Varn was quiet for a moment. Then he laughed, a dry, mocking sound at his own expense. "Elf King, let me be straight with you. I used to be strong. Peak eleventh circle! Across all the human lands, the name Varn meant evil! But look at me now. I'm old, practically got one foot in the grave. My time's almost up. With the little life I have left, I doubt I could even beat a regular fighter."
Varn looked right at Renjiro. "Even if I give you my soul's core, I don't have long left anyway. So why should I toss away my pride, the pride of someone who stood at the top, just to serve you for maybe a few weeks, a few months?"
The Bone Dragon spoke up again, his voice echoing. "Your Majesty, it's true, Varn is dying fast. I can feel his life force fading! You know, thinking about it, I almost feel bad for him. He's the one who gave me this new life, way back when. We were together for hundreds of years. Good times!"
