot arrows at the dragon, but they had no effect. Because it was in the air, they could not cut it with their swords. For once in his life, Thranduil was at a loss of what to do. The dragon blew another gust of fire, and this time, it hit its target. The majority of the warriors got out of the way before the fire could hit them. Those who couldn't escape the flame held up their shields, which protected them against the fire. Thranduil wasn't so lucky though..

Before the elven king was fully aware of what was happening, a huge gust of fire hit him. It reached the left side of his body, going from his face to the end of his torso. He staggered backwards. The pain was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. It burned so badly he was sure his whole body was on fire. The pain was so intense that he couldn't bring himself to get up. Before he knew it, the world turned into a blur and all he saw was darkness.

Tbc…

A/N: So how was that for a first chapter? I'm getting really into this story. It was never fully explained how Thranduil got his scar, so I wanted to write about it. Next chapter, little Legolas, Elrond, and the twins will be showing up. Please leave a comment! If there's anyway I can improve this, please let me know!