Flamewing: “I have come to fulfil a promise.” (23)

Just as Flamewing said that the imperial guards and Birds of the capital arrived and pointed their weapons at Flamewing (24).

Morkana: “Relax, he isn’t here to kill me.”

The guards and the Birds lowered their weapons and walked away casually as if this was just another false alarm.

Morkana: “Speak.” (25)

Flamewing: “Years ago, I promised to you that I would help you bring peace and justice to the Known Worlds, that I would become your champion by my own will and not because of an accidental oath on this sword like last time.”

Morkana: “Seriously? Are you talking about that dumb promise now of all times?! I am done with-”

Flamewing: “I want to give a future to my daughter!”

Flamewing deactivated the flames of the Kaisword, His brief moment of badassery ended with him crying again.

Flamewing: “Jen is dead, and so is her father. I suck as a farmer and a fucking plague destroyed the crops of the region before winter, but if there’s one thing I am good at besides domestic skills is being a soldier, and I plan to negotiate my services to give food and hope to my daughter.”

Flamewing held the Kaisword in front of Morkana and she knew what he meant by “negotiating his services”. In front of Morkana was the legendary hero that defeated Aureon, Vhrutus, Hellsnake and Asmoth, the Infernal Raider (26). A human that defeated Asmoth was a celebrity in both human and dreik cultures, and his return to action would be inspiring for her army considering there was a war currently happening between the Fafnirian Empire and traitor generals that became warlords.

Morkana: “All right, you convinced me.”

Flamewing: “What?”

Morkana walked back to Flamewing. She was giving one of her famous devilish smiles.

Morkana: “You are giving me the chance to force you into an oath of servitude thinking that you will be able to atone for your sins by appealing to my rational side. I am taking this offer.”

Even with a broken heart Morkana was still a pragmatist, and she saw an opportunity for both obtaining an important ally and getting revenge on him. Making Flamewing suffer was the justice she wanted (27).

Morkana: “You are the Legendary Hero of Rayga and the Coalition, an icon of humanity. If you joined my army as a captain not only could I get the trust of the new human citizens of the empire, but you could also serve as my eyes and my ears in the imperial military. Your payment would be minimum, but enough to give your child a decent life.”

Flamewing: “Oh thank-” (28)

In that moment Morkana used her Voice of the Void to communicate the meaning of her words to Flamewing’s brain. He felt all of her sadness and anger piercing his soul.

Morkana: “Don’t thank me, fool. I am forcing you to follow your oath and be a tool of my goals. You lost your place in my heart, but you are still the only honorable warrior that can lead other goody two shoes to accomplish improbable odds, and I am not wasting my opportunity to have the current user of the Kaisword as a valuable ally.”

While Flamewing was in pain and barely standing, Morkana was one meter away from her and watching with both sadness and anger. Flamewing knew her fake devilish smile couldn’t hide the tears in her eyes, and that made him feel worse; Morkana knew Flamewing could have used the magic of the sword to protect himself, but he was willfully letting her harm him (29).

Morkana: “I will humiliate you for all the sadness you caused me. You will probably die in a battlefield, making your little daughter cry, and when she asks why you left her she will know it was all your fault (30). I will tell her her father died serving me because he made the wrong decision. Knowing that, are you sure you want to be honorable until the end and respect this oath that I will use to doom you?”

Flamewing looked directly at Morkana’s eyes and endured the pain the best he could.

Flamewing: “I will accept it.”

Morkana: “If you abandon this oath you won’t be worthy of being a hero anymore.”

Flamewing: “I only care about atoning and giving my daughter a future.”

Flamewing and Morkana had learned in the past by trial and error how the Kaisword worked and realized how dangerous the oaths of the sword can be. The sword forces the user to follow an oath they swore willingly by causing pain in the user if they don’t follow the oath, and sometimes the pain is too much that it causes death. Knowing the risks, the two former lovers prepared to do an oath ritual that would make Flamewing serve Morkana. The two stood in front of each other and began saying their own conditions for Flamewing’s oath, and the sword registered everything like some magitek code (31).

Flamewing: “I, Arther Flamewing, swear to serve you, Empress Morkana Alfrau, as your champion in your cause for peace and prosperity. My sword is yours and so is my life. If I dishonor you I will lose the right to use this sword.”

And just like that the oath was accepted by the Kaisword.

Morkana: “That was easy.”

Morkana then punched Flamewing’s face and he fell on the floor. His nose got broken (32).

Morkana: “You will be living here in the palace.”

Flamewing: “Wha-what?!”

Morkana: “I know you well, so I better keep an eye on you. There’s a comfy storage room that hasn’t been cleaned up in a long time and you will have the company of some local bugs. I think they are the Fafnirian equivalent of spiders.” (33)

Flamewing stood up and looked at Morkana with worry.

Flamewing: “B-but what about my daughter?”

Morkana looked angry.

Morkana: “What about her? Leave her with your parents. Last time I checked they were still alive.”

Flamewing accommodated his nose the best he could and tried to clean the blood with his sleeves.

Flamewing: “Theeeere’s… specific reasons I can’t bring Helen to Rayga… Also, my parents still don’t know about her.” (34)

Morkana: “I don’t care about your familial problems.”

Morkana turned around again to go back to work.

Flamewing: “Mork, she needs her father! Don’t take me away from my daughter!”

Tyrant Notes:

23)He promised her to swallow a flaming sword that can kill gods. It was the ultimate challenge for any sword swallower.

24)Birds of the Capital: "Resistance is futile, surrender now or dance forever."

25)And if possible in Danish, all this English makes me tired.

26)And despite his fame he never thought of making any branding deals to solve his money problems.

27)Morkana: “I will make him watch that movie about singing cats until he is raving mad!”

28)Don't thank her, you idiot! You have leeway, negotiate!

29)He was kind of into it.

30)Morkana: However, you will die before your daughter’s eyes and you'll know, you'll know, that it is I, Empress Morkana Alfrau, who encompasses your doom!”

31)Kaisword: "This code is absolute garbage, get me the Administrator."

32)She forgot to shout "I AM A MAN!"

33)Okay, you are starting to overdo it here with the asshole behavior, Mork.

34)Flamewing: "Or that I married. Or that I killed people. Or the time I punched that dolphin."