It was a cold night.
Sinbad liked the sounds of the ocean. As he sailed, he also liked to feel the breeze kissing his skin and to be below the starry ocean sky of nights like that one, free from any sort of clouds. And as he stared at the night sky from the main deck of that ship, with everyone else already asleep, his mind started to wander.
The young trader had a lot on his mind. His dream of forming his own country and his final goal of changing that distorted world had never been closer to becoming reality. It finally seemed to be within his grasp. And he was determined to do whatever it took to make that happen.
For a few moments, his thoughts drifted to Serendine and her marriage proposal to him. Something that, for some reason, Sinbad was determined to keep out of his mind and think about it as little as possible. He knew that Serendine didn't love him, he was sure that she was simply using him for the good of Parthevia, the country she loved so much. And Sinbad wasn't about to let himself be roped into a position of power by someone else, he wanted to achieve his dream by his own efforts, not by simply marrying into a royal bloodline and getting a country handed to him on a silver platter.
And he didn't even want the job anyway. Parthevia had only made Sinbad's life hard for him ever since he was a child. His father died fighting wars for it, and they were adamant on having Sinbad suffer the same fate a few years after that.
That was the rationalization he used to shrug off Serendine's proposal. However, there was something that he deliberately chose to block from his thoughts.
His relationship with Serendine was… rocky.
They certainly weren't in good terms when they first met. And although now they were allies and shared a common goal, with him having her support in most decisions he made, there was still conflict, and there was still something about her that irked him.
Something about the way Serendine could actually stand up against him when she had a different opinion. She didn't take any of his crap, and even had the guts to steal "his" Zepar from right under his nose, Sinbad still couldn't get over it. She wasn't like his other friends, who simply followed him around and trusted him with everything like he could never, ever, make a bad decision.
No woman in his life had ever managed to get under his skin as much as Serendine. At least not while Sinbad's in a normal state of mind. She just annoyed her and couldn't stand the sight of her sometimes. Sindad did have enemies that he hated and allies that he loved, but no other relationship of his with any other human was similar to his dynamic with the Princess of Parthevia.
And for those reasons, the thought of accepting her proposal and living the rest of his life by her side, even if it was just a political marriage, scared him.
Sinbad had faced multiple dungeons and emerged victorious, he had defeated countless powerful foes, he already had multiple djinn under his control, and yet, marrying Serendine was something that frightened him to the point of him becoming so agitated when it was ever brought up that it almost seemed out of character for him. When she first dropped it on Zepar's dungeon, he was dumbstruck. Of course he had several other valid reasons for not accepting the proposal, as he had readily explained right then and there with one of his grandiose speeches, but him being frightened of Serendine was something that played a part for sure, although he thought it wasn't necessary to say it aloud and make everyone aware of it.
"Well, i guess i'll just have to turn her down after all…" He thought to himself, feeling a teeny tiny bit of aching in his heart. "It's not gonna be pretty when she comes to confront me about it." Imagined him, steeling himself, already predicting her reaction to any sort of deal he would made with Barbarossa.
He was about to go back to sleep, certain as to what he should do and that it would be the right decision. However, unexpectedly, Drakon walked up to him, instantly noticing that Sinbad was a bit down.
"What's on your mind?" The general asked, standing next to Sinbad, as they both now looked at the calm ocean waves from the main deck. "Can't sleep?"
"Hey, Drakon." Sinbad greeted him, with that easygoing smile of his. "I just have a lot on my mind right now, had to do a bit of soul searching."
"Huh, now that's a first." Drakon commented, a bit sarcastically, making Sinbad giggle a bit, lightening the tone of the conversation. The former Parthevian noble then turned to Sinbad and looked at him in the eyes.
"I'll go straight to the point." Said Drakon, serious. "What do you think of Serendine?"
Sinbad got caught a little bit off guard by that question, something that didn't happen all that often.
"Where did that come from?" Sinbad answered, trying his best to look like his usual free spirited self without any worries, but Drakon could see right through him. "Why do you wanna know that?" The violet haired young adult asked.
Drakon sighed. "I didn't think i should be the one to be telling you that, but since she's way too proud and stubborn to admit it, i'll do it instead." SInbad raised an eyebrow as he listened to Drakon talk. "I know that, to you, sometimes she might come off as a snotty princess who's using our company to try and enact revenge on Barbarossa and take back her kingdom. I know that she took Zepar and that, more often than not, she can be a massive pain in the butt to you."
