Greetings and happy holidays to all! I come with well wishes and new chapters to bring joy to 2023 and take you into 2024.
This story has been my earliest favourite and there is still a lot of writing to give. I hope you will continue to enjoy this story. Recently I've started playing around with alternate endings and different paths.
Hope you enjoy!
When Sakura bid farewell to Sinbad, she couldn't shake off the lingering unease that settled within her. His parting words had left her feeling somewhat threatened as if he knew something she didn't. There was an unmistakable certainty in Sinbad's voice, a promise that they would cross paths again. The more she replayed his words in her mind, the less she wanted to rush over to him. Her instincts urged her to stay cautious.
Observing Sinbad, Mystras, and Ja'far from a hidden vantage point, Sakura couldn't help but notice how seemingly at ease they appeared in this canyon that held them captive. They ate their cooked snakes with contented smiles, seemingly adapting to their confinement. Sakura found herself torn between admiration for their resilience and concern that they had forsaken their original mission to come to this mysterious country.
As nightfall descended, Sakura saw her opportunity to rescue them. Landing near the fire, she crept towards the entrance of the hut. Nighttime provided the perfect cover for their escape, as the giant birds that roamed the skies were absent of their riders during these hours. She planned to whisk Sinbad and the others away from the valley before the queen even realized they were gone.
Her plan, however, was interrupted by a soft chuckle in the shadows. Sakura's eyes met a pair of mesmerizing golden orbs, and her breath caught in her throat. "Sinbad," she uttered softly, her emotions a mixture of relief and frustration.
Sinbad stood there, his arms crossed over his chest, and a simple leaf tied around his…..that barely left anything to the imagination. Sakura couldn't help but feel flustered and quickly scolded herself for being so easily swayed.
"Nice to see you too," he retorted, his voice laced with amusement.
Composing herself, Sakura spoke with a mixture of concern and reproach. "What were you thinking? I mean, honestly, the queen—"
Sinbad silenced her with a finger pressed gently against his lips, causing her to halt mid-sentence. He took a step closer, but Sakura, slightly taken aback by his almost-naked state, stumbled back and raised a hand in protest. "Not another step!"
His smile remained sly as he replied, "I thought you were here to rescue us?"
Sakura felt her cheeks flush with irritation. "I am, but that doesn't mean—Wait a minute…" Suddenly, realization dawned on her, and she confronted him. "How did you know I was—"
"I knew all along," Sinbad interjected, his grin widening. "Before I was even dropped into that valley."
Sakura's surprise turned to a mix of curiosity and skepticism. "You knew? But how?"
When Sinbad, Ja'far, Hinahoho, and Mystras went to see the queen they did not get the greeting they were expecting. Queen Mira was very disappointed in discovering they were all men and in an attempt to reverse the situation and avoid being turned away Sinbad walked up to the queen ignoring the horrified gasps from his comrades as he made his way up to the queen.
"I will not betray you." Sinbad said walking closer "For the country and its majesty, I want to use all my strength."
Bold, Sinbad took the queen one hand in his and placed his other against the small of her back feeling her soft locks under his fingers. He gave her a charming smile.
"Believe in me, please. Your majesty."
The queen stared at him with a look of surprise on her face before she smirked her own "You have seduced many girls right?"
"I…" Sinbad trailed with a smile, he closed his eyes "I am different from other men."
"Oh? Interestingly enough my other guest said she had met men who were not like the rest. I thought to myself that time if I even thought I made such a discovery I would ask her opinion."
"Then will I be meeting this other guest?" Sinbad asked
"It looks like you're confused; you are not different from other men. It is not something you decide but me!" Mira stood up and held her spear's blade to Sinbad's neck grasping his wrist in a painful grip.
"Men love to do that." Mira gave a malicious grin "I will teach you. What happens when you disobey women."
All of the queen's guards came in, all women circling Ja'far, Hinahoho, and Mystras pointing their weapons at them.
Then Mira's staff started reacting to Sinbad's sword, the eight-pointed stars appearing and glowing on their metal vessels.
'This can't be…' Sinbad thought looking back at the Queen
Mira grinned and walked up to Sinbad "Well it seems you also have the power of a djinn. I did not think you were a user."
Reaching from behind him, the queen took Baal's metal vessel "It seems you're not just a talker. However, this does not change the fact that you have greatly offended me. Had you done things differently I would've had you meet my honoured guest." Mira whispered in Sinbad's ear "She's a dungeon conqueror as well."
