Chapter Summaries

Aaron treated Kili’s Morgul poison and prepared Long Lake Town for Smaug’s arrival by creating defensive Magic Arrays and gathering weapons. After memorizing the town’s layout with Bain, he continued making preparations for the coming battle.

• Aaron explained that ordinary herbs had suppressed Kili’s poison, and Bifur brewed King's Leaf Grass to finish detoxifying him.
• Aaron froze part of the lake and carved a defensive Magic Array there so Bard’s children could shelter beneath the house during Smaug’s attack.
• Aaron fortified the bell tower with an ultimate defensive Magic Array and added a Magic Crystal to power it against several blasts of Dragon Fire.
• Aaron asked for weapons, a boat, and a guide, then Bain led him around Long Lake Town and explained its streets and waterways.
• Aaron memorized the town’s layout and told Bain to return while he circled the town to make further preparations.

Aaron reunited with Bard’s family, then joined Thorin’s expedition at Lookout City as they searched for the hidden entrance to Lonely Mountain. After the dwarves nearly gave up, Aaron’s compass and the moonlight revealed the keyhole, and Thorin inserted the key.

• Aaron’s Thoughtform returned to Bard’s home exhausted and assured Tilda that Bard would kill the dragon that night.
• Thorin’s expedition reached Lookout City, where Aaron speculated that Gandalf was occupied with a dangerous enemy and the group searched for the secret door.
• Bilbo spotted a staircase on Thrain’s statue, leading the expedition to the hidden door before sunset.
• The dwarves failed to find the keyhole or break the sealed door, and Aaron urged them not to abandon their search.
• Aaron used Captain Jack’s Compass to guide Thorin to the keyhole as moonlight revealed it in the stone wall.
• Thorin inserted the key into the newly revealed keyhole.

Aaron and Bilbo entered Erebor to find the Arkenstone, but discovered Smaug awake among the treasure. Smaug confronted them, learned Aaron had raised another dragon, and let them live for now, while Aaron refused to leave without the gem.

• Thorin, Balin, Gloin, Bilbo, and Aaron entered Erebor through its secret door, and Balin led Bilbo and Aaron toward the Arkenstone.
• Bilbo and Aaron reached the treasure hall, where their footsteps sent gold coins sliding and revealed that Smaug was home.
• Aaron and Bilbo hid and turned invisible, but Smaug detected them; Bilbo removed the Magic Ring and came face-to-face with the dragon.
• Smaug sensed another dragon on Aaron and demanded to know about it, so Aaron explained that he had raised Abei since she was born.
• Smaug prepared to kill Aaron, but Aaron spoke Dragon Language and stopped it; Smaug offered them mercy if they left, and Aaron refused to go without the Arkenstone.

Aaron and Bilbo confronted Smaug beneath the Lonely Mountain while searching for the Arkenstone, and Aaron eventually stole it despite Smaug’s warning. After Smaug attacked and Aaron discovered his spells barely affected the dragon, Aaron and Bilbo escaped by turning invisible.

• Bilbo stalled Smaug with riddles while Aaron used a compass to locate the Arkenstone beneath the dragon’s hoard.
• Smaug exposed the Arkenstone and accused Bilbo and Aaron of helping Thorin Oakenshield, then warned them about Sauron’s approaching forces and the gem’s corrupting influence.
• Aaron used Accio to take the Arkenstone, prompting Smaug to attack them with fire and his jaws.
• Aaron deflected Smaug’s fire with a torrent of gold coins, but his Petrification Spell barely stopped the dragon.
• Aaron cast a Disillusionment Charm and fled, while Bilbo put on the One Ring and followed toward the exit.

Aaron’s Thoughtform helped defend Bard’s home in Long Lake Town from Bolg’s Orcs, then promised to help fight Smaug. In Erebor, Smaug cornered Aaron, Bilbo, Thorin, and the Dwarves, who found their escape blocked in the western guardroom; Aaron insisted he could get them out.

• Aaron’s Thoughtform sensed Orcs near Bard’s home, protected the family and Dwarves, and fought off the first attackers until Tauriel and Legolas arrived.
• Bolg learned Thorin was not in the house and ordered the Orcs to retreat, while Legolas and Tauriel left to pursue them.
• Aaron’s Thoughtform asked Legolas to return his Wands and Tauriel to stay and protect the siblings until the Elves returned from hunting Orcs.
• In Erebor, Thorin demanded the Arkenstone from Bilbo just as Smaug found them and drove the group down the stairs with Dragon Fire.
• Aaron used Aguamenti to extinguish Thorin’s burning clothes, and the group escaped through a passage to the western guardroom.
• The Dwarves found the guardroom blocked by a boulder and filled with the remains of their kin, while Aaron said he could still get them out.

