---
"I built something that will never bow again," he said. "Not to kings. Not to fate. Not to the ones who eat the weak and call it law. I will build a future… without innocent sacrifice."
Lirien stared at him. For a heartbeat. Then another. Then she knelt before him.
"I will forge your future," she said. "So long as the fires never go cold."
"I want to build with you." Her tone sharpened. "Forge-bonding with a lord is an ancient rite. You provide the prey. I make the weapons. Your enemies become your blades."
Azhara whistled. "Oh, I like her. She talks like a volcano and reads poetry."
Akayoroi studied Lirien silently. "Do you know what bonding entails?"
Lirien stepped forward and extended a hand, her palm glowing with emberlight. "Brand me with the Crest. My forge is yours. My strength, my hands, and my loyalty will follow, as long as you don't harm any innocent."
