A/N: I don't own rights to anything Magi/Sinbad/etc. but my characters are mine and the storyline is original from my brain. THANKS! Also I haven't written in years so this is just here cuz I finally decided to write again! Not sure where the story is going yet but maybe ya'll can help me out with it.
... Chapter 1 ...
The wind blew on the morn off the sea rousing a gentle beauty from sleep. Well, normally she'd be a gentle beauty but the last few nights had been so hot she was starting to look like a sandy witch. The sun shone bright, but with the breeze off the sea she could tell it was going to be a cooler day, and with a cooler day brewing maybe she could get some things done in town.
She quickly wrapped up her long black hair into the white linen wrap she always wore and pulled it up off her back. There was intel she needed to gather in this seafaring town. Intel about the latest dungeon. Usually a dungeon was a tall spire-like building that rose up overnight, but this one was different. From the information she'd gathered so far it had risen in sort of an underground city that had been abandoned eons ago; and from what she'd heard the only way to get to it was through a maze of tunnels. Many people had died before even reaching the dungeon this time, but that wasn't going to stop her. After all this would be her second dungeon and the first one was nearly a piece of cake…well if you try and bake it first without any necessary ingredients.
She had to chuckle to herself a little; the adventure and the heat were really starting to drive her to her wits end. The air stirred behind her as someone let out a yawn. Oh shit, I didn't realize how late I'd slept in. She cursed to herself as she gathered up her belongings and headed for the door.
"Amira?" called a raspy voice from the bed in the corner of the small hovel, "Where are you going in such a hurry?"
FUCK. She hadn't meant to stay long enough for her room and board to catch on to her ploy. She'd been handling her room and board situation well without any money for a while now, but that was because she'd left before the wife had come home; or the sorry sap woke up. "Oh, you know babe… Last night was fun but the sun is nearly overhead now and we knew I couldn't stay forever," she attempted to sound sultry but the sand must have gotten to her throat overnight so it came out more raspy and desperate than planned.
"Didn't want ya to stay forever, just long enough for me to enjoy what came home with me last night. Ya owe me that much don'cha darlin'?" The longer Amira looked at this nameless man in bed the worse she started feeling about herself. Had she drunk so much last night that she'd really said yes to this man? "Oh common, the fifty gold pieces I paid ya must be enough for me to get one last sight of those naked breasts of yours before you leave right?"
Amira had to choke back vomit now. She'd been so wasted last night a man had taken her home thinking she was a prostitute! Well I mean the more she thought about it the more it made sense. I mean she was whoring herself out for a bed to sleep in, she just didn't want to think about getting paid for it; because then she'd be her mother. After a moment of hesitation she opened her shirt for the horrid man to take his last gleam before covering herself back up and wandering out into the town she only hazily remembered. God what part of town did this dirt bag live in that he was even able to afford fifty gold pieces on a whore?
She sighed to herself, "Well there's got to be a tavern around here somewhere, right?" She never did know why she said random things aloud to herself but hey it helps some people think right?
"If you want a decent meal and good stories, there's a tavern about eight rows down the center of town," a kind matriarchal voice sounded nearby.
Amira looked up from her self-survey to see a lovely elderly woman sitting on the front step of a nearby hut. Her eyes were purple, not unlike many of the people in this land, not unlike the people in many lands actually. Amira's eyes gave her away as a foreigner quite often due to their blue-green hue. "I'm sorry, ma'am but I don't seem to remember how to get back to the main part of town," Amira said hoping the elderly woman might laugh casually or take pity on her rather than see through her morning after façade.
Sure enough the woman chuckled, "Dungeon capturer that you are, you should really hold yourself higher." She stood up and crossed the narrow gap between them. She looked up, almost sternly into Amira's eyes, "You really should have more respect for yourself than Glorin can provide. But if you keep on town this road you'll reach the town square."
Amira was taken aback by the straightforwardness of the seemingly docile old woman but she nodded, gave her thanks and started forward only to turn back a moment, "You wouldn't happen to know how to get to that ruined old city would you?" She had to take her chance; it could end up being the only one she'd ever get.
"Greedy enough for two are we?" The old woman smiled, "Come with Ol' Fauna and I'll show you the way."
Without missing a beat Amira turned and followed Ol' Fauna. In fact she followed her for hours. Out of town, into the middle of the desert and then down into a series of caves. Down, down and even farther down into the earth she followed the old woman, whose stamina never faltered. Amira made a mental note to be this capable when she reached the same age, however old Ol' Fauna was.
After what seemed like endless tunnels Ol' Fauna stopped and stomped out her torch. Without knowing why Amira followed suit. After a moment for their eyes to adjust two tunnels appeared out of the darkness, one alight with glowing crystals and the other with almost a blackened glow; it was hard to describe but Amira hoped that there wasn't any going down the darkened path. "This is where I must leave you," Ol' Fauna stated in a heavy tone, "If you wish to leave follow the light. Only death and misery follows you to this new dungeon young lady. Dive deeper into the darkness and come out without a torch and you will be fine." And without another word the old woman was gone, as if she'd never existed at all.
