In the thick mist of night, a small city was bathed in a shower of black
rain that fell upon the naked walls. The streets were empty except for the
Queen's guards that were searching for those that spoke against her. The
people hid in their homes, hoping the guards would pass their home.
Inside the dark castle, the Queen stood over a table with many tools for
magic, black magic. She held in her hands a clear crystal, it seemed to be
broken, but the Queen looked at it with her dark eyes and smiled. She
tossed her long red curly hair behind her and began chanting something.
Maeve had been to the local market where she picked up a few things, and
when back on the Nomad, she went into her room to take out the various
things she bought. Out of all the things she bought she picked up a
crystal, a clear crystal that seemed to be broken.
Maeve looked at it, and the light reflected off its radiance. She then
began to chant something. Then, there was a burst of light and a large
vortex appeared before her. Maeve felt as if she was being pulled in. She
grabbed onto whatever she could and hoped that she wouldn't be pulled in.
Similarly on the other side, the Queen realized what she had done, she had
opened a portal to another dimension. She grabbed onto whatever she could,
but it was in vain, both women were being pulled in, despite their efforts.
*Sinbad* Maeve thought to herself. *My love* the Queen thought to herself. And then as quickly as it came, the vortex closed and the wind stopped. Both women seemed surprised at what had happened. They got up and looked around. Everything was the same as they had left it. "Sinbad!" Maeve said as she ran to his room. Maeve went to his room, opened the door, and saw him laying there, sleeping peacefully. A wave of relief came over her, as she realized that Sinbad was safe and sound. She quietly closed the door and left him sleeping.
The Queen called for her minion, a large skull, the size of half a person, engulfed in a blue flame. It appeared before her awaiting her command. "Show me him" she commanded The skull opened its mouth and showed her, a man dressed in dark clothing laying in an alley sleeping in the trash. She smiled and waved her hand. "That is all," she said as she walked to her throne room. The Queen let her long red curly hair flow freely down past her shoulders to her elbow. It rested on her long black velvet cloak that was lightly trimmed with silver. Inside she wore a tight black leather corset that just pushed her breasts up more. Her skirt was long with two huge slits that started at the hip. Her skin was so pale, her legs, her arms and her face. Her lips were like blood and her eyes dark and icy. Her black boots echoed on the stone floor as she reached the throne room. The metal fishnet thigh highs glistened in the light. Her throne was made of skulls and decorated with silver and black velvet. She leaned back into it and sighed. She was bored. "My Queen, the Pirate Doubar is here" the guard announced. "Send him in" she answered. The Pirate Doubar dressed in black came in pushing and kicking a dozen or so people that were chained up. "The spoils from my last raid," The Pirate said proudly. "Sacrifices! Wonderful! No children?" "They're just hiding!" he says as he pulled one up from the crowd. "Excellent, they will serve us well for the ceremony. You have pleased your Queen. I will supply your ship, but I expect more from you next time." "Of course my queen." The Pirate Doubar kicked and pushed the people out of his way as he left, and the guards closed the door. After everything was quiet, Rongar, wearing a dark robe, appeared before the queen in a cloud of smoke. He removed the hood and looked at her. "I see you made it past my guards." Rongar didn't answer. "No matter, I sent for you for a reason." "That is why I have come" he finally answered. "There is a girl, a brunette living in the countryside, on the far stretch of my kingdom, she has with her a cat. I want you to kill it." "The cat?" "Yes the cat," she answered, "I want you to kill the cat in front of her little eyes and bring me back the body." "You want me to kill a cat? My services are for people. I am an assassin, not a butcher of animals." "Some would say so, though I want the cat dead. When you bring me the body of the cat I will give you its weight in gold." "As you wish." "And the girl, do not harm the girl, I want her alive." "Very well" Rongar said as he disappeared in another cloud of smoke. Maeve and the rest of the crew were on deck wondering where Sinbad was, so she decided to go get him. She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She pulled her cloak closer around her and entered his room. Sinbad was sprawled out all over the bed, half dressed. Maeve walked over to him. "Sinbad! Sinbad! Get up!" Maeve yelled in vain, as she got no response. Sinbad rolled over and moaned something. "Sinbad, Sinbad get up! On your feet sailor!" Sinbad's eye's popped open. He looked up through his blurred vision, and saw what appeared to be Maeve. "Bout time you got up! Get dressed and get up on deck already!" Maeve sternly said. "Maeve?" "Hurry up already!" She said as she left the room, slamming the door behind her. "Coming your highness," he said sarcastically. In the dark city, Sinbad woke up in an alley. He held his head and wondered how he got there. He got up and walked down the streets, looking for something familiar. He then walked into the Town Square and found a large crowd surrounding a platform. On the platform was what appeared to be Firouz, and standing next to him was a young man. "For your crime against the Queen you have been sentenced to death!" Firouz said. "I did nothing! I said nothing!" the young man cried out. "So you say," Firouz said, "Well if you are innocent then step inside the Truth Tester!" The 'Truth Tester' was what appeared to be a sarcophagus standing upright. Firouz opened it and inside were a million sharp little needles. "Only the innocent may pass this test" Firouz smiled. The man gulped in fear. "The needles will not harm the innocent. Only the guilty" The guards pushed the man into the hideous