As Gandalf and Mallory departed from Rivendell, they wasted no time in taking to the mountain paths in pursuit of Thorin Oakenshield and his company.
The journey, however, was far from easy.
Rain poured relentlessly from the sky, soaking the narrow stone paths and turning them slick beneath their feet.
Wind howled through the cliffs, tugging at Mallory's robes as she pressed forward.
"Are you sure we're going the right way?"
Mallory called over the storm.
Gandalf gripped his hat with one hand, his staff planted firmly against the ground.
"I am fairly certain," he replied, though his voice was nearly lost to the wind.
Suddenly—
A massive shadow loomed above them.
Mallory looked up just as a huge boulder came crashing down from the heights.
This time, Gandalf moved first.
He raised his staff high and brought it down with force.
A burst of blinding light erupted from its tip—
The boulder shattered midair, fragments scattering across the mountainside.
Mallory steadied herself, eyes narrowing.
"What was that?"
The ground trembled beneath their feet.
Then it moved again.
Not the ground—
The mountain.
Mallory's eyes widened as she looked up.
Towering shapes shifted among the storm clouds—massive limbs of stone colliding with thunderous force.
Gandalf's expression darkened.
"Stone giants," he said grimly. "And I fear we've wandered into the midst of their sport."
As if to prove his words—
Another boulder tore loose from above, hurtling straight toward them.
Mallory stepped forward this time.
She raised her staff.
Purple light crackled along the crystal tip, threads of energy snapping through the rain.
With a sharp motion, she brought it down.
Lightning answered.
A blinding strike split the sky, crashing into the falling boulder.
It exploded apart in a shower of shattered rock and sparks.
Thunder roared across the mountains.
For a brief moment, even the storm seemed to hesitate.
Gandalf glanced at her, a flicker of approval in his eyes.
"Impressive," he said.
But there was no time to dwell on it.
High above, the stone giants continued their clash—hurling rocks at one another like careless children.
And Mallory and Gandalf stood directly in their path.
"Oh I do hope they're ok."
———
Deep beneath the mountains, in the twisting dark of the goblin tunnels, Thorin Oakenshield and his company were dragged before the Goblin King.
Bilbo was nowhere to be seen.
The goblins stripped the dwarves of their weapons, tossing them in a heap before the throne with a loud clang.
A grotesque figure loomed above them.
The Goblin King descended from his perch, stepping carelessly upon the backs of lesser goblins. In his hand he carried a crooked wooden staff topped with a skull.
His bloated face twisted into a sneer.
"Who would be so bold," he bellowed, "as to come armed into my kingdom?"
He leaned forward.
"Spies?"
"Thieves?"
"Assassins?"
A goblin stepped forward, teeth jagged and broken.
"Dwarves, your Malevolence."
The Goblin King's eyes narrowed.
"We found them at the front gate."
The King snarled.
"Then don't just stand there—search them!"
Goblins swarmed forward, prodding and grabbing.
"Every crack," the King growled.
"Every crevice."
He studied Thorin closely.
"What are you doing in these parts? Speak!"
Silence.
The King's grin widened.
"Very well," he hissed. "If they will not talk… we shall make them squeak."
The goblins howled with cruel laughter.
"Bring forth the mangler!"
High above, unnoticed—
A black shape perched in the shadows.
Rowan.
With a soft caw, he launched himself into the darkness.
————
Elsewhere, the storm still raged across the mountains.
Mallory and Gandalf had taken refuge within a narrow cave.
"I'm glad we got out of that storm," Mallory said, setting her staff aside as she wrung the rain from her robes.
Gandalf stood calmly, as though such weather were of no consequence.
Then—
A sharp caw pierced the sound of the rain.
Mallory turned.
"Rowan."
She raised her hand.
Golden light shimmered between her fingers.
"Into a man."
The crow's form unraveled into light, reshaping into a man before her.
Rowan wasted no time.
"They've been captured," he said grimly. "Goblins. They're in the Goblin King's domain."
Gandalf's expression darkened instantly.
"And Bilbo?"
Mallory's hand clenched, faint green light flickering along her staff.
Rowan shook his head.
"I did not see him."
Gandalf turned sharply.
"Then we must act—now."
