[IC] Hobbit-LOTR: Quests, Curses, And Guardians { Angel & Polarize }

[kiiblade]

At the news, Kili sat up some, feeling sick with dread. If Smaug was to come here, they were done for. All of Laketown would feel the wrath of such a mighty beast; he had heard the stories of Smaug all his life, and he knew the destruction he was capable of.

If the dragon was coming here, where were the others? Kili couldn't help but worry for their safety; they had headed towards the mountain and Smaug may have met them first.
"We need to find Thorin," though tired, he began to ready himself for their departure. Time was not on their side, Smaug would arrive within a matter of moments.

Oin was in full agreement. "We'll need a boat," hastily, he threw his supplies back into his bag, then turned to help Kili who, once again, insisted he was fine.
"You'll have to come with us," the healer explained to Bard's children, but Bane would not hear of it. "Not without our Da--"
"If you stay, laddie, you and your sisters will die." Oin couldn't sugarcoat it, they hadn't a moment to spare. "Is that what your father would want?"

[AngelBites15]

Fili ran to his brother and tried to help him stand, but the youngest did indeed collapse, which grabbed Saeril's attention fast. Kneeling down to help the young dwarf, the she-elf carefully used her full strength to pick him up completely, holding him like she would hold a child, against her chest. She was ushering Bain, the girls, and the rest of the company quickly to an empty boat they could leave town with.

Smaug was reaching Laketown, and with a ferocious roar, he let loose a jet of rippling orange flame, catching an entire row of houses alight.

[kiiblade]

Kili had done the best that he could; he wanted to prove himself capable, but he'd fallen almost immediately. Thankfully, Fili and Saeril had helped him, and before he could protest, he felt his godmother pick him right up. "The floor's uneven," he mumbled tiredly, a lame attempt to shift the blame.

As soon as the group made their way outdoors, Smaug's fire lit up the opposite side of Laketown. The heat from the flames could be felt even from where they were, and panicked shouts and cries of the people were heard both near and far. Oin lead them towards the boat, ushering Bard's children to board. Sigrid helped Tilda, both worried sick about their father.

Kili caught sight of Smaug, though only briefly. Hearing about the mighty dragon was one thing, seeing him was another. Bofur shook his head in disbelief, offering Fili and the others help to the boat. At this rate, there would be no town to return to.

[AngelBites15]

As the Master tried to escape town with his treasure, the rope that Bard set down out his cell window, got tangled with him, allowing him to break away the prison cell wall. As soon as the bargeman escapes, he found a bow and some arrows in the armory, before running along the rooftops towards the bell tower.

"Stay down!", Saeril murmured softly to Sigrid and Tilda as the boat passed under the foundations of another house, the buildings around them crumbling and burning as they floated down the lake.

The fire blared around the town, surrounding it as Bard climbed onto the bell tower. Spotting Smaug flying about, he grabbed his first arrow and fired. However, they were having no effect on the dragon's hide. Frustrated, he continued to fire many arrows, although there was no injury on the beast each time.

[kiiblade]

Kili could only stare in shock as Laketown started to go up in flames. Hearing the cries and seeing the people flee their homes was difficult to witness. Were they responsible for this? Smaug had remained inside of Erebor for so many years, and now he'd left to seek destruction on the nearest town. The thought was an unsettling one; deep down, Kili worried that coming here had been wrong. Perhaps their homeland should have been left behind.

"Isn't there anything we can do to help?" Kili couldn't take it anymore. Leaving felt wrong, even if they'd managed to bring Bard's children to safety. "There were more weapons back in---"

Bofur shook his head, motioning for Kili to quiet down. "No, lad. We've got to get to Thorin." Though Bofur felt the same way, he knew there was little to nothing that they could do now. They needed to regroup with the others and plan from there.

[AngelBites15]

When they were about to make a turn, Bain suddenly grabbed a hook, and swinged himself off the boat. "Bain!", one of the sisters cried. "Leave him!", Saeril called after the sisters, her arm shooting out to hold back the oldest of the two from trying to lunge out of the boat. "We can't go back for him, it's too dangerous!", she was right, and she hoped that he would reach his father.

