"Why?"

"Because you won the battle and lost the war. That simple," he sat back on his haunches, distancing himself from her.

"What did you think was gonna happen? I, alone, should have repaired those crumbling towers, and kept the Fertile Grounds from falling a thousand feet and shattering? And even more importantly, I, alone, was supposed to keep away all whom Ahriman would lure there to free him?"

She opened her mouth to protest, but he raised finger in warning that he wasn't done yet. It surprised both of them a little that she swallowed her words and allowed him to continue. He didn't stop to marvel at his good luck, but brought forth the arguments he prepared in the long hours haggling with Ahriman.

"A single band of brigands who retreat too far into the desert. That is all it would take for Ahriman to be free. And with you dead, there would have been none left in the world who would have had any clue how to deal with him."

"And your solution was to break the bonds I died for yourself?" Her voice was devoid of anger, almost sounding amused.

"I sat there, in the shade of that dirty big tree you guys worshipped, and one thought kept running over and over in my head. Who among the celestials dragged me there, with sandstorms, and lost donkeys? If it was Ahriman, it was bloody stupid of him. I mean he was half free when I arrived, and if I'm not there, there is no way you could have imprisoned him again just by yourself, Princess." She opened her mouth once again to protest by reflex, but a single look from him stopped the words from forming.

"And if it wasn't Ahriman, then it was Ohrmazd. I wondered what he could possibly have wanted from me? Locking Ahriman away was at best a temporary solution, and I don't think the God of Light is a fan of patch-work."

"Blasphemy apart, let me ask again, from all of this, how did you arrive to the wondrous idea of letting him go?"

"He was already free, if not now, then in a few decades. He is a god, and as such can afford to wait. But I figured if we let him go on our terms, we might have had a fighting chance."

"Fighting chance? What are you talking about? He is a… well, god like you said. His power is beyond everything that we could imagine!" Her temper was rapidly rising. His "explanation" was nothing but self-justification for… she didn't even know what for, and doubted that he himself knew.

"So? He was defeated once, it can be done again!"

"Ahriman is not a whack-a-mole you slam a hammer on when he pops up! He was defeated only through the direct intervention of Ohrmazd himself!" she shouted, outraged.

"Well, then there is our plan!"

"Plan? What plan?!"

"Find Ohrmazd, and have him lock his brother up a little bit more permanently this time."

She started to laugh, almost manically.

"Find Ohrmazd? That's your big plan? Find a god that left us a ten thousand years ago? This is why you sacrificed the world to a monster?"

"What other choice do we have? Let Ahriman rule the world?"

"Excuse me, but it was not me who let a dark god out!"

"Listen to me: He. Was. Free, no matter what. It was only a question of time. At least this way he is free on our terms!" Hearing the term ''terms" the second time, she froze, a dark suspicion forming.

"Terms? You made a deal with him, didn't you?"

"Of course I did!" He exclaimed, proudly. "And a pretty good one, if I say so myself."

The fight was suddenly gone from her voice.

"You sold your soul to Ahriman for me." It was not a question.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Princess, I am not that stupid. I sold my one time services, and I got a very good rate for them."

"You. Made. A. Deal. With. Ahriman," she said, anger rising in her once again like a tidal wave.

"I ran out of options. And yes, I double-crossed a god, and walked away laughing. There is no need for praise, really."

"Double-crossed?" She asked, her fury doused by incredulity.

"I might have… indicated that we don't have any intention of standing in his path, when he comes back. In return for his freedom, I just asked for a couple of trivial things to help to spend our remaining days in relative peace."

"Such as?"

"Oh, I don't know… Like no creature of Ahriman will chase us from now on… Or a donkey full of gold, more than enough for a couple of lifetimes. And hmm… there was something else… oh yes, your LIFE, and you are welcome for that by the way." He stated obviously proud of himself, with eyes twinkling and his trademark smirk playing in the corner of his mouth. Imprisoning a dark god, then tricking him, all in a day's work was pretty good even for him.

"No one will come after us?"

"Nope. We are free to run to the farthest corner of the Earth and hide there, trembling in fear… or we could go and look for Ohrmazd and find a way to destroy Ahriman."

"How do you know he will keep his word? How can you trust him? How dare you trust him?"

"I think that he has to keep his word… You remember what you told me about the King? That even after he sold himself to Ahriman, he kept his people free? I think he is bound by his word. Ancient stories are full of stuff like that, and I thought, what the hell, it could work!"

"And you risked it all on a hunch?" she asked stupefied. She simply could not believe anyone would dare to take such risk.

