Chapter 23 – The Wrath of the Dragon

"My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!" ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

The inky, suffocating darkness slowly began to thin, and Kathryn took in a giant sucking breath as if she were drowning, pushing her way past the darkness that she hated so much. She swam back to the realm of consciousness, slowly opening her eyes and blinking the flickering light of a torch set not far from her. Her mind slowly began to remember what had happened, the dreadful memories coming to her slowly, sluggishly, causing to moan as her mind began to ache. A sense of unease grew in her as she remembered the figure of Fankil taking her away, of knowing that she had to escape, and so she tried to sit up, hoping to –

Her movements were stopped, her arms and legs jarring as she felt them halt in their movements, the cold bite of metal stinging her wrists and ankles. Panicked, Kathryn looked up to see that she had metal manacles on her wrists, chaining her to the hard earth where four stakes had been driven into the ground, pinning her there. Kathryn felt her heart constrict and an old sense of claustrophobia came over her, one which she hadn't felt in a long time. It had been decades since she had had to tie herself into this very humiliating and constricting position, and the sense of imprisonment did nothing for her already frantically beating heart. She yanked on the chain of one of her wrists, hoping to at least be able to move the post from its mooring point in the ground. But no, it was stuck fast and deep within the earth, unmoveable from where she lay.

She turned to yank on her other wrist, but was suddenly confronted by a large shadow kneeling right beside her. Kathryn screamed in fright and surprise, trying to scoot away but could not, force to look upon the skeletal-thin and intimidating shadow beside her.

"Fankil…" she whispered, her voice shaking.

"Kathryn," That same eerily high and weak voice murmured her name, making her shiver in revulsion. The demon cocked its head at her like a cat staring at a caught bird before it ate it. "Finally we can get down to the business that was supposed to be done on the night I woke you,"

"So it was you… You brought me back to life…" she murmured, having the information confirmed making her feel terribly aware of how vulnerable she had been and how this man had been the one responsible for much of her pain.

"Very old and taxing magic indeed, but one that will be a worthwhile investment if you give me what I want," he told her, and she could see his eyes shifting in the shadows of his hood as he raised a brow at her.

"And what do you want?! For me to find the Door of Night? I can't! I don't know where it is!" she replied, panic setting in as she defiantly shouted at him.

"Of course you don't," he muttered curtly as if she were an ignorant child. "But the Door feeds off of magic itself. You will follow this magic and find it for me,"

"How?"

"Through a vision,"

"Impossible!" she spat. "My visions are not brought on like that, I cannot control them! You have no way of making me do anything!

"You might not be able to direct them, but certain things can induce them…" he murmured, his wilting voice thick with deep interest as he leaned a little closer to her, his scent washing over and burning the inside of her nose with its sickly sweetness. "My magic is more powerful then you could ever comprehend, it would be no small feat to push your powers to whatever outcome I desire,"

"Why do you want Morgoth released?" she murmured, trying to change the subject, anything to stop him from looking at her so closely with a sickly excited look in those gleaming eyes.

"Because he is the true dark lord, and my master. Sauron can pretend all he wishes, but the true power lies with our master, the Dark God himself; he will bring about the end of days and we his followers shall earn a place at his side. And as my father…" Kathryn saw a flash of white teeth as the demon grinned sickly. "I owe to him my allegiance."

"I will not do it! I'd rather die!" Kathryn practically shrieked, a new fear dawning in her as she once again tried to pull on her restraints, trying to wrestle her way out of her chains. This was the son of Morgoth?! That wasn't possible! If that were true, then both she and Gandalf had greatly underestimated this opponent, enough to make her realise that she was in true danger.

"Do not wish for death too soon. It will come, don't worry, but you will do as I ask first."

"Smaug is going to kill you for this! I swear it! He won't rest until he finds me!" she hissed, finding anger somewhere within the depths of her terror and despair. She hoped that her threat was true, despite how they had last spoken on not-so-good terms, Kathryn prayed with all her heart that Smaug had heard her cry, that he somehow knew where she was and was winging his way to save her… only when she made the wish did she realise how utterly pathetic and naïve she sounded.

"Ah yes, your bothersome bond. It prevented me from fully resurrecting you, and it stops me now from taking full control. But that can be easily modified."

Kathryn then saw him produce a knife from his sleeve, and she was about to scream as he suddenly straddled her, his surprisingly heavy weight sitting across her stomach. He then placed the knife against his palm, causing Kathryn to pause before she could scream, although a sense of dread filled her entire being, a sense of wrongness drowning her as it encased her in its coils. Dark magic was at work, she could feel it stirring in the air. Fankil muttered words under his tongue, before quickly slicing open his palm. Kathryn cringed away from the blade, though keeping her eyes focused on Fankil as held his palm out, curling it into a fist, pressing his fingers into the wound until thick, black, oozing blood bubbled up from between his finger. He then tilted his hand and allowed a drop to fall.

