Hello everyone out there!
So Magi belongs to Shinobu Ohtaka, my OC to me, there might be references to this world, music etc, spoilers for those who haven't read the manga this far and some spelling mistakes.
Even so, have a fun time reading!
Day 18: Meeting the fanalis corps
"Can I have a word with you?"
Lenka blinked at Muu Alexius then nodded.
"Sure you can."
Was it okay for them to go back into the room? Maybe that would be a bit too … er, whatever for her taste and cause rumors. Wait, why was she thinking about such things? Now that was...
"... awkward."
"Excuse me, what?" Muu asked with an innocent smile and she felt the strong urge to head-butt the doorframe.
"Sorry, can we please talk outside? I don't want to stir something if we go in the room together."
"Sure, it's not that big of a question anyways. I saw your fight, it was amazing. Are you partly fanalis?"
"No, I'm not, and by the way, what's your name? I can tell that you're a fanalis, aren't you?"
Of course she knew who he was but it was part of the role she had to play, just part of the role. Heck, she had forgotten to thank him for the compliment.
Are you actually nervous? Orobas asked and the blonde flinched inwardly.
Hell, no.
Meh...
"Oh, sorry, my bad. I'm Muu Alexius, captain of the fanalis corps," he introduced himself with a bow. Lenka didn't knew much about him, just the name, title, djinn and that he was absolutely loyal to the empire and Scheherazade, but it was really nice that he was polite, not like other male dungeon capturers she met until now... at least he was wearing clothes.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Lenka, the traveller from far away. So the question or questions you wanted to ask..."
Muu seemed a bit surprised that she didn't freak out over him for a second then smiled again.
"I just wanted to ask if you are a relative of a fanalis because you were so strong, but you said you weren't, didn't you? Mind if I ask why you are so strong?"
She seemed to confuse him quite a lot and that was actually funny, so she started to smile as well.
"I believe it's a Rukh-thing. They are quite fond of me. Why do you want to know why?"
Such a cute smile as his should be forbidden. Lenka frowned. Did she just think that his smile was cute? What in Solomon's name was wrong with her now?
"Well, I'm still recruiting people for the fanalis corps and your fighting was not bad, actually it was really good, even though I'm sure I was your first time as a gladiator, right?"
"Probably my last time as well, I don't like the vibes the crowd gives me. I don't kill for fun."
Muu nodded approvingly.
"That's good, I mean, that you don't kill unnecessarily. So, do you want to join the corps?"
"I'm not a fanalis, so the answer is no," she said bluntly then added "but I know someone who might. If you would please follow me."
Lenka led him back to where Shambal, Toto and Miran were waiting. Her charge eyed Muu with a poker-face while the man greeted the Yambala friendly, moved closer then grabbed her hand.
"Lenka, who is he? He smells a bit like me and my family and his eyes are familiar, too."
Muu turned to the boy and smiled.
"I'm Muu Alexius, captain of the Reim fanalis corps."
The boy's jaw dropped and his eyes started to sparkle, then he tugged at the traveler's hand.
"Is he the fanalis dungeon capturer you told me about? I never thought we would meet another one this fast!"
Then he remembered his manners and bowed.
"I'm Miran, nice to meet you. Have you seen the fight? Lenka won because she is really strong!"
Muu's smile turned into a grin.
"I did, Her sword-fighting was superb, I think I'm going to loose my title as greatest fighter if she continues as gladiator."
"Okay, enough of your flattery," Lenka interrupted as Toto opened her mouth to join the conversation but the boy nodded serious.
"Of course her fighting is amazing, even though she even hadn't- ah, taboo," he blinked and covered his mouth. The blonde sighed as Muu looked confused at her then pointed on the sword metal vessel.
"Dungeon capturer but that's no the point. I wanted you to meet Miran. I picked him up in Aktia-"
"She rescued me from a slave auction," he chirped and hugged her waist.
"And brought him with me because I heard that in Reim are many fanalis families."
Muu blinked and his hand wandered to the hilt of his sword.
"You're a dungeon capturer. From which country?"
Oh, why is this every other capturer's reaction?
"England."
That had to be said just once and their stunned faces were absolutely amusing.
"Like I said, it's far away, maybe too far away for me to return."
Sympathy appeared in his eyes but his hand was still firmly tightened around his metal vessel.
"I see. Are you allied with someone?"