Drakon put his left hand at Sinbad's shoulders before continuing to speak.
"But trust me, nobody knows her as well as i do, i'm pretty much a younger brother to her. And as such, i can say this for sure: she cares for you, she cares for Sindria, and she truly believes in you and in our dream. It's true that Parthevia weighs heavy in her heart too, and that she may end up on the wrong path depending on the circumstances. But if you only give her a chance, a chance for her to truly work at your side, a way for both your goals to align, she'll be loyal to you until the end of the world."
Sinbad look down after hearing this, his face turning serious too.
"You don't have to agree with her in everything, just stop keeping her at an arm's length. Give her a chance." Drakon finished, now waiting for Sinbad's response.
A shadow passed through the young trader's face, still confused and unsure of what to feel after hearing all that.
"Drakon, if this is about the marriage proposal, i've already made it clear where i stand." Sinbad answered. "I can't put the will of a single person, Princess as she may be, above my convictions and what i think it's right or wrong. And you already know what i think of this whole "royal blood" thing."
The green reptile looking man sighed. "Which is why i asked you what you think of her." He continued, patiently. "What does she mean to you? Do you see her in the same light as your friends like me, Mystras and Hinahoho? And if that's the case, don't you think you should at least try to reach an understanding with her?"
Drakon stared into Sinbad's soul. "Ignoring what she thinks and carrying on as if nothing happened will only lead to you pushing her away from you, from us, from me. So, tell me, what do you think of her? What is she to you?"
Sinbad scratched the back of his head. And then smiled, with a chuckle. But this time, it was all sincere.
"I guess it's no use trying to hide any of this from you, huh?" Said the young trader. "Alright then, i'll give you your answer."
"Serendine is… not exactly my friend. But also not really my enemy since we work together." He started to talk, trying to sort out the mess that were his feelings and thoughts on the matter. "I guess you could say she's my rival, probably my greatest one currently, and sometimes i just can't stand her. Which is also a bit strange, because i don't really want to see her get hurt, or for her to leave me."
Drakon listened attentively, unsurprised by what he was hearing.
"But i can't let those feelings get in the way of my dream, of my destiny." Sinbad sounded determined, yet sorrowful at the same time. "If she ever gets in the way, and i have to choose between her or my dream, i'd choose my dream for sure. I guess that's the bottom line of why i don't want to get too attached to her, and why she gets under my skin so easily."
Drakon scoffed before answering himself.
"And if Serendine had to choose between you and Parthevia, which one do you think she'd choose?" Drakon asked, crossing his arms.
…
Sinbad was speechless, he hadn't really thought about that before. He was scared that one day, having to choose between advancing his dream and Serendine would create a rift between them, but hadn't realized that Serendine had already stood at that same crossroads, and she had chosen him.
"I'll repeat it: Serendine trusts you, she cares for you, she believes in you. She didn't make that marriage proposal wanting to take advantage of you, on the contrary, she thought that it would be a way of both facilitating your goal of revolutionizing the world AND saving Parthevia from Barbarossa at the same time, and she made it clear that it would be you calling all the shots. Do you think she would entrust Parthevia to you, the country she loves so much, if you were just some random person to her?" Drakon's voice got a bit louder. "And even after you refused it, even after everything, she didn't go to other nations seeking help against Barbarossa, nor did she go back to Parthevia in order to challenge him. She chose to stay by *your* side and follow where *you* lead."
The green reptile man looked back at the waves before continuing:
"But if you don't at least try to reason with her, to reach an understanding, if you keep ignoring all her input, there will come a time where she'll simply snap and turn her back on you, on us. Serendine has a strong personality, nowadays she will voice her displeasure if she dosen't agree with something you do, but she will never betray you if you don't betray her first."
Sinbad's heart sunk as he heard that.
"You told me just now that you didn't want to see her hurt or gone, and that you also didn't want to have to choose between her and your dreams. You don't have to." Drakon's tone went back to being more calm and collected. "Just be honest with yourself and her, swallow that pride, and you will never have to make that choice."
Sinbad looked at stars. What Drakon said had given him a lot to think, but it did also clear up many things he'd kept inside out of everyone else's sight.
"You don't need to say anything else." Drakon turned his back on Sinbad. "I already have your answer. You care deeply for her, probably to the same degree that she cares for you. As your friend, let me give you a piece of advice: Stop being so childish, and go clear up everything with her, before it's too late."
