The dragon rocked his tail to the side, tilting his right wing upward, flying lower and approaching an empty hill in the middle of the desert, orange hued clouds appearing in the distance, along with a sun as red as a tangerine.

“Hey,” Razam insisted, tapping on the dragon’s scales. “Come on, let her say thank you, at least.”

But the creature continued his path, opening his wings, weighing down and flying lower, gently placing the woman on the ground before landing, taking a few steps on land before stopping completely.

Razam got down, holding the ivory box. He felt a jolt of pain from his surface injury.

“Alright,” he said, carefully climbing down. He turned toward the woman, finally taking a good look at her.

There were pretty girls around the area, but this one was above average. She had pale skin and a narrow face, large eyes and bold lips. Her hair was dark brown and slightly curly, cascading all the way to her hips. It now fluttered softly in the wind. She had a nice figure too.

She cleared her throat and placed one knee on the ground, facing the dragon.

“Thank you, guardian of Ymra, I will always remember your kindness.”

Razam placed both arms on his hips and cleared his throat.

“Huh? He gets all the thanks, huh?” he said.

“He does.”

“I was the mastermind of your rescue,” Razam said.

She was playing him. She was enjoying seeing him beg for thanks.

He cleared his throat.

“Alright.” Razam looked at the dragon. “What’s going on here?”

But Vrarog’ eyes were now fixed on the woman. “Ah, you know of our sacrifice. You remember.” The dragon’s voice was deep.

“It is told reverently in our courts and in our cities," she said, dreamy gaze fixed on the dragon as if he were an angel from heaven. "We will always remember of the time dragons and humans served each other.”

“Huh?” Razam raised an eyebrow. “Wait, where did you say you’re from?”

“I'm from Arsacia, land of honored souls.”

“Ah,” Razam said, shrugging. “Pity you.”

“Pity us? We are part of the greatest…”

“It was the greatest empire, what, four thousand years ago?” Razam said teasingly.

Fara placed her hands on her hips. “Our land produced the greatest philosophers, poets…”

“Four thousand years ago,” said Razam. “Anyway, it’s been a pleasure.” He turned toward the dragon. “Alright, Vrarog. What’s in the box?”

“That is of no concern of yours!” the dragon said into his mind.

“What do you mean it’s no concern? Listen, I helped you too. I freed you from those bastards, now, tell me what it is.”

“Wait,” the woman said. She stared at Razam with narrowed eyes.

“What?" Razam asked. "Is he not inside your mind too?”

“He's not," she said, shaking her head. Now she was looking at Razam as if he had a latrine on his forehead.

“What is it?” Razam shrugged.

The woman cleared her throat. “Master dragon,” she said, falling down to her knees. “Our Empire wishes to pay you respect. I represent the Arsacian Empire, Lord Dragon, and I wish to offer you our protection if you come to our Empire.”

The dragon grunted, Razam felt a stab of fear coming from the dragon’s mind.

“Please,” the woman said. “Let me introduce myself.” She cautiously eyed Razam. “I am Fara Darani, Cousin to Emperor Fahad the II, member of the Royal Court of Arsacia and...”

“Wait, what?” Razam interrupted her. “No, you… You are a thief, you…”

She faced him, arms on her hips. “You’re the thief. Don’t mix me with your kind, we are not the same.”

“I am no thief!” he said.

“What are you, then, you wanted to steal the dragon egg!”

“Dragon egg? Well, you’re the one trying to steal… Wait, dragon egg?”

The emotions in the dragon’s mind confirmed that it was the case. Razam blinked in surprise and turned his face back and forth between the woman and the dragon, then at the box he still held in his arm. “Wait, wait. I… I just wanted to do a small job, retrieving something, I didn't want to get in between rival kingdoms and a dragon, or whatever.”

He looked at the dragon. “Alright. I get it, it’s your child, but… Listen, I need the money. What if I give it to them, they pay me and then we take it back. We take their money.”

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“Who would give out their child just like that? He’s not a thing to play with,” the dragon seemed to answer in his mind. “Don’t you know how little our numbers have become?”

“But…” Razam nodded.

Fara crossed her arms. She humphed.

“You…” she said, pointing at him. “You are the Crimson Thorn, aren’t you?”

Razam stared at her, clenching his teeth. “They call me that, but my name is Razam Kanahari, if you will. Master Kanahari.”

“Whatever your name is. Huh, you have quite a bounty on your head in the south.”

Razam snickered.

“So after I save your life, now you threaten me.” He said through clenched teeth.

“The dragon saved my life,” she said, lifting her chin.

“He wouldn’t have gone back if I hadn’t told him.”

She shrugged.

“Well, pity. I had something to offer you, now that you’re bonded with… I am sorry, Great one, what is your name?”

“His name is Vrarog.” Razam responded.

“Is that so, Noble One?” Fara said, slightly bowing her head.

“That is my name among mortals,” Vrarog said through a ragged and powerful voice. “I am bonded to this man, yes, but I did it out of necessity. I had never bonded a human, our kind has vowed not to meddle in human affairs and to avoid contact. But I intend to depart and continue doing so. I see, as you have seen, that he has compassion despite his evil ways.”

