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threadofdestiny · 4 years

Text

The opportunities we may take

(The Picture was a comission I odered from a friend. Check her out -> Fantasiamind_art)

SinbadxOC

Soulmate AU

Part 11

Praise our glorious king

---Sindria's castle---

The first thing that came to her mind when Salome woke up the next morning, was that she hadn't slept as deeply the past few days as she had the previous night. She couldn't remember when she got so tired that she actually fell asleep yesterday, but she had been able to sleep until after the sun raised over the horizon. Accordingly, she felt far more relaxed today, than all the previous days combined. She would probably have slept some more if she hadn't heard the dull voices of people discussing something she couldn`t comprehend through her door. This made her slowly regain consciousness, but not enough for her to start to worry about the sounds outside her room.

With a sigh she snuggled deeper into her blanket, breathing in the smell of sea salt and oriental spices, still not ready to wake up completely. The smell lulled her in so perfectly, like it was made for her to get relaxed in an instant, when she was surrounded by it. Thinking nothing of it, she slowly drifted back to sleep after she managed to block out the sounds outside her room. However, this relaxation did not last long because Salome's eyes opened in surprise, when she felt a muscular arm suddenly wrap around her slim waist, before her body was pulled against a hard, well-toned chest afterwards. Startled she looked into the mans sleeping face, realizing that it was the king of sindria that snuggled her against his body. He was lying on her own pillow, a few centimeters away from her. She gasped in surprise when she realized that it was his smell that had lulled her in. Blushing, she glanced over his relaxed features, completely perplexed that the King of Sindria was lying next to her in her new bed. If her heart hadn't started beating wildly beforehand, it would certainly have done so at this point at it's latest. Long forgotten was the tiredness that had been in Salome's limbs until a few moments ago, now pondering over various thoughts which flooded her mind. Why was Sinbad lying next to her? Hadn't he planned to go back to his own room? Had she fallen asleep before he had left the room? Why couldn't she remember? At some point in the night Sinbad must have slipped under her covers because his legs were entwined with hers, keeping her from being able to move away from him. But if she was being honest, she wasn't sure if she wanted to move away from him either way. His closeness made her feel incredibly secure, but at the same time also at least as nervous, because she had never been in such an intimate embrace with another person, who wasn´t a family member. In the end it strangely felt like she belonged there in the security of his arms. Was it because of the bond they shared? Just how strong was it actually?

When Sinbad ran his hand over her spine, her breath caught again. Her body reacted with an incredibly strong shiver that ran down her back, while it also ensured that the fine hairs on her skin rose up all over her frame at the same time. Swallowing, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping to calm her heartbeat. Footsteps and soft cursing could be heard outside her room, but the farther the people went away from it, the quieter their voices got. Salome was to distracted to notice what was happening outside of her chambers. She watched him carefully when she felt Sinbad start to stir next to her. Alarmed and with heated cheeks, she observed him how he slowly opened his eyes, before his pupils turned to the young woman, a little disoriented. They watched each other in silence for a few moments, until she suddenly felt his hand dig into the fabric of her nightgown, grasping her firmly for a moment. Shuddering again, Salome winced and sat up abruptly, slowly pushing the man's hand off of her torso. "What are you doing here, Sinbad?" Asked the young woman, while she nervously pulled the blanket up over her chest. When she discovered that Sinbad's torso was naked, by stealing her blanked from him, she blushed even more. Sinbad cleared his throat as he ran his hand through his messy hair and looked apologetically at the dark-haired woman. "I must have fallen asleep. My appologies!" He replied, yawning, before giving her a careful smile. For some reason, a satisfied expression spread across his features after he looked at the young woman for a moment. Salome, however, was too bewildered by the fact that the man next to her was mostly bare, asking herself how he undressed himself, if he had fallen asleep by acident. But before she could ask him, he took the opportunity to speek up: “I'm glad that you look much more rested this morning. I have to admit that I helped a little...”, the King of Sindria admitted and guiltily stroking the ring on his right hand. Forgetting her previous train of thought, the young woman's gaze wandered to Zepar's vessel when she realized why she had suddenly become so tired yesterday. Sinbad had told her what his Djinns could do on the ship a few days ago, but she hadn't expected Zepar to be that powerful. She hadn't even noticed that the man had used his sound djinn on her.

Salome observed how the Rukh fluttering around Zepar's ring, chirping happily, while she pondered over her revelation about the subject. After a short moment the young woman began to nod slowly. "I see ..." she murmured as she raised her eyes again, to give the man a questioning look: "But why?" "I saw that you have hardly slept in the past few days and wanted to help out. Are you angry with me?” Sinbad asked carefully, while watching her closely. Salome was silent for a moment, thinking about his question, before she slowly shook her head: "No ... I don't think so. After all, you meant well...", she started to answer, but paused briefly when she heard Sinbad exhale quietly before she continued:"But, I would be glad if you didn't do things like that without my consent!“, she added in a calm but firm voice.

Sinbad nodded in acceptance before he sank back into the pillow and smiled mischievously at her. "I haven't slept so well in a long time! There is nothing better than waking up next to a pretty lady.”, He cheekily tried to change the subject, whereupon Salome had to laugh, shaking her head at his antics. With a smile she pulled her legs up to her body before wrapping her arms around her knees. With a sigh, she put her head on her arms and looked down at the man next to her. "Now at least I have a clue why Yamraiha had warned me about you. You don't even have the decency to stay fully clothed, let alone leave my bed when I fell asleep.” The young girl chided before swinging her blanket over his head to cover him jokingly, while she tried to hide her blush. "How am I supposed to think that you fell asleep by accident, if you had the time to undress yourself?" Continued Salome while she watched with a smile as the man pulled the blanket from his head, to look up at her with a pouting expression, "It wasn't like that. I really do fell asleep by accident. I have a habit of undressing myself in my sleep. I'm doing it subconsciously, I swear!” Sinbad explained as he sat up again, letting the blanked pool over his lap. She was aware that her cheeks were still red due to his nakedness, but she tried not to show how impressed she was by it. Salome raised her eyebrows doubtfully, but couldn't help smiling when she saw that he was trying to convince her of his statements with a puppy-eyed look.

