Hello! I'm excited to post this update! Enjoy! And please update when you're done!

A few days later the four of them were trekking through the thinly shaded desert trail on their way to Balbadd. Trees sparsely shaded their path but he blazing heat of the merciless sun bore down on the travelers. But nevertheless each of them beaming with bright enthusiasm and exorbitant amounts of energy.

Well…some of them…

"Go on without me Nakht…I can't go on…tell my story…" Sina moaned face down in the burning sand.

Nakht was tugging on his arm as Aladdin and Morgiana stared back at them. "What story!? You're seven, you idiot! I'm not leaving you but I'm sure as Solomon not going to drag your butt to Balbadd! Get up!" the hysterical boy despite his rant began dragging Sina with his good arm face first through the sand. "Let's go you wimp!"

"But Nakht…. It's so hot! I'm melting…look at me…I'm just a puddle of a person." Sina mumbled through a mouthful of sand.

"It's not that bad! I've seen way worse before! You just have no heat tolerance! Get up!"

Aladdin laughed awkwardly. "I guess you can tell they're really close friends huh Morg?"

Morgiana raised a red brow. "Huh." Finally, she came over and hoisted Sina onto her back.

"Hey whoa! Are you carrying me?" he blushed as the girl began trudging forward.

"You're slowing us down." She stared determinedly ahead as she held the boy.

"Oh…sorry. Hey put me down I'll walk. I'm just being dramatic I guess. Sorry Miss Morgiana."

"Fine." She set Sina back onto his feet.

The embarrassed boy began to fidget with his head scarf making sure all of his hair was hidden from the sun's vengeful rays to distract from his blushing cheeks. Nakht scolded him as they moved forward through a thicker oasis of trees and blessed shade. "You are such a wimp!"

"Shut up."

"You got up for Miss Morgiana but not me. You're a big brat."

"Bully. It's so hot I'm sweltering."

"I'm the one with a broken arm and you don't see me complaining." Nakht stuck his tongue out.

"Well, I…I…. uh…I don't have a good come back but you suck."

Aladdin snickered at the two bickering boys and even Morgiana cracked a small smile at their antics.

"I'm glad we brought them along. This is fun huh Morg?"

"I want to thank you and Alibaba." Morgiana said suddenly. The two boys stopped their bickering to listen.

"Thank us?" Aladdin wondered

"I'm grateful. You've given me a future of true freedom; I am forever in your debt." She lowered herself to the floor. "Thank you Aladdin

"Well we have to thank you to Miss Morgiana!" Nakht exclaimed bowing at the waist to the girl. "Because if it wasn't for you, me and Sina would still be slaves!"

"Or dead." Sina nodded also bowing.

"Yeah! You saved our lives Miss!" Nakht smiled as Morgiana blushed at their praise.

"And it's alright Morg cause if I know my friend Alibaba he feels the same way I do. So there's no need to thank us because Alibaba is just that kind of guy you know."

Morgiana smiled at Aladdin's grin.

"Oh boy! it's been way to long. I can't wait to see him again." Aladdin exclaimed.

"Yeah and we'll be able to if we follow this road."

"Alright then, let's go."

Aladdin imagined Alibaba walking toward them a vision of friendship and joyous reunions. Unfortunately, that mirage melted away to reveal a naked man with arms open coming toward them.

"Oh hello. Real nice weather today huh?" The naked man grinned down at them. His golden earrings catching the sunlight. The four children stared at the strange image in front of them for a full minute. Then…

"AHHH!"

"Look out Morg and get back!" Aladdin flung his arm out.

"It's okay just leave it to me." Morgiana got into a fighting stance.

"My eyes burn!" Sina shrieked hysterically covering his face.

"Is that a leaf?!" Nakht cried as he buried his head in Sina's shoulder.

"Look out he might be a monster!"

"Understood I'll take care of it."

"Hey, Hey I'm not! hear me out!"

"Huh?"

After a while and a very quick explanation the man was given some of Aladdin's clothing. It was so comically small on the buff man that Sina couldn't look straight at him without snickering. Nakht kept elbowing him to make him stop.

"I got totally cleaned out by some bandits on my way to Balbadd today. My name is Sin."

"Sin? Hey, his name is like yours Sina!" Aladdin cheered.

"Yeah they are. That's interesting." Sina said distractedly as he snuck a long drag of Nakht's water before the dark-skinned boy snatched it back with a hissed. "Glutton."

The blue haired boy turned back to the stranger. "You got robbed Mister? I see. I guess as somebody who crossed the desert I can get a little paranoid about danger sometimes." Aladdin admitted.

Sin got an interested look on his face. "So you've crossed the desert." He stroked his chin at the information.