It hit Kathryn on the chest, just above the top of her dirtied and torn nightgown, close to her heart. As soon as the blood touched her skin, Kathryn shrieked in pain, feeling her skin sting and then start to burn, a roaring heat spreading through her chest that made her squirm and writhe, thrashing beneath Fankil though she could not buck enough to unseat him from his perch atop her. It felt as if someone had just touched her with blacksmith's branding iron, the pain numbing her skin but also burning it with both a hot and cold pain. She was barely aware that Fankil had moved his hand until the next drop fell onto her forehead. Once again, a scream of agony was ripped from her lips, as pain exploded behind her skull, she could feel the tentacles of the darkness from before seep into her mind and soul, squeezing the very life out of her as it tried to subdue her thoughts into its own control. She gritted her teeth, fighting against the pain and the feeling of being suffocated as the dark magic speared through her. But then, she saw Fankil come towards her face once again, palm out to her, blood dripping from his palm. Instinctively realising his intent, Kathryn tried to look away, move her face away from him, but his other hand came to snatch at her chin with bruising force in his stingingly cold fingers. He forced her to face him, but she clamped her jaws shut, pressing her lips into a fine line as he brought his bleeding palm to her mouth. He smeared the blood against her lips, his fingers on her chin moving to her cheeks, to try and force her mouth open. She struggled, trying to shake and move her head out of his grasp, she screamed and grunted, though the sounds were muffled against her own closed mouth, and still she kicked and struggled, though her chained limbs could do nothing to help her. Finally, Fankil managed to open her lips the tiniest bit, enough to wedge a finger into her mouth and try to force it open wider. The taste of him was vile! She spat at him, trying to shake him free, but in an instant, his cut palm was pressed against her face, his vile tasting blood pouring into her mouth and along her tongue, leaving a fiery bitter taste that made her want to vomit, even as it slipped down into her throat.

She felt something inside her tremble, causing her to gasp as she felt the very root of herself being broken and twisted, pulled and yanked in an unnatural way. She cried out in confusion and pain as it felt as if something inside of her was beginning to fracture and break. She instinctively felt along the bond she shared with Smaug, realising what Fankil was trying to do, even as her end of the bond was being sawed and cut away the vile foreign darkness coiling around her as it attempted to make new ties to her very soul.

Kathryn attempted to fight him, to hold on to that precious bond, the golden chain that connected her to Smaug. She had spent so long with it that she could no longer see her life without it. She felt as if that should leave then she might become the soulless madwoman she had been before Smaug had saved her in Vathvael after her resurrection. But no matter how hard she tried, it was like trying to hold onto smoke, and she could feel it taxing her energy as she tried to fight the dark magic and hold onto the only pure thing left inside of her.

But eventually her strength gave out, and she descended into darkness, feeling Fankil work his magic as he made her mind tilt and spiral out of control, the beginnings of a vision swirling all around her.

Smaug flew to the southern point of the city, where Andraya had said that she had given Kathryn over to this supposed "demon". Smaug did not doubt the existence of demons, quite the opposite, but humans were of feeble and weak minds and could very easily label one thing as "demonic" or "supernatural" when it was clearly the most ordinary thing in the world. Smaug decided that he would postpone judgement until he had proof of this villain's abilities.

He only landed briefly at the southern point of the city, outside the walls, scenting the air as he walked around, trying to catch a familiar scent. Suddenly, not far from the treeline, he caught the tell-tale scent of pine that meant his Kathryn, and quickly knew that she had passed this way at least. And then, he caught a different scent, one that disturbed him greatly: sickly sweet, burning the inside of his nose like acid, it seemed almost artificial like a perfume, combined with dust and ash like a burned and decaying body. Smaug knew that scent, he knew it from an old memory… the Lake! The figure that took Kathryn away! Realising who his advisory was, Smaug's determination to rip apart this enemy was multiplied in that moment, causing him to snarl as he leapt into the air and flew straight upwards towards the clouds.

When he believed himself to be at a high enough advantage point, Smaug looked down onto the huge landscape below, thinking back to his vision he had experienced whilst unconscious. He searched over the many fields and plains and dense woods and hills, turning as he tried to find what it is his memory could barely remember. The moon cast no glow, the clouds blocking up the night sky, forcing Smaug to rely solely on his superior night vision. There was something not-right in the air, Smaug could feel it as the night began to grow restless in the energies around him. Through the pores at the end of muzzle, he could sense the electrical currents in the air, and from what he could feel, an electrical tornado was brewing, even if the clouds and winds of reality were calm and undisturbed, the feeling of wrongness would not leave however. Smaug knew the answer: magic. Powerful, dark magic. Frantically, Smaug continued his search, his piercing gaze looking over every tree and hill to find something that seemed familiar –

There! He saw it, the hill that looked like the arch of a horse's neck. Exactly like the one he had seen when looking through the bond between he and Kathryn. He tried reaching out to her, but strangely found the connection blocked. And worryingly so, he could feel nothing on the end, not even a sense of death or unconsciousness as before, just simple nothingness, as if he were connected to empty space. It made the dragon unease as he flapped his wings in order to soar as fast as he could towards the hill. He kept his eyes on the ground, looking for a clearing that would be facing towards the hill. He remembered the exact angle that Kathryn had seen the hill, and so flew himself along that path, knowing that he would eventually find them…

And then he saw it. A flash of red and white against the ground, and his eyes quickly snapped towards the unusual colour against the brown and green and grey of the landscape. He saw he, and his heart lurched in his chest at the sight of her, his Kathryn, lying on the clearing floor, seemingly unresponsive. A sudden fear gripped his chest, as flashing memories of that terrible night on the lake came to haunt him. Could she be dead?! Was that why he couldn't feel her? Had he lost her again?! He didn't think his sanity would remain intact if that were true!