"I try to stay neutral, but I've made friends with royals from Kou and King Sinbad yet it's the Rukh that guide me. They want me to meet every Magi and to offer them my help. You can think of me as an ally, captain Muu."
Finally he relaxed and grinned again.
"So will you two show up at the corps's training tomorrow?"
"Sorry to interrupt you two, but we've to go to supervise the gladiator school," Shambal said with a smirk and Toto added "Why don't you go and search for the house you've won? He smells similar to a monkey boss," she told Lenka in a lowered voice. The blonde raised a brow while Muu asked surprised "You've won a house?"
"Good bye! Have fun!"
And so they left you with this guy you find attractive. I wonder why, Gusion mused.
I don't find him attractive.
You doooo, Eligos giggled. Lenka sighed and pulled a scrap of parchment out of her pocket then showed the man the address.
"I won this house. Can you please guide Miran and me there?"
He nodded then asked with a grin "Will you tell me how you managed that?"
"Well, you see..."
Lenka told him the story while walking through Remano towards the house. Muu was pleasant company and a good listener and her djinn were silent, a good sign, even though Miran glared sometimes at him when he thought that the man was too close to his guardian. They stopped in front of a rather small, two-stored house built from white stones in a busy quarter of the city, close to the big market place, the forum, a park and the coliseum.
After they parted from Muu the two travelers entered the house. Miran squealed happily and raced forward to inspect the living room, the kitchen, a study and the second floor while Lenka took her time to look into every cupboard and shelf. Of course they had no canned peaches! After this shock she grabbed the boy and dragged him out for groceries shopping to the market where they were surrounded by noise, people and foreign scents. Sometimes the passersby would stop and stare at them to wonder if the tall blonde was the mother of the scrawny fanalis boy that was jumping around then call themselves idiots; she was way too young to have children. Others eyed the sword and jewelry she was wearing so openly; she would subconsciously touch either the biceps rings, the forearm protector then something hidden under the scarf or thrum on the hilt of the curved blade on her hip as if she wanted to make sure that they were still there.
Lenka bought enough bread, fruit, vegetables, cheese and some dried meat and fish to last for a few days then started cooking when she returned to the house. Or so she hoped. With Miran's help she managed to make good soup with fish and toast with cheese and some kind of tomatoes and salad. Apparently she had to eat a lot more to maintain her magoi supply even though the side effects – weight gain and growth spurts in every direction – were not really acceptable and Miran was still growing so the groceries were disappearing fast. She might have to go shopping the day after tomorrow again, but it was not as if money was a problem – she could almost buy a palace with the treasure from three dungeons and a fourth hidden in the desert.
Lenka fell asleep after a bath and a chat with her djinn and was woken up way too early for her taste by her charge and her sore muscles. A real fight without metal vessels was a bit more straining than sparring. And that Miran was hopping on her made it worse.
"Good morning, get up, we're training with the fanalis corps today!"
"Gimme five minutes, lad."
"When are five minutes over? Come on, you can't sleep now!"
With a loud groan she rolled out of bed and fell on the floor to lay there, tangled with the blanket and absolutely not in the mood to make breakfast.
Good morning, Lenka. What a wonderful day it is, Orobas snickered.
"Shuddup, git. Clothes, please."
Orias dropped her shorts, the stockings-shoes-pants-fusion and a sleeveless top on her.
Oops, sorry.
"Lenka, I brought breakfast!"
She lifted the shorts from her face to blink in the sunlight and at the plate with buttered bread and fruit Miran held out then sat up to stretch her arms.
"Thanks. Did you make this by yourself?"
"Most of it, Mr Muu helped me cutting the veggies."
"Aha. Wait, he's here?!" Lenka screamed and jumped up to start dressing while Miran looked at her in mild confusion.
"Of course he's here, didn't I tell you? He said he would pick us up around nine and now it's nine."
Actually it's quarter past eight but never mind, Orias corrected. Your shirt is inside out.
"Damn. Miran, tell him to wait a bit more and check his watch. I'll come down when I'm dressed."
"Okay," he answered and rolled his eyes. Lenka was so strange sometimes, being almost naked or in her nightwear around him didn't bother her the slightest, but now... must be an adult thing. Adults were weird.
Well, that is going to be funny, Gusion commented as the boy rumbled downstairs. She could hear the high voice say something then a man laughing. The traveler grumbled in agree while wriggling into her shoes then used her fingers to comb her hair and tie them up in a high ponytail.