Outside her room, the swearing and hurried steps became louder again, this time managing to alert Salome and Sinbad. Now that Salome had heard the noises in her full consciousness, she recognized the voice of the king's consultant, who seemed to be looking for the king himself. Immediately Salome glanced at Sinbad, who was already began to climb out of her bed, cursing silently and hurrying to gather his things together. Salome also got up to help him when it knocked against her door. "Miss Salome? Are you already awake?” Came Ja'far's dulled voice through the wood.

"Y-yes. O-one moment, please!“, she answered hastily while she pressed Sinbad's turban and his necklaces in his arms, before she led him towards the balcony. Just before he let himself be pushed out of her room, Sinbad turned around to whisper softly to the young woman: "May I come back tonight?" Surprised, Salome paused briefly and looked up at the young king in disbelief . "You want to come back to me tonight? You do know that's not very respectable, do you?" Salome asked in a low voice, shaking her head, before speaking again after glancing at her door in panic:" But this is really not the right time to discuss something like that!", she added and began to push him out of her room again.

Sinbad stepped outside and took a careful look over the balcony to make sure no one could see them from their position before turning back to Salome:"Actually, I don't really care. I want to spend more time alone with you!”, He replied quietly, grabbing her arm to keep her from turning away.

"Please?" he added in a low whisper. Salome looked up at the purple-haired man, not knowing how to react. Should she let him? She had allowed it last night, but should she allow him to do so again? What if people noticed and interpreted something wrong? But is there something to interpret in their behavior at all? What should she interpret in his request?

"Miss Salome, is everything alright? I am sorry to disturb you, but it's quite urgent!” Echoed Ja'far's voice from the hallway as he knocked again. Flinching, she looked over her shoulder in panic. Her heart was pounding wildly against her chest as she hastily searched for her voice to answer.

"Just another moment, please!" She called hurriedly as she looked up at Sinbad again and bit her lip nervously. Sinbad looked at her and waited to see if she agreed or not. Not bothering that his consultant urged to open the door to her room. Nodding hesitantly, she chewed on her lower lip before pulling her wrist out of his loosening hand.

"All right, you can come back tonight. But you should really go now!”, She whispered before turning around and closing the balcony doors behind her without another word. She hurried to the door to open it a crack. Out of breath and with flushed cheeks, she greeted a rather stressed Ja'far. His pale skin was also flushed, but not out of shame, but from walking around in a haste. Clearing his throat, Ja'far studied the young woman's appearance discreetly without appearing suggestive. There was something disparaging in his gaze, as if he knew very well that she had something to hide. However, he tried to hide it with an apologetic smile when, shortly afterwards, he started to say a gentle greeting: “My apologies, Miss Salome. I hope I have not woken you up, but I have to ask you whether you have heard of his Majesty this morning because he is not to be found at the moment."

Swallowing, Salome considered how best to answer him without embarrassing herself. Not that she was fundamentally uncomfortable that Sinbad had been in her room a short time ago, but he was the king and was known for being a womanizer. She didn't want people in this castle to get the wrong impression of her. But should she really be lying about it? Did she have to be ashamed that Sinbad had been with her? They didn't do something indecent after all. Pondering over the subject, she peered over Ja'far's shoulder to see if there was anyone else nearby, but she could only see a few guards a little further away who were patrolling the hallways. "I'm sorry. He's not here, sir!”, she dodged cautiously, hoping to get away by dancing around the subject without having to lie. Ja'far frowned for a moment as he adjusted his keffiyeh. At the very moment when the advisor wanted to start a new question, Sinbad appeared at the end of the corridor and greeted his friend from afar, as if he hadn't slipped out of her room before.

"Ahh, good morning Ja'far. I was wondering if you were already looking for me!“, The king greeted his friend calmly as he ran his hand through his purple hair. Turning away from Salome, the king's adviser looked up at Sinbad with flashing eyes as he accused him with a finger: "Where have you been?" “Oh, I've done a little exercise and now I wanted to freshen up for the day.”, Sinbad lied without blinking an eye and topped it all off by greeting Salome with a curt nod, as if he wanted to wish her a good morning. The young woman almost started to laugh, becouse the situation seemed so absurd to her, but she caught herself quickly enough and cleared her throat for a moment before speaking up:“Well ... well, I would go back into my room to freshen up, if I am no longer needed.” Immediately, Ja'far's aggressive stance changed as he turned to her and bowed slightly.

"Of course, Miss Salome. Please excuse the disturbance!“, the ash-blonde man apologized before nodding one last time to say goodbye. Glad to have gotten off lightly, Salome closed the door before turning around with a sigh, leaning her weight against the sturdy wood for a few seconds.

After that, a small smile stole on her lips until she finally started to laugh softly. This place was bursting with vitality. It was really hard not to be comfortable in Sindria. Inspired by this thought, Salome went deeper into her rooms until she came to a stop in front of her bed with the aim of turning to the chest that stowed her clothes. Smiling as she opened the chest to pull out one of her robes, she wondered how to spend the day. Maybe she should ask Malik if he would like to explore the city with her?

