Haeed had spent the afternoon relaxing and reveling in his triumph. Bathing in the blood of fresh virgin sacrifices was always a great start to his days, right after cursing the name of the Creator in his morning rituals. The girls had been sent from different provinces, from poor families, basically bought from their starving parents. Of course, they were not just taken and sacrificed; there was an entire ritual process to go through, where through ritual magic, basically, through their horror and screams, their life energies were harnessed into Haeed’s magic staff.
Now, after a cleansing bath with actual scented herbs and water, his servants placed magic rings on his fingers and dressed him to attend the rest of his businesses. He had to give a sermon that evening. The irony of that always made him laugh out loud.
There was only one problem. His jinn had stopped responding. He heard his voice often, but not today, even despite the sacrifice.
“Al Kabkab,” Haeed said in his mind, holding the black staff close to his forehead. “Are you there today, Master of the Hunt?”
There was a faint whisper, but no clear voice in his mind.
Was the creature angry today? It was sacrifice day; he was usually pleased. Was he finally rebelling? After all, it had insisted day and night that Haeed should share his power. Why would he? He didn’t want real apprentices, at least not to share his secret knowledge. It would be unwise to let go of all that power.
Now, with his mauve robes on his shoulders, his gray hair well-oiled, he exited his rooms and walked to the balcony. His knee ached with every step, a sign of age that he could not help even with his magic. He stopped right before his marble balcony. Haeed watched the capital from a vantage point, the tallest temple in the city. The capital of the Murlian Empire watched him from below. With what was about to be delivered, which should arrive in two days, he would be able to work faster. He would soon rule the entire continent. If everything went well, within a few months, he could start his reign of terror, his reign of fire. The only thing he needed to plan better was how to get rid of that stupid Sultan. After he served his purposes, of course. It was still a long-term goal, but he had to find a credible way to kick him out.Then, Haeed heard a galloping horse in the streets below. He pouted, looking down from his high balcony. A rider in full Murlian uniform approached his Temple of Wisdom. Urgent news, what could that mean? He hoped, no, there was no possibility of the dragon breaking free. Thieves, maybe, but that’s why he’d sent the most efficient groups of Demon Knights in the Empire. Haeed turned around and walked down, leaning on his cane. He passed dozens of servants and acolytes dressed in pure white, who bowed their heads once he passed by. He ignored them and descended toward the main gate. Guards wearing priestly robes and spears made way as the single rider dismounted, panting like a dog and with sweat beading his forehead.
“Master Sage,” the man said through shallow breaths, falling on his knees.
“What is it?” Haeed said.
“Master Sage, we received urgent communications from your camp.”
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“What is it, speak clearly, man!” Haeed shouted.
“Two groups infiltrated the camp, working together, Arsacian marauders and a bounty hunter known as the Crimson Thorn, they…”
“What about them! Finish the message, man!”
“They freed the beast and took the ivory box.”
“They freed the…” Haeed gritted his teeth. Idiots, they had set back his plans a few months. He’d have to capture the dragon again. He clenched his teeth and banged the floor with his cane.
“Are they in custody now?” Haeed asked. “I myself might go and see them.”
“Most of the Arsacians are dead, but two escaped.”
“Escaped?” Haeed growled. “How did those thieves fool our Demon Knights?”
“My lord, they escaped on the dragon’s back… They rode it.”
Haeed paused for an instant, then huffed.
Those fools actually did it. The Arsacians were behind. How they managed to get past the checkpoints of their sieged little province was difficult to tell. But they did it. Anyway, it was only two fools and a stupid beast.
“Do you have the name of the Arsacian thief who escaped with that Bounty Hunter?”
“We don’t know, my lord, but she was associated with their elite guards, the Khanjar.”
“The Khanjar attacked my camp. What of that Crimson Thorn?”
“He’s the one who released the dragon and rode it.”
“What? The fool is in on it. I…” Haeed’s mind raced through the possibilities. Could it be that the man and the dragon had bonded previously, and they were apart, now the man had come to rescue it? Or had it been an accident, a reckless last-minute alliance? No, more information had to come out and confirm whatever happened.
“Did he take the treasure?” Haeed asked.
“The one in the ivory box, yes. The other one, no.”
Haeed sighed in relief. At least the most important part was safe. “I want his face on every wall in the Murlian Empire. I want his face plastered across the Great Palace if necessary, and across the commercial routes. I want every bounty hunter in the Empire on the lookout for him, here or beyond its frontiers. And any sighting of the dragon to be reported; the beast will build another nest, that’s for sure.” If the man and the dragon were truly bonded, Haeed thought they could get to the beast through him. “Bring him alive, so that we can squeeze him well. And the Arsacian too.” Haeed turned around, snapping his fingers and making a temple scribe come and write down what was about to happen. He then placed his personal seal on it. “Not a part of this continent will be exempt from looking out for this Crimson Thorn. Hurry!” “Yes, Lord Haeed,” the messenger said, taking the parchment and climbing his horse’s saddle. Haeed narrowed his eyes. The Sultan wouldn’t like this, but it would be a minor setback. Even Arsacia was about to fall under their control without breaking a sweat, without a drop of blood. Well, there would be a little bit of blood spilled, the peskiest blood in all of Arsacia. He had a few generals secured and ready to give power to the Murlian armies at the gates. Arsacia, the ancient Empire of Empires, was about to become a puppet state of Murlia. Not even their dreams of ancient dragon riders would save them.