Chapter 12
Ja'far stared down at Sinbad's prone form in the bed. The king was pale and motionless and barely breathing. It was unsettling to see such a vibrant person lie so utterly still.
"Are you ready, Mr. Ja'far?" Aladdin's voice rang like a death knell in his ears. Morgiana and Alibaba stood quietly in the corner of the room, watching on uneasily. General Yamuraiha's grip tightened around her staff.
Ja'far let his pale eyes skate over each of them in turn before he nodded. He shakily climbed onto the bed aside Sin before Aladdin clambered in after. They'd moved the king to one side of the mattress so there would be enough space for three. The bed dipped under the added weight as Ja'far settled next to the man he loved. Sin's hand was ice cold as he laced their fingers together. Aladdin laid down next, settling to Ja'far's left before weaving his tiny hand with Ja'far's as well.
"Okay. I'm ready," Ja'far said after a thick swallow. He gripped Sin's hand tighter as Aladdin set his features.
"Let's do it then. I'm going to ask the Rukh to rebuild the bond's passage now. I'll need your help, Yam,"
"Right," She said her hands shaking minutely as she raised her fisheye staff.
Aladdin and Morgiana shifted nervously as Yam raised her conduit high into the air and everything glowed golden bright.
Ja'far blinked around at the sudden blackness.
"Hello?" He said, voice echoing back to him a dozen times over.
Behind him stretched an endless void of nothing, but before him, loomed a massive, tightly soldered wall. Its bricks were laid seamlessly, the mortar neatly squared and cement-strong.
Ja'afr walked up to it and placed his palm flat against the stone, a shiver running down his spine. It was cold as ice. He pulled back and tucked his hands within his sleeves.
"Aladdin? Where are you?" Ja'far said, his voice reverberating eerily against the infinite wall.
"I'm here, Mr. Ja'far," Aladdin was suddenly standing aside him, face turned skyward towards the top of the wall that seemed to have no end. "Mr. Sinbad certainly is powerful, isn't he? This wall looks practically impenetrable,"
Ja'far bit his lip, wondering how in the world this little child was planning to break through the monstrous barricade before them. "He certainly is thorough in everything he does,"
Aladdin frowned and held up his staff. From the darkness appeared a flurry of golden Rukh, their paper-thin wings beating silently, drawn to the tip of the staff like moths to a lantern. Aladdin closed his eyes and took a deep breath as the Rukh circled him in golden rings. He was listening.
Ja'far held his breath until Aladdin opened his eyes once more, a determined look on his boyish features.
"The Rukh told me there may be an opening," Five or six of the little lights had begun swirling sideways, moving further down the wall. "They want us to follow,"
It seemed miles they walked before the sound of dripping water broke the silence.
The tip of Aladdin's staff had been swarmed with Rukh, their ethereal light eminent like the soft glow of a flame. Like a torch, he held it high, illuminating the shimmering wall before them. A trickle of water was streaming through the seams of the stone, the only notable crack in the tightly laid brick.
"This is it," Aladdin said.
Ja'far pursed his lips and waited for an explanation but suddenly the Rukh on Aladdin's staff took flight, settling themselves against the shining rocks, and like magic, the bricks vanished. Ja'far's breath caught in his throat, surprised to see a free-standing wall of water taking their place. It was not a waterfall. It was as if a sheet of glass held back the current, but when Ja'far reached forward, his fingers disappeared beneath the surface. It was smooth as a mirror and velvet soft, but the coldness bit Ja'far's fingers with razor teeth.
"Before you go, I've got something for you to bring. It will help Mr. Sinbad's Magoi. You can't keep giving him your own,"
Aladdin held out a little burlap sack cinched closed by leather drawstrings. Ja'far took it silently and looked inside.
"I can't go any further than this, Mr. Ja'far," Aladdin said with a sheepish smile. "I don't know why, but the Rukh insist,"
Ja'far tugged the bag shut and tucked it into his pocket. "Thank you, Aladdin. I think I understand,"
"I believe in you, Mr. Ja'far,"
Swallowing down his nerves, Ja'far stepped forward into the icy bath.
It was a moonless night when he breached the water's surface in the other world but he'd become accustomed to following the chain blindly. It seemed to pull him forward tonight, guiding him through the darkness with impatience, as if it knew what he meant to do. It wasn't long before Ja'far could smell the burnt forest and feel the crunch of charcoal beneath his soles, and suddenly the clearing appeared before him.
