EXT. IMPERIAL COLONY OF FAEHEIM - DAY

That was a heavy conversation. I think it’s better if we have something lighthearted to continue the story, like Captain Flamewing and his company delivering supplies to people in a village of Faeheim. One of said supplies are the seeds of the new transgenic plant Morkana told Flamewing about, and because the seeds aren’t patented by some corporation, the people of Faeheim can become self-reliant with their agricultural economy and not depend so much on imperial help.

Flamewing: “Here you go. A pack of canned food, a tube of med gel, four refillable bottles of 1 liter of water each one and two kilograms of seeds.”

Unnamed human woman: “Thank you so much! Goddess bless you!”

Flamewing: “Jason, how is the distribution in the East going on?”

Jason: “Things are going smoothly, but in the south one of the elite companies got into trouble at a village because a soldier insulted a senior citizen and you can imagine how the other civilians reacted. The diplomat accompanying those elites had to intervene.”

Flamewing: “Dammit! Now isn’t the time for imperial bravado! T’no, send a request at the HQ for-”

Unnamed human tech priest: “Stay away from them! They are agents of the witch queen!”

A very old techpriest broke through the lines of people and screamed to get everyone’s attention. This was a pilgrim that had come to Faeheim to preach the teachings of the Goddess Athena, and in the past few years he has gotten a following of people that resented the dreik authorities on the planet. He had half of his face replaced with cybernetics, both of his legs were cybernetic prosthetics and to be able to walk properly he used a staff with a gear as a religious symbol. His tech priest cloak looked tattered and dirty and his long gray beard made him look like a wise wizard, though he wasn’t being wise that day.

Flamewing: “Sir, please calm down.”

Unnamed human tech priest: “You are all eating the seeds made by dragon sorcery! Only the works of human science should be trusted! Didn’t you see how the dreiks used their black magic in the war they caused?!”

The words of this cleric made some of the villagers feel ashamed of themselves and there was an increase of murmurs in the background.

Nelly: “Sir, we are trying to help people.”

Unnamed human tech priest: “I feel pity for you, young woman. You and everyone here has been deluded by the lies of the witch, the daughter of the tyrant that threatened my home world years ago! Have you all forgotten all the horrible things the dragons did to us?!”

Unnamed male civilian: “I didn’t forget!”

A few people started throwing away the bags of seeds and others left the lines for humanitarian aid because of peer pressure. Flamewing saw all this and decided to put an end to this before things escalated.

Flamewing: “En nombre de la Diosa Athena, quiero que me escuche, hermano!” (In the name of the Goddess Athena, I want you to listen to me, brother!)

The tech priest got surprised when this man wearing the military uniform of the dreiks began shouting in the common language and named the goddess herself. Other people heard this and recognized Flamewing’s shouting.

Unnamed female civilian: “Is he…”

Flamewing: “La Diosa nos ha enseñado que es importante comunicar la verdad y encontrar la forma de entendernos mutuamente, ya que la cooperación lleva a mejorarnos a nosotros mismos y destruye las barreras del odio y la ignorancia.” (The Goddess has taught us that it’s important to communicate the truth and find the way to understand each other mutually since cooperation leads to bettering ourselves and destroys the barriers of hatred and ignorance.)

Unnamed old man: “I remember him.”

Unnamed human tech priest: “Eres el Héroe de Rayga!” (You are the Hero of Rayga!)

The tech priest fell on his knees and started weeping. He felt like he was fool for not noticing this human was the hero that had slayed King Aureon and put an end to the war between the Coalition and Blitz. Following the example of the tech priest, many humans in the crowd that recognized Flamewing’s strong willed voice approached the hero with devotion.

Flamewing: “Okay, this isn’t what I expected.”

Unnamed human tech priest: “I-I just don’t understand, hero. Why are you helping the witch?”

Arther kneeled to be on the same eye level as the weeping priest on the floor.

Flamewing: “Tell me, when was the last time you had been on Rayga, sir?”

Unnamed human tech priest: “I-I haven’t been there since the war against Aureon ended. I-I began my pilgrimage through the Known Worlds to show my faith in the human spirit as the Goddess taught us, as you showed that day.”

Flamewing: “Well, after you left Rayga many things changed. Queen Morkana made a peace treaty with the leaders of the Coalition and the technology of Blitz became open to the public. In fact, I helped her ascend to the throne of the empire.”

The religious man and many other people that didn’t know the full story were surprised.

Unnamed human tech priest: “B-but she is a dragon! The enemies of humanity!”

Flamewing: “She has a human mother and many of her allies are humans and other species that are our allies too.”

People began murmuring more since this was the first time for them to hear of a dreik noble with human blood. Flamewing stood up and addressed the crowd.

