With the frost dragon finally dead, Kael released a long-held breath of relief.
However, the dragon's massive corpse, having swallowed the furnace containing fire demon crystals, still radiated scorching heat. Waves of thermal energy rolled off its body, and superheated air hissed from its open jaws.
Kael didn't linger near the smoldering carcass. He apparated to where Thorondor had crashed among the splintered trees.
Finding Thorondor injured but stable—his wing frozen solid and preventing flight despite the warm air—Kael knelt beside him with genuine concern. He carefully administered various potions from his collection.
Thorondor was far more than a mere pet. Kael had raised him from an abandoned chick, and the eagle held deep loyalty and fierce affection for his master.
After witnessing what appeared to be Kael's death at the frost dragon's jaws, Thorondor had thrown himself at the ancient beast without hesitation, seeking vengeance.
Once he'd ensured Thorondor was comfortable and resting, Kael's attention returned to the colossal frost dragon corpse dominating the mountainside.
The immense creature stretched over a thousand meters long, and its sheer size still left Kael awestruck.
Without the surprise tactic of using fire demon crystals from within, Kael seriously doubted he could have defeated this ancient dragon in direct combat.
What Kael didn't know was that Saruman had subdued this same frost dragon using a similar method—poisoning it from within using venom from a fell beast, exploiting the dragon's tendency to swallow prey whole.
The ancient dragon, it seemed, was something of a glutton, falling victim twice to the same fatal weakness.
Kael pondered how to transport such a gargantuan corpse. The beast was ten times larger than Smaug, far too massive even for the golden dragon to drag or carry.
His immediate priority, however, was retrieving the mithril furnace from the dragon's belly.
He entrusted this unpleasant task to Smaug.
The frost dragon's natural defenses remained formidable even in death. Conventional cutting spells barely scratched the surface, leaving only shallow marks.
His Flammifer and the spear Aeglos could penetrate the scaly armor, but they were like toothpicks against the dragon's thick layers of muscle and fat—even when fully inserted, they barely reached vital organs.
So Smaug used his natural weapons instead, employing sharp claws and powerful jaws to tear open the dragon's belly.
After considerable effort and much growling, Smaug finally breached the abdominal wall.
A blast of superheated air surged out, scorching even Smaug's fire-resistant scales. The dragon grimaced and pulled back with a pained hiss.
Kael quickly cast protective shields around them both.
Inside the cavity, the dragon's organs appeared thoroughly cooked, still steaming with residual heat. The stomach had been burned completely through, a gaping charred hole where it once held acid. Blood had evaporated entirely, leaving only dried residue.
Kael carefully resealed the furnace with binding spells, finally quelling the intense heat emanating from within.
The surrounding temperature gradually normalized, no longer oppressive.
Kael then turned his attention to the dragon's massive heart. The organ was astonishingly large—roughly the size of a small house, with chambers vast enough to hold a grown person standing upright.
Unlike the other thoroughly cooked organs, the frost dragon's heart still emanated a powerful chilling aura that made the air shimmer with cold.
Kael retrieved a specially prepared mithril container, magically expanded with an Extension Charm, and approached the heart with caution.
Using the spear Aeglos, he carefully pierced the thick cardiac tissue.
Instantly, sapphire-blue icy blood began flowing out in thick streams.
The dragon's blood was dangerously cold, capable of freezing flesh solid on contact. Even proximity made Kael's fingers ache with cold.
He handled the collection process with extreme care.
The heart held vast reserves of this supernatural blood—Kael filled thirty reinforced barrels before the flow finally ceased.
Dragons' bodies were legendary treasures, especially ancient specimens like this frost dragon. Every part held value.
Dragon blood was a vital ingredient for crafting longevity potions and various other powerful elixirs.
Kael carefully sealed each blood-filled container and preserved them with freshness charms to prevent degradation.
Though Nicolas Flamel traditionally used fire dragon blood for his longevity potions, frost dragon blood should prove equally effective—perhaps even more potent given the creature's age.
After draining the heart's blood completely, Kael removed the entire organ with levitation spells. He then used a sharp mithril knife to carefully extract a two-meter-long fibrous strand from the heart's center.
Called dragon heartstring, it was one of the most prized wand core materials in existence.
This particular frost dragon's heartstring pulsed with cold ice energy and possessed extraordinarily strong magical properties.
Paired with appropriate wand wood, it could forge incredibly powerful wands, especially those meant to amplify ice magic like freezing curses and frost enchantments.
Kael reverently stored the precious heartstring and placed the giant heart into his enchanted space pouch.
He also methodically collected the dragon's liver, lungs, kidneys, and other organs—all valuable potion ingredients in their own right. He refused to let any potential resource go to waste.
"Master, I sense something unusual inside its head," Smaug indicated the frost dragon's massive skull with a curious tilt of his own head.
Intrigued, Kael approached and positioned the spear Aeglos carefully. He applied considerable force to pierce through the dragon's incredibly thick skull bone.
Protected by layers of ancient bone harder than stone, this took tremendous effort and multiple attempts.
Finally breaking through, he discovered a soccer-ball-sized irregular crystal of pure ice-blue, radiating intense cold. The crystal glowed faintly from within, pulsing with residual power.
