EXT. IMPERIAL PALACE’S ENTRANCE - DAY

Flamewing knew this day would come. After weeks of training with his new company, he and they were assigned to their first mission of humanitarian aid on a world affected by the recent war against the warlords. It was something simple in comparison to his days in the army of the Coalition, but there was still a risk of an attack by the surviving enemy forces. Morkana knew this was something Flamewing could handle easily, but he was worried of leaving Helen alone for two weeks.

At the entrance of the imperial palace Flamewing was saying goodbye to Helen and Karsh, and even Morkana, Prince and Robin were there.

Flamewing: “I am going to be away for a few weeks, Helen. Uncle Karsh and Robin will take care of you.”

Helen: “Don’t go!”

The little girl cried and her father kneeled to hug her.

Helen: “Don’t go Daddy!”

Flamewing: “Don’t worry. Your dad is the strongest hero of Rayga. I defeated the bad king Aureon and Asmoth the Infernal Raider. I will return home and tell you more new adventures.”

Helen: “Really? Promise, Daddy!”

Flamewing: “I promise.”

Flamewing kissed the forehead of his daughter and ruffled her hair. He then noticed Prince was looking at him behind Morkana and smiled.

Flamewing: “Keep her safe little Prince. You are the man of the house.”

A smile and a thumbs up confused the dreik boy, but he knew this man, who is his biological father, entrusted him to protect the human girl that is apparently the little heir’s sister.

Prince: “I am the man of the house…”

Flamewing then stood up and looked at Morkana. She looked surprisingly calm.

Morkana: “Don’t do something dumb.”

Flamewing: “Then how would I have met you?”

That comment and his smile made Morkana blush with embarrassment and she hoped the kids hadn’t seen her.

Morkana: “I should remind you I am the Empress of the Fafnirian Empire, so address me with respect when talking to me.”

Flamewing: “You are right, MY LADY.”

Morkana: “You insole-”

Flamewing: “See you soon, your HIGHNESS.”

Flamewing winked and then turned around with a spin, leaving a very furious and embarrassed Morkana behind while the two kids, the nanny and the eldritch monster saw how she was turning red and her dreik horns were growing.

What? You thought Flamewing would be passively Morkana’s punching bag for too long? Once the emotional chaos of the past few weeks went away and Flamewing was ready to return to action, the Human Devil returned. One quality Morkana loves about Flamewing as much as his kindness is his mischievous nature. For example, Flamewing once defeated the best student of the Magical Academy of Rayga in a magical duel by simply attaching a fake grenade to him to scare him, and then beat the crap out of him with a fireball spell and some punches to his face. Those kinds of tales of heroic trickery really turn on Morkana more than she wants to admit, and when Flamewing told her once how he threw fake grenades at the military police of Blitz to scare them and pass by them with a rocket propelled supermarket car, she shouted that she wanted to have his babies. So as much as Morkana was angry at Flamewing, she still found him hot in her own weird and awkward way.

INT. THRONE ROOM - DAY

At the throne room, Empress Morkana was having an holographic meeting with Lisa Valkyr, leader of the Star Defenders. Lisa was a human woman in her 30s, with short blonde hair, light blue eyes and she projected an aura of discipline. She was wearing a white uniform with the emblem of the shield, a symbol of protection.

Lisa Valkyr: “Sounds like a good idea, but it’s surprisingly out of character for yourself, your Majesty.”

Morkana: “Sometimes you have to be a bit idealistic to fix society’s problems, but I am also being realistic. The imperialism of the last 2000 years has caused so much suffering and I don’t want to carry the weight of the Known Worlds like Khaezar tried to. People don’t need god emperors, but the freedom to choose their future.”

Lisa Valkyr: “The other leaders of the Coalition will support you, but you will have to get the approval of the Fafnirian noble houses and the colonial governments. I don’t know anything about how Fafnirians do politics, but from what Aurora told me Fafnirians rarely practice democracy on such a scale.”

Morkana remembered that Aurora is biologically the great aunt of the little girl Flamewing conceived with Jen. She then began thinking about a possibility, but then dismissed it because Helen has brown hair like Flamewing.

Morkana: “I already have plans to get the approval of the noble houses and the colonial governors, but I must admit some political compromises must be made. The negotiations went well with houses Astar and Heka, but the deal with house Hest was too complicated and I had to sell some industrial patents. I am rebuilding a multi planetary society with progressive leaders, very greedy industrialists and those nobles that hated the Regent Empress Meenervah.”

Lisa Valkyr: “You also have the support of the public. I heard your policies have benefitted billions of people on Fafniria just as they did on Blitz and the Coalition.”