As long as he won't hit on Lenka...
Geez, Eligos thinks that Orobas is overcautious and wussy.
Hey!
Not this early in the morning, guys, I'm not really awake yet, Lenka scolded and picked up the plate Miran had left for her and went downstairs. The two fanalis sitting at the table looked up when she entered the living room/kitchen combination to take her seat to eat her breakfast. Muu smiled at her.
"Miran told me how you blew up pirate ships on your journey."
"He's exaggerating," Lenka said and ruffled her charge's hair then gave the man an apologetic grin.
"Sorry for the wait, but didn't you say you were coming at nine?"
"Oh? I thought I'd said that we're meeting the others at nine, didn't I?"
"Then I must have misheard something. It was an exhausting yesterday for me, wasn't it?" she replied and filled a cup with water.
"How's your wound, Lenka?" Miran asked and poked the forearm protector under which a white bandage was visible.
"All healed up, it wasn't that much of an injury."
The boy frowned at her while Muu raised a brow.
"It did look like the dagger pierced through your arm, though."
"Yeah, okay, you're right, it did but I'm alright now. I was kind of creepy how fast everything grew back," Lenka admitted then stood up to pack a bag with food and drinks.
You don't like to show others your weaknesses, Orias stated.
Except Aladdin and the others you trust, like us, Orobas added. That's cute.
Don't make me blush, dears, smiled Lenka and gripped the pendant through the scarf then returned to the others.
"Okay, boys, shall we go?"
Miran instantly jumped from his chair while Muu started to smile at her before standing up. The metal plates of his armor clinked together and she was again impressed just how big fanalis were, like in, really big, wrestler-esque with all those muscle, but in a good way. And he had nice features, looked like a warrant prince. The piercing suited him. As did his long red hair, almost a mane. From an artistic viewpoint. Only from an aesthetic perspective. Why did she had to justify her thoughts?
"Is there something on my face?"
Lenka wanted to hit her head against the doorframe. Again.
"Sorry, I didn't notice that I was going screen-saver. I'm not really awake yet, so that's why I was spacing out."
And she had done it again, confuse an innocent with her terminology. Applause for Lenka! She needed a hole to bury herself. Luckily Muu didn't mind her weirdness and held the door open as she followed Miran outside. The walk to the corps' training grounds was rather quiet, even more when Miran started to get shy and took her hand for protection and assistance as they came closer to the palace and the army headquarters.
"Don't worry, even though they might seem to be quite frightening they're a really good bunch," Muu said with a big grin and greeted some soldiers that passed by. They seemed absolutely overjoyed to get a wave by him. The foreigner chuckled at the boy's frown and massaged the back of his hand.
"And it's not like I wouldn't be there to watch, right?"
"Right," he said after inhaling deeply. "You're strong enough to squat everyone flat who is not nice. That's reassuring!"
"I don't think she needs to do so," Muu grinned and led them through some wooden buildings to a large sandy square where around two dozen armored red-haired individuals were fighting, standing and chatting or watching the fighters. Upon their captain's entrance a few fanalis waved, noticed the visitors then followed a young woman with long read hair who walked over first. Myron Alexius nudged her brother's arm then smiled at Lenka.
"What took you so long, dear brother? Are you the new recruit? My name is Myron Alexius, pleased to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine, but no, I'm just here to watch. He's here for a try-out," she answered and gently pulled Miran in the spotlight. He smiled shyly at the stranger.
"My name is Miran, nice to meet you."
Myron's eyes practically turned into hearts, she blushed then squealed.
"CUTE! You're so cute! I wish I had a brother this cute!"
"Hey," Muu protested with an embarrassed grin and a shrug. When hearing someone scream the remaining fanalis turned around to see what or rather who caused the noise then came over to greet and meet. Lenka was grinning almost as wide as Muu as he introduced his men, too fast for her to remember the names while Myron hugged Miran who surprisingly managed to get her off him after a few seconds of squeezing. The boy smiled at the corps.
"Hello, I'm Miran, nice to meet you!"
And so the questioning began.
"Are you a pure-blood?"
"Where are you from?"
"How old are you?"
"Do you have siblings?"
"Where do you live?"
"Is she your mother or your sister?"
Miran blinked then pointed on the persons who asked while answering "Yes, from Aktia, I'm nine, no, in a house Lenka won, no, Lenka is my savior."
