“In the Persian Bazaar: The Roar of an Empire”

Episode Fourteen: The Golden Caravan — A Contract Written in Blood

1. The Desert’s “Beast Tamer”

Though they had driven off the Hetairoi, Cyrus’s forces were spent to the brink.

Weapons were chipped, water nearly gone, and an uneasy tension crept through the ranks of the thousand-strong legion.

“Cyrus, this is the limit,” Azad warned bluntly.

“Without food, half the men will desert by morning.”

It was a sound assessment.

Yet Cyrus’s eyes were far from dead. If anything, they burned brighter than when he once brokered the largest deals in the bazaar—sharp with reckless ambition.

“Azad,” Cyrus said quietly, “business is decided at rock bottom… by how boldly you can bluff.”

His destination lay deep within the desert: the stronghold of the independent tribe Bahar, beholden to no empire. They commanded ten thousand elite riders and controlled vast underground aqueducts—the true masters of the sands.

2. A Life-or-Death Auction

Gassan, chieftain of the Bahar, sat upon a massive lion pelt, gazing coldly down at Cyrus and Nilfar.

“Remnants of a burned market, and a princess without a kingdom,” he sneered.

“If I hand you over to Alexander, my clan will live in luxury for three generations. Tell me—do you have a commodity worth more than that?”

Cyrus did not retreat a single step. He tossed a small pouch before the chieftain.

What spilled out was not jewels—

but a charred fragment of stone from the burned marketplace.

“What is this pebble?”

“The hottest seed of revenge in the world,” Cyrus replied, his voice echoing low through the tent.

“When Alexander comes, your aqueducts will be drained by his horses, and your beautiful daughters will be sent west in chains. The gold you earn will be the gold that builds your own graves. But ally with us. We will sever his supply lines with the wisdom of the market. Lend us your strength, and this desert itself will become his vast coffin!”

3. The Blood Contract — Nilfar’s Resolve

Chieftain Gassan grinned dangerously.

“Fine words. But words are not enough.

Princess—how will you prove your resolve?”

Nilfar stepped forward.

Without hesitation, she drew Hossein’s dagger and cut her own palm.

Fresh blood dripped onto a pristine sheet of parchment spread upon the sand, staining it crimson.

“This is my contract,” she declared.

“When I rise as queen of a new Persia, I swear to recognize the Bahar as kings of the desert, exempt from all imperial tariffs. If you doubt me—take my head here and now. But know this: in doing so, you will lose the future forever!”

Her voice rang clear and unshaking.

Gassan’s eyes widened.

Within the young woman, he saw a flame that rivaled—even surpassed—that of Persia’s ancient kings.

4. The Golden Caravan Reborn

“…Interesting. I accept that blood.”

Gassan rose and seized Cyrus’s hand in a crushing grip.

“Three thousand Bahar cavalry will be added to your merchandise as of today. But mark this—show me a single loss, and your head will hang as the market’s signboard.”

At once, vast supplies of food, water, and finely honed weapons were delivered to Inaz, Danesh, and Shahab waiting outside.

“See that, you bastards!” Cyrus roared.

“The purchase was a success! This is how the people of the market wage war!”

A thunderous cheer erupted from the exhausted ranks.

5. The Fire of Vengeance Spreads

That night, bolstered by a new army, Cyrus stared into the darkness.

In his hand lay a secret report Gassan had given him—detailing the Macedonian army’s latest movements.

“Alexander,” Cyrus murmured.

“You think you’ve conquered the world by force. But a merchant… buys the world beneath your feet with gold and wit.”

Beside him, Nilfar’s eyes held no trace of doubt.

The desert night wind lashed their cloaks violently.

As planned—the rise of Cyrus.

A thousand soldiers had evolved into a four-thousand-strong storm of the sands.

Midpoint of Part Two.

Preparations were complete for the greatest act of sabotage yet—

a decisive strike to physically annihilate Alexander’s supply lines.