The Tarnished in LOTR with Elden Ring

"Behold, what a tiny insect. I could crush you with one finger. But I'm in a good mood now, somewhat sympathetic to weak humans like you, willing to chat with a human from outside Lake-town... Worship me! Declare your humble identity to the great Smaug! Cheer for my renowned fame and legends!"

Smaug displayed his arrogance to Tarnes, but only if Tarnes truly stood before Smaug, rather than speaking through Alfrid's body.

In Tarnes' eyes, Alfrid's movements were utterly ridiculous.

Suppressing his laughter, he said: "I think if you served me, I'd build you a special circus in my territory, where you'd be the most outstanding and laughably absurd performing animal."

Smaug didn't get angry but laughed mockingly: "You'd make an excellent court jester. My long slumber in the Lonely Mountain has grown somewhat boring. I happen to need such a fool by my side. Very suitable for you. So tell me your name so I can create a position befitting you."

Tarnes narrowed his eyes, sneering: "So you can enslave others' souls by knowing their names? Ever since you started speaking, your voice has been trying to burrow into my mind to influence me. Lake-town's mayor and this poor fool you're using to speak with me—that's how you controlled them."

"So what if it is?" Smaug made no attempt to hide it, directly admitting the truth.

However, Tarnes could sense that the reason for such a ready admission wasn't generosity but simply not considering him worth attention.

In other words, Smaug didn't think Tarnes knowing this would affect him at all.

Such arrogance.

Tarnes thought silently, but he liked such arrogant enemies.

This way he could fully exploit this trait to kill Smaug.

At this moment, Smaug's lips curved in a cunning smile: "You must be thinking I'm very arrogant, not taking you humans seriously. So you can use my arrogance to lure me into some ridiculous trap you insects have prepared, then destroy me."

Tarnes' mouth twitched. Now he had to add "cunning" to his assessment of Smaug.

Seeing Tarnes remain silent, Smaug controlled Alfrid to crawl on the ground while continuing: "Though I don't know what you human insect are planning, Lake-town's destruction is already certain. I hope you live to see it. I'll torture you thoroughly. Burn your limbs with dragon fire, pierce your lungs with claws, then finally crunch your bones with my teeth."

Then Alfrid's face showed an exaggerated, affected expression of realization, eyes gleaming with wild laughter: "Ah, if you can't survive until then, I'll personally visit your homeland and bring it fire and death."

Tarnes chuckled lightly, fingertips caressing his armor buckles: "I look forward to you actually flying over the Misty Mountains. My people will line up to greet you with your favorite sound of peeling dragon scales as a victory march."

The puppet controlled by Smaug suddenly crawled with limbs bent backward, joints making teeth-grinding creaks: "Vile ant! When I burn your flesh, I'll crunch the bones of everyone you know!"

Then Alfrid's facial muscles bulged grotesquely, mouth corners tearing to his ears: "Every inch of your homeland's soil will soak with wails, like the dwarf crown I melted a century ago!"

"How about we play a game?"

Tarnes' voice turned cold as he stepped forward, grabbing Alfrid's body and pressing a dagger to the puppet's neck, the blade stopping precisely at the pulsing artery.

He leaned close to the puppet's twisted face: "Before you finish counting all the gold coins in the Lonely Mountain's treasury, my boots will shatter your vault's door."

Under Smaug's control, Alfrid began struggling, but Smaug discovered this human's strength was terrifyingly powerful. Unless the enslaved puppet broke all four limbs, escape was impossible.

Of course, Smaug didn't care whether the puppet could survive or feel pain after breaking all limbs, but just as it prepared to do so, it heard Tarnes' cold voice: "Take your sight and crawl back to your Lonely Mountain."

Then Smaug found its connection with the human puppet severed.

A trace of bewilderment flashed in its golden dragon eyes as it raised its head from the golden mountain of coins, countless gold pieces, gems, and jewels rolling down between its scale crevices or getting stuck there.

When Smaug straightened to reveal its belly, a wound filled with brilliant gold coins and jewels came clearly into view.

That human dares mock me!?

Flames brewed in Smaug's mouth, gold coins embedded near its jaws melting into golden liquid drops.

It spread its two massive dragon wings, preparing to fly from the Lonely Mountain to Lake-town.

No, he's deliberately provoking me, enraging me, trying to lure me to Lake-town.

Smaug thought again, then lay back down on the golden mountain, crushing countless stacked gold coins and jewels as it closed its eyes again.

It had decided. When Sauron's Orc army captured Lake-town, it killed all Lake-town prisoners, leaving none alive.

Meanwhile, Tarnes looked at Alfrid, whom he'd knocked unconscious, his anger gradually dissipating.

When Smaug had threatened him about seeking revenge in the Golden Tree territory, uncontrollable fury had surged from Tarnes' heart.

If not for the final reason of telling him this was just Smaug's controlled puppet, his Black Knife would have pierced this human's neck.

Even so, Tarnes still felt inexplicable irritation, requiring several deep breaths to barely calm down.

"Tsk, what to do with these two now?" Tarnes looked at the unconscious mayor and Alfrid on the ground, feeling troubled.

Finally, Tarnes decided to dump these two problems on Gandalf, letting that lazy old wizard at the inn solve it.

So he re-bound the mayor and his bootlicking secretary, then hid them under the wide bed in the mayor's bedroom, ensuring that when they woke, they couldn't make noise, move, or be discovered.

When Tarnes returned to the inn's guest room, Thorin immediately stood up, finally breathing a sigh of relief after his constant worry.

Bilbo had already returned to the room, along with Millicent who'd brought back Balin, Fili, and Kili.

