Answers to reviews:
Rimmy: Well, here it is.
RedSovereign88: I am trying to draw up ideas to what he could've inherited from Morgoth. I'm also looking into similar abilities from the Middle-Earth games, specifically the powers of the Wraith. Liante can dominate the minds and will of others, like how Talion can do, as can Sauron.
Guest: I'm actually thinking of Liante having some like the Daedric armour from Skyrim, but with a similar cloak to what Talion wears after putting on Isildur's ring, or the Nazgul cloak if I have to be more specific.
Light Hero Kaiser: Thanks.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit. I only own the OC Liante.
Morning came, the sun casting beautiful hues of pink and orange across the lake, but none of the company were there to greet it. After the chaos of the previous few days - with their journey down the forest river, their days of travel, the rather disastrous feast, Liante's return, and Liante healing Kili's leg with kingsfoil. The Dwarves had asked Liante on how he knew the art of Elfish healing, and Liante told them that he's been around Elves long enough to study their ways of healing, especially when it came to poison. Now, they were ready to leave Lake-Town.
For today, they head for the Lonely Mountain.
It came as no surprise that the Master was not sorry to see them go, though it was clear the fat man tried hard to hide it. Considering how the Dwarves made a mess of the man's house in their feast and drinking, Liante could understand why the man would be happy that the company was leaving. The Master of Lake-Town had declared with much embellishment and gesticulation that the men of the lake would help in whichever ways they could.
This turned out to be in the form of boats, ponies, and supplies. The ponies had been sent ahead to meet them at their appointed landing-place on the northern shore.
The company were gathered in front of the people of Laketown before they left, and the Master announced quite unexpectedly that Thorin had a speech to give them. One glance at the suddenly irate expression on his face told Liante that Thorin most certainly did not wish to have to give such a speech, but with the expectation of the town suddenly on his shoulders, he stepped forward to address the crowd.
He was quiet for a moment, mulling over his words, before his powerful voice echoed over the silent wooden streets. It was as if the very wind had stilled in order to listen to him speak. "This company began its quest many months ago, to reclaim what was taken from us, to fight back against that which has sunk its claws into our land and tried to drag us down with it. We are now nearing the end of our journey, with the aid of you good people, who have armed us and clothed us, and have given us time to rest and regain our strength. Your service to us will not be forgotten, this I can promise you." He paused, glancing at the company, who were watching him with proud expressions. "There is a lesson to be learned here, I think," he added, frowning thoughtfully. "There were many who said nothing less than an army would be able to make it to the mountain. But we have achieved that with just fifteen. Ten Dwarves who are my kin through blood and through bonds, whom I trust with my life and whom I would gladly die for; a Hobbit who offered us aid, who had many reasons and many chances to turn back, but who chose to stay with us, to help us reclaim our home when his lay behind him; my two heirs, my greatest warriors and the ones I have entrusted with the legacy of our bloodline, who have proven themselves a hundred times over and will undoubtedly do so a thousand times more; and finally, a human, who while quite mysterious showed no fear in offering his aid against a dragon." He paused again, but this time only briefly. "Fifteen souls make up this company, and I would take each and every one of them over any army that was offered to me, because they have shown that there are greater things out there than sheer strength. Loyalty. Honour. A willing heart. That is all that is ever needed to achieve what was thought to be impossible, and they have proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt."
Thorin's words were met with silence at first, no one knowing quite how to react. Then in a split-second the air was crackling with thunderous cheers and frantic applause, and Thorin turned back to his company, all of whom were deeply touched by his words. Thorin offered them all a smile and a nod, which was returned by each and every one of them.
'Not a bad speech, better than most of the ones I've heard.' Liante thought with a small smile.
Then the Master interrupted their moment with a flamboyant cry of farewell, and the company was escorted to the edge of the town, and it was from here that they would depart for the mountain.
Three large boats left Laketown amidst falling leaves, a cold wind in the air, and the boats were accompanied by the cheers and singing of the people of Laketown as they leaned out of their windows and over balcony railings to shout their fond farewells to the company.
