Maeve didn't miss a beat when she jumped back and instinctively leveled her sword at Rumina the moment she stepped out from her chamber with the staff in her hand. "Your battle begins with me,Rumina!",she cried out loud.
A smirk born out of mock admiration for Maeve's bravado, flashed across Rumina's face. "You've gotten past Master Rushid's memory spell, I give you credit for that. But there is nothing you can do against the power of the scepter of Kohlmar."
"Try me",breathed Maeve, her eyes blazing with hate.
Rumina only smiled. A hand reached out from behind Maeve and firmly pushed down her sword. Maeve resisted and then froze in shock for it was Sinbad who was now standing between herself and the witch. His face seemed puzzled , as if he was in conflict with himself; as if he didn't fully comprehend why he was taking allegiance with Rumina. But he still barred Maeve's passage to the witch.
Maeve took a step forward and stopped in surprise when she heard screams commencing from the deck of the Nomad!. She had heard people screaming before , on the many islands that she and the crew had been, whenever there was danger threatening a village or a hamlet, the people often grew desperate and cried out in fear. But these screams seemed almost unearthly. They were longer-drawn out, almost as if the people were dying from some cruel torturous device..as if they were subjected to extreme horrific pain. Rumina seemed unperturbed by the screams. Maeve suspected that she rather enjoyed them.
"Come Sinbad. There is much for us to do together",said the witch,taking Sinbad's arm and leading him to the steps. They walked past Maeve , completely ignoring her presence or even considering her as a potential threat."Let's not waste time with the riff-raff.."

Maeve bounded up on deck and stood astounded by the blood-curdling scene unfolding rapidly before her eyes. The deck of the Nomad was bathed in an eerie blue light and within this gloomy dome, the swordsmen-soldiers of Rumina's army writhed and screamed in horrific pain. Every man tore his hair, tears streaming out of his swollen eyes pleading and crying out for the pain to stop. Some threw themselves overboard; some others crumpled down ,their limbs wrapping tightly around their heaving bodies as if to grasp onto their last shred of sanity. The medallions around their necks were glowing brightly.

"The soldiers are transforming. They are morphing into creatures of destruction - the real army of Kohlmar."

Maeve watched in horror as wings began to sprout from the backs of the men. Long wings - like that of a bird of prey, stretching large and wide. Their faces began to change more cat-like, their teeth turning into fangs and nails changing to claws. The pupils of their eyes became larger and dirty yellow in color. Their physic turned muscular; skin swapped for tough bluish-green scales. They grew several heads taller, a new layer of metallic armor covering their chests, arms,legs and feet.
"Beautiful",applauded Rumina,laughing in pleasure as she swayed through her haunted army. Her manners resembled that of a child upon finding some new toy to play with. Sinbad stayed by her side, hardly casting his eyes in Maeve's direction.
As Maeve looked on, she couldn't help noticing how much Rumina had changed under the power of the awesome scepter. She looked rather beautiful herself and full of new vigor. She looked like a queen in readiness to assume her throne!.
Soon the screaming subsided. The soldiers rose to their feet, first limping, then rising tall in their new found strength. The leader of the army, lifted up his voice and gave a loud roar.
"Go,my valiant minions!",commanded Rumina. "And don't come back until you have reduced Baghdad to a smoldering crisp!"
"No!". Maeve mustered her strength and barged towards the witch. But her cries were lost in the unison of the roars that thundered over the Nomad, as the forty warriors of Kohlmar took to the air towards the city of the Caliph. Rumina reached out and clasped Sinbad's hand. She lifted the staff of Kohlmar. A green beam of pure magic shot into the air and a massive burst of wind swelled the sails of the ship which tore the Nomad through the waters. The salty spray from the sea washed over the deck and Maeve hung on to the side of the ship for dear life. Rumina stood tall,enjoying the rising awe of her powers,Sinbad broke into a sweat and swayed uncertainly on his feet.
"What's the matter,Sinbad?",asked Rumina with a smirk. "Wondering why you feel so weak? Well, this is just the beginning."
Sinbad tried to pull away but Rumina held his hand in an iron grip.
"Ah..Ah..Ah.. We've formed an alliance,dearest. We have a task at hand. Perhaps you may feel you are getting the worst end of our bargain. But that's only because you are new at this magic business. The scepter draws power from you and me and bolsters it with its own magic. While I wield the scepter, I grow stronger. But you, my dear Sinbad ,grow weak because you are after all ...only a human. The depletion of your own hidden powers saps you also of your physical strength because of your inexperience. Now you know what it feels like to perform great magic. Now you understand why I too grow exhausted after long spells of sorcery."
Rumina laughed aloud and gazed with glittering eyes at the fast-approaching coast of Baghdad. When the wind died down, the ship was only a fair distance from Baghdad's port and the battle had already begun for at that very moment, the tower of the Royal Palace burst into a ball of flame!
"A front row seat!",smiled Rumina in satisfaction."Just the way I like it!"