"Oh, you're a fast one, that's good," a tall man replied with a wide grin, like, really wide, a part of his left cheek was missing and scarred. With the wild red hair and beard he looked a bit frightening to Lenka, but everyone's Rukh were white, even though they had not many, and she knew that the corps' members were friendly. The boy curiously tilted his head to look at Lolo more closely.
"Thanks. You're a strong one. Like everyone here. You are all strong."
Lolo grinned even wider, if that was even possible and the others looked pleased and proud.
"Of course, lad. We're the fanalis corps after all, even though some aren't as strong as the others and try to make up with highly educated princess-y behavior."
"Did you say something, Lolo?" Myron asked in a sweet voice and the man shrugged.
"Maybe."
"Guys, don't fight when we have visitors. Let's get along," Muu reminded his sister and friend but the two of them continued their bickering. Lenka chuckled.
"They remind me of another couple I know," she said with a smile. "They would fight all day long and almost nothing could stop them."
"I fear if I won't stop them the buildings will suffer," the other dungeon capturer said with a frown.
"Sharrkan and Yamraiha would stop when you asked them for their wedding date or if they were having a lover's quarrel. Have you ever tried this method?"
"We fear that they were really having a lover's quarrel," a slender woman with large scars on her face and upper body snickered and Muu suddenly looked very uncomfortable.
"Razol, I don't want to think about this possibility."
"Sorry, captain. It just seemed to good to be true."
"I like you," Lenka decided. "I don't even know you but this comment made me like you. I'm Lenka, traveler, dungeon capturer, guardian and so on, I'm collecting quite a list of titles."
Razol clapped her hands.
"Dungeon capturer! I've never met a female one!"
"Until you go to Kou or Artemyra you won't meet another, isn't that so?"
"Spar with our captain!" someone in the background cheered. Lenka shook her head but it was Miran who answered.
"That would be unfair, Lenka has four djinn."
Even Lolo and Myron were silent while the blonde scratched the back of her head with a sheepish smile.
"Darn, Miran, you busted my cover."
Oh yes, we are so awesome, Orobas nodded with smug face. I mean, you are awesome.
Muu broke the silence first.
"Four dungeons."
"Yeah, that was quite unlucky, I got abducted by the Rukh and warped into the first and jumped into the second because I couldn't take the sea-sickness and got dragged into the third by a jealous Magi – by the way, not my type of guy and no ally – and the fourth was an unlucky place too seek shelter in during a thunderstorm.
Uhm, I'm no enemy to Reim, okay? No need to rip me into little pieces?"
Their faces had turned warily, not sure if they should trust her. Lenka gulped and scanned their Rukh again. The first time she had said dungeon capturer some had started to shuffle around, except the few who had worked with other dungeon conquerors than Muu before, but now all eyes were set on her, staring as if she was a dangerous animal and they were yet to decide if they could trust her or not. Suddenly she realized that Alibaba's plan, hiding the fact that he was a dungeon capturer had been indeed the better plan. Reim was constantly threatened from Magnostadt and the expanding Kou nation, the soldiers were waiting to go to war any day. And she had to tell them she was a quadruple dungeon capturer. Oh so lucky. Where the hell had her sanity gone?
"Whom do you serve?" Myron asked and raised a fine brow. Hopefully this wouldn't be as bad as she feared. Or maybe even worse. She wasn't really sure if she could outrun an adult pure-blood.
"Solomon. I hope to become an ambassador to get the stubborn kings to work together, not against each other."
The brow climbed a bit higher.
"I see."
"Are you fro Kina?" another voice asked and Lenka blinked surprised. She had never heard of this country, not when reading Magi nor in her time in Sindria. Strange, but well, she wasn't omniscient. And some things slipped her mind, being modest and the concept of secrecy for example.
"From where?"
"Kina is an island nation further east than Kou, member of the Seven Seas Alliance. They use swords like yours," Lolo explained. The blonde shook her head.
"I found the blade in my first dungeon, so no, not from Kina. Me neither."
Muu cleared his throat.
"Guys, shouldn't you be training? I believe some of you have quite a lot of work to do."
The crowd dissipated with disappointed murmurs and he glanced at the blonde.
"Can we talk a bit? In private?"
Lenka tilted her head.
"Sure. I think I owe you a lot of explanations, don't I?"
She smiled down at Miran.
"I think you can stay with Myron and Razol, you can learn many things from them."