“Evil ways?” Razam replied. “I did nothing wrong. I have done nothing wrong.”

“So you are not really working together,” she said to the dragon.

“We are not,” said Vrarog. “I but I cannot get rid of the bond. I had to survive and save my child.”

“What’s this bond you speak about?” Razam asked. “You mean this thing with your mind inside mine? Are you saying that I won’t be able to get rid of it?”

“Not as long as I live. But worry not, human, for distance makes the bond weaker.”

“Master Dragon,” that woman, Fara, kept saying to the dragon, now completely on her knees. “We need you. We came here, I will not lie, for your kind appreciates honesty, we came looking for the egg, wishing to protect it.”

“That I can and shall not do,” the dragon said, clutching the ivory box. “I must leave now, there are few of my kind. Human, Razam. I am grateful for your help. I must go and I’ll take my child. The bond must remain, I used it to save my life and that of my offspring, but it won’t bother you as long as we are apart. And for you, Lady Fara, no, no negotiations can be made. We have vowed not to meddle with humans, not to bond them, even.”

“But Master Dragon, when you served the Arsacian Empire we had peace, we had protection, please, return to the old ways, please…”

“We never served any Empire, the humans were supposed to serve us,” he purred, as if in frustration. “I shall not waste your time anymore, humans.”

The dragon turned around, walking toward Razam. He felt a voice in his mind.

“Alright,” Razam said reluctantly, handing the dragon the ivory box. “It’s yours, no need to burn me to a crisp.”

Vrarog’s massive eyes drifted away from him, he pressed his legs against the ground, then hopping, holding the ivory box in a clow, it rose above and flapped over and over, elevating toward the mountains.

Razam sighed, crossing his arms.

“There goes my money,” he muttered. “Why? Why does it always have to be like this?”

Fara was already on her way back through the mountain.

“Hey,” Razam said, turning toward her. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“My own way, master Crimson Thorn, I will admit I am indebted to you, for that reason I will not press charges and deliver you to the authorities.”

“Wait,” Razam said. “Don’t tell me you’re planning to go out alone! Do you have any idea where we are? It’s north of the Commercial Routes, Black Lotus dealers have their caves here, there are slavers and murderers around. Thieves!”

Fara spoke without facing him. “They don’t bother people who mind their own business. Besides, I am an experienced fighter. So, nice meeting you Crimson Thorn.”

Razam sighed. No, he would not beg a woman like that, not even if she was royalty. He had risked his life for her and she had refused to thank him.

He turned around, without saying a word, and looked down from the hill at the settlements nearby. He sighed. Spit on a grave, he had been an inch close from becoming rich, really rich. Stupid dragon and stupid egg.

He felt a slight rebuke inside his mind.

And now that stupid dragon was going to be stuck in his mind forever? What was that supposed to be.

He continued his way toward the opposite side. He decided to get out of the commercial lines. He thought of the possibilities. The Murlian border was around a hundred miles from there. He realized he would definitely not want to step any closer to them. They’d probably know all about him in a couple of days and he’d not be able to hide again. That would be the worst thing in the world. And that bloody Empire was expanding, the North had a border dispute between the Murlians and the Vaharian Khaganate. The Murlians were on an expansive streak.

He sighed, thinking whether he should try to pass through Murlia and get to the East as soon as possible. He had been there only rarely and fewer people knew his name.

Maybe he’d take a ship there. Arsacia didn’t sound that bad. A quieter city with pretty architecture and good sea routes. Yes, he’d rather go south. He turned around, checking the rising sun and choosing to go that way. He climbed down, walking forward and whistling as he did. He grinned softly, remembering something important. He checked his pocket, where a full bag of gold coins weighed on his hand.

Yes, why not just disappear? The only thing he had to worry about now were his last employers. They were supposed to be spying on him, only, they didn’t know how to fly.

It was not an easy path. He walked through a narrow corridor of stone and then had to turn around and descend by climbing out. The woman Fara had taken the easier road but he did not want to come near her.

Walking down the path, he noticed that it had been tread recently. He looked around, confirming that the feet were mere sandals and not soldier’s boots. They were men, though, cautious in their path. He continued following the trail, there were at least three men who’d walked that path quite recently. His curiosity got the better of him. He continued onward, following their trail, noticing they descended into a sharp cave.

He got up. What would those people be doing? He knew what kind of people were said to live in the mountains. Yes, thieves, actual gangs of thieves that assaulted lost travelers. That meant there was probably loot. Stealing from a thief didn’t count as stealing, anyway, and although he never found he original owners, he always gave back to the community by inviting people for drinks and giving money. So everybody was wrong when they called him thief.

Although money did run out quite quickly.

He already had enough gold to survive for a few months. But, well, he had walked right into a pot of gold. If, and only if those were their hideouts. He listened attentively. As far as he could tell, there was no one in the vicinity.

He leaned in. Suddenly, the ground seemed to collapse along with him. He stretched his arms, trying to hold on for dear life, but the entire section had collapsed. He found himself falling into a pit of darkness. However, the violent crash against the ground that he expected never came, instead, he found himself caught in a net, just like a fly after passing through a spider’s web.