"My ass hurts", I complained to Jalvund.

"You could also just walk or sit in a wagon. There is no reason to ride a camel, if it hurts your noble behind", the scorpion man counters.

"I will endure, probably. How much longer till Alexandria?", I asked him.

"Three days to reach the city. We are going to make camp when the sun goes down", Jalvund answered.

"Any signs of your pursuers", I asked and eyed the surrounding dunes.

"No, nothing. And that makes me worry. They should have tried at least something by now", he said and also scanned the dunes for enemies. Nothing showed itself.

"Maybe they got scared or met with a creature from the desert on their way", I guessed.

"You could be right, or wrong. We just have to keep up our vigilance and react properly to any situation", Jalvund repeated his mantra and kept watch over our surroundings.

"Are caravans always this small?", I inquired.

"It depends, 30 people may seem small for you, but in Aegyptus, the bigger caravans prefer to use the Nile if possible", he explained.

"And the rest?", I gesture at the six people which were supposed to be our 'guards'. Those fellows looked more like an armed peasant revolt than anything else.

"Yes those six are far from sufficient for our defence, but you have to made do with the things you have. Most fighters find more lucrative work than escorting a caravan", Jalvund said.

I moved away from the top of the caravan and bypassed the 'leader'. Our leader was the richest merchant in this caravan and he was delighted to give up duties and responsibilities to me as the one with the highest status.

That man crumbles under the slightest threat and pressure. It was a good decision to replace him.

The condition of the road or the absence of one was another thing to remember for Italia. The old infrastructure system has declined during the Great Change and nearly everything was transported viva waterways.

While boats were faster than any land transport and far easier to load with great amounts of goods, they couldn't reach inland without rivers. A lot of cities and villages were isolated because of that and made campaigns inland harder to realize.

The reports in Alexandria showed that only the dwarven governments of the east decided to keep the old roads of the empire intact and even expanded them. The fact that mostly dwarves constructed and repaired those roads helped to make the decision. They even began to create tunnel systems, much like the ones they had in the eastern mountains.

There are only a few disadvantages when building up proper road networks. The enemy can use your own infrastructure against you. Destroying it to hinder your movement or using it himself to move faster through the territory. And of course proper expansion and maintenance of such an infrastructure system costs ducats, lots of golden ducats. Oh and don’t forget the materials and workers needed for such projects.

My musings for my future plans were interrupted when I reached the wagon with the rest of my party. They were tense the first day but turned bored soon when nothing happened. The lack of possible activities led them to play games or speak with other members of the caravan.

"How many days?", asked Hana.

"Three days. Still no sight of our pursuers", I answered.

"Hmmm, I don't like this", Noor said. "It does not make any sense for them to wait so long. They are planning something."

The rest of the group nodded in understanding, myself included.

"We can't do anything about it. There is power in having patience", said Drusus.

"There is power in status too", I countered. "You will see when we reach Alexandria."

I motivated my camel with a few kicks to head back to the top of the caravan. Jalvund was still scouting a bit ahead.

"Anything new?", I asked him.

"No, but I found a good spot for a camp. We will move on from there", he said and pointed at a position 200 metres away.

"Good, I will tell the rest to prepare for nightfall", I said and did just that.

The camp was prepared shortly. A fortress ring was formed by the wagons and campfires inside prepared food for all.

I spent the rest of the day with the family and talked with the siblings about their home town. Syene was an old imperial garrison town against demi-humans from the south and controlled access to the Nile.

Nowadays there was no fear of southern tribes invading. They were all dead or had migrated north. The city now hunted the beasts in the desert for profits and cultivated rare plants, which thrived quite good near the Nile and the southern heat.

Their father was also a farmer as I found out and one of their sacks was in fact filled to the rim with seeds and seedlings for a new farm. I wonder if some of them could thrive on the plains of Sicillia. They could create great revenue and diversify our agriculture.

Night came quickly and I slept again on the desert ground with blankets. Quintus had been quiet for a while and didn't show himself to anybody since joining the caravan. Only leaving in the night to hunt for himself. He seems to act carefully. Waiting for something to happen as well.

"Wake up you maggots!", a shout resounded through the camp and interrupted my slumber.

"What is going on?", I turn, still half asleep, to the rest of my party. They all looked in terror outwards of our ring fortress.

