Chapter Text
'Dragon v. Knight' AU
One curse, one curiosity, and one cure.
Thorin hated these knights that came to kill him. It was not like he was truly bothering anyone. But no: these men had to come strutting in with armor gleaming, swords reared and eyes blazing in their urge to kill.
Only that blaze held nothing to the blue fire Thorin brought upon them.
Today's knight was the smallest Thorin had encountered. He wore not a piece of armor and brandished a tiny sword as if it were an afterthought and not a necessity.
"You're supposed to be red."
"Dead."
He held back how he'd freed Smaug from his curse with death, revealing a curly-haired man, only to get it stuck to him. Apparently there always needed to be a dragon in these halls along with the gold. That was the true prize awaiting if one of these idiots ever succeeded.
"Such a massive creature you are," the knight continued to say, lowering his sword even as Thorin saw the underside of his scales glow blue in warning.
"Why thank you, I've been trying to cut down on the sweets. Can't get too sluggish."
The little thing actually had the nerve to laugh, despite how bad the joke was. Then he did something that made Thorin snap his tail irritably: he sheathed his sword. He'd given up without even trying.
"I'm an adventurer- Bilbo Baggins at your service. I was looking for Smaug, but I'm sure you have some tales of your own."
Thorin huffed, thick rings of smoke curling out that didn't intimidate the person, but instead made them smile in glee. Thorin snapped his teeth that were taller and broader than this stranger- still his eyes remained bright.
"You're not here for treasure? Glory, gold- the Arkenstone?"
"Only company. And you seem more civilized that what I heard of the other drake. I like you."
Thorin did what he could to frown, snarl escaping from curled lips.
Bilbo then sat and began making himself comfortable under the watchful eyes of a beast. There were sandwiches, a ratty book with a leather cover, and finally tea. He chatted to Thorin like he was an old friend, not an ancient enemy.
And oddly enough Thorin found he liked Bilbo as well. Except for when he had to go, and leave the dragon alone with this damnable gold.
"You should come with me."
The idea had never passed through Thorin's head in all this time sitting here. To just leave this hoard he had risked his life and given his true body for? He'd gone to reclaim it and indeed he had, only to be forgotten by his friends and family when he was too ashamed to show how he had become the monster he'd gone to slay.
"I'll come back tomorrow."
That night Thorin left his bed of gold and went to stare at the murky land below. Should he leave this hellish haven for the unknown? With only the faith of a little man without even a proper sword?
Thorin looked down when he heard a clatter against the rocks below him, expecting it to be a gold chip got stuck and come loose. Instead he saw it was one of his ebony scales, iridescent in the starlight.
When he climbed down the mountain with Bilbo the next morning, still refusing to fly as he still had some dwarfish pride left, Thorin left a trail of scales and claws behind him.
As they reached the bottom, Bilbo gave him a smile and his cloak.