As Aladdin described his trip the man began poking at the fire they had set. Sina scooted far away from the merciless heat. "we're in the middle of the burning desert so what should we do? I know, let's set a fire! That'll cool us down." He grumbled quietly as Nakht elbowed him to shut up.

The man Sin, smiled "That euphoria from coming upon unknown lands and knowledge, the confidence that comes from finding new paths, the experience, the bond between friends you'd risk your life for. Adventures are great. And they are everyman's true dream."

Aladdin grinned excitedly "Yeah! I get it! I know exactly what you mean!"

The man laughed and turned to Morgiana. "Not only that, but one of the perks of going on a journey is coming across a sweet young girl like you."

Morgiana nodded quietly. And Sina mumbled. "What a dirty old man."

"Wait what?!" Sin gaped at the boy.

"You spoke too loud dummy." Nakht elbowed him again.

Sina huffed and crossed his arms to protect his vulnerable ribs from his friend and amusingly watched the man's face crumple. "I-I'm not old."

… Sina raised an eyebrow at him. "You're only mad because I called you old? Not because I called you dirty?"

"I'm not old. I'm in the prime of my life."

"That's what old men say."

"Urk! …You're a spiteful little boy aren't you?"

"Probably, but I'm not old like you. So I've got the time to learn better, you're probably already going senile though."

"I am not! I remember every journey I've ever been on!"

"So, is that a lot of journeys?"

"Yes!"

"So you have to be old to have gone on so many."

"You little…"

Nakht buried his face in his hands at the ridicules back and forth. Aladdin's eyes darted from boy to man at each comment his eyes widened. And Morgiana caught a strange smell on the wind. Her voice cut in-between their banter.

"The scent of the ocean."

Sin stopped his argument to tilt his chin forward. "You should be able to see Balbadd and the ocean just beyond that hill." He smiled at the Fanalis girl.

"Did you learn that on your many journeys over the years dirty old man?"

"You know what…"

Aladdin and Morgiana ignored the bickering and raced ahead. While Nakht and Sina helped Sin break camp and gather the packs.

Sin looked at the two. "Don't you want to go ahead with your friends?"

Nakht shook his head. "I need to go slower than them. My ribs are pretty sore right now."

"I noticed your arm, and the wrap on your leg, but your ribs are hurt too? And your little friend has a splint on his wrist. Just what happened to you two?" the man asked concerned.

"Our master threw us off a cliff." Sina bluntly cracked. Slightly enjoying the look of shock on his face. 'Why is it so much fun to tease this man?' he wondered to himself

Sin blanched and furrowed his brows in an upset manner. "…Your master? So you were slaves?"

"Yeah. And he just threw me off the cliff. Sina was stupid and jumped." Nakht poked at his friend.

"WHAT! You jumped off a cliff!" Sin exclaimed shocked.

"I wasn't thinkin' about it! I just reacted!" Sina defended and whirled around on his friend. "And if I hadn't jumped after you, you could have been hurt!" he shot at him.

"I was hurt you dummy! You jumped into a pit of man eating beasts! Think things through next time!" Nakht slammed his good hand against Sina's covered head.

Sina crumpled and held his aching skull. "Ow! You're a lot more violent since then you know that, Nakht!?"

"I'm trying to knock some sense into you! I would have done this before but I didn't think you were that stupid!" Nakht returned and punctuated his exclamation with another shot at Sina's skull. Sina returned with a tug of Nakht's braid. Then to stop the fighting Sin held the back of both boys' shirts and pulled them apart. "Now boys let's not argue. You're friends after all right? Now apologize to each other."

The two boys stared at the man and looked back at each other shamefaced. "Sorry I called you stupid." Nakht mumbled. "Sorry I was stupid." Sina grumbled and looked back at Sin. "Now put us down old man." He commanded pointing a finger at the ground.

The man Sin grimaced and then gave a not so nice smile. "You know what? No."

"No? What do you mean No?!" Sina growled as the man hoisted the packs on his back and held the boys in each arm. Nakht was held on his hip with his good arm looped around Sin's neck while Sina was held awkwardly by his gut under the man's other arm.

Sin laughed at Sina's wiggling attempts to get loose while Nakht settled quickly. "Both of you are hurt so I'll carry you the rest of the way."

"I don't want you to carry me put me down old man!"

"Then consider this punishment for calling me old, little boy."

"Grrr…" Sina growled while Nakht giggled happily from his perch.

"Thank you for carrying us Mister Sin."

"You're welcome Nakht." Sin grinned at the cute boy in his arms and happily ignored the spiteful grumbling from his other hip.