"Friend or foe?", demanded Doubar,his eyes full of suspicion and his sword poised for attack.
"You've picked an excellent time to lose your memory,Doubar", chided Caipra with a frown.
"Just answer the question!Friend or foe?"
Firouz looked into the chamber with a concerned expression on his face. "Hey, what's all the commotion,Doubar?"
"I found this woman appearing right before my eyes in a purple cloud and she refuses to tell me who she is! Would you please explain to her that this is the Sultan's Palace and that if I turn her over to the guards, she could be jailed at once for trespassing?"
Firouz rushed over quickly and gazed for a moment at Caipra, who appeared to be the very epitome of serenity. Her eyes were alert and her mouth was a firm line. Whoever this woman was, she was here for a definite purpose. Suddenly his eyes twitched and the familiar flash of pain shot through his head.
"It's all right Doubar. There's no danger here",assured Firouz,squinting his eyes and turning away.
"You know her?",asked Doubar, lowering his sword.
"No"
"No?"
"I don't know. I guess so"
"You guess so",mimicked Doubar,exasperated. He brought his blade back up again. "I distrust practitioners of magic"
"My name is Caipra. I have helped you and Sinbad once before when Omar of Basra planned a war against the Caliph of Baghdad-"
"Rubbish! That is a lie! I'm in no mood for-"
"Your teacher, DimDim... is my husband",added Caipra.
Doubar instantly withdrew his sword and took a step back in surprise.
"I knew it!",broke in Firouz with a wry smile."I knew that head ache meant something"
"You mean, she is one of those people we have met before but don't remember now?",asked Doubar. "Our humble apologies, Caipra."
"Apology accepted",replied Caipra with a graceful nod. "Now, I have come to warn the Caliph and his family of the approaching danger that seeks to destroy his beautiful city"
"Destroy Baghdad?",cried Doubar and Firouz together.
"Listen carefully to what I have to say..."

Firouz materialized within the walls of his home and quickly went about gathering a few handy inventions and tools while his mind worked feverishly on a plan of defense against Rumina and the Kohlmar staff. Caipra had given him the clear insight into what they were up against without mincing the vital details of the strength of the staff and the alliance that the Witch had formed with Captain Sinbad. "The warriors of the staff possess incredible destructive powers thanks to the mystical medallions.. ",said Firouz with a thoughtful frown."Well then the logical thing to do would be to find a way to slice off those medallions from around their necks , at the earliest opportunity so that our adversaries will be reduced to ordinary swordsmen". Firouz ran to a nearby shelf and rattled through a few books and fingered a few bottles of strangely colored liquids until his hands closed around a vial of muddy red mixture. "Time to put this to the test"

"Your Highness, there is indeed a ship approaching the waters of Baghdad Port. There appear to be several warriors ,as my lady described, armed with heavy swords on board the deck-"
"How many of them are there?"
"We counted forty"
The Caliph leaned back into his chair, closed his eyes and rested his chin upon his steeped fingers. In the next instant, he stood up and yelled for the head of the guards, the commander of the Sultan's army and the army captains to assemble at the Royal Courts. "Let the ministers and elders of the City be gathered together as well! Send envoys to every corner of the City commanding women and children to escape to the nearest hills and caves where they may be safe. Let every able-bodied man to supplied with at least a spear or a knife. We will fight and defeat this monster which threatens our Baghdad!"
"I will lead the army to the shoreline,father. We will draw the Kohlmar warriors to the deserts where we may fight without having to worry about the innocents in the City", said Prince Casib, briskly fitting his sword into his scabbard and calling for his finest stead.
"Go forth, my brave son and may strength and wisdom of a thousand kings guide you"
The Prince bowed low and left the Caliph walked down the steps of his throne and called for his weapons to be fitted into his vest and side. "So, your words have come as warning at just the right time. Thank you,Caipra.",he said quietly.
Caipra stepped forward and nodded in reply. "Your majesty, I know that this disastrous moment calls for your guidance and leadership but-"
"I can never hide here in the Palace while my subjects are in danger. I am not a coward"
"But Rumina seeks to destroy you, your Majesty"
"She is sore at me for sending Sinbad to kill Turok"
"And if she succeeds, then the heart of Baghdad will be destroyed as well. The people will lose faith, grow wear and surrender to her tyrannical rule". The Sultan remained silent. "Sire, you must let me protect you with my powers. I must safeguard you from Rumina until the warriors of Kohlmar are well and truly defeated and Sinbad is by your side to battle against the witch"
"But what about Adina and my family?"
"They will come under my protection as well. The people need their King in order to stay strong in the fight against this unspeakable evil"
"So be it",said the Sultan at last."But you shall form your shield around me and my family at the Outer Courts where we can watch the battle. The moment I sense that we are no match for the witch, I will surrender myself so that she may spare the people from further cruelty"
Caipra nodded and went ahead to gather the watched the proceedings through worried eyes. He strode into the balcony and peered at the distant speck upon the far horizon that was the ship bearing their enemies. "Little brother",he mumbled to himself."I hope you are safe"