"You leave him in the best care," Myron assured, took the boy's hand and almost dragged him away, Razol followed with a snicker.
"Go, captain!"
I am quite sure that she's a closet shipper, she told the djinn then followed Muu the way they came before. He was brooding the first few steps then turned around to face her.
"Is it true that you are not an enemy of the Reim empire?"
"Would I still be standing here and talk with you if I was? Of course I'm no enemy," she replied with a quick roll of her eyes. He scratched his head.
"Oh, yeah, we talked about that."
"I want to ask a favour," Lenka said and opened the space pocket. "My fourth dungeon was Eligos', I conquered it on my way from Napolia to Remano. Halfway through I found a young man and his guards, slaughtered by agents of a certain organization."
Muu knit his brows.
"A certain organization you say..."
"Al-Thamen."
She handed him the clay figurine and the ring wrapped in the piece of cloth she took from the noble's corpse.
"I disposed of two more puppets and a black metal vessel user as well."
He scowled at the figure then looked at her.
"A black metal vessel user? That sounds not good."
"I fought one who turned into a black djinn in Balbadd and friends of mine fought more during and after the conquest of a dungeon. One of them is currently heading to Magnostadt to investigate if they were producing the black metal vessels."
"Magnostadt!" he snarled. "If it's like that you have to meet Lady Scheherazade as soon as possible."
Lenka hummed in agree, amazed how much the gentle man could change when his country was endangered.
"That is the favour I want. I need to have a private audience with the Magi Scheherazade and the dungeon capturers of Reim, only those people should hear my message. Please, tell her that I'm the warrior and that the guardian sent me. She will probably know what this means."
Muu nodded.
"Okay. Let's head back then I can go to deliver the message and this stuff," he weighted the figure and the package in his hand with a face that clearly showed his concern and growing anger for the fallen organization.
As soon as they stepped on the training grounds Muu raced over to Myron, Lolo and another man then hurried to the temple of the Sacerdos Maxima, the highest priestess, his sister and household member following on his heels. Razol ambled over to Lenka who stood at the edge of the field.
"What the hell did you tell the captain that he had to disappear this fast?"
"Bad news," she admitted with a sour face. "Either I'm here tomorrow or I'm on the run, which would be bad for the future."
Razol clicked her tongue.
"I understand. Do you want to spar with me?"
"I should work on my djinn equip, sorry."
"No problem. By the way, the way you speak is funny."
Lenka frowned.
"It's not funny. It's an accent, you should hear a Scot talking, that's funny."
"A Scot?"
"Never mind, I tend to weird out people."
Razol laughed.
"Okay, I guess this was a warning, but I'm a fanalis, running from a bit weirdness is no option. I will watch your efforts."
Lenka nodded then walked over to a bench under a tree from where she could watch Miran training. Razol sat down and watched her as she slowed her breath then concentrated on the biceps rings. She was absolutely sure the fanalis was there to supervise and kill her if she did something that looked like an attack. Now this was worth a celebration.
Orias, let's try again.
Instantly her arms were dark blue and she held a long whip with a silver handle. The rope had the color of the dark night sky.
I still wonder what exactly this can do, she mused and flicked her wrist. The cord reacted smoothly and fluid and she was reminded of the ribbon she had used in rhythmic gymnastics. Razol clapped her hands.
"Looks nice."
"Indeed."
Maybe it's something like that, Orobas guessed.
Might be. Orias, a bit more, slowly change to a full equip.
The blue color turned into something like a shimmering tissue, wrapped itself around Lenka then dissipated to leave her with white hair, a shitload of silver chains hanging from a silver choker, silver horns, wrapped around her waist and arms, a blue fluttery stole and -
"Yes, no pervert version!"
She wore a long dress that had close similarity to the one's Pisti wore, just that the skirt part was longer and the strong chains around her middle reduced the exposition of skin severely. The silver stick in her hand looked a bit more fragile than before. Curious she made a few quick spirals, the ribbon elongated like a rubber band.
A waveline and a ring, Orobas demanded. Lenka did and yelped in surprise as a giant hole opened inside the ring. Stars glittered in the darkness of space.
"Wow, a warping tool. I could use this to dodge attacks. It's really similar to Dantalion, isn't it?"
We worked on this technique together, but when did you met her?
Er, I read a few things?
You should stop now, they are staring.
Oops.
