Reim Empire - Midnight
The first day at the Reim Empire proved to be problematic. However, after Rahab disappeared, Sharrkan and company were given a grand tour of the castle. In which consisted of a big feast, a few performances and then everyone being shown to their room. They were all given rooms in the same hall. After a long day, they settled into their rooms with no compliant. However, not everyone intentions were pure, after hearing about a brother that some of the other guards were going to visit a brother not too far. Sharrkan couldn't pass up the chance to visit it; he needed one last hurrah before he was going to commit fully to this.
He made sure all the candles were out and sat still in his bed as waited to hear the guards pass. Once he was all clear to leave, he took his sheets and made a rope that he tied to the bedpost. Though he didn't need it to get out of his low window, he needed some way to sneak back in. He keeps himself close to the wall as he heard a noise; he hid in the shadow that the castle casted.
"SHAWK! Yamuraiha, Rahab says to wait for at the entrance. She wants you to show her to her room once she comes back."
"Oh, it's only her." Sharrkan whispers to himself.
Yamu's head snapped towards the direction of his voice; Sharrkan paled. "Whos there?" Her parrot asked.
"It's only me Yamu. I was just out for a walk I heard you coming and hid not knowing it was you."
"Really? You don't seem to type to do that kind of thing, and I didn't hear you leave your room either." The parrot asked.
"Well, I am, and now that I'm thinking about it Yamuraiha is a familiar name and Rahab introduced herself as Yin. Why is that?"
"I believe Yin is just a title she gave herself, you'd have to ask her yourself."
Sharrkan squinted his eyes and leaned in towards Yamu. "Are you sure that we've never met before?"
"Yes and to answer that question about my name…"
"Well, unless you're that mermaid that saved my life I doubt that I've heard that name anywhere else."
"Well, you're wrong, my name comes from a fable about a young sea nymph who protect the seven seas. One of the nymphs she meets was named Yamuraiha from the black sea. My master named me that."
"Master?"
"Y-yes someone had to teach me magic and educate me. Otherwise, I'd be useless."
"Oh really? I'm sorry to break this to you, but magic isn't usefully here. The only way to be useful is swordsmanship, which I'd be happy to teach you if you want."
"I have no need to that useless knowledge and if I was allowed my magic would defeat your pitiful swordsmanship."
A glaring contest ensued as they stared each other down waiting for one to submit. The only thing that broke them apart was sound of the guard patrol nearing them. Sharrkan was the one who broke eye contact to pick up his head, "Whatever you say sea hag I'm going to continue with my walk in peace." He shot at her as he began walking off in the direction that Yamu had come from.
Yamu glared at him for a while and continued her walk to the front was it when she realized that Sharrkan's intentions weren't as pure as he claimed. She walked over to one the guards she saw early when she first left her room. He seemed to be very drunk that he had to sit down while watching the horizon.
"Excuse me what happened to you?"
"Nothing much I just came back from having a drink or two at the brothel." He drunkenly admitted to her.
"Brothel? Where is it?"
"Listen lady you shouldn't walk there by yourself it's dangerous. Just stay here, and I'll go get whoever you're looking for. You should let a man handle this."
Yamu huffed; she did not like what he was implying at all. Seeing the canteen in his hand, she motioned her hands and focused on the liquid inside of it. The liquid came out mimicking snake motions and then wrapped tightly around the guard who became dumbfounded.
"Where is the brothel?" The parrot asked in a menacing voice.
Time Skip
The illuminated brothel was busy as usually however things were completely stopped as everyone was listening to the story of a young prince who was loving the attention.
"So there we were in the middle of one of the worst storms I've ever seen, and I was helping the crew try to manage to get through it. When from the corner of my eye I saw one of the crew members about to be swept up by this 20 foot wave, I ran and got him out of the way. Next thing I knew I was drowning but that day the sea decided to be kind to me, and I ended up in a sea cave."
"Wow! I guess the great Solomon is watching out for you. How did you get back home?" The girl on his left arm asked as everyone else waited patiently.
"Well, after I woke up I found a tunnel that took me to the surface of the island. I made a fire on the beach to warm myself when a boat that was passing by the area spotted it. I got a ride from them once I told them I was a prince and from there we stopped at a few places and eventually I made back home after a week or so."