The former Parthevian noble then went back to the lower decks, leaving a contemplative Sinbad alone looking at the stars. Wondering if denying Barbarossa's deal really was for the best, and finding humor in the fact that he never imagined to be talking about this stuff with Drakon of all people, given how it was in the first time they met.
Could he really make his affection to Serendine completely aligned with his goal of changing the world? He had his doubts, but now, he at least was sure that it was worth a try. The strength of heart required for Sinbad to face himself had been made manifest.
-x-
The young violet haired trader then made his visit to Parthevia and Barbarossa. The talks were long and the prospect of having that island sold to make his country was very alluring, but Sinbad had heard what Drakon and Serendine had to say about Parthevia's new leader before, and learned that he wasn't one to be trusted with anything. And thus, after long negotiations, Sin decided to trust his friends and not make any deals. This weighed heavy on his heart, as Sinbad wondered if that choice had truly been for the best.
Now back home, Sinbad was at the rooftop, now watching the sunset while drinking some cheap booze he had got earlier. Now that he had rejected Barbarossa, he didn't have a clue on when he would have another chance like that to forward his dream. He was very conflicted on the inside.
A princess with pink hair then walked in on him at the rooftop, wondering what was it that had the normally composed Sinbad feeling so down.
"What's going on?" She asked, intrigued, not knowing what had went on during the visit to Parthevia. "Did something happen on the visit?"
Sinbad turned to her, already a bit tipsy, with a weak smile.
"Don't worry." He answered, taking another sip of his booze. "Hey, Serendine. Sit." He patted the ground, inviting her to sit with him. "There's something we gotta talk about."
Serendine thought it was weird for Sinbad to be wanting to talk one on one with her like that, especially with all the circumstances involved, but decided it wouldn't be bad to just hear him out. So she went and cautiously sat beside him, watching the reddish color of sunset.
"It's about your marriage proposal." Said the young trader, in a casual tone.
The princess widened her eyes, she was caught a bit of guard by Sinbad. Had he decided to reconsider?
"I want to tell you the whole reason as to why i'm not inclined to accept it." He started talking. "You're a treasured ally of mine, I want to reach an understanding with you. I don't want there to be any bad blood or misunderstanding between us."
She was a bit disappointed that he had already decided on not accepting the proposal, but still, wanted to hear him out. "Very well."
"To be perfectly sincere with you. I don't like our homeland all that much." Said him, bluntly. "My father was a distinguished soldier in the army of Parthevia, and before i was even born he had already fought in Parthevia's endless wars and lost a leg because of it. Even still, he survived. When the next war broke out, I was just a small child, and I watched as everyone constantly harassed him to essentially leave me and my mother behind to go back to the war. In the end, a bunch of stuff happened and he was forced to go, a few weeks later we received the news that he was dead, and all i have of him now is this sword." SInbad explained, in a slightly sad tone, as he drew Baal's Metal Vessel from it's sheath.
Serendine listened, very invested in the story and moved by it. As a member of the royal family, she had never considered the suffering of the common people as Parthevia engaged in endless military conflicts with the surrounding nations. She had grown knowing only the glorious parts of war, not realizing the ugly and hellish experience that it was for the common people.
"The reason why i won't accept the marriage proposal isn't because of you specifically." He clarified, looking at her in the eye. "I want to change the entire world, with Parthevia included, but if we want change, we can't perpetuate the same old practices that led us to this point. We need something new."
Serendine didn't necessarily agree with that, but she understood where he was coming from at least.
"And I had the chance to make this something. Barbarossa was going to sell me an island, a place where we could build our kingdom, where we could start to make our dream come true." Sinbad sighed, still frustrated. "And this time I didn't take the deal either, but this one was indeed because of you."
"Huh?" Serendine retreated a bit, shocked by what Sinbad had just said. "You didn't take the deal because of me?"
"I remember everything you and Drakon said about Barbarossa. He's not trustworthy, and even if his deal sounded really alluring, I decided against sealing it." Sinbad looked at Serendine in the eye. "Serendine… you're important to me, and I respect you. I felt that taking that deal would be to ignore everything that you suffered in that guy's hands, he even tried to have you killed multiple times. I was prepared to take him up on the deal for the sake of fulfilling my destiny, but if i did that, it wouldn't have been fair to you."