There was a lightness to the group at first, as they were all eager to restart their journey and continue onwards to the mountain. Within the next few hours the full weight of their next task began to settle on their shoulders, and a strange quietness overcame the company, as it had not done since they were lost amongst the tall eaves of Mirkwood. All eyes looked ahead at the towering form of the Lonely Mountain, and all minds drifted to the slumbering dragon inside its walls. Yet hope remained, for perhaps the dragon Smaug had simply died in his sleep in the many long years that had passed since the fall of Erebor.
Liante begged to differ about that. Dragons simply don't just die in their sleep unless very ill. And a dragon like Smaug... Liante knew he was still alive, but asleep as he had been for about sixty years.
They remained on the lake for two more days, before they drew into the western bank of the river mouth and disembarked. Here they were met with the ponies that were sent for them, enough for each Dwarf and Bilbo. There was no horse waiting for Liante, for he had agreed with Thorin that he would scout ahead and meet them at Dale, so long as he didn't beforehand find anything to cause alarm. As soon as his feet met the sodden ground of the riverbank, he shared a sharp nod with Thorin, and darted ahead. The plan was for the Dwarves to collect their fresh supplies and gather them together, and then sort out the provisions that they didn't need, which were to be returned to Esgaroth post-haste. The Dwarves would then settle for the night by the river and continue in the morning.
Liante moved swiftly through the barren land in a half-crouch, his eyes scanning the ground for any sign of disturbance. Here and there were dotted the hoof-prints of deer, and the little feet of what were most likely rabbits or hares, but there were no other signs of life. Certainly, there was no suggestion that their orcish hunters had managed to overtake them. Though this was good news for their progress, it made Liante concerned, wondering what could draw the Orcs away from their hunt.
'Orcs don't simply stop pursuing their prey.' Liante thought with a frown, glancing at the sky briefly. Could this have something to do with the Necromancer in Dol Guldur? That reminded Liante that once he had helped the Dwarves take care of Smaug, whether the dragon is forced out of the mountain or killed, Liante must begin making his journey to Mordor.
If Sauron has indeed returned, Liante cannot delay in searching for signs of his return. And if he has indeed returned, then Mordor is where Liante will find his clues, considering Mordor is Sauron's domain, his stronghold, where his fortress of Barad-dûr laid.
It was nightfall by the time Liante reached the ruined city of Dale, the city Smaug destroyed before turning his attention to Erebor. The houses were crumbling, with gaping holes in the roofs and rubble in the empty streets. Even the palace's dome roof had caved in, leaving it open to the elements. In the shadow of the mountain, it seemed devoid of everything that once gave it life - where before its presence next to the greatest dwarf kingdom of Middle Earth gave it power and beauty, now the city's emptiness seemed only more haunting to bear witness to.
It was upon this ledge that Liante waited for the rest of the company, eyes scanning the far horizon, where he clapped eyes on the front entrance of Erebor for the first time. Above the great doors was a balcony, and from that came a steady flow of steam. Liante knew with absolute certainty, in that moment, that Smaug was most certainly alive within those halls. And somehow they - a group of thirteen Dwarves, a Hobbit, and a Vala/Ungol hybrid - were going to slay the beast.
The Dwarves met Liante a little before midday, their mounts growing agitated in the presence of the mountain. They tossed their heads and shuffled their feet nervously as they were pulled to a halt, and the company dismounted from their ponies.
"If you have doubts of Smaug still being alive... the steam from the mountain will dismiss them. For he is still alive." Liante said, pointing to the steam as Thorin came to stand beside him. The company fanned out, either looking at the city of Dale or at the gates of Erebor.
"What is this place?" Bilbo's voice was strained as it broke the silence of their surroundings, and Liante glanced over at him from his place above everyone else's heads. He had grown pale, as if only just realising the scale of the destruction Smaug could cause.
He should see the scale of destruction Ancalagon and Glaurung caused in their time.
Balin, who was stood beside Bilbo, answered solemnly, "It was once the city of Dale. Now it is a ruin - the desolation of Smaug."
"The sun will soon reach its peak," Thorin noted with a concerned frown. "We must find the hidden door before it sets. Come on."
