I'm honored that you all like the story so far. :D

I do not own Magi.

Enigma

Chapter Three:

The Country and the Girl

"Mother, I'm home!" Small hands pried open the small door to the hut she and her parents lived in, a smile on her face. "Where'd you go?"

Camio was silent, a warm presence against her chest as the metal feather rested against her skin. Kali peered into the small hut, glancing about with a small smile pulling on her lips. "Mama? Papa?"

The girl moved into the house, gazing about curiously. "Mama?"

"Stop."

She heeded Camio's orders and glanced downwards, blinking at the shattered glass at her bare feet. Her brows furrowed and she put one hand on the necklace for comfort. A vine stretched out and entwined around her hand, as if holding it, as she stepped over the glass, moving farther into the small hut.

It was silent, and the walls she had known were unfamiliar, strange, and it made her feel scared as she traveled until there was only one room left in the small hut to look into.

Quietly, she twisted the rusty knob and pushed the door open, feelings her fingers begin to tremble. "Mama? Papa?"

There was nothing.

Small mats that had served as their beds lay in one corner, hastily strewn as if they had been in a hurry. Kali's breath left her, and her hands fell to her sides as she gazed quietly at the empty room, standing alone in the empty home.

The vine on her hand grew and wrapped around her, and she brought a hand up and gripped it tightly, unsure as to why tears had begun to drip from the corners of her eyes as she simply stared.

Where had they gone?

"She's spending time with me!"

"No. She's spending time with me!"

Kali blinked blandly; face wincing slightly as Sharrkan and Yamraiha pulled at her arms, stretching her out in both directions.

"She's going to watch me train!" Sharrkan snapped angrily, jerking Kali to him so that the girl's face slammed into his chest, muffled by his clothes.

"She's going to practice magic with me!" Yamraiha retorted hotly, jerking Kali so that she was pressed against the other woman.

"Who wants to have any part in your witchery?"

"Who wants to watch you swing a stick around all day?"

"It's called a sword! You're the one with the stick!"

"Staff! It's a staff, you idiot!"

"Beast woman!"

"Sword maniac!"

"Hey, Kali," Pisti grinned, waving a hand at the worn out looking girl and smiling mischievously. "How about we go drinking later?"

"Buzz off, Pisti!" Sharrkan and Yamraiha snapped, both of them tugging hard against Kali's arms as they struggled to pull the girl to themselves.

With a sigh, Kali rolled her eyes and she disappeared and reappeared by an impassive Masrur, who had been watching the whole ordeal blankly. Yamraiha and Sharrkan fell apart and the two blinked, startled for a minute before they were lunging for each other's throats.

"This is your fault!"

"As if you hag!"

Kali glanced to Masrur curiously, noting the strange yet tropical bird on his shoulder. "How have you been?"

Masrur blinked calmly down at her, his size near dwarfing her standing next to him, and Masrur inclined his head, voice like a deep rumble. "Good."

Kali's lips twisted in a wry grin, and poor Spartos had tried to be the responsible one and set the two apart, but it only served to fuel their anger, dragging the poor male into the fray. The Fanalis radiated power as he stood beside her, arms cross over his chest, and red hair glimmering a shade lighter in the sun.

"Where did you go?"

Kali smiled. "A lot of places."

Masrur blinked calmly. "Were you well?"

Her smiling turning into a grin at his short words and phrases, Kali merely patted him on the arm, causing his sharp eyes to turn to her as she beamed at him. "For the most part."

His expression flickered, and Kali let out a sigh, stretching her arms above her head. "Want to go explore with me?"

Masrur stared at her impassively, and she tapped the sword at her side. "You'll have an excuse for slacking off."

Masrur's shoulders barely moved an inch, and she assumed it was his form of a shrug. The girl settled for that and turned on her heel, prepared to leave the bickering behind her. The soft clink of Masrur's armor sounded behind her and Kali grinned.

"Apples! Bright red apples—so bright you can see your face, sweetheart!"

"Ignore the fruit—look at these jewels! They suite a woman of your beauty, no?"

"Fish! Fresh fish!"