She canceled the djinn equip then waved at the corps, grinning apologetic. Miran walked over, the young man Muu had spoken to before followed him, looking at Lenka with a wary glint. The scarred woman smiled wide and hopped on her feet.
"That looked totally different from the way the captain uses his equip. What can you do with that?"
"I'm not sure, dodging attacks for sure, maybe teleporting people over a long distance. Extreme Magic with this will be really strange. Well, I have three more djinn equips, one had to be a bit strange."
Thanks for the compliment.
Brother, strange or weird is the new amazing and fantastic.
Since when? Eligos asked.
Since I am his queen, Lenka smiled. Razol introduced the man as Yaqut, a close friend of hers. During their chat about Reim and what you could do here in your free time Muu returned and made an instant beeline for Lenka. The expression he wore was calm, but his Rukh were in a frenzy.
"Lady Scheherazade has agreed to meeting you tomorrow morning, I'll guide you there."
She nodded and smiled warmly at him.
"Thank you very much. I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."
"It's not you, it's their fault. You are just the unlucky one to deliver such a message," he replied with a sigh.
"I heard once that misfortune is only fortune that isn't there yet."
Muu cracked a smile.
"If you want to see it that way I have no objections."
And so the fall of our heroine began, as she was not familiar with the concept of falling in love as other humans did, wondering why her feeble heart jumped in her chest like a bunny when hunted by a fox, Eligos read out loud from a scroll then squealed as Orobas threw fire balls at her.
Not my Lenka, I forbid such things! I say no!
... your brother is an idiot, Gusion told Orias who was busy opening black holes in the room to keep the damage done through the flames and Eligos minimal. Lenka started to wonder just how she had managed not to get mad with this permanent ruckus in the back of her head when Gusion almost got grilled and started to create solid, see-through walls for the other djinn to run into.
Much to the desparation of Orias who was suddenly the last survivor in a place where small fires were eating at the furniture, his twin and Eligos lying on the floor nursing their headaches after colliding with diamond walls, Gusion looked extremely bored while inspecting her claws and the queen he chose was utterly and ridiculously unaware of what mess she was creating by just walking around. His left eyelid started to twitch nervously as he took a glance around the room and collapsed on the sofa in a heap of silver chains and fluttery stole.
"Just what did I do to deserve this, Solomon?"
Gusion seemed to raise a brow, almost impossible to tell with her seal-like features.
"I ask myself this question the entire time. The only joy I have is the knowledge that I'm not the only one suffering."
"You actually like seeing me like this? And I hoped you were normal."
"The new amazing and fabulous is weird and strange, Orias. Weird and strange."
And as I promised the last time, another extra. Seriously, I wonder how I managed to find enough time to write this monster. More than 2,200 words... Anyway, this has a lot of my personal beliefs and theories in it, you have been warned. And spoilers.
The world glittered and glistened in the darkness like a lost jewel. White streams of Rukh flew over the surface, avoiding the dark continent thus making the land live up to it's name. This was the world that was created after the fall of Alma Toran. Solomon floated in the universe, watching the countless birds as everyone formed their destinies as they wanted to, eyes slightly narrowed at the growing number of depraved, black Rukh. Surely they had to return, pass the walls between space only with the power of their consciousness to bring evil again, cause diseases, distrust, differences between the people.
He had worked hard, so hard to have Il Ilah sealed away in another space, to cut the being off from the world, to cause the Rukh to shine white like newly-fallen snow, white as if the light of sun and moon shone inside their tiny forms. So hard...
But now...
He had never thought David would accomplish that. Solomon looked at the black thread with as much disgust as he could manage. The connection between the entity that had formed of the fusion of the man who he had long ago stopped thinking of as his father and the being that was the cause of all the pain and terror and hopelessness they had to suffer and the singularity that had been born into the new world. Sinbad.
Solomon hadn't really realized what he had been seeing, thought it was just a flicker of the death of a sun in the darkness but the dark filament had thickened in the blink of an eye, which where probably years down on the planet. And so much more had went wrong. He could see the surges of black Rukh pulsating in the pure white, Ithnaan, Arba and the Magi they had caused to fall.
The concept of the three Magi who should watch over the world stood on the edge, balancing only a hair's wide away from collapsing.