When Salome thoughtfully closed the lid, she caught sight of something golden that flashed between her blankets. Curiously, she dropped her thoughts for a moment while the young woman came closer to the sheets in surprise to pull out a golden sword, which turned out to be Baal's vessel. She immediately remembered how Sinbad had put the sword between them and apparently accidentally left it there. With a smile, she stroked the symbol of the eight-pointed star that shone on the sword scabbard as she approached the window of her balcony doors to take a look outside.

For a moment she watched the people outside the castle walls decorating the streets with various garlands, indicating that the maharajan was near.

"Hmm, maybe I get the opportunity to bring you back to your king, baal!"

It seemed that Sinbad and Salome had slept through the regular time for breakfast, so it was no wonder that Ja'far had searched in an angry haze for his king. After all, a king certainly had a lot of tasks to do. Salome, who had no urgent tasks yet, had made her way to the dining room, hoping to get something to eat without having to make more work for the staff. On the way there she had met Masrur, who had led her to the kitchen, after she told him about her plans, where he went to steal a few little snacks, before sitting down with her in one of the gardens.

It was pleasant to be in Masrur's presence. The younger teenager had a very calm personality, He may did not speak much, but was incredibly friendly and helpful. It was easy to sit next to him and to enjoy the silence. Despite this, Salome had used the time together to learn from him what Sinbad's and his general's daily routine would look like today, before taking a few hours to work on her Djinn control. There she had learned that the king and his generals would be courting in the afternoon to hear the concerns of Sindria's residents. She had spent some time thinking about whether to take Sinbad's sword to the throne room in between or later, but no matter how she turned the thoughts in her head, it seemed too sensational or inappropriate. But since hearing about the upcoming event, the Rukh seemed to be convinced that she should also be there. So she decided to ask Masrur if the court would be a public event and if she could actually attend to it. So it happened that a few hours later she actually found herself in the throne room, where she had settled on the edge of the room next to an open balcony door, on a chaise lounge, to watch the king and his generals work from background. Malik had accompanied her in silence and sat down next to her with a book in his hands. His appearance had caused quite a stir among the residents of Sindria when they entered the hall, but Malik seemed to put it off with his calm manner while skilfully ignoring the looks and whispers.

Her brother's head was lowered toward his reading material most of the time, while his eyes were still covered by his mask. Only in more interesting cases did he temporarily raise his head, indicating that he was following the conversation for the moment. Salome, however, sometimes found it difficult to follow the discussions of the generals, since the Rukh repeatedly responded to the requests and questions of the people and shared their knowledge with the young woman. Rubbing her temples, Salome watched her brother raise his head again when two traders emerged from the crowd.

One accused the other of having spoiled his wine to destroy his business. His counterpart denied this and tried to explain that the accuser wanted to harm him, but the latter put one piece of evidence after the other and thus invalidated the statements made by the accused merchant.

Frowning, Salome listened to the rukh, her eyes on the two men before she turned to her brother, shaking her head in denial. "The accuser is lying!" She whispered in shock as she clenched her fingers in dismay in her lap. Malik turned to his sister in surprise before buzzing thoughtfully.

"Hmmm, then you should inform the king.", he replied calmly before turning back to the arguing traders. Pondering how best to share this information with Sinbad without causing a sensation, she looked at the King of Sindria with a thoughtful expression. She heard the other trader vehemently deny that he had done anything, but unfortunately all the evidence seemed to speak against him, which is why the generals began to think about the punishments he would face for his crimes. Sinbad sat leaning against his throne the whole time, thoughtfully rubbing his chin, while keeping his silence. Panic spread through Salome, at the thought that the man would be wrongly accused, which is why she eventually threw away any discomfort to cause a stir, and stood up abruptly to quickly reach the pedestal on which the king and his generals lingered. Surprised, Sinbad looked to the side when he noticed in his peripheral corner that someone was hurrying towards the rows of seats of the Sindrian leadership. A low murmur broke out in the crowd as the young woman fell into a deep curtsey before the first step of the pedestal, while respectfully lowering her head for a brief moment. Perplexed, the generals began to remain silent as they watched Sinbad look down at the young woman, who slowly raised her eyes again, silently asking for allowance to come closer. Blushing, Salome felt the soft murmur spread in the hall and now all eyes seemed to lay upon her. The two traders also stared at her in shock, but she tried to ignore all of this to concentrate only on the king, who reached out for her and indicated that she was allowed to approach him. To late to turn back now, the young woman immediately got up and climbed the stairs just to lower herself on the floor next to his throne, before she locked her gaze with the king.

"I am sorry!" She whispered quietly as he leaned over and shook his head smiling to indicate that she didn't have to apologize.

"What can I do for you, my dear?" He asked casually, as if they weren't surrounded by innumerable prying eyes at this moment.

"The trader who accuses the other is lying...", she whispered so quietly that only he and maybe Ja'far and Masrur, who were both sitting next to the king, could have heard her voice. Realization flashed in Sinbad's eyes as a mischievous grin crept onto his lips as he leaned closer to Salome. "Did the rukh told to you that?", he asked surprisingly satisfied, as if he had already known. Salome nodded cautiously as she watched Sinbad cast a triumphant look at Ja'far, who then nodded, before turning to Yamraiha to whisper something in her ear. Sinbad, as casual as before, leaned back in his throne, grabbing the young woman's hand to stop her from going away, while he turned his attention gravely back to the two traders. Salome discreetly tried to pull her hand out of his grasp, which Sinbad prevented without blinking, so she had no choice but to kneel next to him for the time being.

What was he doing? Why didn't he let her go? Confused and at the same time incredibly embarrassed, she looked up at Sinbad questioningly, but he didn't pay attention to her.

The two gentlemen bowed immediately, when they noticed that their king's attention was on them again.

