An Unexpected Companion
Chapter 20
Dance of Dragons
The last time Tiki transformed; she used her power to flee. The Balrog was an unknown entity to her. A being whose power she did not know or understand.
Smaug was not like the Balrog. He was a large dragon. His wings spread wider than hers. His fire burned brilliant and hot. And, his claws were sharp as swords. But, he was still a dragon. She had fought dragons before. Medeus and Grima were the first that came to mind. She survived both of them. She gave both of them fights they would never forget.
She would do the same to Smaug. She would not flee this fight.
Her wings hammered the air, kicking dust up from the ground as she soared over the enraged fire dragon. Smaug rolled over onto his feet and shook, flinging gold and jewels from his scales as he tried to shake off Tiki's first blow. He snarled up at her, baring his teeth. Tiki's jaws widened into a smirk.
"Surprised, oh Smaug the Inept? Did you not expect one of your own kin to try to overthrow you?"
Smaug shook his head. His golden gaze glowed in the fading light of the day. When his lips curled back into a snarl, Tiki's smirk faded. Smaug opened his mouth once again. A titanic roar ripped through the sky, followed by a stream of fire so hot it scorched the dead grass beneath his belly.
Tiki rolled to the side, feeling the heat of the flames wash across her scales. Right as she came out of her roll, the bigger dragon hit her, rear talons clawing against her chest while his serpentine head curled above her. Smaug opened his jaws, aiming to sink them into the back of her neck. Tiki's heart quickened. She folded her wings and let her weight sink, throwing Smaug off balance in the air. With a snarl, she snapped a claw out next, raking it across his underbelly, peeling more jewels away from his scales.
I didn't scratch him!?
The world spun as Smaug tossed Tiki to the ground. Right as she was about to smack into the earth, she spread her wings as wide as she could. Wind dragged against the thin membrane, allowing her to catch just enough air to glide mere inches over the now smoldering ground. Smaug's fire followed her, setting the tinder at the base of the Lonely Mountain ablaze.
Tiki made a sharp turn as she drew near the Ruins of Dale. She landed atop one of the tallest parapets still standing and faced Smaug, placing herself between him and Laketown. She stole a glance back at the city. No lights moved across the water. Bells rang in the distance. The city was awake, but no one had fled.
Bard, what are you doing?
"Where did you come from?" Smaug growled as he stalked across the blazing plains, the fire not bothering him in the slightest. "And who are you to claim to be one of my kin? How does one transform from a she-elf to a dragon? No, you are a liar. Deceiver! A changeling that I will destroy!"
"Throughout the entirety of this I have neither lied nor deceived you, Smaug the Slow," Tiki replied, her teeth bared. "I am a dragon. I was born one, raised one, and I will live a long life as one. A luxury you will not be afforded when we are done here."
Smaug chuckled. "You think you can slay me? Do you really think you are the first dragon to challenge me in my lifetime? The North still holds much of my kind, and challenges are commonplace. I survived them all."
"Yet you are here, not there. So you did not win them all."
Smaug snarled and charged. Tiki readied for impact but was thrown off guard when Smaug skidded to a stop and whipped his tail like a club at Dale's walls. The old stone crumbled from the strike. Tiki spread her wings, only to feel a claw strike her left wing, tearing through the delicate skin.
She shrieked. The terrible sound was cut off when Smaug's front claw grabbed the side of her head and tossed her from Dale's walls. The inferno in the plains grew, burning hotter, sending dense walls of black smoke towering into the twilight sky.
Smaug laughed from his new perch. "You speak as if you have the power to defeat me, but you lie in the dirt, my fire licking at your wounds. I stand over you. I am fire and death. What are you but a little lizard with wings; a shadow of something far greater?"
Tiki closed her eyes. Magic built up in her chest, burning through her throat, and scorching her tongue. Her eyes shot open. Her answer was not words. They were, instead, a torrent of green fire, wild and flickering, exploding from her maw and rushing at Smaug.
