#adventuresofsinbad

"What if his younger self is going to vanish? Or his present self? What if Sindria is going to vanish? This damn idiot puts us all at risk. And all of this for a damn girl.", Ja'far went on furiously, already getting a very red face, because he forgot to breath properly in his anger. "You use the word "damn" quite often right now, Ja'far", Yamraiha mumbled absently, while she was trying to touch the shining veil, unfortunately without success. "Hmm, something is stopping us from going in as well. Very interesting.", analyzed the magician, before she decided to walk around the phenomen to inspect it from all angles.

At that moment the veil flickered again before finally their purple haired companion stepped out with deliberate steps. When Ja'far noticed him, he turned angrily to Sinbad, deciding to strangle him for his recklessness. But before he could take action the adviser saw the girl in the arms of his king and stopped abruptly in his tracks.

The generals gasped in surprise at the sight of the couple. A huge amount of rukh fluttered around them as the veil and the flowing lights began to disappear behind them. The glow of the bangle that rested on the girl's wrist went out after a few seconds. The young woman sighed exhausted, but made no move to shift otherwise. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Sinbad's shoulders, while her face was pressed against the bend of his neck. The king's gaze wandered from Salome to his generals as a triumphant grin spread across his lips.

"I'm back! Did you miss me?", announced the king humorously, while he tried to adjust Salome in his arms. His companions raised their eyebrows in disbelief, while waiting for Sinbad to stop joking around, still shocked to find the girl from the magical artifact in their kings presence.

Suddenly the girl began to move in the man's grasp and slowly raised her head. "W-Would you please be so kind to put me down?", she whispered shyly in his ear, as she loosened her arms around his shoulders.

"Ah, yes, of course.", he answered before carefully setting Salome down. However, he didn't let go of her completely, strangely not ready to do so. His hand lingered on her waist as he looked worriedly at her pale face. With a mild smile on her lips, she bashfully looked up at the purple haired man. If he were a different man, the soft expression with which the young woman gazed up at him, would have embarrased him eventually. However, Sinbad was used to the delighted looks most women gave him, so he was pleased that she was doing it too. But if he was honest to himself, he couldn't help but to stare at her in wonderment as well. She was actually here. He had truly carried her through the veil into his time.

Her dainty hand rested on his chest to stabilize her balance, as she turned uncertainly around to face the king's entourage. They all looked at her with wide eyes, hardly believing that Salome really stood in front of them. It was not difficult to guess that she had just come from a battlefield. Her clothes were torn in many places, her skin was covered with scratches and her face was pale from the magoi's deprivation. Still, she looked at the generals with clear, curious eyes.

She watched the three people quietly until Sinbad finally cleared his throat and began to introduce them to each other:"Salome, may I introduce you to three of my closest friends? These are Yamraiha, Ja'far and Masrur. Guys, this pretty lady is Salome.", Sinbad said cheerfully, trying not to show that he too was surprisingly exhausted from the withdrawal of his magoi. She gave each of the three generals a shy smile, while she unconsciously tried to smooth her dress down. Yamraiha gave her an encouraging grin as she winked at the brown-haired young woman. Masrur nodded silently, while Ja'far came up to her and offered his hand for her to shake, greeting her with a friendly smile on his lips:"Glad to meet you, Miss Salome.", spoke the white-haired young man in a kind manner. Salome looked surprised at the hand she was offered, but then beamed at Ja'far and embraced his hand warmly with hers as she replied: "Thank you very much. It's nice to meet you, too."

At the moment she had let go of Sinbad, however, her legs suddenly gave way under her, while black dots appeared briefly in front of her eyes. Before she could fall over, both Sinbad's hands tightened around her waist, while Ja'far grabbed her shoulders hastily. "Uh...I'm sorry ... I'm feeling a little dizzy.", Salome gasped, blinking, while holding onto Ja'far's forearms in hope to stabilize herself.

"It's alright. Sin, we should sit her down so she can rest a bit.", the advisor turned to his king, who nodded in agreement. Together they sank to the floor to sit down for a moment. As Yamraiha came closer to look at the younger girl, Ja'far moved away to make room for them. Sinbad, on the other hand, stayed behind Salome without separating himself from her.

"Hmm, looks like Magoi depletion ... but I'm not surprised. Time and Space magic requires a lot of Magoi, you have to have really high reserves, after all, you're still awake. I have never seen such powerful magic. Where have you been, before Sinbad hd reached you?", asked Yamraiha curiously.

Salome swallowed before answering hesitantly: "Here ... But Dalmasca was under attack. The priests were getting ready to seal the temple." Sinbad stroked gently over Salome's skin of her upper arms, leaving a gentle tingling sensation.

"Wow...That... That's several years ago... That's impossible. I mean it should be impossible.", Yamraiha explained, looking at Sinbad with a worried expression. "The priests said that Alexander is an extremely powerful Djinn ... In addition, the reader of the waves is able to shape fate according to his will.", Salome tried to help clarify as she turned to Sinbad looking up at him admiringly. "I think without you I would have been lost in a time crack until I finally ran out of magoi. But you could see where we have to go. You are so strong.", whispered Salome, looking enchanted into his golden eyes, which resembled the natural color of the rukh that circled around them. Sinbad grinned triumphantly at her, satisfied with the compliments he received from the pretty girl in his arms.

"Incredible!"The magician breathed, leaning back, as she thought about the new information's. "You... you are a blessed one, aren't you?", Salome asked, looking briefly at the staff which rests next to the mage's feet, after she turned her attention back to the other woman.

"Eh? What?", Yamraiha replied, blushing.

"You can manipulate the rukh with your magoi, right? You are blessed with the power of magic. It is an honor to meet you!", Salome explained and bowed her head respectfully as the rukh joyfully flew around them. "Oh my, you're so cute. I've never been called that. Haha, I like it!", Yamraiha shouted, holding her glowing cheeks, while she decided to rub this title under Sharrkan's nose later.

Sinbad, who had listened to the conversation, spoke up:"Yam, let poor Salome take a breath before you bombard her with more questions. I think we'll take a break here before we start to leave this place."

.

.

.

After some rest, Salome had left the group for a moment, to sit a little further away, thinking about her situation. Sinbad sat next to Ja'far and Masrur to discuss how to proceed, while Yamraiha stood a few steps below and eagerly deciphered the characters on the walls.

Salome found it difficult to understand what had happened recently. Just a few hours ago she and her brother had ran away from black Djinns and enemy magicians and now she was in the sanctuary, but no longer in her time. She felt disconnected and dreaded what she would discover if she left this platform. It was a comforting feeling that the rukh tried to console her, that she did everything right, but she couldn't stop wondering if the price hadn't been too high.

"Are you alright?", came Sinbad's velvet voice behind her. Torn out of her thoughts, she turned to the man who had spoken to her and looked into his golden eyes. It was still hard to believe that he was with her. His presence felt incredibly right, and yet it was kind of strange. Surreal.

"Ah... yes. Thank you," she replied, watching him sit down next to her. They looked at each other silently for a few moments, not knowing how to start the conversation, when Salome decided to break the silence.

"Did you make it, Sinbad?", she asked curiously and let her eyes slide over Sinbad's appearance. He was a really handsome man who wore very fine clothes. When she spoke his name, a soft gleam appeared in his eyes. Sinbad cocked his head questioningly as he examined her carefully. "What are you talking about?"

"Did you actually manage to form a kingdom?", she asked, turning completely towards him. A big grin spread across Sinbad's lips as he proudly inflated his chest.

"Yes, the kingdom of Sindria! You will love it. I promise!", he answered with a proud expression on his face, before he began to discribe his kingdom enthusiasticly:"It is an island, like this one. We have nice weather all year round. The markets are filled with products from all over the world and the fish that the fishermen catch is incredibly delicious. Everyone smiles and works hard to make this country bloom.", he said excited as he reached for her hand euphorically, overlooking the sad glimmer in her eyes for a moment.

"I'll show you everything. The market place, the harbor, the beach and of course the palace", he begann to count, when he suddenly catched her sad expression:"I am sorry... Are you alright?", he asked when Salome tilted her face to the side. Immediately she sat up a little straighter again and smiled reassuringly:"My apologies, everything you have said sounds wonderful and I am glad that you want to show it to me. I... I'm just a little afraid of what awaits me out there. For me Dalmasca was attacked a few hours ago.", Salome explained carefully. Sinbad could have slapped himself immediately. Of course, she wasn't feeling well. How could he suppress that this was not necessarily a nice situation for her? She looked completely deranged and he had seen what condition Dalmasca was in. "Tell me ... is it very bad out there? I wonder how the people are.", Salome bit her lower lip nervously, as she glanced at the stairs. Sinbad squeezed her fingers gently before he ran his thumb over them. When he shifted a little closer to her, he ran his free hand over her dust-covered cheeks.

