Razam remained leaning his back against the wall. Arash was on the opposite corner, sitting on a wooden chair. The sorcerer remained on the other chair, silent and still. Fahad didn’t want to let him go.

The door to the secret room opened and Fara and Fahad stepped out from the room.

“So, what have you decided?” Razam said.

“We’ll ride your dragon. Can he take us south?” Fahad asked him.

“Chief!” Arash got to his feet. “What about what you’ve been promising?”

“Arash, it’s not a good time.”

“All I want is to see my family!” Arash declared. “It’s a hell of a time to be running around hiding? It’s been years, and you promised that to me in the cave.”

“So, do you have an offer for me or can I just go?”

“We don’t need you now,” Fahad said.

“But I’ll come with you.”

Razam sighed. “Fara, with all due respect. You promised me a job. Life’s not easy for me now. I lost the little money I had.”

For a moment, he’d have the dream of being hired, not as a thief, not as a mercenary, but as a proper guard of the Arsacian court. He’d imagined himself getting a good salary, sending a sealed letter to his father and getting an answer. His father finally accepting his gifts, paying off his debts, paying a beautiful house. Father Ibrahim and sister Amal living with no worries.

And his plans never played out in the end. Every time he tried, it went downhill.

He had one thing, going for him, though, the dragon really wanted to beclose to him. He even spoke into his mind of adventures, of exploring new regions. Maybe it could be fun, as long as they could get out of all the spheres of Murlian politics. He’d even heard that the Western kingdoms had explored new and vast lands unlike any that had ever been explored. Then, there was the far east, regions that Razam had never explored.

“I want to make contact with the dragons,” she said.

“Again? Listen,” Razam said. “I’m doing a lot of work for you. I’m helping you, you’re in trouble. I have no problem, but you promised something. And aside from that, I don’t think the dragon likes what you have in mind.”

“I’ll help you when you can, Razam,” Fara explained. “But you’re in a position to help us. I can promise you that you’ll get a reward.”

Razam shrugged.

“The dragon has no problem with taking us, does he?” asked Fahad.

“Not exactly,” Razam declared. “But he’s not sure about what Fara wants.”

Fahad sighed in disappointment. “I try to get her to stop thinking about that, but it’s of no use.”

“We don’t lose anything by trying.”

“Honestly,” Razam said. “Dragons don’t have any interest in seeing humans, especially since what’s been happening. And besides, you were trying to steal Vrarog’s egg.”

“To protect him,” Fara declared.

“To raise him as a pet in Arsacia? Dragons won’t like to hear it.”

“Is that what we’re trying to do? Of course not. But I’ve researched texts about dragons, their society, their morals, and I would like to address them.”

Razam sighed. Fara might have been a powerful warrior and an expertly trained assassin, but she still was a princess. To Razam, it seemed like she thought she could change the world, save it, all by herself and her ideas. Didn’t she know that the world was a cruel place, and people were mean to each other, and any good effort usually ended in death?

“He’s close,” Razam said, receiving Vrarog’s voice in his mind. “He wants to meet in the plaza and not in here. There’s too many people.”

“Alright,” Fahad handed Razam another set of clothes from the wardrobe, this time, the usual brown attire of street cleaners. “Will this do?”

Razam shrugged. “It is what it is.”

“Grab the sorcerer and let’s go. I’ll take him to the post in the south and we’ll go from there.”

Razam turned toward the old man. He got up, seemed entirely compliant this time.

The group marched sneakily into the town square, in broad daylight, carrying packages of warmer food for Fara and Razam, and provisions, with Fara covering her head with a scarf and curving her back, and the rest of them as street cleaners. Shams looked out of place, but as an old man, he seemed harmless enough.

“So,” Razam walked close to Arash. “You’re a family man.”

The muscular man grunted. “That’s none of your business. Don’t dare try to blackmail me through them, thief. Don’t even think of putting a finger on them.”

Razam sighed. “Alright, calm down. I just wanted to start a conversation.”

Arash gritted his teeth.

“I’m not your friend.”

“I brought your little Khanjar sister to safety here, if not you’d have no semblance of a royal family. Come on, you saved my life too.”

“Or you would’ve given our position to the Murlians.”