Smaug shot into the sky, avoiding the flames and allowing Tiki's attack to incinerate the section of Dale he had been standing on. Her first instinct when he dodged was to fly, but he had torn a hole in her wing. She could feel blood trickling across the thin skin, and could hear air whistling through the gap. She could not fly.
She looked to the sky, only for the smoke to obscure her sight. Her eyes stung. She squeezed them shut, feeling tears burning across them as she tried to keep the smoke from blinding her.
"Why do you fight for the dwarves?" Smaug's taunting voice echoed through the black walls. "Why do you defend those that are less than you? They are all nothing more than playthings. Meat for feasting and fools for our amusement. We are gods to the ants that crawl upon the ground!"
"You are no god. You are a tyrant!" Tiki snarled, spinning around, searching for her enemy. The smoke was growing too much though. It smothered her nose and obscured the world around her. Only the peak of the lonely mountain remained visible.
I need to fly! I need to try and-
Talons sank into Tiki's back. She let out a pain-filled screech when fangs bit into the base of her neck next. Then, she was flying, but not because she wanted to. Smaug carried her over the smoke, flying her toward the Long Lake. She writhed and squirmed, her claws flashing, raking at Smaug's scales. She left a dent, but she could not cleave through them. It was as if they were made of iron, and with every passing moment, her strength waned.
Smaug hovered over the lake, each beat of his wings whipping a hurricane around Tiki. Dark rumbles emanated from him.
"Drown in your failure, false dragon," Smaug sneered.
His talons relaxed. The wind whipped around Tiki. Before she could open her mouth to cry out, she crashed into the icy water and sank into its depths.
Bilbo could not blink. His hands sat by his sides, motionless. All the little hobbit could do was stand on the cliff on the side of Erebor and gawk at what he was witnessing. The dwarves were doing the same as two dragons, one crimson and one emerald, engaged in a deadly dance in the black sky.
A gout of fire from Smaug lit up the night, finally breaking Bilbo from his stupor and causing him to take a fearful step back. Cold leather and chainmail kept him from moving any further. Thorin was right behind him, dark gaze fixated on the two dragons dueling over Dale. He could see the shock and dismay in the dwarf prince. If Bilbo were honest with himself, he felt the same.
Gandalf, Elrond, they all insisted that Tiki was one of the elves, hadn't they? Bilbo shook his head. No, that was never the case. Everyone just assumed that Tiki was one of them. A peculiar one, no doubt, but an elf nonetheless. If the ears weren't a giveaway, then her long life was.
"Thorin?" Balin was the first to break the stunned silence on the cliff.
Thorin brushed past Bilbo, his hand sliding off the Hobbit's shoulder. He moved to the edge, staring at the battling dragons. Spellbound. The dwarf prince's hands clenched at his sides. He glanced back at Bilbo.
"Did you know?" He asked, voice low, threatening. Bilbo gulped.
"No."
"And the wizard?"
"I have no idea-"
"So he did!" Thorin roared, even startling the other dwarves in his party. "Gandalf, a liar. I never thought…" Thorin shook his head as he fumed. He looked to the dragons again as they roared and plowed through one of Dale's ruined walls. "Gandalf meant to replace one dragon with another."
Bilbo blinked, his shock at Tiki's sudden transformation morphed into confusion from Thorin's words. He gave the other dwarves a worried look. Worry, fear, surprise, and confusion covered their faces, with even the older dwarves looking perplexed by Thorin's accusation.
"Thorin," Balin's softly said as he stepped toward the prince, "that makes no sense."
"It is a dragon Gandalf can control, don't you see," Thorin replied, teeth gritted. "He means to take the wealth of Erebor and use it for his own ends. But to do so, he needed to be rid of the dragon beyond his grasp."
Dwalin cleared his throat. "Your grace, I-"
"Silence!" Thorin barked, pointing a finger at Dwalin. His eyes blazed as he grew more furious. "I am right. I know it. It is the only thing that makes sense."
"It makes no sense," Bilbo finally piped up.