Serendine looked away, slightly embarrassed. She wasn't used to being in that kind of situation. She knew that Sinbad was a wildcard. His actions were unpredictable, and he would always surprise everyone with his actions. But she didn't expect him to make her feel this way, a bit fuzzy on the inside. Nobody had ever told her what he just had, most of the time she had been just an asset of her family to be married off to someone else for the sake of the Empire. But Sinbad here was treating her like an equal.
"I want to achieve my dream with everyone supporting me. And this includes you." Said him, in a serious tone, referring to all his friends. "That's why I didn't take the deal with Barbarossa. I want to form my country with you by my side, not as a token wife, but as my treasured companion and ally. We'll find another way and we'll pull through, like we always do."
She couldn't hold back anymore, Serendine was blushing.
"So, Sinbad…" She started talking, a massive weight off her chest after getting to know what he thought of Barbarossa's deal. "I suppose that, being who you are, you already have it all figured out. You probably know exactly where to go and what to do from here on, am i right?" She asked, in an endearing tone, referring to Sinbad's leadership skills.
"I don't know about that…" Sinbad's tone had gone back to being his casual, easygoing self, as he looked at her in the eyes. "But what i do know, is that i want to make *you* a proposition now." Said him, waving his hands in a theatrical and exaggerated fashion as he liked so much.
"What is it?" She asked, intrigued.
He then grabbed her arm, they both stood up, and Sinbad bent his knee to her, in a playful and fun manner.
"Serendine, I want you to be my wife." Said him with a smile, raising his head and looking at her with a smile. "I don't care about the throne of Parthevia or about your royal blood or whatever. I want to marry you because I like you, and I want you to be at my side, always, as I change this world into something better. And if we ever end up becoming King and Queen, it will be through our own effort and accomplishments, not birthright." Finished Sinbad, as he remembered his mom telling him how it was that his father asked her hand in marriage.
The princess was speechless for a few moments. Sinbad wanted to marry her for her, not for her status? This was unheard of in her life. Ever since she was a child, her family told her that she would marry the man that would be right for the country and then adapt to him, she wasn't allowed to marry out of love like the common rabble.
And yet here she was, having someone proposing her in marriage not for her status, but for who she was. And that person was Sinbad, the man who had challenged her head on back when she still had the authority of the princess and he was just some sailor. The man who, despite everything that happened between them, gave her a new home and a new life in the Sindria trading company. The man with whom she put all of her faith and hopes of changing the world and making it a better place.
Sinbad noticed how long it was taking for her to answer. "Is this a no? Crap, have i said something wrong?" He commented, a bit confused, as he stood up.
She giggled at that, after he broke all of the tension in the place.
Serendine, always the Princess with the strongest of personalities, grabbed Sinbad's waist and pulled him towards her, planting a kiss right on his lips.
"I accept." She told him, whispering to his ear, as they embraced on that rooftop under the setting sun, with Sinbad feeling the sweet scent of her perfume as her beating heart. He liked this feeling, and he wished they could stay like that forever.
Sinbad was happy. Romantic love was something very new to his life, his lack of experience with it was part of the reason as to why he had been in denial for so long. Sure he did like to fool around with girls, but he didn't feel anything romantic for them, with Serendine it was different.
They stood there for a few more minutes, and unbeknownst to them, there were quite a few people peeking at that scene from behind the corner of the wall. Mystras, Ja'far, Masrur and Hinahoho were all there, their eyes glued to that unbelievable scene.
"Damn, I wish I could manage to be that smooth when I propose to Pipirika..." Mumbled Mystras.
"I can't believe he actually did it." Commented Ja'far, a huge happy smile on his face. "Honestly, I didn't think Sin had it in him to swallow his pride like that."
"At least we can be sure that he'll be kept in line since Serendine, of all people, is the person who'll marry that sleazy bastard." Hinahoho commented, in an endearing tone.
-x-
And so, since no deal was made, Barbarossa left the Sindria Trading Company alone for a time for they were no threat to him. However, based on Serendine's warnings, Sinbad didn't drop their guard, and continued to grow the diplomatic relations he had with nations such as Imuchakk, Sasan and Artemyra.
With a lot of hard work and effort, a long time after his proposal to Serendine, Sinbad managed to make a deal with king Rashid of Balbadd to buy an island that belonged to him, where the young trader could finally build his own kingdom of Sindria. He and the company moved there, and started to build their country.
