A/N: This next chapter is where their adventure is really starting to unfold. Exciting to hear what you think of their final destination.
Chapter 15: HopeThe day after leaving Agrabah, they'd set a good pace over the relatively calm waters when they spotted several large whales jumping out of the water. The spirit on the ship was high, and everyone pitched in, making the journey go smoothly. Hope glanced over at Rueben, who was looking at the charts and making sure they kept the course they'd set out. His brows furrowed in concentration; she knew he took his position very seriously.
Hope wandered the deck and took it all in, the whipping of the sails, the wind wiring through the riggings. The horizon was all water as far as the eye could see, and she knew from her dad that sometimes sailors could get a bit balmy from traveling over open water like this for a longer period of time. She looked around at her friends, but no one seemed to lose their calm or easy going nature. Resting her elbows on the railing, she let her eyes focus on the gentle sway of the horizon.
Suddenly, she saw something quite strange further down south from their position. It was a dark grey cloud that seemed to grow bigger and bigger. Feeling dread wash over her, she hurried to the helm where William and Rueben were chatting with each other.
"Guys?" Hope took a large breath of air and managed to shout, "Look out there!" She pointed to the cloud, which was now far bigger than before. "Should we be worried?" She bit her lip as she watched the two men take stock of the situation.
They took one glance at each other before William bellowed, "Secure the sails, D!" He looked back at Hope and said, "Find Rose and Gloria and have them help sort out any loose items on deck and below."
Hope nodded and sprinted to find her friends; she knew Gloria was prepping their lunch. Once the three girls were back on deck, they made sure that nothing would be moving around, potentially knocking someone overboard. Finally she took a look out over the water, the wind had picked up, her hair swept over her face. Dread filled her stomach as she watched the storm forming and heading straight for them. The water around the ship was beginning to stir into bigger waves as the storm grew fiercer.
She rushed up to find Rueben, the charts now stored in one of the crates by the helm, his hands gripping the wheel tightly.
"Will it be bad?" Hope asked quietly.
"I have never seen a storm form like this." His voice was laced with worry, and even if he did give her a small smile, Hope could see how serious this could end up being.
"I'm certain the Jolly Roger has seen worse storms than this," William spoke up and pointed to the darker clouds that now looked almost ominous green.
Seconds later, a large bolt of lightning flashed through the sky, and the loudest boom of thunder crashed over the ship. Hope could hear her friends schriek in panic, she looked over at Rueben. He nodded in understanding, so she rushed to the deck where she found her friends by the mast.
"Fucking shit," Rose mumbled to herself. "This is bad."
"Yeah." Hope wasn't sure what to say right now, she could feel fear wash over as the rain started to pelt down over them.
Gloria, the ever foresighted of them all, threw them both raincovers, and they held onto one another.
The waves beneath the Jolly Roger were now a whirling mass of foaming water, the clouds even darker green now; it all just looked too unnatural. Hope had been in a few storms before, but nothing like this. She tried not to alarm her two friends, but she could see the men up at the helm looking equally as worried. Somehow she just knew this storm was no ordinary storm. Tapping into her magic, she sensed things happening around them that went beyond the physical world. She didn't dare speak of this to her friends; right now they just needed to get through this.
Suddenly, she remembered something she had in their cabin. After quickly making sure her friends were okay, she rushed below deck. She blinked away the heavy rain stinging her eyes and found her way to their cabin. She found the realm jumping comb Ariel had given her; this could take them away from here. On a whim, she picked up her sword and slung it over her back; this could go bad.
Once back up on deck, she could sense the storm was raging even more, and spotting her frightened friends, she motioned for them to join her at the helm. Rushing up to the helm, she grabbed Rueben, trying to catch her breath.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I know how we can get out of this mess." She gulped down and showed him the comb.
"That could work?" Reuben looked over at their Captain.
William took a look at the comb, then looking at Hope, he asked, "You know how this thing works?"
"Yeah, well, I've tried it out a few times." Hope grabbed the wheel when a large wave crashed over the deck below, right where she'd been standing with the girls. Gulping down, she added, "I don't see how we have any other choice here, William." Her voice was frantic and she could feel panic lodged in her throat. "This has to work. This ship might be magic, but this storm is made of something far bigger than just a natural storm."
William and Damien gasped at this statement; only Rueben seemed to understand her point.