Thorin's lowered his eyes to the hobbit. For a split second, the dwarf prince's anger abated. He looked surprised by Bilbo's words; that the hobbit, someone he deemed a friend equal to his fellow dwarves, would dare speak up at this moment. Before he could reply with cutting words, Bilbo continued.
"Think about it, Thorin. Please," Bilbo pleaded, moving closer to the dwarf on the ledge. "Tiki is a dragon. But the entire time she traveled with us, she was not."
"Magic, no doubt."
"Well obviously," Bilbo remarked, gesturing to the battle that raged in Dale. "But if she was capable of that all this time, and she was interested in claiming Erebor for herself, or for Gandalf, then why did she not kill us all sooner? Why wait until after she was weakened from fighting Smaug?"
Murmurs came from the other dwarves. Bilbo's heart rose when he saw Kili, Fili, Bifur, and Oin nodding in agreement with him. He could not understand why Thorin could not do the same. Surely he could see that Tiki was not an enemy to them.
"She was there when this company was formed," Bilbo continued, "in my hobbit hole. She broke bread with us, both warm and stale, by a hearth and on the road. She enjoyed the sunlight and endured storms alongside us. Fought against trolls, goblins, orcs, and wargs by our sides. Laughed, smiled, cried, gave and received council all this time being a dragon, and she did not kill us all. Instead, she nearly died saving you." Bilbo pointed at Thorin. "Or have you forgotten that?"
Any uncertainty Bilbo felt until now was gone. He did not fear Thorin's anger. After all, he had faced far more terrifying things on the journey than a furious dwarf.
"That is our friend out there," Bilbo said. "She is fighting our enemy, tooth and nail in the most literal sense of those words, and here we are, questioning if she is on our side!? I think the answer to that is pretty clear. It would have been clear even if she hadn't marched straight up to Erebor's front door, knocked, insulted the dragon, and dared Smaug to do something about it. Quite frankly, her courage is far greater than any of ours." He nodded. "I'm glad to call her a friend. You should be too."
He met Thorin's gaze and did not waver. It was the prince who backed down. His eyes ducked to his feet as his jaw tightened. His fists remained clenched at his sides.
"Bilbo's right, Thorin," Balin counseled, placing a hand on Thorin's shoulder. "We cannot question the loyalty of friends. Not now. Not when we are at the end of the road and so close to our goal. Quite frankly, I merely hope Tiki survives Smaug. If she slays him, splendid. If not, then she's died. And I would give all the gold in Erebor for that not to be so."
Thorin gave Balin a stunned look. Bilbo felt a small smile crease his lips. Balin, always the voice of reason for their group. Always willing to give good advice, even when none seemed capable of finding it.
Thorin closed his eyes. A heavy breath left his lips. He wiped his face with one hand. His fury abated as he soaked in the words of his companions.
"We shall see what happens."
Bilbo let out an exasperated sigh. That was all he could hope from Thorin, in the end. His stubborn pride would not let him admit that they were right. Not yet, at least.
"By my beard," Bifur breathed.
The sky was illuminated with green fire, only for it to be suddenly snuffed out as Smaug pounced on Tiki. The larger dragon hauled her into the sky. She fought against the terror's grip but could not free herself.
Then she fell. Her wings flapped, but she would not soar. Her body crashed into the cold waters of the Long Lake.
And Bilbo's heart sank with her.
Haste. Gandalf did not like it.
Things should never be done hastily. Time spent with friends should be enjoyed, even in quiet and calm moments, and never rushed. Decisions, made in haste, seldom ended well. He, unfortunately, had learned that difficult lesson several times over. His rash decision to charge into Dol Guldur with only Tiki and Radagast assisting him nearly cost them all their lives. He had underestimated Sauron. Indeed, he had made up his mind, upon being rescued by Galadriel and the White Council, that he would be far less hasty going forward.
However, Thorin, Bilbo, and the dwarves needed him at Erebor. And, if what he overheard from Thranduil was true, then he would not like what he was going to find. So, haste was needed, and he spurred his steed faster across the shoreline of the Long Lake, nearing its northern edges with speed few could match.