Knowing the dangers that a lone, emerging nation, suffered while alone in the world. Sinbad, alongside Serendine's diplomatic savvy as a former Princess, managed to create his vision for the Seven Seas Alliance much earlier than he expected, with him also having been convinced by her to create a deterrent military self defense force, but with it being 100% voluntary and with conscription being banned.
And with that, his country had a powerful line of defense in case of a possible invasion. Judar also disappeared after realizing that there was no chance of anyone close to Sinbad falling into depravity and deciding that it wouldn't be possible to manipulate the situation in favor of Al-Tharmen.
And after the building of the Sindria Kingdom was finally finished, Sinbad announced his marriage with Serendine to the world. Declaring themselves King and Queen of Sindria. They wed, and the entire country was in a festive mood, with feasts, parties, singing and dancing all over the place, and of course, the other leaders of the Seven Seas Alliance all attended the suntuous ceremony. Sinbad, his wife and his friends had never been happier, as their dream had never been closer to being realized. As Sinbad has said in the past, they had pulled through, and found an even better solution than it would have been to strike that deal with Barbarossa.
-x-
Al-Thamen was reunited, to discuss the recent events of the world and how to better pursue their agenda.
"Barbarossa wants to launch a full scale invasion of the Sindria Kingdom, he didn't like it one bit when he got the news that Serendine was going to become a Queen, he thinks that it will be a danger to his own rule in Parthevia." Said the mage Falan, to the assembly of mages there.
"You know the King of Sindria, don't you Judar?" Asked Ithnan, in a serious tone.
"He's pretty strong, but he has no chance against Barbarossa. Especially if we help him out." Commented the young magi.
"I think this is the perfect opportunity." Said Arba, with her devious smile. "We'll use the black rukh generated by the war to create a Black Spot and bring our god, Ill Ilah, into this world. I think that Barbarossa would make for a wonderful medium."
Flan went to the middle of the room.
"I'll take care of that. We'll supply Barbarossa's army with multiple black metal vessels, not to mention my direct support. You can rest easy, no normal King of an emerging nation could resist the might of Parthevia's military and Al-Thamen's powers combined." Concluded Falan, with all the other mages in agreement.
-x-
It was a cloudy day in Sindria.
The fateful day of Barbarossa's invasion had finally come, and from Sinbad's palace he could already see the massive size of the Parthevian's armada in the distance. Countless ships filled with powerful bloodlusted enemies and monsters, all ready to destroy Sindria and grind Sinbad's dream into dust.
The defending forces were already in Sindria. The entire Seven Seas Alliance: Sasan, Heliohapt, Artemyra and Imuchakk had their own armies and Kings ready. Even Balbadd and the Reim Empire had sent small forces to help Sindria, courtesy of Serendine's political maneuvering.
Sinbad, Serendine, the Kings of the alliance and the generals were all atop Artemyra's giant birds as they flew atop their armies, gauging their chances of winning or losing the conflict.
Barbarossa and Falan were at the flagship of the Parthevian armada. The only thing left was for Barbarossa to give them his signal and the invasion would commence. He looked at those ships from the Seven Seas Alliance with spite, wondering how Sinbad managed to bring together such a powerful force in the little time he had. Even still, he didn't think it would be enough to stop Parthevia. The battle would be long and bloody, but he would prevail.
"Are all the preparations ready?" He asked Falan, serious.
"Yes." The mage answered, with a devilish grin.
"Then commence the invasion! All troops attack at once! Let us obliterate the Seven Seas Alliance and destroy both King Sinbad and his traitorous Queen!"
And with that, most of the armada, except for Barbarossa's flagship and his bodyguards, moved on to the attack. And as he noticed that, Sinbad knew it was time to order his counterattack.
"Seven Seas Alliance! Let us meet those aggressors head on and show them the power of the free world! Today, we show the world that it is indeed possible for countries to thrive without the need for war and mindless expansion! We'll show them that the age of empires is over! And that we represent the better way!" Sinbad raised his father's sword as he finished his speech, with his troops rallying immensely over his overwhelming charisma, every single soldier ready to protect the dream that was the Sindria Kingdom. "Advance!"
And so, the two armadas clashed in the sea of Sindria. The ships met head on, arrows flew everywhere, explosions and fire painted that canvas of war and death, soldiers from the opposite armies clashed with each other in sword fights, and the dungeon monsters from Parthevia's army met the fierce warriors of the Alliance, who fought and brought down many of these abominations.
