The Mighty Traveler

"It seems we have the approval of a person with much renown. Things seems to be going great for us." Kili said as he learned that Paul intended to support them.

"Oh, there's still some parts here I missed…" Balin looked at the back of the letter and saw some writings within it. "…beware of spiders."

"It seems my Kin knew that your only choice of path is the Elven road, he even made you understand the origin of your feud with the Elven King. Even if I do not find the elves of the woodland realm to be as wise as their other kin." Beorn said as he looked at the dwarves.

"What do you mean only choice of path?" Thorin asked.

"These lands are crawling with Orcs, their grow and numbers. You will not survive taking another path other than through the lands of the wood elves…" Beorn stood up and walked towards Thorin. "…personally, I do not like dwarves. Like my Kin said, you are greedy and blind, blind to the lives they deem lesser than their own."

"I do not know what my Kin sees in you, but I will trust his words for now. Besides, I hate orcs more…" Beorn towered over Thorin as he looked at the prince in a stoic manner. "…do not disappoint those around you Oakenshield, remember the words in the letter always."

That after noon the dwarves were now saddling the ponies and preparing to ride towards the Woodland realms. Gandalf and Beorn walked behind as they talked about some matters.

"I suggest you leave the ponies before you enter the forest, my kind did not leave that warning for simple words to ignore." Beorn said to the wizard.

"I know, spiders. Radagast said the same thing when he came to me before." Gandalf looked at the ponies they reunited with. "And don't worry, we'll leave the ponies in your care, you have my word."

*Caw!!*

"We're being watched." Gandalf said as crows sounded out in the distance.

*roar!!*

This time five armored bears came out and charge to where they picked up a scent. Beorn looked over and worried about the bears but he stayed behind in case that was just a distraction.

"The Orcs will not give up, they will hunt the dwarves until they see them destroyed." Beorn said.

"Why now? What has made the defiler crawl out of his hole?" Gandalf was confused about this as he asked the skin-changer.

"There is an alliance between the orcs of Moria and the Sorcerer of Dol Guldur." Beorn leaned in and whispered this to Gandalf.

"Are you sure?" asked the wizard.

"Packs have been seen gathering there." Beorn said as he looked around trying to hear the sounds of the bears. "Each day, more and more come."

"What do you know of this sorcerer? The one they call the Necromancer." Gandalf asked BEorn.

"I know he is not what he seems. Fell things are drawn to his power, Azog pays homage to him." Beorn's words made Gandalf frown a bit.

"Gandalf." Thorin called out to the wizard as the company is already packed and ready to go. "Time is wasting."

"There is more…" Beorn stopped Gandalf on his tracks as he spoke. "…not long past word spread, the dead had been seen walking near the High Fells of Rhudaur."

"I know, the Iron Lord himself said some tombs there were desecrated like something crawled out from the inside." Gandalf said making Beorn raise his brows a bit.

"So it is true, there are tombs in those mountains." Beorn said as he looked afar after saying those words to Gandalf.

"I remember a time when a great evil ruled these lands, one powerful enough to raise the dead. If that enemy has returned to Middle-earth I would have you tell me." Beorn said as he was still alert to their surroundings.

"Saruman the White says it's not possible. The enemy was destroyed and will never return." Gandalf said to Beorn.

"And what does Gandalf the Grey say?" Beorn's words was only answered by Gandalf shaking his head.

*Caw!*

*Caw!*

*Caw!*

"Go now! While you have the light." Beorn said as the crows seemed restless.

*Awoo!!*

"Your Hunters are not far behind." Beorn said while a roar of a bear rang in the air also.

*Roar!!*

Soon the dwarves rode far and fast as they could towards the elven road. For days they evaded the chase of the orc packs with Beorn and the bear's help. The ponies rode restlessly with small hours of rest while the bears stood watch at night.

It was afternoon when the dwarves arrive at the Elven Gate with Gandalf. The wizard dismounted and looked at the arch covered with vines and moss.

"The Elven Gate, here lies our path through Mirkwood." Gandalf said as he looked at the dwarven company.

