When Belisarius heard that Corvus was to meet his grandfather, respect and curiosity made him want to go too. This man was known as one of the mightiest leaders of the people of Rhazgord; it was his shadow that was behind Corvus' strong stance. However, Corvus refused his friend's request. Belisarius looked at him deeply, understanding why his friend had acted as he had. It had to be a private matter.

"You go and rest," Corvus said. His voice was more formal than his usual warm friendly tone, as if they were speaking as diplomats, not friends. "There are things I need to discuss with you tomorrow. Not as two friends. As representatives of two countries."

These words cast a shadow over Belisarius' face. Representatives of two countries... These were heavy but expected words. Corvus touched the back of his neck with his hand, clearly showing his uncertainty. "If my grandfather permits..." he added, his voice sounding weak for a moment.

Belisarius, a little startled by his friend's sudden formality, said nothing. Corvus escorted him to the prepared room for Belisarius. When he opened the door and entered, the comforting warmth and simplicity of the room made him feel the tiredness of the day in an instant. The soft bed, the wooden furniture glowing in the flickering candlelight... Belisarius took a deep breath. His eyes grew heavy and in a few minutes he lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, Volmir had gone to his own room. His small body was too weak to bear the fatigue of the day. He wrapped himself in the bedclothes and closed his eyes tightly. Even in his own world, it was a source of security for him to be near his brother Corvus. While he was dreaming fearlessly with the innocence of childhood, the world outside was getting more and more chaotic.

As Corvus walked along, his footsteps echoing in the dark corridors, he noticed a shadow looming in front of him. Kaelyra... She was waiting him. Her hard gaze was as cold as the stone walls, and Corvus recognised it immediately. "Did Grandfather summon you too?" Corvus asked, a familiar ease in his voice. But Kaelyra's answer was very different from what he had expected.

"No!" Kaelyra said, her voice sharp and cold, like the stroke of a sword. "But I'll come too, just in case you're being ridiculous!"

Corvus was stunned by this reaction from his cousin. Kaelyra was always cold and hard, but this... This anger was different. Somewhere deep down, underneath the anger, there was fear and worry, but it was almost impossible to see it. Kaelyra was the most supportive person in Corvus' life. Since the day he lost his mother, she had been both big sister and protector. But tonight, everything was changing.

Corvus took a step forward in the face of this unexpected challenge. His brow furrowed and his eyes flashed with menacing determination. His voice became sharp and cold, just like Kaelyra's. "Enough, Kaelyra!" he raged, his words like a declaration of war. "I have set my path, and I am prepared to crush anyone who stands in my way!"

The surprise in Kaelyra's eyes overshadowed her anger for a moment, but Corvus did not hesitate. Swallowing, he took a deep breath and chose his words carefully. Looking hard into Kaelyra's eyes, he emphasised each word with care: "Even you, Kaelyra! Even you."

These words stabbed Kaelyra like a knife. For a moment her eyes widened, then the anger returned, this time more intense and burning. But underneath that anger was something else: disappointment. She had never expected to see Corvus like this. Kaelyra's throat tightened as Corvus' footsteps echoed down the corridor. Her lips formed a thin line and she suppressed the tears that flashed in her eyes for a moment. She clenched her fists and pulled herself together. It was an anger Corvus would never see, but it burned inside her.

Kaelyra had a deep hatred for the word "change" that came out of Corvus' mouth. This change was not a passing fancy of Corvus, but a dangerous obsession. Kaelyra had done everything to protect her cousin; she was the only one who had tried to keep him alive, to tie him to life. But now, what she saw in Corvus' eyes was not the Corvus she had known. This was a stranger in his eyes. A brother gone astray, chasing a dream. Kaelyra withdrew silently, but the storm inside her had not subsided. The fact that Corvus was willing to trample everything, even her, to fulfil his dream had become a deep wound inside her. But Kaelyra was never one to show it. She was a woman who kept her pain inside and wore it like armour.

When Corvus pushed open the massive doors of the throne room, he was not thinking about the silent rage he had left behind. He had only one thing on his mind: To stand before his grandfather, the Drakar Tiamat, and share his plans with him. As the doors opened, the shadow of Drakar sitting on the throne seemed to fill the entire room. The moon shone through the large windows behind him. Corvus took a few steps and bowed respectfully. It was his grandfather who had called him, so he waited in silence.

Drakar was very old, but his body was the equal of any young warrior's. Time had taken away his hair, but that was the only thing time could take from Drakar. Drakar's bushy, braided beard combined with his red eyes inspired fear. Every part of his body was scarred with the memories of old battles. All of the wounds he had inflicted had resulted in death, while he stood tall despite his injuries.

