I ran my hand across the large talon as I walked up to the dragon. It felt like I was touching ice. My fingers immediately started to hurt from just how cold it was.

“Have you ever tried resurrecting a dragon before?” Svend asked as he followed behind me.

I chuckled slightly as I shook my head. “I have never even seen an intact body before. If not for the head preserved at the Eleventh Division, most people would think dragons were just myths.”

“Are dragons really so rare?” Charly asked as he looked up at the giant scaled beast in awe.

“Every civilization has some legends about dragons. However, according to most information we have in the Thirteen Divisions, they were wiped out by the ancient Preateritum during the height of their power. Nobody knows why. Every now and then there are a few unconfirmed reports of someone spotting a living dragon but there has never been any proof,” I said as I moved past the massive talons and towards the massive scaled chest.

“What’s the difference between a dragon and the giant snake you resurrected? It does not look that much bigger.”

I could not help but laugh at Charly’s ignorance as I remembered the details recorded about the ancient dragons. “Naga is just a Demonkin. She is big and strong, sure, but she can do nothing but cower in front of a dragon. Dragons are described as the elements given flesh. Just their presence alone could influence an entire continent.”

Svend ran his hand through his beard as the looked up at the giant head staring back at him. “The real question is if you make it one of your undead, will the dragon retain that power?”

“If its power is physical then probably,” I replied with less certainty than I would have liked, “The problem is, there is no way I could control something like this if I brought it back. I can barely keep a domain-level human under control. If the legends of a dragon’s strength are true, then even if I was at my full strength, there is no guarantee I would be able to command such a creature. If I brought it back to life now, I could just be making another enemy for us to deal with.”

“So, we will not be able to use it against King Sebastion?” Svend sighed, “That is too bad. I really wanted to see how the man would react.”

“It might be a good last resort,” I mumbled in response, “better than dying.”

“Dying?” my mom whispered softly, “Are you really that uncertain you can deal with King Sebastion? Before you said you would run away if things went poorly, that you would not confront him directly.”

“Of course,” I replied, thumping my chest confidently, “I am just thinking of the worst-case scenario.”

My mom bit her lip as she looked at me with a gaze that seemed to see straight through me. “You’re lying… Tell me the truth. What are you actually planning to do?”

I faltered slightly as the confident smile slipped from my face. My words fell to a soft whisper as I looked up at my mom. “Sebastion is my student… My responsibility… If I run, nothing will be resolved. He will chase me to the ends of the earth. My only option is to face him, to confront the past and bring him to heel.”

“Wren, No!” He will kill you!” My mom shouted in a panic.

“Maybe,” I replied with a self-deprecating grin back at the body of the massive dragon, “but I do not plan to make it easy on him.”

“This is not at all what you talked about before! You said you would just use your undead to take your place.” My mom growled angrily.

“I know,” I mumbled, “I did not want to worry you or dad but we all know that will not fool Sebastion for long. I plan to make this my final confrontation with Sebastion. I cannot fight both him and Envy. I have to resolve this conflict once and for all, before the Demons use it against us.”

“Can’t you wait until you regain your full strength?” Charly shouted while waving his hands wildly.

“That depends on Sebastion. Based on Svend’s estimations, we have less than a week left until Sebastion arrives, if he departs immediately upon hearing of my rebirth. Even if I practice every day, I need months before I can fully absorb the energy Cyra created for me. I doubt he will give me that much time but even if he did, I still will not be as strong as I was last time he killed me.”

“Then don’t fight him!” my mom cried out.

I put my hands on my hips and puffed out my chest in a boisterous show of strength greater than what I actually felt. “Do not worry. The last time we fought, it was a fair one-on-one duel with no undead and no strategy. I planned to die. This time, however, Sebastion will not find our fight so simple. Just because he is stronger than me does not mean I will lose.”

“What are your chances of victory with what you have planned?” Svend asked calmly.

I paused to twirl my hair for a second while I thought about it. “Fifty percent…” I replied hesitantly, “It depends on how much stronger Sebastion has gotten in the past decades.”

My mom slapped her hands down on both of my shoulders and stared at me with a ferociousness unmatched by any I had faced before. “I will not let you die!” She shouted with firm determination. “I already almost lost you once. I will not let it happen again!”

I placed my hands on top of my mom’s and shook my head. “This is not a fight you can help with. Sebastion is not someone you can face, mom. He is unlike any enemy you have ever seen. He could kill you in an instant. If anything happened to you because of me, I would never be able to forgive myself. I want you to promise me, mom… I want you to promise me that when Sebastion arrives you will stay out of sight.”

My mom looked at me seriously for several seconds. “I can not promise that. You might be part Aurielle but you are still my daughter. It is a parent’s duty to protect their children. If something happens to you and I just stood there and watched, it would be me that would be unable to forgive myself.”