All of his haste ground to a halt when he saw fire erupt from the mouth of Erebor's gates, followed by two dragons clashing in the sky. His eyes briefly widened when he finally beheld Tiki's true form. Green scales like shimmering emeralds covered her. Her snout and maw were not as sharp as Smaug's, but they were just as deadly. Her wings were smaller than he expected, but he was also comparing her to the might of a fully grown Fire Drake from the North.
Gandalf grimaced. Was he too late? He liked to think that Tiki would only take on such a form if absolutely necessary. After all, she had admitted that doing so was incredibly taxing on her body. The last time she did it was beneath the Misty Mountains, and doing so almost got her killed when her body gave out. So, if she was a dragon now, then that could only mean bad things.
Tiki fought hard. Gandalf felt a small bit of admiration in him as he witnessed her dart and dash around Smaug, peppering him with blows. However, when he spurred his horse back into a gallop, he came to realize that she was not wounding Smaug at all. If anything, the terror of the north appeared annoyed. Even, perhaps, a bit amused.
His heart dropped when he witnessed Smaug tear a hole in one of Tiki's wings. Tiki screeched, a terrible sound that reverberated across the wasted plains. His eyes followed Smaug as he carried Tiki like a hawk carrying a captured mouse.
Then she sank into the lake. The waves rippled across the water, meeting Gandalf as he slowed his horse to a trot, then a stop at the water's edge. No light came from the dark waters. Tiki did not emerge.
His eyes closed. Water, for a fire dragon, often meant death. It would quench the flame that burned inside of them. It was why the men of Esgaroth built their town upon the lake. One last meager defense for them against Smaug. A defense that would now be tested.
If Tiki had turned into a dragon, then, in all likelihood, the quest for Erebor was lost. Gandalf wanted to mourn, for it meant that he likely had led thirteen brave dwarves and a hobbit to their doom, but he did not have the time. His gaze settled on Laketown. They would need him for when the dragon turned his sights on them.
Right as he was about to race there, he was stopped by a voice calling to him further along the shore. He turned and saw boats full of people fleeing Esgaroth. One man raced toward him, with Legolas Greenleaf and a she-elf right behind him.
"Gandalf," the man breathed while the two elves gave him respectful nods of their own.
Gandalf furrowed his brow.
"Bard. We last met when I was-"
"But a child, yes. I recall you were quite fascinated with my beard at the time and attempted to tug it out of my belt," Gandalf replied.
Bard pursed his lips. "I was a toddler, but that doesn't matter. Lady Tiki was she-"
"The green dragon? Yes, she was."
Legolas said something in elvish to his companion. Gandalf turned to them.
"You were aware."
"We suspected something was strange about her, Mithrandir," Legolas replied. "But a dragon… that was beyond anything we could conceive."
"And it appears it wasn't enough," Bard said, looking to the sky as Smaug rushed toward Laketown. "There are still people there who refused to leave. They did not heed our warnings. They're going to burn. Gandalf, you must help us. We must do something!"
Gandalf closed his eyes. Indeed, he had to do something, but what? Smaug was strong, Perhaps the most powerful opponent Gandalf would face outside of Sauron and the dark lord's closest allies. Could he match him? Perhaps, if he only did what his master who sent him from Valinor bade him not to do.
That was an oath he could not break.
"I am sorry, Bard," Gandalf said, a tear threatening to drip from his eye. "We must take the survivors to Mirkwood. King Thranduil will take them all in, I'm sure, as well as help them resettle."
"But you're a wizard, aren't you? Haven't you slayed dragons?"
Gandalf's lips thinned into a line. "Regrettably no. I've never had the opportunity or desire to. Dragons are some of the last vestiges of Morgoth's enormous power. Even they are capable of defeating me. The best help I can give now is guiding you and what is left of your people to safety. Now come, before Smaug sees us."
Gandalf turned his horse, only to pause when he saw something out of the corner of his eye.
