-Bag end-
As Aldril confidently declared he would defeat Smaug, a faint glow briefly illuminated his hair, as if the dark night itself was pierced by countless stars. This lasted only a fraction of a second, and hardly anyone noticed, except for Gandalf, who looked at Aldril with a deep, assessing gaze.
"That's the spirit."
"So spoken."
"Yes, there's no need to be afraid of the dragon."
Aldril's confidence split the dwarves' opinions. The younger dwarves, like Kili and Fíli, were passionate, impulsive, and seemed to fear nothing. Then there were the more experienced dwarves like Balin, who had lived through the tragedy of Smaug's attack and were consequently far more cautious.
"The boy may be capable, but I doubt it of you! Thinking yourselves invincible isn't bravery, it's just stupidity!" Balin chided Kili and Fíli, who were eager to face Smaug.
"Hey, who are you calling stupid?"
"I'm talking about you guys!"
"We're not stupid!"
"Yes! The only stupid one here is Dwalin!"
"What did you say, you idiot!"
Seeing the two dwarves with opposing views argue louder and louder, a potential conflict loomed. If no one intervened, a fight was imminent. Looking at Thorin's increasingly angry face, Aldril silently nudged his chair back a little, only to bump into Gandalf, who had done the same.
It was at that moment that Thorin stood up, slamming his hand on the table. "Enough!" he exclaimed, causing all the dwarves who had already risen to sit back down and lower their heads as if they had been scolded.
"If we could interpret those signs, don't you think others could as well?" Thorin said, looking at each of the dwarves with a serious expression. "Rumors are spreading. The dragon Smaug hasn't appeared in sixty years. There are those who look to the Eastern Mountain, judging, thinking, gauging the danger. Perhaps the great treasure of our people is now unprotected."
"Shall we do nothing while others seize what belongs to us? Or shall we seize this chance to take back Erebor!"
Thorin's powerful words motivated the dwarves, causing them to set aside their divided opinions. They rose up and wholeheartedly supported their king.
But even though the dwarves were motivated, one, in particular, thought with a cool head and made a comment that silenced the already excited group. "Did you forget that the gate is locked? There is no entrance to the mountain," Balin said with a sad tone, shaking his head. It wasn't that he wanted to dampen their motivation; he was simply addressing the expedition's biggest problem. Erebor, an underground city within the mountain, now lay empty, its main gate sealed by the fierce attack of the dragon Smaug. If they couldn't open the impenetrable defenses guarding the entrance, all their efforts would be in vain.
After Balin finished speaking, Thorin bowed his head in thought; certainly, that was the biggest problem they would face.
While Thorin was thinking and the other dwarves remained silent, Aldril saw Gandalf rise from his bench and, in a low voice, speak. "That, my dear Balin, is not quite true." At that moment, they all watched as Gandalf pulled out a key, long as a grown man's forefinger and thick as a thumb.
"How did you get that?" Thorin looked at the key in Gandalf's hand and muttered.
"I received it from your father's hand, Thráin, for safekeeping, and now it shall be yours," Gandalf said, speaking slowly, as he reached out and handed the key to Thorin.
At that moment, Fíli saw how Thorin looked at the key as if it were the most beautiful treasure he had ever received. "If there is a key, it means there must be a door," he said in an excited tone.
"You are right," Gandalf nodded as he pointed to some runes on the side of the map and continued, "These runes mention a secret passage to the lower halls."
"There is another entrance!" an excited Kili exclaimed, putting his hand on his brother's shoulder.
At Kili's comment, Gandalf looked up and said, "Yes, if we find it, but the dwarven doors are invisibly locked." As he tapped his finger lightly on the runes, he continued, "The answer is hidden somewhere on this map, and I have not yet been able to find it."
"But others in Middle-earth can. The task I have in mind requires us to remain hidden and have great courage, but if we are careful and skillful, I think we can accomplish it."
"Then that's why we need a thief."
..