(New quest: Slay the goblin king)
————
Back in the Depths
The Goblin King had begun a dreadful song, stomping and circling as the goblins jeered.
One goblin lifted a sword from the pile.
He unsheathed it—
Then shrieked, flinging it away.
The Goblin King recoiled, eyes wide with fear.
"That blade…" he hissed.
"The Goblin-cleaver… the Biter!"
The goblins turned viciously upon the dwarves, striking and snarling.
"KILL THEM!"
A goblin raised its blade toward Thorin—
Then—
A violent rumble shook the cavern.
The ground split.
Vines burst from the stone below, twisting upward in a sudden surge of green life.
Goblins cried out as they were seized and dragged from their footing.
From the shadows, two figures emerged.
One in a pointed hat.
The other crowned with horns.
"MALLORY!" the dwarves shouted.
The Goblin King stared in disbelief.
"What manner of creature is that?"
Mallory raised her staff.
The vines surged faster, coiling around goblins and pulling them screaming into the depths.
"Everyone—take up arms!" Gandalf shouted, drawing Glamdring.
"Fight!"
The dwarves broke free, rushing to reclaim their weapons.
Steel flashed.
Gandalf cut through the goblins with swift, precise strikes.
Mallory followed close behind, striking with her staff and summoning roots to disrupt their enemies.
"There are too many," she called. "We must retreat!"
Suddenly—
The Goblin King lunged, raising his staff toward her.
Thorin met him head-on.
With a clash of steel, Orcrist struck true, knocking the creature backward from the platform.
"Thorin—where's Bilbo?" Mallory asked urgently.
Thorin's expression hardened.
"He fled."
Mallory's jaw tightened—but there was no time to argue.
"This way!" Gandalf called.
The company fled across narrow wooden platforms suspended above the abyss.
Goblins poured after them in relentless waves.
Mallory thrust her staff outward.
Golden light flashed.
Vines erupted from the walls, tangling the pursuing goblins.
They slammed into the growth and tumbled from the walkways.
Still, more came.
Elsewhere — The Dark Below.
Bilbo stumbled through the darkness.
A pale, hunched creature emerged from the shadows.
Gollum.
The goblin that had fallen with Bilbo stirred—
Only to be dragged away.
A rock came down with a sickening crack.
The body fell still.
A small golden ring slipped free.
"Nasty goblinses…"
————
Back in the tunnels, the chase intensified.
Mallory's magic flared again and again as goblins fell before her.
A sharp chime rang in her mind.
Level up: 26 → 30
HP: 750 / 750
MP: 1110 / 1110
New Skill Acquired: Emerald Flame
(MP cost 100)
Without hesitation, she turned.
Her staff ignited with eerie green fire.
With a sweeping motion—
Flames roared outward like a torrent, consuming the charging goblins.
They screamed and fell back, unable to push through the blaze.
"Nicely done, Lady Mallory," Gandalf said, tipping his hat.
The company pressed forward.
Gandalf raised his staff once more.
A burst of white light struck the stone above.
With a thunderous crack, a massive boulder broke loose and came crashing down—
Crushing the pursuing goblins beneath it.
The company raced on, following the path ahead as the tunnels shook with chaos behind them.
The Goblin King burst from the collapsing platform, splinters raining down around him.
"You thought you could escape me?" he sneered.
Without warning, he swung his massive staff toward Gandalf.
The wizard staggered back a step, boots scraping against the wooden planks.
"What are you going to do now, wizard?" the king grinned.
A sharp caw echoed from above.
Rowan dove down, claws outstretched.
"Get away from me, you nasty creature!" the Goblin King snarled, swatting him aside.
Rowan barely avoided the blow, veering off into the shadows.
Mallory stepped forward.
Purple streaks of energy crackled along the crystal tip of her staff.
Her eyes sharpened.
She brought it down.
Lightning answered.
A blinding flash split the cavern.
The bolt struck the Goblin King head-on.
He screeched—his body seared by burning light.
But then—
CRACK.
The wooden platforms beneath them trembled violently.
Splintering.
Breaking.
Mallory's eyes widened.
"Oh… I did not think this through."
The structure gave way.
The entire company dropped.
