“Here,” Urila said, bringing me through an underground passageway he had assured me that my father would be fine, for now, and that Alzinth desired me, not him. Killing him would only lose whatever little leverage she had over me. I still found it partially difficult to believe she would be interested in me over my father, isn't that who they had been originally targeting after all?

Post meltdown, I realized that I had indeed been impulsive, and although I was confident in my strength, if she was far stronger than Malgoth and even slightly more careful or cunning, I would certainly have lost. Though I still couldn't agree with Urilas calculated approach of just sitting on the sideline, for some reason I couldn't put my fingertip on, it just rubbed me the wrong way. I knew for a fact that if there was no Vritra, he would have still watched from the sideline, perhaps even ran away.

He appeared nothing but a coward to me. If he had any type of loyalty towards my father and decided to act like that–why should I trust him?

Still, did Father know about this? The fact that something like this was hidden underground…

A structured maze with archaic blue rock walls had been hidden behind a simple layer of snow and ice, leading underground. We had been walking for close to ten minutes now to no avail. Urila said that a dwarven craftsman named Archon had designed it so that you wouldn't get far without the key, without it, you would be wandering the blue, dimly lit walls only to find yourself back at the entrance.

I irritatedly tapped my finger against the blu walls with a fraction of my strength, causing it to shake as fragments of ice fell from the ceiling. Cold air rushed out from my lungs rapidly as I recalled the conversation I had with Urila when we arrived at the maze.

With my heart still and palm sweat turning to ice in the cold I asked him if he had gathered any information relating to my mother. His reply…

Once we find Vritra, her location should become known. He replied with any little earnestness he could muster. I couldn't tell if he truly meant it or not.

It was our only lifeline to not only saving my father but my mother too. I tightened my hands into fists, digging my nails into my small hands. I can't save my father, I can't protect my mother. I had gotten stronger, but it still wasn't enough.

Those thoughts caused a piercing headache to rack through my brain–when would it be enough? Gathering strength until none could threaten me again, that was my goal, what I desired. So why did I feel like it would just lead to my eventual downfall?

The image of my dream resurfaced in my mind, the inevitable deaths of the two winged beings in the central hall. I laughed internally–no, if that man had been strong enough, surely he would have never been betrayed as such.

“Here.”

Before us was a large steel door made from a black metal I had never seen before, it had the polished characteristics of Iron yet had a thin density about it similar to wood. It was beautifully engraved with spirals and symmetrical curves along its frames. Two scorching black flame-lit goblets stood by the gate's sides, giving the impression of a portal leading–to hell.

Urila took the orb in his hand and inserted it into a circular opening in the gate. The orb instantly began to shift through the spectrum of greys to black as the gate slowly slid open, the goblets at the side extinguished themselves as hot air blew in from the crack of the opening. As the scolding air intensified the door completely opened, revealing its interior.

A narrow hall lit up with goblets of black flame led to an altar made of the same material as the gate. The draconic patterns engraved in the sleek metal were also engraved at the altar as wax candles burning with black flames lit up the altar's surroundings.

It reminded me of some shrine for a god, it hardly seemed fitting as a prison. If you asked me, it looked like this Vritra was mostly respected by those who trapped her here. A prison that left little for respect would be what I had been entrapped in–no light, no memories, and nothing to show for the life I had lived. Devoid of any sort of positive or negative emotions towards me, left to suffer in emptiness.

“Impressive, you managed to find this place. I can see why the Duke holds you in such high regard.” A deep, archaic voice echoed out from the depths of an opening beyond the altar. I had missed it in the dark, but black talismans were strung around the opening, like an intricate webbing of strings, blocking the entrance.

“Lizette is that you?! My mother, do you know of her whereabouts?!” I shouted, it felt like all the emotions I had contained burst out from my chest the second I heard the familiar voice–Lizettes.

“Calm yourself, child, the Lizette you speak of is already dead, killed off by an ambush of the demon's shards. As for your mother–she should be fine. Locked in a hidden wine cellar that only your father and Lizette knew of.” Lizette's voice echoed out with dignity and force.

“Vritra, you may call me as such. I assume you're here to save your family, what other reason would you welcome the chances of a civil war?”

“Yes…Vritra.” She was different, this wasn't the Lizette I knew. Loved magic to the degree that she would work tirelessly towards it, messy and disorganized to a fault, and always happy to teach me–no matter how much she tried to hide it.

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“...No need to be so cordial. Lizette still lives on within me, as do all the mentors of past generations of the Renhart family. After all, they are but incarnations of myself.” Vritra added, perhaps sensing the sorrow in my voice, the authority in her tone softened slightly.

“Seeing his bloodline in person truly brings back fond memories. You know, you are so different from all the past successors, Tene. I–cannot tell from what exactly you're made off.”

I didn't know exactly how to respond to that. Perhaps she meant the workings of my soul, or If all the Renharts were like my father, then perhaps character. My heart wasn't as saintly as my father's, after all.

I recalled Malgoths final moments. Scratch that, it was certainly darker than clear.

“Vritra, we need your help, now,” Urilla interjected.

“Quite apparent. Sadly, the consequences of freeing me here are too great, your father had the potential to save the line too, a shame. I would suggest getting Tene to safety for now, then coming back with reinforcements. There is nothing I can do.” Her every word was calculated and held no love or loyalty towards Samel like Urila had said she would. Samel, who had loved Lizette more than a child towards their own mothers, and yet this version of her treated him like nothing but a successor in some random noble family. I felt my anger begin to boil anew–anger at myself for not being able to protect the Lizette I knew.