"Wait!" Bilbo called, and everyone paused to look at him. "Is... Isn't this the overlook? Gandalf said to wait for him here. On no account were we-"
"Do you see him?" Thorin cut in, more harshly than he had intended. He shook his head. "We have no time to wait upon the wizard." He glanced at the mountain, then at the dwarves around him. "We're on our own," he declared at last, before heading down what was clearly a familiar path with his pony in tow. "Come!"
As the day progressed, their hope at finding the hidden door dwindled. On the western side of the mountain there were few signs of disturbance, suggesting Smaug had never or rarely come this far from the main gate, and there was some grass for the ponies. If the map was true, somewhere high above the cliff at the valley's head would stand the hidden door. They searched with no success for much of the day, but the darkness of evening was just beginning to blanket them when a shout from Bilbo had the company all raising their heads with renewed hope. The Hobbit had found a staircase, and after following it upward there came traces of a narrow track that wandered on to the top of a narrow ledge. They followed this ledge, before the wall suddenly opened behind them and they turned into a little steep-walled bay. It was not a cave, and was indeed open to the elements, but the wall facing them was flat and smooth - an obvious sign of a stone mason's work. There was no joint nor crevice, nor any keyhole, yet there was not one among them who doubted that this was the door they had searched for.
With a light in his eyes that was seldom seen, Thorin took out the map of his father and recited the final line: "The last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole."
But the sun continued to sink lower and lower, and with no sign of the keyhole things were becoming desperate. Liante narrowed his eyes as he glanced up at the setting sun.
'It couldn't be that easy. The last light could mean anything, the sun rising, the sun setting, the moon... the moon!' Liante's eyes widened with realisation.
"The moon." He said, getting everyone's attention. "The last light of Durin's Day is not the sun, but the moon."
"How can you be sure of this?" Thorin demanded, taking an almost threatening step forward.
"It was through moon runes that you discovered this hidden door. It stands to reason, that the moon's light will be what reveals the keyhole." Liante explained.
Thorin huffed, but Liante could see the brief spark of hope in his eyes. "For your sake, I hope you're right," he said sharply.
A knocking suddenly sounded. The company turned to the rock, only to see a female thrush with a snail shell in her beak. She hit it against the rock, hard, and a small piece of the stone fell away, revealing a slightly misshapen keyhole. Thorin stared at it in astonishment and awe. He looked gratefully up at Liante, who simply gave a nod.
Thorin stepped forward. Slowly, he inserted the key and turned it. Great mechanisms sounded, and then faded. With a powerful heave, Thorin pushed the door open, revealing a dark corridor leading into the depths of Erebor.
"Erebor..." Thorin said in quiet disbelief. Balin choked up a little, too. "I remember these walls... These walls, this stone. You remember it, Balin? Chambers filled with golden light."
Balin stepped into the tunnel. "I remember." He glanced up at something - Liante couldn't see what, as he was still outside. "Herein lies the seventh kingdom of Durin's Folk. May the heart of the mountain unite all Dwarves in the defence of this home," he read.
"What's that?" Bilbo asked, pointing at something that, again, Liante couldn't see.
"The throne of the King," Balin replied proudly.
Bilbo paused. "And above it?"
"The Arkenstone."
"Arkenstone..." Bilbo mused. "And what's that?"
"That, Master Burglar," Thorin said, placing a hand on Bilbo's shoulder, "is why you are here."
As everyone glanced at the halfling, he looked somewhat bewildered, but Liante could see he was also determined and resolute.
"He won't be going alone." Liante said as he made his way in and past the company. "The only thing I can say... is pray Smaug is asleep and we don't wake him up until it's time to force him out."
Balin and Bilbo followed him. After a while, they reached another corridor and stopped. "So... you want me to find a jewel?" Bilbo asked, uncertain.
"A large white jewel, yes." Balin replied with a nod.
"That's it?" Bilbo frowned. "Only, I'd imagine there are quite a few down there."
Balin smiled, almost sadly. "There is only one Arkenstone. You will know it when you see it."
Bilbo seemed ready to go as Liante waited up ahead, but the Hobbit hesitated. Balin seemed to understand why. "In truth, lad, I do not know what you will find down there. You needn't go if you don't want to, there's no dishonour in turning back."