"What?" Sinbad gasped, there was another dungeon capturer here?
"Three djinns and she's quite cute with that pink hair-unfortunately I would not want her to be exposed to a vile man like yourself."
"Pink hair-wait does that mean S-
"TAKE EVERYTHING FROM THEM."
Sakura smacked her forehead "So the queen did mention me….dammit-wait how did you know I was watching you?"
Sinbad raised an eyebrow at her "Well it just….let's assume I'm drawn to your presence. Call it destiny?"
She scoffed, "Aren't you a romantic,"
He winked, "Only for you,"
"And every other woman who meets your eye," She remarked chuckling.
He smiled, "Can I come over to you-
"No!" Sakura's face visibly flushed again, turning her head. "I'm going to go and get you some clothes, you wake up the other's,"
"Remind me to give you a reward for the save,"
"You staying out of trouble would be reward enough,"
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Flying over the terrain of Artemyra, Sakura's eyes caught a group of men gathered below. The society of Artemyra was an intriguing contrast to what she was accustomed to; a matriarchal order where women held sway over most aspects of life, while the men were entrusted with managing domestic affairs. It was a unique balance that seemed to work well, with both genders respecting and fulfilling their roles without complaint.
However, despite this division of labor, men still found their niches in various industries. One such task involved collecting precious gemstones from the canyon, the same canyon where Sinbad and his companions had been stranded. These men were responsible for retrieving the valuable resources left by the giant birds that frequented the area.
Sakura descended gracefully, her djinn equip allowing her to navigate the skies with ease. As she landed among the men, their initial shock at her sudden appearance was evident. These tough exteriors held a surprisingly timid demeanor when confronted with the unexpected.
"Hey there," Sakura greeted, a friendly smile gracing her lips. She could see the surprise lingering in their eyes, and she couldn't blame them. A foreign guest with strange abilities was a far cry from their usual routine.
"Goodness!" one of the men exclaimed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Isn't that the queen's honored guest?"
"I apologize for the intrusion, but I was hoping you could assist me with something."
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It had been a task simpler than Sakura anticipated to convince the men to provide her with clothes to bring back to the valley for her friends. Their respect for the queen's guest, combined with their curiosity about the unfolding events, had spurred them to offer their assistance willingly. After all, it wasn't every day that they encountered someone so closely associated with their queen. And generally, the men of Artemyra were more hospitable.
With a bag of clothes slung over her shoulder, Sakura returned to the valley under the cover of night. The silhouettes of Sinbad, Ja'far, and Mystras stood against the dim firelight. Their faces held a mixture of relief and anticipation as they spotted her approach.
"Sakura!" Ja'far's voice held genuine emotion as he greeted her.
"Hey, I'm here to get you guys out of this place," She extended the bag towards them, her expression a mixture of concern and resolve.
As the men hastily slipped into the clothes she had brought, Sakura turned away, allowing them a modicum of privacy. There was a subtle shift in the atmosphere, a sense of tension that only grew as the weight of their predicament settled upon them.
"So did Sinbad fill you in?" Sakura asked, her gaze flickering to Mystras who was adjusting the robe to fit his frame.
Mystras nodded, his gratitude evident in his tone. He actually appeared to be the most excited of the three, hurriedly shuffling through the fabric. "Yes, he explained the situation. So glad you're here to get us out of this mess! I thought I would never get to see-
He stopped himself and turned away with a bit of a blush on his face.
Sakura managed a small smile, acknowledging his words even as her frustration with Sinbad continued to simmer beneath the surface. She had come to their rescue despite her better judgment, and Sinbad's unflappable charm seemed to amplify her irritation.
"Yeah, sorry for the trouble, but you know Sinbad-" Ja'far began, her voice tinged with both exasperation and a touch of resignation.
Before she could finish her sentence, Sakura interjected "Don't worry, I know it's not your fault."
Sakura's gaze locked onto Sinbad who gave a wink and charming smile in return, her irritation battling with the odd fluttering in her chest. She turned away, masking her conflicting emotions. It was infuriating how he seemed to know that no matter what reckless situation he landed in, she would always be there to lend a hand if she could.
After the men had donned the makeshift clothes, Mystras looked to Sinbad, his question hanging in the air like a palpable tension. "What shall we do now?"
Sinbad's smirk held a mixture of mischief and determination as his gaze shifted towards Sakura. "I'm going to pay the queen a visit."