The fire of war raged on for hours, with the Parthevian army armed with black metal vessels and it's monsters fighting hard, but still being unable to break Sindria's defensive lines. The Seven Seas Alliance refused to give up even a single inch of territory of the sea of Sindria, and not a single enemy ship could pierce that mighty defense.
"What the hell is happening!?" Barbarossa was agitated, as he gripped his weapon hard, incredibly angry. "Why can't we pierce their defenses!?"
Falan watched gleefully, to her it didn't matter whether Sinbad or Barbarossa won, the only thing that she wanted was for the black rukh to be enough for a Dark Spot to be created. And so far, Barbarossa, with all his rage and frustration, was the perfect candidate to become the medium. He was livid, even after everything he did to increase the military power of Parthevia, it still wasn't enough to break the alliance's defensive lines and conquer a single measly island country.
A few more hours of battle passed, and Parthevia's armada was all but finished. And the few ships that remained were routing. The Seven Seas Alliance had suffered massive casualties, but was still holding its ground, and it's troops roared in victory as they saw the enemy rout. "This is impossible!" Barbarossa yelled in pure anger as he watched his defeat.
Falan then pulled a black dagger from her cloak, it was a black metal vessel, one she planned on stabbing Barbarossa with in order to turn him into a black djinn and afterwards, a medium.
They then looked at the sky, only to see Sinbad's group: the Kings and Queens of the alliance, the generals and himself, approaching.
"So, they intend on attacking us and ending the conflict right now?" Said Falan, unimpressed. If they did that the war would end too soon, Barbarossa and herself would die without him becoming a medium and the Dark Spot wouldn't have enough black rukh to open, and thus, Al-Thamen's plans would be foiled. She couldn't let them do that. "Don't worry, i'll create a barrier."
And so, the mage used her powers to create a black sphere of magoi to act as a shield to Barbarossa's flagship, Sinbad and his group, atop the birds, didn't seem too fazed.
"Everyone, you know what to do!" Sinbad yelled, giving the sign for him and his allies to enact on the plan they had created before.
Everyone then positioned themselves atop Barbarossa's flagship, and those who had it, brandished their weapons. The metal vessel users all unleashed their Djinn Equips, including Sinbad.
"Did you guys really think you would attack my country and get away with it?" Said Sinbad, confidently.
~ L'arabesque Sindria from the Magi OST starts playing~
"Extreme magic." Said the Knight King Darius Leoxses from Sasan, picking up his lance, light starting to emanate from him.
"Extreme magic." Said the King of Heliohapt, Armakan Amun-Ra.
"Extreme magic!" Yelled Chief Rametoto of Imuchakk.
"Extreme magic." Said Queen Artemina of Artemyra.
The generals with their household vessels also activated their powers and meshed their powers with the rest.
They all formed a wheel above Barbarossa's flagship and iit's barrier, with King Sinbad and Queen Serendine in the middle.
"Extreme magic." Said her, touching Sinbad's sword, looking at him in the eye with a smirk, to which he responded in kind.
A bright star of magoi, made of multiple points, each one of which was represented by one of the Kings and generals, started to form with Sinbad and Serendine in the middle, with it siphoning their magoi and power into the two.
"This much power!? How is it possible!?" Falan was dumbstruck, her barrier wouldn't be enough to withstand that much strength.
"Extreme magic…" Sinbad and Serendine both held Baal's sword high, and then yelled, in unison: "BARARAQ INQERAD-SAIQA!"
And as a miracle, a gigantic sword of pure lightning energy descended from the sky, more precisely Sinbad's sword, that could be seen all the way back at Sindria. The sword effortlessly pierced the barrier and Barbarossa's flagship, instantly electrocuting and obliterating the ship and all it's passengers with all that overwhelming power. Barbarossa quickly turned into dust as he was struck by the attack, but Falan managed to resist for a little while, screaming in pain as she got hit by full brunt of that move.
"Why… why does someone like you even exist!? King of the Seven Seas! Sinbad!" And those were her last words, as she got disintegrated for good.
After the hit, the power had been so great that it opened a massive rift in the ocean, who quickly started to refill with water. Sinbad looked at all his friends, satisfied at that victory. Serendine too looked incredibly happy, as if a massive weight had finally gotten off her back, as she had finally gotten her revenge against Barbarossa.