A ripple in the water.
Tiki's eyes opened. A bright summer sun sat over her head and a finger poked her cheek. She glanced to her left and smiled when she saw her beautiful Morgan grinning mischievously at her.
"And what did you do this time, my little gremlin?" Tiki asked, making her young daughter snicker. Before Morgan could scamper away, Tiki snatched her, rose, and scooped her up in her arms, making the girl howl with laughter. "What mischief have you and your friends caused this time to make you come running to me hm? Have you, perhaps, replaced the sugar in Uncle Gaius's cakes with salt?"
Morgan shook her head as Tiki carried her toward the little house Robin built for her just outside of Ylisstol's walls. The Exalt had insisted on them living in the palace alongside him and his family, but Tiki was grateful Robin insisted otherwise. She preferred the open countryside rather than the cramped walls of Ylisstol, even if it was a beautiful city.
"Did you tie Yarne's ears into a knot again? You know how I felt about that one."
Morgan shook her head again as she looked at Tiki with those happy, green eyes of hers. The eyes they shared. Every time Tiki looked at them, she couldn't help but feel her heart soar. There was the hope for the future she had always been looking for. The continuation of her people that she needed to see, even if she never realized it. And she was beautiful.
"Hmmm, did you cover Grandpa Gregor with chicken feathers while he napped?"
Morgan snickered.
"Oh, so I'm on the right track then?" Tiki grasped the doorknob to their house and twisted it. "You'll have to clean that up, you know that right-"
"Surprise!"
She almost dropped Morgan as she jumped, startled. The Shepherds were in her home. A birthday cake sat on the counter near the door. All of the kids were by their parent's sides, and Robin stood at the lead, smiling ear to ear.
"Happy three thousand two hundred and sixty-seventh birthday," he said, moving to her and taking Morgan from her arms.
Tiki tilted her head. "Three thousand two hundred and sixty-seven?"
"That's the number we all settled on."
"It is?"
"Yes."
"A bit much, no? Couldn't we be in the three thousand one hundred range?"
"Uh…"
Tiki snickered and pecked Robin's cheek. "I'm only teasing."
And the party began. It was far more subdued than the ones she witnessed years ago, during the Valm war. Back then, all of the Shepherds were younger. Most of them did not have children. Some had not yet even confessed their feelings for the ones they had loved yet. A few, like Princess Lissa, Sir Donnel, and soon-to-be Professor Ricken, were just teenagers then. They were all wilder. More carefree.
This party was more subdued. The mead was not as potent. The revelry was not as crazy. But the conversation was just as warm. The laughter easily as hearty. Tiki's heart swelled as she shared stories with her friends and enjoyed the good company that she had always craved.
Robin excused himself for a moment. The cake needed candles, and Stahl was having trouble getting all three thousand six hundred and sixty-seven of them on it. Tiki was left to sit alone by the fire as she watched Morgan play with little Princess Cynthia as well as Owain. Those three were thicker than thieves, as Gaius often put it. Sometimes they acted like the scamp he once had been too.
"That one will be quite the handful when she's older."
Tiki furrowed her brow. Who was talking?
She glanced to her left. A rather handsome individual sat on the seat next to hers. He had a roguish charm to him as he lounged, one leg crossed over the other. He wore a fine red doublet, the color of wine, and dark trousers with black boots. He did not have a refreshment, instead preferring to observe the party rather than join it. His eyes glowed like hot coals in his head. There was pleasant amusement on his face.
"What?" Tiki asked.
He gestured at Morgan. "That one. She's going to be a handful. I've seen plenty like her before. A rapscallion, scamp, a little gremlin, as you put it. It is accurate. Some of those are my favorite kind of people." He drew in a deep breath. "This is a lovely home."
"Who are you?"
"We have met already, Tiki. This is but a different form for me." He gave her a warm smile. "Don't you remember? We had a chat not long ago. I was curious about you, and I am curious now as well. Although, I haven't been able to reach you until this moment."
