Pharaoh Akasha
One of the things I most enjoyed when I hosted your father those years ago was on an afternoon when we swapped what might be called folk tales, myths or legends. I don't quite recall the business we were supposed to be discussing that day but we just talked about these stories. Of particular interest to him was an old Achkaerinese legend, that says
"The Empire will not fall as long as the brave raven watches over the fox." to him this was surprising, Achkaerin the new world, the more modern world still being somewhat superstitious like that? The stories I liked discussing from your culture were of the Sphinx's and the riddles they posed for travelers, the secrets they protected.
Your relationship with Heydar, such as it is, reminds me of the story of Percival and Hermione, legends say they were travelers who arrived separately in the great city of Mara, they both found work, in fact they found the same work - hunting and slaying the beasts that threatened the city, they were friends until Percival's greed led to a rift between them so damaging was the rift that Hermione, after many pleas to Percival, left Mara. About a month later a Chimaera threatened the city, burning down farms and poisoning the populace. Percival faced the creature and was no match until he was joined by Hermione who had returned upon hearing news of the creature. Despite their disagreements they were there for each other when it mattered. This story is a particular favourite of my daughter's and she's recently likened it to Achkaerinese-Clysperi relations, I think perhaps you should consider the moral of this story in relation to your relationship with Heydar before anything rash occur.
Emperor Peter Azurewind