And so, the Seven Seas Alliance had been victorious. The soldiers threw their weapons as they all yelled with happiness, and so did the people of Sindria, as they now knew that their homeland was safe from that threat. As Sinbad, Serendine, the other Kings and the soldiers, returned to the island and started to parade through the streets, the people started to throw flowers at them, singing praises to the success of the King and the Queen, and of course, of the Seven Seas Alliance.
And as Sinbad paraded alongside his people, a very familiar face from his past showed himself in front of Sinbad. It was a blonde mage with a big green hat, a proud smile at his face.
"Yunan?" Asked Sinbad, him too being happy. "Long time no see! What brings you here?"
The magi approached Sinbad, looking incredibly satisfied.
"I'm here to cleanse the remaining black rukh, but even this is proving to be easier than expected." He looked at Sinbad at the eyes. "Sinbad, I must confess, I did not trust you at the start. You were too perfect, I thought that if you strayed from the right path, you'd be impossible to stand against. But you've proven yourself today. So let me correct the mistake I made all those years ago."
Sinbad's eyes widened as Yunan put his hand at Sinbad's shoulder.
"Allow me to be your magi."
Sinbad smiled, and of course, he accepted.
The next days in Sindria were of endless partying and festivities. Not only did the marriage ceremony between King Sinbad and Queen Serendine was finally realized, but Mystras also confessed to Pipirika, and they got wed too. All of the dignitaries from the Alliance too decided to stick around and take part in the festivities, everyone was happy that they had pushed back the tides of darkness, and that even though there had been many casualties on their side, those deaths hadn't been in vain.
And so started the legend of King Sinbad and Queen Serendine, the Conquerors of the Seven Seas. Their story would reach even the farthest reaches of Solomon's world, the story of a commoner Parthervian boy who would become the greatest king alive, and of a sheltered Princess who would become Queen not because of birthright, but because of her own accomplishments.
In the following years, Sindria and the Alliance continued to spread their sphere of influence across the globe, not with war and expansion, but with trade and commerce. The number of wars in the world got smaller and smaller with every passing year, and Sinbad inched ever closer to achieving his dream of changing the world.
Al-Thamen, unable to manipulate the world to make people fall into depravity, lost a lot of its power and eventually disbanded. It's ringleaders Arba and Ithnan were destroyed, and the world was free of that particular threat. Judar too died fighting against the forces of the Alliance.
Sinbad and Serendine would end up having three kids: Bedr, named after Sinbad's father, Esra, named after his mom, and Rashid, named after the King of Balbadd who taught Sinbad everything he knew about trade. Those were the heirs to Sindria. And they would rule over their country for the rest of their lives, as the world grew ever more peaceful by the day.
One day, many years later, Prince Alibaba Saluja and his magi, a boy named Aladdin, were visiting Sindria and stood in the throne room of Sinbad and Serendine as they gave them their farewells.
"Uncle Sinbad, Aunt Serendine. Thank you for everything, our stay here was amazing." Said Aladdin, with that heart warming smile of his.
Sinbad smiled back, proud of those two who represented the next generation.
"Feel free to come by whenever you feel like it, Sindria is always opened to you." He then stood up. "And Alibaba, send my regards to your father."
The blonde prince smiled confidently. "I will." Alibaba looked up to Sinbad, him and his father Rashid were long time friends, and so Alibaba always wanted to be like him.
"I wish you luck on your mission, I'm sure those slavers won't stand a chance against you." Serendine commented. "I heard that they're even keeping a young fanalis girl, those monsters."
"Then allow me to go with you." A black haired young man, the same age as Alibaba, who was also visiting Sindria approached the two.
"Prince Hakuryuu?" Asked Sinbad, intrigued.
The Kou Empire was one of Sindria's largest trade partners and friendly competitors. Without Al-Thamen and Arba, they too managed to prosper in that new world order, and Hakuryuu was visiting Sindria in order to learn the ways of commerce with Sinbad himself.
"I despise slavers, and it'll be a good way to test my mettle." Said the black haired boy.
"I guess the more people the better." Declared Alibaba, a bit awkwardly. "Then, should we be going? Let's free those slaves!"
Aladdin nodded, as the trio left the throne room on their new adventure. Ready to save the slaves, including that fanalis girl, from those slavers. Sinbad then noticed how similar to a young version of him Alibaba had become, and he wondered how his children and him make use of this new world he and Serendine had created.