Sinbad was sitting near the fire, his hair streaming over his shoulder in purple ribbons as he leaned over the hearth. His tanned features were illuminated by the gentle glow of the coals. The site of him was staggering, even if it was just a dream. Ja'far had to swallow down the lump in his throat to compose himself before walking forward calmly.
"Ja'far, how did you find me? It seems ages since I've seen you," Sin said, rising from the stone bench as Ja'far entered the clearing.
It felt strange being so clear-headed in the dream world. Before, he'd been part of the script, thinking nothing of the oddities, like any other dream. Now was completely different. He was in control and he had a mission.
"It has been ages. I had to find a little outside help to infiltrate the wall you built up around this place," Ja'far said pointedly.
This Sin seemed to know nothing of the barrier and gave him a quizzical look. "I'd not heard of any wall, but either way, I'm glad you're here. I could really use your help with this fire," Sin settled back down and leaned forward to prod the mix of chalky coals and deep orange embers with his poker. The fire was not doing well at all.
"I'm sorry, but I don't have any firewood with me tonight," Ja'far said quietly.
Sinbad's brow knit together. "Hmm, I'm going to have to think of something else then. Quickly too. This fire doesn't have much life left to it. It's about to go out,"
"I've got an idea," Ja'far said. He walked forward and took hold of Sin's hand.
"Oh?" Interested, Sin set the poker aside. He let Ja'far pull him from the bench and across the clearing and all the way to the oasis threshold, but as soon as Ja'far tried to lead him further, Sinbad resisted. He shook his head and dug in his heels, suddenly an 18-year-old teenager, hair braided and eyes wild with untamed youth.
"I can't leave this place. I've got to stay with the fire," Sin insisted.
"We'll only be gone a short while, Sin. Listen, I need your help," Ja'far said. Besides that, their chain had become too short for them to separate. It was only a couple of arm spans long.
Sin's eyes filled with curiosity when Ja'far pulled the woven burlap sack from his pocket and revealed its contents. The tiny green seeds were so vibrant, they almost glowed. They were the most colorful thing in the entire abyss. "Help me plant these. Once they grow, you'll have enough tinder to keep your fire burning for an eternity. Help me do this, and then we'll tend the fire,"
Sin peered in at the green pebbles and reluctantly nodded, finally stepping out onto the ash carpet. The fear in Sin's eyes was an unfamiliar sight, but Ja'far pressed on anyway. He dumped half of the seeds into Sin's hand and kept the rest for himself as they set off into the vast emptiness.
Ja'far knelt down as he came upon one of the blackened fingers reaching towards the sky. The burnt remains of the tree became a headstone for the first little seed he buried at its base. He moved on and planted another aside a charred boulder, and another next to nothing in particular. Sin was doing the same, though much less carefully. His motions were rushed and fervent. He finished hiding all of his seeds quickly.
There were only two seeds left in his sack when Ja'far felt the chain grow taught as he reached its end. He looked back to find Sin stopped and staring longingly towards the clearing. It looked like a flickering candle-wick in the distance.
"We've gone too far and stayed away from the fire for too long. We've got to go back," Sin's face was troubled. Grave almost.
Ja'far shook his head. "We're almost done, Sin. I've only got a few seeds left to go. We'll head back as soon as I'm finished,"
Ja'far gave the cord a strong tug when Sinbad remained in place as if pulling a dog on a leash. It was enough to jerk Sin back into motion, though if anything, a spark of panic seemed to touch his eyes. Ja'far felt guilty for only a breath before striding on forward, eventually bending to bury the second to last seed. He tucked it in gently with a blanket of black soil.
"Just one more," Ja'far said, but again the chain locked, preventing him from going any further. He turned in exasperation, but he didn't find a stubborn teen at the end of the line. Sin had become but a boy, and he lay face down in the dirt.
"Sin!?" Ja'far ran to Sin's side, nearly tripping over the chain in his haste. He turned Sin over carefully and gathered the boy into his arms. Sin's eyes were barely open and he was covered in soot.
"I told you we'd been gone too long, but you didn't listen," The last of his words came in a thin whisper before his head lolled into Ja'far's chest. The small body in his lap went heavy and limp.