Tiki furrowed her brow. The conversation and mirth around her grew duller.
"Annatar?"
He smiled. "I see you remember me. I meant for us to chat sooner, but circumstances dictated otherwise."
Tiki drew back in her seat. The world was turning grayer.
"None of this is real?"
"Oh, it is," Annatar replied. "You have already lived it though. This is but a memory, as I'm sure you must have suspected at some point. But it was such a good one that you refused to acknowledge that it was only in your mind."
Tiki's throat bobbed. Tears misted in her eyes. Time seemed to freeze. Then everyone in the room began to fade. First Exalt Chrom and Robin, then the older shepherds, Sir Donnel, the merchant Anna, Gaius, and even Princess Lissa faded away. The children remained, though one by one they drifted off like ashes on the wind until only Morgan remained, her green eyes seemingly staring through Tiki.
"They're all gone, aren't they?" Annatar said, sympathy in his voice. "All of them taken."
The door to the house opened. A hooded and cloaked figure stood in it. On his shadowy face, six eyes glowed. Upon his right hand shimmered the Brand of the Defile in all of its scarlet horror.
Tiki's heart seized. She whipped her eyes to Morgan… who was gone. She was alone in her house as the figure marched toward her. She could not see his face, but she knew how it was.
"Grima…" she breathed.
"This is where we finally meet?" The Fell Dragon replied in a voice that sounded warped to her ears. "Home? I thought there would be more spectacle?"
Tiki shook in her seat. "I've never been one for that."
"You once lived atop the largest tree in the world," the fell dragon laughed. "Then again, that was a long time ago. Perhaps, after all this time, all the loss, you have finally surrendered?" His six eyes glared at her. "I will grant you a swift and painless end since I know you will not give in to my will. It is… the least I can do."
There was pain in his voice? Why?
He said something more. She could not hear him. It was too warped, too muffled, too blunted by the sharp pain she suddenly felt in her heart. Naga, she felt like she couldn't breathe.
The image stopped when Grima's hand touched her cheek. His touch was cold. Icy. It burned her skin.
Annatar spoke.
"This is it," he said. "They're all gone. You remain."
A tear dripped down Tiki's cheek. Her lips trembled. All she could see were the six eyes burning beneath the hood. All she could hear was Annatar's voice slipping into her ears.
"What would you do to get them all back?"
He whispered it, but it sounded like a scream. Tiki's heart thudded in her chest. Her hands clenched into tight fists in her lap. What would she do to get them back?
"Anything," she answered, her voice just loud enough for her to hear.
"Then show me what you really are."
Water surged into Tiki's mouth. Her eyes shot open. She was no longer in her dragon form. She was sinking, a trail of blood following her into the depths of a long lake. Her emerald eyes blinked as she looked up through the darkness, spying the moon glowing like a pale disc above the surface.
She clenched her teeth. She could not die here. She could not surrender. Not now, not ever! Not if she wanted them back!
Her hand grasped her dragonstone right as it was about to slip from her pouch. She squeezed it tight and poured every ounce of will she had into it. Brilliant light glowed from the core of the gem, brighter than at any point Tiki had ever witnessed.
A small fissure opened on its side. Raw power rushed forth from it. Tiki drank it in. Right as her lungs began to burn, the chrysalis formed around her. Her body morphed.
The petals shattered.
Tiki erupted from the water, wings spread, faint glowing lines of power flowing off of her in a majestic aura. As soon as she emerged, she searched for Smaug.
He was putting Laketown to the torch.
Pure rage shot through Tiki's heart. At that moment, she hated Smaug, and she was furious with herself. Furious for letting it get to this point. She should have never held back, no matter the consequences.
She shot across the night sky like an arrow and hit her mark true. Smaug uttered a surprised snarl when she slammed into him, tearing the larger dragon from the sky and slamming him into the shores of the Long Lake. Behind her, Esgaroth burned, but she did not care. She only saw Smaug. She only wanted to end him.
