Chapter 15: The Daevas
Hakem Rafi the thief was pleased, at first, with the way his new campaign was succeeding. Starting from the shore of the Western Sea, his army swept eastward across the face of Parsina like a grass fire in the heat of summer. With Aeshma smoothing the path, none could stand against him. On land, city after city, kingdom after kingdom surrendered to his absolute authority. In the Central Sea, his ships controlled the traffic throughout the western half. Those merchants who refused to pay a fifty percent tax on their wares had their ships looted and everything confiscated in the name of Hakem Rafi, their new emperor. Sometimes, if the merchants were quick enough to swear allegiance, Hakem Rafi allowed them to live—provided they paid outrageous sums for licenses and ag
