Chapter 71: A good adventure

[General POV]

-With Aldril-

"NOOO! BOMBUR!"

He stared in shock as the arrow pierced the chest of the dwarf he considered a good friend. After Glóin, Bombur was the one he got along with best, and now seeing that friend being struck by an arrow made something inside him surge like an enraged sea, only to then settle into a calm that even surprised him.

It was as if a storm had brought monstrous waves, only for that storm to vanish in an instant, leaving behind a calm that would put anyone on alert, and that's exactly what happened.

The orcs around him froze in fear.

Yes, they were stupid, but that didn't stop them from feeling fear. After all, that's how they were ruled by Sauron, and now Aldril made them fear for their lives. It was as if something dangerous had awoken inside the human, making them afraid to even attack him.

"Kill him, you damn fools!"

They heard Bolg shout, snapping them out of their daze. Aldril, however, looked at Bolg from a distance with cold indifference. When Bolg saw the apathetic stare directed at him by Aldril, the few hairs on his body stood on end.

He could feel it, a fear only his father and master had ever made him feel. A fear of standing before someone who could kill you with a single move, a being who commanded respect and whom you should never provoke.

Now he realized it. This human was not someone he should have provoked. But it was too late; everything had already been set in motion. He couldn't disobey the order that had been given to him. If he were to die, he'd at least try to take as many down with him as he could.

Bolg command snapped the orcs around Aldril back to action. Despite their fear, they rushed toward him with fervor. But this, of course, did not concern Aldril, who felt remarkably calm. The swords in his hands seemed weightless, and he could see the slow and clumsy movements of the orcs.

With a vertical slash from his sword Anguirel, he cut off the heads of three orcs who had lunged at him. With a horizontal swipe, he slashed the face of the orc approaching from his left. Every movement was light and lethal.

He took a step forward and, with explosive force, propelled himself toward Bolg. The orcs in front were no obstacle. With a diagonal slash of both his swords, which gleamed with delight, he cleaved and massacred the orcs unlucky enough to cross his path to Borg.

Bolg clearly saw this. With clumsy hands, shaking from fear, he notched more arrows onto his bow, his arm trembling as Aldril approached at terrifying speed. He finally managed to aim and release an arrow.

However, to his horror, the arrow was shattered by the swing of Aldril's swords. His fear spiked as the human leapt and landed in front of him. In that moment, it felt like he was standing before an incredibly dangerous beast. It seemed as though the human's body had grown larger, blocking his view. The rays of the sun highlighted his figure, casting a shadow that darkened his form.

He thought it was an illusion, but it wasn't. He had stepped back in surprise and fear, tripping and falling. The fear and terror induced by Aldril's presence caused Bolg's subconscious to exaggerate Aldril's shadow even more.

Bolg could see those honey-colored eyes, glowing and looking at him as if he were a mere worm. Now he understood what his father had felt. He had thought his father weak, that if he were in his father's place, he would stand and fight. How wrong he had been.

"How pathetic."

Words filled with indifference were what Borg heard from the human. Those eyes, brimming with cold apathy, gazed down at him as if reaffirming his power over him.

"Cowardly and stupid, just like your father."

Every word Aldril spoke made Bolg tremble slightly. All he could do was crawl backward while on the ground. It was a pathetic sight. If Sauron or anyone else had seen him, they would've killed him on the spot for showing such weakness.

"You killed my friend, so I guess it doesn't matter if I impale your head and show it to your father, does it?"

Those were the last words Bolg heard from the human before his surroundings began to spin. Now he felt it, the moment death would soon claim him. He could only see his decapitated body. With the last bit of consciousness he had, he watched the human approach and pick up his head. Then, everything went dark.

With Bolg death, the few remaining orcs fled in panic. Without a leader and terrified by Aldril's presence, they didn't hesitate to run. However, they wouldn't get far. Soon, elven reinforcements arrived and began to massacre the remaining orcs.

All of this was distant to Aldril. He had raised his gaze to the blue sky, trying to suppress the overwhelming emotions swelling within him, a trait he had inherited from his father, though he wouldn't realize it until much later.

"Bombur! Hold on!"

The dwarves' shouts snapped his eyes open, and with speed, he rushed toward them. They were gathered around a dying Bombur. Bofur, as his close friend, held his hand, trying to offer words of comfort, though they all knew the harsh truth.

When Aldril arrived, he stood beside Tauriel, who, upon seeing him, shook her head, signaling that Bombur had no hope of recovery. With a soft, consoling voice, she gave him the news.

"I examined him. The arrow hit his heart," she said sorrowfully. Bombur was still conscious, holding on by sheer willpower, determined to say goodbye to all his friends, a final act that earned the respect of Tauriel and the two elven guards.

As Aldril approached the group of gathered dwarves, he overheard Bombur bidding farewell to them, one by one.

"Bofur… take care of my goat. Remember, she loves lettuce… more than anything." Every word he spoke felt like a knife to the dwarves. Bofur, his eyes full of tears, nodded as he gripped Bombur's hand even tighter.

"Bilbo… you're a brave hobbit… help Thorin reclaim… our home." Each word was a struggle, but Bombur's strong will refused to give in until he'd said his goodbyes. Bilbo knew this, so he simply bowed his head as tears poured from his eyes like a heavy rain.

"Thorin… I'm sorry… but I don't think… I can keep going." Thorin's usual stern face was nowhere to be seen. Though he knew he should maintain his composure, he couldn't. He knelt down to grasp Bombur's other arm and, with a strong squeeze, spoke in a voice laden with emotion. "No, Bombur, forgive me. I wasn't a good king, and I couldn't protect you. But rest assured, we will reclaim Erebor."

Bombur could only manage a weary smile at Thorin's words. He wanted to respond, but he felt death drawing nearer and had one last thing to say to the half-elf with whom he had formed a strong friendship. His eyes locked onto Aldril, who looked back at him, sadness written all over his face.

"Aldril… my friend… kill that dragon…please...help us to recover our home"

This stirred a surge of emotions within Aldril. His hands clenched into fists that cracked under the pressure, his teeth gritted as he looked directly into Bombur's tired eyes and nodded with great resolve.

"I will. I promise."

Those words were like a warm embrace for Bombur. He knew Aldril would keep his promise, something deep inside told him so. With his last bit of strength, he looked toward the Lonely Mountain, lamenting that he would never set foot in his ancestral home. With a smile, he closed his eyes. He might not make it, but his friends would, and that was enough.

"Ah, that was a grand adventure."

****

Filthy orcs! Tonight there will be no fight, there will be no war, we must give him a day of rest as a gift in honor of that dwarf.

It was a difficult decision, Bombur is one of the dwarves I've grown fondest of in this fic, but I have to learn that Aldril is not Eru and he won't be able to save everyone.

On another subject, does anyone know how they pay in webnovel? I'm tired of the labor exploitation, I plan to dedicate myself full time here and if possible create my own novel, if anyone knows I'd appreciate it. 

Support me on patreon where there are 15 advanced chapters. "p@treon.com/Mrnevercry"