Smaug gnashed his teeth and snapped at her throat. Tiki slipped out of the way but was forced to slide off her prey, giving him precious moments to recover.
Her enemy looked at her, surprised.
"I drowned you," Smaug growled. "No dragon can…"
"I am no mere dragon."
Tiki surged at Smaug, leaped, and pounced. His crimson scales flashed across her vision as her fangs drove into the back of his neck. The delectable iron taste of blood did not touch her tongue. Her mouth instead was filled with the coldness of gold and gemstones. Smaug laughed.
"My hide is iron!" He crowed. "My scales diamond! You cannot pierce me!"
His tail whipped out and smacked her off him. Tiki scrambled to her feet, spread her wings, and took flight.
"My wings are a hurricane!" Smaug roared, joining her in the air. They clashed, hovering over the Long Lake, talons flashing in the moonlight. "My teeth are swords! My claws, spears!"
Those spears raked across Tiki's chest. She felt sticky blood rush from the wound, but she did not feel the pain. She only craved the battle, only wanted victory, only desired the death of her foe. Primal urges, long buried, burst to the surface as she continued to glow. Slowly, those gashes began to seal.
Smaug withdrew. When he did, Tiki spotted a chink in his armor. A missing scale in his underbelly, near one of his wings.
"I am fire!" Smaug opened his mouth. "I am death!"
A torrent of flames rushed at Tiki. Instead of fleeing them, Tiki shot right at them. The heat seared across her scales, but she emerged through them with a snarl. One of her claws snapped out and latched into the gap in Smaug's armor. She felt his blood rush across her talons and heard his alarmed cries.
"You are fire and death?" Tiki asked. She flapped her wings, soaring so high she could look down on the Lonely Mountain's gargantuan peak. Frost licked at the fringes of her wings as Smaug writhed in her grip.
In a desperate attempt to escape her clutches, Smaug opened his mouth, ready to melt her with his fire.
Tiki's lips curled back.
"I laugh at you."
She tore her claw free, making Smaug's fire stop in his throat as he screamed. Then she reached out with both talons and held his mouth open, opened her maw, and unleashed all of the flames she could muster down his gullet.
Gandalf looked up silently as he witnessed Tiki soar so high the two dragons became pinpricks in the sky. Two specks of light, one green and brilliant, the other dull and red, like a dying ember.
Then, there was an explosion. A titanic boom echoed throughout the area, reminding him of one of his fireworks. Sparks rushed down from the sky like falling stars.
Smaug's corpse hit the lakeshore with an enormous thud. His scales had turned to ash. His eyes were burned out. The mighty fire drake from the north lay limp before the wizard. Right as Gandalf moved to inspect closer. Tiki landed atop Smaug's body. She stood over him, looked down with disgust, then craned her head up and uttered a roar so loud it shook his bones.
When her roar ended, it echoed in Gandalf's ears, ringing even as it faded. He took a step forward.
Tiki's eyes whipped down to him. For a moment, he froze. He was not staring into the eyes of his friend. He was looking at a dragon, enraged and bloodthirsty, ready to devour any challengers to her.
Gandalf tapped his staff against the ground. A soft glow emanated from its tip. A gentle white light illuminated Tiki.
"Come, my friend," he said. "The fight is done for you. You have won."
Tiki blinked. The feral nature in her slitted pupils disappeared. Slowly, she was enveloped in a chrysalis like a flower. When it broke, the petals fell away one by one, revealing the woman Gandalf knew.
She took several steps down from Smaug's body before slumping. Before she could hit the ground, Gandalf caught her.
Tiki's eyes widened. "Either I'm dead, or you're not. Either way… I'm glad to see you."
"Rest now," Gandalf shushed her. "All else will be taken care of from here."
He could see her fight sleep but to no avail. Her eyes fluttered, then she went limp in Gandalf's arms.
And chapter! The Kaiju fight is done, and I hope I delivered a good one. The next chapter will be the last one of this fic (but we may see something more soon, if my brain keeps giving me ideas). See ya'll tomorrow!