Horrified, Ja'far stuffed the burlap sack and remaining seed back into his pocket so he could hoist Sin from the ground. He wouldn't have been able to lift Sin if he were an adult, but he could drape the lanky 16-year-old over his back well enough.
A plume of ash rose with them and formed a dusty wake as Ja'far ran towards the clearing. He stumbled on fallen logs and singed roots, and choked on the stirred ash that filled the air.
The chain connecting him to the boy on his shoulders clattered loudly, bits of red rust flaking from its links. The worn metal was corroding away with each passing moment.
By the time they reached the clearing, Ja'far's strength was gone. He fell gracelessly to his knees and lowered Sin down as best he could, laying him gently onto his side.
"Sin, wake up! We're back! We'll tend the fire now!" Ja'far cried, shaking Sin's shoulder roughly, but the boy did not respond. Tears were leaking from Sin's eyes. Not bloody ones, just wet shimmering tracks that cleared the soot and left flesh-colored streaks down his face.
Ja'far pushed the sailor onto his back and shook him some more but the young Sinbad would not wake.
He wasn't even breathing.
No, no, no! Ja'far pushed the crumbling chain aside so he could press his ear hard against Sin's cold chest.
He heard nothing. Just echoing silence.
Ja'far bolted back in fear.
He stared down at Sin in mute terror for an agonizing moment before realization clapped him over the head.
"The fire!" He hastily turned from Sin's side, scrambling on hands and knees towards the hearth. The chain in his chest had become so fragile, it nearly shattered when he reached its end, but it held for the time, groaning and creaking as Ja'far willed it to lengthen enough to reach.
He dragged himself hand over hand to the ring of stones until he was able to gaze down at the blackened pit. The fire was completely extinguished, the embers dark as night.
"Gods, no," He rasped, reaching into the pit with shaking hands. The embers were still warm as Ja'far dug through the ashy remains. He searched desperately for a flash of orange or a flicker of light.
Any sign of life. Anything.
His nails became caked with black and his palms blistered beneath the hot ash, but Ja'far finally found what he was looking for.
At the very bottom of the hearth lay a single dim cinder. It curled and whistled, sending out feeble smoke signals as if pleading for rescue. Ja'far's heart leaped with hope, but when he reached into his pocket, he remembered that he had no tinder to give. The only thing his hand closed around was the burlap sack and the last glowing seed.
The burlap! That will burn! Ja'far needed it to be true. He jostled the delicate ember onto the sack, willing it to feed on the organic material, and by a miracle, it sputtered brighter. It ate the burlap greedily, burning it up in a puff of white smoke but when the tiny flames met the living bulb within the bag, they balked, smoke turning into a thick black-gray plume.
"No, please, don't burn out!" Ja'far cried, but the flames coughed and cringed and then they disappeared altogether. Even the smoke died away, leaving nothing but the cracked little seed. It seemed to glow indignantly brighter as if angry it had been used as fire bait.
Ja'far fell back onto his rump, defeat washing over him. I've let the fire go out. He grabbed at the chain in his chest for comfort or guidance, but the links crumbled and turned to dust in his hands.
"No!" Ja'far yelled, frantically trying to hold the links together but they were beyond repair. He was left with a twisted frayed stump of iron dangling from his chest. The remaining links leading to Sin's chest tumbled to the ground.
I let the chain break.
The pulse of blood in his ears sounded like a swelling ocean.
I let the fire go out.
He swallowed hard, overcome with shock.
Ja'far had broken the only two rules of the burnt forest.
He blindly crawled back to Sin's side and threw himself on top of the broad, unmoving chest. Sin was an adult again, though he was still covered in soot and tear tracks like the boy before and lay just as still.
"Sin, what do I do now?" Ja'far sobbed, but he could feel his vision going dark. He was starting to see the blackness that lived behind closed lids. He was being forced from the artificial dream and back to reality.
He was waking up.
"-he's stopped breathing! We've got to do something or he's going to die!" Yamraiha's voice quailed.
"Wait! Ja'far hasn't woken up yet! If he's still asleep then he's still got a chance to save Mr. Sinbad. We've got to believe in him!" Aladdin's voice said. "Just give him a few more minutes!"
