Leona furiously ran up the steps leading up to the chambers by the volcano’s mouth.

She heard Tavus’ voice calling to her, but she figured that she was too far away now for him to follow. Besides, she needed him and Jarael to look after her grandfather’s body. Her heart clenched.

Leona came to a halt before a massive cave entrance lit brightly by a smoldering lake of molten rock just beyond it.

Her eyes stung at the heat coming from the heart of the cavern. She squinted inside as she took a few careful steps. Jarael’s dagger shot out into a long, slender crystalline sword.

Leona found Demvross pacing the edge of the pool of flames.

As quietly as she can, she slid across the floor behind the unwary prince and with a shout she gave him a great kick in the small of his back.

The prince didn’t even glance back as he fell with a roar into the smoldering lake.

Leona fell back with a scream. It can’t be over that easily.

She waited for a few tense minutes before cautiously peering over the edge.

Suddenly, Demvross rushed into her face-on, snapping at her with his large jaws and rows of pointed teeth.

Leona screamed and fell back dangerously near the lip of the crater just as Demvross landed with a loud thud in front of her.

Leona struggled to get up until Demvross pinned her to the ground with one of his large talons.

The dragon snorted scalding steam from his nostrils. Its fierce eyes glowered down at Leona writhing under his feet.

“You are a sneaky bitch, you know that?” he growled dangerously quietly.

Leona fumbled with the sword to get a better grip, and then she brought it down forcefully into the dragon’s heart.

Demvross growled in pain and lifted his feet from Leona.

Leona staggered upright and readied for the next attack. She held Jarael’s sword in front of her as Demvross turned into his human form and sprouted his black wings and hovered a few feet from the ground.

He glared at Leona as he looked up from his blood-stained shirt.

“You think you can do any real damage with that?” he snarled. Leona’s blood boiled as the wound on Demvross’ chest closed instantly.

“Stupid little girl,” Demvross said, “You think you can just kill me like that? You don’t know me, then.” He brandished his halberd and swirled it in a complicated arc in front of him.

“For a villain,” Leona jeered, “you talk way too much.”

Leona lunged at the prince and their weapons clashed with a frightening crash as sparks flew from the point of contact.

“Been practicing, haven’t you?” Demvross said almost casually, his wings beat furiously behind him. Leona fought back at the strong gusts of hot wind that stung her eyes.

“Shut up,” Leona hissed, “You’ll pay for what you did to my grandfather…”

Demvross laughed as Leona lunged at him again.

“Killing that old simpleton was nothing compared to what I can really do. Would you like me to show you?” he said, a malevolent glint danced in his eyes as the ground began to shake furiously again.

He hit Leona across the face with his gauntlet. Leona screamed and fell to the shaking floor.

Demvross alighted, and crossed over to her. Then he pointed the halberd at her.

“You know,” he said quietly, “I can send you off to where your grandfather is now if you’re so damn stubborn. I know for a fact that you lost your immortality…”

Leona glared at him as he crouched over her, her heart pounded furiously as her mind worked at how to get the halberd from the prince.

“Or,” he said, even more quietly, as he traced the Arita Maija on Leona’s chest. Leona flinched and struck hard at Demvross’ face with her armored fists. She scrambled to her feet as the prince grimaced and felt the blood trickle down from his mouth.

“Or nothing, you insolent pervert!” Leona screamed. Demvross straightened up and swung his weapon at Leona.

The blade crashed through the chain mail protecting her stomach and sank into the flesh underneath it – treacherously deep.

Leona gasped as she felt her sight swim momentarily before her. She remembered Jarael’s words: that a fatal attack will kill her instantly without her Ifla Merum, if she wasn’t so angry she would have cried.

I can’t believe I’ll die in this way… Leona thought somberly. She closed her eyes and waited for anything – anyone to take her from this plane to the next.

I’ve failed everybody… I’ve failed everyone in Ramorgra…

Suddenly her eyes snapped open. No pain came, only a tingling sensation at her stomach.

She looked with shock and confusion at the bewildered prince to the almost lethal weapon stuck into her body.

Demvross roared in frustration and disbelief.

“This can’t be!” he roared. Leona kicked the halberd away.

She felt her skin crawl over the wound on her stomach and sneered at the prince.

“I guess we’re both immortal now, are we?”

In spite of the pleasant turn of events, Leona’s mind worked furiously. Immortality. Only her Ifla Merum can give her that. Unless she acquired it somehow by accident…

She was snapped from her thoughts as the prince attacked her furiously. They exchanged blows wrathfully as the prince tried with all his might to take Leona’s sword from her.

Deep down inside her, she thanked the gods that she had left her own sword with her grandfather.

With a renewed rage Leona flung back at the ravaging prince and after a furious blow, both their weapons flew into the air and landed in the opposite direction of its owner.

Leona scrambled to get the halberd lying a few feet away. The air was scorching by now and she doubted if she’ll last another second…

Suddenly a sharp pain pierced her back.

Her head swung around to see Demvross grinning triumphantly at her.

“Your certain demise comes now, goddess,” he said, “your efforts are fruitless.”

The prince blanched as Leona smiled dangerously at him.

“What creature are you?” he shouted in disbelief, “You’re supposed to die under your own blade!”

“Fool!” Leona said, “It just so happens that that isn’t my sword.”

Demvross blanched as Leona pulled away from Jarael’s sword and took the halberd from the ground.

He could only look in terror and scream as Leona hacked the cursed blade into the body of its owner.

Demvross landed with a sickening crunch on the cave floor, his wide eyes were lifeless, just like the rest of him.

Leona’s breath came out ragged. Her chest heaved with exhaustion as she looked down at the fallen prince.

“I know a lot more than I did before, dear prince. It’s a pity you didn’t know as much.”

She gripped the halberd tight as she fell to the floor. She was surprised to find out that she was crying. Leona wailed amidst the din of the shaking fortress and the bubbling molten rock from the smoldering lake in the middle of the cave.

She cried her eyes out, unaware of the chaos around her. She felt miserable. That even though she has killed the man responsible for her grandfather’s death, she can’t bring her beloved grandfather back to life.

Leona didn’t notice that the smoldering rock was already oozing out on the edge of the crater.

She closed her eyes and dropped to the ground and fell asleep because of her misery and tiredness.

Leona didn’t feel Jarael carrying her out of the volcano just before it erupted.