DISCLAIMER: Magi and other discernible characters/quotes/citations belong to their respective authors. I do not own original content Magi. No profits were made.
COVER CREDITS: MAGI THE LABYRINTH OF MAGIC BY SHINOBU OHTAKA (c). Cover Credits: Original Fan Character by Aladdina.
Cited: magi. Fandom wiki
A/N: Be sure to recap at least from Chapter 6! Heavily edited chapters with new info as the plot thickens. (Chapter 1-5 is mostly fluff edits, will make Sin x Sam relationship development feel less rushed.)
#StaySafe #Quarantine2020
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Magi
Chapter VII: What's Left After a Kingdom Falls
Three days passed since Sinbad read David's prophetic writing. No one has seen him since he locked himself away in his room. His head was occupied with thoughts of what his future holds. Will the prophecy even come true? What does that mean for Samara and I? Is this what she meant when she said she had given up hope of living a life after the chaos has settled? What if she was right all along?
During this time, the Holy Kingdom has been preparing for the festivities of an ascension ceremony. Samara had begun the preparations to relinquish her title to a new Spiritual Leader. The beauty of the country's theocracy is that they are always ready for ascension. No matter how short-lived a Priest or Priestess's reign might be. Instead of being sad or afraid, the citizens of Samaria celebrated the Spiritual Leader's thirst for a new conquest.
Sinbad heard a knock on the door. Once again, he did not answer. "Sin?" A familiar voice echoed in the hallway. It was Ja'Far standing at the doorway. After the third day, the General has had enough of coddling his King. Instead of bringing him a fresh tray of food only to come back and find it barely touched, he brought Masrur instead.
"Sin, open up!" Ja'Far knocked again, briskly and more demanding this time.
Silence.
"Sinbad, open up!" The General raised his voice, "Or I'll be forced to think that you're in danger, and we'll have no choice but to break the door down."
The two generals made eye contact and nodded at each other. Ja'Far stood a couple of steps back, his hands back in their usual prayer position. Masrur rooted his left foot down, raising his right knee and swinging his leg for a forceful kick. Masrur followed through with his kick even when the door swung open before his foot even made contact. The King finally opened it, catching Masrur's incredible Fanalis strength in his gut. Even the High King of the Seven Seas could not keep his ground and slid a few inches back while grunting as he blocked the General's attack against the door.
"Finally," Ja'Far shrieked, forcing his way through the door and scanning his room, like a parent expecting to find their child's dirty secrets, "what's going on? The Priestess is suddenly stepping down from her position, and you're cooped up in here? What did you do this time?!"
Sinbad was not his usual self at all. The usually charming and vibrant King was nowhere to be found. He simply hunched his back over and walked back to sit at the edge of his bed. "Is the ascension today?"
"Yes, please go clean up!" Ja'Far scolded, pulling the King off his slouched posture and pushing him into the bathroom.
Masrur filled the wooden tub halfway with water. Ja'Far walked over and softly muttered, "Har-Har," a simple type of heat magic chant used to heat up or boil specific mass. Instantly, steam came up from the surface of the water. Masrur filled the rest of the tub with cold water to balance out the temperature.
Meanwhile, Sinbad leaned against the door frame of the balcony with his arms crossed, looking out into nothing. The King and his Generals could hear the distant hammering, cheering, laughter, even singing through the open windows of the castle.
Ja'Far noticed his King's despair and worried face. "Are you alright, Sin?"
The King turned his head as he snapped out of his deep thoughts, "Ah... yes. Just a lot of things on my mind."
"Did something happen since the night of the dinner you served with the Priestess?" Ja'Far asked concernedly, knowing what he and Masrur uncovered.
"Happened?" The King thought sincerely, as he started to strip down with no regard for privacy or decency.
"Alright," Masrur started walking out of the bathroom, "that's my cue."
Ja'Far closed his eyes for a moment while shaking his head. The King is eccentric, sure, but this is new.
Sinbad started to sink in the tub, making the warm water spillover. "Well, no, but I have learned many things about the Priestess and myself that are quite fearsome."
"Is everything alright between the two of you?" Ja'Far followed up, trying to look away from the King, washing his body.
