It was a long climb up the secret stairs, arriving at the top of the backside of the mountain near sunset and ate more rations for their supper. They stood at the back of the mountain afterward as orange light filled the sky and the sun descended towards the horizon.

"Strange, there is no keyhole appearing."

"Last light may not mean right now, there is also dusk to consider, Balin."

"A very sensible remark, Emily. Let us wait."

With the first stars of the evening, Thorin was able to use the key he had been given to open a way in that perhaps only ancient kings utilized. "Now Master Baggins, it is your turn. Go in and see if the dragon sleeps or is dead. While you are in there, keep an eye out for the Arkenstone. It's a big jewel the size of your hand, glowing with light. There is no other like it in the whole world."

"Right. If you hear roaring, get out of here."

"Not without you." Bofur insisted and everyone else nodded their assent.

Bilbo smiled gratefully and disappeared into Erebor. He made his way cautiously down, getting lost at times in the labyrinthine corridors of the last mighty dwarven kingdom. He arrived in what he assumed had once been the throne room, which spanned out as far as the eye could see, and large piles of treasure nearly reached the cavernous ceiling above. He could not discern if any of those mounds were their nemesis of a dangerous, fire-breathing beast who coveted gold with fierce jealousy and tip-toed across as quietly as he could.

Many gems caught his attention, albeit none matched the description Thorin provided. The seas of treasure went on for miles in every direction and he knew there was no way he would be able to find this Arkenstone by himself unless it lay in plain sight and he doubted he would be that fortunate. Since Thorin defined it as the only jewel of its kind, reason indicated Smaug kept the greatest prize closest to his person regardless if he were dead or alive.

He lost his footing on an unstable pile of coins and slid for several meters before he regained his balance, stopped his momentum, and heard his heart hammer loudly in his ears as the loose change continued its almost musical descent down the golden hill. He took deep breaths till his pulse calmed again and swallowed in terror as he spotted a closed eye amidst the disrupted treasure. He put on the ring he had found in the goblin caves, nervously hoping it would allow him to remain unseen as it had previously.

The huge slitted eye opened and a low growl filled the chamber. "Strange. Your scent is strong intruder, yet I do not see you. There is no need to trouble yourself with subterfuge, I know you are here. No? Very well, we shall play a game of hiding and seeking. However, I feel I must warn you I have never failed to catch quarries before. I have quite the advantage, with hearing capable of picking up the slightest noise and my nostrils can detect minuscule changes in body odor you are unaware of excreting."

Bilbo forced himself to breathe slowly to keep his heart rate in check and watched the massive dragon slither out slowly from inside his hoard, muscles refusing to move.

"You are trying to be undetectable and I congratulate you for being better than others who have attempted to steal from me." Smaug continued and wound his long, scaled neck back and forth as he crept ever closer. "I can discern you have something auriferous on your person and I know you value your gilded bauble, for why else would you wear it? I too, have adorned myself in the finest of my collection."

Bilbo gasped involuntarily as Smaug stood fully upright to reveal a reptilian underbelly that was almost completely covered in gold and jewels, save for one spot on the left breast which looked concave like something had barely missed and knocked off a scale instead. He was so surprised, he tugged off his ring which he had been fiddling with.

"I see you have decided to emerge at last. Tell me, intruder, what do you think of my armor?"

"It...uh...pales in comparison to your greatness, Smaug the Magnificent."

"You have the advantage of knowing who I am, yet I do not reciprocate. Why don't I recognize your smell?"

"I..." Bilbo cleared his throat. "I journeyed from very far away, much farther than the legends about you say you traveled, Smaug the Great."

"Is that so? How curious." His tail swished behind him, stirring up his wealth into a gilded cloud that dispersed itself in every direction. "What is your reason for coming, intruder? To try to fool me with compliments while you pilfer from me?"

"No. I am very young and rebellious and ran away from home." Bilbo almost smiled at the irony of the statement, for he had often done that as a child, much to the chagrin of his mother who was doing her best to raise him to be a respectable Hobbit. He wondered if she would be proud or ashamed of his current actions. Everyone back in the Shire was likely gossiping he'd taken off in a similar manner as in the past and how it had only been a matter of time with his Took blood.

"A fascinating yarn you weave. Anything else you would like to claim?"

"I survived traveling through goblin tunnels and the spider-infested forest of Mirkwood."

"Is that so?" Smaug breathed hot air on Bilbo and looked like he was grinning as his guest squirmed. "I am quite familiar with the taste of goblin and troll and dwarf. Spawn of Ungoliant have never dared to come near me. What are they like?"

"Giant and hungry. I didn't stick around to get a closer look, though I can honestly say they are smarter than I to not risk incineration."