Chapter 35 – The Dragon Must Die
The final stretch of the journey took the seven Stone Giants another two days.
Smaug stood atop the Stone Giant Queen's shoulder—and was forced to stand there for two more days as well.
Worth noting: over those nine days, Smaug had "contributed" quite a few more gemstones to the seven Stone Giants.
At last—
Just before dawn, after skirting the borders of Mirkwood, the Stone Giants stepped onto the lands of the Lonely Mountain, officially entering the Dragon Kingdom.
Naturally, both Beorn the skin-changer and the humans of Dale were already awake. Some stood outside their homes, some hid behind windows, others climbed onto rooftops—eyes wide, staring toward the lakeshore.
"Stone Giants… from the legends?"
Beorn, not in his great black bear form that night, was startled once more.
"Where in the world did he find creatures like these?"
He truly realized now—Smaug had an endless talent for shocking people. His methods were simply inexhaustible.
Beorn was well-traveled and knowledgeable; he recognized the Stone Giants at a glance.
The people of Dale, however, were the complete opposite.
"My gods… what are those?"
"Giants… made of stone?"
"Why are they coming here?"
"If they enter the city, who could stop them… we'll all die…"
"Go get Smaug!" someone suddenly shouted.
That suggestion instantly gained support. In the blink of an eye, asking Smaug to stop the Stone Giants became a shared consensus.
It was absurd—
Not long ago, Smaug had been an evil dragon, a symbol of terror.
Now, he had somehow become the humans' last line of defense.
Before long, a ravend began rushing toward the Lonely Mountain.
At that moment, Bard—standing on higher ground—shouted loudly:
"Don't go to the mountain! Look carefully—Smaug is right there, standing on one of the Stone Giants' shoulders!"
"The Stone Giants were brought here by Smaug!"
It was still dark, visibility poor, and the Stone Giants were unimaginably massive. As a result, most people hadn't noticed Smaug at all—fear had fixed their eyes entirely on the giants.
But Bard's warning spread quickly.
Little by little, groups of people began to make out Smaug's silhouette.
"It really is Smaug…"
"He's standing on a Stone Giant."
"Haaah… if Smaug brought them here, then they're not here to fight, right? We should be safe…"
One by one, people let out long breaths of relief, gradually relaxing.
And once the fear faded, what remained was a mix of lingering tension and irrepressible curiosity—
A ravend quietly watching the spectacle unfold.
Smaug and his entourage advanced slowly toward Dale beneath countless wide, staring eyes.
The darkness of night retreated bit by bit.
Daylight stepped onto the stage, light and cheerful, as though tiptoeing in.
As time passed, Smaug's group skirted the outskirts of Dale and finally arrived at the Lonely Mountain.
"Welcome to my home," Smaug said, unmistakable cheer in his voice at last.
"This is the Lonely Mountain. Would you prefer to eat first, or rest?"
"Rest," the Stone Giant Queen replied.
"Very well. Make yourselves comfortable—treat it as your own home," Smaug answered.
The Stone Giant Queen said nothing more. She simply wandered off, each step deliberate, searching for a suitable place.
The other six Stone Giants did the same.
Before long—
Under the stunned gazes of Dale's residents, the seven Stone Giants calmly pressed themselves against the mountain's body.
Naturally, the process was accompanied by another bout of earth-shaking tremors.
After a long while—
Sunlight spilled across the land. The Lonely Mountain lay illuminated once more, everything settling into silence, as if nothing extraordinary had happened at all—like waking from a dream.
"The longer you live, the more strange things you see."
"True. Humans really shouldn't live too long—when it's time to die, you die."
"Are you out of your mind? We've finally started living good lives—why talk about dying?"
"..."
Morning arrived.
The Stone Giants rested.
The people of Dale relaxed and began chattering, turning what they had witnessed into idle talk as they went about their day.
Humans truly were resilient creatures—able to shift their mindset with astonishing speed.
But inside the city lord's residence, Bard's mind could not settle so easily.
His brow remained tightly furrowed.
First Beorn the skin-changer…
Now these giants made entirely of stone…
What would come next?
More importantly—Smaug kept bringing these terrifying beings here.
Why?
It couldn't possibly be for amusement.
Bard was certain Smaug had a purpose.
But what was it?
He pondered again and again. At midday, when he happened to see a few birds flying toward the Lonely Mountain, a sudden realization struck him—
A prophecy.
"When the birds of old return to Erebor, the reign of the beast shall end."
His heart jolted.
"The Dwarves will return!"
"He's preparing for war!"
Bard's spirit trembled as he reached his conclusion.
---
The appearance of seven legendary Stone Giants—followed by nearly nine days of upheaval—was shocking news that spread rapidly.
Iron Hills.
Dáin, King of the Dwarves, had received the news two days earlier. Since then, his head had been pounding relentlessly, growing worse every time he thought of the situation at the Lonely Mountain.
"Damn it—where did that cursed dragon even find those Stone Giants?"
"With this, how are we supposed to attack Mirkwood?"
"That old fox Thranduil must have already surrendered!"
"Fxxk… I can't think anymore. My head hurts. Bring me wine."
Before long—
Glug. Glug. Glug.
After downing several cups of strong spirits, Dáin closed his eyes and passed out, finally free from thought.
Worth mentioning—
The other six Dwarf Kings scattered across Middle-earth made the exact same choice.
When in doubt, drink.
Drink until you don't have to think anymore.
---
Mordor.
The Dark Lord Sauron was also suffering from a headache—
If he still had a physical head.
His pain was… conceptual.
Unfortunately, lacking a body, Sauron couldn't drown his troubles in wine.
That damned Smaug!
He's determined to oppose me, is he?!
Stone Giants? So what?!
I will destroy you all the same!
Sauron raged inwardly—but rage was one thing, reality another.
He knew exactly how terrifying those seven Stone Giants were.
Because he knew, after venting his fury in silence, he was forced to think.
To reclaim dominion over Middle-earth, the Lonely Mountain was the first obstacle—
And the only first obstacle.
There was no way around it.
Erebor had to fall.
Which meant—
Smaug, who refused to cooperate, had to die.
Damn that dragon…
Sauron cursed again, venomously, in the depths of his will.