It was another few hours before the survivors of Laketown reached the shore once more. Many of them were badly wounded or dying, and others still had already been lost to their wounds or shock. With the shore in a yard's distance, Saeril jumped out of the boat, into the water, and used the strength she had to pull the boat to the upcoming shoreline. Looking around at the number of casualties surrounding them, the she-elf felt that she had to immediately talk to Thorin once they get to the mountain, if they still intended to. He would absolutely not be that careless to put his own nephews in harm's way, especially in the event of a Firedrake.

Bard's two girls immediately left the little boat they had travelled in with the she-elf and the dwarves, weaving through the crowd searching for their brother and father. Saeril, who could see a little better over the other people's heads, searched too, though there was no sign of either Bard or Bain.

Finally managing to remove her horned headdress, she let her hair flow free in the wind, as she glanced around at the surviving people. Knowing that Kili could have his eyes on her, she didn't bother look back at him, at least, not at the moment. Again, it's that anger she felt inside. "What were they thinking?", she said softly to herself, with a hint of a building up snarl, as she gazed out at the burnt and demolished town in the distance. It was enough for him to hear, as well as the others.

[kiiblade]

Kili caught his godmother's words, and her question made him feel somewhat defensive in regards to Thorin and the others. That tone of voice was so unlike her.
"They didn't mean for this to happen," he looked up to Saeril, completely insistent and biased when it came to his kin. "This is not their fault," at that, his eyes landed towards Fili in a silent search for his input. Surely his brother would not blame them too.
"...Is it?"

The shore was littered with survivors, but there had been plenty of casualties, too. A man clad mostly in colors of gray and black studied them from afar, his gaze piercing through the crowd of people. Kili had taken notice of him, but when he turned back, the stranger was gone. How odd.
Brows knit, Kili stepped forward, overwhelmed by what had come to pass. "We need to get to the mountain..."

"That won't be easy now, dwarf." Directly behind him, the man now stood, his expression neutral. His dark features seemed to match with his clothing, and his voice was icy at best. "Judging by appearance...I'll assume you lot belong to the others that went to the mountain."

[AngelBites15]

Saeril's back was still turned towards her youngest godson, and she didn't ignore him; she couldn't, and wouldn't. "I meant no ill-will, young Durin", she reassured. "It's just...heartbreaking. In all of Middle Earth, your mother would never do such a thing, the way Oakenshield did", she told him, her back still to him, and her voice turned soft albeit filled with disbelief, and no venom. The she-elf admitted her concern to Kili willingly, and she was bold enough to share it.

His determination was apparent again, and Saeril thought about it for a moment. "We shall. But, promise me one thing: keep your distance. From me", she told him. The she-elf briefly looked at her creamy-pale hands, slighty trembling. Hearing a voice that was not his, Saeril was quick to face the source.

[kiiblade]

Kili's heart sank. Saeril was right, of course. Dis wouldn't have risked the well being of others, not even for Erebor. There was nothing else that could be said; he couldn't defend Thorin any further, not until he knew what had truly happened.
Keep your distance. From me.
Kili wasn't sure if he'd heard correctly. They'd never been distant before. For much of the journey, he had remained by her and Fili. "But why?" Before he might get an answer, the man showed up, startling him with his swiftness.

"Who are you?" Kili eyed him with distrust; he didn't like the looks of this man. There was nothing welcoming nor friendly about him; he seemed completely unfazed by the burning town behind them. Rather than admit that they belonged to the others, Kili returned the speculation with a question of his own. "What do you want?"

The man scoffed, looking down to the youngest member there. "I'll get right to the point; I want some of the gold in that mountain of yours." Arms folded, he looked to Saeril, beliving her in charge of the ragtag group.
"In return, I will take you to the mountain. I will get you there fast and undetected. You may think it a simple enough task, but I know a better way...had those fools listened to me, they may have been able to gain access without waking the dragon."

Kili felt his blood boil. This man had no right to make such demands, and he certainly had no right to refer to his uncle as a fool. On impulse, he started to reach for his sword, only to find that it was not there. Of course. They hadn't any weapons.

The man shook his head when he took notice of this. He expected as much coming from a dwarf. They tended to be hotheaded and unthinking.
"I can supply you with adequate weaponry as well."