"Well, you, Mr. Yasir, accuse Mr. Fahad of destroying a large part of your wine supply a few days ago by putting some of his herbs in the wine barrels, making them inedible?"

"Yes, your majesty!", The merchant named Yasir lied quite credibly, lifting up a cloth with the local herbs to reaffirm his statement. Fahad, the herb-trader shook his head desperately, when Sinbad suddenly turned to Yamraiha, who stood up eagerly and cleared her throat: “Now the evidence clearly speaks against Mr. Fahad. Everything that Mr. Yasir had said had refuted your statements...“, the young magician began, halting in front of the steps that lead from the pedestal. The poor herb-trader looked to the side, in a lost manner, before Yamraiha started to continue her speech:“Nevertheless, we would like to play it safe and would perform a ritual that can show us exactly what had happened. It can be used to identify whether or not you are actually the culprit.”

"WHAT? Why this all of a sudden? He has already been found guilty! Everything is already completely plausible?!”, snapped the wine merchant, while the herb-trader suddenly began to look more hopeful.

"To perform the ritual, I only need a small amount of blood from both of you. A cut in the finger is all it takes.", she explained way to motivated, while she walked towards Fahad, who was already willing to come to give her the sample, while he murmured in relief:"Of course, Lady Yamraiha!"

"I refuse to allow myself to be part of such magic tricks. The evidence has been completely clear. This is not necessary!”, complained the angry wine-merchant with a reddening head, while he impulsively throwing his hands in the air. Suddenly it seemed as if sweat was forming on the man's forehead, when Sinbad addressed him with a serious look:“Well, what is needed is up to me and not you. If you have nothing to hide, such a test shouldn't be a problem!"

The wine merchant hesitated, taking a step back as his gaze shifted wildly between the other trader, his king and Yamraiha, until his eyes finally landed on Salome, who was still kneeling on the ground next to Sinbad. Angrily, he pointed his finger at the young woman before he started cursing furiously: “This woman whispered this to you, right? How could she have known that? Nobody saw us doing it! WITCH!"

Flinching, Salome's eyes widened as she looked with a puzzled expression at the wine merchant. The man immediately fell silent when Sinbad rose dangerously slow from his throne, pulling Salome to her feet as well.

"This young lady didn't tell me anything I didn't know already, Mr. Yasir!" Sinbad said firmly. Surprised, Salomes head snapped in Sinbad's direction, completely shocked to hear these words from his mouth. The king, however, did not pay attention to Salome at that moment, while he waved to his guards casually. "Take this man away!" Sinbad said sturdily, before turning to the herb merchant: "You have been cleared! I will order men to determine what exactly lies behind this story.”

Overwhelmed by the turn of events, most of the community remained silent. Only a few whispered softly to their neighbor, not understanding how the tides could have turned so quickly.

The herb-trader nodded immediately after bowing several times to thank his king:“Thank you from the bottom of my heart, your majesty. Thank you very much!", The man repeated again and again before turning his gaze to Salome, thanking her too:"I would also like to thank you, as well. You too were convinced of my innocence, milady!“, he breathed.

Salome was about to tell him that it was not worth mentioning, when Sinbad spoke again, adressing the people who were present: “My loyal friends. Let me seize the moment and introduce you to the latest addition to our ranks!” Tense silence spread across the room as they waited for their king to continue speaking. An uneasy feeling spread through Salome when she noticed how the rukh started to flutter wildly around them. When she realized what Sinbad was up to, she turned to him, to shook her head with wide eyes. The rukh were telling her, what he was going to do and she wasn't sure if she was ready for what to come.

"No ..." she breathed, but Sinbad, who honored his title as the man who shaped destiny according to his needs, calmly ignored the young woman protests, as he laid his hands gently but firmly on her shoulders, to turn her body to his citizens. “Many people from Sindria originally come from the fallen island of Dalmasca. Some of you are probably standing here in front of us. We look back with sadness in our hearts at the tragedy that occurred seven years ago and commemorate the sacrifices that each of you had to make. But today I can proudly announce to you here and now that the holy Solomon has blessed us! The lady of the rukh has returned! Please greet her with me, Lady Salome!”

Speechlessly, she looked at the partly shocked, partly uncomprehending expressions in the crowd, before she turned her head over her shoulder to stare at the King of Sindria. Sinbad however, looked down upon his people with triumph in his eyes. A loud murmur broke out in the ranks of the people when suddenly an old lady came out and pointed at the young girl with a trembling hand: "I knew it. I recognized you immediately when you entered the room, but I didn't want to trust my old eyes. The prophetess has returned and is now standing with our chosen king!"

Salome's heart was racing, when she turned her head back to the crowd, looking at the old hag as she watched other people emerge from the crowd. Loud emotional murmurs and praises gradually filled the huge hall. "The lady of the rukh!" "Is she really the prophetess?" The people who didn't come from Dalmasca looked around in confusion and watched the spectacle that was taking place in front of them. Some of the ignorant asked former citizens of Dalmasca what was happening at the moment when suddenly some magicians working under the guidance of Yamraiha broke from the masses and fell on their knees in front of the platform. An older magician, who was in the middle of the group, pulled out a gold amulet with an eight-pointed star under the collar of his robe, while his younger companions imitated him.

