Disclaimer: I do not own Magi!
Chapter 11
It was nearly noon and Sinbad had made plans to eat lunch with the two travelers he met upon arriving at the hotel. Althea merely walked along with Sinbad as he held her hand.
They met the two travellers as Althea froze in her step as she saw the Rukh were thick around Aladdin and her body shook a bit. Althea tried to keep herself composed as they all sat a table. Sinbad had already ordered some food and Althea sipped her drink.
A plate of delicious fish was placed on the table and Althea smiled, remembering this dish.
"Uwaaa!" said Aladdin in delight as he was drooling at the fish with Morgiana as Althea recognized as a Finalist.
Sinbad crossed his arms and spoke proudly, "This is Balbadd's famous butter baked eumer sea bream!" said Sinbad, "The Eumer sea bream is a rare fish only found in Balbadd's coastal waters. Its secret is that even though it's a sea bream, it has soft bones and is an absolute delicacy when eaten with vanilla!"
Althea stood up and begun to serve the portions as Aladdin and Morgiana ate it with delight. "When we first travelled here, it was the most delicious cooking I came across…that's adventure's charm! Oh, by the way, I haven't introduced my subordinates yet." He said.
"My subordinates are Ja'far and Masrur. Morgiana!" said Sinbad, grabbing the attention of the female Finalist, "Masrur is a finalist."
Morgiana widened her eyes in complete shock, "Did that surprise you? Actually yesterday, he also noticed. Your eyes are exactly alike." Said Sinbad in glee.
"…Hello." Said Masrur.
"…Hello." Replied Morgiana, shy of meeting another finalist.
Althea smiled as Sinbad grabbed the attention of the two, "And finally, I like to introduce a dear friend of mine." Said Sinbad, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Aladdin, Morgiana, I like you to meet Althea."
Aladdin and Morgiana stared at her as Aladdin gripped his chest and his flute glowed. Something fluttered within Althea as she raised to remove her veil. Sinbad just blinked and smiled as he watched her remove it and Ja'far just gaped.
Althea smiled as Aladdin rose from his seat as Althea spoke, "Nice to meet you."
Morgiana and widened her eyes at her mutli-coloured eyes as it changed as they saw Aladdin was silent.
"Aladdin?" asked Sinbad.
Althea placed an hand on his arm and smiled reassuringly before she looked at Aladdin and held out her arms, into a hug. Aladdin instantly shot forward as he hugged her as he spoke, "Nee-san!"
Althea chucked as she hugged him, "I've finally found you." She said, kissing his forehead.
Sinbad and the others watched the two in surprise as Aladdin begun to drag Morgiana to Masrur as he introduced himself. Aladdin waved to Althea as she raised and arm as she sipped her drink and took a bite of her food. "Althea, you know Aladdin?" asked Ja'far.
Althea looked at Ja'far and Sinbad and thought about it. "Once upon a time, yes." She said, "You know about my secret, already. I've just been waiting for him." She said softly.
Sinbad and Ja'far stared at her as she cleared her throat, "Anyway, what are you planning to do about the Fog Troupe?" she asked Sinbad.
Ja'far sipped his own drink, "You don't have a tool right now so you can't accomplish that absurd promise from this morning. What will you do?" asked the ex-assassin.
Their king looked at them for a moment before responding, "I'll figure it out, somehow?"
"HEY!" yelled Ja'far.
Sinbad smiled as Althea looked down with a slightly sad smile, "But still, even if we're counting on a minimum level of damages from this internal issue, a couple of problems still remain. I still owe Balbadd a debt. Sindria was founded on barren soil before left or right was understood. Balbadd's late king taught me a lot about trade. I'm truly indebted to him." Althea nodded, as Sinbad continued on. "It is a shame that person died but I won't let my benefactor's country fall into civil war…"
At that moment, Althea felt a rush of rukh and a whistle of a flute as Ja'far and Althea saw two pairs of blue giant arms come behind Sinbad. Ja'far shot out the liquid he was drinking and Althea jumped away but gaped.