Amira shook her mental constitution before walking into the inky blackness. She almost expected for it to feel sticky as she walked through but it was more like walking through thick smoke. One moment you feel as though if you reached out and grasped the air you would come back with a chunk, but then in the next moment it was clear there was nothing more than air in here. The air stung her eyes but she pressed forward, each step seeming to reveal more and more tunnel. Before long she could actually start to see the cave walls and floor and thus felt as though she could move quicker and safer. She gripped the sword on her hip as if to find comfort in her metal vessel, but really her Djinn was of no use to her in an empty cave; it was just fear that was holding her hostage.
After what seemed to be forever Amira emerged from the blackened cave into an eerily lit cavern full of stone buildings and a castle. She wasn't sure why but the air in the cavern gave her chills though the temperatures here must have been far worse than the sun beaten desert above her. But there it was, standing tall in what must have been the center of town, the dungeon. She took a moment to take it in before heading off toward it, but the deeper into town she got the more she began to understand why the town had been abandoned. Stone covered bodies of fleeing civilians crowded the streets. They were frozen statues of fear, fleeing from some unknown enemy. Suddenly Amira knew why the place gave her the chills. It wasn't just an abandoned city but a graveyard. And what made it seem even stranger was the fact that the Rukh seemed to be avoiding this place, as if waiting for something to occur.
When Amira reached the base of the dungeon she looked around, suddenly she felt as though she were being watched. Nothing stood out to her among the stone city and so with a breath of courage she headed inside. It had been a year since her first dungeon capture but the sights as she entered were all too familiar. The light spouting from the earth in an unholy glow; it was almost as beautiful as it seemed foreboding. And as it had been before the vision faded and she was standing in a beautiful glowing cavern. The dungeons were seemed to be a breathtaking sight from any story you heard. But they were always littered with gleaming waterfalls and creatures; this one was frost covered and cold. Ice covered the would-be river and snow fell from the, well she supposed it's the sky here. She reached for the bow adorning her back, it was usually her weapon of choice but when she'd gone through her first dungeon it had been held captive. Her homeland Parthevia was not something she liked to think about often, but nonetheless she pressed on.
It was eerily quiet in this dungeon. Not a bird, insect or any creature to be seen or heard. And then she realized why. She hadn't noticed at first as she'd stepped onto the fresh snow but it had been melting her sandals. Not a big deal until a large bunch slipped off the side of a cliff nearby and seared her arm. "Acid snow? REALLY?" she screamed out into the cavern. But what good was that going to do really?
Quick as she could she grappled out a few arrows and made her way into some cover. The dungeon had to have a door into the treasure room, and to get through there had to be a key. The key was usually obtained by defeating a behemoth monster. But how could anything survive in acid snow? She wondered if the dungeons unknowingly, or even knowingly perhaps, took on an essence of the surroundings. Like the first dungeon was high in the mountains and thus she dealt with flying monsters and wolves. She'd heard in the desert there was a scorpion filled dungeon. But she was in the middle of the desert and there was snow! ACID SNOW!
Frustrated she decided to venture into the cave she'd sheltered in. As she continued on, bow drawn, she discovered various dungeon beasts, though for some reason none seemed keen on attacking her. In fact much of what she saw was incredibly normal looking creatures. There were some wolves, a cat here or there and various rodent families. Amira was unsure if she was even in a dungeon the further she ventured in. Suddenly she had to start asking herself if she'd had too much to drink before venturing out, or if perhaps she'd never woken up from her drunken night. That was until she came upon the door, the treasure room door.
Confused and maybe a little frustrated she approached the door, it didn't look like it even required a key. But amidst all the quiet she heard the snap of an arrow being loosed in her direction. She wasn't quite fast enough, maybe a result of the acid burns, and the arrow tore through her hair wrap. "Coward!" she called out into the cave.
Out of the shadows stepped a small girl covered in bandages. She sported the same blue-green eyes that Amira had but golden hair that hailed her from the Reim Empire. Amira couldn't help but wonder who from the Reim Empire she could have possibly pissed off, I mean she did get into drunken stupors often but they usually ended with bad sexual decisions not "hire a contract killer" decisions. Unless a wife was after her? No, there couldn't possibly be a wife out there that upset with her.
"Parthevia will never gain another dungeon while the Reim Empire stands!" shouted the assailant.
"Fuck Parthevia!" Amira shouted back loosing an arrow in the direction of her attacker, not to kill but to surprise. The assailant seemed surprised more by Amira's words than by her arrow. But she was quick and before Amira could even comprehend the next moves of her assailant there was a dagger against her throat.
"Do you want those to be your last words or would you like me to send word to someone back home?" she asked biting the tip of the blade down into the flesh of Amira's neck.
