Chapter 3 is finally here :D
I feel like I'm updating every day (because that's technically what I'm doing) but it won't last forever U_U
Chapter 4 is nearly done and I'm about to begin chapter 5 so yay :D
Anyways, don't forget to go check out Durch-Leiden-Feude's art for this story (because that's what inspired it in the first place) she also said she was in the mits of something else for this story so yayyyzzz
Anywho, ENJOY and review and fav if you liked :D
EDIT: So apparently there's a 14 hour time difference between me and the boss so instead of waiting for her thumbs up (which I know she will eventually give) I'm going to post this chapter now :D
Bilbo hadn't slept as he had predicted. And though he couldn't tell day from night, he assumed that he still had a few moments to rest before the Contractor would seek him and task him. He slipped out of his bed, wincing at the cold floor beneath his feet. It was odd of him to notice the freezing tiles but he assumed that, wherever he was, things were much different from Middle Earth. He quietly walked towards the door and opened it slightly as to have a glimpse of the dark hallway before venturing forth.
He shuddered at the frosted breeze tickling his bare arms and legs but soon got used to the abnormally cold temperature. Finally, he found a stairwell and descended carefully for the steps were slippery. Then headed away from the tower in which he spent most of his time since it harboured his room and gladly entered the main hall and noticed that the cold tiles were covered by a torn and damp carpet which would shield his feet. He followed it familiarly, eyeing the doors on either side of the walls bordering the rug before stopping in front of the only door labelled with an orb. Then he looked to his right and then to his left, seeing that the Contractor was nowhere in sight, he pushed the door open, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest as it creaked horribly. He eyed both sides of the corridor again before entering the room.
In the center of said room was a large, floating globe which the Contractor had called the Eye. He had quickly showed Bilbo how the magikal element functioned and explained to him its purpose. The Eye served as a link to Middle Earth and was often used by the Contractor to spy on specific people for various reasons. Since the instructions were simple, Bilbo had had no difficulty in understanding them and memorizing them. He stood firmly in front of it and thought of the one being he wanted to see: Thorin Oakenshield. He concentrated on the Dwarf King's face, the severe look he always bore and his blue eyes of greater value than any precious gem. He thought of his flowing black hair, virgin of any braids for Thorin had never fancied any other dwarf or being. And then Bilbo thought about how much he would have liked to at least stroke the raven black locks but shook the notion away as he realised he was getting distracted.
When Bilbo dared to open his eyes once more, the Eye was slowly focusing on an image of actuality that had the hobbit smile softly in a moment's notice. The Eye showed him a royal dinning hall plastered with gold, gems and the finest silks serving as decorations. In the center of that room was a large table with fourteen seats; only thirteen of which were presently occupied. Thorin sat at the head of the table. He was dressed marvellously with a gorgeous crown sitting atop his head, and for the longest time, Bilbo could only stare at the Dwarf King.
Eventually, Kíli jumped abruptly on his chair and began boasting about the adventure they had embarked on, gesturing grandiosely and widely things he could express with his hands thus distracting the hobbit. Those around him stared at him with large smiles on their faces and occasionally cheered when one of their greatest exploits were mentioned. Their merriment was enough to liven Bilbo's spirits even if he was trapped in a damp, gloomy, rotting castle. He sat down on the floor, propped his elbows on his knees and rested his chin in his hands as he continued to watch his friends with great amusement.
He had been so absorbed by Kíli's odd speech which would serve as his best weapon to woo his future wife that he failed to notice the resonating clicks of the Contractor's footsteps nearing. "What are you doing here?" the Contractor interrupted with his normal, eerie voice which scared Bilbo almost as much as the creaking door had. Bilbo turned to face him with great agitation as he clutched his heart, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"I-it's fine…" Bilbo stuttered as his heart calmed.
"I went to your tower but you had left," the Contractor explained nearing the orb and the hobbit, "I guessed that you would have been here, watching over these people."
Bilbo said nothing for he had nothing to say. Instead, he turned his gaze back towards the globe and was surprised to see that Thorin's face was the only thing perceivable for the magikal object had focused on it. He smiled nonetheless at the sight of the one he would have called King if the chance had ever been given to him.