"How terrifying! How could you get back on a boat after that?"
Sharrkan let out a sad smile cross his lips, "Well the boat that rescued me took me to places I had never heard of, and it opened up my eyes. If it weren't for that storm, I wouldn't be here to enjoy the company of all you fine ladies."
"Move." A stern voice came.
Sharrkan was too busy laughing and trying to get a look at some of the girl's belly button; he didn't recognize the shrill voice. He then felt the girls in his arms stiffen.
"Hmm, what's with you girls?"
The girl sitting across from him pointed at him. "Why are you pointing at me is it something on my face?"
"Sharrkan."
He began sweating bullets, "Oh her, hehe."
"Yamu what are you doing here?" He asked her sweetly hoping to see somewhat innocent
With a stern look, she poured some water on his head. Before he could say anything Yamu's eyes flashed, and the water wrapped around his wrist tightly. The girls who were watching screamed in surprise.
"What are you doing?" Sharrkan asked furiously as he stood up to face her.
Yamu's piercing eyes looked straight into his "I'm taking you back. You're supposed to get married remember?"
"We have no idea when the all the princesses will be here, and I decided to spend my last possible night of freedom with these nice ladies." Sharrkan told her with a small head flick towards the directions of the girls.
"Come." A long chain made out of the water connected from the cuffs came into her hand.
"N-mmhh" The water that still in his hair covered his mouth.
She pulled the chain, and Sharrkan followed the two began walking out of the brothel in which no one had dared try and stop either of them. Their walk back to the palace was quiet for the most part until Sharrkan tried talking again. Yamu snapped her fingers and the water around his mouth and engulfed her fingers.
"IN THE NAME OF SOLOMON WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!?"
"I am taking you back to your room because you have to be ready for any princesses that are going to arrive tomorrow morning. If can't just got to a brothel before you begin your search, it'll become a temptation in the future and you'll never get married."
"Well, you didn't have to drag me out in water chains," He pulled on the cuffs to pull her into his arms. "Unless you're into that kind of stuff." He whispered seductively to her.
She looked up at him with a straight face and shrugged she didn't really understand what he was trying to imply. Sharrkan stared back at her, from the lack of reaction it occurred to him that she might have not heard him.
"You heard me right?"
"Yes why? What was the meaning of the statement?" She asked moving under his arms and stepping back away from him.
"What have you never been flirted with?"
She let her shoulders sag. "Only by men who were drunk or that I didn't care much for. However, none of them suggested anything like what you said. Where I'm from it odd to hear talk like that."
"Oh well, I was suggesting that in intercourse, you liked to tie up your partner, and I was also suggesting that we were going to sleep together because you're jealous you can't have a piece of me."
"S-STUPID SWORDSMAN!" She screeched her face turned red.
Sharrkan began to laugh his head off until he saw tears in the corners of Yamu's eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong? It was just a jo-" Before he could finish the water returned to his mouth.
Yamu leaned in close to kiss him, however once her lips touched the water instantly froze over. Sharrkan let out a muffled yelp as he felt the ice touch his skin. He then felt Yamu tug at his chains, and they walked back to the palace. She dropped Sharrkan off at his room and removed his cover once she was sure that he was asleep. She walked back to the front of the palace and sat on the steps waiting for Rahab, who was a minute away.
The Next Morning
Sharrkan let out a long and loud yawn, getting out of bed was a challenge with a pounding head.
He did have to admit that if it weren't for Yamu last night he would have felt much worse than he did as he headed for the bath. The bath was divided one side for men and others for women, towels we set up on a small table, Sharrkan grabbed one and walked into the open bath. The water was warm that it caused the whole bath area to be steamy. Sharrkan proceeded with his bath quietly and enjoyed the steam. The walk back to his room was equally as quiet only the muttering of a hello to the guards on duty in the area.
Once dressed he headed to the same room they had the feast in to see if there was any possible food to be consumed. When he arrived, he found almost everyone was there already eating and chatting among themselves.
Rahab had taken notice to the sleepy-eyed prince. "Prince Sharrkan it's good to see you up I believe we need to speak for a moment."
"Can I please eat something first?" Sharrkan asked her before she could get up from her seat.