The King's eyes darted upwards, and his posture perked up when he suddenly realized it. He turned to his General, almost splashing water on him even from a few steps away, "Ja'Far, you truly are a genius!"
Ja'Far turned around reflexively after the King roared. Much to his dismay, Sinbad was already erect, dripping water where he stepped as he got out of the tub. "Ugh!" The General yelped, making a disgusted face while holding his hands in front of his face, trying to push away the naked image of his King.
Sinbad quickly grabbed fresh clothing, slipping his very masculine legs into the pants one after the other, "I keep thinking about how the prophecy will turn out, but the answer was right in front of me all along!" He tied his robe over his body and kissed Ja'Far on the forehead. Before the General could even process half of his King's incoherent ramblings, he already ran the other direction to search for the Priestess.
"Wait! What prophecy—?" Ja'Far ran after him, stopping in the bedroom after he was ignored. He turned to Masrur with growing distrust and suspicion in his eyes.
The King searched frantically, swinging the door open violently in the study, in the kitchen, and in the throne room. He found her in the prayer room, standing with her back turned towards him while reading David's prophetic book.
Sinbad slammed his hand on the open book, startling the Priestess, making her lean back as she put her left hand close to her chest, "Sinbad, you're up. Are you feeling okay? We haven't seen or heard from you in three—"
The King did not want to be rude, but he also couldn't wait to say his piece, "I asked if it was wrong of me to feel this way about you. You said that we shouldn't pursue it because of your complicated family history, and now I see how that history ties to me. I understand that you don't want to make the same mistakes as your family did. However, I also told you that we need to have something left to recognize ourselves after all of this chaos." The King rambled on. He was not even aware of her surprise.
Samara tried to grasp at Sinbad's excitement. She was gently squinting her eyes and shaking her head in a futile attempt to understand him.
The King finally paid attention to his audience and reeled in his blathering, "I guess what I'm trying to say is, since I've learned about David's prophecy, I've been lying awake at night, imagining how this would play out... In every scenario, no matter the outcome, all I know is that any future without you is not a future I want to have. We'll figure out the rest as we go!" It was like time has slowed as he knelt one knee to the ground and pulled his mother's wooden ring from around his neck, "Marry me, Samara."
The Priestess was now totally lost for words, eyes widened, trying her damndest to form some semblance of sound with her mouth. "I... uh... Sinbad, I don't know what to say..."
"Say yes, or at least take your time to think about it seriously, but please don't say no without giving it serious consideration." The King pleaded as he straightened out the chain holding the ring. He leaned over the Priestess, pushing her against the book stone to put the jewelry around her neck. "If you truly feel that you don't want to spend the rest of your life with me, I will not ask you again. Simply return this to me."
"Just take your time to think about it." He walked away after making the Priestess's heart race.
She stood with one elbow bent, a seemingly desperate grasp onto the edge of the book stone. The pages of David's prophetic writing crinkled prognostically, "Simply? There's nothing simple about this..." She tugged on the ring, chained around her neck, before sliding it inside of her robe.
A deep, loud horn signaled at the highest tower of the castle. White smoke slowly rose from the open windows of the tower, indicating a new Spiritual Leader has been chosen. On the third night after the previous Priest or Priestess renounces their official title as Protector of the Secrets of the New World, the country must unanimously choose a new spiritual leader. One of three eligible students will be called to ascend the throne and serve its people. The students must be descendants of the 72 Djinn or from the Fanalis bloodline. This is due to the magic their blood holds that allows them to travel across the Great Rift and cross over to the "Other Side" of the Dark Continent. They will serve and protect what secrets lie in the pool hidden by cloaking magic. A conclave is held where the three eligible students are tested physically, mentally, and spiritually. Then, a unanimous decision must be achieved by the current spiritual leader, the three students, and the descendants of the original Djinns on who should rightfully ascend the throne.
In this case, a young man aged 19 of the name Lian was chosen. Quite frankly, he did not know how to react. Dumbfounded by the news, he tried to process his new position as he and Samara walked up to her bed chambers alone.