"Love." The Contractor said. He turned to look at Bilbo but the latter could not see his eyes. "You love him."
"I do." Bilbo agreed after a moment, his cheeks taking in a shade of pink.
"And you gave your life away for him and his nephews." The Contractor recapped, "Knowing full well that, one day, they would die again from a different cause."
Bilbo's heart tightened, he didn't like to think about that. "At least…" he began slowly, "at least they got to live a while longer and lead the lives they were meant to direct."
"Don't you feel…" Thorin's voice echoed from the Eye.
Bilbo's heart leapt at the sound of it but the Contractor who had used his magik to erase the image cut his moment of joy short. "Come." He ordered as he began to leave the room. "You have things to do."
The hobbit stared back at the floating globe now producing no figure and reluctantly followed the Contractor out of the room. In the end, he could always review that event of that instance once he would be allowed a break since time didn't seem to have any effect wherever they were.
"Baggins?" Thorin repeated.
"Yes I believe he was a Baggins." Pippin nodded, "He was also part Took which would also explain why he embarked on the adventure in the first place."
"A Took?" Kíli repeated, "What does that have to do with everything?"
"Well, back home we have different respectable families," Pippin explained, "We, the Tooks, are the less respected of the bunch because we tend to go on adventures."
"What's wrong with adventuring?" Fíli asked, now as intrigued as his brother.
"It's a bad thing, risky business like I said before! It'll make you late for supper!" Pippin quoted, he thought he sounded like the elder hobbits always nagging him and his sisters about the dangers of journeying, "Generally, it's not seen as a good thing to leave home—"
"Enough." Thorin interrupted with a booming voice filled with irritation and annoyance, "What else can you tell us about this…Baggins?" He wouldn't say it just yet but the name felt horribly familiar.
"U-um…not much," Pippin admitted as he tried to think a little more in depth about the story, "When he vanished, almost all of his things left as well. We thought it might have been a burglar's work but after a short investigation, we learned that no one had entered the house since his departure."
"How did you come to that conclusion?" Kíli questioned.
"By the time the elders got to examining the house after he hadn't shown up for months," the hobbit began, "a rather thick layer of dust covered everything remaining in the house. The ones who opened it didn't dare enter before the more skilled of our lot investigated and told us what most likely happened. They said they found no foot prints anywhere, at the exception of those they made once they entered. It's a rather creepy story. No one has dared to buy the house or go near it since it's believed to be haunted or cursed."
"Do you reckon we could visit this house?" Thorin asked.
"Of course you can, but I doubt you'll have time for it!" Pippin said, "My home is days – no, months away from…wherever this is! You know, when I said that Signar was mad, I meant it. But anyway, you're a very important bunch aren't you? I doubt you could just leave for so long."
"Where exactly do you live?" Thorin asked wearily. Every since the official return of the Dwarves to Erebor, work and duties have only been piling up. If the ride to the abandoned home was truly a journey which would last a month or so, Thorin feared he would have to abandon the answers he sought for so long and continue living with the odd dreams for, potentially, the rest of his life.
"I live in the—" Pippin interrupted himself. He paused and eyed the three Dwarves wearily for the first time since they met. Then, the answer he had been giving turned into a question, "You're not invaders, are you? You won't try to take over my kin's land if I tell you, will you?"
"Of course not," Kíli laughed, "We're heroes, not villains!"
"Heroes?" Pippin repeated in awe.
"Aye!" Kíli grinned, "Let me tell you—"
"Keep your speech for your future wife." Fíli interrupted patting his brother's back. He then turned his attention to the hobbit, "Now where"s your home?"
"I…I live in Hobbiton, in the Shire." Pippin admitted hesitantly, "it's a quaint place, we rarely get any visitors except for Gandalf the Grey during the Mid-summer's festival."
"Gandalf?" Fíli and Kíli exclaimed, both brightening at the mention of the wizard's name.
"You know him?" Pippin asked even if the answer was obvious.