Sakura felt a surge of nervous energy, her apprehension about Sinbad's plan evident in her eyes. He offered her a confident smile, attempting to reassure her. "Relax, nothing will happen."
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Of course, by now they should've expected that this wasn't going to be a peaceful meeting. The moment Sinbad returned, he went to the castle to retrieve his metal vessels. He was certain that the queen would keep them close and he was correct. It didn't take long for things to escalate, and Sakura, Mystras, and Ja'far were watching as Sinbad and the queen flew out of the castle window, over Artemyra.
"Who saw this coming?" Sakura sighed, hands on her hips.
"He always does whatever the hell he wants," Ja'far said shaking his head.
Ja'far and Mystras looked up at the sky watching as Sinbad and the queen exchanged blows. Sinbad had gone ahead of them while they went to get their clothes and other belongings and search for Hinahoho but that was delayed when they both saw Sinbad and Mira flying through the air trying to subdue one another.
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First Sinbad was fighting the queen in Baal's form but when he realized that the lightning attacks from the two djinns would do nothing but cancel each other out leaving them at a standstill. Sinbad switched to Valefor's form, his eyes turned red and his hair became long and white, he had fox-like ears and several tails. There was a white piece of cloth that wrapped around his shoulder and his waist. There was not only a third eye on his forehead but one also in the palm of his hands.
"Another djinn equip?" asked the queen. "You think that trick will work on me? I've fought someone with three metal vessels and have held my own quite well, but she was different from you, far greater in many ways."
Sinbad couldn't help but smile "Ah, so Sakura fought against you, your majesty?"
Mira narrowed her eyes "You….how do you know of my honoured guest?"
"Sakura and I have a bit of history you might say," Sinbad said holding out his hands, something emitted from them that the queen took no note of.
"History? Well now, she did mention meeting certain men who were not like the rest-if she considered you to be one of them I'm afraid she misjudged. Perhaps you've seduced her into thinking that way yes? And here I thought she was a woman who would never bend to a man."
Mira sighed in disappointment "Honestly, in the end, you're just a typical man and I suppose she's just a typical woman."
Sinbad narrowed his eyes "Your Majesty shouldn't make brash assumptions about Sakura, especially in front of me."
Mira raised an eyebrow "Oh? Fine then let's return to the matter at hand. If you're not going to attack I will!"
She headed full speed towards Sinbad, readying her spear to pierce through his flesh but as she continued to swing Sinbad continued to evade her.
"What is that all you've got?"
Sinbad held out his hand "Garufor Zairu!"
Sakura flew top speed just in time to see Sinbad and Mira duking it out, Sinbad was in what appeared to be his second djinn equip. Then Sakura saw ice shards flying towards Mira but while she took them head on it seemed to not affect her. She then heard Mira explain to Sinbad the unique powers of her djinn that held three elements. Then she attacked, using her firepower, she sent Sinbad through the sky and to the ground.
"Sinbad!" Sakura exclaimed rushing towards him when a bolt of lightning appeared and unexpectedly hit her from behind, Sakura let out a small cry in pain and turned around clutching her arm to face the queen.
"So you know this man…." Mira narrowed her eyes. "And here I believed we were kindred spirits,"
Sakura glared back at the queen but didn't say anything, the cold air hitting her now raw flesh burned excruciatingly. "Sinbad is not like other men Your Highness, no matter how irresponsible, stupid, perverted, or-
"Okay, thank you, Sakura," Sinbad remarked from down below.
"The point is, I would never abandon someone who needs my help even if it's a man you despise." Sakura stated, "Sinbad's a lot more than he appears to be, he is not like other men but you are going to have to open your eyes to see the truth."
"You are such a disappointment," Mira then raised her staff, and flames in the form of three huge fox heads appeared heading straight for Sakura and Sinbad. "CERBERO JAIRU RANQUESA"
There was a huge explosion on impact, Mira looked down at the scorched part of the forest "My look at that, guess you were just like all the other men Sinbad."
Mira laughed but then she heard a voice behind her "It's a little early to celebrate your excellency,"
Turning around the queen saw Sinbad holding Sakura under one of his arms, completely unharmed.
"H-How are you still here?" she asked narrowing her eyes and trying to figure out how they both might have managed to survive an attack at that range.
Little did the queen know she had fallen victim to Valefor's true power, the djinn was able to do more than manipulate snow and ice and she was about to discover this the hard way.