“NEVER! You would abandon my father!” I shouted. Pressing on my shoulder to tell me to calm myself, Urila stepped forward.

“Locked in here for your overbearing loyalty towards the old king's line, how many years has it been now Vritra, hundreds? A thousand? Are these weak bonds, made at the hands of your colleagues, really enough to hold your resentment? Will you abandon your king again?”

“Colleagues? You mean those traitors, child. Every second, I think of nothing but dismembering them limb from limb! But–their strength is true. My king is dead.” I see, so she never even saw my father as worthy of her might or loyalty. I had heard dragons only submitted to strength.

“Not being prepared will only lead to the complete annihilation of my friends' lineage. In a couple more years, Samel might have been ready like he had promised me. Sadly, it was not to be.” Vritra's tone was now calm and steady, as if she only spoke the pure truth.

Promised? So my father had met Vritra already.

“The duke said that you might say as much. Do you know what the sages noted you as in their documents? Simple-minded and easy to exploit.” Urila said, his tone still the same as usual, even with the insults he was hurling at Vritra. I doubt he would still be talking like this if she wasn't trapped.

“Watch your mouth boy. Surely you don't believe your rudimentary taunts will gain you anything?”

“The seal has three irreversible rules, for as long as the Renhart family survives you cannot leave, for as long as your loyalty exists in even the simplest form you cannot leave, for as long as any of the sages live you cannot leave. ”

“...”

“A truly unbreakable seal without outside intervention. The amount of pain my father had to go through to get that dwarf on our side was absurd.” Urila then held out the same purple orb he had used to get here. No, this one was different, it had strange markings around it. Markings of symbols and numbers.

“Using this you can escape from here, Vritra.” For the first time, silence filled the cave.

“...Are you willing to deal with the consequences my release will have? Surely, you have told Tene at the least, she'll probably have the biggest repercussions from it.” Vritra finally said, her position comically switching towards her freedom, quickly. At the end of the day, no matter how well she hid it, she would hardly want to stay here forever. Especially since her so-called golden ticket to revenge was now in danger.

“The duke has already laid down plans to mitigate it as best he can.”

“...the last thing I'll be taking, is that man's word,” Vritra said, resentment in her tone. She probably knew the duke from her time as Lizette.

“We currently don't have a choice. Please Vritra.” I cut in, at this point, I didn't particularly care about the after as long as my parents were safe.

“....Lizette never told you how difficult it was for her to refuse you sometimes–did she? Very well, come here. Just so you know, the second I’m free–they will know. ”

“No amount of the duke's planning can save you from that,” Vritra said assuredly.

“The sages? I was already planning to dispose of one. What's three more.” I replied with hints of casualty in my tone.

Giving Urila a look to be quick, he handed me the purple flashing orb and pointed toward the seal's entrance. Walking down the path, I soon found myself facing the cave's entrance, seals blocking my path.

“What now?”

Just as I spoke those words, I felt my consciousness grow hazy as visions began springing through my mind. Pieces of a much larger puzzle. Shifting through my mind at alarming rates, I could barely make out each one's purpose.

A woman with long flowing white hair and shimmering black armor knelt before a man sitting on a throne. Within the hall were many knights lined through the sides of the halls and men in fancy clothes knelt behind the woman. The vision changed.

The same woman was now on a battlefield, laying waste to countless men, with each thrust of her black rapier, hundreds would be disintegrated within its black light, piercing into the clouds. With each cast of her spells, thousands more would join them, disintegrated in her black flames. The vision changed.

The same woman–chained now, to a cold dungeon floor, wearing nothing but rags. Above her were eight cloaked figures, some looked down on her mockingly, some with disgust, and others in fear. Her eyes looked back up at them– with pity, and for the first time within these fragmented memories, she spoke.

“Our king's dream has not been wiped, nor has his lineage. To think those he raised with care would so easily turn on his wishes, and for what? Money, fame, power? A shame. Your race wastes such a king.”

Were these, Vritras Memories?

I have many regrets Tene. There is one thing, however, that I can never regret. serving my king with all my heart. I see it in you at times, Tene, the heart of my king. Vritra was now speaking directly into my mind.

Come. As her voice touched my consciousness, I felt a pull, like a magnet, being driven into her sea of countless memories. Like jumping into a body of cold water, I felt my hazy consciousness begin to awaken. As a decision presented itself to me.

[Use the Key of Unsealing - Black flame dragon Vritra]

Yes.

An explosion hit my consciousness as if I was rocked with a punch directly to my brain. I felt my vision falter as I began to leave the dreamscape Vritra had brought me to.

I opened my eyes. Perhaps only seconds had passed, in front of me, the talismans hanging by the cave began to burn within black flames as the cave's entrance opened up.

[Black flame dragon Vritra - has been unsealed]

Slam Slam

Large, loud footsteps reverberated from the inside of the cave as the entire underground prison began to shake at the movement of Whatever was stepping outside. Vritra.

Suddenly, the steps switched to a much quieter pitter-patter of small human footsteps. Getting slowly louder and louder as it reached the entrance. Urila had already joined me in front of the cave, waiting.

“Well, let's go subjugate a demon shall we.” The woman I had seen in the visions stepped out, tall with long white hair and obsidian eyes. She crossed her arms across her chest and walked towards us with the dignity and confidence of what her title had entailed–a dragon of the legends. Naked.

“Perhaps put on some clothes first,” I said.