"To be honest ... I have to admit that it's not a pretty sight ... This island is in ruins ... and unfortunately I haven't met a human soul yet.", Sinbad said hesitantly, watching how her lips trembled.

"But I'm sure there are still people living on this island. When we landed at the harbor, we noticed currently used fishing boats. Whatever happens, Salome, I ... uh I mean: we are with you. You don't have to go through this alone.", he tried to cheer her up. Sinbad was surprised to feel his ears get hot when he saw a grateful glint in her pretty turquoise eyes as she put her free hand on their intervened ones.

"Thank you, Sinbad.", she murmured gently.

-

"Wow, the rukh are totally crazy about them.", Yamraiha stated with interest after she had joined Ja'far and Masrur at the top of the stairs again. The other two also glanced furtively at the couple. Masrur's expression didn't reveal his thoughts, but Ja'far looked a little worried.

"What's wrong, Ja'far?", Yamraiha asked when she noticed his expression.

"I just wonder how it will go on. Sinbad is not exactly the type of men who keeps a girl. Look at how young she is. Sooner or later he will wrap her around his finger and then what? breaking her heart?", he whispered softly so that only the two generals could hear him. The other two generals thought about what was said when Ja'far continued with his explanation: "I mean look at how she is already gazing at him. It can't go well."

"Well I don't know what you see Ja'far, but I rather have the feeling that Sinbad is staring at her like a puppy in love. Also ... ah, never mind, we should just wait and see what happens. For my part, I like her. She carried an incredibly warm atmosphere around her, if you get what I mean.", Yamraiha replied and received an approving nod from the two men.

"She is a good person.", Masrur agreed before getting up and walking towards Sinbad and Salome.

"We should go back to the ship. The sun will go down in a few hours.", he said loudly enough for everyone to hear. As if on his sign, everyone rose, before lifting the torches out of their holders.

As they descended the stairs, Salome pointed to the walls, where the golden characters were faintly visible. "This place is the sanctuary of the temple of Dalmasca. It is written that the high priest Alexander built this church with his disciples and immortalized the writings of Solomon on these walls.", Salome described, while Ja'far turned to her questioningly: "Alexander? Like your Djinn?"

The girl nodded.

"It seems so, yes. It is said that he descended from Solomons holy kingdom on behalf of the great king himself to guard the flow of the Rukh and to aid it's listener as soon as she is born into the world.", she replied, trying to get closer to the edge of the stairs, hoping to better illuminate the scriptures.

"You are the listener of the rukh, right? Alexander had called you by that name.", Sinbad said, watching the girl like a hawk. Salome paused and pouted at him:"Alexander spoke to you?" He nodded in confusion before answering:"Yes, he brought us here. Whereby I actually wonder how he could manifest himself without a magi, especially when his vessel was not even present."

"Alexander is a Djinn of the light type. During this time he may not have resided in a vessel anymore, but has returned to Solomon's stream. With light magic one is able to create illusions.", Salome conjectured and got an approving nod from Yamraiha.

"I guess it has also something to do with the amount of rukh that are residing here.", Yamraiha interjected thoughtfully. "Dalmasca has always been surrounded by many rukh. Is that abnormal?", asked Salome.

Sinbad and Yamraiha nodded in agreement before the mage spoke again. "Yeah a lot. Sindria also has a lots of rukh, but I guess that's because of Sinbad. I wonder if it's up to you that so many rukh are gathering here."

Salome shrugged as she continued down the stairs. "No idea. But there were also a lot of blessed people living here. The temple trained them to become priests.", Salome replied.

Once at the bottom, the brown-haired girl paused and took a deep breath. Her gaze slid over the skelletons that lay on the floor as her shoulders slumped. Sinbad immediately stood next to her and put a hand on her shoulder blades.

"Are you alright?", he whispered, stroking her back. Swallowing, Salome nodded, closing her eyes for a moment. "I, yes ... But they shouldn't be lying around here so neglected. It's not fair.", she muttered sadly. Sinbad looked at his generals, who looked back expectantly.

"We don't have much time left.", Masrur said. Sinbad turned to Salome apologetically, but she shook her head and spoke in a defensively manner:"I understand. Just give me a short moment, yes? I want to say goodbye."

Reluctantly, her companions nodded and moved away from her. The generals were already moving in the corridor that would lead them up into the hall. Sinbad, however, stopped at the entrance and turned to Salome, who had put her hand on her chest and bowed respectfully to the deceased priests.

With her profile turned to him, he could see that she was saying something, but he was too far away to hear what. Fascinated, Sinbad watched her head tilt to the side, as she seem to listen to something only she could hear. The light of the torch, which was in her hand, illuminated her face, as a gentle smile spread on her lips. Her face turned in his direction as she nodded confidently. When their eyes met, there was a crackle in the air that sent a shiver down both of their spines. As if by itself, Sinbad's legs moved back to her as she looked up at him expectantly. Her attention was completely back to the man who was attracting her like a magnet and she was surprised to find that her heart suddenly began to beat much faster. When he stopped in front of her, he raised his hand to run his fingers gently over her ear. Her breath caught as his golden eyes stared intently into her turquoise ones.

"What did you hear, my dear?", he asked in a velvety voice, while the gold in his eyes got a liquid sheen from the firelight. "I'm not supposed to be sad because the priests are now part of the holy stream again. They say I should follow you and keep going on.", she whispered, caught by his gaze. His fingers left her ear to slowly brush across her jaw.

"You told me in your message that you were waiting for me because you were meant to be with me.", he recited, leaning forward slowly as his fingers slid under her chin, while he received a silent nod from Salome. A wolfish grin spread across his lips as his eyes slid to her plump ones. Giving in to his need, he ran his thumb over her lower lip, completely overwhelmed by how much the connection between them made the air sizzle around them.

"I don't know why your King Solomon gave me such a nice gift, but I'm very happy to accept it!", he purred as his free hand went over her shaking one, holding the torch to stabilize it.

Salome looked at him speechless. The atmosphere between them had changed suddenly and it was difficult for her to keep calm. She had completely underestimated their connection. Of course, she had felt how it was getting stronger after actually facing each other for the first time, but that ... that was intense. Is that what Solomon wanted?

"Sinbad.", she breathed, while she slowly put her hand on his chest, not sure if she wanted to dig into the fabric or push him away.

Suddenly there was a loud bang from the upper floor which made them detach from each other in alarm. Sinbad hurriedly snatched the torch from her hand and reached for Salome's wrist with his other one.

“Well, if you say so...but before I lie down, I ask Hinahoho to replace you later”, He  responded over his shoulder, referring to the nordic tribesman who had accompanied them since the beginning of their journey, before he disappeared into the darkness to go to the sleeping quarters.

Now on his own, the only noises that broke the silence around Sinbad were the calm waves hitting the ship's wood and the wind that made the sails flutter.

A sigh emanated from the young man as he let his gaze glide over the stars that filled the night sky. His next destination was the dark continent, looking there for a place where he can found his own Kingdom.

He knew that he was someone special. That he was bound to do great things. Blessed by the rukh with a view of this world that no one else was able to see. He had a vision that he strives to accomplish and the gods gave him the skills to do just that. If he concentrated he could see it. His next step to achieve his goal. But not just that... He could see them all clearly in front of him. All those people that are destined to cross his way. Although they were still unknown to him, he could identify every single person that would be important to him in the future. Like waves they are connected to each other.

Friends

Foes

In the end they will all be the key to his eventual success.

Many various paths opened up to him, ready for him to choose which way to go, but he normally has always been someone who prefers the direct route. The clear route. It´s not like him to bother over an occasional storm that crosses his path, because he was flexible and confident in his skills. He wouldn't let anything stop him. No way. Even if the straight path is going to be a stony one, he would pay the price if it means that he accomplish his goals in the end. Furthermore, a few hurdles on his journey makes the adventure exciting in the end after all, right?

Reader of the waves. First class singularity

Many followed him because of his courage and his determination. Because he seems to know where to go and how to archive his goals. Despite his chaotic nature, he always overcome his own destiny, bending it to his will, while he was able to convince the people around him to follow and aid him. No matter how far-fetched his plans often seemed, he knew that he was charismatic enough to convince them all that he knows where the path will take them. Yes ... he was indeed blessed.