creation. He turned around and Firouz slammed the door shut. The man froze, afraid to move a muscle. The needles didn't touch him, so he gave a sigh of relief, but the test was not over. Firouz kicked the bottom of the sarcophagus and sent a wave that started shaking the inside. He then hit a button on the medallion he was wearing and the inside began to fill with salt. The young man screamed out as Sinbad watched in horror, eventually having to look away. "What are you doing!" Sinbad said as he walked toward the platform, but before he could get to him, the crowd started screaming. A large skull in a blue flame, similar to the one the Queen had, floated toward Sinbad. "What is this thing?" Sinbad asked as he began to run. He stopped as he realized that it stopped following him. He turned around and jumped back, it was right in front of him. "The Queen requests your presence," the skull said. "Tell her I'm busy," Sinbad responded coyly "The Queen requests your presence now!" Sinbad drew his sword and struck the skull. He split it in half, but it slowly started to heal itself. Sinbad pulled his sword back. In the castle, the Queen sat on her throne. She waved her hand and a similar skull appeared. "Show me Sinbad," she said. The skull opened its mouth and showed Sinbad, who was staring right into the other skull. "What is he doing? Send him here at once!" the Queen demanded. The skull in front of Sinbad opened its mouth and pulled him in. He was spit out of the other skull. Sinbad landed on the cold floor of the castle and looked up. He saw what appeared to be Maeve, dressed in black and looking rather unfriendly. He stood up and looked around. "Nice place, kind of dark. Nothing a few plants won't spruce up." "I just redecorated. Can't you tell?" "Not really. Though black's not your color Maeve," Sinbad said as he walked closer to her. "Where have you been?" Queen demanded. "I don't know. I woke up this morning in an alley and-" "Enough! I see you drank too much again. We must prepare for the ceremony."
"What ceremony?" "What is wrong with you?" "Nothing." "Oh I see, I know what you need..." the Queen smirked as she waved her hand into the air and misted both of them away, into her private bed chamber. The Queen walked up to Sinbad and pushed him down onto the large bed. She straddled him, placing her hands on his shoulders and down to his chest. She leaned down to kiss him, but Sinbad stopped her hands from roaming all over his body. "Uh, Maeve? Something weird is going here." "What?" "Everyone's acing weird, really weird." He said, "Since when did you start dressing like that?" "Does it matter?" she moved in for a kiss. "Yes it does. And I think I saw Firouz today executing this young man," he sat up. "Firouz? You mean the Mad Scientist, he's been my executioner for years now!" "What?" Sinbad said in disbelief. "He's held that position ever since I became Queen!" "Queen? Since when were you a queen?" he backed away. The Queen realized something was wrong. She looked into his sea blue eyes and realized that this man was not her Sinbad. There was warmth and goodness in his eyes. She sent a wind against him and slammed him into the wall, where chains greeted his arms and legs. "Who are you?" the Queen demanded. "I am Sinbad." "You may look and sound like him, but you're not him!" "Maeve, it's me! What's wrong with you? With this place?" Sinbad yelled as she walked away. Sinbad stumbled onto deck and over to the railing, where he leaned over and threw up. Maeve walked over to him. "Are you all right?" she asked. "Fine, my dear" he puked out some more. Firouz came by and handed him a drink; "It will ease the nausea." Sinbad gulped it down and threw the cup. Firouz, surprised, left to go get it. Sinbad turned to Maeve and his head cleared. "Maeve, what are you wearing?" "What I always wear." "White is not your color. I like the black one better." "What black one?" "Oh come one," he put his arms around her waist, "How about a little magic here?" he leaned in for a kiss. Maeve pushed him away. "Sinbad! What's gotten into you?" "Nothing. What's with you? All of a sudden I'm not good enough for your highness?" "What?" "And tell me, why the hell I'm on this ship? Did you kidnap me to tag along on one of your voyages?" "I have no idea what you're talking about!" "Fine! You just remember that Sinbad is his own master and he obeys no mistress!" he said as he walked away. Dermott squawked at him when he walked by, which Maeve found odd. "Something wrong Dermott?" Maeve asked the hawk. Sinbad walked over to Doubar who was at the tiller, "Nice of you to join us," Doubar smiled. "Where are we going this time?" Sinbad held his head. "I thought you had laid out a course," Doubar said. "Me? Why? You're the pirate!" "Are you feeling all right Sinbad?" "Not really..." The Queen walked around in her throne room. Sinbad had been acting strange, but she pushed that out of her head so she could focus on the task at hand. She had gathered all the necessary ingredients for the ceremony. The stars and moon would be in alignment just once every 50 years, so she had only one chance at it. Sinbad looked around the dark room, struggling to break free. He sighed. This day was not turning out well for him. But then in a small pouf of smoke, Rumina appeared, dressed strangely. "Rumina! I knew you had something to do with this!" Sinbad hissed. "We have to get out of here" Rumina tried to free him. "Get away from me witch!" "I'm trying to help you!" "I know you did something! Something to Maeve, and Firouz, and everyone else here! I know you used your black magic" "Black magic? I haven't mastered my powers yet!" Sinbad looked at her in shock. She seemed so different. She was young and innocent, it showed in her eyes. Her clothes were that of a simple peasant, a white blouse and a long blue skirt. She struggled with the chains and it finally gave way. "We must hurry before she returns!" Rumina said as she quickly hurried him to break free. "Where are we going?" "Far away from this evil place. I hope I have enough power to get us out of here!" Rumina held onto him and concentrated. But nothing