"Ah, just as lively as before I left it." Kali inhaled the salty sea breeze, the mixture of spices and fragrances, with the hint of flowers that always dotted Sindria. "Where shall we go my Fanalis friend?"

"Isn't that one of the Eight Generals?"

"Yes! The Fanalis Masrur!"

"One of King Sinbad's men!"

"What is he doing here?"

"Who is the woman beside him?"

"A new general?"

"Maybe somewhere quieter?" Kali offered, sweat dropping at all the attention Masrur was bringing to themselves.

She had hoped that bringing along the calmest of the group aside from Spartos would have been the best option, but it seemed no matter where they went at this rate, they would attract some sort of attention.

Kali liked to avoid things like that.

Masrur looked thoughtful despite his calm face, and Kali struggled for a place in her memory of Sindria that held some peace to it. Somewhere beyond the eyes of others.

"The forest." Kali blinked, looking at Masrur in surprise, but he was staring blankly into the crowd, the line of black all Fanalis had to their eyes prominent from her view. A smile graced her lips and she laid a hand on his arms, imagining the forest in her mind.

The two vanished and when Kali opened her eyes, soft grass prickled at her bare feet, and the faintly salty breeze rustled through the wind, pleasant and cool. She heard a bird somewhere far off, and the life of the animals that inhabited the place.

Masrur stood besides her, looking slightly disgruntled from the trip, and he glanced at his hands, as if expecting one to be missing. Kali rolled her eyes and walked towards the pond, gazing at the reflection that gazed back at her.

"Want to spar?"

Masrur lifted his large shoulders in a shrug, and Kali resisted the urge to laugh. Sinbad sure knew how to pick them. She knew bare handed, she barely stood a chance against the Fanalis strength unless she was equipped... But that seemed to much a hassle, so she settled with drawing her sword instead.

Masrur slid into a combat ready position, and with a grin, Kali charged, ducking down and sliding past Masrur, feinting a jab and curving left, bringing the blunt edge of the blade down to his armor.

But there was no collision for Masrur was gone, and he was beside her, raising his fit and slamming it hard into the space she had been. A crack ran through the floor and her feet dug into the grass beneath her as she charged, holding her sword like an arm and swinging at the Fanalis.

But Masrur was just as quick as he was powerful, and with a curve, his foot shot out, his shin guards slamming into her blade.

Kali felt the impact slam into Raum, and she felt adrenaline pumping through her veins. She hadn't fought like this in awhile—and Masrur was far more than a worthy opponent when it came to close combat.

Almost giddy with the freedom of it all, she ducked one of his kicks, ignoring the fact that it cracked the trunk of the tree it did hit. She used the ground to propel her upwards, her foot aiming for his face.

Masrur's arms deftly blocked the attack, and he brought his elbow down. Kali raised her sword to parry the blow, and with another twist, the two danced around each other, trading blows and shots.

Kali didn't like fighting that much—it was a bit troublesome in her opinion, and she was wary of wars and battles. But she would admit she enjoyed the pleasure the movement of fighting brought her, the freedom it allowed her body as she moved to accompany for Masur's power and speed, with her own speed and agility.

The silver circlets around her ankles, chains hanging from them, jingled as she moved, silvers eyes glinting as Masrur knocked another blow her way. Kali wasn't quick enough and he sent her back a few paces, but she used this to turn, pushing off a tree and soaring over him before she twisted, bringing her sword down.

The metal slammed hard into Masrur's armor, the dragon on the blade looking as if it were biting into his shoulder. Kali blinked curiously as she fell to the floor, Masrur standing still as he gazed at her.

There was a thoughtful look in his face and his red eyes were sharp—sharper than she would have liked as he let his arms hang at his sides. Kali blinked once more and gently prodded his armor clad arm with the tip of her sword. "You alright there?"

"There's something on your mind." Masrur said, and Kali paused, waiting for him to continue.

"You do the same things when you come back." Masrur started blinking blankly at her. "Whenever you visit, you fight me."

"Can't have myself getting rusty now," Kali responded, but the excuse sounded lame, and she frowned, wrinkling her nose.

