The Dunlendings quickly assembled, forming a fully armed cavalry force.
The Dunlending chief Brog and the tribe's most powerful dozen warriors rode hippogriffs. Considering the long journey and rapidly changing battlefield situation, Kael took out several boxes expanded with Extension Charms, packing all the Dunlending cavalry and Rohan party inside.
Only the dozen Dunlending warriors who had gained hippogriff recognition remained, along with the aid mission leader—King Théngel's cousin—riding hippogriffs at top speed toward Rohan's capital Edoras for support.
As for why he did not choose the faster Portkey method, Kael explained that even draining all his magical power could not transport so many people and horses.
After all, the deployed Dunlending warriors plus horses exceeded ten thousand.
Portkey transportation consumed Kael's magical power—each additional person required more magic. He could manage a few hundred, but ten thousand was beyond his capability.
With the Dunlendings and Rohirrim departed, only Kael remained at Isengard.
Gandalf had also left earlier via Portkey for Gondorian territory when the Dunlendings agreed to help, organizing Gondorian resistance against Mordor's invasion.
"Aslan, work hard these days patrolling and monitoring nearby. Alert me immediately if you discover enemies, understand?" Kael stroked Griffin Aslan's head, instructing gently.
Aslan was highly intelligent, practically human except for speech ability.
Hearing Kael's words, he nodded obediently, nuzzling Kael's hand before flying skyward, constantly circling above Isengard and monitoring below with keen eyes.
Kael returned to Orthanc Tower, patting the three-headed dog. "Cerberus, stay alert these days—enemies might sneak over. Do not let them approach here."
The three-headed dog, with two heads sleeping, immediately stood alert, howling promises to complete the mission.
"Good boy! I will reward you with a cow afterward." Kael patted all three heads fairly, smiling.
Cerberus's six eyes immediately brightened, tail wagging rapidly as he stood guard on the first floor, three heads facing different directions, vigilant for potential enemies.
Kael reached the tower's top platform, gazing eastward with furrowed brow and grave expression.
Mordor's sudden assault on Gondor and Rohan caught Kael off-guard.
He felt vaguely uneasy—Sauron's actions probably were not simple, unlikely mere attempts to breach Gondor and Rohan.
Sauron was extremely cunning, like a venomous snake in darkness, patiently lurking until striking opportunities arose.
After the Last Alliance defeat, he had hidden for millennia, secretly recovering strength while Gandalf, Galadriel, and others could not detect his return until exposure at Dol Guldur forced his retreat to Mordor.
Now with Sauron's power not fully recovered and forces not greatly expanded, launching invasive wars made no sense.
Kael sensed this Mordor deployment somehow related to him.
This intuition had sharpened since creating the Philosopher's Stone and undergoing soul transformation.
Like Gandalf and others never doubting their premonitions and instincts, Kael trusted his intuition, requiring advance preparation.
Standing atop the tower platform wearing the Ring of Power and holding his wand, Kael cast spells amplified by Orthanc Tower.
"Protego Maxima, Protego Totalum, Salvio Hexia—"
Successive spells released from his wand formed composite enchantments centered on Orthanc Tower, ranging across Isengard's circular wall, creating a white web-like dome enclosing the tower.
After completing the Philosopher's Stone, Kael's soul, mind, and body had transformed, doubling his magical power. Comparing pure magical capacity, he had reached Dumbledore and Voldemort levels.
Even so, despite assistance from the Ring of Power and wand, creating Isengard's massive protective dome exhausted him considerably.
But the result was good—the seemingly gossamer dome was incredibly solid.
Ordinary magical attacks could not breach the dome's defense, and anyone forcing approach would instantly turn to ash.
However, Kael modified the dome using Grindelwald's improved Fiendfyre method, allowing those loyal or well-intentioned toward him safe passage.
Completing this, Kael took out the golden cup, summoning clear water.
With his other hand, he held the Philosopher's Stone, stirring it in the cup's water several times.