Morkana: “I will be honest. It’s hard to work here. On Blitz I could work from home and see the results very closely, but here I am the center and far away from where problems are happening. I have to trust other people to do their duties and I know that the people in the colonies still don’t trust me. Those colonies are inhabited by humans whose ancestors became vassals of the empire by force, so changing one dreik ruler for another doesn’t mean anything to many of them. They need food, medicine, jobs and education, and until they receive what they need I am not different from Khaezar.”

Lisa Valkyr: “Things have changed for the better in the last six years, but the path of social progress is a long one. I believe you can accomplish your goals and bring peace to the Known Worlds because you are the greatest bitch that has existed.”

Morkana: “I am impressed, Valkyr. I finally heard you swear, Ice Queen.”

Lisa: “I am capable of swearing, your highness. Well, I have to go. May the stars guide you.”

Morkana: “May the stars guide you.”

6 years ago Morkana and Lisa wouldn’t have thought of becoming such good friends, but Morkana has known humans can be very interesting people to hang around with, especially a certain anime haired man that impregnated her and now she was worried about Flamewing’s safety. She was certain Flamewing would be safe doing humanitarian works and occasionally fighting enemies weaker than him, but she still felt guilty for putting him at risk just because of being heartbroken.

Morkana: “I have too much to do and can’t get distracted with these feelings. I need some fresh air.”

EXT. IMPERIAL GARDEN - DAY

Morkana walked by the imperial garden and saw Helen chasing Prince.

Prince: “You can’t catch me!”

Helen: “Hahaha!”

Suddenly, Helen had made a misstep and fell.

Morkana: “Helen!”

Morkana ran as fast as she could while lifting her dress and approached the little girl on the floor. Helen couldn’t stand up and began to cry.

Helen: “Waaaah!!!!”

Morkana kneeled to pick up Helen.

Prince: “It was my fault, mom!”

Morkana took Helen in her arms and inspected her, noticing she injured her knee.

Morkana: “It’s just a scratch. I will go heal her.”

Morkana stood up with Helen in one arm and took Prince’s hand so he would follow her to the infirmary.

INT. INFIRMARY - DAY

At the infirmary, Helen was sitting on a table and crying while Morkana was searching for something and Prince was nervous.

Helen: “My leg hurts!”

Morkana: “Where did I leave that thing?”

Prince: “I am sorry! I failed to keep her safe!”

Morkana: “It was an accident, sweetie. Bingo!”

Morkana found a tube containing med gel.

Morkana: “This is going to heal you. It will be painful for a bit, but then you will feel better. Thank the universe for standardized medicine.”

Morkana knelt in front of Helen, cleaned the injury in her knee and then applied the gel. The little girl was still crying, so the tall goth caressed her head to make her feel safe and then kissed the little girl’s knee..

Morkana: “See, it is already working. In a few hours you wouldn’t feel so much pain.”

That display of motherly kindness made the daughter of Flamewing say something that would make Morkana realize what she had done.

Helen: “Thank you, Mommy!”

Morkana felt like she was blushing and Prince got more confused since he still didn’t know how he had a younger sister. The empress slowly took Helen from the table and put her on the floor.

Morkana: “O-okay… I must clarify I am not your mo-”

Prince: “Mommy, where do babies come from?”

Morkana: “Wha-what?! No, we aren’t talking about this right now! Prince take your sis-I mean Helen and go ask Robin for something to eat.”

The little heir took his sister by her right hand and the two went out of the infirmary. Morkana then left too and returned to the throne room while still blushing.

Morkana: “Goddammit! She is just like her parents! Stupid adorable humans!”

Morkana stopped after seeing Karsh standing in a corridor and looking at her.

Morkana: “Get out of here, you fucking creep!”

The eldritch being walked away.

Morkana: “Why does Arther keep making friends with monsters!”

Being a mother isn’t easy, and I know that from experience. Morkana didn’t ask to be the mother of Helen, but her sense of responsibility and her empathy were stronger than her anger. After all, one quality Flamewing admires of Morkana is that she is the “team’s mom”.

END OF CHAPTER 4

Review by Tyrant, resident fourth wall breaker

That was this?

So, Morkana acts more like an adult now? Good. The leader of the free world should act mature if it comes to important stuff. They can act like children if the situation is more lighthearted and fun.

Morkana still has a pretty intense temperament. But that is better directed and better under control. Yet now she is weak, weak and easy prey, she will not survive for long. At least in the eyes of stupid dawinists who see any friendly gesture as weakness that has to be exploited.

Karsh continues to be great as the comical serious.

What else… Ehm…. Good flow I would say, good flow.


This is all. Sorry, I am not good at reviewing this way. Riffing is more fun.

Tyrant out.