"Something's bothering you." Masrur stated simply, and Kali sighed, rubbing her head and gazing up at the beautiful blue sky.

"Yeah." She'd hoped that doing what she'd done before would take her mind off some things, but it proved futile, and the ever sharp Fanalis was aware of this. Fighting with Masrur always cleared her head before, but this time, it only made her ever more aware of what was going on.

The world was beginning to move.

And she had to be ready.

"You always know what to do Masrur." Kali sighed, patting the man on the back. Though she had to tip toe to do so. "What would I do without you?"

Masrur simply blinked blankly at her, and Kali looked determined, turning around and causing her braid to whip out and lash her with the action. Her face scrunched up for a moment and she moved it out of the way and grinned, waving to Masrur and disappearing from sight.

The Fanalis stared at the spot she had been and did nothing as a bird came and landed on his shoulder, pecking at his armor.

"You're going to tell him?" Camio sounded alarmed, and Kali grinned, moving swiftly through the palace corridors.

"What else should we do?'

"Oh, I don't know—not risk the balance of the world?"

Kali frowned. "We can handle it ourselves, I know that much—I didn't go conquering all those dungeons for nothing you know. But it's only fair to give them a fair warning."

"My king, things are meant to happen on their own—no matter how you feel, we cannot mess with the balance."

"Then what are we doing?"

"Tipping the scales in their favor."

Kali smiled in exasperation at the Djinn, and she halted before Sinbad's office, her hand outstretched for the door. There were risks in giving things like this to him, and Camio was right, if she did this, it would mess with the way things were meant to play out, and that would only cause more trouble for her.

"We can always give some mysterious omen?" Camio suggested, sounding hopeful. "Like the stories—wouldn't that be fun?"

"A bit cliché," Kali murmured, and a vine separated from the necklace, curling lightly around her. "Camio, what should we do?"

"We should do as we've done before and take matters in our own hands, but from the shadows. We will intervene as we see fit to ensure what has happened won't happen again."

Kali found solace in his words and let her hand drop to her side. Gray eyes stared at the door handle, and she felt her chest wind up tightly. She supposed they would be fine for now, they always were, but through it all, she wanted this country to survive.

She'd allowed herself to get too far in.

"Is there any particular reason why you're outside my office?"

Kali jumped, holding back a cry of surprise as she turned, eyes wide at Sinbad. "When'd you get so good at sneaking up on people?"

"I'd say the same to you." Sinbad retorted, but he looked pleased, and Kali rolled her eyes, twisting open the knob and entering his office.

Sinbad followed after the girl, watching her curiously as she gazed around, as if memorizing his things, before settling down on his desk, swinging her feet back and forth. "There's more paperwork than before."

"Ja'far keeps me busy." Sinbad said, eye twitching at the thought as he took a seat behind his desk, resting his head on his hand. "Far too busy."

"So you say," Kali mused, and she twirled the empty wine jar on her fingers, grinning slightly. Sinbad grimaced, and held up his hands, caught.

"I deserve a break every now and then, too." He defended, patting his chest he added. "Its hard work being a king you know."

Her eyes skimmed over a letter of complaint, one from some woman expressing her concerns of being harassed by the king. Sinbad plastered a bright grin on his face and Kali rolled her eyes, turning to face him curiously. "Any new stories?"

Sinbad blinked, surprised, but then he saw the undeniable curiosity in her eyes, and he grinned. "A few."

Kali's eyes flickered, and inwardly, Sinbad would not deny that he treasured his possibly sole power over the woman, and that was the stories he could weave for her. Kali couldn't deny Sinbad had an interesting life, and the many adventures he faced kept anyone coming back to hear more.

It was funny really, how something so childish could keep her here, rooted to a spot beside him.

"Fair trade?" Kali offered, and Sinbad smiled, amused as he leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together.

"Ladies first."

Kali made a noise of displeasure, looking thoughtful as she craned her head upwards.

"You could tell him about Kou." Camio teased, and Kali flinched, face blanching at the memory of what had occurred in the power-growing country.