Sinbad let out a yell of surprise as Althea slammed her hands on the table and gaped, "Ugo?!"
Aladdin and the others looked at her as the giant pair of arms waved at her.
The group decided to go under the bridge to talk as Althea had her fists on her hips, staring at the blue headless giant. Althea twitched, "Ugo…right?" she asked, tilting her head.
Ugo rubbed where his head would've been as she placed a hand on her face, "I don't even want to know." She said.
"Aladdin, you're also a magi?" asked Sinbad and looked between Aladdin and Althea, in which the latter was holding the boy up.
"Also?" asked Aladdin, "Mister, do you know other Magi?" he asked as Althea placed Aladdin down while Sinbad patted Ugo's arm. "Yes." Replied the King. "I know another magi though our relationship isn't the best."
"Which is an understatement." Muttered Althea to the side so Sinbad and the others couldn't hear it.
"Mister, who are you?" asked Aladdin.
Sinbad turned around and looked at Aladdin, "I see…since you are a Magi, I will reveal myself. I've hidden it until now, so don't think badly of me."
"Here we go." Muttered Althea.
Ugo looked at her as Althea sighed, "Just what is happening here, Ugo?" asked Althea as Sinbad was trying to tell Aladdin who he was.
Ugo made a few hand movements as for some odd reason, Althea knew what he was saying. Althea was only nodding until Sinbad got her attention.
"Althea is also considered a Magi." Said Sinbad as Aladdin looked at her.
"Onee-san, you're a Magi?" asked Aladdin.
Althea shrugged and smiled sheepishly, kneeling at Aladdin's eye level. "Not really a Magi, per see." She said. "I can see and communicate with the Rukh much like you, Aladdin. I even draw help from my own magoi and the Rukh. Whether am I truly a Magi or not, is something I don't know. Ugo over here," said Althea, making a unpleasant face and pointed to the djinn, "Hasn't really told me anything much about myself either."
Ugo waved his hands trying to calm the girl as Althea sighed and patted Aladdin's head who was beaming at her, "Onee-san, the Rukh love you though."
Althea just stared at him as the Rukh around her were making a small nest out of her hair and were resting on her shoulders as Aladdin giggled. Althea just rose an eyebrow and smiled as Aladdin laughed.
"Hold on, you want to Aladdin and Morgiana to help capture the Fog Troupe?" asked Althea, holding the two close as if the two were her own children.
'Ah…Althea is in mother mode' thought Sinbad, Ja'far, and Masrur.
"They're children!" she hissed, jabbing a finger at Sinbad. Jar'far nodded, "How could you ask such a young child to undergo such dangers?"
"But age doesn't matter, does it?" asked Sinbad and pointed at Ugo, "The most important point is whether they have the capability of facing the thieves or not. Aladdin is a Magi. Just as you see here, he wields power beyond imagination. Although he is still a child, his capability already surpasses that of a fully grown adult!"
He looked at Althea, "Remember when we went to conquer a dungeon. I was 14 at the time and…."
Althea slapped a hand on her closet's friend's mouth as she sighed, "I get it, I get it. However, not everyone is like you Sin." Said Althea, "However it is their choice in the end, whether you like it or not."
Althea slapped Sinbad's head as he wouldn't let Morgiana and Althea fight because they were woman as Morgiana created a dent in the stone wall with her strength and Althea slammed her fists on his head and dragged Sinbad away, cursing under her breath as Ja'far leaned down to whisper to Aladdin and Morgiana.
"Although Althea seems kind at first, please don't agitate her. You do not want to get on the bad side of her." He said to them as advice as he paled at the memories when he was younger. When he was getting use and speaking out of his 'foul' mouth, Althea grew annoyed and tossed him into the open sea. Masrur nodded at that advice as he remembered having to hold her back and just barely, killing anyone whoever bad-mouthed.