His eyes widened as a new white light started to flash in the desert, a light with a radiance similar to his own, similar and yet a tiny bit different. Aladdin, his and Sheba's son. Sheba. How much he missed her. Missed his friends. Missed everyone. But the boy seemed to have inherited a few of her traits. It seemed like Ugo had finally sent him into this world to interfere with Al-Thamen again.
Solomon watched the first steps of his son in the blinding sands, the first encounter with people, the first time he ate melons... If the past had been another...
He heard the whispers of the djinn, looked at the red pillars that appeared and disappeared whenever a dungeon was raised, closed or conquered. And whispers of Ugo, in the vast halls of the sacred palace and straightened up. His old friend was worrying about the future. Solomon looked at the dark threat, listened to Ugo's voice, head Aladdin's laughter, watched him with the king he chose even before they entered Amon and came to a decision.
Catapulting his conscience into the sacred palace without Ugo noticing was child's play for him, skimming the countless theories the man once Magi now djinn had made not, it took him quite a few moments that could have been eternities to find the one scroll that had been an alternative to the Magi system. He quickly scanned the context then left the palace, using the power he held as god to look through the universe, through the walls between dimensions.
So many universes, so many many many many many many of them. And even more dimensions, each layered upon another like the sheets in a very, very, very thick book. And so many, many, almost uncountably many worlds filled with different life forms, cultures, differences.
The pure magnitude of everything made him feel small, insignificant, lost in the darkness. What had he been trying to achieve up until now? The problems he had been having in his past form and now seemed so puny in comparison to this – he couldn't even find a word to describe it.
A tingling laugh filled his mind and Solomon frowned, looking around to find nothing. Apparently there were beings out there that surpassed even the gods, gods like him and Il Ilah. A moment he reckoned why they hadn't interfered, but as his gaze wandered around he abolished the thought. There were so many worlds, dimensions, universes, planets, realities that they had to be more than busy.
Solomon started to look again, this time using the power he had gained, searching for someone, something that would be of use for the future of the world he guarded, something that would cut the connection between Il Ilah, David and Sinbad so that he could force the darkness back into the sealed space again. A tool.
A tug at the edge of his conscience had him cross the endless voids, the star-filled fields, the tantalizing processes of dis- and rearranging the form he more or less maintained as he slipped through the walls between dimensions until he found a shining spot, a accumulation of stars that made the space shimmer white like snow, like milk, a spiral in the dark. He came along even more planets, stars in every color and one time a strange object mad of metal as he dived through this dimension into a small solar system. A huge aggregation of metal – he couldn't find another word – junk was mixed into the gravity field of this planed that shimmered blue and green, but there was no Rukh, no energy like he felt it from other worlds.
No magic.
But ghosts. Many ghosts he could sense, vengeful spirits, lost, alone in a world without magic.
The tugging came from a small island in the northern part of this world, small and yet incredibly big when he neared, bristling with life as he landed in the middle of the largest city he could spot, which was a bit more south-eastern than central. A broad, muddy river passed the gray houses, higher than the highest trees, blinding glass everywhere, and old buildings, telling stories from a past filled with great men, battles, fire and empires. And people, so many people running around, almost everyone's glance was glued to a small device they all seemed to possess. Solomon curiously touched a young girl to gather information about this world then heard her gasp then squeak in joy.
"I have to note down this idea! This will be a perfect fanfiction!"
She started dabbing on the device and Solomon, fingers still in the girl's head, frowned in surprise as she formed the idea of a world he, Solomon had passed by traveling through the endless void. Interesting, he thought and touched a few more people, gathering knowledge faster than a sponge when dived into water.
This world, without magic or not, was a place filed with seers. They saw different worlds, different events, stories and wrote them down, painted them, made movies of all the things they had 'imagined'. Solomon was impressed. He had never thought that imagination could be this powerful. Maybe somewhere a seer existed who was writing down his story at the very moment, or maybe Aladdin's. He should check that later, he had time after all. As soon as business was finished.
He followed the tugging to a huge complex where a few hundred of younger humans were sitting in a large building, listening to what an older man down the pit was saying. University, students, lecture hall, medicine, the words kept popping up in his head as he walked down the stairs then stopped at a row in the middle, jumped onto the desk and walked a few centimeters over the writing or typing hands until he found the source of the tugging.
A woman, or rather girl, younger than the others around her, staring intensely at the lecturer. Her long blond hair was dead straight, so she was not different from the other women sitting in the hall. Solomon tilted his head then looked at one of the Rukh that had accompanied him.