"No sign of the orcs. We have luck on our side." Dwalin said but Gandalf looked to the distance where a large Bear with four armored bears behind it was over the cliff watching over the company.

"Set the ponies loose, let them return to Beorn. This woods will not be forgiving to them if we bring them along." Gandalf said.

"This forest feels… sick. As if a disease lies upon it" Bilbo said as he looked at the canopies of trees in front of him. "Is there no way around?"

"Not unless we go 200 miles north or twice that distance…south." Gandalf looked at a statue covered in vines and frown as he felt something was wrong. Bilbo then felt the ring in his pocket pulse as whispers rand faintly in his ears.

Gandalf walked closer to the statue slowly as he was reminded of the words of Lady Galadriel. He reached out his hand and cleared the covering vines and saw the painting made by blood on the statue making him see glimpses of a fiery red eye. Bilbo as well felt it as he held the ring in his hands but no one around him saw his reaction.

"The High Fells, Saruman will believe once I have seen it myself." Gandalf murmured to himself.

"Not my horse! I need it!" Gandlaf said in urgency as he walked towards his horse.

"You're not leaving us?" Bilbo said as he looked at Gandalf worriedly.

"I would not do this unless I had to." Gandalf said as he was about to walk to his pony but stopped and looked at Bilbo. "You've changed… Bilbo Baggins."

"You're not the same Hobbit as the one who left the Shire." Gandalf looked at the Halfling curiously.

"I was going to tell you." Bilbo's words made Gandalf pay attention to what he would say. "I… found something in the Goblin tunnels."

"Found what?" Gandalf leaned in looking at the Hobbit in his eyes curious as what he would say. "What did you find?"

"My courage." Bilbo said after hesitating for so long with his hands leaving his pockets.

"Good. Well, that's good." Gandalf smiled as he looked at the hobbit in front of him. "You'll need it."

"I'll be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor. Keep the map and key safe, do not enter that mountain without me." Gandalf said the last part to Thorin.

"This is not the Greenwood of Old. There's a stream in the woods that carries a dark enchantment. Do not touch the water, cross only by the stone bridge. The very air of the forest is heavy with Illusion, it'll seek to enter your mind and lead you astray." Gandalf was tightening the belts on his saddle as he warned the dwarves of the danger in the forest.

"Lead us astray? What does that mean?" Bilbo asked those beside him about Gandalf's words.

"You must stay on the path. Do not leave it. If you do, you'll never find it again." Gandalf then turned the horse around and left but not before leaving a last warning. "No matter what may come, stay on the path."

"Come on. We must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day." Said Thorin as he walked ahead leading his company with him.

"Durin's Day?" Bilbo looked at Gandalf retreating silhouette as they walked inside the forest.

"Let's go."

"It is our one chance to find the hidden door." Thorin said these as they now walked deeper into the Mirkwoods.

Just as the dwarves trekked the winding woods of the former Greenwoods Paul was busy in trekking another matter. Wolf Paul stayed in the Moving Fortress and they were still over a month away from arriving to the ruins of Dale.

Meanwhile he had been busy as Lion Paul within the scroll world transforming every Troll into Dragon Trolls including the two Troll Kings. For days he had been making the Serum do its work faster and now he was able to unify and destroy most of the problematic genes which was the result of inbreeding within the small community of Trolls.

Now he was able to blend the genes of two species of Trolls from different worlds and created a whole new breed which was the Dragon Trolls. Even the ones in his moving Fortress that his people were recently introduced to, which caused a bit of a panic in his ranks.

At first many of his people were afraid of the Dragon Trolls but Paul explained to them in detail how these trolls were different from the one they mostly knew. He explained how the trolls were born from the mountains and stone when the world was created but the dark lord Morgoth corrupted many for his greed including the trolls.

He used extensive bullsh*t-no-jutsu to make the various people believe that he was able to purge the influence of the Dark on the blood of trolls and made them a force for good. It was easier as well since the trolls did not look like the ones people normally see here.

Somehow they had scaly skin and now grew a bit of a Bulbous nose, they now have beards as well made of Tree roots which Paul said was testament to them being beings of nature but was defiled and corrupted by the darkness.