"Hey, it did work! We are still alive, aren't we?" If looks could kill, the Prince would have been dead already. "Look, it was a risk, but a calculated risk. And apparently I was right. So you can drop the death stare. If he could have, he would have squished us flat already, and yet here we are, talking." She stood up in a fluid motion, and threw her hands up in sheer frustration.

"I can't believe you. I just can't believe that anyone could be so damn irresponsible, insane, so… so… bloody stupid!"

Still sitting, his head propped up by his gauntleted hand, he looked up at her.

"Elika, what was I supposed to do?"

"I don't know! Anything but freeing the god I died to imprison!"

"For the last and final time, do you honestly believe that no one would have set him loose in a decade or two?" he asked, suddenly very serious. "Do you believe that a world in which you are dead is a world safer than the one in you are alive and kicking?"

"I don't know! I just don't know, okay?" Rising, and closing the distance between them, he put his gloved hand on her shoulder.

"Well I do know. The world needs you to protect it. We defeated him once, we can do so again. Alright?"

"How?"

"We will figure it out. But I am sure about one thing. 'Lot's of dead, naughty children', is something I won't allow to happen."

She managed a half smile, remembering her own offhand remark. Taking a deep breath she weighed her options for a moment. His reasoning was sound, even if twisted by his own typical selfishness, and he was obviously not corrupted, as the power of Ohrmazd would not harm him. The cat was out of the bag, and once again, she had no choice, but to follow the path duty demanded.

Sighing wearily, she asked,

"Where do we start?"

"Actually I was hoping you could point us in the likely direction of the God of Light. Couldn't you just wave your hand or something?"

"It doesn't work like that," she said firmly, without feeling any need to elaborate.

"Well you mentioned other fertile grounds beyond the city…"

"Not heard from in generations," she cut him off. "And no one remembers anymore where they are." In a sick way she enjoyed shooting him down and shoving his face in the bottomless pit of shit they were sinking in.

"No one? Are you sure?"

"Maybe the scholars of Nineveh. They were often welcome guests in the City of Light…"

"'Nineveh? You mean the Nineveh that was conquered some twenty years ago by the Assyrians, was burned to the ground, and every living soul within its walls was put to the sword?"

"Is there another Nineveh maybe?"

The Prince gave him a withering look.

"What do you think? Wow, you people were sure out of touch with the world!"

"Okay then smartass, where should we go?"

"Head to Babylon. You can buy everything in Babylon. Wine, women…"

"And thick carpets, I know," she said, rolling her eyes.

"And even more importantly, you can buy knowledge there, and that's what we need. But if you have any better ideas, I am open to suggestions. You are the chosen of Ohrmazd after all." He contemplated that for a moment. "You are still the chosen of Ohrmazd, right? I mean you can still do all the magic stuff?"

It was Elika's turn to look unsure.

"Look, I really don't know much about what you so eloquently called the 'magic stuff'. When the kingdom was founded, it was common knowledge. There were texts on the finer points of wielding the Light, and certain… exercises even, but nothing about what it really is, apart from that it comes from Ohrmazd himself. Like if you go to a library, you could find books about how to breed a horse, how to make saddlery, but nothing on what a horse is, and what it is generally used for."

"About those texts," the Prince began tentatively, "they would be bloody useful, if they were still around."

"You can go back and check," she pointed behind them, at the swirling column of darkness that rose from her homeland.

"I suppose you don't remember much about them." She shook her head.

"I never thought I would be the one who would be the first blessed with it after millennia."

Silence settled between them. Standing just beyond the edge of the valley, they looked back. Thick, impenetrable darkness churned in the valley of the once-lush capital of the Ahura; not even the high towers of the palace could be seen. Malevolent menace radiated from the vale, and though the corruption was not spreading, it was clear that this was only the calm before the storm.

"So much for my own tower," muttered the Prince under his breath, then he looked at her companion. "Hey, are you okay… with all of this?"

"This was just a place," she said softly. "It's not the stones that matter, but the people, and no one remains, but me," she said, looking pensive, "I am the last princess of a forgotten people. All that we were is destroyed."

"Queen."

"Sorry?"

"You are not a princess anymore, Elika, but a Queen. And your throne awaits you atop the Queen's tower. And I will see you crowned there, you have my word on that." She laughed dissonantly at his words.

"A queen, you say? A queen of whom? No one remembers us anymore. No traders came in years. The only ones left of my people are those who fled from their duty."

Looking at the sea of corruption, the Prince said darkly,

"I have the feeling that all will be reminded soon enough of what you guarded."

