“WHY DOES THAT MATTER!”

  With a voice much louder than mine, Asha says, “PARIBANOU!” Which causes me to quiet down. “You’re a mere lizard of 7 years, so listeo these words; The reason this city carries your family name is because long ago the dragon god gave yreat grandpa this city as his own, a sign of respect of the highest order. But that was given as a sign of the Damavand family's strength at the time, strength is what allows you to hold such a title and rule over the dragons of Damavand, not blood.

  If that strength vanishes or is seen as fractured, any dragon is allowed to e and take all you are including your pathetic lives, and being killed by a human is enough of a shame to warrant su act. The greatest sign of disrespect for your heritage as dragons.”

  As I uand his words my heart starts to race, then I ask, “So what am I supposed to do?”

  “Even after all that you still ask for help?” Sighing he says, “I will think of this as the st favour I do towards the Damavand. The answer is as clear aiful as the eyes of od, simply take over.”

  “But I ’t do it by myself.”

  “That matter not, aren’t you a dragon Paribanou, the greatest form of life on this phat single fact transds any reasoning as to why you couldn’t do it.”

  “But what if the murder es back?”

  “Then I would suggest fighting them off because unless you cim their head, a stant threat will hang over your family's head.”

  As I shake with fright, I say, “But he was able to kill mother and father?”

  Annoyed again, Asha says, “If you're so scared for your life, you could always simply find a marriage pack while your family still has some worth in its name.”

  “Marriage pack?”

  “The family iion will take care of you and iurn, once you are finally able to reach adulthood by turning into a full dragon, you will be married. But only you will be accepted into the family and you must remove both the Damavand name and leave any family behind.”

  “But I ’t leaver Cyrus behind, ’t they accept him too.”

  “Your brother I useless trash, they already have the blood of the Damavand’s with you so I doubt any family would take on a burden to their family.”

  “But, but.”

  “Paribanou, out of the 1286 years I have lived I have learnt ohing and that is that the weak have nht to choose how they live. You have your options so choose one.”

  As Asha walks away, I feel my mind about to colpse in on itself. What, am I going to do, how am going to defend myself? I have too many enemies and no apparent allies, Mother, Father what am I supposed to do?

  Hearing a sound to my right, I turn to face it. Where I see Cyrus ying on the floor. I ruo him and say, “What are you doing?”

  “I-I-I-I-I wa-a-a-ante-e-ed to giv-v-ve you a-a-a-a h-h-h-hug.”

  Looking at the sight of Cyrus beh me I hold him tight, and say, “You’re a good boy Cyrus and everything will be ok, I promise.” This little creature in my arms doesn’t deserve to die or be alone so I will protect him with all my might.

  -Break-

  The m, I annouo all the dragons iy what had happened, but omitted the cause of death. Then moments ter I told ead every one of them, “But don’t fret my followers of the dragon god, since I as in lio the Damavand name will take over and lead you towards Nirvana!!”

  As the crowd erupts with joy, I feel every single one of their gazes towards me, and they poke at my skin like sharp bdes. They are hungry for me to falter.

  Later that day as we celebrated my rise, I sat in front of everyone and looked down at them. As the party became more and more eic a dragon walked up to me.

  It was Ashatam, the son of Asha. With an overbearing voice, he says, “Did you know on every single Damavand’s at to the position of shah, they have shared a drink with the person who would one day be their best friend? So, I offer this drink to you Paribanou Damavand.”

  Asha walking up says, “She ’t drink until she is an adult.”

  “I know that Father, so I prepared for her the blood of the manticore just as tasty.”

  Hearing this my eye opens up, I utterly despise the blood of a manticore, It is the one food I have refused to eat ever since I have been born. But the only person who knew was my mother and the servants. The servants!!!

  Are they rep information to others? If so that means this man and others could know how my parents really died. In that moment I noticed that everyone who has caught on to Ashatams voice are looking at me. Their eyes stare at me full of hunger, as if they are looking for a moment of weakness.

  Grabbing the drink out of his hand I drink it all, as Ashatam drinks his own, and say, “I hope I t on you Ashatam.”

  “Same to you, my shah.”

  For the rest of the party, till I got home two days ter, I was overe with fright. Who did they tell? How much did they know? What are they plotting? These questions ran rampant through my mind.

  Wheered my home, I couldn’t even rex for a moment because even my own house had turned into a battlefield for me. I o be strong because if I don’t, I am dead.

  Walking into my room, I y on my bed and sink into my thoughts. Did I look strong enough during the party? Did I make any bad moves? Who wants to take power from me? Is it the younger dragons, or the a dragons? How am I going to do this? Who are my allies? Do I even have allies? I still don’t know who killed my parents, what if they e back? I protect myself from anyone?