"He helped us retake Erebor from the dragon Smaug." Thorin quickly explained, "But that's a story for another time, I'm sure Kíli will enjoy telling it to you – if I base myself off the enthusiasm he expressed while vaguely recounting it during dinner."
Kíli smirked, "We can do it right now, can't we?" he asked, "Our business with the people is done, is it not?"
Thorin evidently knew that his nephew wished to learn more about the little hobbit that had been thrown at their feet mere moments ago, and, after sparing Fíli a quick glance, he knew that his heir wished to do the same. With a sigh, he allowed his nephews to satisfy their curiosity while he left to learn about the distance separating Erebor from the Shire.
"You really fought a dragon?" Pippin asked with a tone of admiration.
"We didn't just fight a dragon!" Kíli added with boastful pride, "We slaughtered it! Let me tell you—"
Thorin rolled his eyes as he walked away from his nephews and the hobbit. Thus, the King Beneath the Mountain retreated to his study and pulled out many maps which he laid on the floor because his desk was much too small to hold all of them. After careful calculations and studying, Thorin concluded that it would take six months to reach the Shire and six months to return home to Erebor. Since the warrant for the mysterious man – now presumed to be a hobbit – had only been given out six months prior to the given day, Thorin assumed that Pippin had been in the middle of an adventure when Signar of Dale apprehended him. Nonetheless, the Dwarf King concluded that he would be absent for a year and that would be unacceptable for a currently rebuilding his kingdom. Disappointedly, he gathered the maps and stored them away ultimately abandoning his personal quest.
He peered towards his window quickly, guessing that he would soon be called for the evening meal. However, Thorin was rather exhausted and decided to retreat to his chambers and rest until he was summoned. He wondered if he would dream about his hobbit or if the hopelessness attributed to understanding the dreams would have them cease.
Bilbo was thankful that the Contractor had picked up on his fatigue and allowed him a moment to rest. Because even the Contractor failed in differentiating night from day, he always worked Bilbo until he assumed a day had passed. The work hours were never continuous, sometimes the hobbit felt like his jobs lasted days or weeks whereas, on other occasions, he could have sworn that his task had only lasted a handful of minutes. Though he didn't complain, he assumed that he would eventually grow accustomed to the odd hours.
For now Bilbo was given a breather and he would spend this moment of relaxation with the Eye, watching Thorin and his friends and assuring himself that they were in good health and spirit. He pushed the creaking door open and entered the room, careful to close it upon his entrance for private purposes. Then, he thought of his friend, his King, with all his might until the orb displayed his face. Bilbo smiled, Thorin was sleeping peacefully in his chambers and he wondered if the dwarf was only napping or if it was night in Erebor.
Entranced by the other's sleeping face and his peaceful features, Bilbo stretched out his hand to feel it and was shocked back to reality when his hand grazed the floating globe. The object that he always believed was made of glass or something of the likes strangely rippled under his embrace as if he had just pervaded the stability of calmed water. Intrigued, Bilbo poked it again summoning the same results as the first time but noticing a heavy, indescribable sound echoing once the globe wrinkled. He repeated the gesture a few more times, allowing his fingers to linger longer in the Eye each time before he pushed in his entire hand. Then, he wondered if there was something in the middle and decided to thrust in his entire arm to attempt touching or feeling the answer when he was suddenly pulled into the globe by a magnetic-like force.
Everything unexpectedly went white and Bilbo felt as though he was disappearing all over again.
When he realised he had closed his eyes, Bilbo opened them and looked around bewildered. There were neither walls nor floors, everything was simply white and Bilbo wondered if he had died even if it was highly improbable. After a moment of merely standing in complete disorientation, he decided to walk in a random direction – ahead. He wasn't sure why but he hoped that, somehow he would find something or someone to tell him where he was and or how to get back – if there was such a thing as going back.
Finally, prior to an endless moment of wandering, Bilbo spotted a silhouette in the distance. It too seemed as lost as he or so the hobbit concluded by the hesitant steps it was taking in nearly every direction.
"Hey!" Bilbo yelled. Whatever it was didn't seem to have noticed him. He tried again a bit louder, "Hey! Excuse me! I need help!"