The moment it was exposed to open air, the surrounding temperature plummeted dramatically. Frost formed rapidly on nearby rocks and vegetation.
Even Kael's enchanted spear accumulated frost where it touched the crystal, and bone-deep chill traveled through the shaft to freeze his hand. He nearly dropped it from the shocking cold.
"What is this?" Kael stared in amazement at the beautiful, deadly artifact.
Smaug's eyes gleamed with unmistakable joy and barely contained excitement.
"Master, this is a Dragon Crystal—the concentrated source of the frost dragon's magical power and the origin of its freezing breath!"
"A Dragon Crystal?" Kael was genuinely surprised, never having encountered one before.
"What exactly does it do?"
"Dragon Crystals are the cores of a dragon's power," Smaug explained eagerly. "Other dragons who consume one can absorb its strength and become significantly more powerful. The great dragon wars of old weren't fought merely for treasure hoards, but for these rare crystals."
"Dragon Crystals can also be crafted into powerful magical items, granting their wielders tremendous elemental power."
Understanding dawned on Kael's face. He then looked directly at Smaug with a curious expression.
"So you must have one of these in your head as well?"
Smaug immediately retracted his head defensively, eyes widening with alarm as if fearing Kael's intentions.
"Master, not all dragons possess Dragon Crystals! Only ancient, extraordinarily powerful dragons can naturally form them over millennia. I'm barely over a thousand years old—practically a wyrmling among dragonkind—and I definitely don't have one yet!"
Seeing Smaug's genuinely fearful reaction, Kael chuckled and stopped teasing his loyal companion.
He carefully levitated the priceless crystal and, to Smaug's complete shock, presented it directly to him.
"If this crystal can help you grow stronger, then it's yours."
Smaug's eyes lit up with raw desire, but he remained silent, clearly conflicted.
"Really?" Seeing the crystal actually being offered freely, Smaug's eyes widened with disbelief and hope.
"You're truly giving me the Dragon Crystal? This treasure beyond measure?"
Kael smiled warmly and nodded without hesitation.
"Of course. Though I do wonder if an ice-attributed crystal is compatible with your fire nature? Fire and ice are opposing elements. Aren't you concerned it might disrupt your internal balance or harm you?"
After all, the frost dragon's own death from consuming fire demon crystals served as a stark warning about elemental incompatibility.
Hearing this genuine concern, Smaug's expression softened with deep gratitude.
"Master's kindness knows no bounds! I swear I will never betray you! Even if someone offered me all the gold in the entire world, I wouldn't be swayed!"
Kael laughed heartily at this.
For the notoriously treasure-obsessed Smaug, gold was life itself—the most precious thing imaginable.
Such a solemn oath, sworn on what Smaug valued most, was more binding than any formal magical contract could ever be.
Without further hesitation, Smaug eagerly swallowed the Dragon Crystal whole, then explained through chattering teeth, "Master, dragons all share a common origin despite our differences. Though elemental attributes vary between us, I can absorb and integrate the frost dragon's crystal. However, until I've fully assimilated its power, I won't be able to breathe fire properly."
As he spoke, Smaug suddenly shuddered violently. His entire body stiffened as frost rapidly formed across his golden scales, coating him in crystalline ice.
His breath no longer produced flames but instead exhaled thick clouds of black smoke mixed with visible freezing vapor.
Kael shook his head with fond amusement.
"No one else is competing for it. Why rush the absorption process? Can you even still fly in that condition?"
Seeing Smaug nearly frozen solid, Kael genuinely worried whether flight would be possible.
Thorondor's wing remained injured from earlier; he was unable to fly temporarily despite the healing potions.
The massive frost dragon's body was completely immobile and impossible to transport conventionally.
If Smaug also couldn't fly now, Kael worried seriously about how he'd manage to bring everyone and everything back to Isengard.
To his relief, Smaug shakily spread his wings and managed to take flight, though his movements were stiff and uncertain.
He could barely stay aloft, but at least he could manage short distances.
At that moment, a group of armed dwarves emerged from the mountain paths, approaching cautiously.
"Balin! What brings you here?" Kael called out in genuine surprise, recognizing the dwarf leader.
Balin, clad in gleaming mithril armor and carrying the legendary axe of Durin, approached with a broad smile. He warmly embraced Kael in greeting.
After stepping back, he grinned, "The watchmen stationed on Durin's Tower spotted Smaug and Thorondor flying in this direction. They sent word immediately, and I guessed you might be involved in whatever was happening."
His gaze fell upon the colossal frost dragon corpse with undisguised awe and wonder.
"I thought Smaug was impressively large, but I never imagined a dragon of such enormous size could still exist in Middle-earth!"
Balin looked at Kael with profound shock and deep respect.
"Kael, your power never ceases to amaze! Not only have you tamed the mighty Smaug, but you've also slain an even larger and more ancient dragon—it's truly incredible!"
Kael smiled modestly, waving off the praise.
"This victory wasn't mine alone. Smaug, Thorondor, and Herpo all contributed significantly, and luck certainly played its role as well."
He then shifted to a more practical tone, "Actually, your timing is perfect. I could really use your help with something..."