Quickly turning in the air, Smaug approached the clearing to land with no sense of caution or care, his mind focused only on the still body on the clearing floor, his senses ignored even as they subtly tried to tell him that he was not alone. He landed quickly, ungracefully, in his haste to reach her. He quickly walked towards her, his ears straining for the sound of her heart beat… and he heard it, faint but there. It was only as he drew closer, his relief allowing his usually other sharp sense to feed him the information that his panicked mind had discarded until now. He looked in confusion and sudden caution at the chains that bound Kathryn to the ground by metal stakes, spreading her out by her wrists and ankles. His worry came back as he noticed how pale and gaunt she looked, her eyes were wide open and were merely purple orbs as was normal when she lapsed into a vision; but there was no muttering, no slight twitches or movements to signify the state of the vision she had stepped in. Instead she was as still and lifeless as death. Smaug couldn't help but remember when she had stewed in her own madness, finding her in Vathvael, it all came back to him with the eerie familiarity of it… He then saw the black drops of liquid on her chest and forehead and smeared around her lips; he could then also smell the detestable odour… of a burnt corpse, fresh and nearby.

"Smaug," said a voice.

Smaug whirled around, wings flaring as he crouched low, planting himself instinctively above Kathryn so that she was protected between his four legs in his shadow. He bared his teeth as he suddenly beheld the one whom he had hated these past months, whom he had only met once yet sworn to kill. The tall figure from the Lake, thin to the point of looking frail, voice unusually high weak, as he stepped out of the shadows, Smaug's keen eyesight spotted the slight limp in his step. His face was hidden behind the shadows of a hood, though the gleam of his eyes sparkled even with no light shining upon them. It was as if the man had stepped out of Smaug's very memory, that night coming back to haunt the dragon and give his anger and hate and extra push as he bared his teeth, stomach beginning to glow with the fires that raged inside of him. But remembering the Wizard's words that this could be a demon, although Smaug feared nothing and no-one, he did exercise caution, remembering how fast the man had been on that fateful night.

"You seem familiar with my name," Smaug growled out, barely holding back his loathing in his voice as he fixed his eyes on every move of the being before him. "But you did not grant me your name on our last encounter."

"I am Fankil," the man said, evidently not one to draw out this confrontation, and getting straight to the point. "Son of Morgoth, and herald of the age the true Dark Lord shall bring about," at these words, Smaug knew he was right to show caution, for even if he didn't believe him, to claim a tie to Morgoth himself was a great feat and not one to be taken lightly without cause. Even so, Smaug felt his pride not allow the thought of being intimidated by this clear weakling. Following Fankil's example of not drawing out the confrontation, Smaug drove on to ask his all important question.

"What do you want with Kathryn?" he hissed out, unconsciously adjusting his position in order to try and block Kathryn from Fankil's sight.

"She will be the key to unlocking the chains that bind my master… our master,"

"None hold mastery over me!" Smaug snarled defiantly.

"Foolish lizard," Fankil muttered scathingly. "Morgoth brought your species from their holes into the light of glory and battle, everything you are, you owe to him. And when he is released, he will call upon your kind again, and you will serve him."

"So you want her to free him, don't you?" Smaug cooed, trying to sound patronising whilst he desperately fought back his growing anger. "But the Door of Night cannot be found!"

"The Olórë Mallë is connected to all realities," Fankil whispered in an almost bored tone, though Smaug could hear the slight smirk in his voice. "Under my control, she will find it,"

Fankil then raised his hand, and Smaug braced himself, but an attack never came to him. He suddenly heard Kathryn take a sharp intake of breath, though her body never awoke from its induced slumber state. Smaug turned his head in time to see Kathryn's body give an involuntary shake, and suddenly the black liquid on her chest and forehead began to seep into her skin, spreading across her flesh in tendrils of black ink, causing her to moan and whisper in an unrecognisable language. Smaug saw the threat that was there, and snapped his head back to face Fankil, lips parted to reveal his teeth in a savage snarl that ripped through his chest with almost deafening force.

"You cannot have her! She is mine!" He yelled, ignoring the way his chest hurt as the scar subtly convulsed, causing a pressurising pain that he tried to pretend didn't exist.

"She was never yours." Fankil chuckled coldly, his high voice grating on Smaug's nerves like the proverbial nails down a blackboard. "This is her destiny, this is where she is meant to be! I will deliver her to her higher calling!"

"I'll kill you first!"

Smaug launched across the clearing towards the demon, a roar exploding from his chest as her opened his massive maw, claws splayed as he pounced. Without even a hitch of breath or anything to show he was in the least bit phased by this sudden attack, Fankil leapt into the air, jumping higher than Smaug would have thought a mortal body capable. He spun in the air, leaping clear of danger as Smaug skidded to a stop, although he now noticed that he had left his position, he was no longer between Fankil and Kathryn. His mind spun with this sudden distraction, making him unaware of the feel of magic in the air as Fankil sucked it into himself, and suddenly lashed out his arm, a wave suddenly hitting against Smaug's side and pushing against him in a painful lash across his ribs. He yelped in pain, pushed back onto his side as he rolled onto the ground, wings flapping awkwardly in an attempt to not crush them with his own weight. His back hit against the trees of the forest at the edge of the clearing splintering and cracking under his gigantic size, though they were enough to stop him. Smaug shook his head to clear himself of the shock, surprised at the force and power in this puny looking creature.

Leaping back to his feet, jaw set in a determined snarl with teeth bared and a growl raging from his chest as he leapt back into the clearing. He tried to swipe his claws at the demon, wanting to rip him apart, but again Fankil leapt backwards, once again pulling on the magic in the very fabric of reality around them, and pushing it back out with explosive force. But Smaug was ready this time, locking his legs as he leaned against the blast, his brute strength and determination winning out. As soon as the magical wave was done, Smaug lunged forward like a coiled snake, jaws open to snatch up Fankil. The demon was not prepared for this sudden adaption, and so was slow to react, Smaug's teeth just managing to catch the end of his robes. With a whip of his head on his long neck, Smaug flung the demon across the clearing, where he hit the ground and rolled with what should have been earth shattering force. But Fankil leapt up from the momentum of his body and onto his feet, as agile as a cat, and Smaug could still not even hear a hitch in his breath to say that he was even winded.