Around forty men and women were surrounding our position. Most of them looked like tribesman, equipped with bow and camel. Eleven to our front were mercenaries or guards.

"Wait, are those our guards?" I asked a tense Jalvund, who nods shortly to confirm my guess. Those cowards had betrayed us or never intended to protect us from the beginning.

"We would like to speak with the leader of the caravan and the noble accompanying you", one of the mercenaries said and stepped ten meters forwards with four of his colleges. He seemed to be their leader. His scorpion tail wasn't missed by my eyes.

I approached the circle with my loaded crossbow and dagger, Jalvund, as the de-facto leader followed me with a big legionary shield and gladius at his hip.

"Heir to the duchy of Neapoli, Lucius Vespasianus. Leave now if you value your lives", I threatened, but not with the desired effect I had in mind. They started laughing.

"Yes yes, we know. Hand over the family and we will be on our way your majesty", the man said and smiled at me.

"They are my servants and enjoy the protection of my house. What business do you have to interfere in the affairs of a royal house?", I countered and ignored their laughing.

"They are wanted criminals. We would be delighted to remove that criminal bundle from your majesties' caravan", he said and gave a deep bow while chuckling.

"Again, you will not interfere in the affairs of my house", I repeated and the laughing stopped.

"Kid no offence, but either you hand them over or we raze your little camp", he said loudly and discussion broke out in the caravan. Shouts were heard to hand the family over. "See they agree."

"It's a good thing then, that this is not a democratic decision. I say no and that means you piss off to the hole you came from", I said and it seemed a line was crossed.

"You little noble asshole", the leader pulled out two daggers and moved to me. He stood just a meter apart from me. "Don't worry I will leave you alive. That reward is going to be mine as well."

"You should be more worried about yourself", I informed.

I pulled the crossbow out and aimed at the leader. Mana sight was activated and showed me that he was no mage, one of his friends however was casting a spell. A flame spear.

While I studied the enemies the leader had closed the distance. That man was quick, too quick for me to raise the crossbow in time. Steel closed in.

The hilt of a dagger headed for my head. I could see Jalvund struggling against two opponents on my right. The sound of arrows being shot and falling rang out behind me. Accompanied by cries of panic and pain.

"By the gods", one of the mercenaries said.

There was a growl, then a black shadow and a crunch. Quintus jumped from my shadow. His maw closed around the leaders head, the stinger went through the light armour and embedded itself in his chest. The man didn’t shout, he just fell, his face disfigured by Quintus’ actions. A quick death.

Quintus charged at the six guards who had betrayed us. They all broke ranks and fled. Cowards, idiots, you don't turn your back on a wyvern. One was impaled by Quintus' stinger another screamed and was pressed on the ground by a jump from the wyvern.

Quintus ate through his back, while the man screamed. The other four ran further without looking back.

I aimed the crossbow at the mage trying to perform the spell. The casting had been interrupted because she lost focus when the leader died. Now she was trying again to cast the flame spear. My bolt flew and hit her skull. She died, the spell collapsed and a small fire explosion occurred next to her lifeless body.

I turned to Jalvund and saw him finish off both of his opponents his gladius in the throat of one and the stinger in the stomach of the other. The one with the stinger embedded was twitching on the ground. I smiled, mercenaries and guards down now to the...

The smile vanished when I turned around to look at the camp. Corpses lay everywhere. Ten camel archer continued their barrage, while the rest formed a circle around us.

Jalvund pulled me behind his shield and I heard the impact of five arrows. Mana sight showed me through the shield that they were enchanted.

"They are shooting to kill! Those arrows have runes!", I shouted at Jalvund.

"Of course they do. Nomads don't care for your status, idiot", he shouts back. "Fire back with all you got."

I did just that, reloading the crossbow and aiming at the nomads. I hit a camel and a rider. Both continued to fight despite my hits.

"Out of ammo", I proclaimed as the last bolt killed a camel. Head impaled by the bolt.

The archers stooped the barrage and kept just four riders to lock us in place.

They had noticed my lack of counter fire. There were no further arrows, but we didn't dare to move from our position. Eyeing the four people circling our location.

My dread crept up when Quintus finished the last guard and headed back to me. The camels looked afraid of his presence. This did not stop the riders from controlling their mounts skilfully. One rider headed straight for Quintus, the others fanned out around my familiar.