Bilbo adamantly shook his head. "No. Balin, I promised I would do this, and I think I must try."
Balin looked contemplatively at Bilbo, then began to chuckle. "It never ceases to amaze me."
"What's that?"
"The courage of Hobbits." Balin said, and Liante couldn't help but agree. Bilbo had surprised him many times during this journey. "Go now with as much luck as you can muster."
They nodded at each other, and Bilbo proceeded down the tunnel while Balin turned back. The old Dwarf then seemed to remember something, for he said, "Oh, and Bilbo... If there is, in fact, a live dragon down there... don't waken it."
Bilbo looked extremely worried but nodded anyway. He walked a few more steps, then turned, as if to ask a question, but Balin was already disappearing around a corner.
"Come on." liante said to the Hobbit and led the way.
"Have you... have you ever faced a dragon?" Bilbo asked quietly, hoping that their voices wouldn't be heard by Smaug, wherever he was.
"I have." Was the simple respone.
"And have you... killed dragons?"
"Yes. Dragons much stronger and bigger than Smaug. But one that I refused to become an enemy of would be Ancalagon, the first and greatest dragon created by Morgoth." Liante said with a quiet sigh, remembering the great dragon. Ancalagon had been loyal to Morgoth, and extended that loyalty to Liante seeing as he was his master's son. Ancalagon was probably the only one at the time that Liante considered a close friend.
"Ancalagon... the dragon that's bigger than a mountain?" Bilbo asked with wide eyes.
"Ancalagon was much bigger, even bigger than this mountain." Liante said with a chuckle, remembering Ancalagon's size, which is one of the reasons why he proved himself the strongest of his race in the First Age.
After a while, they reached a great, cavernous room. There were piles and piles of gold.
"So, this is what many debate coming in to steal." Liante said quietly. "I could see why Smaug would come for it. Dragons love gold as much as they love themselves. Be cautious, Bilbo. While we cannot see Smaug... that doesn't mean he cannot see us."
Bilbo gulped but nodded and walked onto the gold. He poked around, no doubt looking for the Arkenstone. Liante raised an eyebrow when the Hobbit found a large white jewel and examined it.
"What's that?" The hobbit asked himself quietly, his voice barely reaching her from her position ten metres away. He shook the jewel and continued examining it; deciding that it was not the Arkenstone, he carelessly threw it aside, then jumped when it clattered and made a lot of noise. Continuing to look around, Bilbo muttered, "Arkenstone, Arkenstone... a large, white jewel. Very helpful," to himself.
Sighing, Liante realised that they were surrounded by so much treasure that it would be impossible for him to find one particular jewel out of all of it, unless he had all the time in the world which, incidentally, he did not.
Nevertheless, Bilbo climbed up a mountain of gold. He picked up a golden cup, and this action started a small avalanche of coins. Liante watched, alarmed, as the coins falling away revealed Smaug's eye, which thankfully was shut. But the son of Morgoth knew it would stay that way for long.
All was silent, and it seemed like Smaug was still asleep. Suddenly, the great dragon snorted, and the treasure around his nose fell away, revealing not only that but also the general size of his head. Smaug then shifted his head, causing Bilbo to back away before he and Liante saw Smaug's eyelid begin to move an open.
Liante grabbed Bilbo and pulled him behind a column. All was silent, not even the dragon's breathing could be heard, but then did hear the clattering of gold as it fell. Liante peeked around and saw Smaug had fully awoken, raising his head from the gold he was submerged in. The dragon took several sniffs of the air before he growled lowly, knowing he had intruders in the mountain.
"Well, thief, I smell you." Smaug began slowly with a deep, growling voice. He seemed to take joy in what he said. Liante almost rolled his eyes, of course dragons liked to hear themselves speak. "I hear your breath. I feel your air. Where are you?"
Liante put a hand around Bilbo's mouth and quietly moved them to hide another column, but Smaug seemed to pick up their footsteps and snapped his head in that direction before moving over. Liante continued to move in a way that the dragon would not spot them. The son of Morgoth and Bilbo hid behind another column.