Not allowing the demon to have any time to regroup, Smaug unleashed the burning fire from the back of his throat, washing the clearing in dazzling light as flames shot from his mouth, pouring over Fankil as he huddled against the blast. The fire was so great it washed over everything straight in front of Smaug for fifty feet, setting the trees behind Fankil ablaze. But Smaug cut the fire in his throat when he saw that Fankil was huddled in the midst of the blaze but unharmed, frustratingly calling up some form of magic to shield him from harm. With a cry of anger, lunged forward again, his attacks coming so fast and with such brutal strength that Fankil could barely get out of range each time. Smaug struck his fist into the ground, then followed up with a swift bite, though Fankil sidestepped and slapped the dragon's head aside with his magic. Smaug then jumped, beating his wings once to create a powerful down blast of wind that was enough to even send Fankil off his feet, quickly, Smaug leapt down from the air, hoping to crush the demon, though he rolled out of the way just in time. Gritting his teeth, Smaug kicked out with a hind leg, even as Fankil sent a new form of magic at him, one that shimmered in the air as it swung at him like a whip. Smaug's foot caught the demon just as the magic reached him, and Fankil was sent hurtling across the clearing. Smaug felt searing electrical pain along his side as if he had just been struck by lightning, causing his muscles to spasm painfully and making him screech at the burning sensation of his skin parting to reveal his precious blood beneath. Smaug fell, his left back-leg suddenly feeling weak and useless, as he huddled on the ground, turning his head to inspect the wound, the sight and smell of his own blood causing a reaction in him, a personal vengeance arising that he felt the urgent need to fulfil. Though he was also alarmed, as he had not known that a form of magic existed that could cause him harm this way. The wound was deep but not life threatening; it hadn't torn his scales and skin, more rather opened it up like a seam on a gown, allowing his deep red blood to ooze out.

Smaug saw out of the corner of his eye, Fankil stagger to his feet, at last seeming a little dazed though quickly recovering. Smaug felt his hatred and fury burn hotter as a rivalry sparked in his chest, he would not be beaten in single combat by a frail-looking creature! No matter if he were a demon or not, Smaug's pride refused to allow such a thing. He had already died once at mortal hands but that was with the aid of the only weakness to dragon kind. Fankil would not beat Smaug with nothing but his bare hands! He refused to allow it!

Clenching his jaw against the pain of his wound, Smaug climbed to his feet, lightly placing his left back leg on the ground so as not to appear injured but secretly taking all weight off of the foot. Before Fankil had even turned around to face him from the fall, Smaug noticed that the demon was aggravatingly out of reach… except for Smaug's tail… Quicker than the eye could follow, Smaug smashed his tail into the demon, the end catching him in the side and sending him flying once again. Oh, how Smaug wanted to hear the sound of crunching bones, but alas it was not heard. Smaug went to smack the demon right out of the air with his tail again, but suddenly, Fankil let out an enraged cry as he whipped out his hand, magic pouring into his palm as he suddenly whipped out a tendril of magic as physical as a real rope. It snaked through the air and before Smaug could do anything it had latched onto one of the spikes on his head, like a lasso it latched on as it was pulled tight. Then, Fankil pulled and sent himself racing towards Smaug's head, and before the dragon could move aside, Fankil suddenly kicked out his heal into the side of the dragon's jaw with surprising super-strength. Smaug felt his head whip back from the force, pushing him over and skidding along the ground before he could get back to his feet.

Smaug climbed back to standing, the two facing off across the clearing, the stalemate evident from the hateful gazes and furious panting from their emotions, and not their exertion.

"You cannot defeat me!" Smaug roared in defiance. "My strength is greater than your parlour tricks!"

"Did you not know, Dragon?!" Fankil called out mockingly, his taunting tone made all the more apparent by his sudden shrill laughter that caused the dragon to hiss in indignation. "You cannot defeat the darkness outside, without first defeating it within yourself!"

Smaug's eyes widened as suddenly, Fankil reached into the air, grunting as he Smaug could feel him draw up energy from deep within, fingers curling to point towards Smaug. All of a sudden, Smaug roared as he felt his chest explode with pain, causing him to rear onto his hind legs, though his injured leg crumpled under the weight causing him to collapse to the floor. He writhed in agony as he felt the barbs of dark magic within himself shoot out in all directions, trying to free itself of the confinement that the Wizard Gandalf had placed it in. Smaug felt every draconic thought and emotion he had ever felt, all the greed, the fury, the murderous intent, it all came crashing into him with such force that he was almost swept up in it, causing the scar on his chest to pulse and writhe as it threatened to twist his very heart and kill him if he did not surrender to it. He faintly remembered when in human form and slowly turning back, the burning sensation as his flesh reshaped itself, he felt it again, but a hundred times worse as he felt his insides boil and cry out in pain like an itch he wanted to scratch. He could feel the darkness seep into his mind, its whispers echoing all around him, drowning out his own screams as he fought against the pain that was slowly numbing his entire chest cavity. He was struggling to breathe, a panic engulfing him as his vision began to grow dark, unnatural tentacles of darkness seeping into his vision as the whispers grew in numbers in his mind, his ears defended by their words, his body tingling and going cold as if his blood had stopped flowing.