Thorin chose to lure Smaug to the furnace and fight, while Aaron kept the Arkenstone until the group was safe. The Dwarves escaped into the smelting chamber, where Aaron ignited the furnaces as Smaug pursued them.

• Thorin decided to face Smaug and agreed that Aaron should hold the Arkenstone until the group was safe, naming Fili and then Kili as heirs if he died.
• Thorin divided the Dwarves into teams to draw Smaug toward the furnace while Aaron secretly covered their escape.
• Smaug chased Thorin, Bilbo, and Balin through the passages, but Dwalin helped Thorin evade the dragon in a mine shaft.
• Aaron wounded Smaug with magic, blocked its Dragon Breath with water, and teleported back to Thorin and the others.
• Thorin dropped mining equipment and Aaron summoned a huge block of ice onto Smaug before the group fled to the smelting chamber.
• Aaron cast Incendio to light the furnaces, and the gold ore inside began to melt.

Aaron and the Dwarves tried to trap Smaug in Erebor, but the dragon survived being engulfed in molten gold and flew toward Long Lake Town. Bilbo regretted helping awaken Smaug as Aaron said the town would soon be devastated.

• Aaron distracted Smaug at the iron gate and rejected the dragon’s offer of power and kingship.
• The Dwarves used water, flash fire, and mine carts to drive Smaug toward the Hall of Kings, while Aaron rescued Bilbo from the collapsing platform.
• Smaug threatened to attack Long Lake Town, and Thorin lured it beneath a gigantic golden statue made from molten gold.
• The golden statue melted over Smaug, but Aaron sensed the dragon was still alive as it emerged covered in gold.
• Smaug smashed through Erebor’s gate and flew toward Long Lake Town, while Bilbo blamed himself and Aaron said the townspeople would pay for choosing gold.

Aaron claimed his payment from Thorin and predicted that Smaug would die before morning, while his Thoughtform helped Bard defend Long Lake Town. Smaug discovered the weakness in its scales and attacked the clock tower, but Aaron’s Magic Array shielded them.

• Aaron had Thorin acknowledge that one-fifth of Erebor’s treasure belonged to him, then claimed the System Mission’s 1,000 Magic Points.
• Aaron told Bilbo and the others that he had arranged for Long Lake to become Smaug’s burial ground, while his Thoughtform sent Tauriel and the others into hiding.
• The Thoughtform joined Bard at the clock tower as Long Lake’s residents fled Smaug, and Smaug’s Dragon Fire destroyed part of the town.
• Bard’s arrows bounced off Smaug’s scales, but the Thoughtform struck near its eye and drew its attention.
• The Thoughtform and Bard helped reveal the unscaled patch on Smaug’s chest, but Smaug said Thorin’s golden armor had covered the flaw.
• Smaug blasted the clock tower with Dragon Breath, but Aaron’s defensive Magic Array blocked the flames.

Aaron and Bard continued their fight against Smaug, using Black Arrows and the Magic Array to wound and hold off the dragon. Aaron summoned a powerful Holy Dragon Patronus to battle Smaug, but his magic was rapidly running out, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Aaron revealed three Black Arrows he had recovered from the lake, and Bard fired one at Smaug, which the dragon blocked with its wing.
• Aaron stabilized the Magic Array with the Magic Crystal, while Bard used an iron arrow to distract Smaug and create an opening for a Black Arrow shot.
• Bard struck Smaug's chest wound with a Black Arrow, injuring it but failing to kill it; Smaug retaliated by setting Long Lake Town ablaze.
• Smaug attacked the clock tower from a distance, weakening the barrier, and Aaron summoned another Black Arrow from the lake before casting the Patronus Charm.
• Aaron's Holy Dragon Patronus fought Smaug in the sky, but the Thoughtform's magic rapidly dwindled as the battle continued.

Aaron joined the fight against Smaug at Long Lake Town, helping Bard land the killing blow and claiming Smaug’s soul with a Dragon-Slaying Magic Crystal. The survivors celebrated Smaug’s death, while Bard’s family was hailed as descendants of a dragon slayer and Thorin returned to the hall in silence.

• Aaron revealed that the white dragon was his magical Thoughtform and Apparated to Long Lake Town to help it.
• Aaron restored the Holy Dragon Patronus, then he and the Thoughtform distracted Smaug so Bard could shoot him with a Black Arrow.
• Aaron used a Magic Array beneath Long Lake to bombard Smaug with streams of water, leaving him vulnerable to Bard’s arrow through the wound in his left chest.
• Aaron drove a second Black Arrow into Smaug and struck him with repeated Cruciatus Curses, causing him to crash into the town and die.
• Aaron extracted Smaug’s soul into a Dragon-Slaying Magic Crystal and told Bain that Bard’s archery had made his family descendants of a dragon slayer.
• The ravens of Erebor returned to spread news of Smaug’s death, and Thorin went back into the hall without joining the others’ celebration.