Flamewing: “The Empress Morkana is a flawed person like everyone, but she is aware of this and knows she needs other people. This is why when reforming the industries of Fafniria she got talented human scientists and engineers to solve the problems of the empire.”

The captain grabbed a bag of seed and took one out to show it.

Flamewing: “These seeds are the product of the work of scientists of different species and culture and have been tested properly on farms of Rayga and the Kingdom of the Winds. The fruits they produce are safe for humans to consume and rich in nutrients that… Look, the point I am trying to say is that people create great things when they work together.”

Flamewing may be smart, be multilingual and knowledgeable about religious traditions of Rayga, and have a silver tongue, but he isn’t a scientist and doesn’t want to pretend to be one. He could be considered an amateur engineer and magical researcher, but if you ask him how biological sciences work he would bullshit an explanation with what little he knows. After finishing weeping, the cleric stood up slowly.

Unnamed human techpriest: “But oh beloved hero, how can we trust this new monarch if everyone before her has been a monster? I have seen the dreiks massacre innocents and I could only hide those I could protect. How do we know this isn’t just some empty kind gesture to make us blindly trust our next butcher?”

Flamewing had thought at first this was just a looney religious fanatic, but his concerns were understandable. Flamewing understood because he had thought like that many years ago before going on the quest to get the pieces of the Kaisword.

Flamewing: “I know that many horrible things have happened, and I know I shouldn’t tell you to ignore your feelings. I fought in the war and it wasn’t the epic tale people talk about on television.”

Everyone around Flamewing was silent and attentively listening to him, even the soldiers of his own company.

Flamewing: “It was a carnage and I was just one of many boys and girls who foolishly thought we could make history, and I did change history, but what about the other tens of thousands of people before me? I-I lost so many people, and just losing one is enough to know that war is pointless.”

A few people were already crying and others acknowledged the pain. Nelly had a somber look and Jason tried to hide his tears because of fear of not looking manly.

Flamewing: “If you ask me why I am serving the Empress, it’s because I believe in her ideals of peace. It’s because I have a daugh-”

Flamewing paused for a moment and then smiled.

Flamewing: “It’s because I have two children waiting for me back home and who believe I will do the right thing, and if this sappy speech I improvised doesn’t change your minds…”

*Flamewing took from the bag of seeds he was still holding a bunch of seeds and began eating them.*

Unnamed human tech priest: “Hero, I don’t think that’s necessary.”

Flamewing (munching the seeds): “Mhey amre sawe fo eat!” (They are safe to eat!)

Nelly: “You aren’t supposed to eat them like nuts, but okay. They aren’t poisonous.”

Flamewing’s word had inspired the villagers, and even the tech priest, to accept the help from Morkana. After the deliveries on the village were done, Flamewing and his company continued their mission and went to the next village, and the next one, and the next one and the next one…

This was more tiresome than a regular military patrol.

EXT. IMPERIAL COLONY OF FAEHEIM - DAY

Somewhere on the road to the city where the imperial military had a base, the vehicle of Flamewing’s company was driving in a convoy. Flamewing and Nelly were having trouble sleeping, so the two started a conversation about what happened.

Nelly: “Jesus, I am impressed about how you managed that situation with the tech priest.”

Flamewing: “To be honest I almost shitted on my pants out of fear.”

Nelly: “Yeah, the tension is in the air. Even if we are doing the right thing people are still scared.”

To young and optimistic people like Nelly García, everything seemed possible if you were determined and used science to find solutions, but what happened in the last few months made her realize that things aren’t always so simple.

Nelly: “Most of the imperial colonies have only known about the tyranny of House Almensch, and in the frontier it’s worse. If we are having trouble in an imperial colony, I am scared about the situation in places where criminals are the only authorities.”

Flamewing: “I have seen the conditions of some of those places: extreme poverty, famine and pollution. Even in a peaceful place like Stardust, the lack of farming technology is concerning.”

Flamewing remembered how he struggled to be a farmer years ago. He had to learn fast how to grow crops to feed his family, and when a plague hit the area a year ago he had to burn the crops to start again. What Flamewing hated the most was depending on Victor to learn how to do agrarian work.

Nelly: “It’s a shame that world isn’t an imperial colony receiving our aid. The plants of these seeds can survive in any habitable environment, and with some good hydroponics you can create an efficient system to feed thousands of people without degrading the soil.”

What Nelly said started an idea in Flamewing’s head, a heroic idea.

Flamewing: “Oh my stars, you are a genius, Nelly!”

Nelly: “Of course I am. What am I a genius about?”

Flamewing: “I have an idea, but I have to discuss it with you, and then I have to discuss it with an old friend. Here’s what I thought about…”