Even as the darkness swallowed him, Smaug heard footsteps as he saw Fankil come to stand over him, panting from exertion, his eyes shining with clear exhaustion. The whispers were consuming him now, even as he heard the words from the demon above, a defiant and desperate scream on the tip of his tongue, but unable to be let loose.

"Such a waste…"

She felt the black tentacles chain her wrists as it dragged her through the depths of her unconsciousness, sucking her down into a pit that she had previously never known had been there, turning her inside and out in a tornado of colour and sounds that blinded and deafened her, the spinning world making her feel sick as she felt herself dragged around and around. She wanted to scream, to fight, but she felt so exhausted that she couldn't even fight the control she could feel her mind become enslaved to. It felt wrong, as if someone were pushing and warping her mind in ways that were not natural, just to get a desired result. What that result was, she could not say for she could not remember; only that she desperately dreaded it with every fibre of her being. It felt as if everything in her head was restricted. Thinking was too difficult, it had best be left to the chains to drag her where she needed to go; her memories were just a fuzzy haze, she only had the foul darkness to guide her, she couldn't even remember her own name… why was she here? Why was she so sad to have the chains around her? Why did it feel so wrong to have this darkness? Why did feel so ill, so weak? Why, why, WHY?!

And then, the whirlwind stopped, and she found herself in a fog, laying in a heap, even as she struggled to her knees, the chains dragged her forward, her mind hurting as if it were bleeding from the abuse she felt beat it into a place. She groaned as the black tentacles tightened their painful hold on her, their chains making her mind hurt in so many places that she could barely keep her eyes open as she was dragged carelessly through the fog. A gentle breeze swept in, softly moving the fog around her, gently parting it until her surroundings were finally revealed.

She was standing before a great gate of silver, behind which she could see a path to a beautiful garden with a path in the middle. On either side of the path, all manner of creatures lurked in the shadows, never fully seen; and in the trees, the leaves glimmered with all different colours of the rainbow. But in those colours, were flashing images, pictures, faces, sounds straight from the minds of sleepers. Dreams that all took place in the leaves, the path winding on to some far off place. The gate was sealed shut to her, the silver bars imposing and unyielding, even as she felt the chains try to bring her closer, she desperately fought not to violate this pure place, though she could not remember her reasons why.

"Kela thaurer!" Suddenly roared a powerful voice, one that made her knees shake and the air tremble with its power. She heard a scream as something was torn from her mind, but in a good way, like ripping off the dead skin of a wound, leaving her with new clarity. She breathed as if her lungs had been constricted this entire time… and she was Kathryn again. Her mind was clear of chains, her heart free, her memory restored; in fact, Kathryn could hardly feel the manipulation of Fankil in her at all. Something had blasted him clean out of her very soul, and Kathryn could not have been more grateful to have his poisonous darkness out from infecting her further.

It was then that Kathryn looked up, and her jaw almost fell open as she realised who was suddenly standing before her. Lord Irmo was not three feet in front of her, once again shrouded in non-existent shadows, though now she could make out the sharpness of his high cheekbones, the curve of his soft smile and the shine of his gentle eyes. Once again he was dressed in light armour, his presence soothing her racing heart just by looking upon him, a foreign warmth entering her soul and heating her where she had not even known she was cold. Despite his tall stature he was slim and not threatening to her, even if the very knowledge of who he was, was daunting enough.

"Irmo…" she breathed in shock, still rather speechless at having to be before the very god of dreams himself; it made one feel awfully small and humble when in the presence of such a higher being. She could see Irmo smile, the curve of his lips comforting, even though her insides churned as he crouched before her, offering out a hand to her.

"Uuma dela, Aratoamin," he murmured to her soothingly, and although Kathryn didn't know the words, she could feel their meaning in her soul, and so felt herself calm for unexplained reasons. Hesitantly, she took his hand, and he helped her to her feet, setting her before the great silver gates.

"So it's true…" she whispered. "You're here to help me?" she quietly begged to whatever other Valar were listening to her prayers that he would, Eru knew that she couldn't defeat Fankil or even Morgoth on her own! But Irmo said nothing for several moments, before finally turning towards the silver gate.

"Khila amin," he murmured, before placing his hand upon the silver bars, which opened upon his touch on silent hinges, revealing the garden in all its full splendour to the two onlookers. As he stepped forward, Kathryn once again felt the meaning of his words rather than understood them, and so allowed her feet to carry her as she followed him over the great and daunting threshold of the silver gate.

Immediately stepping onto the path, Kathryn gasped as she felt a huge surge of energy fill her entire being. It was such raw and powerful magic that she felt it like a physical presence in her body, electrical currents ran along her skin, her bones felt stiff and her muscles burned with the need to move, to do SOMETHING in order to expend this sudden abundance of energy she now contained. She felt like she couldn't breathe, as if her body was too full to allow her lungs the movement; her eyes were wide, limbs shaking, skin tingling as if a flickering flame was passing over her flesh. She shakily breathed out, trying to force her body to respond and behave normally, even as she looked to Irmo for guidance. He said nothing to her, but by the cock of his head and the light just playing at the shadows on his face, she could tell he was looking at her as if to question whether she was alright. Whether her health was fine, or whether she was affected in anyway, may have been the question, but Kathryn felt a deeper understanding in her heart that echoed through her without the need for words: Do you accept this? This great power that she felt inside her, it was all because of him, he had allowed this, he was giving her this, and was wondering if she would accept the gifts he offered her.