“Do you think I care about the Murlians?”

“Exactly, you don’t have any regard for anyone. I wonder if you have a family and what they think of you, or if you haven’t even told them what you do.”

Razam frowned. “Hey, have I treated you like that at all?”

“Ha!” Arash said. “I touched a nerve.”

“Very funny. I was trying to be civil but you’re acting like trash. What are you teaching your kids?”

“Not to deal with scum like you.”

“Hey, you two,” Fara interrupted them. “Stop at once.”

Arash snickered, crossing his arms. “Your Crimson friend is just wanting to try out my blade, I figure. What do you say, Razam? Let’s duel it out?”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“I ain’t afraid of that, if you repay friendship like this, you’ll get what you deserve,” Razam spat out.

“Arash, stop this. Razam, what are you doing This is the biggest problem here, you men cannot get along.”

“It’s his fault. I was trying to be friendly and…”

“You keep my family out of your mouth, slithery snake.”

A noise echoed in the sky, like a carriage rolling through the clouds as they reached the plaza, and the mausoleum. A few soldiers marched around.

“They’re surely going to talk about this,” Razam said.

They approached. Arash remained quiet. Fahad seemed nervous, looking up and from side to side.

Then, the screams started echoing around. People started running, and Vrarog descended, wings wide open. Panic would be putting it mildly. Razam, Shams and the members of the Khanjar remained standing as Vrarog landed before the mausoleum, a magnificent creature, with scales that gleamed like studded sapphires, wings with the span of a building. Alarm horns echoed in the city, people ran away, and Razam stepped forward.

“Long time no see,” said Razam.

Fahad sighed. “Are you sure it’s safe?” he asked Fara.

“Fahad, I have never felt safer than when I was flying on his claws.”

“On his claws,” Fahad said.

“Do not worry, human,” said Vrarog. Fahad almost jumped back when he heard it. “I shall protect you, as long as you yourself don’t try anything stupid.”

“So,” Razam addressed Shams. “Can you shield him from the black magician now?”

“Yes,” Shams declared, looking up at the dragon again.

“You better,” Razam said again, reaching for Vrarog’s back and climbing on top. “Alright, friends,” Razam looked at Fahad for an instant. “Let’s get out of here before your comrades in arms are on our heels. “It’s alright, Fahad, I’ve been trying to convince the dragon to throw you off the sky but he doesn’t want to.”

“I’m serious, thief,” Fahad grunted. “Try anything funny and my comrades will avenge me.”

“Hey, learn to take a joke. And come, you’ll be safe. Vrarog will take care of you.”

“Come quickly,” Vrarog shouted. “Let’s go.”

Fara rose confidently, sitting on Vrarog’s legs, she stretched her arm, offering to help Fahad. Fahad didn’t take her hand, instead, simply climbed from the back, followed by Arash.

Shams didn’t fear the dragon, but needed Razam’s help to get up.

Razam could hear the noise of horses in the distance, and men shouting orders, running toward the square. Once they were all on Vrarog’s back, in between his wings, the dragon told them to hold on, pressed his chest against the ground and pushed upward with a tremendous force, spreading massive wings that barely fit in the plaza. People ran away in fright, becoming smaller than ants with every flap of Vrarog’s wings. Fahad started screaming out of the sudden, holding on to the wings for dear life, eyes fixed downward. Arash kept quiet, but his face had turned pale and he kept his eyes up.

Razam saw troops of local soldiers rushing toward the plaza, from above,, now people staring up at the dragon, pointing, others aiming crossbows and spears, but Vrarog flew high and soon ascended through the clouds.

Fahad kept screaming. Razam tried to ignore him and focus on his own issues. After a few miles of rocky desert and sparse cypress forest, Fara pointed at a village on the edge of a cliff. Vrarog dived toward it and landed on the outskirts.

Fahad stumbled down, followed by Arash and Shams.

“We have more resources and personnel here,” Fara explained to Razam. “We trust that we’ve kept this location and this village hidden as a location for our organization.”

As far as Razam understood, they had decided to take Shams into custody with the Khanjar and ask him more of what he knew on the Murlian sorcerer, and plan to retake the city or keep a holdout for the royal family. Razam didn’t want to get too deep into it.