After Smaug’s death, Aaron and the others reached Erebor and found Thorin consumed by the treasure. Aaron rested, used his system rewards to learn Transfiguration and Illusion Projection, and raised his magical strength to High-level Archmage.

• Aaron left Bard and the refugees with a Black Arrow for Bain, while Kili confessed his love to Tauriel and gave her his mother’s black stone before leaving for Erebor.
• Bilbo warned Aaron that Thorin had changed after receiving the Arkenstone, and Aaron found Thorin admiring the gold in the great hall.
• Bilbo and Aaron discussed finding Gandalf and the dangers gathering around Erebor, then Aaron asked for a quiet room to rest.
• Aaron signed in at the Dwarf Kingdom, claimed his reward for killing Smaug, and spent Magic Points to obtain Transfiguration and Illusion Projection.
• Aaron tested Transfiguration by changing objects and turning himself into a raven, then used Illusion Projection and increased his Magical Energy to High-level Archmage.

After enduring the Dragon-Slaying Magic Crystal’s painful fusion, Aaron awakened with Fire Dragon-Slaying Magic and increased physical strength. He then confronted the crisis outside Erebor, where Thorin refused to help the refugees or honor his promise to Bard, and Aaron tried to prevent war.

• Aaron fused with the Dragon-Slaying Magic Crystal, suffering intense pain before waking the next morning with stronger physical abilities and Fire Dragon-Slaying Magic.
• Bilbo told Aaron that Thorin had blocked Erebor’s gate, leaving the refugees from Long Lake Town outside; Aaron argued that the Dwarves could offer them supplies but could not safely admit them.
• Bilbo revealed that an Elven army had arrived, and Aaron went with him to the city wall, where Thorin dismissed the threat and rejected Bilbo’s call to negotiate.
• Bard approached the gate and demanded that Thorin honor his promise to share the treasure with the people of Long Lake Town, but Thorin denied the promise and threatened to shoot him.
• Aaron reminded Thorin of his promise and asked Bard for time to persuade him; Bard agreed to try to dissuade Thranduil but told Aaron to convince Thorin before the day ended.

Aaron and Bilbo pressed Thorin to honor his promise to help the people of Long Lake Town, while warning him against war and reminding him of the greater threat in the shadows. Thorin agreed to let them provide rebuilding funds after the Elf army was driven away, and Aaron prepared to carry the message to Bard as the Dwarves armed for battle.

• Aaron and Bilbo warned Thorin that war with the Elves would be disastrous and urged him to preserve human and Elven lives because Smaug had spoken of a powerful enemy in the shadows.
• Thorin dismissed the warning and refused to give the people of Long Lake Town any gold, but Aaron showed him their contract and offered to surrender his share to rebuild the town.
• Thorin agreed that Aaron could use his share to fulfill the promise, but said he would not open Erebor's gates while the Elf army remained at River Valley City.
• Aaron volunteered to go to River Valley City and explain the plan to Bard, and Thorin led him and the others to the armory to choose weapons and armor.
• Thorin gave Bilbo a Mithril vest and gave Aaron the key to Erebor's Secret Door.

Aaron and Bilbo negotiated with Bard and Thranduil over the treasure, the White Gem, and the coming conflict. Gandalf returned wounded from Dol Guldur and warned that Sauron’s orcs were mobilizing, leaving the elves and dwarves facing a greater threat.

• Aaron and Bilbo told Bard that Thorin had agreed to give up one-fifteenth of the treasure, so Bard withdrew from the planned attack and promised to remain neutral.
• Thranduil insisted that he would continue seeking the White Gem, while Aaron said the timing was wrong and began to explain why.
• Gandalf arrived after Alfred tried to drive him away, and Aaron learned that he had gone alone to Dol Guldur and encountered the Necromancer.
• Gandalf explained that Saruman, King Elrond, and Queen Galadriel had rescued him from Sauron and warned Thranduil that the orcs of Dol Guldur had mobilized and war was imminent.

Aaron tried to convince Thranduil that an Orc army was approaching Erebor and negotiated to prevent the Elves from attacking the Dwarves. Thranduil granted him three days to secure the White Gems, while learning that the Iron Hills army was also on its way.

• Gandalf, Bilbo, and Aaron warned Thranduil that Sauron's Orcs were marching toward Erebor, but Thranduil doubted them and ordered his archers to kill anyone who moved on the mountain.
• Aaron demonstrated Apparition to Thranduil and offered to persuade Thorin to hand over the White Gems, warning that he would take the gems and flee if Thranduil attacked.
• Aaron asked for three days to deliver the White Gems, and Thranduil agreed to wait after Gandalf said the Orcs could arrive within two days.
• Aaron told Thranduil that the Iron Hills army would soon reach Erebor, and Thranduil praised Aaron's abilities while inviting him to ally with the Woodland Elves.

