---From Igris's Perspective---
And finally, our journey began. Surprisingly, Bilbo came along with the group, although I had thought he might back out. After all, this wasn't the calm start as in the original.
"How are you feeling, Bilbo?" I asked.
He looked at me and paused for a moment. "I feel strange, I've never left the Shire in my life. I'm not sure if I can handle the outside world," he replied.
"But you're here. Why?"
"Because it was my dream as a child, to see vast mountains, dense forests, visit the dwarf and elf kingdoms."
"That's a beautiful dream, Bilbo. I like your adventurous spirit, but the outside world is a very dangerous place for someone who hasn't received proper training."
"So how should I start?"
"First, train yourself and build your condition, young man, and gather knowledge. What's out there in the outside world? What kind of places do you want to visit? How can you travel in the safest way?" said Halt.
"The old wolf is right," I added, "Bilbo, now that you've left the Shire, how much do you know about the outside world?"
Bilbo started thinking. "I've heard a few things. For example, I know about the Blue Mountains, Rivendell, Lorelei, Gondor, and Mordor from what's been told to me. Also, I've heard some stories, but I don't think they're true."
"What have you heard, Bilbo?" I asked.
"Creatures that drink blood, some rumors about ghosts, and things like half-human, half-wolves. But that can't be true, right?"
"Hahaha… the truth, Bilbo, is that I've encountered some of them," said Bofur.
"Yes, Bilbo, my brother and I once took a job to hunt some of them. Especially during full moons, bloodthirsty werewolves are very dangerous," said Kili.
"Yeah, one of them left a claw mark on my back from my neck to my tailbone. It still aches sometimes. Fortunately, it wasn't one of the red-eyed ones, or I'd have turned too. Hahaha…" said Fili.
"Then why didn't I know about this?" came a cold, grim voice, and Fili froze.
Seeing him shiver, I knew it was truly an interesting scene—seeing a dwarf shiver from fear was something rare.
"I-I didn't think it was a big problem, that's why I didn't tell you," said Fili, swallowing hard. I clearly heard the gulp, and Kili was covering his face with a grim expression."Calls me young and child, yet talks nonsense in the most unexpected places," he muttered under his breath.
"Didn't I tell you to be cautious out here? Is this how you protect yourselves? How do you think you can hunt werewolves without being stronger? We need to have a serious talk; your discipline is lacking," he continued, releasing his deadly aura.
"I warned him, but he didn't listen! He said he was the older brother and that I should listen to him. I told him you'd be angry, but he said, 'It's no problem as long as Uncle doesn't hear it,' and when I insisted, he said, 'Dearest brother, deceiving my uncle might be hard for the enemy, but it's very easy for me. The old man won't even hear it.' He dragged me away by force, I swear on Durin's panties!" said Kili in a cold, innocent tone. The clever man used his ancestor's name and swore on the most useless thing—no problem even if it was a lie.
Fili's face changed in strange ways throughout the conversation. At first, his body went stiff, then his mouth opened wide, then he turned pale as a ghost, looking as though he had been betrayed. Thorin's face, however, was even more interesting. It shifted from somber to darker, then his eye and mouth began twitching, and when the word 'old man' was mentioned, the veins on his face bulged, which even scared me.
"YOU TRAITOR! WHEN I OFFERED TO GO WITH YOU, YOU WANTED TO GO MORE THAN ME! UNCLE IS LYING! DON'T BELIEVE HIM!" Fili begged.
"UNCLE, I'M TELLING THE TRUTH! PLEASE BELIEVE ME! I'M INNOCENT!" Kili said innocently.
Except for Thorin, Kili, and Fili, the rest of the group started laughing. Thorin couldn't take it anymore and slammed his mithril love fist on both their heads.
"I'll settle this with you two later, and when I'm done with you, you'll be begging Durin to save you," he said, urging his horse forward.
We reached the edge of the forest by this time, and I spoke.
"Halt, Gilan, could you check both the left and right sides and make sure the area is clear?"
They nodded at me and quickly moved ahead of the group.
I then turned to Bilbo. "The blood-sucking creatures are real, Bilbo. They live in the north, and they feed solely on blood. They have blood farms for this purpose."
"Blood farms? Do they drink animal blood?" he asked, shocked and pale.