"Praise our King Sinbad! He was most blessed by Solomon himself who sended his beloved prophetess back to this earth!" Exclaimed the oldest magician, who seems to be a former priest of Solomons temple, before his colleagues and the other former citizens of Dalmasca agreed:"Praise King Sinbad. Praise Solomon. Praise the Lady of the Rukh. Cheers to the glorious Sindria!" Speechless, Salome pressed her hands to her chest as she let her gaze wander over the numerous people when her gaze fell on Malik, who was just as shocked and speechless at the turn of events. A tremendous number of Rukh gathered around Sinbad and Salome as if Solomon himself wanted to celebrate with them, but Salome was too overwhelmed to think clearly. Did the Rukh know that this was going to happen? Looking for answers that the Rukh did not want to give her, she turned back to Sinbad, who smiled smugly at her. It was then that she remembered that he had announced that he knew the wine merchant had been lying. Had he actually known that she would try to help the other man? Did he realize that the rukh would tell her about the lie? Was he just waiting for the right moment to drop this revelation? A look in his satisfied, golden eyes, was all she needed to get the answer to her last questions. Yes, the reader of the waves had clearly expected this and deliberately took the opportunity to bind her and the former citizens of Dalmasca further to him. The only question she couldn't answer was: why did he saw to take such a step?

#Sinbad #sinbad magi #Adventures of Sinbad #magi #magi labyrinth of magic #magi kingdom of magic #SinbadxOC #not the artist of the Picture

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threadofdestiny · 4 years

Text

The opportunities we may take

(The picture was a comission i ordered from a friend. Check her out -> Fantasiamin_art on instagram)

Sinbad x OC

Soulmate AU

Part 6

Loat and found

---Temple of Dalmasca---

Ja'far, Masrur and Yamraiha decided to give the other two a moment alone and made their way up the stairs to the entrance hall. All three pondered over their own thoughts for a while until the red-haired exgladiator spoke to the other man: "Ja'far, you think too loudly. "Blushing, the young man lifted his sleeve over his freckled nose before giving in and sighing loudly:"I only process all the information we received today. This whole thing is even more extensive and complicated than I feared."

Yamraiha running behind them hummed in agreement. "This whole situation raises more questions than it actually answers. What do you think of all this 'the reader of the waves is able to shape fate'? It is incredible, but somehow it doesn't sound wrong to my ears.", the magician interjected. "As I said, the situation is really extensive. And this whole thing with the reader of the waves and listener of the rukh is difficult to process. But to be honest, we have all been following Sinbad for a long time and have a clue what he is capable of, so I shouldn't be surprised at all anymore.",Ja'far confirmed, while holding his temples exhausted.

"What worries me is that we now have two of the kind. Salome is not Sinbad, but I have a feeling that she has a huge target on her back with such skills.", mused the king's adviser, receiving an approving murmur from his companions.

"Then we'll protect her!", Masrur decided matter of factually. A thoughtful silence spread again through the three generals as they continued to walk the corridor, the exit already in sight.

"She will be a great asset to Sindria. A second kings-canditate and that Djinn of hers is actually overly powerful. Almost worryingly strong. A leap through time and that through several years... You might thinkit is she who bends fate according to her will! I'm excited to see what she can do with the powers of the Djinn.", Yamraiha thought aloud when they finally entered the petrified hall.

Masrur stopped abruptly and switched to a defensive stance. Alerted, his companions followed his example when an angry voice suddenly echoed through the room.

"How dare you to enter the holy halls of Solomon's temple? No stranger is authorized to set a foot onto this sacred ground. You broke the seal and defiled this place with your unworthiness!"

At all male stood with spread legs in the entrance to the temple, his hand resting on the handle of a sword attached to his waist. The light that fell from there into the hall dazzled around him, so that the figure, who was mostly wearing dark clothes, was wrapped in shadows. A black hood was pulled deep into his face and hid his features. The most shocking, however, were the huge glowing wings that spread behind his back. With a single leap the man swung himself into the air, drew his sword and pointed the shiny blade in the direction of the generals.

"I will now lead you to your creator, intruders! Begone! Sacra Ilumini!", growled the flying figure, when suddenly the tip of his blade began to glow dangerously.

"Careful! I've got this! Shallal!", Yamraiha shouted as she focused on concentrating her magoi. A blazing beam of light came from the opponent's sword and raced towards the three generals, but before it could hit, a wall of gasified water spread around them and successfully blocked the attack. The collision of the two elements erupted a strong pressure wave. While the smoke continued to successfully envelop the three generals, they had the opportunity to start a counterattack. Ja'far loosened his darts, which were attached to robes from his arms and ran out of the mist to throw his weapons at the enemy from the side. Without effort he evaded the attack but turned his head too late as Masrur directly jumped out of the mist and aimed a kick at him. With the force the Fanalis had given in the kick, he made sure that the winged figure crashed into the opposite wall. Yamraiha rose in the air and summoned a jet of water which she aimed at the opponent. Too late she discovered the grin that spread over the man's lips when he suddenly vanished into thin air. Alerted, the three generals stood back to back and scanned the area.

"Not bad, but that won't save you!", said the man with a grim, appreciative voice when he appeared again above them. Light flickered around him as he pointed the sword at them just like the other time.

Realization glowed in Ja'far's eyes as the light illuminated the face of the flying man, whose top half was covered with a golden mask. On the visible areas of his skin, golden veins crossed over the flesh. Taking a step forward, Ja'far held his arms over his head in defense before protesting loudly: "Wait, this spell. You are Salome's brother! We are not your enemies!"

The man landed at lightning speed in front of the king's adviser, grabbed him by the collar and pressed the blade of his sword against his neck.