Aaron warned the leaders that the orc army might attack Erebor by dawn, but Thorin’s obsession with the gold complicated the effort to prepare for war. Gandalf asked Aaron to contribute more to the coming battle, and Aaron reminded him how much danger he had already faced while Gandalf was absent.

• Aaron refused Thranduil’s offer of elven friendship and asked Gandalf how soon the orcs could arrive, prompting Gandalf to warn they might reach the City Gate by dawn.
• Thranduil ordered the elves to form ranks before River Valley City, while Aaron told Bard to prepare Long Lake Town for battle.
• Gandalf, Aaron, and Bilbo reached Erebor and found Thorin sitting crowned amid the gold, dismissing the danger and trying to reduce the promised share for Long Lake Town.
• Bilbo warned the dwarves to prepare for an orc attack, while Gandalf asked Aaron to give more to the allied army.
• Aaron recounted how he had rescued the company and helped defeat Smaug while Gandalf was absent, then told Gandalf that he had already contributed enough.

Aaron reluctantly accepted Gandalf’s request to help support the coming battle, then tried to prevent the Dwarves, Elves, and Men from fighting before the Orcs arrived. The Ironfoot Army confronted the other forces outside River Valley City, and Thorin persuaded Dain to delay an attack for a few days.

• Aaron accepted the system mission to defeat the Orc army after agreeing to help Gandalf within his abilities.
• Thorin, Gandalf, and the expedition watched as Thranduil’s Elves and Bard’s Men assembled outside River Valley City.
• Dain arrived with the Ironfoot Army, demanded that the Elves and Men leave, and threatened to attack them.
• Aaron stepped between the armies and reminded Thranduil of their agreement, preventing the Elves from firing on the Dwarves.
• Dain ordered his army to form an attack formation despite Aaron presenting the Durin family key, but Thorin asked him to wait and give the others a few days to see whether the Orcs attacked.

The Orcs launched a massive attack on the Dwarves, Elves, and Men, forcing their rival armies to unite while Thorin hesitated to aid his kin. As the Orcs threatened River Valley City, Aaron unleashed a powerful lightning spell against them.

• Dain marched the Ironfoot Army toward the City Gate, but earth-worms emerged from tunnels and revealed the approaching Orc invasion.
• Azog sent the Orc legions to attack, and Dain led the Dwarves into battle while Thorin refused to let the other Dwarves join them.
• Aaron urged Thranduil to fight, and the Elves charged alongside the Dwarves as Bard stayed behind to defend River Valley City.
• Azog sent war beasts against the allied forces, then redirected another Orc army toward River Valley City.
• Aaron formed a Magic Array and struck the advancing Orc army with purple lightning, killing a tenth of its troops.

Aaron used a spectacular lightning spell to make the allied army believe Gandalf had cast it, then sent a Thoughtform to help defend River Valley City as the orcs attacked. The Thoughtform battled the advancing army alone, but the damaged walls let orcs enter from other directions.

• Aaron cast powerful lightning and credited Gandalf with it, boosting the morale of the elves and dwarves while alarming the orcs.
• Aaron admitted to Gandalf that he had made him a public shield and said he could use the lightning only a limited number of times.
• Azog ordered the orcs to resume their attack, and giant beasts with catapults began battering River Valley City's walls.
• Aaron created a Thoughtform and sent it with Gandalf and Bilbo to help Bard defend the city.
• The Thoughtform repelled a charging giant beast with Dragon's Roar, then jumped down and killed more than a dozen orcs with a Longsword.
• The damaged walls allowed orcs to enter River Valley City from other directions, leaving the Thoughtform unable to protect everyone.

Aaron used Dragon Blood and his own Dragon Slayer Mage blood to create an Ice Dragon, then sent it into the Battle of the Five Armies to disrupt Azog’s forces. Gandalf’s phantom rallied the allied armies, while the real Gandalf realized Aaron had used his image and complained to Bilbo.

• Aaron completed a Magic Array with Dragon Blood and his own blood, then created a powerful Ice Dragon above Erebor.
• Aaron projected Gandalf’s phantom onto the Ice Dragon to urge the allied armies to unite and counterattack.
• The Ice Dragon attacked the orcs, forcing Azog to order war beasts and catapults to bring it down.
• Aaron explained that the Ice Dragon was created through Transfiguration and that he had borrowed Gandalf’s reputation.
• In River Valley City, Gandalf recognized his voice in the rallying message and complained to Bilbo that Aaron had put him in danger.