"The storm is no way near natural," Rueben agreed and pointed to the swirling gray-green clouds above, "I have never felt a storm like this. It's littered with evil vibes, and even with my nature powers, I could never fight back."
"Okay, Hope!" William said firmly. Now they had to shout over the howling wind around them. "You do what you need to do; get us the hell out of here!"
Hope reached out her hand to Rueben. "Help me here!" Rueben looked back at William, who nodded in understanding as he grabbed the wheel.
Feeling Rueben's surprisingly warm hand in hers calms her nerves, and the storm raging around them seemed to fade to the background of her focus. Her magic connected with Rueben's, and even in the pelting rain and howling wind, she could see her magic shimmer over their clasped hands.
"You can do this!" Rueben shouted over the wind and squeezed her hand in reassurance.
Hope merely nodded and focused on the comb in her hand; the artefact was simple to use, but the stress of the storm around her gave her pause for a second. She knew she had to think about the place they needed to go, but right now, she had no clear idea of where they could go. Her magic connected with the comb, and as she moved the comb to slide into her windblown hair, she closed her eyes, trying to sort through her thoughts. Flashes of everything they've already been through passed through her mind's eyes. Suddenly, everything jerked beneath her feet, and she stumbled back against Rueben. His arms wrapped around her, and she realized the air around them was free of rain and wind. Not even a bloody cloud could be seen for miles, the sun blinding them from above.
"Where are we?" Rueben asked.
"Fuck me!" Damien exclaímed behind them.
Whirling around, Hope gaped at the sight in front of them. A large, rocky island rose above them. Large statues of warriors stood sentinel at a natural port. The port didn't look like anything Hope had ever seen; it didn't seem to consist of much else than the dock and a rickety shack. Glancing up at the two statues, she squinted, trying to figure out where she'd seen something like this. The warriors looked like Greek statues she'd seen in a museum once.
"Where the hell did you take us?" Rose asked. Her voice was wary and Hope could see that both her friends were worried.
"I have no bloody idea."
"You used the comb, right?" William asked.
"Yeah?" Hope took the comb out of her hair and looked at it. When using it before, it had managed to work how she wanted it to, relocating the ship to the realm she wanted to jump to. But this place, she was pretty certain, didn't exist in the United Realms.
"Look!" Gloria yelled and pointed to the dock. All eyes turned towards land and they could see a man waving at them.
"Looks friendly enough," Damien commented with a shrug.
The six friends exchanged a few confirming nods and William finally touched the wheel and made the ship gently sail past the large statues. While doing so, Hope felt a rush of an unfamiliar magic rush over her; it even shimmered in the air around them. She looked at Rueben and whispered, "Did you feel that too?" He nodded.
A short while later they docked the Jolly Roger and secured the ship, throwing an anchor rope to the man on the dock. Hope watched the dark-haired man secure the rope and realized he wore clothes that reminded her of the outfits the guys had worn in Agrabah, only the man's clothes were more muted sand color.
William walked down first and greeted the man.
"Hello, we come with no wishes to harm anyone." William stated and reached his hand out in greeting.
The man took William's hand in his and bowed his head. "I welcome you, travellers. Not many find their way to these secluded parts of the realm."
"What is this place called?" William asked.
"This place has no name," the man said gently, looking at each of them. His dark brown eyes were kind and twinkling with something Hope couldn't place her finger on. Maybe he knew something they didn't.
"Great," Damien mumbled under his breath. Gloria jabbed him with her elbow, hushing him.
Their host didn't seem to notice; he only nodded in another greeting. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Sinbad the Sailor."
Hope looked at him in surprise; she remembered some long lost stories she'd read as a child about this man. She honestly thought it was all stories. The various gasps from her friends told her that they might have heard a tale or two about the man in front of them.
"You're Sinbad?" Hope asked and stepped up next to William. "How?"
"Oy, ain't ya that sailor from Agrabah who got lost?" Damien pipped up and waved his hand at Sinbad.
The man in question nodded with a meek smile. "That would be me." He shrugged and continued his tale. "I came here when my ship capsized in a horrible storm. Now I'm the gatekeeper to the great city of Atlantis."
"Shut up!" Rose exclaimed. "You mean to tell us that Atlantis is here?" She waved her hands toward the deserted docks and the rugged cliff sides rising above them.
"Doesn't look much like any grand and glorious Atlanatis to me," Gloria mumbled and looked around.