[AngelBites15]

Saeril made a few steps towards the man, until she was in front of Kili, blocking this stranger's view of him. "Keep the poison behind your teeth", she told him, sounding menacing. "It won't infect us", it was a ploy her parents taught her: using metaphors in her words to scare off intruders of their home wood. "I know the way to the mountain, stranger. You won't speak ill-will towards the sons of Durin; not in an any way", at least she was back to her protective instincts, instead of cowardice like before. "The only weapon they have is an elf", Saeril narrowed her eyes before turning around; her gaze to her godson. "Kili, please, go help the others", she said, her motherly words coming back to him.

[kiiblade]

When Saeril became overprotective, the man watched her carefully, unsure whether to be intimidated or amused by the show of anger. "I was merely offering my help," he stated, a light smirk on his lips. "I do not doubt your abilities...but you can't hope to protect them if they cannot protect themselves."

Kili glared at him, though Saeril was soon to come between the two. As she asked him to help the others, he hesitated somewhat, then gave a small sigh of defeat. "Alright," he wanted to prove himself useful, plus he couldn't very well protest. Saeril had saved his life, and he owed her that much.
With that, Kili turned to help the rest as requested.

[AngelBites15]

Saeril examined this man head to toe with her penetrating Elven eyes, as if she was trying to read him. Thankful that Kili was able to walk off, the she-elf couldn't place him in such a position that would affect his self-esteem. Not now. He just got healed, and he was recovering from the heartache of breaking his promise. Kili didn't need any more pain. "What will you offer?", she spoke with boldness, almost sounding strict, as wind lightly blew through her long hair. She wasn't gonna let this stranger let off too easily. Not yet.

[kiiblade]

"My protection, for one." Saeril was an intimidating sight, but the man didn't break eye contact. "You seem to have your hands full..." To emphasize his point, he looked towards the remaining company members. Bofur was tying off the boat, Oin was helping bind a child's scraped leg, and Kili was assisting anyone who needed it. All were on their feet, but each seemed fatigued. Especially Kili.

"Considering my skill with a blade, a bit of gold is a small sum to pay." The man returned his attention to the she-elf. "Aside from that...the weapons, as promised, and a better, quicker, and safer route towards the mountain. The place will be swarming with orcs soon...you'll be badly outnumbered. Will you accept my offer?"

[AngelBites15]

Saeril never broke eye contact with this stranger. But she had to, when she looked back at the group; her penetrating gaze softening as soon as she watched Fili and Kili helping those in need. Maybe she should reconsider; they need all the help they can get. But only one thing nagged her: Thorin wouldn't appreciate strangers in the mountain, especially in the treasure room. Yes, she's seen that too. Everywhere for that matter, thanks to Dis. Before her deformity...

"You speak generously", she finally said, softly, after a moment of thought. Her eyes finally leaving the view of her godsons. "But there's a warning; steal from the mountain, the mountain will steal you", it was true; dragon sickness, a terrible need for power. It will consume the victim, shattering their minds. Fear, worry, and concern were all felt within Saeril; what if they fell to it? Emphasis on 'they'.

[kiiblade]

Kili knelt on the opposite side of an injured boy, his face and clothing covered with soot from the fires they'd escaped from. Fili had been helping to wrap up a scrape on the boy's arm, and Kili had successfully stopped the bleeding on his knee.
"There you go. That's not so bad," Kili tried to be optimistic for the sake of the wounded, but inwardly, he felt sick. Was this much destruction and pain worth retrieving their homeland for? It felt wrong. These people were paying for their mistakes. How could they ever hope to make up for this?

"That's them! Right there!" A middle aged man pointed towards both brothers, and before Kili could register that they were the ones being referred to, he and Fili were forced to their feet, each by burly, heavyset men. One of them shoved Fili, when Kili moved to defend his brother, he was restrained.
"It was your kin that did this!" This earned shouts of agreement from the rowdier of the group. "We've lost our kin...now that king of yours will have to lose some of his."

"It appears that orcs aren't the only ones you'll have to watch out for." The stranger speaking to Saeril had taken notice of the confrontation, though he didn't seem phased by the scene ahead of them. "I'll keep your warning in mind, now hear mine. These people will be consumed by anger and grief...and they'll need someone to blame," he moved towards the group, prepared to break it up. "I wouldn't advise that we stay much longer."