That was a story for another day.

The very thought of it still gave her shivers. And something told her she'd never be able to live it off so long as that man walked the earth.

"Have I told you about how I almost got married to the leader of a tribe off to the east?" Kali inquired, and Sinbad looked at her curiously.

"I don't think so," Golden eyes glittered mischievously. "Married?"

Kali waved a hand. "I was exploring the area—it was new to me, so I wanted to see what it was like. The tribe was very friendly, the Kuwas. They expressed great interest in learning about other cultures, and I told them what I could of my travels."

Sinbad had leaned forward, elbows resting on the desk as he watched the girl. And Kali had turned, facing him as her arms moved in hand gestures and motions as she met his gaze.

It had become a habit of sorts that the two exchange stories, something that occurred after Sinbad became king. Kali had continued to disappear and reappear, and the two had gotten into an argument about whose life was more exciting.

"They had a custom over there, where the people who were to be married were supposed to offer the other food—but it was their special food, this dish of berries." Kali grinned faintly at the memory. "And when they'd given me some, I offered to share with their leader and well—things went downhill from there."

"If I'd known it was that easy to trick you into marriage," Sinbad started, looking at the girl in amusement. "I would have done so ages ago."

"I would be gone in a heartbeat." Kali promised, and Sinbad pouted while the girl laughed, patting his head. "I'm sure you'll find some woman and have dozens of children—I hope you have a lot actually."

Kali grinned, crossing her arms over her chest. "It'd be nice to be the aunt of such an army of kids—knowing they're yours, they're bound to be special."

"I'm glad you express such interest in my future children," Sinbad drawled, and he curiously wondered if it would be a terrible move in this game to take advantage of this conversation. "You don't want any for yourself?"

Kali paused, her feet stopping their swinging for a moment as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Stop!"

"Not again, not again—please, don't do this to me."

"I won't let you die, damn it!"

"We lost again, didn't we?"

"No." She answered finally, and in her heart, she knew that would be her answer for as long as she lived. "It's too much trouble and I'd be a terrible mother."

"Perhaps you need a great father," Sinbad offered, and Kali frowned, looking thoughtful.

"Then I'd need someone like Ja'far..."

The king's hand nearly slipped from under him and he sweat dropped, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment. "It would be troublesome to have disappearing children all over the place."

A grin split her lips, and Sinbad caught it, feeling a grin touch his lips as well. "Not as bad as mini-Sinbad's running all over the place."

"Now how is that worse?"

"Your children will probably be overpowered geniuses conquering dungeons at five."

"Now you're just being silly."

"Can you imagine it?" Kali shuddered suddenly, looking forward with wide, horrified eyes. "They'd be super humans."

"You make them sound like demons."

"I consider all the possibilities."

"I haven't even had them yet!" Sinbad rolled his eyes and Kali grinned, eyes glimmering mischievously.

"From what I've heard, there may be Sinbad's running about already." Kali teased, and Sinbad smirked, leaning back as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I didn't know you cared so much about my personal life." Sinbad responded, and Kali simply smiled in return, bring a leg up and resting her head against her knee.

"You're an interesting person," Kali mused, and she held back a snicker at the pleased look that flickered through his eyes. "All though, a bit unpleasant to be around."

"What's that sup—"

"One Sinbad is plenty." The two turned, blinking at the white haired vizier that had appeared in the doorway, baring scrolls and a thin frown as a look of disgust crossed his face. "At the rate of trouble he's causing, this palace will be filled with heirs without him ever having to get married."

"That'd be a mess," Kali agreed, turning to Sinbad she added. "How could you be so careless?"

"This is my fault?" The Sindrian king blinked in disbelief, looking offended. "I didn't—"

"Think of the life you've set up for them," Kali shook her head sadly.

"They'll spend the rest of their lives fighting for a place in the court." Ja'far sighed.

"They'll be wars..."

"And family disputes..."

"Backstabbing too."

"Not to mention—"

"I'm not that bad!" Sinbad exclaimed, slamming his hands down on his desk as he glared at the two, looking slightly panicked. "Have faith in your king for once!"

