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Chapter Two

Setting Out

The night before they set out, they use the money from Zagan's dungeon to buy a feast. They lament that they will be parting ways the next day and make promises to meet up again after Aladdin's mission in Magnostadt is finished. Alibaba assures them all that by that time he'll have figured out the secret to performing a full body djinn equip and Hakuryuu teases him because even he already knows how to do it and isn't it sad that Alibaba is falling so far behind? Aladdin laughs and Morgiana smiles large enough to make everyone else smile as well and then they're dancing and carrying on like fools and it all feels so very familiar…so very familiar…

But then she catches Hakuryuu's eye and knows that this is incorrect.

Later in the evening, Alibaba pulls her aside. He's still merry but his expression has sobered somewhat. He says, "So, Hakuryuu will be going with you tomorrow?"

She nods and he frowns slightly. He looks uncharacteristically thoughtful. "Listen, Morgiana," he says, and Morgiana wonders at the warning she hears in his tone, "I like Hakuryuu and I think he's a good guy…but I also think you should watch out for him."

Morgiana tilts her head questioningly and he explains. "I just get a weird feeling from him sometimes, y'know? I feel like he's got an agenda and he'll use any means to achieve it." He crosses his arms and she can see that he's uncomfortable. She knows that he doesn't enjoy being suspicious of his friends and she also understands that he wouldn't be saying anything if he weren't truly concerned. "Just take care on your journey, okay?"

After that, Alibaba's good mood returns and they carry on the night as if the conversation never happened. When they eventually leave the restaurant Alibaba's mood is even better. He's grinning to himself and rubbing his hands together and Morgiana has an ill feeling about what's going through his head.

"You should go ahead and go back first, Morgiana," he tells her out of the blue and everyone looks at him in curiosity. "You look tired and you should really get some rest for tomorrow. And anyway, you know how unsafe it is for a woman to be out on the streets at night in a town like this. Yes, it would be much safer if you went back ahead of us." He looks positively conniving as he says this and Morgiana is starting to become disturbed.

"But if the streets are unsafe, then wouldn't it be better not to split up?" Aladdin reasons. "We wouldn't want Mor getting in trouble on the way back to the inn."

Alibaba waves his hand dismissively. "Morgiana is tough. She can handle herself."

"But you just said—"

Alibaba pulls the small magi in close and whispers something into his ear. Aladdin's eyes go wide. Suddenly he turns to her and quickly says, "Alibaba is right! You should go back first."

Hakuryuu looks just as in the dark as she does. He's glancing back and forth between them and her and wearing a baffled expression. Finally, he says, "In that case, I can walk Lady Morgiana back to the inn. I don't mind—"

"Nope!" Alibaba cuts him off and throws an arm around his shoulders. "You're coming with us. Manly solidarity. You can't refuse."

"But…" he protests but he doesn't get to finish. Alibaba is already dragging him off down a connecting street, Aladdin in tow. The blond throws a "Catch you later, Morgiana!" over his shoulder and then they are gone.

Morgiana stands in place and blinks after them for all of twenty seconds before she follows them. She's too curious about what the boys are up to go back to the inn.

She finds them in a shop that has a naked woman on its sign. The place is open and she can hear laughter and giggling from inside. Through the large windows she sees scantily clad young women sitting with male customers. She doesn't go inside. Instead, she circles the perimeter until she finds her missing comrades.

She sees Aladdin first. He is nuzzling the chest of a particularly large breasted woman and he looks like he's found heaven. Beside him, Hakuryuu is sitting between two more women looking flustered and uncomfortable. His back is straight and his legs are together and his hands are on his knees. The women are fawning over him and making comments about him but he can't seem to answer. She doesn't think she's ever seen a person look so completely out of his element. Alibaba, however, is very clearly in his element. He has a crowd of women around him and he's loudly proclaiming how magnificent and beautiful they all are. "You are all my empresses tonight!" he boasts and receives a shower of giggles from the girls. Morgiana feels irritation and confusion bubble up within her. Alibaba has never acted this way around her. He has never fawned over her or looked at her the way he is looking at the women in this shop. She feels angry and hurt suddenly and she quickly decides she's had enough. She marches off back to the inn, but not before leaving a nice crater in the ground with her foot. As she leaves, she hears the girls gasp and loudly wonder if there's been an earthquake.

She goes straight to bed. She doesn't wake up when the boys return.

That night, she dreams.

She's in a pub not unlike the one she and her comrades had been in that evening. On one side of her sits Aladdin. He is fifteen and handsome and she's so proud of how much he's grown. She's watched him become a magnificent magi. On her other side is Hakuryuu. He is twenty-one now and he towers over her. His eyes have lost their innocent gleam and his features have sharpened but he's still beautiful. She has kept her word and observed him carefully over the past three years. She's relieved that he's shown no signs of falling back into depravity but she worries about the haunted look she often sees in his eyes.

In front of her is Alibaba. It's been so long since she's seen him. Too long. Hearing he was dead had been the most painful thing she'd ever experienced. Now he's back and he's looking at her with such adoration he can barely contain it. She's just told him that she'll become his wife. It's the happiest she's ever been. It doesn't matter what happens from here, she knows they'll all be okay. They're so close to victory, there's no way they can lose. She feels like she can take on the world.

She takes Alibaba's hand and they dance and dance and dance and when she wakes up, she's crying. She quickly uses the hem of her skirt to wipe her tears before anyone can notice. She can still feel a lingering sadness and she wonders why, but she's already forgotten the dream.

A couple of hours later everyone is packed and standing together on the pier. It's time to part ways. They say their farewells, promising again to meet at the end of one year. Morgiana's eyes sweep over her comrades and she takes care to commit their appearances to memory. It will be twelve months before she sees them again and she wants to have a reference for when that day comes.