"Come now, don't be shy." Smaug drawled. "Step into the light. Mmm, there is something about you, something you carry. Something made of gold, but far more... precious."
Liante shut his eyes as that word seemed to echo in his head, and he felt... something calling to him, but he ignored it.
"What do we do?" Bilbo asked quietly.
Liante looked around, trying to find a way out before the dragon noticed them. However, before he could plan that, a shadow fell over them as Smaug caught sight of them after moving his head around the column they were hiding at.
"There you are." The dragon cooed mockingly before saying with venom in his words. "Thieves in the shadows."
Before Liante coud make a move, Bilbo was quick to speak. "We did not come to steal from you, O Smaug the Unassessably Wealthy. I merely wanted to gaze upon your magnificence, to see if you really were as great as the old tales say. I did not believe them."
'Clever Hobbit.' Liante thought with a small smirk. But flattering a dragon only goes so far.
Hearing this, Smaug stomped several yards away and drew himself up so his entire body was visible to Bilbo and Liante.
"And... do you now?!" The dragon demanded with a bellow.
Bilbo nodded and spoke again, though his voice shook. "Truly, the tales and songs fall utterly short of your enormity, O Smaug the Stupendous."
Smaug somehow managed to sneer. "Do you think flattery will keep you alive?"
"No- no, no." Bilbo stuttered nervously.
"No indeed." Smaug hissed before he moved closer, inspecting both Bilbo and Liante with curious eyes. "You seem familiar with my name, but I don't remember smelling your kind before." He remarked to Bilbo before looking at Liante. "And you... you smell very familiar."
Liante and Smaug have never met, but it won't take Smaug long to figure out who and what Liante was.
"Who are you and where do you come from; may I ask?" Smaug asked, though it was clearly he was demanding than asking.
Bilbo opened his mouth to speak but then suddenly something drew his gaze to the side. Liante followed it. It was the Arkenstone; a white gem glowing with an unnatural light, buried under only a single layer of coins.
"I- I come from under the hill." Bilbo stated nervously.
"Underhill?"
"And under hills and over hills my path has led. And, and, through the air. I am he who walks unseen." Bilbo said.
"Impressive." Smaug growled a little. "What else do you claim to be?"
"I am... luck-wearer. Riddle-maker."
"Lovely titles; go on."
"Barrel-rider."
"Barrels? Now that is interesting." Smaug drew back a little. "And what about your little Dwarf friends? Where are they hiding?"
"Dw-Dwarves? No, no, no Dwarves here. You've got that all wrong." Bilbo stuttered helplessly.
Smaug growled, low and long. "Oh, I don't think so, barrel-rider. They sent you in here to do their dirty work while they skulk about outside."
"Truly, you are mistaken, O Smaug, Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities."
"You have nice manners... for a thief and a liar! I know the smell and taste of dwarf. No one better. It is the gold! They are drawn to treasure like flies to dead flesh."
As Smaug looked over the gold in emphasis, Liante nudged Bilbo and gave him a gesture to run before he faced Smaug.
"Like your kind aren't?" He challenged, causing Smaug's head to snap to him.
"What did you say?" Smaug growled.
"You heard me." Liante said, moving and making sure to keep Smaug's eyes on him while Bilbo snuck towards the Arkenstone. "Dragons are always drawn to gold in the same way greed draws all manner of creature."
Smaug growled lowly. "It was the greed of the Dwarf King Thror that brought me to this mountain, and it was his greed and sickness... that lost him this mountain. Did you think I did not know this day would come?!" Smaug slammed his tail into the gold, sending most of it hurtling, including the Arkenstone. Bilbo had to run after it. "That a pack of canteen Dwarves would come crawling back to the mountain?!"
"One such as yourself knows that his enemies would return." Liante said casually. "You have been asleep for sixty years, Smaug. Surely, you didn't think that Dwarves would let go of their stubborn nature."
"If the Dwarves are so keen on meeting their end at my teeth... then they shall!" Smaug declared with narrowed eyes. "My teeth are swords! My claws are spears! My wings are a HURRICANE!"
'I've forgot how much dragons like to brag and boast about themselves.' Liante thought with a quiet sigh.