"He's your problem then, freckles," Kali offered sympathetically, patting Ja'far on the back. "Not my king, not my problem."

"Don't remind me," Ja'far sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and screwing his eyes shut. "It haunts me every moment."

"It astounds me," Sinbad drawled, eye twitching in annoyance at the two before him. "The amount of faith you put in my hands."

Kali simply grinned while Ja'far rolled his eyes, pulling the scroll out and opening it up. "News has come from Balbadd, Sinbad."

Sinbad blinked, looking at Ja'far curiously, and Kali had become frozen, watching the white haired vizier intently.

"The current king of Balbadd, Ahbmad Saluja, has sent word that trading with Sindria was been closed as of late." Ja'far's face looked stern and Sinbad was listening with interest at the news, while Kali's fingers curled into fists. "News has not been given as to reasons why, and attempts by our merchants to enter have been denied."

"Closed?" Sinbad murmured, and it was in these moments that Kali realized this man was the leader of a nation. "That is a strange occurrence. Does the letter say nothing else?"

"No," Ja'far closed the scroll, slate eyes serious as he gazed at Sinbad. "Matters like this cannot be left unattended, what shall we do?"

"Our first guess would be to figure out why, I suppose." Sinbad leaned back in his chair, thoughtful. "I don't believe there has been any reason for them to suddenly close on us."

"Reports have come that no ships or merchants representing our country have done anything to offend them." Ja'far added. "This is a decision solely by the kings."

Camio.

"It has begun, my king."

"And here I thought we were blessed with a moment of peace," Sinbad sighed. Golden eyes turned to the girl sitting on his desk. "What do you think, Kali?"

"It must be something within the country that's causing them to do this." Kali answered finally, and she turned her head to Ja'far. "Direct orders from them?"

"Yes." Ja'far set the scroll down on Sinbad's desk. "No one else is allowed the authority."

"When do we leave?" Camio murmured, and Kali turned back to Sinbad. "I say you give them a little while—if nothing changes, talk to them and see what's wrong."

"Would it really be so bad to have you at my side?" Sinbad mused, and Kali offered him a wry grin, leaning over and slinging an arm around Ja'far's shoulders.

"But you already have Freckles here; I don't see why you would need more help."

"I told you to drop the ridiculous name." Ja'far muttered in annoyance, glaring at the girl, and Kali simply patted his head, turning on her heel.

"I'll see you later." She waved over her shoulder and disappeared.

"What?" Yamraiha looked startled, eyes wide as she clutched her staff to her chest, eyes threatening to water as she stared at the woman before her. "Y-Y-You—"

"You're leaving now?" Sharrkan exclaimed, pushing Yamraiha out of the way to grasp Kali's hands, his emerald eyes wide with disbelief. "You just got back!"

"I've been here for a few weeks now..."

"Why?" Yamraiha shoved Sharrkan off to the side, looking at Kali with wide eyes.

"You can't leave!" Kali paused, feeling Pisti latch onto her leg. "How do we know you'll come back?"

"I always do..."

"You might leave us for another two years!" Hinahoho bellowed, clasping a large hand onto the girl's shoulder. The Imuchakk frowned, looking displeased with the news.

"We didn't even drink yet!" Sharrkan cried, latching onto the girl and refusing to let go. "You have to stay longer! No—stay forever!"

"Why do you have to go?" Drakon questioned, clawed hands running along his scales for a moment.

"You guys know I don't like staying in one place long," Kali patted Sharrkan on the head and did the same to Yamraiha, who looked tempted to use her magic to keep her here. "I've just got things to do."

"Let us take care of it!" Pisti wailed, and Sharrkan nodded in agreement, and Kali grinned at the silliness of it all.

"It would be shame," Spartos murmured, looking torn as his brows furrowed slightly. "But if you have things to do..."

"You're not helping!" Sharrkan spat, and Kali looked pale in his grip.

Masrur was silent, arms crossed over his chest as his face remained impassive, but there was the faintest look of displeasure on his face as well. Kali smiled in exasperation. "I always come back, don't I? I promise it won't be two years this time—we'll see each other soon."