[AngelBites15]

Saeril had her teeth gritting when she noticed the incoming chaos before her. How dare they? She did hear the warning this man told her, but her eyes gleamed in anger. Putting up her hood, she approached the scene with graceful maneuver. With immense strength, the she-elf had a pale hand on the back of the man that shoved Fili, turned him around, and gave a mighty shove. "Cross them again, your fate will end swiftly", she wanted him, giving her luminous eyes a seconds glow, turning around to the men holding the youngest. "The same goes for you. Release him!", when they didn't listen, the she-elf raised her voice. "Now!", without second thought, the dwarf was dropped, allowing Fili to run to him. "I've lost my kin too. But I wouldn't dare destroy another", she informed them while helping her godsons to their feet, getting some of the soot off of them. "Come, young ones. We go", she whispered. Really needing reassurance, Fili immediately had her in a hug, really in need of her motherly touch.

[kiiblade]

Kili felt his blood go cold as the threats were made. "We didn't mean for this to happen!" He raised his voice above the others, the fear evident in his eyes. "It was an accident -- our uncle couldn't have known," he struggled to free himself, but the men were far stronger than he could ever hope to be. Gripped with worry, he watched as one of the men drew a knife towards his brother. "NO!"
By now, Oin and Bofur had come to help, but getting through the mob was easier said than done.

Before further action could be taken, Saeril had intervened to prevent this situation from going any further.
"You heard the she-elf. Be on your way." Their newest comrade helped break the crowd up, hand near the hilt of his sword. If they tried something, he would draw the weapon.

The men were all bark and no bite. Cowardly as they were, they backed off. "You'll be sorry for this!" A woman shouted, and others were quick to agree with her. "Should we see the likes of you again, you'll regret it." A young man no older than Fili was the one to make this threat.

Now released, Kili was quick to regroup with the others, shaken by what had almost come to pass. Seeing Fili hug their godmother, Kili hugged both, heartbroken. Somehow, Erebor didn't seem quite so important anymore.

[AngelBites15]

Saeril held the brothers in her arms, resting her hand against each of their backs to hold them close. Fili really hugged her to thank her, so he let go; Kili still in her arms. "Thank you, Delva. We couldn't thank you enough for you to watch over us", he gave a sad smile before walking off to help the others push a boat into the water. The she-elf held the young brunette in her arms, feeling his distress and his heart break. Now, she regretted ever telling him to stay away. "Shh...", she gently told him, comforting him. "We're almost there", it was to help cheer him up again to pursue his dream.

[kiiblade]

Kili was hurt and confused. Back in Ered Luin, they were safe and welcomed by their people. Here, they were hated. They were being held responsible for Smaug destroying Laketown. "They're right, aren't they?" Very slightly, he pulled back from their hug a bit in order to read his godmother's expression. "They lost their homes because of us..." The idea saddened him; Kili had grown up hearing the stories of how they'd lost Erebor, and now the people of Laketown were in the very same predicament. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

[AngelBites15]

Saeril gave a sad smile once she pulled away from him, also looking at him when he asked about their downgraded position. In truth, dwarves were usually a useless, selfish race; they were greedy, ignorant, stubborn, and temperamental. To just hear this coming from the people she cared for the most, it was traumatizing. She never thought him or his kin to be below others, not even those of men. But they were dwarves; it was in their blood to be oblivious of their mistakes. However, the she-elf couldn't bear to see that in the brothers or their family. Especially the royal Durin family. If it helped make him feel any better, she didn't answer him, afraid to be honest with him of their predicament. But in reality, it was their uncle's decision to put their lives at risk. His only heirs!

Stroking his dark-brown hair, Saeril tried to keep her brave face on, but with the depressing tension, she just couldn't. "I don't know, son of Durin. All we can do is get to the mountain. I'll reason with Thorin. I promise", and she she did. Her godsons' hearts were in confusion, and she needed to clear it up with their uncle; the patient zero of the firestorm. "Everything will be okay", she softly said, before placing a kiss on his forehead, giving him her motherly touch to comfort him, and leading him to the boat that was about to leave. Everything was going to be alright...