Seeing Thorin's state, Gandalf joked: "I told you to trust Tarnes. Probably only that dragon in the Lonely Mountain could harm him around here."

Then Gandalf heard Tarnes say: "I did encounter Smaug."

The old wizard's mouth fell open, eyes widening as he nearly dropped his pipe, asking nervously: "What did you say?"

Tarnes waved his hand: "Don't worry, its main body is still in the Lonely Mountain. I just exchanged a few words with a human puppet whose soul it had enslaved."

Gandalf immediately understood: "I have heard that dragons like Smaug can make people fall under dragon-spell and be compelled by their will, but I didn't expect it was real."

Tarnes glared at Gandalf irritably: "Since you knew Smaug might have this ability, why didn't you tell us?"

Gandalf awkwardly pursed his lips around his pipe stem: "I wasn't certain of its truth. Speaking of uncertain things that might affect you."

But Thorin's attention was elsewhere: "So Lake-town's mayor became abnormal as Bard described because he was controlled by Smaug?"

Tarnes snapped his fingers and nodded to show Thorin was correct, then related everything he'd heard in the mayor's house.

Gandalf looked troubled: "So Lake-town's mayor and his secretary are still alive, but you can't find a way to break the dragon's curse, so you want me to handle it?"

Tarnes nodded, but Thorin said: "Now isn't the time to worry about the mayor. Even if he died, Lake-town's residents would only celebrate. They wouldn't shed a tear for that bloodsucker. What we need to solve now are those Orcs that entered Lake-town."

He analyzed seriously: "Azog's son Bolg is dead. We must rescue Bard's daughters before these Orcs realize what happened, while also eliminating them. According to Tarnes, the Orcs Bolg led are elite forces. Once they notice Bolg's death and lose restraint, they won't continue pretending quietly, and Lake-town's residents will surely suffer."

Gandalf took a puff and said with satisfaction: "You actually care about Lake-town residents' safety. That's not your usual style."

Thorin frowned at Gandalf: "If we liberate the Lonely Mountain, these Lake-town people will be the only batch of humans nearby who can trade with us. From this consideration, I certainly don't want Lake-town residents to suffer too much loss. Otherwise it's also a loss for us Dwarves."

Gandalf took several more puffs: "Regardless of the reason, it's better than watching these poor people suffer. I have a method that can both rescue Bard's daughters and eliminate those Orcs."

Tarnes looked over curiously: "What method?"

Gandalf narrowed his eyes: "Since you've already captured the mayor and his secretary, though I'm not confident about lifting the dragon's curse, I can use magic to deceive Smaug and make the mayor follow my commands. This way we can gather all the Orcs that entered the city in the mayor's name, so no one will guard Bard's daughters. Thorin, arrange some quick-handed, sharp-minded Dwarves to rescue Bard's daughters during this time."

Thorin nodded, looking at the Dwarves in the room: "Fili, Kili, plus Balin and Ori. You four go rescue the little girls."

Fili and Kili would handle force if they encountered trouble.

The kindest Balin and most knowledgeable Ori would quickly convince the two girls they were sent by Bard to rescue them.

Before Gandalf could speak, Tarnes volunteered: "Then Bernahl, Millicent, and I will eliminate those Orcs that entered Lake-town. Igon, I'll trouble you to provide long-range support from the mayor's tallest bell tower."

Thorin also agreed: "If it's left to you three, certainly not a single Orc will escape. But not all Orcs will necessarily obey the mayor. Gloin, take the remaining Dwarves to handle those disobedient Orcs in Lake-town."

Gloin patted his chest, his long fiery red beard swaying.

Just as Bilbo was about to ask about his task, Thorin proactively looked at the Hobbit: "Bilbo, you'll accompany me to meet Balin and the others."

Only then did Bilbo nod.

After deciding their next actions, everyone assigned tasks moved with swift efficiency.

However, to avoid drawing unnecessary attention by moving together in large numbers, Tarnes' group left the inn in batches.

First, Tarnes and Gandalf went to the mayor's house together. Thanks to Gandalf's magic, nearby Orcs didn't notice them.

When Tarnes dragged Lake-town's mayor and Alfrid from under the bed, both were still unconscious. Gandalf successfully used magic to wake the mayor and make him obey his commands.

Everything went very smoothly after that. Perhaps because the Orcs all knew the mayor's soul had been enslaved by Smaug, making him the dragon's puppet, when the mayor ordered them to gather at Lake-town's vacant guard barracks, these Orcs showed no suspicion of the command.

Only one Orc, apparently Bolg's lieutenant, asked where Bolg had gone and why they were suddenly assembling.

Since Gandalf knew through Tarnes what Bolg planned to do, he directly revealed Bolg's plan to attack the Dwarves, respectfully telling the lieutenant that Lord Bolg had gone ahead to scout the situation.

After listening, the lieutenant suspected nothing and immediately led the heavily wrapped Orcs to the location the mayor indicated.

The most troublesome phase was over. Only the boring time of slaughtering Orcs remained.

Under Tarnes', Bernahl's, and Millicent's unreserved strength, nearly a hundred Orcs ambushed in Lake-town died.

Bard's two daughters were also successfully rescued by Balin's group, the only trouble being finding these two little girls among all the houses where Orcs had been staying.

"Your teacher is coming soon, Tarnes. She'll reach Lake-town's outskirts shortly."

Gandalf came to Tarnes' side and suddenly spoke.

Tarnes looked over and saw a fluffy gray moth resting obediently in Gandalf's hand.

"Bernahl, I'll leave the cleanup of these Orc corpses to you." After giving instructions, he turned to Gandalf: "Let's go. I'm also curious what method Teacher Sellen has to bring the Golden Tree's army here in such a short time."