"Yamraiha!" Sharrkan jerked his head around, addressing the blue haired mage. "Do something useful for once and put some sort of tracking spell on her!"

"I was already on it, sword maniac!" Yamraiha snapped, holding her staff up as it glowed, and Kali blinked. "Please hold still, Kali!"

Within seconds the girl had disappeared and reappeared a little ways away from them, fixing the loose sleeve of her tunic and shaking her head at her companions. "I'll stop by—I promise."

"You just came back!" Yamraiha protested, gripping her staff tightly she added. "You're always disappearing and coming back—where do you always have to go?"

"I'm just exploring," Kali shrugged, and softly she added. "I promise I won't be gone for two years this time."

Hinahoho and Spartos looked displeased, but made no move to argue. Drakon crossed his arms over his chest, and Masrur was silent. Pisti and Sharrkan continued to whine, and Yamraiha really did look tempted to use her magic.

Glad I didn't say bye to him. Kali shuddered under the thought. It would've been a whole lot worse...

"You're planning on leaving without a goodbye?"

Kali froze, cursing a thousand words under her breath as she turned, a bright grin touching her lips as she beamed at the king and vizier standing before her. "Hey! What're you guys doing here?"

"This is good!" Sharrkan exclaimed, suddenly looking hopeful. "Ja'far will force her to stay!"

"We've won!" Pisti cheered, and the two high fived, despite the dirty look Kali shot them.

"You're leaving?" Ja'far questioned, his brows furrowing and Kali tilted her head, smiling slightly.

"Yeah."

Ja'far paused, a look of irritation came over his features and Kali flinched, prepared for him to lash out at her. "Be safe."

Gray eyes blinked in surprise, and she looked at Ja'far quizzically. No trouble from him?

The white haired vizier looked annoyed, but his hands were placed simply in front of him, a look of exasperation in his eyes. Kali felt a flicker of warmth for the man, the former assassin, and her lips pulled in a wry grin. "I make no promises."

Sinbad stared at her for a moment, gold meeting silver tinted blue, and Kali met his gaze evenly. The other generals became silent, trading curious glances as they wondered how it would turn out this time.

The last time Kali had left, the two had first gotten into an argument as to why she had to leave. Though it was resolved, Sinbad had been in the belief she would be back in a month or two, like she always was.

"Really," Sinbad sighed, shaking his head sadly as he smirked at the girl before him. "I'm offended that you didn't plan on saying goodbye to me."

"You were my next stop," Kali answered, but the grin on her lips told otherwise. "That would've been rude of me."

"How long will you be gone?"

"Not sure."

"Will you be back?"

"Probably."

Sinbad stared at her for a moment, and then laughed, a hearty one that seemed to fill anyone who stood close enough to hear. Kali arched a brow, but her lips twisted upwards. It can't be this easy. "Still playing the mysterious card?"

"It makes life more interesting," Kali slung her bag over her shoulder, putting a hand on the hilt of her sword as she gazed at the king before her. "What, no convincing arguments to make me stay?"

"Oh, I thought of plenty," Sinbad admitted, nodding his head sagely. "But I figured you'd just go anyway, so I may as well try a different approach."

Kali suddenly looked wary and Sinbad blinked. "You look like I'm about to kidnap you."

"There was that one time—"

"Is there anyway we can see you off?" Sinbad interrupted swiftly, and Kali smiled, allowing her eyes to grow warm for a moment.

"This is grand enough," She murmured, and she drummed her fingers along the leathery hilt of her sword. "Thank you."

"Ah, damn it!" Sharrkan gripped his head in his hands, looking panicked. "This isn't helping anything!"

"You can't leave without this!" Yamraiha protested, digging in her sleeves until she came up with a small orb, clear in color and glimmering under the light. Kali blinked at it curiously, running her fingers along the beautifully encrusted edges.

"What is it?"

"It's a new tool I've been working on—like long distance clairvoyance magic! With it, we can call you and see you." Yamraiha explained, a bright smile on her face, but Kali looked hesitant. "We can't figure out your location if that's what you're worried about..."