Then Sin carried them up the hill to join Morgiana and Aladdin. Both of them smiled at the sight the three of them made. Morgiana took her bed roll and Aladdin took his bag and the five of them continued down the hill into the great island kingdom of Balbadd. With Sina grumbling the whole way down about both the heat and this weirdo that their group picked up.

Linelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelinelineline

Sin carried the two boys all through the crowded streets of Balbadd. Sina kept up a constant commentary of scowls and cranky grumbles as he went. The blazing sun shone brightly down on the group as Sin educated the children on what he knew of Balbadd. They wandered past some stalls of food and shining jewelry. An array of decorated pots was mounted on one stall while another had huge melons stacked over Sin's head. The people were finely dressed and bartered and traded easily with slips of paper.

Then they crossed a stone bridge and Sina could tell it was a much poorer district. The streets were dirty and there were people slumped in the corners looking starved and pitiful. Small malnourished children watched them with hungry eyes from the windows above. While the blazing sunlight was only punctuated by occasional shade from overhanging holey rags and grungy sheets.

Sina looked up to see Sin taking in the decrepit scenery around them with a shrewd eye. 'He looks upset. Like this is all personal to him.' Sina thought.

As they walked along a wooden plank way Aladdin pointed out some smeared graffiti on the brick wall. "Well I really don't want to know what they used for paint." Sina scowled as he took in the rusted red flakes coming off the message. Sin tightened his grip on the two boys he was lugging around when he heard that. "Hey! Watch the stranglehold old man!" Sina hissed like a wet cat. "Sorry about that." Sin smiled carelessly.

"Sorry Sina's so cranky. He gets like that when it's hot." Nakht whispered.

"I heard that! I'm not cranky!" Sina wailed.

"What does the wall say Mister Sin?" Nakht asked ignoring his grumbling friend.

"It says 'Overthrow the Monarchy.' I'm guessing you can't read. Nakht?"

"No sir, neither can Sina."

"I can read! And write too!"

"You can write your name!" Nakht shot back at him.

"That counts!" it was true that Sina's mother didn't have the time nor the knowledge to teach her son how to read or write beyond his name. And Fatima never bothered to educate his slaves. So while Sina did know how to read and write fluently in English, the odd Arabicized symbols that they used here wasn't something he had ever seen in his past life. 'it kind of looks like Hermione's homework for Ancient Runes' he thought absently. 'But it's not like I ever paid any attention to that either.' He depressed himself further.

"Why would someone write this message mister?" Aladdin wondered aloud.

"Well, ever since the death of the former king the whole country has been in crisis." Sin informed them as he led them to an opulent area. He stopped grandly in front of a magnificent building.

"But you'll all be perfectly safe here. It's the finest luxury hotel in the country. it's where I always stay. And I'll take care of the bill, you four can stay here as long as you desire."

"Wow! Thank you mister!" Aladdin's eyes glistened cheerfully and Morgiana gave a shy bow of gratitude.

"That's very nice of you Mister Sin." Nakht smiled gratefully.

"So you're a rich dirty old man." Sina said aloud.

"I'm not old!" Sin jostled the boy playfully scolding him.

"But you admit to being dirty and rich."

"Never mind; let's go in." Sin laughed as he carried the two boys up the stairs leading the way.

"Hey stop right there!"

"Who the heck are you!"

"Shady Bastard!"

Guards swarmed the man and tried to repel him with wooden staffs. Nakht and Sina were jostled in the fray. "Hey, watch it!" Sina hissed at the guards.

"Shady? what's so shady about me?"

"Come one it's so obvious!"

"What part of me are you referring to?"

"Are you kidding look how you're dress! And your lugging around two kids half naked to boot!"

Sin kept the staffs from hitting the boys but he couldn't hold them off with his hands full. They were getting pushed back down the stairs.

"Enough." A commanding voice stopped the guards. It was a young man with freckled skin and long robes. He had wide dove grey eyes that shrewdly ran over all of them. Behind him was a very tall man with bright red hair and bright golden armor.

Sin explained the situation to the new men. And the freckled man addressed Aladdin and Morgiana while Sin carefully set Nakht and Sina on their feet. "Unfortunately, it seems our master has caused you quite a bit of trouble. As he said before you can leave your bill to us."

Aladdin raised his arms excitedly "Wow thanks mister subordinates!"

"And you- "the man turned to Sin. "Let's get you into- "

fump!

Sina crashed face first into the fine carpet of the hotel.

And Sinbad is here! I'm so happy with all the comedy I've stuck in. This will be so hilarious later on! For those wondering how long Sina were in Fatima's oh so tender care, Sina was four when he was taken from his mom, he just turned seven years old now. So that's two nearly three years as a slave and most of that was being Fatima's punching bag and stress relief. Please Review!