The Dragon and the Demon

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

The Gastar lead characters meet the dwarves at the Lonely Mountain:

The group of dwarves looked over the odd pair with suspicion.  “Exactly who are you?”  Asked one of them, with a long white beard.

The tall, horned demon opened his mouth to speak, but the teenage girl with him, gestured him to be quiet.  “I am Shevata, and this is Zermon.  We’re here to rid this mountain of the dragon menace.”

The dwarves broke out in laughter.   The demon inspected the mountainside.  “We can use this area.” 

Shevata moved forward to inspect.  A voice behind them said, “I don’t care who you are.  Get out of here.  This is our fight, not yours.  Our city was taken and we’ll not share the treasure with a devil and a strange girl.”

The twosome turned to face the dwarf.  Shevata grinned.  “And you are?”

“Thorin, the King of the dwarves.”

Shevata nudged the demon.  “Hey Zermon, who’d thought?  A comely dwarf?”  They both chuckled.

He waved.  “Be off, short men.”  As Thorin drew his axe and approached them, Shevata tossed a shiny orange disc onto the ground between them.  He looked down at it. 

“Is this some magic trick?”  Thorin looked at the disc and up at Shevata.

“Step past and it you will be in Hell.”

Thorin scowled at them.  “We’ll never open the door for you.”

Shevata picked up the disc and carved a large square into the rock with her golden dagger, standing on Zermon’s shoulders and his horned head for height.  When finished, she motioned to the demon.  “Do you mind?”

Zermon gave the square a push and the rock moved to create a perfect open door. Thorin grabbed her arm “You will wake the dragon for sure!”

Shevata leaned toward the dwarf.  “Who ever told you dragons sleep is a liar.”  She looked at Thorin’s grip with a warning and he released her.  “Don’t follow us.”

“What about Bilbo?” Whispered the gray-haired dwarf to Thorin. 

Inside, Zermon climbed into the upper part of the mines.   Shevata walked over the immense treasure-covered floor, toward the obvious booming voice of a dragon speaking with a terrified voice of another, someone she didn’t know. 

“HaHaHaHaHa!”  Zermon’s massive voice roared in laughter from the upper chamber, filling the mines with his voice.  "There’s nothing in here but a cave lizard; slimy, funny and stupid.  HaHaHaHa!”

The dragon’s head snapped around to Zermon’s voice.  “Who is this that dares enter the domain of Smaug?”

“HaHaHa!  The lizard has a name!  What a stupid name!  Isn’t that the name of a rat? HaHaHaHa!”  Roared Zermon.

As Smaug moved away Bilbo found himself wrapped in rope and jerked across the floor.  A girl pulled him closer to her and removed the lasso. “What are you doing in here?” She whispered.”

Bilbo shaken, gathered his courage.  “I’m to get the Arkenstone for the dwarves.”

Shevata’s eyes widened.  “They sent you in here? “ She looked around.  “Have you seen the it?”  Bilbo pointed.  She motioned and it landed in her hand.  She grasped Bilbo’s hand.  “We must lure him out.” 

“You’re boring me Smaug!” Laughed Zermon as the great dragon chased him through the mines.  It reared back and hurled a massive column of fire at the demon as he stood laughing.  “Only the dumbest lizard would breathe fire at a demon while a little girl takes the Arkenstone! HaHaHa!”  Shevata tossed the stone through the door to the outside as Smaug lunged for it.  As he reached the door, she threw the orange coin to the ground in front of the opening.  As the dragon passed through the door, it became a great flame then it disappeared. 

Shevata walked with Bilbo behind her and picked up the coin.  Zermon caught up and joined them.  Thorin waited, holding the Arkenstone.  She faced the Dwarf King.  “You knew the little one was inside?”

“We needed him to get the Arkenstone.”

She and Zermon looked at each other.  Shevata eyes narrowed at Thorin.  “No noble King would do that.  Perhaps you’ll redeem yourself and die in battle.”

Thorin looked down, ashamed.  “What of the dragon?  It is dead?”

Zermon smiled.  “His soul will burn forever in Hell.”

Bilbo frowned.  “But..do dragons have souls?”

All of them became silent.  Zermon shrugged.  “Well, if it didn’t work, he’ll be flying around that human village.  I think they can kill him.  What do you think, Shevata, maybe that human that threw you off the ballista tower?”

The Dwarves watched as the two walked back down the mountain, arguing if a dragon had a soul or not.