Soon, Fara and Razam were on their way again, flying back toward the north.

“I’m glad those two are gone,” Razam declared.

“Razam, they’re good men.”

“Arash was threatening to kill me, though. And Fahad was no better.”

“Understand them, Razam.”

“Well, I heard them straight out threaten to kill me. What else is there to understand?”

“But they didn’t,” she replied. “Listen, I wouldn’t blame them, given your reputation and all, but if they knew you better they wouldn’t say those things.”

“How did you end up tangled in this Khanjar business?” Razam asked. “I mean, what a thing for a princess to do.”

“It’s a tradition that at least one member of the royal family has to join the Khanjar. They’re basically in charge of protecting us. More than the Royal Guards. They’re there to protect our legacy.”

“I mean, you’re a woman. No offense, but that’s not what one expects.”

“Because I was close to my uncle. I showed promise as a gymnast at first, especially the spear-dance, the dance of the iron whip. Plus, I loved the history of my people. Why not put those talents to use?”

“Spear-dance? Whip-dance? Is that a dance or…”

“It’s a combat form, but it’s seen as art and performance in our land too. Children start doing it since a young age.” She shrugged. “I was never considered for the crown or even for marriage to foreign nobles. I mean, I wasn’t even that close to the crown.”

“And your father?”

“He tended to his properties in the countryside. I didn’t talk much with him, he died a few years back. I was mostly here with my uncles. My uncle, Emperor Fahad II, father of the late Emperor, and uncle Raynan.”

“But you’re a cousin of the Emperor.”

“Yes, first cousins.”

“I see,” Razam said, leaning back. “Were they nice to you, your uncles? Supportive?”

“Uncle Raynan was harsh. He made me train hard. But he knew my potential very well and encouraged me too.”

Razam sighed.

“How about you? How did you become the legend that you are.”

“Legend?” he asked, self deprecatingly.

“You’re an amazing swordsman. And you’re a good man. How did you end up as the Crimson Thorn?”

It felt good to hear someone call him good. He didn’t think it was accurate, but neither did he consider himself evil. He tried not to be.

“I was never good enough as a son, it seems, no matter how I tried. The rich man from my village was a general, he thought I had talent as a boxer and fencer, so took me in. I thought I could show my father I’d be a good man, get a career as a cadet, jump start into military administration, but he never said a single encouraging word. Not a single time. Well, I did get into a lot of trouble as a cadet. Once, I did something, I… I broke into a carriage, stole some jewelry and brought it home. It was just to help him pay his debt before getting evicted. Did it for him. But it was too much for him. He kicked me out. He said I wasn’t his son, that he’d rather have no son than an evil man.”

Fara listened attentively.

“Someone did snitch on me,” Razam continued with a sigh. “The nobles were on my back. So I ran away, moved first into Arum, worked as a mercenary when I was sixteen, then tried to hunt for treasures across the sea. Didn’t have much luck, but there was a lot of stealing then. Didn’t like it much. They were good swordsmen, though, got a good experience.”

“You were a pirate!”

“Like I said, it wasn’t really my thing.”

“And then?”

Razam shrugged. “I always wanted to start a formal business, be a bazaar business owner. Perfume is my passion. I wanted to get enough money to start up, but the money was never enough. Besides, I guess I’d need a major identity change to do that. I wrote my father, but he won’t ever answer my letters. The last one was from my sister, she was married off to some merchant, but we’ve lost contact.”

“Do you miss your father?” she asked softly.

Razam hesitated.

“Hell,” he finally said. “I hate him most of the time, but if he could only listen to me. Why can’t he, after all I tried to do? Yes, I’ve been bad, but I wasn’t always bad.”

“I think you’re good. You were wrong, you made some mistakes. But you’re a good man, Razam.”

“Nah, I don’t think I’m good or bad. But I try.”

“You’re a good man and you deserve to do good, and to be rewarded for it.”

Razam laughed, leaning his head back.

“So, what’s the pay?”

She frowned.

“That’s what you’re thinking about?”

He shrugged. “I have to earn my daily bread.”

She sighed. “I can’t promise anything for now.”