Samara noticed his reasonable concern; he was wearing it on his sleeve, "Are you alright, Lian?"
Lian snapped out of his thoughts and tried to rearrange his worried facial expression. "Ah, yes, Priestess. I just never thought the day would come when I would be chosen. I-It's an honor."
"How are you feeling, honestly?"
"Honestly?" Lian contemplated whether to answer truthfully. Ultimately, he decided she was the only one he could trust with his honesty at this moment; she was the only one who would truly understand. "I am surprised, scared, and excited."
"Every emotion you're feeling is perfectly normal." The Priestess reassured, "I wasn't that surprised, to be honest."
Lian blushed, turning toward the Priestess, trying to confirm her honesty or if she was pulling his leg.
The Priestess chuckled, "You've been working hard, studying, and training – I've seen you excel in everything you do during your time here at the castle."
"Thank you, Priestess. I can't shake this feeling of fear, though – like I'm not ready."
The Priestess turned to him and smiled as they reached her bed chambers, reaching her hand to the doorknob, "I understand completely." She opened the door. "You fear the unknown, you fear you won't do a good job or not live up to expectations – that's precisely the reason I know you are ready."
Lian was even more dumbfounded at the Priestess's contradiction. "How did you know you were ready?"
They walked in her chambers and straight into the bathroom. "Just like you, I didn't… This is the kind of occupation where you learn on the job." She joked, trying to ease his worries. "Only you can answer that question, Lian. You will learn to overcome the boundaries you've set for yourself and come out stronger and wiser after conquering each obstacle."
"When you stepped in, Priestess, it was so natural. It was as if you were born to be a leader. Yours are some big shoes to fill…"
"Plan to outdo your past, not others that came before you." She put her hands on his shoulders, "It's alright to be afraid, but don't ever doubt yourself. After all, it was a unanimous decision to elect you, and I think the elders know what they are doing, don't you?"
He chuckled nervously but with a hint of relief. He ran his fingers through the hair on the back of his head. "I guess you are right, Priestess."
She removed her hands from his shoulders and clasped them together, "Now, do you know what we're doing next?"
He nodded. "Yes, this is where I get initiated into Priesthood."
"Yes. We must descend into the water so that I can show you what we are guarding in this country." The Priestess only removed her shoes and kept the rest of her articles of clothing. She extended a hand towards Lian after he removed his shoes, "This is very important – do not let go of my hand while we're in transition, or we will both be lost."
"U-Understood."
They descended into the pool, hand in hand, as she led the way through the dimensional tunnels of the Rukh. Just at the edge of the Great Rift, bordering the "Other Side" is the most dangerous item in the world – the staff with a crescent ornament on top – David's key to fighting destiny.
"Allow this ancient knowledge to flow through you, Lian. Do not fight it." The Priestess instructed. Suspended by her magoi, they traveled the path of the Rukh towards the staff. The Rukh became darker and darker, the closer they got to their destination. To Lian, it was hard to explain, he had so many questions, but he had no time to formulate them. However, the Rukh that flowed through him gave him every answer he sought for. It was as if all the knowledge in the world flooded into his mind, but strangely, it was calming.
They reached the end of the path, and the Priestess grasped the handle of the staff.
"We are at the edge of the Great Rift. Only the Priest or Priestess retain the power to travel across to the Dark Continent. However, you cannot travel alone. This is a safety mechanism put in place by Ugo to protect the staff, ensuring it will never be removed from this place." The Priestess clarified.
"Why is that, Priestess?" Lian asked while studying the intricate design of the staff.
"The staff is the key that opens the dimension where all Rukh is stored – in the Sacred Palace, guarded by Ugo, King Solomon's Djinn. Did you notice the Black Rukh on our way here?"
"Yes."
"That Black Rukh is emanating from the organization called Al-Tharmen. Only their consciousness exists now on the 'Other Side.' Over time, they have found a way to channel that consciousness into magical objects in our New World. They grow stronger the more they can influence the Rukh in our world."
"What keeps them from simply obtaining the staff, Priestess?"