"No, Master Baggins, those farms contain humans, elves, dwarves, and hobbits. They force them to breed to increase their numbers, so they have fresh blood supplies." Thorin said coldly and dismissively. He clearly hated vampires, just like I did. "If you're scared, you can turn back. We can't guarantee your safety."
I covered my face with my hand, thinking 'stubborn fool.' He still looks down on hobbits. Oh, what a strange world. So many things are different, yet Thorin remains the same.
"I'm responsible for his safety. Don't worry about it," Gandalf said, a little irritated.
I looked at Bilbo, who had his head down and looked dejected. I approached him and patted him on the back.
"Pull yourself together, Bilbo. Hold your head high, and don't bow down. No one here has the right to look down on anyone. The journey has just begun, and so is your adventure. I have a feeling you'll surprise us, believe in yourself!" I said with a grin. He seemed a little more encouraged and continued,
"Do you remember what I told you about the Forest Rangers when you were at home?"
"I remember, why do you ask?"
I didn't respond and asked again, "So, what do you think?"
He thought for a moment and said, "If they're as you said, they're really good."
I laughed, "Do you want to train as a Forest Ranger?"
He looked at me, stunned.
"Me? Can I? I've never shot an arrow or fought. I can only cut steak with a knife!" he said, and Thorin gave me a mocking look, but fortunately, Bilbo didn't see it. My eyebrow twitched, and I continued with a grim expression.
"Bilbo, you're selling yourself short. I can understand if you say that about the other hobbits, but I see potential in you. When Halt first saw you, he carefully examined you and said you have the innate ability to become a Forest Ranger."
"Really? He said that?"
"Yes!"
He thought for a while.
"Will he train me?"
"Leave that to me. I'll talk to him during the break, but be prepared, the training will be tough."
"Okay," he said, smiling, and continued, "So, what else is out there in the world?"
I thought for a moment, and then I noticed Gloin staring at the Shadow Horse, looking a bit strange.
"Is there a problem, Gloin?"
He looked at me and asked in a strange tone, "Mr. Igris, how long have you had this horse?"
"10 years. Why do you ask?"
"Guno told me a strange story about this horse," he said, and my face darkened.
"What nonsense did that blabbermouth tell you?"
"He said your horse tore the throat of an orc wolf with its teeth," he said, and the group went silent, stunned. My face turned red with shame, and I looked at my horse, which stared back at me.
"What? Either it was going to bite me, or I was going to bite it. The first one to act wins, brother," the horse grinned, or as much as a horse can grin. I covered my face and took a deep breath before whispering to it,
"You're a horse, a horse, not a wolf. If you acted a bit more like a horse…"
"But it wouldn't be fun at all. Besides, is there a rule that says horses can't kill their enemies with their teeth? Am I missing something?" he said, looking at me suspiciously.
"Nature's laws say so!" I whispered sharply. He looked at me dismissively,
"Are you a druid? Or a knight? Stop making up rules from your backside!"
I kicked him sharply in the stomach with my heel, and he neighed, suddenly stopping and throwing his head back. He caught me off guard, and I wished I had worn my helmet.
"AGH…"
"Are you okay?" Bilbo asked, concerned.
"Yes."
"Shadowmane, I swear to you, I'll turn you into stew! Just wait and see!"
"You can always try, my friend! The taste of wolf meat was awful, but maybe human meat will taste better!" it said harshly.
We exchanged looks, and sparks seemed to fly in the air. I turned to Gloin and said, "Yes, it really did that."
"What an incredible horse. I've lived all these years, and I've never heard of or seen a horse that has killed something with its teeth. Of course, except for the Kelpie," Gandalf said in astonishment.
"He took too many blows to the head when he was young, that's why he behaves abnormally," I lied shamelessly.
The Shadow Horse shot me a sideways glance and continued walking.
"What's a Kelpie?" Bilbo asked.
"A creature that is half-fish, half-horse, and a bit troublesome," said Dwalin.
"Kelpies. They are dangerous shape-shifting water creatures that can appear as horses on land. A Kelpie usually appears as a grey or white horse to lure human victims, persuading them to ride on its back, and then leads them to a watery grave. There are also creatures called Hippocampi that live in the sea, but unlike Kelpies, they are not killers. They are quite friendly, and if you earn their trust, they can carry you to safe places." Balin added.