Aladdin leaves first on his magic carpet. Hakuryuu is next; he boards the ship before her to drop their things off in their cabin. Morgiana is about to join him but Alibaba holds her back. "Wait a second," he says and she turns back around to look at him curiously. "I almost forgot." He starts digging in his bag as he explains, "It's about your household vessel. Since you're a member of my household, as long as I keep my metal vessel at hand you'll be able to use its powers."

"I see," she says, still watching him rifle curiously. After a moment he finds what he's looking for and pulls out what looks to be a piece of jewelry. It glints prettily as it catches the morning sunlight.

Alibaba grins at her and proffers up the piece. She can see now that it's a necklace. It's gorgeous, but more than that, she feels a rush of emotion when she sees it. "I know you're already really strong," he continues, "but I want to be your strength whenever you're in danger. This is a spare household vessel. I thought you should have one just in case your bracelets get damaged."

Morgiana takes the lovely piece of jewelry and cradles it delicately in her palms. She will cherish this necklace—she already does.

Alibaba throws a wave over his shoulder as he walks up the gangplank to his ship. Once again, she reminds herself that this is the last time she'll see him for a whole year. She fastens the necklace around her neck and watches him go with a mixture of sadness and optimism. As his ship sets sail, she bows low to show her gratitude.

Until next we meet, she bids him wordlessly, then turns to her own ship where Hakuryuu and a new journey await her.

The voyage from Aktia to Heliohapt takes two and a half weeks. Once they arrive, they will have to make the last leg of their journey on foot. Morgiana and Hakuryuu spend the trip in mostly comfortable companionship. The ship has a lounge and Hakuryuu teaches her to play chess to pass the time. It's a strategy game and Morgiana surprises herself when she takes to it quickly. It helps that Hakuryuu is a patient teacher.

While they play, they often talk. The topic frequently changes, but Morgiana often finds herself asking him questions about his life back in the Kou Empire—usually just small things; like what foods he preferred and how he'd spend his free time. Hakuryuu indulged her curiosity with his usual gentle smile. He shares with her many things about himself, like how when he was a child he would collect clovers from the small garden by the training grounds and leave them around the palace for his older brothers and sister to find, and how when he tired of studying he would go to the kitchens and ask the cooks to teach him how to make rice cakes and dumplings and, when he became older, his favorite dishes. Morgiana imagines a small Hakuryuu standing in front of a countertop that's just a bit too high for him and molding rice cakes into little animal shapes with a frown of concentration on his face. She imagines his delighted expression when one comes out well and the big, crocodile tears he surely cried whenever he messed one up. Her mental Hakuryuu is perilously adorable and she has trouble hiding her amusement from the real one. He just gives her an odd look as if to say, 'what's so funny?'

She doesn't tell him. She will keep tiny imaginary Hakuryuu to herself.

He attempts to ask her questions about herself as well, but sadly she doesn't have much to tell. She talks a bit about her childhood but keeps it vague. The memories of the years she spent as Jamil's slave are still painful and he probably wouldn't care to hear about them anyway. Instead, she tells him about her training and how she can remember, just barely, clean grass under her feet and running freely in a land rich in beauty. She thinks this must be her home and she tells him so. She's excited but also apprehensive about returning. She doesn't know what to expect.

Hakuryuu smiles at her and tells her he's certain she'll meet her people one day. He believes it without a doubt. He's also sure they will welcome her home. He sounds so confident that Morgiana can't help but believe him. She looks down at the chess board to hide her hopeful flush. Somehow, she's very happy that they're talking like this. It always seems to take a world ending crisis to get Alibaba and Aladdin to talk about themselves, but Hakuryuu offers information freely. He's happy to answer her questions and listen to her in return and even though she knows he isn't telling her everything, she now has a much clearer picture of the person who is Hakuryuu.

On the last night before they arrive in Heliohapt, Morgiana finally manages to beat him. She's very pleased with herself and Hakuryuu wears a large smile as he congratulates her. "You're a very quick learner," he praises. She would have thought he'd be upset to be beaten by an amateur, but he actually seems happy to have lost to her. "You have a good head for strategy," he tells her as he resets the board for the next players. "You know, in Kou, we have a game not unlike chess called xiangqi. Perhaps when we go there I can teach you. If you want, that is."

Morgiana smiles. Instead of answering, she says, "I always thought of you as goal-driven and single-minded, but your interests are surprisingly diverse."

Hakuryuu laughs at that. "Every skill honed is a door opened," he recites. "A man trapped in a hall with no doors is a man who will never go anywhere." He crosses his arms and leans back in his chair. "That, and I would've gone nuts if all I did was train and study."

Morgiana blinks. Could it be that Hakuryuu has a playful side after all? Somehow, the thought of it doesn't mesh with the image she's had of him up until now. It's strange; she'd seen him go ballistic just two weeks ago in the pirates' stronghold—he'd been ready to rip apart his own body for the sake of his anger—but ever since, he's been calm and even-tempered. Something inside her is telling her that this behavior is wrong. This isn't how he's supposed to be acting right now. But she has nothing to base this feeling on so she shrugs it off. "I see," she says and offers him a small, playful smile. "Then I'm counting on you to teach me your Kou chess."

Hakuryuu puts his hands together and bows. "It will be my pleasure." He then stands from his chair and moves around the table to offer her his hand. "Come on. We should probably get some rest if we're going to be traveling on foot all day tomorrow." The gesture is strange to her because she's not used to being treated so formally but she takes his hand and allows him to help her to her feet. After that, they retreat to their cabin. Morgiana is surprised to find that she's a little sad that this leg of their voyage has come to an end. She's going to miss playing chess.

oO0Oo

w00t! One whole reader! I'm on fire. Joke's on you, though. The writing only gets more dodgy from here.