Sakura peered through slanted eyes and looked at the queen, she then noticed how slow she was moving….she appeared almost still.
"What the-
"Stagnation," Sinbad said smirking
Sakura stared in shock; this was the first time she had seen Valefor's true power in action and she was very amazed, to say the least.
"That's….wow."
Sinbad's grin seemed to grow "You think?"
Sakura narrowed her eyes "I wouldn't be so impressed with myself if I were you. You wouldn't have gotten us into this situation in the first place if you just kept your mouth shut and hands to yourself."
Sinbad pouted "There's just no pleasing you,"
Mira frowned looking at them "You bastard, is running all you can do."
Holding up her staff she grinned wickedly "But you won't be able to escape this."
The two heads beside Mira began emitting lighting and ice from their mouths "Fire, lightning, and ice, the ultimate annihilation magic that combines all three elements. I'll turn you into ash!"
Sakura gasped as she watched the queen's body emit a powerful red light, she could also feel the immense power coming off of her. She had lost all patience and was intent on killing them now.
"Maximum magic! CERBERO KALB VOQUESA!"
Before Mira could unleash the attack however Sinbad appeared behind and gave her a light smack to her head causing her to spin around.
"Impossible!"
"You cannot do that, Your Excellency. You'll end up harming the very country you swore to protect."
Mira glared harder at Sinbad, her face twisted in anger and frustration as she tried to figure out how he had come up behind her so quickly
"Bastard! I refuse to be dictated to by a man!"
With that, she swung her spear at Sinbad and Sakura (who was still being kept firmly under Sinbad's arm) but they vanished and reappeared out of nowhere.
"Looking for me?" Sinbad asked in a mocking tone
'Impossible' Mira thought 'It-it's like…fighting someone from another dimension
Sakura felt slightly sorry for the queen as she watched her face contort in so much confusion while she continued to fight Sinbad. It was something she found similar to genjutsu but not quite at the same time.
Sinbad continued to evade the queen's attacks with ease, still unaware of the djinn power she was under and it was clear she believed that the reason she was losing was because Sinbad's power outmatched her own, yet Sakura was sure the queen might feel differently is she knew the truth behind Valefor's power.
'Same old Sinbad,' Sakura thought
"I prefer not to treat women this way," Sinbad said holding out his hand before he released his magic "Garufor Kirestal!"
Sakura watched as the queen was encased in ice from head to toe 'No way….'
'This is the first time a man….has ever defeated me,' Mira thought before closing her eyes
Sakura looked up at Sinbad who had a victorious smirk on his face as he looked down on her "Well this journey turned out to be very interesting wouldn't you say?"
Sakura frowned and shoved him away from her, she clenched her fists tightly so hard that they were shaking, and glared at Sinbad with so much rage he swore he could see the aura of anger around her.
"Sinbad….." Sakura trailed in a deadly tone causing him to wince and back away a bit
"Now hold on just a….
"YOU IDIOT"
There were the sounds of screams filled with pain and pummelling that echoed throughout all of Artemyra.
That's all for now but I am more than ready for 2024 and have plenty left to share. You can check out the full month's schedule on my Tumblr. And EARLY CHAPTERS are available for members.
Of course here's something to look forward to as well: SNEAK PEAK!
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS CHAPTER 20
"Running off again?"
With a small yelp, Sakura spun on her heel to come face to face-with Sinbad. She didn't say anything as she walked closer to her.
"I was just about to-
"Take off again without saying anything, yeah I got that."
She winced like she had been scorned.
"You remember what I said the last time right?" he asked now playing coy himself
Sakura took two steps back from him, she saw a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes knowing that she remembered their conversation from last night and that time in Sasan.
"You mean that empty threat about not letting me go if you saw me again?" she asked through clenched teeth.
Sinbad was many things but he was not one to make false threats or empty promises as far as she knew.
He laughed "Well yes but it was no threat nor was it empty, I meant every word."
"Sin-
Her voice was muffled as her mouth was sealed shut, her eyes were bulging, her mind unable to process anything, turning blank, her body felt light as if something was lifting her from the ground, and there was a warm bubbling inside her stomach that twisted into knots she couldn't untangle, she felt all the air leave her body while she stood as though petrified, frozen. She couldn't see anything other than gold and she couldn't feel anything aside from the arms wrapped around her, she didn't notice anything either-which was going to prove to be her downfall.
The gold began to vanish and she heard Sinbad murmur "See you soon,"
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