happened, "I guess I don't. We'll have to sneak out of the castle," she said. "And why should I believe you? How did you know I was here?" "Master said you would come. He said you would come and save us from this evil. He said you would be confused, that you wouldn't understand, but that you were a good man and that you would fight for the good" "Who is your master Rumina?" "If you come with me I will show you everything, but please, we don't have much time!" "I don't know why I'm doing this." Sinbad followed her as she opened the door and walked down the dark hallway. The two quietly walked down the hallways, ducking in the corners from the guards. A large group of soldiers walked by and entered the Strategy room. "Brother, how goes the bloody battle?" the Queen asked. "Quite well sister," he answered as he leaned onto the table with her ingredients Sinbad and Rumina walked up and stood by the door listening to their conversation. "We've taken the northern tribes, the whole area is ours," he said. "Did they resist?" "They always do" he slammed down his bloody sword onto the table "How many times have I told you not to do that?" she said as she pushed the sword off the table. "We've taken all the lands surrounding us already. The navy is ready for its attack on the island nations." "Wonderful. Soon the seas will be filled with their blood!" "Yes, and the world will be ours," he paused, "Do you think it is wise to bring him back?" "Are you doubting my abilities?" "No sister, just that we have control over all this, why let him take it?" "Our Dark Lord has been imprisoned, we swore to free him remember? And once we free him, we can ravage all the other worlds out there. Why stop at this one? Why not take them all? And he will need someone to look after the others." "You raise a good point sister" "That is why I am Queen, and you are just commander of my army." "The Army of Darkness and carnage. No one will be left standing." he said, "When we do we free him?" "When the moon is dark, by tomorrow night, our dark lord will return to us!" Rumina gasped, and the Queen and her brother both looked at the door. Sinbad quickly grabbed Rumina and ran. The Queen and her brother looked out into the hallway and saw nothing. "She was here," he said. "Who?" "Her, I can smell the white magic oozing out of her. I can smell her innocence, her virtue, and her fear. She's in the castle. And she's not alone" "They won't get far!" the Queen raised her hand and two of her giant skulls appeared before her, "Find them and bring them to me!" Sinbad and Rumina looked out the window, everything was dark and covered with the stench of death. The castle stood atop a giant hill, so a jump would be deadly. Sinbad looked at the curtains and ripped them off the bar they were on. "What are you doing?" Rumina asked. "Getting the hell out of here!" Sinbad smashed the window and jumped onto the ledge holding the curtain. "What are you planning on doing?" Rumina asked. "Trust me," he extended his hand to her. Rumina took it and stood next to him. "Hold this end tightly and don't let go until we reach the ground." Sinbad commanded. "What? Why?" Rumina asked. "Just because!" Sinbad grabbed her by the waist and they both jumped out the window. The curtain, acting as a parachute, made their fall a bit less painful, but they still fell to the ground abruptly. "What kind of magic is that?" Rumina asked. "Not magic, science, which actually came in handy today!" Sinbad said as they started to rush off. "Maeve, what is wrong with Sinbad?" Doubar asked. "I don't know, he's been acting strange," Maeve answered. "He's been quite rude to the crew, and he hasn't been attending to his duties. I think I should have a talk with him," Doubar said as he started to walk down below. "Wait, let me do it," Maeve stopped him. "All right, but tell me if anything happens." "I will Doubar," Maeve smiled. She walked down below, looking for Sinbad. She found him in the galley, drinking out of a bottle of wine. "You have no manners!" Maeve said as she crossed her arms. "But you like it that way," Sinbad smiled. "Sinbad, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to snap out of it. The crew's worried, I'm worried. This isn't like you!" "Could it be, that her highness is concerned for me?" "We're all concerned, what's wrong?" "Nothing." "You've been slacking off! You're not pulling your weight around here, and you're not attending to you duties!" Maeve grabbed the bottle away from him. "I wasn't finished!" Sinbad said in anger as he got up from the table. "You are now!" Maeve answered back, not backing down. Sinbad grabbed Maeve and threw her onto the table. She let out a slight cry of pain as her body hit the wooden table. Sinbad then got on top of her and pushed her down. "Get off me!" Maeve yelled. Sinbad kissed her roughly, and Maeve threw him off the table. She quickly got up and ran into her cabin. Sinbad followed her. She locked the door, but he kicked it down. "I see you like to play" Sinbad smiled. Maeve grabbed her chair and threw it, but it didn't stop him. She started to throw her books and bows and bottles at him, but he still went after her. "Feisty today aren't we?" "You are not Sinbad!" "Of course I am. I've always been Sinbad, the Sinbad that you love so much." Maeve grabbed whatever else was left, finally picking up the crystal. She threw it at him, but it stopped mid air. They both looked at it in amazement. "New toy?" Sinbad asked. The crystal glowed brightly and when it faded, Maeve was gone. Sinbad stood there wondering what happened. He picked up the crystal and then dropped it, it didn't seem important to him. He then walked back to the galley for more wine. Maeve fell into a large pile of hay. She looked around and saw that she was in stable with a large black horse next to her. She stood up and looked at the great mare. "Hi there," she said as she ran her hand along his soft mane, but he jolted away from her, "Whoa boy!" "He seems a bit unhappy," a voice said from behind her. Maeve looked up in amazement. The man standing before her, looked so much like someone she knew before. His eyes, his hair, his face, they looked so familiar. She couldn't put her finger on it. "You haven't ridden Talos since you got that crystal. The crystal that I had to painstakingly retrieve for you." "Well Talos will survive" Maeve answered, playing along "You always knew how to control beasts, sister. Much like that Sinbad you keep around. I don't know why you let him near you." 