But sometimes he secretly finds it hard to keep his eyes on the thinks his mind was set on...

It was completely contrary to his character to question himself, but here he stood, doubting his choices.

His gaze once again wandered over the clear lines that drew all those possible paths he could choose to take, until he got stuck with a very specific one.

At the end of this line stood the silhouette of a young woman. Her back was turned towards him as she gazed up at the stars in front of her, like she was waiting for someone. Her braided brown hair was lying over her shoulder as she slowly raised her hands in front of her chest and out of his view. As he imagined her to slowly turn her gaze in his direction, he hastily turned away.

It seemed silly to him that he was so anxious. That every time he thought about her his heart thundered in his chest for a girl unknown to him, but he couldn´t give in to this infatuation, because while after every other person he would meet on his way, a clearer path continued in his line of sight, the lines became pale and inaccurate behind her. It was as if her mere presence blurred the paths so much that he could no longer make them out. But why? He had no choice but to speculate about it, but he had never come to a result that seemed to please him.

As he squeezed his golden eyes tightly to get rid of the image of her, his heart painfully pulled together, taking his breath away in a strangely manner.

He couldn't follow her path.

No.

Because he has to have his goal in his mind. He couldn't be distracted. Not now. Not after he had come this far.

Convincing himself to keep his course to the dark continent, he was comforted by the thought, that he might follow her path at a later date.  Yes, that's what he kept talking to himself for a while now. At some point he would visit her after he accomplished his goals, or maybe if he was willing to accept the uncertainty that seems to come with her presence. And then he would finally find out why he was so attracted to her. Why he felt so keen to get her to him. Because this was something that just didn't make sense to him. He didn't know her, didn't know who she was and why his feelings went crazy, when he thought of her.

How ironic to see every path except that one that would come after hers, as if his own abilities wanted to mock him and his strange desires.

For now it was better as it was at the moment. He was young, just 17 years old. He wanted to experience so much more, discover new places, make friends, meet women without bindings...

At this thought, a cheeky grin spread on his lips. Deeper feelings, whatever they may be, must not stand in his way. Yes, she could wait, he lied to himself.

And yet, as he now clutched the steering wheel tightly with both hands, while he kept his gaze stubbornly in front of him, he wondered why it felt like he was sacrificing something important just to fulfill his goals. Only so that he can continue to see the path clearly in front of him.

---- Far away,  on the island of Dalmasca-----

Candles that have been distributed individually on the furniture shrouded the room in a soft light. On a bed, a young girl, barely 17 years old, crouched down as she cried bitterly in her pillow. The silk curtains attached to the bedposts cast a shadow over her, as she leaned against the backrest.  Little golden birds, that were invisible for most humans, chirped carefully around her as if they wanted to comfort her, but she had heard enough, she just wanted to process what was going to happen now. Or rather what will not going to happen.

He won't come

As it was now, it shouldn't have been, shouldn't it? She was told that when the time came, she would stand alongside the next singularity. That he would come for her, to take her with him, so she could be there for him. To aid him. To guide him. To protect him from himself. To keep him in the light. Were they all wrong? No, they can't have made a mistake, because it was the will Solomons, right?  The prophecies cannot be wrong. But were they perhaps misinterpreted? Wasn't she created for him? But way does she feel their connection, then? Doesn't he feel it, too, the pain of being separated? But what was fate in the eyes of the only man who able to see it in front of him? Whoever can control it the way he wants it?

It doesen´t matter what the scriptures say, if the reader of the waves don´t want to collect the listener of the flow, she will have to live with it.

Too bad she always wanted to be with him.

“Why wouldn't he want to come?” she asked sadly as she lifted her face and stared heartbroken at her bracelet. Her braided brown hair fell off her shoulder as she moved. Some strands that had detached from her braid stuck to her tear-strained face as she tried to blink away the next tears that gathered in her eyes. Her fingers trembled over the engraved octagonal star, that glows on the center of her jewelry, but as always she received no reaction from the creature who lived in it. If she didn't know better, she would slowly doubt that it existed at all.

“Alexander, please tell me”, she whispered. However, she only got more silence from her supposed aid.

Why wasn't she strong enough to get her Djinn to hear her plead?

The rukh chirped louder, gained her attention when they took it upon themselves to fill the silence. Mildly comforted, she raised her hands in front of her chest and folded them into each other while she closed her eyes, listening. All at the same time they whispered to her, pleased to speak to the only person who could truly listen. They spoke so quickly that she struggled to understand what they wanted to explain to her, when it suddenly knocked on the door.

Shocked, her concentration slipped away as she cracked her eyes and let her gaze drive towards the noise. She hurriedly wiped her face free from her remaining tears and brushed her loose strands of hair behind her ears.

“Y-Yes?” she answered aloud.

“Salome? Are you okay? You missed dinner. May I come in?”, her younger brother's muted voice sounded from outside.

“Of course!”, she answered as she crawled to the edge of the bed, pillow long forgotten at her side.

The door opened slowly and revealed a slightly younger teenager with the same shade of brown hair like herself, tied together in a short tail at the back of his head. His searching gaze became soft when he saw his sister's weeping face.

“Heya...I brought you something to eat” he whispered gently, as he lifted up the tray he was holding in his hands.

“Thank you, Malik”, Salome returned, while she accepted the food. Now that Maliks hands were free again, he lifted them to her cheeks and gently wiped over them as he slowly settled beside his sister.

“Are you alright?”

“You don´t have to worry, brother”, she dodged his question, while hoping that he would not continue to rake. In response he smoldered his lips, as he thoughtfully looked at her face.

“This is not the answer I wanted to hear, sister. It doesn´t matter anyway, It´s plastered all over your face. You are all red from crying. Quite ugly if you ask me.”, he teased, as he dodged her newly found pillow she was trying to attack him with.

“You are so mean. If you just want to annoy me, you can go again right away”, She whined, as he yanked her pillow out of her hands to gently punch her on the head with it.

"I don't like it when you cry!" He chided softly before sitting down next to her and stroking her back without another comment. A faint smile spread across her lips when she understood that he was just worried about her. Quietly, they looked at each other smiling sadly as they enjoyed the silence around each other. After a while, Salome made institutions to break the silence, however, the relaxed mood abruptly faded as it knocked urgently on the door again.

Before either of them could answer, the door was already opened and a man in his mid-20s, with blonde wild curls and wide flying robes, stormed in. Surprised by the new guest's appearance, the siblings stared at him in shock, waiting to see what he wanted to tell them. An uneasy feeling spread in Salome, when the Rukh began to flutter in panic, just to match the ones that twirled around the older men´s.

“Salome, The other priests have confirmed it, the wall is weakening. You were right, they will come to get you ”

What the reader of the waves didn't know was that it will probably be too late if he changes his mind to come and get her. That this was probably his last chance after all.

Now surprisingly calm, the brown haired girl rose from the edge of the bed and walked quietly past the two men, approaching her window. Once again, her gaze wandered to her bangle, hoping to get a reaction from her metal vessel. Nothing. With a sigh on her red lips, she looked out of the window as her long, slim fingers slowly danced over the cool glass. The oppressive silence of her two companions was only tempered by the quiet chirping of the golden birds, but she hardly cared as she looked up at the stars and listened to what the rukh were trying to tell her.

How ironic it was that they say that her time had not yet come, as if they didn´t told her earlier,  that her live was about to fall into pieces before her very own eyes.

But she knew it for a few days now. She could feel it. However did that give her the necessary strength to change something on time? Unfortunately not as she would´ve liked, but that was fine for now. When the time came, she would be ready. At least she hoped so. All she knew was that she was not going to give up. Not now, nor ever.

"Oh my...Are you sure you want to go there, Sin?", muttered Yamraiha, who looked over the railing not standing far away from her king. With his jaw clenched tightly, he nodded before turning to Ja'far, who stood to his right:"Make sure they let a boat into the water. You, Yam and Masrur come with me. Sharrkan stays on the ship to guard it with the crew."

"Oh man. I want to go, too, why do I have to stay?", the heliohaptian protested. When Ja'far dutifully turned away to do his job, Sinbad turned to his sword master and put a hand on his shoulder. "I count on you, Sharrkan. We don't know if and who lives on this island. We have to be prepared for everything." "Man, that sucks!"