The clear water quickly turned jewel-red, resembling wine.
Kael drained the cup's contents.
Instantly, energy full of vitality and magic surged throughout his body, rapidly replenishing lost magical power and optimizing bodily functions.
This is the combined effect of the golden cup and Philosopher's Stone—the cup nourished the body while the Stone replenished magic, together preventing fatigue or magical exhaustion.
Kael pocketed the cup, gazing expectantly at the ruby-like Stone.
Without Mordor's invasion disrupting plans, he would already be in Weathertop's potions laboratory brewing longevity elixirs.
The Stone itself could not directly grant immortality but served as the primary ingredient for longevity potions.
One brewing batch extended life thirty years—sufficient stockpiles with uninterrupted consumption meant eternal life.
More importantly, Kael's perfect-quality Stone differed from Nicolas Flamel's flawed version that only prevented death without stopping aging.
His Stone truly granted eternal youth—once consuming Stone-made elixirs, bodily functions would maintain their current age without aging or death.
Kael awaited Isengard's crisis resolution to return to Weathertop for elixir brewing. At his current age, further delay risked him becoming an old man.
Beauty and youth held universal appeal—he was no exception to this desire.
But looking at the Stone, Kael suddenly paused, struck by suspicion.
Could Mordor's sudden attacks ultimately target his Philosopher's Stone?
He remembered the Stone could restore physical form besides creating longevity elixirs.
This was why Voldemort, during Harry's first year, possessed Quirrell, attempting to steal Hogwarts' hidden Stone.
Sauron's situation actually resembled Voldemort's—both depended on artifacts for survival (Horcruxes and the One Ring) while existing as spirits.
In the Second Age, Sauron's corruption of Númenóreans caused divine punishment, sinking the island, costing him his bodily form and shapeshifting abilities.
But Sauron regained physical form through the One Ring.
Such form depended on the Ring—separation meant severe damage, bodily disappearance, and lost power, as when Isildur severed his Ring-wearing finger during the Last Alliance.
Hence Sauron's constant Ring-seeking for restoration. Now the Stone offered alternative bodily recovery and power restoration.
Kael recalled Sauron's previous spying attempts during Stone creation, though Galadriel intervened.
But given Sauron's abilities, even glimpses might reveal the Stone's capabilities.
After all, the One Ring and the Rings of Power's creator possessed unmatched wisdom and insight.
This realization heavily weighted Kael's mood.
He had expected at most resentful Saruman seizing opportunities to reclaim Isengard.
But with potential Nazgûl or even Sauron himself approaching, such danger meant abandoning Isengard entirely.
Yet remembering the downstairs fireplace brought some comfort.
If Sauron truly came, he would immediately call Lothlórien and Rivendell for aid through the Floo Network.
With Lady Galadriel, Elrond, Lord Glorfindel, and other powerful elves present, even Sauron's arrival posed no threat.
Having exiled him from Dol Guldur before, no reason existed why they could not repeat their success.
Still, seeing Isengard defended only by himself, Aslan, and Cerberus felt insufficient.
So he took out the Horn of Victory gifted by Blue Wizard Rómestámo and sounded it forcefully.
Though quiet, the horn's call traveled far.
Atop Weathertop, dragon Smaug opened his eyes amid golden treasure, hearing the summons. He immediately rose from the gold pile, unhesitatingly emerging through dragon passages.
The sleeping basilisk in the Chamber also awakened, crawling through pipes to emerge from the Black Lake below. Amid Hogsmeade residents' cries, Smaug flew from Hogwarts Castle, swooping to grasp the lake-surfacing basilisk in his claws.
Surprisingly, the eighty-foot giant serpent did not resist but coiled around the dragon's legs, flying southeast together.
Great eagle Thorondor also came, flying faster than the dragon toward Isengard after hearing the call.
Only the giant kraken remained, still guarding the castle's Black Lake defenses.