'Sister' The word echoed in her mind. It sent a shock wave through her entire system. That's what it was! The man standing before her was the man that Dermott would have become had Rumina never shown up. "Don't tell me you're mad now. Your taste in men lacks a little. He's just a thief that leads a group of bandits. What use is he to us?" "Don't judge a book by its cover," Maeve answered back as she reached for Talos. "New riding clothes?" Dermott asked. "Yeah," Maeve answered, as she took Talos out of the stable. Doubar went down below deck to see how Maeve's talk with Sinbad was going. He searched around for them, but they were no where to be found. He entered Maeve's room, and saw the crystal on the floor. He picked it up and the bright light engulfed him. He landed on the grass, and looked around, he was in the middle of a camp somewhere. He didn't know where, but the smell of death covered it. He walked around and saw people in cages, some begging, some crying, and some dying slowly. He walked and saw the tents and campfires. He saw people chained to posts, some withering away. It looked as if some hadn't been fed in days, some weeks, and some were just skeletons with skin hanging on them. He saw men standing around, laughing, teasing, and tormenting them. Enraged, Doubar walked over to them. He couldn't stand such an injustice, "Hey, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" he yelled The men quietly backed off and left. "Thought so." Doubar watched them leave and bent down to look at those chained up. The shrieking of a girl shattered his thoughts. He went to investigate and saw a small girl surrounded by a bunch of men. He pushed the men aside and saw the girl being attacked by a dog. "What the-! Get off her! What's going on here!" Doubar kicked the vicious dog aside. "Sorry Captain," one man said. "We know better not to play or damage the merchandise before we sell it," another man answered. Doubar realized that the merchandise was the people here. Angry he punched the men in the circle. He swung his arms and fist through the air, but the men didn't fight back, they merely ran off. "The Captain's angry! The Captain's Angry!" the cried out. "I'm more than angry!" Doubar yelled out.
Firouz and Rongar, wondering what happened to the others, started looking around, and found that Maeve's door had been knocked off its hinges. They walked in cautiously and saw the crystal on the floor. Rongar picked it up.
"What do you have there? Must be one of Maeve's crystals," Firouz deduced, "You know I have this theory that they were formed under the earth in a very hot place, being placed under extreme pressure, and that-" Rongar tapped him and showed him the glowing crystal. "Though I don't think most of them do that." The light blinded both of them, and they were gone. The crystal dropped to the floor again, awaiting its next passenger.
Firouz landed at the door of a tall building. He looked up and saw that it was made of white limestone, and it reached the heavens. It had a small square base, and as he walked around it, he saw that it was the only building around, as the forest surrounded it. The door had no handle or knob. He looked at the emblem on the door, it looked oddly familiar. He looked down at his medallion, it was a perfect fit! He lifted it up and placed it into the groove, it fit perfectly. Firouz then fell through the door. He looked back and saw that it was all an illusion. There were mirrors creating the illusion. The medallion let the door slide away, but the mirrors created the illusion that the door was still there to keep out unwanted guests. Quite brilliant Firouz thought to himself. He got up and looked around. It was a huge laboratory, larger than what was shown outside. It was a great illusion outside, but he was still trying to figure it out. He walked around and saw tables and tables filled with experiments. Liquids, potions, all foaming around, but then he saw the animals, suffering in strange contraptions. Then he looked away, as he saw humans, people in these contraptions. He saw bodies or parts of them scattered around, on the tables, chairs, some in a tank of liquid. He wasn't sure if they were still alive, and if they wanted to be. "Science! Science! Science!" a voice yelled out. Firouz hid behind the wall, hoping he wouldn't be found. He peeked over and saw someone. He was working on the sarcophagus, making modifications. The man's long curly black hair shot out all over. His clothes were covered in blood, and as he turned around, Firouz covered his mouth. It was him. Rongar was walking around in a garden filled with fragrant flowers. He didn't know where he was but it seemed to be quite peaceful. Then he heard a cat hiss. He looked around to see where it was, but he couldn't see anything. So he climbed into a tree to get a better view. He saw a faded orange cat being chased around by a man in a robe. He found it strange that a man would be picking on a cat. The cat jumped into the garden fearing for its life, and ran up the tree that Rongar was in. "Here kitty, kitty!" the robed man spoke. The cat ran into Rongar's arms and shivered in fear. Rongar felt bad for it. He pet it to calm it down, and then set it down where it jumped down from the tree. The robed man jumped back, but Rongar motioned for him to come. The man stood there for a moment and attacked. They both drew out their dirks. The man aimed one at Rongar, but hit the tree instead. Rongar threw one and it slashed the fabric on the robed man's shoulder. The man threw another dirk, which scratched Rongar's shoulder. "Now we're even!" Rongar threw his dirk at the other's head, pushing the fabric back, and stood there in amazement. "It's like looking into a mirror, except you're the ugly reflection!"