The heliohaptian sulkily crossed his arms behind his head, as he turned away from Sinbad. "I could finally have some fun and now I have to play babysitter for those dimwits.", Sharrkan complained as he moved away from the others, pouting. Amused, Sinbad looked after his white-haired general before turning his gaze back to the ruins. His smile crumbled and a serious expression spread across his face as he mentally prepared himself for the coming adventure. Lost in his thoughts, a few moments passed before Masrur came up to him and cleared his throat for a moment:"The boat is ready.", announced the Fanalis, after Sinbad turned attentively to him. Nodding, the king detached himself from the railing and followed Yamraiha and Masrur to the main deck, where the boat was lowered into the water.

As they had already observed from the ship, the harbor looked pretty deserted. Rubble lay on the paths, parts of the jetties had completely broken away and the former warehouses had collapsed and were no longer accessible. "How horrible... This place is a mess! If the harbor looks like this, what does the rest look like?", murmured the only woman in the group, nervously pressing her staff against her chest. The others left her statement uncommented as they looked around. Now that they were ashore and the shipwrecks and other ruins were no longer obstructing their view, they could see some small fishing boats that were fenced on lower piers.

"They don't look like they've been unused for years. Be vigilant.", Sinbad remarked, pointing to the boat that was closest to them. Now, even more careful, they made their way around the rubble. From the harbor, a wide paved path led up a hill, which seemed to be the only way into the interior of the island. This path was overgrown with weeds and debris as well, but it seemed as if the greatest debris had been cleared aside.

When the group had almost reached the top of the hill, Masrur suddenly turned to the side and stared intently into the distance. "Do you see something?", Sinbad asked, when he noticed, that his companion had stopped in his tracks. "Someone's watching us.", Masrur replied monotonously, his gaze fixated on the high cliffs in the distance.

When his companions followed his gaze, something shiny flashed in the sunlight, but it disappeared from one moment to the next. "Did you see what it was?", asked Ja'far, who was trying to shield the light from his eyes with one of his hands, hoping to see better. The Fanalis shrugged his shoulders in response and then looked inquiringly at his leader, who pointed to the path ahead of them. "Let's go ahead for now. As long as we don't know if they are just surviving residents, we should try not to look like we are hostile."

Once at the top of the hill, the destroyed city of Dalmasca that stretched in the valley of the island, came into view. "Oh my...", Yamraiha breathed, as she looked around. Much of the city was devastated as if various natural disasters had raged at the same time. The part closest to the now cooled vulcan was buried under a layer of cooled lava. In other areas it looked as if the earth had broken away beneath the city, while debris from destroyed houses lay scattered across the place, as if a mighty storm had once raged there. Sinbad's breath caught as he scanned the ruins. Cold sweat spread across his forehead as a crumbling Sindria appeared before his inner eye. Feeling like he was thrown back into the past, he heard the helpless cries of the citizens ring in his ears. Men and women who tried to defend their homes, children who cried out for their missing parents, friends who gave their lives ...

"Sin... Sin...Sinbad!"

Torn from his traumatic memories, Sinbad opened his eyes and looked up at Ja'far, who leaned over him with a worried expression on his freckled face. Only then did the king realize that he had dropped to his knees, while holding his aching head in his hands. "Are you okay?", asked Sinbad's adviser, gently placing a hand on his king's shoulder. "Yes. Thank you.", he replied. When he started to get up, the air around them began to flicker. Behind the two men, who crouched on the ground, Yamraiha gasped in surprise and pointed to the vulcan, which was directly in their line of sight. "Look, an incredible number of rukh currently gathering there.", she cried. When the men followed her gaze, they were surprised to find that even they were able to recognize the amount of golden birds that were now moving directly towards them. Like a small flock of dancing fairies, they flew around them excitedly when a male voice suddenly sounded: "Reader of the waves, why did you come?"

"Who is speaking? Show yourself!", Sinbad demanded to know as he looked around for the person who had spoken to him while his companions positioned around him in case they have to defend their king against an opponent. Directly in front of the group a tall, luminous figure manifested itself, hovering over the ground, dressed in wide priestly robes and golden armor. The top half of his face was covered by a golden helmet, which, however, had no slits for his eyes. Like rays of the sun, thin pointed bars framed the decorated helmet. Both his chest and forearms, which are flashing out from under his wide sleeves, were armored. The long golden staff that the figure held in his right hand was also shaped like a sun at the tip. The rukh excitedly circled the radiant figure who seemed to be looking down on them. "My name is Alexander. I am the keeper of the flow.", the man answered in an elevated tone, before repeating his question calmly:"So tell me reader of the waves, what is it you are looking for on the sacred grounds of Dalmasca?"

The appraised men looked disparagingly at the radiant figure who calls himself Alexander. Reluctantly, he put his hand in his pocket and took out the small turquoise crystal that had reached him a few weeks ago. "I'm looking for the girl who sent me this artifact.", he said truthfully. Silence spread between the two parties, while Alexander turned his attention to the magical object that rested in the hands of the king. "Then you're probably a few years too late. Fate has brought her back to the Rukh," the priest replied, watching Sinbad's posture become rigid. Struggling for words, Sinbad took a step towards the figure, who continued to float undeterred above the ground. Before the purple-haired man could open his mouth, however, Alexander began to speak again. "I have to say that I am surprised that you traveled to this island. After all, this path was closed to you several years ago, wasn't it? And yet here you are, trying to find something that vanished ages ago.", spoke Alexander completely unfazed, despite his testimony. "Nonetheless, I wonder what you'd give to reach her?"

The generals escaped a surprised murmur as Sinbad inhaled sharply. Thousands of thoughts shot through his head as he tried to process Alexander's question. "What do you mean by that?", asked the king suspiciously. A mild smile spread across the figure's lips. "Well, there may be one last way to bring the reader of waves and the listener of the flow together. But it will cost you a lot. Are you ready to pay that price?"

"Tell me what I have to pay?"

The grin that was on Alexander's lips continued to spread. "Well, on the one hand a fairly large amount of your magoi, but this will fill up again if you are able to fulfill this task.", he began to explain, but was interrupted by Ja'far: "Wait, what does it mean "if he fulfills this task"?"

"If he can get to her, before he run out of magoi. In that case he would loose his life.", Alexander answered as a matter of fact. At that, the companions of the king began to stiff, while Sinbad remained unfazed. "What else will it cost me?", asked the leader, who thoughtfully crossed his arms over his chest in a stubborn manner. He tried to appear calm, hoping that they wouldn't notice that his heart was pounding in his chest.

"What it would have cost you all the time. You know what it is! You saw it, didn't you?"

Sinbad immediately realized what Alexander was alluding to. He thought of the many times he had looked in her direction and the many times that he had hesitated because of what was always behind her: Disappearing paths that no longer wanted to open up to him.

Was he really ready to give up his clear view of his future paths? He concentrated on himself and considered what to do. He could go back and do what he had done before, but hadn't he decided to finally find answers? Salome had told him that he could overcome any hurdle and turn fate as he wanted it to be. Now, here he was standing and according to this figure had one last chance to reach out to her.

"I'm ready to give it up!", Sinbad answered firmly and looked up at Alexander with a challenging twinkle in his eyes. His generals, who could not quite follow, gasped and looked at their king in horror.

"Sinbad, are you sure? This is madness! You could die trying to reach someone, you didn't know. It doesn't seem like a good idea to me!", protested Ja'far, as he put a shaking hand on his kings upper arm. Sinbad, on the other hand, just threw a mischievous grin over his shoulder and raised his fist in the air. "I know what I'm doing, don't panic!"

While his generals were far from convinced, the hovering figure nodded contentedly and slowly raised his staff. "Very well.", he said before a glowing circle formed around the travelers. Before they could react, the surroundings flickered again, when the scenery suddenly changed.

They were shocked to find out that they had changed locations within a few seconds and were now on a ledge directly on the cliffs of the vulcan. Alexander hovered past them and pointed his Staff at the lava-covered wall. The tip lit up again when suddenly part of the wall melted away and revealed the entrance of a temple. The gates, on which an eight-pointed star surrounded by a circle was engraved in the stone, were closed. Slowly the priestly figure turned to the travelers and raised his free hand, palm facing up, in their direction. "I'll show you what happened, while we follow this way", he said monotonously, when suddenly many small lights began to float around the group. The surroundings flickered again when suddenly the sounds of footsteps running in their direction could be heard. Alerted, the four companions turned around and looked surprised at the translucent figures that were approaching them.

Rushed, a young couple ran up the stairs to the temple. A brown-haired boy pulled an equally brown-haired girl after him, while grabbing his sword with his free hand, which was attached to his belt. Sinbad and the others were shocked to find out that it was the same pair of siblings, which they saw in the turquoise crystal a few weeks ago. As they got closer they could see that they were being chased by a large dark figure.