Kathryn then knew that he wasn't coming with her to help her fight Fankil, he wasn't going to do anything, no one was coming to help her. She had to save herself. And yet, he was giving her the tools she would need for the battle to come, and some part of her straightened at the thought, knowing that only she could do this, a sense of honour and seriousness banishing her child-like fear. She nodded solemnly.

"Quel marth…" Irmo spoke, his deep voice resonating inside her head, even as the scene around her faded: the path disappeared, Irmo himself faded to nothing, Kathryn was alone as she was returned to darkness.

And her eyes snapped open.

It took her a moment to adjust to what was happening around her, the world was bright and muted and she had no idea where she was. But then, slowly everything started to come back: her vision cleared, she remembered being chained to the ground in a clearing (which explained the pain in her back from lying on the uncomfortable earth floor), she could smell burning wood, and then sound slowly filtered back to her. She was immediately aware of someone or something screaming: a loud and terrible sound between a roar and cry of pain that made the very earth shake. She could hear stone and dirt grinding as something thrashed against the ground, feeling the vibrations of something large and heavy as if moved. The screaming continued, soon becoming hoarse and desperate, turning to growls and snarls as the voice became weak, heavy panting overtaking the body as if starved of air. There was another cry, and Kathryn felt her world stand still.

She knew that voice.

Straining her head, Kathryn turned as far as the chains would allow, and to her horror, she saw some of the trees around her ablaze, slowly burning away and encasing them in a ring of fiery columns, the smoke thick in the air, but still breathable. Smaug was lying on the floor of the clearing, the great red dragon appeared weak and exhausted, his body giving off final twitches and barely any fight left within him as he tried to struggle against an unseen enemy. Fankil stood over him, and Kathryn was horrified to see that Smaug already had a deep wound upon his left hind leg, a long gash that went deep into his flesh, his deep red blood trickling down and blending in with his deep red scales. For a moment, all Kathryn could do was stare.

Smaug had come for her… her heart leapt in her chest to know that he was here to save her… But then it plummeted as she realised with dread and guilt that not even he could save her. She had to save herself.

And then she reached inside herself, and felt for the energy in the Path of Dreams, remembering stepping over the threshold and into a world made on pure and raw magic. As if summoned upon her command, the energy suddenly filled her being, making her gasp as her back arched as if the force of the energy she now contained was physically pushing her up and off of the ground. Kathryn gritted her teeth against the pain of her body straining to keep itself together, her anger returning to her as she remembered what Fankil had done to her, and what he was doing to the one she loved. Her breathing came unevenly, as if she were struggling to keep the air inside of her, her skin tingled as if slowly being burned, a dull ache forming in her core from the strain of such magic. Kathryn felt her eyes change, the purple of her iris's expanding to engulf her entire eyes, she felt the blood drain from her face, cheeks becoming hollow as the magic affected her. With a twitch of her finger, a bolt of magic sparked along her body, stinging her already sensitive skin, but her shackles burst apart with a loud clang and explosion of sparks as the metal disintegrated. Kathryn shakily rose to her feet, feeling as if she would topple over from how weak her body felt in comparison to the energy she felt inside of her. She stood to her full height, watching with growing fury and sorrow as Smaug lay collapsed on the ground, defiant and furious, his black scar twisting and writhing unnaturally, spreading tongues of black inkiness across his scales. Fankil stood over him, hand pointed towards the scar, with each turn of his hand he made the scar pulse, in turn causing Smaug to hiss and growl, though the dragon's energy was quickly leaving him. Smaug was almost unconscious as he glared up at Fankil, and Kathryn heard the words uttered by the demon's foul mouth.

"Such a waste…"

Without a word, Kathryn raised her hand, channelling the magic from deep within her, the amount of energy she felt readily answering her call as it raced down her arm like snakes that coiled and twisted around her arm, gathering in her palm, and blasting out of her. It shot across the clearing, hitting Fankil square in the back, a small explosion rocketing him a forward a few feet, with a cry he was sent skidding across the ground, eventually rolling to a stop. He scrambled to his feet with a hiss of outrage, standing to see his opponent… and stopping dead in his tracks to stare at Kathryn. Her standing there with glowing purple orbs for eyes, hair tussled and splayed out behind her, hands curled into claws, breathing heavy, and her body shaking. Kathryn's mind was blank and numb to care about anything other than destroying this enemy and keeping herself intact long enough to see it happen.

"I should have known he'd help you," Fankil muttered bitterly.

He suddenly thrust out his hand, magic springing from his fingers, though Kathryn somehow had sensed the gathering of magic around him, and so responded in kind, lightning flashing from her fingers as she shot both arms out in front of her, baring her teeth in animalistic rage as she pushed out her magic. Their combined magic smashed together in the centre of the battlefield, a burst of sparks and flames exploding on impact, the dark inky tentacles twisting and writhing against forks of lightning as both battled for dominance. Kathryn pulled the energy within her, and pushed it out in a greater force in an attempt to push through Fankil's attacks to get to him. All she did was manage to cancel out both of their attacks, much to her frustration. Quickly thinking, knowing that if she hesitated, even for a second, then she would be overwhelmed by the demon's devastating magic; Kathryn pulled all the energy inside of her, curving her arms as if around a ball as if she were gathering all the energy into her chest. She collected it all until it hurt her, and with a cry of pain she flung it out in a large blast-wave that swept towards Fankil, and before he could react, it flung him across the clearing, making him disappear amongst the trees, embers flying from those that had already fallen and succumbed to the flames.