*Sinbad* Maeve thought to herself. *My love* the Queen thought to herself. And then as quickly as it came, the vortex closed and the wind stopped. Both women seemed surprised at what had happened. They got up and looked around. Everything was the same as they had left it. "Sinbad!" Maeve said as she ran to his room. Maeve went to his room, opened the door, and saw him laying there, sleeping peacefully. A wave of relief came over her, as she realized that Sinbad was safe and sound. She quietly closed the door and left him sleeping.
The Queen called for her minion, a large skull, the size of half a person, engulfed in a blue flame. It appeared before her awaiting her command. "Show me him" she commanded The skull opened its mouth and showed her, a man dressed in dark clothing laying in an alley sleeping in the trash. She smiled and waved her hand. "That is all," she said as she walked to her throne room. The Queen let her long red curly hair flow freely down past her shoulders to her elbow. It rested on her long black velvet cloak that was lightly trimmed with silver. Inside she wore a tight black leather corset that just pushed her breasts up more. Her skirt was long with two huge slits that started at the hip. Her skin was so pale, her legs, her arms and her face. Her lips were like blood and her eyes dark and icy. Her black boots echoed on the stone floor as she reached the throne room. The metal fishnet thigh highs glistened in the light. Her throne was made of skulls and decorated with silver and black velvet. She leaned back into it and sighed. She was bored. "My Queen, the Pirate Doubar is here" the guard announced. "Send him in" she answered. The Pirate Doubar dressed in black came in pushing and kicking a dozen or so people that were chained up. "The spoils from my last raid," The Pirate said proudly. "Sacrifices! Wonderful! No children?" "They're just hiding!" he says as he pulled one up from the crowd. "Excellent, they will serve us well for the ceremony. You have pleased your Queen. I will supply your ship, but I expect more from you next time." "Of course my queen." The Pirate Doubar kicked and pushed the people out of his way as he left, and the guards closed the door. After everything was quiet, Rongar, wearing a dark robe, appeared before the queen in a cloud of smoke. He removed the hood and looked at her. "I see you made it past my guards." Rongar didn't answer. "No matter, I sent for you for a reason." "That is why I have come" he finally answered. "There is a girl, a brunette living in the countryside, on the far stretch of my kingdom, she has with her a cat. I want you to kill it." "The cat?" "Yes the cat," she answered, "I want you to kill the cat in front of her little eyes and bring me back the body." "You want me to kill a cat? My services are for people. I am an assassin, not a butcher of animals." "Some would say so, though I want the cat dead. When you bring me the body of the cat I will give you its weight in gold." "As you wish." "And the girl, do not harm the girl, I want her alive." "Very well" Rongar said as he disappeared in another cloud of smoke. Maeve and the rest of the crew were on deck wondering where Sinbad was, so she decided to go get him. She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She pulled her cloak closer around her and entered his room. Sinbad was sprawled out all over the bed, half dressed. Maeve walked over to him. "Sinbad! Sinbad! Get up!" Maeve yelled in vain, as she got no response. Sinbad rolled over and moaned something. "Sinbad, Sinbad get up! On your feet sailor!" Sinbad's eye's popped open. He looked up through his blurred vision, and saw what appeared to be Maeve. "Bout time you got up! Get dressed and get up on deck already!" Maeve sternly said. "Maeve?" "Hurry up already!" She said as she left the room, slamming the door behind her. "Coming your highness," he said sarcastically. In the dark city, Sinbad woke up in an alley. He held his head and wondered how he got there. He got up and walked down the streets, looking for something familiar. He then walked into the Town Square and found a large crowd surrounding a platform. On the platform was what appeared to be Firouz, and standing next to him was a young man. "For your crime against the Queen you have been sentenced to death!" Firouz said. "I did nothing! I said nothing!" the young man cried out. "So you say," Firouz said, "Well if you are innocent then step inside the Truth Tester!" The 'Truth Tester' was what appeared to be a sarcophagus standing upright. Firouz opened it and inside were a million sharp little needles. "Only the innocent may pass this test" Firouz smiled. The man gulped in fear. "The needles will not harm the innocent. Only the guilty" The guards pushed the man into the hideous creation. He turned around and Firouz slammed the door shut. The man froze, afraid to move a muscle. The needles didn't touch him, so he gave a sigh of relief, but the test was not over. Firouz kicked the bottom of the sarcophagus and sent a wave that started shaking the inside. He then hit a button on the medallion he was wearing and the inside began to fill with salt. The young man screamed out as Sinbad watched in horror, eventually having to look away. "What are you doing!" Sinbad said as he walked toward the platform, but before he could get to him, the crowd started screaming. A large skull in a blue flame, similar to the one the Queen had, floated toward Sinbad. "What is this thing?" Sinbad asked as he began to run. He stopped as he realized that it stopped following him. He turned around and jumped back, it was right in front of him. "The Queen requests your presence," the skull said. "Tell her I'm busy," Sinbad responded coyly "The Queen requests your presence now!" Sinbad drew his sword and struck the skull. He split it in half, but it slowly started to heal itself. Sinbad pulled his sword back. In the castle, the Queen sat on her throne. She waved her hand and a similar skull appeared. "Show me Sinbad," she said. The skull opened its mouth and showed Sinbad, who was staring right into the other skull. "What is he doing? Send him here at once!" the Queen demanded. The skull in front of Sinbad opened its mouth and pulled him in. He was spit out of the other skull. Sinbad landed on the cold floor of the castle and looked up. He saw what appeared to be Maeve, dressed in black and looking rather unfriendly. He stood up and looked around. "Nice place, kind of dark. Nothing a few plants won't spruce up." "I just redecorated. Can't you tell?" "Not really. Though black's not your color Maeve," Sinbad said as he walked closer to her. "Where have you been?" Queen demanded. "I don't know. I woke up this morning in an alley and-" "Enough! I see you drank too much again. We must prepare for the ceremony."
