A Worthless Crown

The ball was soon to end. People were already gradually saying their goodbyes and spilling out. I called Askath to a hidden room in the estate and placed down the tome. I recited the incantation in my mind; it was the most complex incantation I had ever performed.

But I succeeded. The magic vow now began.

A strange blue hue consumed the room.

"State your terms," I whispered.

Askath's eyes met mine, his expression unreadable. There was a flicker of defiance there, but also a wary respect. He must've known the weight of what we were about to do.

"I, Askath. King of all dragon-slayers, greatest adventurer of Thesia and most handsome adventurer in the lands will now peform a magic vow."

"I swear loyalty to you, Fraero," Askath began, his voice low but steady. "I will protect you and aid you in your pursuit of the crown. I will not raise my hand against you or conspire to see you fall. I will act in your best interests. I won't hurt your allies either unless they become your enemies."

The blue light shimmered, as if absorbing his words. But he wasn't finished.

"But I demand my freedom. I will not be a puppet. I will not be stripped of my will. I will not follow blindly into ruin. If your rule becomes unjust, if you stray your goal, I retain the right to challenge you and to leave. I will fight your battles, but I will not die for a worthless cause."

I tightened my grip on the tome. His words stung, but they were honest. Askath had always been a man of principle—dangerous, but valuable. I needed his strength, but I needed his mind as well. A mind like his, caged, would lose what made it precious.

"I accept your terms," I said, though the words felt like swallowing fire. "But in return, I demand one thing more. If you ever seek to betray me for personal gain—to overthrow me not out of justice, but out of greed—the vow will break you. Your magic will shatter. Your body will fail and you will forget how to wield the sword you have mastered."

Askath's jaw tightened, but he nodded.

The blue light surged, enveloping us both. I felt its tendrils wrap around my chest, binding something deeper than flesh. My heart raced. This was no ordinary spell—this was soul-binding magic. If either of us broke the terms, it would cost more than our lives.

Askath's hand met mine. We clasped wrists, the glow intensifying around our joined hands. I felt his power. It was different from mine—wild, untamed, but strong.

"I vow to what has been told." we spoke in unison.

The light exploded outward, then vanished. We were left in silence, the weight of the vow settling over us.

For a moment, we simply stared at each other.

"You have what you wanted," Askath said, his tone neutral. "And so do I. Watch out, apparently a golemn broke out from one of the adventurer's huts. Don't go outside, apparently it was in the area."

I exhaled slowly. The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear—our fates were now intertwined. There was no turning back.

We left the room and Askath turned away, to say one last goodbye to his adventurer friends.

Olaf spoke up first. "Ah. Now this is actually the end! We'll go down those cursed mines, and you'll go to the capital. Remember me, Askath!" He began blubbering like the ocean.

"Perhaps one last duel, to see who truly was the better swordsman." Vernon quipped, his smirk broken by his sadness.

"Not now..." Askath laughed. "You know who would win..." 

"Hey-."

"I'll remember you forever Askath, you saved my life when you slayed the dragon of Wintermoore. Don't forget about the letters..." Luxelle lifted her veil briefly causing Askath's face to flush bright red. I wondered what was behind that mask, perhaps beauty or something forbidden.

"Yeah-yeah." Askath grinned. The four broke off towards the local pub, for one last round of drinks.

With nothing to do, I walked towards Alcors. Who seemed a little tipsy.

"Fraero, my friend!"

"We aren't friends." I muttered, the true meaning of friendship lost all value in these noble courts.

"Ah-. Fraero. Congrats on being nominated for the-. Wait. I said that already! Anyways aren't you a lucky-." His sentence broke off as he almost stumbled into a servant.

"You look like a fool. And you do realize that-."

He began running into walls. He was gathering the wrong kind of attention.

"Come outside, you moronic peasant!"

The night air was cool and breezy. The stars alligned to form a beautiful picture in the sky. The garden had been freshly cut, and every flower bloomed in the moonlight.

"Look. You do realize that this isn't some kind of grand oppurtunity. It's a death sentence. It's like sending a toddler to war, I have no private army. I have no power in the capital, I'm clearly the weakest contender, if you can even call me a contender!" I thought back the the rogue's words. Perhaps I would just be stomped out.

"What does that matter?" Alcors grinned, his beaverish brown hair flapping around, it was quite a windy night. "In the past months, you seemed like a normalish person."

"Ah. You really don't understand. I am going to be sent to death by my father! It's over! All I have is a dragon-slayer, and I doubt there will be any dragons in the capital. Wait-. Why did I even pick that guy?"

Mechanical footsteps broke out behind us, masked by the sound of the still somewhat lively ballroom dance.

Behind Alcors, two bright red eyes sundered the shadows.

A huge figure, made up of stone and steel, inhumane yet seemingly conscious, decided to move it's arm up.

"A golemn?" I laughed. "What's it doing here? Call it's master-."

It slammed it's fists down, causing a large chunk of soil to be uprooted and spray everywhere.

Alcors had ran out as soon as he reacted, perhaps his training was paying off.

We stood against the golemn, unsure of what would happen next.

"WHAT DO WE DO?" Alcors was no longer drunk, he was now scared for his life.

"Aren't you the hero who took down 3 abominations in the mines?" My words went stray, he ran away. So I could only do the same.