"No, I didn't mean it like that," Kali started, a frown touched her lips and she looked to Yamraiha. "Is it really alright for me to take this?"

"If you're so worried you shouldn't leave!" Yamraiha cried, gripping the girl tightly and smothering her against herself.

"At that rate you'll kill her," Sharrkan muttered sulkily, and Yamraiha snapped her head around, glaring daggers at the white haired swordsman.

"What was that?"

"You heard me!"

"Thanks for everything," Kali carefully tucked the tool into her bag, turning to face Sinbad, who had a smile on his face.

"There's nothing to thank," Sinbad waved his hand, eyes glimmering gold, and Kali blinked curiously. "You're always welcome here."

"We should be leaving soon," Camio murmured, and Kali inclined her head, grinning at the group before her. "I won't be gone to long, I think."

Sinbad smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll hold you up to that."

"We'll meet again soon," Kali murmured, and she knew it was true. "Until then."

Kali began to disappear, and the generals called out their farewells. Kali heard them, but kept the small smile on her face, refusing to let the words grow any deeper in her heart than they already were.

Gold met silver and Sinbad's smirk curled upward as he grinned at her, eyes shining. "Sindria will always be waiting!"

Kali froze, eyes widening a moment before she disappeared, and her chest twisted at the words.

When the world before her blurred and then her feet was once more on solid ground, Kali's gaze was trained on the ground, processing what had been said.

Damn. Kali turned her head upwards, and noises and life hit her ears, and the life of the city around her hummed, aching with the sorrow of the people. I really have dug my own grave.

Her eyes turned upwards, and she was met with the Kingdom of Balbadd.

"So," Ja'far slid his hands into his sleeves, staring at the spot Kali had been while inclining his head towards Sinbad slightly. "What did it take for you not to try and keep her prisoner here?"

"Have you so little faith in me, my friend?" Sinbad inquired, a smile still plastered on his face despite his twitching fingers. "I simply strove to see a friend off."

"Last time you actually thought about chains."

"I was drunk," Sinbad quickly waved the notion off—though it had been tempting, the girl would merely slip through them. "People can change, Ja'far."

"Really," The vizier drawled, giving his king an incredulous look. "What did you do?"

"I only figured that if you gave her free will," Sinbad started innocently. "She would come back of her own free will."

"So by not putting up a fight," Ja'far summarized, his gaze dull. "You plan to lull her into a false sense of security so that she'll keep coming back."

"You make me sound terrible!" Sinbad laughed, and his friend and companion looked at him with disgust while Sinbad continued to laugh. "It's not as if I'm trapping her you know, I care a lot for her! I would never do anything against her will."

"I see." Ja'far murmured, looking unconvinced, and Sinbad grinned.

"It's simply..." Sinbad waved his hand around carelessly. "...A long term investment."

"You've become sly." Ja'far sniffed, and Sinbad smirked, eyes flickering mischievously.

"All's fair in love and war, after all."

After this, we'll be taking another jump back to the past before we kick into Balbadd and start following along with the anime/manga. Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter and Kali, hahaha.

Thank you all for your kind reviews/words of advice, and all the follows and favorites! You guys seriously rock, and I wish there were a lot more stories here in this fandom, because Magi seriously deserves it. :D

And if any of you are interested in original stories, I have one on Wattpad called Pinky Promise.

Summary: Promises go a long way for fifteen-year-old Jacklyn "Jack" Goodwell, so when she makes a rather daring promise to her best friend on her death bed, she's fully intent on fulfilling it. But she didn't think she'd be dealing with a stubborn, hot headed quarter back with the name Marshall Thornback. Marshall Thornback has enough on his plate. Dealing with a depressed mother, loser father, and his grades and title falling. But to make matters worse, a rather stubborn girl comes knocking on his door with the statement that he somehow knows where a man who disappeared off the face of the earth is. What these two are in for, we can only imagine.

I'm under the user name AKLenguyen, and if you'd like, look it up and maybe leave a comment or a follow! :D

Hope you enjoyed!

Marshmellow-

-OUT!