"Lies! How dare you say that name?", growled the man, gritting his teeth angrily. Masrur and Yamraiha aimed their weapons at the winged man, who trembled with adrenaline. Rapid steps echoed from the corridor behind them when suddenly a couple came hurrying into the hall followed by a huge crowd of rukh. Shocked, the enemy froze as he looked over the white-haired man's shoulder. Sinbad, who analyzed the situation directly, pushed the girl behind his back to shield her, while he resolutely reached for the handle of his scimitar. The young woman gasped as she stared wide-eyed at the scene. The unknown man's grip loosened around Ja'far's collar, his hood slipped off his head and revealed brown hair that was streaked with glimmering blond strands that was tied into a short tail at the back of his head. His lips lost the angry expression and opened to an incredulous tremor. With wide eyes, the girl raised a hand in front of her lips in shock as she stared at the masked man as if he were a ghost.

"M-Malik?", came Salome's trembling voice, half-hidden behind Sinbad. Her fingers gripped the purple-haired man's upper arm as she took a step to the side to better see the people in front of her.

"S-Salome?", breathed the addressed man hoarsely as the air escaped from his lungs. He dropped Ja'far completely, while the generals also lowered their weapons a little. Tears shot into the girl's eyes as she stared at the young adult. Was it really her little brother? He looked completely different and so much older now. But why else should the Rukh whisper her brother's name? With trembling legs she stepped past Sinbad, who grabbed her arm in protest and tried to stop her. "Don't touch her, you bastard!", Malik shouted, who misinterpreted the gesture, jumped forward and began to pounce on the king. A blink of an eye later, metal crashed against metal as the blades of the two men crossed. Sinbad held Salome away from the swords as he grimly looked at Malik's face, which was half covered by the mask. Like Alexander's helmet, there were no slits for his eyes, but that didn't seem to affect the winged man's vision.

"If I were you, I would put the sword away before you seriously hurt anyone!", Sinbad advised nonchalantly, but his gaze remained serious.

"If I were you, I would let go of my sister!", the man growled back as he shifted his weight to apply more pressure.

"Sinbad! Malik! Stop, please!", gasped Salome, trying to tear herself away from Sinbad, who kept her out of the reach of the other man to avoid getting her too close to the crossed swords. The generals got ready to support Sinbad, but paused when they saw their king's negative shook.

"Malik, Sinbad is the reader of the waves. He came and brought me here. Please, drop your weapon!", Salome called panicked. This seemed to trigger something in the man and made him take a step back from the couple. The sword he held in his hands clattered to the ground, as he stared at Salome and Sinbad. The moment Sinbad loosened his grip on Salome's arm, she ran past him and pushed herself against her brother's chest, crying. He looked down at the girl in shock, not quite understanding what was going on in front of him. With trembling hands, he grabbed his sister's upper arms and squeezed them gently to make sure she was real.

"S-Salome! You ..." he croaked before his voice cracked. Salome sobbed sorrowfully on his chest as she clung to him.

"You live ... you live! What just happened? Why are you looking like this?", she cried, burying her face in his dark clothes.

"He assimilated!", Sinbad concluded, answering for Malik, who didn't seem to be able to get a word out. Salome released her tear-stained face from her brother's chest to look at him. Her lips trembled desperately as she raised her fingers to Malik's face and carefully stroked over the golden veins before reaching for the mask. Malik immediately raised his hands and grabbed her wrists.

"Don't!", he pressed out, facing her.

"Why not? Let me see your entire face! I don't understand. What does assimilated mean? Why do you look like that?", she sobbed as she tried to free her hands from his grip. A grim expression went over his lips as he gripped harder, careful not to hurt her.

"Stop it, Salome. I'll explain it to you!", her brother answered harshly as he pressed her hands down. Immediately Salome stopped fighting and waited with tears in her eyes for him to continues peaking. Sinbad and his entourage came closer, but did not interrupt the conversation between the siblings. Malik raised his head briefly, examining the people unknown to him.

"We were in a worse position during the attack. The black Djinns started to overwhelm the other priests and I ... I almost lost my life when your Djinn spoke to me and offered to connect with me.", he explained tensely after turning back to his sister.

"I have consented and assimilated. It seems to be the most potent form that a household vassal can transform into. But it is permanent. I have become quite powerful as a result. But as always, came power with a price, Salome!", added Malik. Sinbad nodded knowingly and the others present seemed to understand what he was talking about as well.

"What was the price? The change in your appearance?", asked Salome quietly, her eyes sliding over her brother's face.

"Alexander is a powerful Djinn made of pure light, Salome. That moment I connected myself with that light, it manifested in me. I have to cover my eyes as they would blind you otherwise.", he finished his explanation seriously. As if to emphasize his speech, the veins on Malik's skin flickered slightly. There was a soft murmur from the other people in the otherwise quiet hall. Salome's eyes got a soft, pitying look as she gently closed her fingers around her brother's wrists.

"Oh, Malik ... I'm so sorry!" She breathed with a breaking voice.

"Don't be! I chose this fate myself. But it is much more important that you are alive. That you are here!", he spoke happily while a bright smile spread on his lips. He pulled away from her briefly, only to pull her back to his chest and press his face into her hair. Malik took a deep breath before lifting his head again and turning it in Sinbad's direction.

"Thank you, Master of the waves! I owe you!", said Malik firmly as he bowed his head respectfully. Sinbad, on the other hand, shook his head slightly. "No, you don't owe me anything. I am glad that Salome and you are reunited.", Sindbad replied with a grin as he looked at the girl with satisfaction. Malik ran a hand over Salome's back before pulling away from her, before bowing fully to Sinbad. "Then I would like to request: Please allow me to accompany my sister and you to serve you both. It is my job as her household to protect her.", Malik announced solemnly as he put his fist on his chest. Sinbad raised his hands soothingly, grabbing Malik's shoulder. "Relax. We don't have to keep etiquette. Of course we would be happy if you would join us.", Sinbad replied. The bright smile that Sinbad received from Salome made this decision even more sweeter.