"Tell me, what brings a man and a strange creature along with a group of Dwarves?" Smaug inquired as he stared down at Liante. "Who could've..." Something seemed to dawn in Smaug's eyes before they narrowed as he spat. "it's Oakenshield! That filthy Dwarvish usurper. He sent you in here for the Arkenstone, didn't he?"
"And what makes you think that?" Liante asked, casting a glance to Bilbo to see he was close to the Arkenstone.
"Don't bother denying it! I guessed his foul purpose sometime ago." Smaug's tone then took on a dark tone of glee and a purr. "But it matters not. Oakenshield's quest will fail. The darkness is coming. It will spread to every corner of the land."
Liante's eyes narrowed at that. "The darkness? What darkness?"
Smaug laughed. "What else? I have felt the stirring of an ancient evil. A nameless fear has returned to Middle-Earth." Smaug looked intently at Liante, inhaling the air through his nostrils before his eyes snapped wide. "Oh... how did I not see it? Should I feel honoured, the son of Morgoth himself before me?"
"No, you really shouldn't." Liante said with his arms crossed. "I will give you one chance, Smaug. Your kind was loyal to my father once, and I'm certain that loyalty has not diminished overtime."
"I am slave to no one! I bow to no one! I have no master!" Smaug growled.
"Leave this mountain and never return! Do so, and you will be spared. Return to the Withering Hearth with what's left of your kind." Liante demanded.
Smaug snarled. "And let my mountain be pillaged and stinking of Dwarves? No, I think not. You think it will be so easy, son of Morgoth? To find the Arkenstone and hand it to Oakenshield? I am... almost tempted to let you find and take it to him. If only to see him suffer. Watch it destroy him... watch it corrupt his heart and drive him mad! But I think not... I think our little game ends here."
"So be it." Liante muttered before he unsheathed his sword. Smaug tensed, his body ready to spring like a snake hidden in the grass. Liante's eyes narrowed as he searched for any kind of weak spots on Smaug. Dragons were tough to kill, especially with their tough hides. As Smaug drew himself up, his chest beginning to glow as a sign of him about to breath fire, Liante then saw it.
A scale was missing over his chest.
If Liante could get close enough, and he was low enough to be within reach, she could kill him with a single blow.
With a roar, Smaug lunged for Liante who rolled to the side, slashing his sword across Smaug's neck but did no damage due to the tough hide. Liante growled before he leapt onto Smaug's neck and tried to repeatedly stab him.
"You cannot harm me!" Smaug roared as he shook him off, wrapping his tail around Liante and throwing him into a stone column. "My armour is iron! No blade can pierce ME!"
"Is that a challenge? I have slain your kind in the past." Liante said with a grunt as he stood. Out the corner of his eye, he noticed the rest of the company arrive, weapons out. Smaug also noticed them and roared with rage.
"YOU WILL BURN!" The dragon roared as he prepared to burn them, his chest glowing with fire that was ready to burst from his mouth. Liante gripped his sword and spotted his opening... and threw the sword.
The sword sailed through the air... and was buried deep through where the missing scale was, piercing his flesh and into his lungs and heart.
The roar that came next meant those nearby had to clap their hands over their ears to stop from being deafened. His roar was heard easily in Laketown, and in Mirkwood, and even in the house of Beorn, where the skin-changer perked his ears as the sound came to him.
Smaug's corpse slumped on the ground, motionless and empty. The tyranny of the dragon had come to an end.
I know that was a bit anti-climactic and not an interesting fight... but considering who Liante is, if I drew the fight out it would've been pointless. Smaug did get a hit in, but Liante had to wait for an opening to end Smaug.
Now, we'll be entering the Battle of the Five Armies part. Liante... will NOT have a major role in that conflict. Little spoiler here, he will have to go to Dol Guldur to free Gandalf, and then begin his journey to Mordor. He did what he set out to do, he helped the company get rid of Smaug, so he has no obligation to stick around anymore.
Also, is there a problem with Fanfiction? When I post a chapter or new story, the views just stay at zero, even though I'm getting reviews, favourites and followers.
It's been like this since either Thursday or Friday for me, so does anyone have an explanation or is it the website being a bastard again?