Sinbad only laughed at their various outbursts. "Dear friends, this place is only the gateway to Atlantis."
"Wait a second," Hope interjected, looking at their friendly host, "It all just sounds too crazy. Could you please explain to us where the bloody hell we are?"
Sinbad nodded. "Of course," he motioned toward the shack. "I'll put on water for tea, then I'll tell you all you need to know about this place and why you're here."
They all nodded and followed Sinbad to what they could only assume was his home or gatekeeper office. Suddenly, a thought struck Hope. "You knew we would come here?"
Sinbad only nodded and showed them some rickety chairs placed around a table outside the shack. Hope could see that each of her friends was as confused as she was right now
Once they all had a mug of steaming hot tea in their hands, Sinbad finally began his story.
"When I was lost at sea, my whole crew died." His eyes shifted to his tea, sadness clear in his dark eyes. "I was somehow rescued by some Atlantean warriors patrolling those exact waters. You see, we'd gotten off curse in a horrible storm."
"I can't believe Atlantis is real," Rose whispered in disbelief; she looked sheepishly at Sinbad. "Sorry, carry on."
"When I woke up, I was greeted by a black-haired woman who was tending to my wounds; she told me I was in Atlantis." He grinned, shaking his head. "I thought I'd gone mad, and slipped back into a restless sleep; my body had taken quite a beating from falling off my ship." Sinbad took a sip of his tea. His eyes had a faraway look as he glanced around his audience.
"I was in and out of consciousness for a couple of days. Every time I woke up, the same woman was there." The smile forming over his lips while speaking of this woman had Hope thinking the woman might have come to mean something more to the man. Sinbad nodded when he spotted her knowing smile. "Yeah, Najia was my saviour, and I was a lost man to her charm. We formed a friendship in those days that evolved into so much more." He grinned sheepishly at them.
Both Rose and Gloria gushed at this. The guys just rolled their eyes, but were grinning at their host.
"So you stayed in Atlantis?" Hope asked.
"I did," Sinbad nodded. Finishing his tea, he finished his story. "I was treated with respect as long as I did the same to the Atlantians. I gradually became one of them and soon helped patrol with the guards and learned to wield their locks. keeping out the Sirens. When the old gatekeeper died in a tragic raid, I was appointed the new gatekeeper by Poseidon."
"Poseidon?" Everyone exclaimed in surprise.
"Pardon me, but I thought he was the ruler of the sea, or something," Damien said, scratching his hair in confusion.
"He is, and rules it from Atlantis. You all know the myths of Atlantis right?" Sinbad asked.
Everyone nodded, and Gloria said, "I think we do. It was ruined because deities thought the city had grown far too superior to the rest of the world." She shrugged. "I mean that is all I really remember. I might be wrong."
"Hmm," Sinbad nodded, deep in thought. "The story is quite different; Sirens were wreaking havoc thousands of years ago—long before the known realms even existed. Poseidon tried to fight back, and with the help of his sister, Demeter, they cursed the Sirens to forever be robbed of their powers to kill sailors with their singing."
"Oy, those sirens are nasty creatures who still lure sailors to their deaths," Damien interrupted.
"True, some sirens managed to escape the curse. Those very few sirens have been the ground those myths and stories have been built upon." Sinbad sighed. "It really only takes a small rock to create a mountain when it comes to stories, myths and old folk tales."
"Bloody hell," Hope exclaimed, trying to wrap her mind around this story.
Sinbad didn't seem to mind the interruption; he gave them a few short moments so each could make the story settle in their minds.
"The sirens were furious and spent years plotting their revenge. With the help of the sea witch, Ursula, they had Atlantis fall under an attack to shake it off its bedrock. Poseidon's last resort was to create a dome around the glorious city, so the whole thing was saved from harm, well, aside from a few crumpled spires and structures." Sinbad paused again.
"So Atlantis rests on the bottom of the ocean?" Rose asked, shaking her head in wonder. Hope could see her friends all felt a bit rattled at this knowledge.
"Atlantis was saved, all survive at the bottom of the ocean, and we still fight with the sirens. They seem very keen on destroying our city and what still keeps us alive down there." Sinbad placed his empty mug on the table and slumped back in his seat.
"Wow, that is one hell of a story," Rueben said and looked at their host in awe. Hope could only agree with her boyfriend; her mind was still trying to wrap around the fact that Atlantis was real.