It was hard for Salome to accept that so many of her friends and acquaintances had lost their lives. She almost collapsed again when she recognized Kunar's petrified body, and even Malik seemed to be burdened by this fate after so many years.

If he was honest with himself, it shocked Sinbad that neither Malik nor Salome showed any signs of depravity. On the contrary, the atmosphere around the two showed acceptance and faith, after they allowed themselves a moment of sorrow. Even after stepping out of the temple, when Salome saw the overgrown ruins that had once been her homeland for the first time, she had taken it surprisingly calm. The tears ran down her cheeks, but she didn't break down like Sinbad would have expected from a delicate girl like her.

"Most of the survivors have left the island, but some still live here today to honor the temple and their faith in King Solomon,", Malik said, placing a comforting hand on his sister's back.

After Malik, closed the gate of the temple and covered it with a melted layer of lava, with the help of Yamraiha, they set off into the valley.

The descent of the volcano turned out to be quite difficult because the path and the stairs were covered with a hardened layer of lava. It happened not only once that one of those present almost slipped. Salome had unconsciously clung to Sinbad's forearm, but that didn't bother him, even though he could feel her brother's piercing gaze on him despite his mask covering his eyes. Since everyone was focused on not falling, everyone involved remained silent until they got to the city.

"What happened to the other priests? Is Isaac still alive?", Salome asked and let her gaze wander over the partly crumbled houses. Her tears had dried up at the beginning of the descent and only left an exhausted expression on her face. The sun was already hanging deep on the horizon and would soon go under.

"Many have given their lives. The rest have gone out to find out more about the masters of the black rukh. Isaac was one of them who left. We are in contact. I stayed here to protect the temple if these monsters decided to come back again. Which brings me to the question of how you managed to get from the harbor to the temple so quickly?", he explained before turning questioningly to Sinbad and the others.

"Ah, so I'm right in my assumption that Masrur saw you on the cliffs earlier!", Sinbad concluded and received a nod from Malik.

"Yes, I was going to make preparations, but before I knew it, the seal was broken and you were in the middle of the temple.", grumbled Salome's brother. Sinbad laughed mischievously and winked at him before answering: "Well, we have our ways!"

"You said to me that Alexander had brought you to me!", commented Salome, watching Sinbad rub his neck in embarrassment. "Well, that's how it was, my dear. I just thought it could be packaged up a little bit more mysteriously.", Sinbad admitted, causing his generals to sigh. Malik looked at him in silence for a moment before shaking his head and dropping the subject. He turned thoughtfully and looked up at the sky.

"At this pace, we won't get to your ship before nightbreak. Maybe we should rather find a place where we can stay for the night. Actually, I would just fly there. Then we would be there pretty quickly, but I can't carry all of you.", commented Malik and looked around for a place to stay. Sinbad, on the other hand, was quite taken with the idea of simply flying to his ship and looked at his generals with a mischievous grin.

"Well, I really like the idea of flying, if you would be so kind to take one with you, Malik? Yam and I will take care of the rest.", Sinbad announced satisfied with the idea and gave Salome a winning grin.

Before anyone could react, he raised his left arm and summoned his Magoi. Sinbad was surrounded by wind as his silver bangle lit up. "Come forth, Focalor!", ordered the king, before the air around him began to lit up. Salome's eyes widened in surprise when Sinbad's appearance suddenly changed and the Rukh committed to dance around him. Dark feathers covering various parts of his body, while his hair grew longer and looked feather-like at the ends. He was adorned with a golden collar and gained a third eye on his forehead. However, what made Salome's cheeks flush was that Sinbad's clothes had disappeared and only his middle was covered with a few red fabrics. He looked scandalous. Grinning smugly, the king walked closer to the brown-haired young woman and playfully bowed his head. "If you allow me!", he said with a flirtatious undertone, ignoring the others present. He held out a hand invitingly and waited for Salome to take it. When she did so, Sinbad jerked her against his body and, as a matter of course, put a hand on her back. He heard Malik start protesting, but chooses to ignore him, while he dropped his arm to grab the girl under the thighs to lift her up. Her gasp drove an even broader grin to his lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck in search of balance. Their eyes met and what drove her cheeks even more to blush, was the wolfish glint in his. Her fingers rested on his bare shoulders, which left behind a pleasant feeling tingling to his chest. Unable to resist, Sinbad bent his head next to hers and let his lips slide over her ear, causing the girl to shiver in his arms.

"Hold on, beautiful! I'm taking you to my ship now!", he whispered inher ear before swinging into the air and simply leaving his companions dumb founded on the ground.

Sighing, Sharrkan was leaning against the railing, while he sucked his pipe in a bored manner. "Man, the day is almost over and nothing happens. Why do I have to take care of the stupid ship? I wishsomething fun would be going to happen!", He grumbled annoyed after exhaling the warm smoke. As if on cue, the wind picked up and before he knew it, his king suddenly landed next to him. The gust of wind that caused the landing drove Sharrkan the ashes of his pipe in his face.

Startled,he jumped up, watching Sinbad perplexed as he gently dropped a beautiful but pretty deranged looking girl. Grinning, the purple-haired man turned to his general, casually putting an arm around the girl, while making his Djinn equipment disappear. "Jo, Sharr. What's up?"

Before Sharrkan could react, other people landed on the deck, one of which was unknown to the heliohaptian.

However, it was Ja'far who spoke first while holding his forehead in annoyance: "We could have saved quite a bit of time if we had figured it out earlier." There was an approving whisper from the other newcomers as the girl broke away from Sinbad and walked toward Sharrkan. Smiling sweetly, she folded her fingers in front of her body while tilting her head slightly: "Hello, my name is Salome!" The cute look on her face, drove a slight blush on the dark-skinned general's face, which he tried to cover up with a cheeky grin. "Sharrkan, nice to meet you, pretty girl!"

