Chapter 2: Smaug's return and Gollum's revenge
How had they believed they could kill a dragon with a mere arrow? He was fire! he was life! he was magic! he was power! he was Smaug! It simply wasn't that easy to kill a dragon. He merely knew when to retreat. He'd live far longer than any gods cursed dwarves, after all. And as for the cursed part, he'd make sure of that himself, personally! Playing dead could have hurt the pride of a lesser dragon, but Smaug knew one wasn't looked for if one were believed dead. As soon as his would-be killers were away, the golden dragon retreated under the most powerful volcano, located under Mount Doom, to allow the fire to cleanse him of the poison.
When the little creature clutching the most powerful ring Smaug ever felt tumbled into the fire, the dragon choose to rescue Gollum out of mere curiosity and boredom. He did, however, toss the ring away, feeling tainted and too easily controlled by its talon like magic that promised to take a hold on his powerful draconic mind then his power. Smaug was the only one to control Smaug. He could still hear the echo's of Gollum's screams ringing in his ears over that one. The little creature grieved the loss of the stupid ring as one would for a loved one. Oh well. Smaug had no sympathy. He studied the magic the ring had laid o the creature himself for something to do, as it was fascinating that a mere artifact could change one so, prolonging their life, giving them strength, it was truly a marvel. Not a light thing for a dragon to say as dragons marveled over little, being old enough to have seen it all several times over.
One day something changed. Something shifted that caused the dragon to long to rise from under his fiery shelter and take to the sky's. Something was happening far above, and he could feel it from way down under the ground and the shelter of the warm flames.
So taking the little creature onto his back they rose and rose and rose...And flew straight then right then right again, following the source of the power, or perhaps it felt more like a call of power. But it was more of an announcement of itself than a force taking away his choice, so the dragon chose to answer. Eventually they came upon a mid sized army amongst the trees. An army of dark creatures it seemed to be. Interesting. Smaug was slowly landing in the nearest clearing, idly pondering the possibility of having a few of the fatter orcs he'd spotted for his dinner when the little creature started and gave a small scream from his back.
"Precious!"
Smaug whipped his head around to frown at the little creature. "We've already been over this more times than I care to remember. IT is gone and you know it is gone," he said flatly.
"I feels the precious," he insisted. "It is perhaps a whisper of precious only though," he admitted reluctantly. "But when we are united, once again, Precious, they will all pay, all the wizards and the hobbitses shall pay!"
That bit bored Smaug, but whatever the creature was sensing, due to the power afforded to him from long years spent with Precious' was intriguing. They would have to investigate. So with that in mind, he slowly approached the army, ready to roast anyone who came at him with arrows.