"A black Djinn!", gasped Ja'far and reached in a reflex for his daggers, when the boy suddenly took a swing and pulled his sister in front of him with full force, before he let go of her. Stumbling forward, the girl landed panting on the floor in front of the group. Her translucent body turned as fast as she could to her brother, who stood protectively in front of her and pointed his sword towards the image of the dark Djinn.

"Sacra Ilumini," he shouted at the monster when suddenly a huge beam of light broke out of the tip of his sword and hit the Djinn in the middle of its chest.

"Malik! Salome!", came a familiar voice from behind those who were present when suddenly the blonde-haired priest, Kunar, hurried out of the temple. Other priests followed him and positioned themselves protectively around the siblings. Holding their staffs defensively in front of them, various spells sounded, which manifested the elements around them and successfully hitting the dark Djinn.

After they defeated it, Malik ran to his sister and hurriedly helped her up. "Hurry up, we have to get you inside the temple!", her brother urged, making a move to drag her after him. Salome resisted, however, and looked panicked towards the city.

"Malik, we can't just run away. We have to help them!", the girl pleaded and helplessly tore at her brother's arm, who roughly grabbed her by the shoulders. "You go to the temple now and follow those damn rukh. We have to get you to safety!", he snapped, trying to shake her mind awake."They're here because of you and I will not allow them to get their filthy hands on you. You can't do anything here, Salome!" He added desperately. "Then you have to go. Help Isaac to protect the residents. Please, Malik!", she pleaded and reached desperately onto her brother's collar. "No, I will stay with you and protect you! I am your household vessel I swore to protect you, sister"

The priests in the background became restless and indicated that they had to hurry. More dark Djinns made their way to the temple and destroyed everything that stood in their way. Salome's hands encircled her brother's face, who shook his head desperately.

"Listen to me! Malik, you have to listen to me. I want you to go to Isaac now and protect the people and I'll go with Kunar who accompanies me to the Sanctum. Do you understand me? You best protect me now doing what I'm asking you to do!", Salome whispered emphatically. Her watery eyes were fixated on her brother's. Malik shook his head slightly, his lips trembling in despair. "Malik... brother... please! I am going to be alright. I promise!", the young woman cried, grabbing her brothers cheeks more desperatly. Sobbing, he hugged his sister briefly before nodding reluctantly.

"All right!", he breathed as he pulled away from her. Kunar came up to her and grabbed Salome's arm to take her to the temple. Salome reached for her brother's hand one last time, while tears ran down her cheeks as their fingers finally separated and the two of them turned away from each other. While Malik, followed by some magicians, hurried down the stairs, Salome ran with Kunar, past Sinbad and his generals, and disappeared inside the temple.

Before Sinbad could register what he was doing, he hurriedly pushed open the gates to the church, not registering how the octagonal circle lightned up briefly, before he rushed to the front hall. Small lights hovered there in the air as well, illuminating the half-decayed hall. The furniture, dusty and destroyed, lay scattered around the room with a stone layer covering the top of it. Some of the corridors had been collapsed and were no longer accessible, but the scariest were the equally petrified figures, who looks like fighting magicians. Some wore the temple's priestly robes, while others looked more ragged. In the middle of the room even a dark Djinn knelt, petrified, which seemed to have reached for a priest, before it got cought in a spell which seemed to have turned everyone into stone. "What a sight!", gasped Yamraiha, who followed her king inside. "There are so many rukh flying around here.", she remarked as she carefully stepped closer to one of the stone-figures. "Are they real people? What powerful spell has turned them all into stone and who would have used this?", she asked aloud as she went through various formulas in her head. Ja'far and Masrur followed their king deeper inside the hall and looked around tensly when suddenly the surroundings flickered again and translucent figures began to fight around them. Kunar and Salome hurried across the hall when a blast suddenly took them off their feet. Two magicians wrapped in dark robes came hurrying towards them while they chanted another spell to fire them in Kunar's direction. However, he skillfully fended them of with wind magic while grinning mischievously at his opponents.

"That was cute. You can't do more?", the young priest provoked and stood protectively in front of Salome and held out a hand to push her further in the direction of a corridor. Salome hesitated briefly, but was led by an unknown priest to continue walking.

"Go, my dear. I'll be right behind you!", he said reassuringly to the girl, who was slowly starting to walk on. When she reached the corridor, Kunar nodded to his fellow priest, who nodded back resolutely, before he brought the entrance to collapse with a chanted spell. The last thing they could see from Salome was how she reached horrified towards the entrance, before the debris blocked the view of her.

Sinbad and his companions turned to the collapsed corridor in which Salome had disappeared. Infront of the rubble they discovered a person that they had seen just a few seconds ago. With wild curly hair and in his priestly robes, he knelt on the floor, one hand down in front of him while the other firmly held the staff over his head. Five opponents opposed him, their staffs dangerously aiming at him. Masrur leaned forward and brushed the dust around the holy magician aside, revealing how the structure of the rock around him had changed. Behind him the floor seemed to have its original sand-colored structure, while everything from Kunar's body was layered in a darker colored stone, pervading the whole room.

"I would say we found the magician who knew such a spell.", murmured Sinbad, who had approached Masrur to see what he had discovered. However, the king quickly averted his gaze upon the man and turned to the collapsed corridor again, thinking about how they could get the stones aside without causing more to collapse.

As if on cue, Alexander floated past them, pointed his staff at the rubble, which all of a sudden started to move slowly until the stones started to put themselves together. The entrance to the corridor was rebuilt on its own like a puzzle that solves itself, revealing a well-preserved passage. Impressed and speechless, the travelers watched the priestly spirit completing his spell, before he turned his body to them: "Follow this corridor and go down the stairs to the sanctum.", the spirit said to Sinbad, before he disposed himself into small, fading lights.

"I still don't have a good feeling about it.", Ja'far murmured while peering into the dark hallway. Masrur and Yamraiha were silent, but seemed to quietly agree with him. "What motivates you to follow the path, Sin? Is this about what the girl had said to you? She could have lied, Sin. There can be no such thing as couples that are destined to be together.", said Ja'far, looking for betraying emotions in Sinbad's features.

His expression, however, remained largely unaffected as he started to enter the hall. Concentrated, he took one step after another, taking his time to respond to his advisor's statement: "You have to admit that what she had said was in any way very accurate. You really believe that she could have lied?", Sinbad asked rhetorically, already knowing that everything Salome had said to him was absolutely correct.

'You saw it, didn't you? Those lines? But you decided not to follow them.', her voice echoed in his ears. How many times had he listened to her words the last few weeks, wondering if he could have gone his way with her by his side.

"No, I don't really think she lied. How could she have? She talked about things that happened in the future, but you've been behaving abnormally since you first saw this message. Since when have you been chasing a girl? I mean seriously chasing? What do you do when you find her?", Ja'far asked curiously as he followed his king into the corridor like the rest of the group.

Sinbad stopped abruptly in his tracks, registering his adivisor's question. Ja'far was right, what would he do if he found her? What did he want from her? If he was honest, he didn't really know what to do. All he was doing was following a feeling that had troubled him for ages. His heart always had been racing faster when he saw her, even if he only saw an image of her. But what should he do with this information? Shaking off his thoughts, he put a hand on the back of his neck and turned to grin at his friends.

"I guess I'll find out when I find her!" He laughed and received a collective sigh from his generals.

It had taken an eternity to reach the end of the corridor. The deeper they descended, the more sultry the air became, but there were no obstacles in their way until they reached a closed door at the end of their path. Like the entrance to the temple, it was engraved with an eight-pointed star.

"This is the same sign that also rests on the Djinn vessels!", Ja'far commented thoughtfully. Sinbad's hand passed unconsciously over the sword, in which Baal resided, before he pressed his hands firmly against the door. The rukh gathered around Sinbad as he slowly opened the room and revealed another darkened hall.

It also showed slight traces of the devastation, but not nearly as much as the rest of Dalmasca. A faint light shone far above the room, but it was impossible to see the ceiling from where they stood. When Sinbad and his companions entered the room, white lights began to light up again and hover around them. On the floor were some skeletons dressed in rotted robes, all of them were facing the stone stairs, which led up in the middle of the room. Without thinking further ahead, Sinbad climbed up the stairs, followed by the lights. These were floating in the room and gently illuminating the walls, which were provided with golden letters.

"Incredible! T-That is Torran!" Yamraiha gasped, trying to get as close to the walls as possible without falling off the steps. The others also came closer and were overwhelmed by what was revealed before them.