Kathryn sagged, feeling as if she were about to collapse and succumb to the sudden exhaustion that plagued her body. She felt as if she were thousands of years old, a crone with fragile bones and a body ready to crumble. She staggered forward, but just as quickly, the energy returned to her, and Kathryn felt the scale necklace burn against her chest; she was filled again to the point where she thought she would overflow with so much magic, it hurt her to contain this, her flesh now felt like it was burning, no soft trickle like a flame of a candle, it now felt like she was wrapping her skin around a white hot kettle and she was burning from the heat. But she'd managed to stumble into Smaug's line of sight, and was momentarily distracted when the dragon gave a soft whine, causing her to look over at him worriedly. His exhausted eyes were locked onto her, barely open as he fought for consciousness.

"K-Kath…ryn?" he whispered with a cracked and tired voice.

Kathryn made a move to go to him, but was interrupted when suddenly, she felt a bolt of pain as something smashed into her side. She cried out in agony, he grip on the energy inside her slipping, as she felt pain ricochet down her arm, and a poorly aimed shock-wave was sent off in a random direction. Kathryn bounced along the ground, rolling painfully until she came to a grinding halt. She lay there for a moment, looking at her arm to see that her flesh had a burn along the wrist, severe and still smoking. Kathryn felt her dread almost choke her for a moment. She knew she couldn't keep this up for much longer: to contain this amount of magic was slowly killing her.

But then, suddenly, Fankil was next to her, faster than humanly possible, he grabbed her arm and threw her into the air, lashing out with an arm as magic shot from his hand, striking her against her chest. Kathryn screamed again, the pain eclipsing everything she had ever known for a few seconds, the blast pushing her backwards through the air until once again she slammed into the ground. This time, Kathryn tried to scramble to her feet once she'd landed in a painful heap, calling her magic to her as she shot her arms out towards Fankil, pouring wave after wave into the blast as it hit him as he came charging towards her. She hoped to overload him with the magic, the same way she was. She gritted her teeth, a cry of agony escaping her and growing in intensity as she felt her flesh burn and slice open, looking to the backs of her hands to see the skin on her knuckles flake away and turn to an angry red, blood leaking from the wounds. With one final cry, she managed to push all she had into the blast, knocking Fankil to the ground.

Not having much time, Kathryn fought against the wave of dizziness, even as her vision clouded and threatened to go dark, she struggled for consciousness. Breathing heavily, she touched the scale necklace, calling, asking, begging for any magic it could spare. Her answer was the scale suddenly heating, turning white hot in her hands, magic flowing inside of her as she began to change. In a flash, Kathryn felt all her energy go into her transformation: her skin grew hard and sprouted scales, wings grew from her back, her face elongated, horns sprouted from the back of her head, her fingers grew talons, a tail snaked out behind her, she grew larger and larger… And then finally, a great golden dragoness stood in the clearing, her scales of molten gold, her eyes glowing purple.

She roared, serrated teeth flashing. She felt exhausted and weak, but still that bloodlust filled her. She fixed her large eyes onto Fankiil as he slowly got up, and Kathryn roared again, stamping her front limbs and spreading her wings above her. Turning and twisting her body, she smacked her tail into Fankil's side, sending him flying ten feet, before she quickly pounced towards him. He shrieked as he sent a bolt of magic to her face. Kathryn hissed as it snapped her head to the side, causing her to loose balance and her leap turned into a roll as she smashed into the ground, causing Fankil to scramble in an attempt to get out of her way. Controlling her fall, Kathryn sprang from her dive, landing on her feet, talons digging into the earth to stop her as she slide momentarily. She then tried to snap her teeth at him, but Fankil was ready for her, having recovered himself, and with a blast of magic and his own strength, he smashed his fist and energy into the side of her face, following it up with a blow from the opposing hand that caught her face, causing her to snap it back and forth. Kathryn growled out from the pain, even as she felt dark magic blast against her chest, robbing her of whatever energy she had left, and trying to infect her mind once again. She crumbled against the ground, legs going useless under the demon's assault.

But she needed to beat him, she couldn't lose to him! Remembering how Smaug had once told her that dragons could hold more energy, Kathryn lashed out with her tail, hoping to get some form of distance between herself and Fankil, her tail catching his legs and sending him flying. Shakily, Kathryn struggled to get to her feet as quickly as possible, moaning and keening to the heavens in her animalistic noises. She struggled onto her hind legs, rearing back and spreading her wings out for balance, she heard Smaug weakly say her name, but she ignored him, focusing internally as she pulled on whatever magic now lay within her. She called on what Irmo had given her, her own natural resources as well as what could be spared in the link between her and Smaug. She brought it all into her bigger body, at first feeling revitalised, but then quickly feeling full, and then hurting and straining herself with the effort to contain it, then she suddenly screamed, the deep noise exploding from her draconic throat as she felt her body beginning to corrode away under the pressure and highly volatile magic she now kept inside of her. She saw burns appear on her arms, shoulders, chest, belly and legs, blood seeping from some of the wounds, on others her flesh just flaking away completely. But she needed more, she needed just a little more…

It was getting hard to think, her vision was going dark, her heart beat straining, her lungs heaving… Just a little more… Fankil was getting up, his gaze murderous as he picked himself to his feet, limp much more evident as he stumbled towards her, a growl growing in his throat until it was almost a roar. Kathryn watched him approach, body shuddering and threatening to fall apart around her as she continued to gather the magic inside of her, lightning flashing across her golden scales, the effects of the magic unable to stay completely within her. Just a little more… Fankil snarled as he spread his hands, showing the dark and twisting magic he called to him, sparking and hissing with the promise of death as he closed the distance between them. Just a little more… Smaug roared weakly, calling out to her in fear as her wounds began to open up all around her, on her ribs, across her back, along her neck, blood seeping from each as her body literally began to unravel, her bones shaking in their sockets. And still Fankil stalked closer, almost upon her. Just a little –