Sinbad, who had watched the exchange with his arms crossed, spoke up again.

"How about I show you where to sleep, my dear!" He asked with a winning grin on his lips as he raised his hand to put it back on her shoulder. However, Yamraiha intervened and pushed Sinbad away. "Absolutely not. I'll take it over. And when we're at it, I'll also prepare a bath for you and try to find something for you to wear.", She announced and pushed Salome towards the cabins. The younger girl nodded gratefully and followed the blue-haired magician, leaving a sulking king behind.

"Could it be that he likes to flirt a lot?" Asked Salome carefully as she ran a sponge over her wet arms. After hearing that question, the magician sighed out loud. "Well, to be honest, yes, he's quite the womanizer. B-But don't let that get you down!" Yamraiha tried to save the situation when she caught the girl's thoughtful look. Salome hummed softly before shaking her head slightly and replied, "No, it's all right. I'm just trying to figure him out. I always wondered what he would be like. I just didn't expect him to be so direct and well a bit of a showoff. " Yamraiha laughed in surprise and raised her eyebrows teasingly. "What did you expect if I may ask? I thought the Rukh told you about him."

Blushing, Salome turned in the bathtub and looked at the magician who had sat on the bed. "Hmm, generally they are not very detailed in their tellings and what they say often leaves a lot of room for interpretation. It is more like dropping some keywords here and there that I have to combine with each other. For example, I know that he was destined to become king and was looking for land for a long time. But I don't know his character." Said Salome, while she looked briefly at the little golden birds.

"I think because of these few details I imagined him somehow nobler, more regal.", added Salome truthfully, which made Yamraiha laugh even harder. There was a rumble in the chamber next to them, followed by a soft swear. Yamraiha, who could not sit up straight with laughter, held her stomach to support her. Embarrassed, the young girl sank deeper into the warm water when it suddenly knocked on the door.

Since Yamraiha still had to calm down, it was Salome who raised her voice: "W-Who's there?"

"It's me, can I come in?" Answered her brother behind the door, waiting for her permission.

"Yes, come in!" replied the young girl, grabbing the soap to work her hair with it when the door opened and Malik entered. To give her a little bit of privacy, he looked away from his sister when he saw that she was bathing, but gave no signs that would confirm that the situation was uncomfortable for him. After he closed the door he went to the bed on which the magician was sitting, placing a bag on it.

"I flew off again and got you some things ... I thought maybe you would like some of your items.", her brother explained and opened it to present it's contents. A happy smile spread across Salome's lips, touched by the gesture. "Thank you very much, Malik! You are the best!", his sister replied before she started washing her hair. Yamraiha, who interpreted the pregnant silence as a sign of having to withdraw, rose from the bed. "I'll see if the food will be ready soon!"

When she had left the room, Malik took her place on the bed after he had skillfully maneuvered his wings in the narrow space without knocking anything over. "You look like an angel, brother," murmured Salome, who looked thoughtfully over the white feathers. Her brother made a mocking sound as he leaned back. "And you're starting to look less like a homeless person! You still have dirt on your face!", he teased with a grin, which made her pout.

"Even now you're still an ass. Didn't you have to be a bit more mature and nice now?" She moaned as she considered throwing the soap at him, but stopped when Malik's smile got a melancholic touch.

"I guess I'm no longer your little brother. After all, I'm the older one of us now. You're still 17, aren't you?", he concluded, trying to hide the bitter undertone. Salome reached her hand out for him, which he took immediately. She gently ran her thumb over his wrist.

"I'm sorry you had to go through so many things on your own. I promise I will do my best that this never happens again," Salome announced in a firm voice, gently squeezing again before letting go, reaching for the towel. Malik said nothing, but seemed glad to hear those words. While Salome stood up to dry herself off, her brother looked away and reached into the beg to search for one of her dresses. Like most of her things, it was relatively simple without much frills. The light blue fabric was tight against her waist, but fell generously around her ankles. Malik handed her a belt, which she also liked to wrap around her waist.

"Unfortunately, most of your things had been attacked by moths, but luckily a few were still intact," said her brother, who was watching her put on her jewelry. Here too, Salome was very modest. Beside the bangle that held her Djinn, she wore only a second thin bangle which she pushed up to her upper arm. It had been a present from him on her sixteenth birthday. When she was finished he reached into his pocket and took out another piece of jewelry, which he hesitantly held out to her. When Salome saw it, she inhaled sharply. It was an eight-pointed star amulet that were once worn by ordained priests of their temple.

"Our people are out there looking for a way to support us. They are looking for information about the masters of the black rukh. We use this amulet to prove ourselves as followers of our faith. You should wear it as well, Salome!", explained Malik and put it over her head. "But I'm not a priestess, Malik," murmured Salome, who took the pendant in her hand and stroked it in awe.

"You are much more than that. The priests are there to protect you and we continue to do so. You are Solomon's gift to this world. The fact that you are here and survived only shows that we have not completely failed.", he whispered and finally put a scarf around her shoulders to keep her warm. Mournful, Salome brushed a few wet strands from her face, while she took a seat next to her brother.

"It is difficult to accept this fate. I really try, but I find it unfair that I live while so many have lost their lives.", she replied sadly. She wanted to continue speaking, but there was a knock on the door before Yamraiha entered with a smile. "Hey you two dinner is ready!"

"Y-Yes we are coming!", replied Salome as she let go of her brother.

#Sinbad magi #magi #Sinbad #SinbadxOC #magi kingdom of magic #magi labyrinth of magic

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