Sinbad quickly turned away again. Attracted by the dim light that seemed to glow at the bottom of the stairs. The others had not noticed how their king ventured further up until his steps got more briskly the higher he climbed the steps.

Once at the top, Sinbad exhaled deeply and let himself process what he saw in front of him. The glow that he had perceived seemed to have come from some sort of floating crack that flickered softly. As Sinbad took a step to take a closer look at the phenomenon, the air vibrated around him. The rukh that had followed him, danced around him before rising to move around a manifesting figure. The shining spirit that had introduced himself as Alexander appeared once more before Sinbad. But this time he looked much bigger and his skin, which had previously looked pale, had now taken on a blue shade.

"I am Alexander, Djinn of preservation and alteration. The power of light rests in my staff, with which I can shape time and space itself.", echoed Alexander's powerful voice through the hall. "Tell me, Reader of the waves, are you ready to cross the veil to bring my royal candidate to you? Are you ready to pay the price?" Not particularly surprised at this turn of events, Sinbad looked up at the Djnn and replied: "Yes. I am ready." Nodding contentedly, Alexander pointed his staff at the crack in the atmosphere and indicated that he should go through.

"Go, King Sinbad. But keep in mind that there is already a version of you wherever you go. You must not linger. Get the girl and take her to your time!", the Djinn explained before he vanished again.

Sinbad resolutely turned back to the veil and crossed it without hesitation. Before the world darkened around him, he felt how his magoi was brutally withdrawn. Behind him he heard the hurried steps of his companions, who called out to him in panic.

"Sin!"

---In the sanctuary of the temple - 7 years prior---

Panting, Salome sank down in front of the steps of the platform. Her whole body trembled like aspen leaves, so much that she had the feeling that she could not go one step further without buckling again. The remaining priests hurried about, drawing chalk marks on the floor while others barricaded the gate. As she crouched there, looking up the stairs, exhausted, an infinite number of thoughts went through her head.

Was her brother okay? Had he reached Isaac and was now protecting the helpless residents together with the others? Why had Kunar lied to her? He had promised to come with her and now he was fighting in the entrance hall. As if to underline this thought, the walls rumbled above them as if there had been a major explosion. "Malik... Kunar ... Isaac." Salome sobbed softly as she wiped the tears away with dusty fingers. An incredible number of minor injurys adorned her body and her dress was mostly tattered, while her entire body seems to be covered with a layer of dust.

"Lady Salome, everything is ready. We will now start the ritual to cause the volcano to erupt, thereby sealing the temple." said the priest, who had led her to the sanctuary. "This may be your death sentence. You should all have left when you had the chance. Why are you ready to give up your life in such a cruel way?", Salome breathed blankly. "It is our duty to protect King Solomon's legacy.", the priest said resolutely, leaning forward to carefully help her standing back on her feet. The thought of being locked up in the stuffy sanctuary send a cold feeling down her spine, but at that moment she didn't want to think of herself, but of all those who sacrificed their lifes just to protect this place and her legacy. They all just did that for her, but what is it that she should do now? Waiting for death to get her? No! She had to do something. Anything. If she were to give up here in this hall, wouldn't everything have been in vain?

After the priest made sure that she was no longer going to collapse to the ground, he patted her gently on the shoulder, before setting out to take up his position. Salome scanned the people one last time as her fingers unconsciously brushed the bracelet on her wrist. The rukh comfortingly circled around her, while chirping softly in her ear before they flew up the stairs, suggesting her to follow them.

"Alright. You brought me here, so I just keep going with the flow!", she breathed a little more confident. Slowly she climbed one level at a time, leaving the priests on the lowest ground. Halfway up to the podium, the eight-pointed star on her jewelry that was adorned to her wrist suddenly flashed.

"A-Alexander?" She whispered, standing still.

"The time has come, go forth, my king's vessel!", spoke a deep voice in her head, as white lights suddenly flashed like fireflies around her. The Rukh delighted with the light magic, danced around the golden specks, while whispering softly Alexander's name.

Nodding awestruck, Salome climbed the last steps until she reached the platform, waiting for his instructions. "Now, search for the words in the depths of your soul and summon my power, Salome!", ordered the Djinn. Taking a deep breath, Salome turned to the steps and humbly knelt on the floor as she wrapped her fingers in a prayer. From up there, the priests' incantations sounded far away and surreal. It was surprisingly easy for her to fading them out of her mind, to concentrate on her innermost.

For a brief moment she thought again of her loved ones, who were fighting a war out there. She thought of the sacrifices they took upon them, in hope of protecting her. Then her mind wandered to the man she had sent a message to a few days ago. She imagined herself to actually meet him. Even if it would be only once just to see what kind of person he would be.

No, she wouldn't give up now. Too many people were fighting for her. Furthermore she still wanted to experience so much. Today she would not give her life just so that the rulers of the black rukh would not get her. Salome closed her eyes resolutely before summoning Alexander's powers:"Djinn of preservation and alteration. You who represents the beginning and the end of time. Hear my prayer and bless me with your strength. Show me the way into the light, to escape the dark! Aid me, Alexander!"

A glowing veil enveloped the kneeling girl as she kept her eyes shut tight. The atmosphere around her flickered loudly as the rukh cheered her on. They chirped so loudly that she could no longer hear the magicians on the lower level. It was like the time had stood still, but at the same time it felt like she had been kneeling there for an eternity. Her tears had dried on her cheeks, leaving traces on her dusty skin. Even the occasional rumble of fighting above her head sounded far away and slowed down, when suddenly warm long fingers closed over hers.

Surprised, Salome opened her eyes and stared straight into golden ones. She looked speechlessly at the man who was kneeling in front her. A big smile was gracing over his full lips. His long purple hair was tied at the back of his neck and flailed in long strands over his silken garments. Tons of jewelry adorned his body, making low-pitched noises when they bumped into each other. The little golden birds that flutter wildly around them whispered his names in love: "Reader of the waves" "King of the seven seas" "Sinbad"

Perplexed, she examined every detail of his face as her trembling lips opened slightly. His grin turned soft as he watched with how many emotions she was staring up at him. His thumbs ran gently over her intertwined hands, elicting tingling sensations. "Are you real?", she whimpered as new tears rose in her tired eyes. Nodding, he pulled her hands to his lips and pressed them briefly against him, causing goosebumps on their forearms.

"I'm sorry that I'm so late. But there was this girl who had to send me a message first to show what a fool I was.", he explained playfully as he lowered her hands again. Sobbing, she had loosened her hands from his grip to put them on his cheeks, while she trembled.

"You came.", she stated astonished, while running her fingers over his tense jaw as if to confirm herself that he was truly real. "Yes.", he replied, roaming his hands over her arms, hardly believing that she was actually kneeling in front of him. Trusting, she wrapped her arms around Sinbad's neck and sobbed, pressing her face into his clothes as she breathed in shakily. His arms wrapped around her back and under her legs, ready to lift her into his arms.

"I'm going to take you with me now!", announced the King of Sindria as he slowly got up with her in his grip. Nodding, she pressed herself closer to his chest, knowing that she was finally safe now.

 "Are you alright, Sin?", Ja'far asked after a while, now a little worried. Nodding, Sinbad stretched out before looking at the younger man inquiringly. "Honestly, I would like to go to sail this morning. Please delete my plans until noon, Ja'far", Sinbad replied as he rubbed the last breadcrumbs from his fingertips. Ja'far began to protest, when his king raised abruptly, ignoring his younger friend. "Well, then," Sinbad said, as he nodded his farewell, before leaving behind a bunch of confused generals. 

"Whats wrong with him?", Pisti asked, looking curiously at Sinbad's departing figure. Sharrkan shrugged his shoulders before starting to guess, while Masrur silently drank from his water filled goblet as if he didn't care about Sinbad's strange behavior. "No idea, maybe he didn't get laid yesterday after all" "Let him, guys. Maybe he just needs some rest. The last few days had been exhausting", Hinahoho added, receiving a general concordance.

There was something that draws him to the sea today

Not far from the shore of the island, a small sailboat drifted on the quiet southern waters. Leaning against the mast, Sinbad looked over the reflecting surface of the sea, watching as the sun slowly climbed up the sky. 

The calm atmosphere was like balm for his overworked soul. The last few days felt heavy in his bones, but he was satisfied nontheless. Sindria was still young, but so far the country has prospered, proving that the hard work has paid off. His people were happy and motivated to contribute their part to their society. He couldn't have been prouder. However, for some time he felt more and more that something was missing. His days became quieter now that he was driving less to sea. As king, he now resided most of his time in his palace. He had achieved one of his greatest goals. But here he was, as he had been so many times before, focusing on the waves that revealed themselves in front of his inner eye, asking himself where to go.