"Good, you're paying attention." The Priestess turned toward the very edge of the Great Rift and waved the staff, removing a cloak of black smoke and revealing a large gate. "This is the door to the 'Other Side.' Our Alma Torran ancestors' blood allows you to travel in the Great Rift. However, without a beacon to guide you, you will never find this place in the vast darkness of the Rift."
"You mean the staff?"
"Correct. Once I transfer the responsibility of protecting the staff to you, only you will be able to find the key and the gate."
"How come I am not able to travel here alone?"
"Just as you need a beacon to travel to this destination, you need a landmark to travel back home. If we let go and I lose you in this darkness, neither of us will be able to find our way back without removing the staff. The staff has become part of the foundation of the Rift; removing it will cause the collapse of the veil separating our two worlds – which will likely destroy both."
"I see. How did the staff get here in the first place? Is there any way to remove it from this place?"
"Originally, the Torran Tribe oversaw guarding the staff in the New World because they were the only ones who did not forget what happened in Alma Torran. When Al-Tharmen's consciousness and influence started seeping in from the 'Other Side,' Ugo and the Underground City Chiefs decided that it was best to put the staff in a place where only certain people can access it. It was a Fanalis that brought the staff down here, knowing she would not find her way back home. As for removing the staff, there is only one way – the staff exists as a significant foundation of the Rift, the only barrier between the destroyed world of Alma Torran and our New World – something of equal magic must be exchanged for its existence here. This is a difficult task because natural laws are different here. Even a Magi can't influence the Rukh in this environment. We can only use the magoi we have within ourselves here in the Great Rift."
Lian gulped after realizing what the Priestess was implying, "The magic of the Rukh flowing through the descendants…"
"Right again. A descendant must be exchanged for the staff to hold the structure of the Great Rift. The staff can then open the door into our New World, allowing the removal of it from the Great Rift. However, a descendant's magoi will eventually be depleted, and the barrier of the Great Rift will collapse, unleashing the Black Rukh here into our world."
Lian pondered in silence.
"Do you understand, Lian – the weight of the responsibility of being our country's Priest?" The Priestess asked as she held in her left hand, the most dangerous weapon in the world, and in her right hand, the one to succeed that heavy burden.
Lian paused for a minute. "I understand. We must protect the secret of this new world – that opening the dimension where the New World's Rukh is stored and influencing it once more is still possible, but also at the cost of freeing Al-Tharmen from the dimension they are banished from. Therefore, undoing all of King Solomon's legacy and throwing away all his sacrifices to waste, risking Black Rukh to paint the souls of all the citizens in the world… eventually leading to another apocalyptic destruction like what happened in Alma Torran."
"That is correct. Do you accept this responsibility?"
Lian tried to fight the primal instinct of fear and try to rid himself of any doubt. "… Yes, I do."
"I also want you to understand that this is too heavy of a heavy burden to ask one person to bear. No one will fault you for stepping down when you have found a different purpose to serve, just as I have."
"I understand the burden, the risks, and my options. Thank you, Priestess Samara." Lian looked up at her with honest, resolved eyes.
The Priestess handed the staff to Lian, and with that, the ascension ritual was complete.
They rose back to the surface of the pool, and they changed out of their wet clothes. Luna awaited them with towels and fresh robes. Samara said her goodbyes to her loyal guard, and Priest Lian was announced in the throne room of the castle. The other students wore long white robes to celebrate the ascension. Lian joined them in celebration as he was handed food and ale. It was a common custom after an ascension ritual that the citizens will want to touch and "bless" the new Spiritual Leader.
Priestess Samara walked down the steps of the dais for the last time. The King met her at the bottom of the steps. No one could see their expressions through the veils they were wearing, but their eyes conveyed their feelings to one another.
The King did not break eye contact with her, "You look a little rough for wear. How did the ascension ritual go?"
"It is done… I am not the Priestess anymore." Samara stated nostalgically.
The King extended an elbow to her, "You will always be a Priestess of this country, just as you will forever be King Solomon's daughter. Now, let us celebrate the ascension of the new priest!"
She smiled, lacing a hand around his elbow. The King gently pushed her without letting go of her hand. She twirled under their interlaced fingers as they danced the night away, forgetting all their worries for a moment.