"Kelpie is frightening, but the Hippocampi are beautiful," said Bilbo.
"There are other types of horses too, Bilbo," I said, continuing, "There are also the very rare Firemanes, flaming horses that can control fire. Shadowmane come from Firemanes lineage." The Shadowmane puffed up its chest and walked with pride.
"Oh, and there are unicorns, also known as single-horned horses. They are very special to the Elves. Killing a unicorn would mean declaring war on all the Elves on the continent. Their horns, fur, and blood are unique and used for magic," Gandalf added.
I nodded and continued, "Then there are the pegasus , winged horses. With these horses, you could be an aerial knight. I heard there are two teams of Pegasus knights in Gondor, but I've never seen them." And I added, "There are also other types, like the Tulpar and Chollima."
"And Centaurs, half horse, half human. They can speak, are intelligent, and are born cavalry. If Centaurs could work metal, they would be unbeatable on the battlefield. But they are not considered a horse species," I said.
"Fascinating!" Bilbo exclaimed in astonishment, continuing with, "What else is there?"
"Hmm... There are Hydras, very dangerous. A Hydra is a serpent with eight heads. Its regeneration rate is terrifying, and its venom is lethal, but they haven't been seen in Middle-earth for 70 years," Gandalf said, glancing at a snake on the ground... I hate snakes!
"There are also Phoenixes, fascinating creatures. They generally stay in their regions. There are two different kinds, fire and ice, and they are skilled in magic," Dori said.
"Let's not forget the Ogres and Trolls," Ori said.
"And Ents, living, walking, and talking trees. They reside in the forests of Isengard. If you ever pass by, don't try to chop wood or start a fire there, they can get a little grumpy," Gandalf added.
"What about werewolves?" Bilbo asked.
"Actually, they're not that bad. They are the main enemies of vampires. According to legend, it was werewolves who drove the vampires north, but there are two types of werewolves. One type is the infected ones, werewolves who cannot control their thirst for blood and became werewolves by being bitten. You can't recognize them without shape-shifting. The other type is purebred, called Lycans. They have their own tribes and live together. You can recognize them because even when they are in human form, they have wolf ears and tails. When they transform, the males' heads become those of wolves, while their bodies remain human-like. The females, on the other hand, turn into large, four-legged wolves, even bigger than horses." I said. I've actually met a Lycan, but that's a story for another time.
"So, what about Dragons?" he asked, and the group grew silent. It seemed like he had touched a nerve. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Bilbo said, but Balin stopped him.
"Don't worry, Bilbo, Smaug is a different matter. The whole world owes much to dragons. Without them, we would have been slaves to the Demons!" he said, smiling.
"Demons?"
"Yes, invaders from another world. They tried to invade this world by opening dimensional portals with magic, but that was thousands of years ago, long before the Alliance Wars. Humans were still emerging in small groups," Balin explained, and Gandalf added,
"The Dragon King at that time, the golden dragon Aotrax, sacrificed himself to stop the invasion, surrounding the world with a magical barrier, thus preventing the occupation. This is written in the Elf historical books, though I don't know all the details."
"Dragons are divided into different types: Golden, Silver, Fire, Water, Lightning, Forest, Earth, Light, Air, Ice, and Darkness are the basic types, and there are mutated breeds like Star and Twilight dragons," he continued.
"Golden dragons are the royal bloodline and the strongest dragon clan. After them come Silver, Light, and Dark dragons, the three clans that the golden dragons trust most. The rest of the dragons have unstable power, but some, like Ignis, the leader of the Fire Dragons, and Ratox, the leader of the Lightning Dragons, can be equal in power to the golden dragons. Of course, I'm talking about normal golden dragons. The Dragon King and his direct family are something entirely different."
"Dragons live on a distant continent, and on that continent, there are Elves and humans who serve and even worship them," Balin added.
"So, how strong are they?" Bilbo asked.
"Hmm... The Dragon King could submerge half of Middle-earth into the sea," Gandalf said.
Bilbo went pale. "Are they that strong?"
"Yes."
Bilbo's color drained, and he asked, "How strong is Smaug then?"
"That rotten lizard is just a low-level dragon. Beneath him are Wyverns. A strong Wyvern could even kill him!" Thorin sneered.
"Stop dawdling and hurry up," he added.