Carefully, he followed every single strand, looking at the faces he would encounter along the way, just to discover again with a dull pain that lingers in his heart, that certain paths, that had been lost to him in the past, were no longer available. Although he questioned some of his past decisions, he had successfully talked himself over the years that those losses had been necessary to archive his goals. He had got his hands dirty many times before, while already knowing, that he wouldn't have done it for the last time. With each passing day, he became a little more cunning, a little more sophisticated, a little more manipulative... trades he had loathed in others as a teenager. But politics and life experiences changed a human being over the time. He had started to accept this a long time ago.

He was no longer the man he once was

Sighing, Sinbad blinked as he became more aware of his surroundings. With cracking bones, he rose before stretching himself extensively. "I should return to the castle", he muttered to himself as he tried to reach for one of the ropes to get the sails up, when something shiny caught his attention. 

Curiously, he approached the edge of the boat and looked into the clear light blue water. There! Beneath him floated a small round object. Not thinking about it for long, Sinbad pulled his tunic over his head and jumped headfirst into the cool water. With a few skillful movements, he dived to the bottom of the sea, reaching for the round crystal, catching it. Gasping for air, after he broke through the surface of the water, he climbed back into the boat with the mysterious ball in one of his hands. As he slowly settled on the ground and shoved some wet strands out of his face, his gaze wandered to his newly discovered treasure. Surprised, he noticed some Rukh gathering around the object, as they circled it joyfully. Strangely reverently, Sinbad lifted the turquoise crystal in the direction of the sun, while he watched as the sunlight broke on the reflecting surface staining its surroundings with rainbow-colored flecks of light. "Is this a magical object?, he asks himself as he slowly scrubbed over the crystal with his thumb. He then decided to ask Yamraiha, if she could investigate the subject.

Why did his heart start to flutter while looking at the shiny crystal?

The day slowly turned towards the evening, when Sinbad was finally able to sit back into his throne in a relaxed manner. Ja'far was just escorting the last guest registered for today out of the hall, when Yamraiha stormed in. 

Overly excited, she ran towards her king and held the magical object right under his nose, which he had discovered while he had been sailing in the morning. "Looks like you've found something out, Yam", Sinbad said, amused as he watched how she struggled with her words out of excitement. "Sin... This is- This!", she tried to say, blushing furiously. "Cat got your tongue, Yam? Maybe you shouldn't always stick your nose into old dusty books, so you can learn to talk properly to other people", Sharrkan's voice rang out behind them as he entered the hall, followed by the rest of the generals. Yamraiha threw a nasty glance at to the master of swords, but did not pay any further attention to him, as she turned back to Sinbad. "Sin, you were right, This thing is a magical object. I- I've never seen anything like this before", she explained, while she blushed out of excitment again. "Well, is it dangerous?" Sinbad asked curious as his gaze fixated on the object in her trembling hands. "No! No, not at all. It's just. Well... eh", the blue haired magician rambled, before she held it up to him. "You need to let your Magoi flow into the object to activate it", she mumbled, averting her eyes unusually nervous."You are acting weird, Yam. Are you all right?, her king asked with raised eyebrows, as he received the shining, glassy artifact. "Y-Yes just do it, please" Confused, his gaze wandered from her to the cool object in his hands. Trusting his general, he began to summon his magoi and let it flow into the crystal. 

Shortly thereafter, the ball began to glow, while thousands of small specks of light exited from beneath the glass. Slowly they slipped through his fingers and spread throughout the room. The surrounding air began to flicker quietly when suddenly part of the room in front of the king blurred, while the hall was replaced by another scenery. Before his eyes appeared the image of a market street. The typically busy sounds of people trying to do their shopping, echoed in the room while images of unknown people moving through the space. "What the hell?", Sharrkan called out and dodged a woman whose boneless body simply passed through Masrur, as if he was the one that did not exist.

"It's like someone had captured a moment or a memory and stored it into that crystal," Yamraiha explained as she demonstratively drove her hand through the scaffolding of a market stall. Interested, Sinbad leaned forward and looked at his new surroundings, when suddenly a figure appeared next to him, strolling in front of him with a grin. The young man looked in his mid-20s, with blond curly hair that fell wildly into his forehead. His wide orange and sand colored robes reminiscent of a scholar, shifted as he casually leaned against the metal rod in his hands. But what really attracted Sinbads attention was the amulet that the man wore openly around his neck. It had the shape of an eight-pointed star enclosed in a circle of gold. "Well? Does it work, Isaac?", the blonde man asked, as he looked in Sinbad's direction. Surprised, the king leaned back into his throne unaware of how to react, when a bodyless voice rang out around him. "Seems like it. We'll have to look at the results later", said the other males voice. "You're really awesome, man," the blonde praised as he curiously bent closer to Sinbad and looked at the object in his hands. Then the purple haired king realized that the other person had to hold the turquoise ball, just as he was doing. Suddenly, an arm shot into the picture and pushed the scholar out of the way. "Get out of the picture, Kunar! No one wants to see your stupid face," the voice roared, before the environment began to move slowly forward, signaling that the bearer of the magical artifact seemed to walk. Slowly, they strolled past the individual richly filled stalls. Colorful fabrics, Mediterranean fruits, spices and other goods were laid out on the counters, while interested buyers flocked to the shops. Sinbad had never seen this place before, but the architecture reminded him slightly of Balbadd. "You're an ass, you know that? Hey, don't you listen to me? Don't ignore me, you moron!" sounded Kunar's voice from the side. His companion, however, simply remained silent and continued his way until a large square opened up in front of them.

 Here, where the houses were no longer close to the roadside, it was recognizable that the city seemed to be located in a valley. Far away, one could see the schemes of a high mountain in which a building seemed to have been incorporated. "Wow, amazing", Pisti squealed, while she looked enthusiastically at her surroundings. The large spacious market square was surrounded by more stalls. In the middle was an ornate well, which pumped clear water into the air. Some children laughed, running around the fountain, playing catch, while the adults went about their business. The blonde men, Kunar, ran back into the view and pointed grinning at something outside the shot. "Oi, look who we have there, if that's not our favorite pair of siblings!" he said, raising his hand in greeting. The image panned slightly to the side and fixed on a group of children who had gathered around two youths. A brown-haired boy, whose hair was tied together into a ponytail, noticed Kunar and Isaac and also raised his hand to salute. The other person, a girl, who was mostly covered by the boy, crouched in front of one of the children and gently stroked through it's hair. As the two men approached the newcomers, the young brunette stepped aside and revealed the girl's profile. Sinbad's breath stopped as he watched her brown braided hair fall over her slim shoulder. Realizing that he knows those features, he watched with a wildly beating heart as the girl stood up, slowly turning to him. Turquoise eyes seemed to be looking at him as a gentle smile spread on her lips.

There she stood. Seven years later.

"Good afternoon," she greeted the two men as she folded her hands in front of her body. Mesmerized, Sinbad looked at the girl in front of him, while losing his sense of reality. Thousands of thoughts shot through the young king's head. How could this be possible? This could not be true. It's been years since he saw her image for the last time. Years since she disappeared and here she stood and smiled in his direction as if she were actually standing in front of him. It was her, right? Yes, he had no doubts about it. She was the girl whose paths had always faded behind her. The girl he wanted to met in person, but had never dared to do so for fear of what she would've triggered in him.

His mouth dried, as he recorded every detail that this scene had to offer him. A basket filled with various flowers hung in the bend of her arm. The hem of her rose-colored dress swayed playfully around her ankles as she took a few steps towards him. Some strands had detached from her braid and framed her face in windswept curls. Her eyes captured the light of the midday sun and reminded him strongly of the magical object, which he clasped in his hands. She was the most beautiful young woman he had ever seen. 

As her glowing gaze turned away from him to greet Kunar as well, Sinbad realized again that it was not him she had approached. "What are you doing?", she asked curiously, while his brother stepped next to her with interest shining in his eyes. Sinbad barely listening as the blonde man explained how his companion wanted to try out his new toy, before Isaac took the opportunity to explain how the object worked. The king was too enchanted by the presence of the girl. Her melodic laugh ripped him out of his trance while she bent in amazement to take a closer look at the crystal. Carefully, she stretched her fingers in Sinbad's direction, letting them pass over his fingers, or rather over the object in his hands. With his breath stagnant, he had to painfully realize that he had expected the feeling of a touch, which naturally didn't happen. She wasn't really there. This was just a recording of her. 