He turned from the fallen city, and wordlessly began to gather up his belongings. He took the fodder bag off Farah and checked once more if the buckles holding his loot were secure, while Elika stared blindly at the dark waves of chaos that swallowed her kingdom. All that beauty was gone now, the city of gods taken once again by the ancient enemy. She had the feeling that it will be a long time before she saw her beloved home again, if ever. The minutes ticked by as she scanned the depressing scenery, acutely aware of the Prince waiting politely a few steps behind her. When she finally tore her eyes from the once-familiar landscape, the tears were already gone, replaced by the mask of iron determination. She stepped up to the Prince, and looked him in the eye.

"Take me to Babylon, then."

"Actually we need food, water, supplies and mounts first, as Babylon is about two months of journey from here."

He was fighting not to smirk, and losing badly. Elika's determination was shaken, as she realized that she knew virtually nothing of the world outside her city, except for the tidbits of knowledge she gained from books that were outdated by hundreds of years at best. Seeing her faltering, he added:

"First we should head for Ankuwa, that's the closest cesspit according to my maps, and then we could probably catch a caravan heading west. Once we reach the Euphrates, we will be back in civilization, and our path will be much smoother then." On her confused look, he just added.

"Look Princess, just trust me with the little details, like food and water, and worry about the Big Bad behind us."

Not knowing if he was making fun of her or not, Elika reluctantly nodded.

"But we should really get going; spending the night nearby seems like a supremely bad idea. Let's move out, Princess," he added, and began to lead Farah towards northwest. Elika fell in step.

"I really wished you stopped calling me that. I do have a name, you know."

"One that will be known soon enough all over the world. I thought it might be a wise move not to flaunt our real names."

"Speaking of that, I still don't know yours." The Prince tried to deflect the question.

"I am not sure if I even remember mine. The people who know me best, just call me the Prince."

"You are kidding me."

"Am not. Though they usually add 'of Thieves' to the honorific."

"So the Concubine was right."

"Yeah, no idea how she guessed, though" he said, after a moment of hesitation.

"So you claim to have no real name," Elika said, almost teasingly.

"I'm only saying, that even though I might have one, I do not throw it around carelessly, and I suggest you do the same."

"We are in the middle of a desert, with no one around us for almost a weeks' travel. Who do you think would eavesdrop on us?"

"Apart from a Dark God? Names have power, Elika, in my profession as well as in yours. And just as I would not shout it in the middle of the bazaar, I would not whisper it here, not for the crown emerald of the hettite kings." Now the curiosity of Elika was piqued. She could easily imagine that a magus could do real harm knowing one's true name, and she could see that a thief needed to hide his identity behind aliases, but she could not guess, why he had been so secretive even back then, when they first met.

"The crown emerald of a king? So is it only a question of price?" He turned towards her, and the intensity of his sparkling blue eyes left her breathless.

"And you are far from ready to meet mine, Princess." The drop of pitch in his tone made Elika shiver, even in the afternoon heat. Not waiting for her outraged retort, he broke the eye contact, and said simply.

"You can call me Shabhaz in front of strangers, it's a name I used before, but not overused."

"Falcon. Somehow fits you. But what do you mean by overused?" she asked.

"There is no bounty on it."

"Oh. Just out of curiosity, how many of your names have bounty on them?"

He flashed a trademark grin towards her.

"Dunno, I stopped counting after the first dozen. They give death sentences for such trivial offences these days. But I'm proud to say that alone in Babylon I'm viable just for quartering as three different persons."

If the Princess didn't fully realize so far that she wasn't travelling with the gentlest of noblemen, it sure sank in now. Kind of afraid to hear the answer, she asked.

"What did you do?"

"Took all the sacrificial offerings from the temple of Marduk. Then again the next week. Then took them from chest under the High Priest's bed the week after that, but the last one was more trouble than it was worth, to be honest."

"You desecrated the temple of Marduk three times in a row?" She asked incredulously.

"Not a big fan of gods, even less their priests. No offense to Ohrmazd."

"You are unbelievable."

"I am just very, very good at my chosen profession. Anyway, later a rumor started, that the robberies were committed by the same man, instead of three different ones, and they started to call him, well, me, the Prince of Thieves."

"You lead an interesting life."

"Don't think it too glamorous."

"Don't worry, I did not," she interjected, but he just ignored her and continued with fake pathos.

"It has its moments, but it mostly consist of bad food, and long waits in filthy hideouts, not to mention unsavory companionship, interrupted by bursts of blood-freezing danger. Unfortunately, most people in this line of work are neither as handsome, nor as charming as I am."