"What ceremony?" "What is wrong with you?" "Nothing." "Oh I see, I know what you need..." the Queen smirked as she waved her hand into the air and misted both of them away, into her private bed chamber. The Queen walked up to Sinbad and pushed him down onto the large bed. She straddled him, placing her hands on his shoulders and down to his chest. She leaned down to kiss him, but Sinbad stopped her hands from roaming all over his body. "Uh, Maeve? Something weird is going here." "What?" "Everyone's acing weird, really weird." He said, "Since when did you start dressing like that?" "Does it matter?" she moved in for a kiss. "Yes it does. And I think I saw Firouz today executing this young man," he sat up. "Firouz? You mean the Mad Scientist, he's been my executioner for years now!" "What?" Sinbad said in disbelief. "He's held that position ever since I became Queen!" "Queen? Since when were you a queen?" he backed away. The Queen realized something was wrong. She looked into his sea blue eyes and realized that this man was not her Sinbad. There was warmth and goodness in his eyes. She sent a wind against him and slammed him into the wall, where chains greeted his arms and legs. "Who are you?" the Queen demanded. "I am Sinbad." "You may look and sound like him, but you're not him!" "Maeve, it's me! What's wrong with you? With this place?" Sinbad yelled as she walked away. Sinbad stumbled onto deck and over to the railing, where he leaned over and threw up. Maeve walked over to him. "Are you all right?" she asked. "Fine, my dear" he puked out some more. Firouz came by and handed him a drink; "It will ease the nausea." Sinbad gulped it down and threw the cup. Firouz, surprised, left to go get it. Sinbad turned to Maeve and his head cleared. "Maeve, what are you wearing?" "What I always wear." "White is not your color. I like the black one better." "What black one?" "Oh come one," he put his arms around her waist, "How about a little magic here?" he leaned in for a kiss. Maeve pushed him away. "Sinbad! What's gotten into you?" "Nothing. What's with you? All of a sudden I'm not good enough for your highness?" "What?" "And tell me, why the hell I'm on this ship? Did you kidnap me to tag along on one of your voyages?" "I have no idea what you're talking about!" "Fine! You just remember that Sinbad is his own master and he obeys no mistress!" he said as he walked away. Dermott squawked at him when he walked by, which Maeve found odd. "Something wrong Dermott?" Maeve asked the hawk. Sinbad walked over to Doubar who was at the tiller, "Nice of you to join us," Doubar smiled. "Where are we going this time?" Sinbad held his head. "I thought you had laid out a course," Doubar said. "Me? Why? You're the pirate!" "Are you feeling all right Sinbad?" "Not really..." The Queen walked around in her throne room. Sinbad had been acting strange, but she pushed that out of her head so she could focus on the task at hand. She had gathered all the necessary ingredients for the ceremony. The stars and moon would be in alignment just once every 50 years, so she had only one chance at it. Sinbad looked around the dark room, struggling to break free. He sighed. This day was not turning out well for him. But then in a small pouf of smoke, Rumina appeared, dressed strangely. "Rumina! I knew you had something to do with this!" Sinbad hissed. "We have to get out of here" Rumina tried to free him. "Get away from me witch!" "I'm trying to help you!" "I know you did something! Something to Maeve, and Firouz, and everyone else here! I know you used your black magic" "Black magic? I haven't mastered my powers yet!" Sinbad looked at her in shock. She seemed so different. She was young and innocent, it showed in her eyes. Her clothes were that of a simple peasant, a white blouse and a long blue skirt. She struggled with the chains and it finally gave way. "We must hurry before she returns!" Rumina said as she quickly hurried him to break free. "Where are we going?" "Far away from this evil place. I hope I have enough power to get us out of here!" Rumina held onto him and concentrated. But nothing happened, "I guess I don't. We'll have to sneak out of the castle," she said. "And why should I believe you? How did you know I was here?" "Master said you would come. He said you would come and save us from this evil. He said you would be confused, that you wouldn't understand, but that you were a good man and that you would fight for the good" "Who is your master Rumina?" "If you come with me I will show you everything, but please, we don't have much time!" "I don't know why I'm doing this." Sinbad followed her as she opened the door and walked down the dark hallway. The two quietly walked down the hallways, ducking in the corners from the guards. A large group of soldiers walked by and entered the Strategy room. "Brother, how goes the bloody battle?" the Queen asked. "Quite well sister," he answered as he leaned onto the table with her ingredients Sinbad and Rumina walked up and stood by the door listening to their conversation. "We've taken the northern tribes, the whole area is ours," he said. "Did they resist?" "They always do" he slammed down his bloody sword onto the table "How many times have I told you not to do that?" she said as she pushed the sword off the table. "We've taken all the lands surrounding us already. The navy is ready for its attack on the island nations." "Wonderful. Soon the seas will be filled with their