"Yeah." Sinbad mused, rubbing his chin.
"What does all of this have to do with us?" Hope asked. "I mean, you mentioned something about why we're here?"
"That is correct." Sinbad shifted in his seat, sitting up a little straighter. He pointed at Hope and said, "I have a feeling you are supposed to be here, along with your other half." He glanced around the group until his eyes landed on Rueben. Hope could see Rueben gulp down as their host stared him down with a knowing look.
Hope reached for Rueben's hand and said, "Yeah, we're together. How did you know?"
"I can see the connection between you, and I know of a prophecy that says that two sides of hope will bring Atlantis back to its glory again."
Hope gasped at the mention of a prophecy. "You mean to tell me that the bloody prophecy I've just recently learned is related to Atlantis?" Her heart was beating frantically in her chest as she squeezed Rueben's hand.
"I believe so, and I believe you helped yourself on the way here too. Might have been pushed a bit by the storm created by the sirens. They tried to prevent you from coming."
"Oh great, the Sirens know I'm here too." Hope slumped back in her seat and rubbed her free hand over her face. Her mind was a whirlwind of mixed emotions. The prophecy was one thing, but knowing that it had something to do with one of the biggest legends in history was too much to take in.
"There's a lot of details we still need to sort out," Sinbad said and clapped his thighs, standing up. "I urge you all to go to your ship and pack whatever you might be needing for a quest." He nodded toward the Jolly Roger. "I'll make sure the ship is secured here in this harbour while you visit with us in Atlantis."
"Where is the gate to Atlantis then?" William asked, takinging in the dreary sight around them.
"I'll show you when you've packed." Sinbad waved toward the ship once again, imploring them all to hurry up.
The six friends hurried to the ship, and within twenty minutes they all had a backpack on and their weapons of choice. Hope, Rueben and William had their swords slung over their backs, Rose had her bow and quiver of arrows, Damien had his two Switchblade knives secured at his belt and Gloria had a smaller knife and an extra bag with a first aid kit inside.
Sinbad inspected the group with a satisfied nod and pointed to the left of the docks. "Follow me."
The friends followed, all scanning the area around them, trying to figure out where this gate to Atlantis was located. They rounded a large boulder and found themselves facing a tall, smooth rock wall.
"Oh nice," Damien mumbled.
Hope looked closer and could see some intricate markings swirling over the smooth surface. Four symbols stood out in a square formation—flames, waves, air swirls and a leaf. "The four elements," she whispered, then spotted two symbols in the middle—a butterfly and an eight-pointed star.
Hope looked down at her butterfly pendant. When she touched the silver wing, magic swirled around her fingertips. She looked up at Rueben, who was gaping at the wall in front of them. She nudged him and pointed to her pendant and then the butterfly marked the wall.
"What the hell?" he mumbled. "That star there, it's got eight points, you know, like in the prophecy?"
"Yeah, kinda feel like I'm in a crazy ass dream here," Hope said and turned to Sinbad. "So how does this work?"
Sinbad just waved his hand dismissively in the air and walked to the wall, pulling out a pendant he'd hidden inside his tunic. Hope couldn't make out what it looked like, but he pressed the metal to a small mark on the wall while whispering a few words neither of them could understand.
For several seconds, nothing happened, but then an array of colors shimmered over the rock wall and dove in and out of the markings on the surface. It began whirling faster and faster, round and round, until it formed a vertical vortex, covering the wall entirely. It looked like one of those realm-jumping portals her Aunt Gina could make with those magic beans. Only this was more colorful.
Hope felt Rueben grasp her hand again and she tried to form a reassuring smile on her lips.
"Come, my friends," Sinbad said in an excited voice and waved his hands, urging them forward. "This is the gate to Atlantis; this is the way."
"Well, here goes nothing, I guess," Hope whispered, and said over her shoulder to her friends, "Hope you're all ready for an adventure." Then she stepped into the vortex with Rueben at her side, her friends close behind them. This had certainly not been on their agenda when they ventured out on this trip, but Hope could feel a pulse of excitement bubble inside her, excitement over the possible adventure awaiting them.
A/N: From here on I'm going to twist and change so many Greek mythology stories to fit into this tale, so apologies in advance. But this is fanfiction and I can do that :)
The name Najia is an uncommon Arabic female name that means "protector or saviour" (she did save Sinbad, so I wanted her name to reflect that)