Elika just rolled her eyes at this. It was good to have the banter back, to focus on witty remarks and barbed retorts instead of the crushing reality of what they were trying to accomplish.

"Those hideouts became filthy before, or after you set foot in them?'

"Your insinuations wound me."

"Insinuations? I wasn't aware that you knew such long words."

"Hey, I did read a book once!"

"With lots of bright pictures, I suppose."

"Actually yes, it was titled the 'Thousand and One Ways of Pleasure', an Indian religious text, I believe."

"Oh," was all Elika could say, fighting not to turn bright crimson.

"That certainly piqued the interest of Miss 'I'm well read', I can see."

Desperately trying to change the topic, she suddenly asked:

"So if I should call you Shabhaz, then what will you call me?"

"Any ideas, nicknames?"

"Not really."

"What did your playmates call you?"

She lowered her eyes. "I lacked in… companionship growing up," she said quietly.

"Oh. I see." He remembered her hints that painted a picture of sad loneliness. "How about Farah, then?" he suggested, to lighten the mood.

"I won't be named after your donkey!" She protested vehemently.

"It's a good name!"

"I don't even want to know what's going on in your head when you sprout stuff like that."

"Hey, it was just an idea, Princess, don't bite my head off!"

"Someone will have you quartered one day, you know that, don't you?"

He just shrugged.

"They have to catch me first for that, and so far no one was quick enough." Silence settled on the pair for a minute, then. "What about Nastaran?"

"Wild rose? I… like it, I guess," said Elika.

"It's just like you, beautiful, but prickly."

"Geez, are you that smooth with every girl you meet? No wonder you are traveling with a donkey."

The Prince, unable to think of a sufficiently witty report, just continued walking.

The sun was already past noon, but the heat was still scorching. He ran a mental calculation of their remaining water and food stock. When starting this journey he had not expected it to take this long, neither had he brought enough for three. But the first rule of desert voyage was to always overestimate your needs, and underestimate the distance you can cover a day, so he thought that they probably had enough to last until Ankuwa. Still, it would be better if they could speed up. He was reasonably certain that Ahriman would keep his word – to the letter. But he most definitely did not trust him an iota beyond that. Looking at his companion, he noticed her bare feet, her short pants and her silk shirt that did not leave much to the imagination. It was a good attire for scaling walls when you needed flexibility, but not so much for a desert journey.

"Tell me when you need to rest, Princess."

"I'm fine," she said gritting her teeth.

"Really?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I died twice in the last three days, my family is dead, my kingdom is in ruins, and everyone I ever knew, everything that ever mattered, is gone! What do you think?" came the scathing retort.

"Actually I only wanted to ask if you would like my spare sandals."

"Oh." then, "Sorry. I didn't want to… Look, I'm grateful for your help. I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay. You had a rough couple of days."

Stopping, he started to rummage through the packs. He took out two well-worn sandals, which looked to be a tad too big for her.

"Here, these will help. Not exactly the top of fashion, but they will keep your soles from bleeding."

"Thanks."

"It's nothing."

She put her hand on his forearm, instantly getting his full attention. Looking deep into his eyes, she said once more.

"I really mean it. Thanks. For… everything."

Swallowing the thousand witty remarks that jumped to his tongue, he just nodded and said quietly.

"You are welcome."

The rest of the day's walk passed in uneventful monotony. The Prince fell in the easy steps of an experienced traveler, while Elika struggled with the tiredness of a twice-dead body as well as her inner demons. Yet she matched his pace, keeping up through sheer willpower. The Prince stopped Farah just before the sun fell under the horizon. They managed to put more than a dozen miles between them and the City of the Light.

"Let's set camp here", he said, and Elika sat down wearily on a large rock. Their surroundings were bleak. A flat, rocky plain stretched as far as the eye could see, with pitiful, dried-up bushes struggling here and there with the harsh mistress called Mother Nature. No animal larger than a rat, or the occasional bird of prey could live in this scorched land.

The Prince began to open the buckles securing the many bags to Farah's back, and put them down one by one, while Elika watched with a glazed expression. Some of the bags twinkled when they hit the ground, some just landed with a dull thud. When the last of them was off, Farah brayed happily, glad to be free of the weight she carried for days. Her master tied her out on a long tether and the animal began to reduce the surrounding meager flora to nothingness.

He walked back to the tired princess with a brown leather bag under his arms.

"Time for dinner. We have some hard cheese, bit of smoked ham, and some bread that was dry when I got lost two days ago. Not exactly a banquet, but hey, at least none of it is rotten!"