blood!" "Yes, and the world will be ours," he paused, "Do you think it is wise to bring him back?" "Are you doubting my abilities?" "No sister, just that we have control over all this, why let him take it?" "Our Dark Lord has been imprisoned, we swore to free him remember? And once we free him, we can ravage all the other worlds out there. Why stop at this one? Why not take them all? And he will need someone to look after the others." "You raise a good point sister" "That is why I am Queen, and you are just commander of my army." "The Army of Darkness and carnage. No one will be left standing." he said, "When we do we free him?" "When the moon is dark, by tomorrow night, our dark lord will return to us!" Rumina gasped, and the Queen and her brother both looked at the door. Sinbad quickly grabbed Rumina and ran. The Queen and her brother looked out into the hallway and saw nothing. "She was here," he said. "Who?" "Her, I can smell the white magic oozing out of her. I can smell her innocence, her virtue, and her fear. She's in the castle. And she's not alone" "They won't get far!" the Queen raised her hand and two of her giant skulls appeared before her, "Find them and bring them to me!" Sinbad and Rumina looked out the window, everything was dark and covered with the stench of death. The castle stood atop a giant hill, so a jump would be deadly. Sinbad looked at the curtains and ripped them off the bar they were on. "What are you doing?" Rumina asked. "Getting the hell out of here!" Sinbad smashed the window and jumped onto the ledge holding the curtain. "What are you planning on doing?" Rumina asked. "Trust me," he extended his hand to her. Rumina took it and stood next to him. "Hold this end tightly and don't let go until we reach the ground." Sinbad commanded. "What? Why?" Rumina asked. "Just because!" Sinbad grabbed her by the waist and they both jumped out the window. The curtain, acting as a parachute, made their fall a bit less painful, but they still fell to the ground abruptly. "What kind of magic is that?" Rumina asked. "Not magic, science, which actually came in handy today!" Sinbad said as they started to rush off. "Maeve, what is wrong with Sinbad?" Doubar asked. "I don't know, he's been acting strange," Maeve answered. "He's been quite rude to the crew, and he hasn't been attending to his duties. I think I should have a talk with him," Doubar said as he started to walk down below. "Wait, let me do it," Maeve stopped him. "All right, but tell me if anything happens." "I will Doubar," Maeve smiled. She walked down below, looking for Sinbad. She found him in the galley, drinking out of a bottle of wine. "You have no manners!" Maeve said as she crossed her arms. "But you like it that way," Sinbad smiled. "Sinbad, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to snap out of it. The crew's worried, I'm worried. This isn't like you!" "Could it be, that her highness is concerned for me?" "We're all concerned, what's wrong?" "Nothing." "You've been slacking off! You're not pulling your weight around here, and you're not attending to you duties!" Maeve grabbed the bottle away from him. "I wasn't finished!" Sinbad said in anger as he got up from the table. "You are now!" Maeve answered back, not backing down. Sinbad grabbed Maeve and threw her onto the table. She let out a slight cry of pain as her body hit the wooden table. Sinbad then got on top of her and pushed her down. "Get off me!" Maeve yelled. Sinbad kissed her roughly, and Maeve threw him off the table. She quickly got up and ran into her cabin. Sinbad followed her. She locked the door, but he kicked it down. "I see you like to play" Sinbad smiled. Maeve grabbed her chair and threw it, but it didn't stop him. She started to throw her books and bows and bottles at him, but he still went after her. "Feisty today aren't we?" "You are not Sinbad!" "Of course I am. I've always been Sinbad, the Sinbad that you love so much." Maeve grabbed whatever else was left, finally picking up the crystal. She threw it at him, but it stopped mid air. They both looked at it in amazement. "New toy?" Sinbad asked. The crystal glowed brightly and when it faded, Maeve was gone. Sinbad stood there wondering what happened. He picked up the crystal and then dropped it, it didn't seem important to him. He then walked back to the galley for more wine. Maeve fell into a large pile of hay. She looked around and saw that she was in stable with a large black horse next to her. She stood up and looked at the great mare. "Hi there," she said as she ran her hand along his soft mane, but he jolted away from her, "Whoa boy!" "He seems a bit unhappy," a voice said from behind her. Maeve looked up in amazement. The man standing before her, looked so much like someone she knew before. His eyes, his hair, his face, they looked so familiar. She couldn't put her finger on it. "You haven't ridden Talos since you got that crystal. The crystal that I had to painstakingly retrieve for you." "Well Talos will survive" Maeve answered, playing along "You always knew how to control beasts, sister. Much like that Sinbad you keep around. I don't know why you let him near you." 