Seeing that his intervention or opinion was not needed, Aldril opened his system, curious as to how much the world exploration had gone up after visiting the Shire and meeting several important people.
"Turum." The sound, similar to opening the menu in the classic Resident Evil game, rang out.
[Name: Aldril]
[Race: Human/?]
[Attribute Points: 0]
[Attribute: Strength+; Constitution+; Agility+; Mentality+]
[Skill: Universal Language; Military Survival LV2; Wolf School Style LV1; Archery LV2]
[Talent: Good Fingers (Special Skill)] [World Exploration: 0.4%]
Looking at the data that appeared in front of him, Aldril was pleasantly surprised to see that World Exploration had increased to 0.4%. The numbers proved that Aldril's hypothesis on how to increase world exploration was correct. The current progress of world exploration was closely related to the plot characters and all the locations in Middle-earth. This gave Aldril the green light for future exploration of all that Middle-earth had to offer.
Just as Aldril was reflecting on the places unexplored by the movies and books, an event brought his attention back to the room.
Gandalf, who had already sat down, suddenly stood up and, under the light of the fire in the fireplace, his originally tall shadow immediately became extremely large and began to envelop the entire room.
"Enough! I have told you that Bilbo Baggins is a thief, and therefore he is one." The seemingly calm voice was now overwhelmingly loud to the ears of those present. As soon as the words fell, all the dwarves were shocked. Gandalf had always been described as a kind wizard, but none of the dwarves had imagined that the kind wizard could be so terrifying when angry. Even Thorin was surprised; this was the first time he had ever witnessed an angry wizard, and it certainly took him aback.
Aldril, who had been observing his system, was also surprised by Gandalf's sudden outburst. He immediately dismissed the system in front of him and turned his full attention back to the meeting.
"All hobbits have very nimble feet. What's more, they can pass unnoticed when they want to, and while the dragon knows the scent of dwarves and humans very well, the hobbit's scent will be unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage."
"You asked me to find the fourteenth member of the company, and I chose Mr. Baggins. He is much more than meets the eye; he has much more to offer than you imagine, even if he does not know it himself," Gandalf said, looking at Thorin in a serious manner. "You must trust me this time, Thorin." Gandalf sat back down, and Aldril could see the immense importance of a wizard's words, for the dwarves who had been against him were now silent.
"Very well, we will do as you say." Thorin looked at Gandalf for a few seconds and, convinced by the wizard's unwavering conviction, reluctantly welcomed Bilbo.
At that moment, Thorin turned his gaze to Aldril and, in a serious manner, said, "Mr. Aldril, from what I heard from Balin, adventurers are rare these days, and each one who holds the title of adventurer has accomplished great feats that have been recorded over the years."
"As the fifteenth member of the expedition, I hope you can help us deal with the dragon."
At Thorin's words, Aldril was silent for a few seconds, then stood up and raised his hand with a clenched fist. "Of course, I'll help you, we have to kill that damn lizard!"
"Now you're talking!"
"Fine, let's go get that bastard!"
"Yes! Let's show him what we're capable of!"
All the dwarves rose to their feet at Aldril's declaration; even Gandalf gave Aldril a look of approval, knowing he hadn't been wrong to bring this adventurer with him. The one who was most pleased with his statement was Thorin, who immediately looked at Balin.
"Take out the contract, Balin; someone else needs to be added."
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I've been reading the wiki and informing myself about everything related to middle earth and wow, it's too much lore.
Implementing part of the books in my Fic to give more logic to what will happen.
And by the way, someone said that the romance with Taurel is ridiculous, since she only appeared in the movies and I get it, since nothing is mentioned about her, that's why I've taken it upon myself to ask for your vote.
Taurel as a romantic interest or Éowyn with the fact that she is human and sooner or later will die, so take your pick!
And those who have seen the clues, will know why I don't put Arwen.
Anyway, remember to support me on patreon where there are 5 chapters ahead.
"patreon.com/Mrnevercry"