The silhouette stopped moving and seemed to be looking in his direction. Slowly, it walked towards him and Bilbo felt compelled to meet it half way. His heart was beating fast and the hobbit only realised then how frightened he was by the whole situation. The feeling was incredibly similar to how he first felt when the Contractor had brought him to the Rotting Castle. Thousands of thoughts raced through his head as he got closer to the silhouette who, in return, was getting bigger and began to resemble a Man, Elf and Dwarf. He wondered if the person was nice or if it wanted to harm him. He considered if he should trust it or if this whole thing – the white realm in which he currently strolled – was something the Contractor was testing with Bilbo as the test subject.
The thoughts soon ceased as the silhouette before him started to resemble someone Bilbo had thought he lost long ago. It looked a lot like Thorin Oakenshield, King of Erebor. And before Bilbo knew it, he was running towards the other man resembling his King, who seemed as shocked and as surprised as he. Then his running slowed and eventually he stopped when a meter separated he from Thorin because he now knew that the other man was indeed his King.
"You…" Thorin whispered shocked, "I can…I can finally see your face…"Bilbo didn't answer, he was rather confused and perplexed to hear the other say such a thing. "Why can I see your face? It's normally blurred…"
"I don't understand what you're talking about." Bilbo chuckled awkwardly.
"And this…" Thorin continued, his amazement growing by the second, "this isn't how my dreams normally develop…I can actually speak to you…who are you? Why do you pervade my dreams?"
"Pervade?" Bilbo repeated, vexed by the choice of words, "It's not like I try to bother you in your sleep! And what do you mean 'who are you'? How could you have forgotten me?"
Thorin seemed confused and dismayed by Bilbo's response and it took him a moment to gather his thoughts. "Your name." he requested, ignoring the hobbit's question, "What is your name?"
"Wait…" Bilbo whispered, "You really don't remember me?"
"Your name." Thorin insisted. "I need to know your name. Please. Who knows how long I have left before I awake."
Bilbo paused assessing what he had just learned. Then he looked Thorin dead in the eyes and said: "My name is B—"
The Contractor who seemed rather angered by what the hobbit had done pulled Bilbo out of the Eye with brutal force. The Halfling landed on the stone floor heavily with a thud and gasped for air, looking up at the hooded man with great fear and trouble in his eyes. "What were you doing?" The Contractor growled.
"I-I didn't mean to!" Bilbo defended quickly and frantically. "I-I touched it and it rippled and then it–"
"I showed you how to use the Eye out of kindness," he growled grabbing Bilbo's forearm and yanking him to his feet. "And in return you meddle with things beyond your understanding! Come!"
"Wait!" Bilbo pleaded desperately; he tried to stand his ground but failed miserably, "W-why doesn't he remember me?"
"What?" the Contractor asked, stopping for a short moment.
"Thorin. He doesn't remember me. Why?" he asked calmly but his voice was trembling all the same.
The Contractor released his grip and allowed the hobbit to massage his sore arm. "You wanted them back," he explained, "I had to alter the past in order to have them live again. In this new life, Thorin Oakenshield and company have never met you."
"B-but he recognizes me!" Bilbo argued.
The Contractor stared at his servant, perplexed by the new information given, "What do you mean? You just said he didn't remember you."
"When I met with him, he said he saw me in his dreams," Bilbo explained, "but that he never saw my face until now."
The Contractor frowned visibly, "The spell isn't perfect yet." He mumbled practically to himself. "I'll fix it soon enough." He turned to Bilbo and spoke clearly, "Now come."
Without waiting for another word of protest, the Contractor gripped the hobbit's arm again and dragged him away from the orb. "W-where are we going?" Bilbo asked, watching as Thorin's face faded from the Eye's surface.
"I can not allow you to assume that your actions will go without punishment." The Contractor answered, his voice dark, "Not only are you forbidden to enter this room ever again but you must also serve as my test subject until I deem that you've learned your lesson. And trust me, Mister Baggins, these won't be the normal spells you're used to testing."