"A mixture of light and sound magic? This is truly amazing!", she breathed as she stood upright again. For a moment, her gaze became absent as she lifted her face to the side and appeared to listen to something only she could hear. None of those present seemed to find this gesture strange as they continued to talk until she turned to Isaac again and pointed at the object with slightly blushing cheeks. "Uh... may I....may I borrow the crystal for a while, Isaac?" the brunette asked nervously while her two visible companions looked at her curiously. For a moment, all parties remained silent as the girl insecurely pressed her fingertips together. "Of course, Salome. You can have it", Isaac replied in a calm voice, before the image began to flicker and the scenery disappeared.

Her name was Salome.

Silence spread in the room for a few moments, before Yamraiha's tentative voice broke through it. "T-There's more to come," she breathed, embarrassed, as she stealthily squinted at her king, who still looked forward in a captivated way. 

Once again, the surroundings flickered before a new scenery was built up in front of them. The outlines of a bedroom began to materialize. In one corner was a large four-poster bed adorned with colorful silky fabrics. On the shelves of the tables and cupboards stood several vases filled with various flowers, while in the background a balcony door stood open and let in a light breeze that made the curtains swing. The vision of the brunette girl appeared, squatting in front of Sinbad. Her fingers hovered over the turquoise ball as she made sure it was doing its purpose. 

The young king swallowed heavily, as he watched her retreat and slowly sinking to the ground on a pillow in front of him. As she angled her legs to her side, she took her time to place her skirts in a neatly order. Nervous she bit down on her lower lip as she slowly lifted her gaze and stared straight up to Sinbad. Silence reigned for a few seconds, which was so overwhelming that it could've been cut through with a knife. His heartbeat drummed so loudly in his ears that he thought that everyone in this room could've heard it. "W-Well... Hello, uh", the girl began to speak, as she put her hands flat on her lap. "When you see this, y-you... well, then you're probably already king, aren't you?", she breathed as she closed her eyes for a moment, as she pulled her eyebrows together, over-thinking her question. 

A surprised uproar came from the generals, while Sinbad bent over in a spell. "Yes... Well, congratulations on making it, I think. Your own kingdom. What do they call it again?", Salome asked, with a thin smile on her lips, while she seemed to focus on something in front of her. "Sindria?" "What the actual f-", Sharrkan gasped as Sinbad raised a hand to indicate him to be quiet. 

"Uh, wait, maybe I should explain that? I know about it, because the Rukh told me about you. I can hear them, you know?", the brown-haired girl began to explain as she thoughtfully placed a hand under her chin. Some thin gold bangles she wore on her wrist limped against a wider one as she moved. "I don't know exactly how it works. I am not a magician, but the priests as well as the rukh's themselves said that it is King Solomon's will that I was blessed with this ability", Salome spoke, as she shrugged her shoulders. "Since I was a child, they told me that at some point of my life, I will meet the new singularity. The rukh said that Solomon wishes for me to aid him at some point... The reader of the waves... I don't know why, but deep inside I knew that they were right. Well... at least that King Solomon wished for this link to happen", she breathed as she gazed to the side. For a moment she remained silent, thinking about how to proceed. 

The next words, which came from her lips, stabbed him deeply in his heart. "While time elapsed I realized...You didn't want to meet me. You... Uh..You saw it, didn't you? Those lines? But you decided not to follow them. I w-... well...", she hesitated a moment, before she proceeded again: "It's fine. I think I can understand it...", she continued to speak as she sadly lowered her gaze. Trembling, she clawed her fingers into the fabric of her rose-colored dress. Her thin voice echoed through the room. With each word, it felt as if a sharp knife was being pushed into his chest. But why? Why did he feel so lost when he listened to the words that this girl spoke?

"I mean, why should the man who held fate in his hands, let himself be influenced by it? The rukh said that the reader of the waves can choose his own path, that he is able to bend fate to his will. But even if he can see the path as well as the people he is going to meet on its route, he cannot predict what will happen along the way", Salome said admiringly but with a sad undertone as she looked up as if to gaze at Sinbad again. "For someone who experienced such freedom, this strange  connection we share must be feeling like chains, am I right?", she asked the space above the crystal, while she waited in vain for an answer. With a glassy look, she abruptly whispered, "I wish I could have seen you at least once" His lips trembled as he registered her words. "It's kind of ironic, isn't it? I've been told so much about you. Who you are. Who you are going to be. What... you are going to accomplish. But I don't know what you look like. And you... who can see the people in front of his inner eye, those who might cross his path, certainly saw me standing there and yet... you just don't know anything about me."

Like two sides of a coin

Someone could've heard a pin dropping on the floor, as the people paused their breaths, not daring to make a noise, while they listened to the young girl's speech. Shocked, the king's generals looked back and forth between Sinbad and the person sitting in front of him, when a sobbing breath broke the silence. Desolate, Salome hided her face behind loose brown strands. Her body began to tremble as she tried to suppress her tears. Torn inside, Sinbad reached out to her, just to grasp into the void.

"I-I am sorry", she sobbed, annoyed by her own tears. "You've experienced so many bad things. You've lost so many people, haven't you? I-I just wish I could have been with you, at least to tell you that everything will be fine. I wish I had the chance to-," she pressed, unable to control her breath. Desperately, she rubbed her eyes with her palms as she tried to keep talking: "But I can't leave Dalmasca. I can't just come to you. We both should have wanted it. The priests wouldn't just let me go. Not if Solomon's writings say that you have to come for me! To prove that your feelings are honest", She cried bitterly as she rubbed her wrist wildly across her cheeks. Sinbad, who could no longer bear the sight of the crying girl, turned his gaze away. Her words shook him to the marrow of his bones. Regret spread in him like acid as he frantically tried to keep a cool head. The words she spoke put the generals in shame, knowing full well that these lines were intended only for their king to hear, but Sinbad did not even seem to register this, as captivated as he listened to the girl. Deep breathing, Salome tried to calm down again.

"B-But please, you don't have do regret anything. You've made your decisions and that's fine. You're going to take it very far. I know that!" she breathed, now a little more calmly. Slowly, she raised her gaze again. Her eyes still shone from the tears she had cried, but there were none that formed in the corners of her eyes any further. Carefully, she raised her hands in front of her chest, folding her fingers, a gesture he strangely knew was typical of her. "You know, just recently the rukh whispered to me that you are on your way to the dark continent. I wonder what you're going to experience there. Did you already find a way to shape your kingdom?", she said, a smile on her lips. "You will go your path and no matter what comes, the rukh will accompany you," she tried to assure him. Hesitantly, she straightened up a little, as her fingers reached out to the crystal in his trembling hands. "I wish I 've had the chance to look into your eyes, just once. Just to tell you that you should remain true to yourself. Please... Please stay on the bright side, okay? You are powerful. There will be people out there who want to take advantage of this. You can shape fate according to your will. But watch out, never let yourself be misted by it. Arrogance comes before the fall, so... please take care of yourself!", Salome whispered emphatically. Her fingers that rested on the object looked as if she had placed them in his hands. 

As if she knew instinctively where she had to look, her turquoise eyes looked imploringly into his golden ones, begging him to listen. Sinbad swallowed heavily and nodded as if she could actually see his answer. They remained in this position for a brief moment, when the noise of a knock against a door ripped Salome out of her stupor. 

"Salome, are you in there?" a muted voice pierced through the wood, as the girl hurriedly fumbled around the crystal. "Yes, one moment, please," she shouted, before her image suddenly disappeared. The tiny lights flickered, as they slowly flowed back into the magical object. 

Depressed silence spread through the room, as everyone tried to comprehend what they had all seen. None of the generals dared to say anything when Sinbad slowly let himself sink into his throne, intensely looking at the treasure that rested in his hands. Breathing loudly, the king opened his lips: "Where is Dalmasca located?", he asked. When none of the generals answered, he looked up to them. Spartos, who hadn't said anything until then, moved slowly. "The island of Dalmasca is somewhere in the southern sea between Kou and Balbadd, but..." replied the red-haired knight haltingly. Sinbad's eyebrows raised inquiringly:"But?" Spartos seemed to be searching for the right words when suddenly his visor proceeded:"Sinbad, Dalmasca was the island on which the Vulcan erupted inexplicable a few years ago. There is nothing but ruins to find," Ja'far said, with a sympathetic gaze on his facial features. An awkward silence spread in the hall as Sinbad turned his pained gaze away, looking out of the windows. His fingers dug into the armrests of his throne as he squeezed his jaw together. Suddenly, the king's facial expression changed, rousing resolutely.