"I don't have anyone back home. I meant it; fuck Parthevia," Amira growled back, "Who sent you?"
The would-be assassin hissed in disgust, "The one who sends me does not deserve distrust."
Amira had to think on her toes, if she didn't overpower this assassin or at least find a way to call her off she'd never make it through those great doors. Reim sure had its downfalls. Amira could easily side step this incident by telling her that she'd been sent by Lady Scheherazade but it was supposed to be unknown. There were traitors in her midst after all, and for all she knew this would be all they needed to mount an attack on the great Lady. The assassin was good though, any slight move in her footing and she'd not be able to claim a perfect neck any longer. "I don't suppose you'd believe I defected to the Reim Empire would you?" she finally asked, out of options.
The assassin budged an inch, but that was all Amira needed to sweep her legs and be free to face down her opponent. "Lies, master would not make up such lies!" the girl cried out launching another attack. This one was more emotion driven so it was sloppier and thus easier to counter.
Amira landed a solid jab on the back of the girl's head with the hilt of her sword. "I'm sorry little one," she said as the girl landed with a solid plunk onto the ground, "I'll at least get you back safe, if it's any consolation."
With little effort Amira picked up the girl and walked through the door into the treasure room. Instantly fires were alight and the blue smoke of a Djinn filled the room. Toxic gas? Really? What was she supposed to do about the not so innocent bystander over her shoulder? Quickly Amira spotted a balcony above the smoke and launched herself up. She was barely able to make it but they were above the smoke now.
"Oh, oh my," a large but feminine voice sounded from the smoke, "Not a King but a Queen's candidate we have here." The smoke calmed to reveal a sort of cat-like Djinn covered in golden jewelry. The room cleared then and the treasure sparkled. But Amira wasn't after the treasure. She wanted the power of the Djinn, she wanted to take the fight back to her home country and show them as much pain as they'd shown her. "And a fiery one at that aren't we?" the Djinn was starting to sound amused.
"So is poison your power then great Djinn? I didn't have to fight hard to get here, I must say," Amira thought she may be pushing her luck by being sassy but she really wasn't in the mood after an assassination attempt.
"It is my lesser power, so what is your name dungeon capturer?" the Djinn answered.
Amira was hesitant for the first time in a long time; she wasn't even sure why, after all she'd come all this way to gain the power of the Djinn hadn't she? "I am Amira. I hail from the Reim Empire but my home was Parthevia."
The Djinn laughed, "If it is not your home any longer why even bring it up?" Amira wasn't sure, but for some reason the trip thus far kept bringing up memories of home. In fact she didn't remember seeing snow at home either but the feeling of this dungeon reminded her more of home than anything had in a while. "I suppose it's always good to remember your roots," the Djinn said, "I am Mennea, Djinn of the hearts and minds of mortals, and toxicity."
Amira smiled, "I would like to enter a contract with you Mennea! For the soul of my homeland!"
Mennea laughed shortly, "Young one, you want to watch the world burn. Don't ever fool yourself out of thinking thusly. But your Rukh speaks to me of something deeper so for now I will help you with your vengeance, but know that I look forward to your brighter days to come! I hail and vow to serve you oh Queen of mine!" and with a large burst of smoke, the lingering scent of something sweet and toxic, Mennea had sealed herself within Amira's bow.
"A bow off poison," she mused to herself. Parthevia would never know what hit them. But for now she needed to return and get this poor assassin girl somewhere far from where she was headed.
The usual magical ride back to her given plane of existence was dimmed by the words of her new Djinn. They were too similar to Amaroq, her first Djinn of fire and lightning. Why did they think she was more than a violent soul? After all an assassin was sent from the country she was working with. What good could be left in her?
For one so young you carry a heavy heart. Could it be that you are in a tunnel headed toward a lighter path? Amaroq's words echoed in her ears. One day this path of vengeance will seem trifle to you. The path just hasn't been made clear to you. Empty the fog, or escape it, young Queen. Who would look at her so bare and see good within? It wasn't like she planned on executing the rulers of the nation that took everything from her to turn around and govern that nation. If anything she planned on going down in the fireballs she planned to rain down upon the capitol. Nothing remained there for her.
She felt the fire burning her insides and decided to leave it for another day. If she let the rage burn for too long it would burn her up before it had a place to escape. As for now she had a place to belong and a new rule to fight for. Reim gave her purpose and kept her from fueling her fire. It would have plenty of fuel when she came face to face with the rulers of Parthevia, who had so blatantly taken her life from her.
A/N: currently working on chapter 2 and further from there. Let me know if you have any plot suggestions because right now I'm just writing to write and don't really have a "bad guy" in mind or any major hurtles to cover. And it might be a spoiler but yes I will bring Sinbad in at some point (and yes Amira and Sinbad go way back) - shocker right - anyway yeah! Thanks for reading!