"ARGH!" Kathryn screamed as she suddenly unleashed the magic in a blast that almost killed her on the spot. A gigantic 'BOOM' filled her ears that made her deaf for a few moments. The shockwave was so great a force, that trees at the clearing edge were uprooted, the flames eating at them extinguished in the wind the force produced. Fankil was caught in the blast, suddenly suspended in the air as Kathryn drove all the magic she had gathered into him, not at him, pouring everything she had into his very soul and watching as it filled him up, a hum generating around them and growing in volume and pitch as Fankil began to scream as his body was overloaded with magic. The magic continued to pour forth, the noise continuing to grow until it was a deafening roar all around them. Fankil could not move nor speak nor do anything to defend himself, save for scream as his body began to convulse and tear itself apart. Kathryn screamed as she reached the last recesses of her energy, the pain was all consuming as it threatened to tear her asunder if she emptied herself completely. With a cry she cut off the stream, and there was a second explosion, one that forced even her backwards as she and Fankil were flung aside, she landing not far from Smaug. All was still in the silence of the night as the ashes settled and the magic faded.

Kathryn lay there, breath heaving as her dragon body shook from the force of keeping itself in physical being, it felt as if all her energy was now being spent in keeping her skin together. Truly, the strain of the amount of magic she had just expended, and was now continuing to use magic in order to keep her in this shape was killing her. She could feel her heart flutter and skip beats, weak in its pounding, her other organs beginning to shut down. With a shaky breath, Kathryn focused her scattered mind as best she could, releasing the same breath as she let go of the magic surrounding her. A single scale upon her chest glowed and began to burn hot, the light quickly growing until it engulfed her, and she felt her body reshape and mould itself back into a familiar feeling, and she was once again a woman. She lay there upon the ground, naked, torn, body cut and burned almost to beyond recognition, shaking where she lay as she struggled to remain conscious. Blood trickled from small cuts all along her body, her skin felt raw and sensitive to every touch or breath of air. For a while it seemed she lay there, simply focusing on banishing the worst of the pain, not moving an inch as she feared she might snap at the exertion.

"Kathryn…" came a heavy whisper, one she knew, and opened her eyes just a little to see Smaug's head above her. He hung his head limply on his exhausted neck, surely using his barely remaining energy in his attempt to move just to see her. His drained but concerned and fearful eyes searched hers, and she saw the spark of relief when she met his gaze. No words were said, for none were needed and honestly could not be uttered they were both so spent.

But then, they heard a noise, and Kathryn strained her eyes to see with horror and despair that Fankil was shifting from where he lay. One arm looked to be at a wrong angle, and he looked lopsided as he tried to clamper and limp to his feet, his breathing was ragged as if it was a struggle to even make his lungs move, and he stumbled until his eyes found them. A crazed look with in his gaze, as if he were not fully there in his head as he stumbled towards them, a gurgling noise in the back of his throat as if fluids were in his windpipe. Kathryn moaned in fear, the only sound she could utter, when suddenly, she heard a soft, agitated and exhausted growling above her. Looking up, she saw a bright golden light as Smaug's neck lit up from his fires, arching his neck over her body, Smaug fixed Fankil with the last of his hate that his energy would permit, though Fankil didn't appear to have noticed him, as if sleepwalking the demon stumbled towards Kathryn. Smaug roared as he unleashed the fires within him, and this time, Fankil did not have time to put up a shield, or he did not notice the oncoming flames. The blaze quickly engulfed him and surrounded him, and Kathryn lost sight of him as the inferno swallowed him up.

When the flames finally ceased…. There was nothing there. No body, not even ashes, there was simply nothing. Fankil had vanished. Kathryn knew this was not the end, and her heart shuddered with fear as she knew that the demon would eventually be back. But for now he was gone, defeated but not vanquished. That seemed to be enough for her body as unconsciousness slowly came to claim her, natural blackness hinting at the edges of her vision.

"Kathryn…" she heard Smaug whisper with almost a desperate plea, and she saw him too succumb to his exhaustion, long neck collapsing to the ground with a dull thud as he fell with his head not far from her, neck curled around her. She heard his sighing breath as he fell unconscious, and then darkness enveloped her vision, and she too was lost to it.

But before she could truly lose herself to oblivion, the darkness around her opened up, as Kathryn was suddenly confronted by a vision that was not of her body's choosing. She saw but a brief flash: an eye wreathed in flames, a presence watching her as it suddenly became aware of her presence.

And then, she was lost to unconsciousness.

Translations:

Kela thaurer – Go away abominable one

Uuma dela, Aratoamin – Don't worry, my champion

Khila amin – Follow me

Quel marth – Good luck

Author's Note: So here it is! The penultimate chapter! I am so sorry that this didn't come when I said it would. You have no idea how upset I am that I missed my deadline. But unfortunately, Uni work, social calls, and other stuff got in my way, and so this is late. But, I will also say a big HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Heart of Fire, as of the 8th it was one year ago that I first published Heart of Fire. I seriously cannot believe its success and thank each and every one of you for all your love and support over this past year. You seriously have no idea how much it means to me!

So anyway, I hope this chapter was worth the wait, once again I am posting it very late in the night here in the UK so I am exhausted and I apologise for any and all mistakes. But please tell me what you thought! We only have one more chapter to go and then this story is over :( But I have a day off tomorrow so I will try and write that chapter up then :D

Please don't forget to review!