They fell through layers of beams and scaffolding—crashing, tumbling, wood snapping beneath them—before slamming hard onto the cavern floor below.
Dust and broken timber scattered everywhere.
Groans followed.
Some coughing.
But miraculously—no one was gravely injured.
Mallory pushed herself up—
Then her eyes widened again.
"Incoming!"
Above them, the charred corpse of the Goblin King plummeted down.
Gandalf reacted instantly, grabbing Mallory and pulling her clear.
THUD.
The massive body crashed down on top of the pile of dwarves.
"You've got to be joking," Balin groaned, shoving a heavy arm off his chest.
Mallory raised her hand.
Vines burst from the cavern walls, coiling tightly around the Goblin King's body before dragging it aside.
One by one, the company scrambled to their feet.
But the danger wasn't over.
From above—
A horde of goblins poured down the broken platforms, shrieking.
"We should run," Mallory said quickly.
Gandalf nodded.
"Everyone—this way!"
They ran.
Boots pounded against stone as they raced through the twisting tunnels.
Behind them, goblins howled in pursuit.
At last—
Light.
The first rays of sunlight stretched across the cavern floor ahead.
The exit.
One by one, the company burst out into the open air.
Cool wind.
Trees.
Freedom.
They didn't stop until they reached the cover of the woods.
Gandalf turned, scanning the group.
"Is everyone alright?"
Mallory stepped forward, breath uneven.
"Gandalf… we need to go back. We have to find Bilbo."
"I'm afraid we cannot," he replied.
"But what if he's in danger?" her voice tightened. "Or worse—hurt?"
Thorin stepped forward, his expression hard.
"He is a coward," he said coldly. "He saw his chance and fled."
Mallory's grip tightened around her staff.
"He is no coward," she said firmly.
Thorin scoffed.
"Then where is he?"
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Tense.
Then—
"I'm right here!"
Everyone turned.
Bilbo stood at the edge of the clearing—dusty, bruised, but very much alive.
Relief washed over the group.
Gandalf smiled.
Mallory didn't hesitate—she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around him.
"I thought I lost my close friend."
Bilbo hugged her back, patting her shoulder gently.
"I'm alright," he said softly.
"How did you get past the goblins?" Kíli asked, wide-eyed.
Before Bilbo could answer—
Mallory swayed.
Her vision blurred.
The world tilted.
Breath tightened.
She collapsed.
"Mallory!"
Bilbo caught her by the arm before she hit the ground.
Gandalf stepped forward quickly, concern flashing across his face.
"I—I'm okay," she murmured weakly. "Just… a little dizzy."
She steadied herself, then raised her hand.
Soft green light flowed from her hand.
One by one, it spread across the injured dwarves—closing wounds, easing pain, restoring strength.
Thorin watched silently.
Then—
"Why did you come back?" he asked.
Bilbo hesitated.
Then he spoke.
"I know you doubt me. You always have."
He nodded slightly.
"In truth… I was afraid."
He swallowed.
"I could have gone home. Back to the Shire. My garden… my armchair… my books."
He glanced at Mallory as she continued healing the others.
"But I didn't come back because I was forced to."
A quiet pause.
"I came back because… you're my friends."
Thorin's expression shifted—just slightly.
Understanding.
Respect.
Gandalf smiled.
And for the first time since the mountain, the company stood not just as travelers—
But as something closer.
(message: Kill the goblin king)
Success
Level up 30 → 35
Exp: +200
HP: 950/950 MP: 1310/1310
Mallorys eyes widen. Noice.
The company had finally begun to settle, tension easing—if only for a moment.
The fragile calm didn't last.
Above them, Rowan shifted restlessly, his wings twitching before a series of harsh caws split the air—a warning.
The company went still. They all knew what it meant.
From the distant cliff, a pale orc emerged astride a white warg, its lips curled in a vicious snarl as it scanned the group below.
Then came the roar.
Thorin's eyes widened. "Out of the pan—"
"—and into the fire," Gandalf finished, his expression darkening.
There was no hesitation.
Mallory drove her staff into the ground.
Vines erupted from the earth, twisting and coiling over one another, rapidly forming a thick, living wall between them and the threat.
"That should buy us some time!"