A/N: This chapter is a continuation of the prologue, therefore is a bit short.

Maeve was bent over the railing, throwing up for what seemed to her like the thousandth time that day. Sinbad watched her carefully, worried. She had never been sea sick before and he couldn't understand why she would be so now. Nevertheless, as she busied herself by regurgitating whatever her meal had been, the captain stayed by his wife's side, holding her long curly hair and rubbing her back. At times, he felt the urge to throw up himself but forced his meal to stay where it was.

"Maeve, I didn't know you could be sea sick." Sinbad told her, a hint of worry in his voice.

Maeve lifted her head, wiped her mouth with her sleeve and and looked at her husband.

"Me neither." She answered, panting.

"Do you think Rumina is making you sick?"

Maeve shook her head.

"No. This is all my body. It's not black magic. Besides, Rumina doesn't know about our plans."

"Maybe we should stop by the next port and get you to a physician. He could take a look at you."

"No, it's okay."

Seeing the look on his face, she quickly added:

"Really, Sinbad. I'm fine. I think I'm just gonna go down to our cabin and rest for a while."

"Okay." The captain replied, kissing her on her forehead. "Get some rest. You need it."

Maeve smiled and went down to her cabin. Sinbad went back to the tiller and took hold of it. He was lost in his thoughts when Bryn approached him.

"Is Maeve alright?" she asked him.

He could tell she was as concerned about their friend as he was.

"I've never seen someone so sick before." Bryn added.

"I know. She's never been sea sick before either."

"Maybe it's not sea sickness." A voice said from behind Bryn.

Sinbad looked past the young sorceress to see Dim-Dim standing before them. Bryn turned around herself and smiled at the old man.

"What do you mean, Master Dim-Dim?" Bryn asked him.

"I am no doctor, my dears, but I don't think this has anything to do with sea sickness."

"Then what could it be?" Sinbad asked.

He really couldn't think of anything else that could cause Maeve to be this sick.

"As I said, Sinbad. I am no doctor. Maybe you could get Firouz to take a look at her."

Sinbad frowned. He hadn't expected that advice from the old man.

"You mean this could be explained scientifically?"

"Not everything in this world is magic, my boy. Maeve might be a fine sorceress but she can still catch illnesses. Magic doesn't yet cure anything, unfortunately. Thus, we still need to rely on science every once in a while."

Dim-Dim winked at Sinbad before turning his attention back to Bryn.

"Come, child." He told her. "It is time for your training."

Dim-Dim turned around and walked away, Bryn following behind.

Just like Dim-Dim had suggested, Sinbad had gone down below deck hoping to catch Firouz. The scientist immediately agreed to examine Maeve, which he had done as soon as Sinbad had left his cabin. Unfortunately, he had found nothing.

Weeks passed by and soon turned into months. Sinbad had no idea where Dim-Dim and Maeve were taking him but he still followed their orders. They stopped in several ports, making small deliveries every now and then and never in their voyage did they encounter any strange phenomenons. Everything seemed to be in order and Sinbad couldn't be happier.

But according to Maeve, things were too calm and it worried her. Day after day, she and her apprentices would gather around on the deck and practice their magic. Night after night, Maeve would sit on the deck and watch her surroundings, eyes and ears alert, her cloak wrapped tightly around her. Sinbad knew something was bothering her but he respected her wish of silence. If she wanted to talk about it, she'd come to him. He knew it.

After three months of travelling, Maeve ordered a change of course.

"We need to set sail for the City of Mist."

"Why do we need to go there?" Sinbad asked as he turned the tiller.

"We need to get Serendib."

"Serendib? Why her?"

"Because we will need her." Maeve replied as if stating the obvious. "Our sources told us that Rumina is about to strike. We need to gather up as much as sorcerers together as possible."

"Who have you got so far?"

"Dim-Dim, Bryn, Malika and I. But it's not enough. We need Serendib with us."

The vague explaination seemed to satistify the captain.

"Aye aye. We're setting sail for the City of Mist."

Maeve smiled at him and was about to go back to her master when Sinbad called her back.

"Maeve!"

"Yes, Captain?" she asked, smirking.

"I can see your sea sickness is gone."

The smirk turned into a grin.

"It wasn't sea sickness."

Sinbad frowned.

"What was it then?"

"You'll see." Maeve replied before kissing him quickly on the cheek and going back to Dim-Dim who was sitting at the other end of the ship, talking to Bryn.

Sinbad watched her walk away, slightly confused. Something had changed in her but he couldn't quite put a finger n it. Her body had changed somehow. It almost seemed larger. Her face was also a bit rounder and she had a glow that hadn't been there before. Now it was there all the time.

He looked up at the sky and saw there was no cloud in sight. It looked like smooth sailing ahead.

Because of the shortness of this chapter, I'm also posting Chapter 2 today. But that doesn't mean nobody has to review this one! ;-)