Chapter One: Fear and Backorder Thoughts
The peaceful herald has faced adversity. The black messenger will face more adversity.
"I think Magi just became real," MD said from beside me, and all of a sudden my memory came flooding back to me. The people in front of me were Sinbad and his Eight Generals, and given the unfamiliar situation and place any moment now-
"Who are you?" Sinbad demanded, eyes showing obvious distrust. I gulped as I looked between him and Jafar, both very dangerous men to be around like this, especially without a weapon. Nervous laughter bubbled up in my chest and I couldn't hold it back, sounding as if I was laughing at the question despite the obviously terrified look on my face. This only rewarded me with more distrust from both of them. They towered over me as they stood up.
"I-I'm Brii," I stuttered out around the laughter, "And this is MD." MD seemed to be checked out. Tracing her line of sight, I could see she was, in fact, checking out Sinbad. I wished I had the courage to tell her to stop, but currently the life or death situation of negotiating with the people before me.
"Where are we?" Jafar asked next. That question was definitely going to be harder to answer.
"Well, another world, I guess?" My answer was a question itself, and therefore not at all convincing. This was evidenced in how their expressions hardened while some of the other generals began to wake up themselves. I needed to convince them we were on their side. And fast. I stood up at this point, but stayed at my spot near the wall. Despite standing, they weren't any less intimidating. Why do I only have to even out at five feet? I thought bitterly. However, I quickly continued to plead my case, "I-I'm being honest. Please, just hear me out. We're just as confused as you, if not more."
"Go on, then." Sinbad said, putting a hand out towards Jafar. That brought my attention to the very pretty daggers that he was gripping, ready to murder me with one well-placed stab. Sinbad must have been giving a signal to standby, hopefully.
"Okay, so basically you're in a new world where there are no rukh or djinn or magis," I began as I started to pace, trying to focus on the facts as much as possible and not the multitude of people that could murder me, "So instead of that, there's a lot more technology. I think it might technically be in the future compared to your world as well and, um…" I couldn't think of anything else to say before the book once again caught my eye. I picked it up from the ground, closing it in the process. "This book bro- huh?" I cut myself off as the cover caught my eye. The words had changed on it.
"You're obviously lying," Yamraiha piped up when I went quiet, "I can see the rukh around you."
"There's rukh?" I asked stupidly, looking up from the book. When I did so, I barely had time to move the left before one of Jafar's daggers flew towards my face, cutting my cheek in the process. I clutched the book to my chest, tears and laughter bordering on spilling as I looked at the dagger no less than three inches from my face.
"We don't have time for this, tell us the truth." Jafar said, pulling his dagger back to him by the red wire.
"Hey!" MD spoke up now. She was probably upset that Jafar had cut me. I quickly leapt up to cover her mouth with my hand.
"I'm really sorry about that, we honestly didn't know rukh existed," My speech was quick and I was beginning to have trouble breathing, "Holy fucking cheese balls…" I mumbled out, the panic and fear of the dagger setting in. I vaguely noted how Jafar kept a close watch on me and MD.
"Sinbad, you better have a look at this." Hinahoho called from my window. Sinbad strode over to look outside. He was probably expecting Sindria or a neighboring country; however, he was instead met with a neighborhood in Northern California. I let MD go here due to my arm beginning to protest against the pain of the height difference, hoping she wouldn't do anything else rash; not that I could really say much.
"Heheh, welcome to Northern California," I said awkwardly.
All of them looked through the window at the very different sight, and I hoped that my tale of this being an alternate world made much more sense now.
"I'm sorry about our hostility," Sinbad began, taking my free hand, "But I'm sure you'd be just as confused and worried waking up in a strange place. Not that a beautiful girl like yourself should ever be in that situation." I blinked in confusion at him; surely he wasn't trying to flirt with me.
Taking my hand back awkwardly, I responded, "Been there, done that, not fun." It was true; I had nearly died of bacterial meningitis when I was seven, and waking up in a hospital should never be fun. Unconsciously, I covered my face by pushing my glasses up my nose. I was just glad that now Sinbad was more interested in getting allies rather than killing us.
"Well, why don't we go down to the living room and talk about this there?" MD cut in, "It's much more comfortable down there and Brii's privacy won't be invaded anymore." I almost forgot that I was standing in my own room; it felt so alien with so many people in the smaller space.
As people began to shuffle out of the room, I let MD guide them down stairs to our rather large living room. I silently thanked the gods that my grandmother left her house to me. Before I joined them, I retrieved a bandage from a cabinet to cover the wound on my cheek. I quickly ran downstairs as soon as I stopped my heart from beating a million miles per minute.
"Okay, Brii's back!" MD called out gladly as I walked in. She almost looked like a scolding mother glaring at her several children the way she was standing in front of the Sindria inhabitants.
"Yeah," I agreed as I stood next to her, "I don't think we need to do any introductions, because we already introduced ourselves and we know your names already." At the sight of Jafar's eyes narrowing, my brain realized what a dumb thing that was to say. Swiftly, I added, "You guys are from a form of entertainment in our world, and that's why we already know you, so, uh, yeah…"
"You were going to say something about the book," Masrur spoke up. I was thankful he was merciful enough to supply a topic.
"Oh, right," I couldn't seem to gather my thoughts, everything seemed to blur together and my tolerance for social interaction was being pushed past the limit, "The book, uh…"
"The book held the eight pointed star when it did a thing and you guys appeared," MD supplied, and I was very grateful that she existed at the moment. "The same star on the metal vessels."
"May I see the book?" Yamraiha requested politely. I stepped forward and handed it to her. As she inspected it, I tried my best to collect my thoughts, get some sort of consciousness back instead of the fuzzy I-don't-remember-where-I-am thought process currently buzzing in my skull. I usually didn't interact with so many people, much less border on a panic attack for a fear of being killed, so I was having trouble keeping up. "This is a magic tool," She spoke up after a moment, jarring me back to the situation at hand.
"A magic tool?" I repeated, "I'm guessing it uses space-time magic?" It was just a guess, but it did make sense given the effect it was able to create.
"Yes, exactly," She said, her voice laced with surprise and impression. I was happy that I knew what I was talking about.
"So a magic tool got us here?" Sharrkan asked from beside Yamraiha. She looked over at him, an exasperated look on her face.
"That's what I just said, isn't it?" She retorted. Before they could begin to fight, I took the book back. MD walked over and dragged me a little ways from the group at the bottom of the stairs.
"You look tired," She started, "Why don't you take a nap and I'll take care of these guys, alright?" I didn't want to leave her alone with them, but I knew that with a nap I'd be able to function better and maybe even have some good ideas. I nodded in agreement with the plan and trudged up the stairs, still clutching the books in my hands.
When I was safe in my room with a locked door and wrapped in a blanket, I looked at the book to finally read what the words said.
The trilogy king and his kin will come forth. The lady of war will bring the court of evil.
Nodding in feigned understanding, I set the book and my glasses on the table next to my bed before rolling over and falling asleep.