Even the Dragons but they were not like that before, Paul said they were only large lizards living in the cold but they were smart and pure beings. Their massive strength was seen by Morgoth and wanted to make a weapon out of them, he talked for two days straight to an attentive audience about how Morgoth force the beings to swim in the fire pits and breed for generations until he got the very first dragon, Glaurung.

Paul used his powers to induce an Illusion to the audience making them see the war that Glaurung first appeared in. He had read the books before but he was attentive since it was mostly his dad and is friends that were 50 year old weebs then that talked about it.

But he knew enough to make a stunning visual representation of the War of the Two lamps. But he did not go detailed, on most scenes and only used shadow silhouettes as characters.

Named characters were shown though, he also showed how Turin slayed Glaurung. The trees of the Valinor which made the Elves shine their eyes seeing it, the Harfoots, Durin, Galadriel and even showed the massive Ancalagon and how his massive frame broke a mountain range at his fall.

Yesterday was the most eventful story telling Paul ever did as he showed his people the largest Dragon in his control. An Ice Drake that looked like an Albino Komodo Dragon with horns on its head that crawled about 10 meters all from snout to ground and 70 meters long tip to tail.

They were amazed at how behaved and gentle the creature was as Paul really found a deep darkness within their being. It took him a week to purge this guy and he found out it was the impulse to gather gold and their bloodlust. As they were more convinced, the more they looked at Paul in worship as they felt he was more powerful that the wizards of Middle-earth.

"Now, there is a reason we are heading this direction. I plan to capture Smaug and make it my ride." Paul revealed these words to them but instead of fear they all cheered as they felt Paul could indeed do it. Mumakil, Trolls and now Dragons, they felt that Paul is some sort of god of beast thus he unknowingly started another religion like those from the Simian Demon Beast tribes he has.

Speaking of which those Monkeys are now in their bronze age and was learning advanced ways of agriculture and animal breeding. Paul seemed to have started their development too fast but at least there were no signs of them being war-like as they loved their peaceful life even if some of them were playful and hyper.

"Hmm, this thing isn't fast enough to reach that place…" Paul wondered in his room while thinking that he might be able to arrive earlier that the Elven army about a day or two but Smaug might have died then.

"Sapphire!" Paul said and the door opened a few moments later with the female Elf commander of his Mounted Archer brigade going inside.

"Yes my lord?" Sapphire was looking at Paul curiously.

"Tell the others to maintain course towards where Dale once was. I'll ride ahead with my Ice Drake and go bring a large asset with me. Keep the Fortress' operations minimal and make sure no orc packs ever report back to Azog so we can have your presence as a surprise." Paul then stood up and took his large sword with him.

"I shall see it done my lord." Sapphire bowed and left immediately to relay his message.

Paul then went to the large 'Garage' of the Fortress and saw his Dragon waiting for him. Seeing that a large Saddle was already attached to the shoulder of the Dragon Paul then climbed up the large being. After sitting Paul took hold of the reins and saw it was made of quality dragon hide.

"Well then, let's go." Paul waved his hands and the gates opened showing the land behind the fortress marked with its large tracks. Paul rode the Dragon ahead and went to the vast plains on his drake towards the river leading to Esgaroth.

[Water World]

Paul was looking at the specs and results of his research over and over again and was stunned as he saw the extent of which he could use the Virus. He had been so cooped up that he did not pay attention to the world outside for some time in months.

No one would think he is dead anyways as his erratic behavior was known by the Harpoonist Community. His face had now circulated in the world waring many not to mess with him as there was once a large group of pirates wanting to loot him hearing he has gathered a lot of money selling sea monster carcass.

But the next day they were found to have been utterly destroyed where some ships were found to have been sliced in half due to him strength. That was the day the Sea monster Bazrah almost came close to his ship but Paul vanished in time.

Now he was speechless seeing he could use the pseudo-virus he made to program a human's body to gain superhuman abilities. That's right, he combined his research with the findings of Marvel Scientist on the X-gene and Paul after months of calculations has found a certain way to give a man superpowers using the virus.

"Holy shit!" Paul said as he sat down and looked at his lab results again.