  “S-S-S-ister!”

  Looking underh my b I see that Cyrus is in my bed. “Why are you here Cyrus?”

  “Al-l-l-l-l-l the ser-r-r-rvants where sca-a-a-arying me, so I hid-d-d-d-de here. Are you o-o-o-o-kay?”

  Hugging Cyrus I say, “Everything is fine, I just was a little tired. But never worry about anything Cyrus, because I am here.”

  Moving closer to me Cyrus falls asleep in my arms, but that night I didn’t sleep, I couldn’t, I had to watch for anyone ing close to us where the servants or the murderer.

  -Break-

  The very day I took on all the jobs of my father, and it was then that I truly realised the weight of all the work my father does. He had to maintain all of the city's systems, and double-check eae was w effitly. He had to monitor all the officials and make sure every siizen erf the correct religious ceremonies. He was in charge of all the trade that goes on in and out of this city.

  Justice, finance, appois, infrastructure, I had to handle all of this and keep extremely detailed notes of everything. But the real issue was with the fact that my father did everything so much better than I did, so my work was very clearly inferior to his.

  As I sit behind his desk, I panic. I ’t do this, I ’t do this, I ’t do this!

  Walking into the study, a servant says, “My dy, Cyrus is awake.”

  Getting up from my seat, I tell the servant with a bright smile, “Good job,” Then make my way towards, my sed issue.

  Over the st few days, I have e to also realise the iy of my mother's work. She had to keep all of the activities around the home in order, and for a house as big as this with all these servants it wasn’t easy in the slightest.

  But the true task my mother dealt with every day was Cyrus. I have to dress him, feed him, bathe him, groom him, walk with him by hand everywhere, and even sleep beside him.

  I always taught it was weird why my mother never let any of the servants that care of him like they did with me, but I know why this happened. It is not that Cyrus should be able to do it for himself, it is that he ’t do it for himself, he is literally uo do this no matter how many times you teach him, if any of the servants found out aed it to outside families it would have been seen as a sign of weakness.

  As I brush Cyrus’s hair, I ask, “Hey Cyrus, is there anything you want to do?”

  “N-N-N-N-No.”

  “You don’t have any dreams?”

  “Nothing of the sort, I don’t o think about such things.”

  Surprised, I say, “Cyrus you just talked normally, how did you do that?”

  “I do-o-o-o-on’t k-k-k-k-k-k-know h-h-h-how.”

  “Well, that’s fine we will figure it out someday.” As I tio brush Cyrus’s hair, I truly grasp the fact that Cyrus ot fun by himself.

  -Break-

  After entering my door, a woman bows in front of me and says, “Hello Shah, I am called Ariana.”

  Looking at Ariana, I notice from her clothes she is a Sun maiden; they are a group of women who are in charge ious ceremonies, and education.

  sidering the tattoos on her body I would say she is rather high-ranked, but still walking into the room of this city's Shah without knog first is rude, I must not be taken as weak. “Do they no loeach manners at the Gathas temples? Walking in before announg yourself to this city's Shah is rather disrespectful.”

  “Oh, I didn’t mean any disrespect, it is just that the s of minor cities like this ge so much over millennia that I ’t remember.”

  Hearing this my eyes open wide, “Did you just say millennia.”

  “Of yes, I happen to be 6894 years old, I am the leader of the Sun maidens who report to one of our twon gods. Ariana Mehri.”

  Immediately my body tightens up, I made a mistake! “Sorry for my insolence.”

  Ign my words, she says with a smile, “You see the dragon god of destru, heard that a newborn lizard like you was forced to take over such a city and worried about your well-being, so I was sent to check up on you and give you help.

  But sidering your ck of basiowledge about my rank, and your discourtesy towards me, I feel as though you have just spit in the face of the dragon god’s kindness.”

  “I am very sorry for my behaviour.”

  “But still my decision or feelings don’t trump that of the dragon gods so heed the words I tell you, tinue your basic studies. The reason we educate young dragons oain things is that it is necessary for you to uand the greatest that is our nation.

  And your ck of knowledge on such things will be the easiest way your foes might use to take you down. So, I will send my personal maidens to instruct you on such things, so no one will notice your ck of knowledge.”

  Bowing I say, “Thank you!”

  As she walks away, Ariana says, “Age and gender matter not to us dragons, the very fact you are a dragon demands supremad anything less is a disgrace to all you are.”

  Over the few days, I spent time with one of Ariana's personal maidens where I was educated on all the information I was missing out on. When bined with taking care of Cyrus, and all of my work as the Shah, I was w nonstop to the point where I couldn’t sleep, but it didn’t matter to me since sleep was already beyo this point.

  And just like that 3 years passed.