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"You defeated Varek," he said. There was not the slightest emotion in his voice, nor was it loud, but even the sound waves echoed against the walls of the throne room, as if they were running away from him in fear. Corvus answered without taking his eyes off his grandfather. "Yes. He was disrespecting our family, so I punished him."

After a moment of silence, Drakar's loud laughter vibrated all the furniture in the room. As soon as he finished laughing, he got up from the throne and stood in front of Corvus. Drakar stood before him like the Rhaz mountain in flesh and blood. His face was shrouded in shadow as the moonlight hit it from behind. All that could be seen on his face were two red eyes burning like embers.

"Don't play games with me, Corvus! Why did you challenge the child of the Nabuks! Answer me!"

There was a deep fear in Corvus' heart that wanted to escape, but Corvus would not let it pass. He knew that if he took even one step back, he would never get his grandfather's support. He raised his head and locked his own red eyes with his grandfather's. It was as if he was trying to extinguish the fire in his grandfather's eyes with the fire burning in his own eyes.

"Because I want to change our country... No! Because I wanted to make it better, they saw me as weak. They said I wasn't a warrior. So I showed them I was a Rhazgordian, a Tiamat."

Corvus was nervously waiting to see what his grandfather would say when a curious smile appeared on his grandfather's face. The monster that had stood before him was gone, replaced by a sweet man. He put his large hand on his grandson's shoulder and leaned a little to make eye contact with him.

"Look Corvus... You are the most talented son the Tiamats have ever had. In a few years you could even be a Sanguinar. You could be the youngest Sanguinar ever." he took a deep breath. "If you want to change things, just wait. Follow the warrior's path and become the strongest. Then you will do what you want."

Corvus could not hide his surprise at this understanding he never expected from his grandfather. His grandfather was a firm believer in tradition. Since the day he was born, he had told Corvus hundreds of times what it meant to be a warrior. Corvus had thought like his grandfather while he was still in the city of Adler, but when he returned to Rhazgord, he wiped that thought away. He couldn't wait any longer. The change had to begin now.

Realising his grandson was lost in thought, Drakar returned to his old throne. He waited for Corvus to gather his thoughts. Corvus put all his words together and his expression turned serious.

"No!"he said, very sharply. "Why should we wait for something so simple!" His excitement made him take a few steps forward. "The merchants are sucking us dry! Why don't we solve the problem with a simple trade agreement? Why don't we walk down the road and get stuck in the mud! Why don't we pave our roads with stones we can find in our mountain full of beautiful rocks? Our people live in shabby houses, but every structure in our camp is built with stones, worked and built to the finest detail!" he paused for a moment. "You, grandfather! Drakar Tiamat! The Great Axe of Rhazgord! Look where you and your family live, while the leaders of even tiny kingdoms live in great palaces of prosperity! Look at the throne that is mine in the future, my father's now, and yours in the past! There are men in the city of Adler who would not take that throne as a chair for their home!"

Corvus' words had a grain of truth, but Drakar was unwilling to accept it. Everything that Corvus denigrated was part of Drakar's soul and life. The Rhazgord he knew was everything Corvus spoke of with disgust. His soul screamed with all its might to oppose Corvus, but his mind would not allow the slightest sound to leave his mouth.

He took a deep breath. There was something knotting in his throat. His head, which was bent forward after Corvus's words, slowly lifted. His grandson, Corvus, stood before him like a giant of stone. A giant who would crush whoever stood in his way. Drakar shook his head.

"Are you sure you can do what you say?" he asked. If he felt the slightest doubt, he would be the first to stand in Corvus' way. He was looking at Corvus with all his might. Corvus felt the weight of his grandfather's gaze in every cell. He was confident and answered without a second thought.

"If you let me, I can solve the trade problem before my father, Sanguinar Sakhaar Tiamat, arrives!" Sakhaar Tiamat would take an estimated three months to return. He had gone to prevent a demon attack in a distant kingdom. "All I need is your support and authorisation. First thing tomorrow I will begin work on signing a trade agreement that I will make sure will be fair."

Drakar nodded to his grandson. Corvus was as happy as a child at this small approval. But even his life could be at risk if he failed to keep his promise to his grandfather. By paving the way for Corvus, Drakar was risking his own honour and position. But his mind told him to trust his grandson. "What do you need?" the old Drakar asked. This question was the beginning of a conversation that would last until dawn.