Quintus jumped on the camel with rider and killed both. I heard the sounds of loosening strings and closed my eyes.

Pain and angst. Never had I shared such strong feelings with Quintus. I collapsed, Jalvund held the shield over me protectively. Don't pass out you can't pass out. I kept control of my mana and consciousness. My eyes reopened with mana sight.

Quintus was dashing in my direction with limp legs and thirty embedded arrows. No, he was flying, he could fly! I moved to him, ignoring Jalvund's scream. There was an impact on my left leg and back. The pain of the arrows brought me to my knees, but Quintus had reached me and stood over me with spread wings and moving stinger.

He roared a challenge to the nomads.

Jalvund rejoined me and pulled out both arrows carefully while placing the shield in the sand as further protection.

"No, Quintus first", I said and was surprised by the amount of black blood around us, Quintus' blood.

"Shut up and lie still", he shouted and continued his treatment.

I observed the nomads forming another circle around us pointing their arrows at us again. Quintus spun around himself. It got hot and a black flame filled my vision. Quintus produced a shield of smoke and fire. The camels panicked with the appearances of the black flames and the archers also shouted something.

I prayed to the gods for some kind of wonder.

"Faster faster, get your mounts moving or your horns are going to end up in your asses! Deimos ready the men!", the Minotaur shouted while spurring his massive horse forward.

"Captain, enemy camel archers ahead. It seems they are raiding a caravan", reported an oncoming minotaur.

"Southwest then. For death, for glory, for Ares. Sound the horns", the captain commanded and twenty horns were blown. The sound resounded through the desert.

I heard a horn. Several in fact. I couldn't see anything except smoke and flames. Quintus roared between breathing his flames and swirling up sand. Arrows were still fired hitting him or the shield.

The people around us began to panic and flee, still shooting arrows in our direction while doing so.

Quintus turned quit, too quit. He collapsed next to us, not moving. I put my hand on his head. Quintus gave an exhausted growl and tried to turn his head in my direction. He hissed in pain and the feelings I shared from him made me drop to my knees again.

The sound of hooves and war-cries approached our position. I looked up from Quintus' head and was greeted by a man with a bullhead and hooves. The same set of hooves his mount had. The man also had a war-axe in both hands and looked between me and Quintus.

"Did you slay this monster?", he said and pointed one of his axes at Quintus.

"He is no monster and neither is he death. Can you help him?", I asked for help.

"Healing a black wyvern? I would rather not", he answered and turned to Jalvund. "You tell me, what has happened here?"

"We were attacked by mercenaries and a group of nomads. They wanted the bounty on our heads", Jalvund said and the minotaur smirked.

"A bounty you say? How high would that one be?", he inquired. Jalvund gulped audibly.

"100 for each of us", Jalvund said.

"100 for every caravan member? What did you do? Killed a noble or what?", he alternated between staring at me or Jalvund.

"No, not the entire caravan. The ...", Jalvund began.

"I need your help here, please!", I shouted. An attempt at removing one of the arrows had ended with a painful growl from Quintus and a stuck arrowhead.

"Look kid ...", he started.

"I am no kid, I am the heir of Neapoli. Get your men to help me in treating him or I will personally ensure you of my wrath!", I shouted again, but now there was at least a reaction.

"Heir of Neapoli, Lucius Vespasianus?", he said quickly and pulled a crumpled up paper out. "Brown short hair, blue eyes, 14 years old, around 1,60 tall, a wyvern as familiar with yellow eyes." The man looked between me and the paper. "Jackpot! Richard and Urmir try to prolong the life of the creature. Calca you ride to Alexandria and inform them we found the prince. The rest buries the dead and scouts our surroundings."

The soldiers under his command moved. Two of them, Richard and Urmir I presume, checked Quintus.

"That does look bad. Urmir try your fancy light show", Richard said and the other minotaur kneed before my familiar.

His hand glowed in white light. I felt comfortable in the presence of this light. A quick correction of my own mana flow made the feeling disappear. Mana sight told me what I already knew, this was healing magic and good one at that.

I could see Quintus' bleeding stop where the minotaur's hand touched his skin. Another thing happened in Quintus. A black mass of mana moved slowly to the healing hand. Black mist pushed out of the black wyvern's wound.