'Sister' The word echoed in her mind. It sent a shock wave through her entire system. That's what it was! The man standing before her was the man that Dermott would have become had Rumina never shown up. "Don't tell me you're mad now. Your taste in men lacks a little. He's just a thief that leads a group of bandits. What use is he to us?" "Don't judge a book by its cover," Maeve answered back as she reached for Talos. "New riding clothes?" Dermott asked. "Yeah," Maeve answered, as she took Talos out of the stable. Doubar went down below deck to see how Maeve's talk with Sinbad was going. He searched around for them, but they were no where to be found. He entered Maeve's room, and saw the crystal on the floor. He picked it up and the bright light engulfed him. He landed on the grass, and looked around, he was in the middle of a camp somewhere. He didn't know where, but the smell of death covered it. He walked around and saw people in cages, some begging, some crying, and some dying slowly. He walked and saw the tents and campfires. He saw people chained to posts, some withering away. It looked as if some hadn't been fed in days, some weeks, and some were just skeletons with skin hanging on them. He saw men standing around, laughing, teasing, and tormenting them. Enraged, Doubar walked over to them. He couldn't stand such an injustice, "Hey, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" he yelled The men quietly backed off and left. "Thought so." Doubar watched them leave and bent down to look at those chained up. The shrieking of a girl shattered his thoughts. He went to investigate and saw a small girl surrounded by a bunch of men. He pushed the men aside and saw the girl being attacked by a dog. "What the-! Get off her! What's going on here!" Doubar kicked the vicious dog aside. "Sorry Captain," one man said. "We know better not to play or damage the merchandise before we sell it," another man answered. Doubar realized that the merchandise was the people here. Angry he punched the men in the circle. He swung his arms and fist through the air, but the men didn't fight back, they merely ran off. "The Captain's angry! The Captain's Angry!" the cried out. "I'm more than angry!" Doubar yelled out.
Firouz and Rongar, wondering what happened to the others, started looking around, and found that Maeve's door had been knocked off its hinges. They walked in cautiously and saw the crystal on the floor. Rongar picked it up.
"What do you have there? Must be one of Maeve's crystals," Firouz deduced, "You know I have this theory that they were formed under the earth in a very hot place, being placed under extreme pressure, and that-" Rongar tapped him and showed him the glowing crystal. "Though I don't think most of them do that." The light blinded both of them, and they were gone. The crystal dropped to the floor again, awaiting its next passenger.
Firouz landed at the door of a tall building. He looked up and saw that it was made of white limestone, and it reached the heavens. It had a small square base, and as he walked around it, he saw that it was the only building around, as the forest surrounded it. The door had no handle or knob. He looked at the emblem on the door, it looked oddly familiar. He looked down at his medallion, it was a perfect fit! He lifted it up and placed it into the groove, it fit perfectly. Firouz then fell through the door. He looked back and saw that it was all an illusion. There were mirrors creating the illusion. The medallion let the door slide away, but the mirrors created the illusion that the door was still there to keep out unwanted guests. Quite brilliant Firouz thought to himself. He got up and looked around. It was a huge laboratory, larger than what was shown outside. It was a great illusion outside, but he was still trying to figure it out. He walked around and saw tables and tables filled with experiments. Liquids, potions, all foaming around, but then he saw the animals, suffering in strange contraptions. Then he looked away, as he saw humans, people in these contraptions. He saw bodies or parts of them scattered around, on the tables, chairs, some in a tank of liquid. He wasn't sure if they were still alive, and if they wanted to be. "Science! Science! Science!" a voice yelled out. Firouz hid behind the wall, hoping he wouldn't be found. He peeked over and saw someone. He was working on the sarcophagus, making modifications. The man's long curly black hair shot out all over. His clothes were covered in blood, and as he turned around, Firouz covered his mouth. It was him. Rongar was walking around in a garden filled with fragrant flowers. He didn't know where he was but it seemed to be quite peaceful. Then he heard a cat hiss. He looked around to see where it was, but he couldn't see anything. So he climbed into a tree to get a better view. He saw a faded orange cat being chased around by a man in a robe. He found it strange that a man would be picking on a cat. The cat jumped into the garden fearing for its life, and ran up the tree that Rongar was in. "Here kitty, kitty!" the robed man spoke. The cat ran into Rongar's arms and shivered in fear. Rongar felt bad for it. He pet it to calm it down, and then set it down where it jumped down from the tree. The robed man jumped back, but Rongar motioned for him to come. The man stood there for a moment and attacked. They both drew out their dirks. The man aimed one at Rongar, but hit the tree instead. Rongar threw one and it slashed the fabric on the robed man's shoulder. The man threw another dirk, which scratched Rongar's shoulder. "Now we're even!" Rongar threw his dirk at the other's head, pushing the fabric back, and stood there in amazement. "It's like looking into a mirror, except you're the ugly reflection!"