Ja'far forced himself back under, fleeing from reality. He tried to take Aladdin's words to heart. I've still got a chance, but what could he do? The fire was out and the chain was broken. He was back on Sin's chest, and it was just as cold and silent as before.
"You can't do this to me. You can't die," Ja'far said looking down upon Sin's dirty face.
"Godddamnit you selfless, selfish bastard, you can't leave me," Ja'far's vision was blurred with tears as he balled the fabric of Sin's robe into tight fists. "I won't let you,"
He felt like a child. A helpless obstinate child spouting orders he'd never be able to uphold, but from behind him a horrible crack shook the clearing and wiped his mind of any foolish demands. He whipped around to find the source, heart pounding against his ribs. The sound was deafening, like a mountain splitting in two, or an ax cleaving stone. It rattled his eardrums as it echoed through the clearing hugely.
The hearth was the source of the noise, Ja'far realized as a beastly column suddenly grew from the ashes, stretching towards the sky like a rising giant. Ja'far clung to Sin's body even more tightly as the shape grew taller and taller. It morphed and twisted as it grew, bark appearing on the pillar with branches and blossoms but when the buds began bursting open they revealed no leaves or flowers. Tiny green fires bloomed from the tree like fireworks.
The stones forming the hearth tumbled aside as the massive trunk outgrew their border. Crawling roots burrowed from the center, venturing out past the clearing's limits like moles. The ground shook and the clearing heaved. Ja'far could do nothing but cling to Sin and pray the quake wouldn't separate them.
Just when he thought the tumult would never end, the world grew quiet. He let out a cry, perhaps of relief or sorrow, or aw, he couldn't say.
The flaming tree towering over them seemed taller than a mountain. Ja'far had to squint against the light cast by the burning leaves. They illuminated the clearing and widened its edges, blurring the line between the oasis and the burnt forest. The field of ash was growing brighter as well. Dwarf trees were rising from the earth, their green caps made of flame as well.
As the trees grew, the darkness melted like frost in the sun, and soon the entire world was alight. Ja'far could see the glimmering ocean in the distance, tropical blue and turquoise standing stark against the white sandy beach. From the east, a green mountain towered, its cap the color of slate, white fluffy clouds hemmed it flatteringly.
To the west a puddled lake shimmered in the brightness, a snakelike river trailing lazily towards the ocean. The sky was clear blue and endless.
Ja'far had visited each place before, only in darkness, they'd appeared haunted and bleak. Now they were effervescent and beautiful. Ja'far jumped in surprise as the body beneath him moved.
"Ja'far, you've done it," Sin said. His amber eyes were opened and bright and locked onto Ja'far's green ones.
"Sin!" Ja'far managed to choke. "You-you're alive!"
"You restored the forest, Ja'far! Now the fire doesn't need tending. It will never go out so long as the trees thrive. You saved me,"
The world grew blurrier and blurrier as tears welled in Ja'far's eyes. A single sob was all it took for him to break completely. He collapsed into Sin, sobbing hysterically against his chest. Warm arms moved to encircle his body as he shook with emotion. Sin's ribs weren't hollow any longer. Ja'far could hear the steady thump of his heart even above his sobbing.
It was the most wonderful thing he'd ever heard in his life. The most steady rhythm in all of the seven seas.
He cried harder and harder, even as Sin sat up and cradled him in his lap, lips pressed firmly onto his brow.
He did nothing but hold Ja'far, laying soft kisses over his cheeks and neck.
"You're going to cry yourself sick," Sin said gently, stroking Ja'far's hair back from his face.
"You've no room to lecture about being sick, Sin. You're a bastard, you know that? You worry me,"
"I'm sorry," Sin chuckled.
"You're a fucking bastard but Goddammit, I love you," Ja'far wiped his messy nose on his sleeve. His eyes felt swollen and he knew they must've been red but he smiled up at the man holding him despite all that.
"I love you so much, Ja'far. I don't know what I'd do without you,"
"And I haven't the foggiest of what I'd do without you, Sin,"
Sin smothered him with a kiss, so deep Ja'far thought he might never surface, but all good things must end. Ja'far was breathless as Sin pulled away.
"It's time to go now, Ja'far. We can't stay here forever. Come find me when you're awake. I'll be waiting," Sin said.
The light grew brighter and brighter, a white-gold glow that soon enveloped Ja'far's vision entirely...
tbc