"Ah! Fuck fuck fuck! Forget about healing that thing with my light magic", Urmir pulled back his sizzling hand. It started to heal right away.

"Hmm, is it because the creature has a lot of darkness inside of it? An interesting reaction", Richard said and turned around to me. "Gotta be honest with you, without magic, we can only pull the arrows out and bandage the wounds. Can't promise he survives this and the next days are going to be painful for him and probably for you as well."

"Do it and for your sake, I hope you succeed", I said. The minotaurs shook their head and grumbled something about arrogant nobles.

I watched them pulling out the arrows and the one arrowhead I had failed to remove properly earlier. Quintus winced visibly every time they removed one. It didn't help, that the pain was shared between us. Only when all of the wounds were bandaged, and Quintus started to sleep, did my thoughts wander to other things.

The family! I totally forgot! Jalvund had also disappeared some time ago. I went to the wagons and started to search for them. The rest of the caravan was in miserable condition. People were crying at makeshift graves, others were bandaged and resting and there were still people struggling to stay alive from the wounds they received. Some people blamed me for their dead and cursed at me. I ignored them.

I finally found Jalvund leaning against a wagon. He looked exhausted but seemed fine otherwise. The shield had protected him from getting any serious wounds.

"How are they?", I asked.

"Alive. Noor and Drusus have been hit with two and one arrow. Both of them will survive though", he answered and I was relieved. They were safe, my action hadn't caused them a loss.

"That is good to hear. Are they sleeping already?", I inquired.

"Yes. If you want something ask me or them tomorrow. We are a bit exhausted after all the things that happened today", he said and I nodded in understanding.

We had a few minutes of small talk before I let him rest for the rest of the evening. My next step would be to speak with the captain of the minotaurs. The man should have some news about the current occurrences in Alexandria.

It was quite easy to find the person in question. While five of them patrolled, the surrounding the other ten were celebrating around a campfire. The smell of alcohol and strange-sounding laughter guided me.

I entered the ring around the campfire and all noise stopped as the soldiers looked at me with interest, while the captain seemed puzzled with my presence.

"What do you want Jackpot?", he said and got a few chuckles in return.

"Information. What has happened in Alexandria in the last week, the war between Neapoli and the east and who organized the search for me?", I asked.

"The governor seemed to be under pressure. There is a conflict between the houses, some people died already, but they are holding back because of something", he said. "I heard the war ended, but don't ask me for the details. The search was organized by some old dude with crocodile scales all over his body and some kid with red eyes."

Yes, Alaric and Niloticus were both fine. That was relieving to hear.

“The demi-humans are sending a small army towards Alexandria. The sea-folk are sending a small fleet. Foreign powers are also supporting both of them. House Caesar has lost support of the humans in the east”, a minotaur added. His comrades looked at him. Confused.

“You should read the reports from time to time”, he further added. This resulting in him getting a few laughs and hits on the shoulders.

"And what is your next plan?", I asked the captain.

"We are going to escort you to Alexandria and claim the reward for finding and bringing you there. Then most of us will settle down. With that much money you can just buy a quiet farm somewhere and live the rest of your life in peace", he answered.

"All of you? Are there none which want to continue fighting?", I inquired.

"Some probably. Want to hire us?", he said and smiled at me. The other men were looking at me in interest as well.

"In fact yes. I could use my own forces and resources in Alexandria", I answered.

"We will speak about it again in Alexandria, but for the right price and adequate conditions you can count me and a few of my people in", he said and outstretched a hand. I quickly went to shake it.

"Then we have a deal. I never got your name", I pointed out.

"Cycnus, it is nice to make business with you Jackpot", he laughed and the rest joined. I failed to suppress myself from smiling as well.

I spent an hour talking with them. They were an interesting bunch. They were first-class escorts in Aegyptus and mostly fought with the creatures of the desert or bandits and nomads attacking their caravans.

Quintus was still sleeping. The wyvern was wrapped up in blankets and laid on a pile of sheets. He still looked weak, but the feeling from our bond felt a bit stronger than before. I hope it was a sign that the worst was over for him.

I gave him some water by opening the maw carefully and pulling his head up slightly. Being careful to not give him too much at once.

I went to sleep next to him and relaxed under the sleeping growls he made from time to time. Soon we would be back in Alexandria.