I bit my lip as I looked at my mom with a mix of emotions. I felt annoyed at her fiery insistence despite the danger but at the same time, I felt touched that she was so determined to protect me. Still, I could not let her get involved. She did not understand what it meant for Sebastion to beat me in a one-on-one duel. Even if duels were not my specialty, I was an ace of the Divisions. I could threaten an entire planet by myself under the right circumstances. My mom had gotten stronger while following me but even if Sebastion just stood there and did nothing, she would not be able to hurt him. I had to convince her that everything would be ok, even if I lost.

I hesitated for only a moment before reaching into my vest and pulling out a necklace. Svend immediately reacted upon seeing the small stone attached to the end.

“Is that…” He shouted in a booming voice that echoed through the chamber only to be silenced by a glare from me.

“There is a way you can help, Mom,” I said as I held out the necklace for her to see, “This is a rift stone. When charged with energy it can open a doorway between realms. I had been keeping it a secret up until now because of just how dangerous its existence is. With this stone, anyone could immediately complete the doorway between the realms and let Envy pass through, bringing terror to this world. However, it is also the last resort if everything goes wrong. After Envy completes his doorway, this stone can be used to let our family and a few others escape this realm. If the worst should happen, and I am not saying it will, but if it does you can go to the Thirteenth Division. Even if I died here, I would be able to meet you there. I might have a new face, but I would still be the same person.”

My mom’s hand was shaking as she reached out to touch the small stone. “How could I possibly run away and abandon everything here?” She whispered.

“I am not asking you to abandon anything. I want you to protect the stone so that we will never be separated,” I said as I pushed the necklace into her hands, “With your innate talent, not even the Demons should be able to catch you. I cannot think of anyone better to protect the stone. This way, no matter how bad things get, we can always remain together as a family.”

My mom’s hand closed around the necklace as she clenched it tightly in her grip. “I understand. I will keep it safe, no matter what. All I ask in return is that you not do anything too reckless. I know I cannot convince you not to fight King Sebastion. However, just because you can be reborn does not mean you should throw your life away. You have to promise me you will do everything in your power to survive, no matter how desperate the circumstances.”

“I promise,” I replied firmly, “I have no intention of dying. If everything goes according to plan, by the time Sebastion reaches me he will be so exhausted a light wind will be able to push him over.”

I yelped in surprise as my mom suddenly pulled me into a tight hug. The smell of her perfume tickled my nose as the warmth radiating from her pushed away the extreme cold of the room. I closed my eyes as I returned her hug, taking a few seconds to savor the moment. As we separated, I was more determined than ever to survive the upcoming encounter with Sebastion.

Afterwards, Svend led us back out of the catacombs through the non-trapped zones. As my mom and Charly walked up the staircase heading out, Svend placed one giant hand on my shoulder and kept me behind.

“Are you sure it is wise, giving her something so valuable? Wouldn’t it be better if Cyra or I protected it instead?”

I looked up at Svend. Indifferent to his towering height, I glared at the man with a gaze that would freeze mountains. “I am sure. Consider it my insurance policy. If things go bad and you decide to flee, she is the only one that can help you. All you have to do is protect her and you have a perfect escape route. Try and steal it, and I will make sure the Seventh division knows exactly where you run. You understand, right?”

Svend pulled on his beard as he looked down at me in contemplation. “Protecting your family was not part of the deal we made with Michael Aevus. However, an escape route is a valuable asset. I understand you feel strongly for these people. I might be convinced to help but first, you must agree to do a favor for me.”

My eyes narrowed as I scowled at Svend. “What do you want?”

“I want Samson’s variation of the Divine Body. I want to know how the Brute Calamity reached such a height in only one generation. I know the Seventh Division forced him to swear not to tell anyone but there are ways around that. Agree to help me and I will agree to help you.”

“I agree,” I replied without hesitation. Angering the Seventh Division was nothing new for me and was a simple price to pay in exchange for such a guarantee. I did not even have to think about it.

“Good!” Svend said with a giddy grin that stretched across his face, “I look forward to adding the so-called sacrilegious variation to my research. The realms will never be the same once that information is spread among them.”

I shook my head at the giant’s childlike glee. “Just keep your end of the bargain.”

“I will. I will. The price is well worth a bit of extra effort on my part. Short of king Sebastion himself targeting them, I should be able to fend off anything else.” Svend replied with a chuckle.

Feeling a little more reassured, I looked back at the catacombs that were slowly being rebuilt into a maze of death. “One more thing, make the maze end at the dragon’s corpse. Even if I decide not to revive it, a creature that powerful will be a useful bartering chip.”