Elika tore bits off the cheese and the bread and started to slowly chew.

"Not in a mood for conversation, huh?" His cheerful voice sounded fake in the empty desert.

They ate in silence, then out of nowhere, Elika asked.

"How far are we to Anku…?"

"Ankuwa. Tomorrow, or the day after we should reach the caravan road, then two more days' of easy walk until the city walls. But hopefully we will meet up some travelers on the road and can buy water and food off them. Or we can meet some brigands, and they usually have wine and food as well."

"Your kind of people."

"I have little to do with highway banditry, except run from them when I can, and fight when I'm cornered. It's a nasty business, with a lot more violence than I would enjoy, and a lot less comfort than I expect from life. Bandits usually have the charm of a pack of hyenas. And that's not the only similarity between the two groups."

They finished their meal in silence, Elika too tired to talk, and the Prince sensing her need for silence, left her in peace. He pulled a brown quilt out of one of the bags, and smoothed it out on the ground.

"Your bed awaits you, your highness," he pointed at the quilt with a flourish.

She lied down on the hard ground, and tried to arrange the material, so none of the rapidly chilling air could get to her unprotected midriff, and watched as the Prince sat down, with his back against a larger boulder.

"You aren't going to sleep?"

He turned sideways, looking at the tightly wrapped form of his companion, unable to stifle a smile.

"I am just about to," he replied, leaning back his head against his hard pillow, gazing up at the sparkling stars.

"Oh." Silence. "Let me guess, we have only one blanket."

"Really didn't plan on picking up companions without any kind of supplies in the middle of nothing."

"You can have your quilt back then."

She started to unwrap herself. He was instantly on his feet, closed the distance between them, and took hold of her hand.

"Nonsense. I'm in desert gear, and you are wearing… well.. something more suitable for indoors. You are tired, cold, and not to mention other, supernatural circumstances, while I'm used to this. This won't be the first night I spent under the stars, but I bet it's not a regular experience for you."

She still looked unsure.

"You need your strength. We have a mission. Go, wrap yourself back before you catch a cold. The nights here can get freezing." The mention of their mission convinced her and she retreated into the bundle, though not for long. Just when he was getting ready to fall asleep, he heard her voice again.

"You are right, it can get freezing."

"I have seen worse."

She unwrapped herself again.

"This is big enough for two. We can share if you keep your hands to yourself." The Prince played with the idea of refusing; he was never much good with the idea of self-restraint, then common sense won over chivalry, and he jumped to his feet and walked over to her.

"I promise I won't touch, but only if you can control yourself."

There was some rustling of cloth.

"You know this would be easier if you just threw your arm around me," he said.

And a little later,

"Are you comfortable?"

"As much as the circumstances allow," she said dryly.
"Good. We have a long day tomorrow."

The air cooled rapidly around them and the rocks started to crackle. They lay with Elika cuddling to the prince and the velvet of the sky stretched above them. A myriad stars twinkling in the clear air, and it was almost possible to forget the insanity of the last few days, the darkness, the death, the chaos and destruction. Almost.

"…Prince?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper, but in the silence of the night he heard her clearly. Her breath felt torrid on his nape, and he seriously considered what would happen if he just turned around and covered her lips with his, then he remembered the snakes of magic headed towards his chest, and decided against it. Getting involved with emotionally scarred chicks was never a good idea, and while he had no previous experience in that matter, he felt he could safely add the addendum "especially if they are magic".

"Yes, Elika?"

"Thank you… For not letting me stay dead. I really didn't want to be dead. There just didn't seem to be another way" In the darkness, she didn't need to hide herself. She sounded almost vulnerable.

"You are welcome. Any time." He did not sound like he was joking. Then a bit later.

"What was it like?"

"What?"

"Being dead."

"I… don't remember much. It was cold… and lonely."

"Why didn't you tell me, you were going to die to imprison him?"

"I was afraid you wouldn't let me. Would you have?"

"No. I don't know. Maybe. I'm not keen on the thought of throwing one's life away for an idea."

"That's what I thought as well. Would it have changed things if I explained to you?"

He thought about that for a while.

"Possibly. Ahriman wouldn't be free yet. On the other hand his minions would be chasing us. There is little point in playing what if. No man can change the past."

"I've read about someone who did."

"Change the past?"

"Yes. There was an hourglass involved somewhere. And a dagger. And several scantily clad women. I don't remember much."

"My kind of tale then. I would love to listen to it another night. But we should sleep now. I doubt Ahriman will leave much rest for us."

Silence.

"Good night, Prince of Thieves."

"Good night, Queen of the Ahura."