Rahab scanned the table grabbing a clean knife and then putting on a slice of bread, with some jam. She got up and almost jammed it into Sharrkan's mouth; she dragged him by his collar as they both stepped out and into the hallway.
"I spoke with Yamu last night and she has informed me of what happened."
"You can't blame me for wanting to visit a brothel on last time before I throw away the single life."
"How did you even afford to go to one?"
"Well, at first I figured I could with one of my jewelry pieces but I ended not having to pay after I let it slip I had almost died not too long ago."
"Idiot! What if something happened? You haven't even met the rest of the princess, if you disappeared it'd be hell explaining how we lost you."
"Listen nothing happened and it's not like that I'm not trained to get out of those situations. Hey, I remember something, when we first met you introduced yourself as Yin but your crew and Yamu call you Rahab?"
"Yin is the magi name I was given, but I was born known as Rahab. That's how it works for most of the elder magi. However, the latest two have yet to earn names, which you should be meeting later today."
"Wait they're all going to be here?" He asked after taking a bite of his breakfast.
"Yes since I had to contact the other magi who were the furthest they speed up their time, so they all arrive today. So my prince get dressed in your best attire; they'll be here in an hour or so."
"Okay, okay I'm going but what about Yamu?"
"Why are you concern about her?"
Sharrkan huffed a little, "Well I wasn't informed that she was a magician; I was wondering why is she with us again?"
"Because all the elder magi will be in one place, and we're going to see if we can help her with her voice. Now get dressed, and I don't want to see you again unless you're dressed properly."
"Right, and you act so much like my mother." Sharrkan groaned as he shut his door to follow Rahab's instructions.
Time Skip
"Ah done so early?" Pisti teased Sharrkan as he walked into the room dressed and ready for the princesses.
He wore the same outfit he had on when he faced death. To put on the clothes took only but 3 minutes including jewelry however the memory they held was one he wanted to forget.
"It takes times to get ready with an outfit that looks as good as me." He remarks with great arrogance.
He looked around the open terrace as he took a seat on one of the huge cushion couches. The design of column was a key architect aspect of the palace, Sharrkan had to admit it was nicer than the castle he grew up in. As he looked around, he noticed that almost everyone was there, however, the Masrur, the two princesses, and Yamu were missing.
Looking over to Rahab, who was staring out through the columns at the sea, Sharrkan asked, "Where are Masrur and Yamu?"
Rahab sighed as she kept looking out at the sea. She did not respond to him she only clutched her necklace with a silver feather and a few crystals as well. She wore the same outfit as the day she introduced herself to him as Yin.
"Rahab." Sharrkan called to her again
Still nothing Pisti perked her head up as she noticed the silence that followed.
"Rahab." Sharrkan called again.
Nothing came from her.
Sharrkan called to her again, and Pisti soon joined in trying to get her attention. Finally, frustrated Sharrkan got up and put his hand on her shoulder. When his hand came in contact with her skin, he saw a quick flash of Rahab with some man with long hair. He couldn't make the face before Rahab turned her head towards him.
"W-what?" Rahab stuttered realizing what had happened.
"Where are Masrur and Yamu?"
"Masrur I have no idea, Yamu I believe she's in her room still sleeping. She was up pretty late last night, and it didn't help that she was one of the first one of you up."
"I'll go get her."
"Oh, o-w-wait why?" Rahab asked as she taken aback by the sudden show of care.
"Let's say payback."
Rahab could only smile at the little rivalry they had started, and she was getting the feeling that it wasn't going to end anytime soon either. "Ah, the beginning of love so rare to see but it's truly adorable." She muttered to herself.
She closed her eyes and replayed the plan in her head of how she was going to get them to say I love you to each other before the end of this trip. She laughed at herself; she was crossing boundaries that she shouldn't to make this couple work. But she knew that someone was going to come calling when the time comes. The question was is going to a matter for Yin the magi to handle or a matter for Rahab the monster to deal with. She sighed at the thought; she was praying for Yin to the hero in this situation.
She took in a long deep breath, getting the smell of the air. She rose and stepped onto the edge of the terrace. She stood on top of the stone railing and close to the column; she opened her eyes that held a fierce look in them.
"They're here." She then stepped off the balcony and disappeared in a puff of smoke as she was known for doing.