This one?
The Rukh fluttered like Rukh always did, but maybe with a bit more enthusiasm than usually and Solomon sighed and continued to watch the blonde, Marlene-Karen Sensenmacher, Lenka, for the day. Or rather, scan all her memories, even those she had buried deep down in a box under a ton of steel plates at the ground of the ocean called her past. And what memories...
He followed her as the lessons were finished into the library and then to a place named 'Starbucks' where she met another girl whose hair had been artificially changed to a dark cherry-red, then, after receiving a call on her 'smartphone' to a suburb in which she entered a huge manor, greeted two children that seemed to be her siblings then went into an office to talk to a man who was undoubtedly her father.
"I don't think I want to stop studying medicine, it is a prestigious way after all."
"No father, I don't know the person you're speaking about."
"Marriage? You know that I'm only eighteen, do you?"
"I won't marry! First meeting tomorrow? Are you insane?"
"Shut up! I won't marry a stranger! Don't you dare to force this onto Valerie!"
Solomon wanted to pat her back for comfort and strangle this father person at the same time, especially after touching his head for a second then pulled his fingers back as if the grayish hair had burned him. She had no choice but to obey.
He accompanied her to an apartment complex near the university where she looked at the 'smartphone' for a few seconds. Solomon leaned over to read the message that came from 'Caleb Graham' and knitted his brows together. The mating rituals were strange in this world. Breaking up because the girl didn't want to have sex before marriage was perfectly logical, so why had he to express it like that?
She bit on her lower lip until it started to bleed then grabbed a bag and went out again. Solomon sighed and waited on a wooden bank in the hall of her 'dojo' as she sparred with other people dressed in white robes and colorful belts that eerily reminded him of nightgowns, back to the apartment where she started a 'computer' while heating 'pizza' in the 'oven', showered – he stayed in the kitchen and inspected the strange machines – and dressed into a 'jumper' while waiting for the food then surfed the 'net' to read-
He almost touched the screen with his nose as he leaned forward to see a picture of his son and the king vessel Alibaba then a second later a new picture appeared. With every click of the 'mouse' the 'manga' progressed, much to Solomon's growing admiration for the seer Ohtaka Shinobu. At some point the woman pointed with a slice of pizza at the monitor.
"I bet Arba Gyokuen hasn't died. She will come back for sure. People like her will always return. For sure, I know that you blokes never read Harry Potter, but they had been sure that Voldemort had been dead as well. Or Sauron. Seriously."
Oh. The seer even seemed to have seen the future yet to come and shared it with the persons of this world, or rather the persons reading the 'manga' online. Like Lenka did. She was as strange person. The whole world was strange, and it got even stranger as she started to play a game called 'Skyrim' which opened another new world in the frame of the computer monitor!
She played for hours, then, after a glance at clock hanging on the wall and a surprised yelp she shut the computer down, went to the bathroom and then to bed. Solomon rubbed his eyes and tried to gather every bit of knowledge he had found on her up until now then nodded at the Rukh. The parallels he saw between her and some of the people he had known once were striking.
So will it be.
He closed his eyes and returned to the sacred palace.
Ugo.
His Magi looked up, confusion was replaced with joy the instant he recognized the voice.
"Solomon! Where are you? What-"
Take the warrior plan into action. I will send you an appropriate candidate. Transport her into one of the twins' dungeons.
"Solomon! Solomon! Wait!"
He opened his eyes and found himself standing in Lenka's bedroom again. It was morning now and she was wearing a strange combination of a 'denim' skirt, a green pullover, a vest, 'overknee' socks and a white wooly hat with two red badges. She took a bagpack, filled it with various things then left the apartment complex, entered the metro and almost instantly pulled out her 'smartphone'. After a few minutes she inhaled sharply.
"How dare you!"
Solomon felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Bringing her to his world would be fun, he could almost see the troubles she would make for Ugo and the other beings. This would be an interesting story.
Gaah, chapter 18 already. Somehow I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but I have at least thirty more chapters to write to finish Second Chance. Too many things I have to take care of... too many chapters to write... not enough time... *hides under the desk*
But thanks to you readers I can get into the right mood to do this! *throws confetti*
Thanks and fluffy bunnies to everyone who reviewed, favorited and/or followed! I would bake some brownies but they would be gluten-free. And taste like burned cardboard. They always do...
Yours,
TheMultipleMeExperience