"They're coming!",hollered Doubar,racing into the Outer Courts with his sword drawn out and ready to attack. A dozen guards gathered along the low wall while Caipra formed a orangish dome around eleven members of the Royal family with Adina and the Caliph standing at the front. Caipra stood inside with her right hand stretched out and sustaining the dome. They heard a loud explosion as the closest tower of the Royal Palace burst into flames and came crashing down with a sickening roar. The guards scattered , some crushed beneath the weight of the heavy boulders. Doubar managed to slipped through a crumbling column and yelled angrily at the flying feline monster that had staged the destruction. "Come down here, you coward and fight like a true warrior!". More Kohlmar warriors appeared, their faces barred in a twisted grin and they breathed fire down on the City Market and Square. The Caliph and his family huddled together, gazing fearfully at the flying pieces of burning rock and wood. Although many such pieces hit the dome, they could not penetrate inside. "As long as you are within the dome, you are safe",said Caipra looking as composed as ever.

Firouz quickly pulled out the gadgets he had invented out of the large sacks heaped up on a mule cart and began arranging them along a makeshift boulder-wall along the line of the sea. A few of the townsmen who had volunteered to help him ,were standing closeby, watching the fast growing pile of strange weaponry with high expectations on their faces.
"What does this do,Firouz?",asked one man,holding up a series of light-weight wood pieces nailed together in a criss-cross manner. At the end was an iron loop wedged into the wood.
"It's a retractable arm",replied Firouz, was busily pulling out same cogs and nails out from a smaller bag. "The iron ring will hold a small pouch filled with any powder-"
"Powder?"
"Yes, like an itching powder.. or even a powder which causes the eyes to burn. This arm will launch the bag into the flying beasts,exposing its contents and will startle them while we go in for the kill"
The men glanced at each other.
"Doesn't look very strong",commented another man after a pause.
"It has to be assembled first",explained Firouz."Believe me,it's easier to operate than you think"
"I think it would be easier to bury a broad sword into the beast's chest",retorted a strong-muscled others laughed and nodded in same man bent down and hauled up a gigantic net."Now this would come in very handy"
"Careful with that!",snapped Firouz,at once. He pulled away the net from the man's hands in irritation. "The net serves only for the purpose of casing a very valuable invention of mine"
"What's that?"
"The flying glider",beamed Firouz,happily."And I've managed to make the parts and wings for five more just like it"
"Glider?",echoed one of the townsmen."You mean, glide and fly in the air?"
"That's right. Like how you saw me do just a few days ago"
Firouz bent down to pull out more equipment. Meanwhile the men exchanged doubtful looks amongst themselves and then as one accord, they strode away leaving the inventor alone with his creations.
"Hey,wait a moment",cried Firouz after them."I..I can't put all this together by myself!" He gazed desperately after the men."Come back! We can fight the beasts away"
"We stand a better chance with our swords and arrows,Firouz",came the mocking reply."Your inventions will only succeed in making us look like fools!"
Firouz stared sadly after them and flung down the hammer he was holding in then, he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up. There was a dark-skinned moor standing next to him ,heavily armed and glistening with well-tuned moor thumped his chest and pointed to the inventions on the sand.
"You've come to help me?",asked Firouz.
The moor nodded.
"Well, just do whatever I tell you and we'll get these things ready as fast as we can. We don't have much time"
The moor nodded once again.
"Just one thing",said Firouz,laying a hand on the moor's arm."Promise me you won't bother me with any questions"
This time the moor nodded and smiled inwardly to himself.

Firouz's good work received its first interruption when a blast of sudden hurricane-wind beat over the low boulder wall and tossed few of the stones with a loud crash. The stones rolled right across one of the gliders,half-crushing and half-burying it into the sand,invoking a angry exclamation from the startled inventor. Rongar peered into the blue horizon and spotted a ship approaching land at a remarkable speed.
"Yes,I see it,my friend. Do you think that ship houses our enemy?",asked Firouz,his hair blowing in all directions by the rough wind. He opened his eyes in thin slits and shielded his eyes from the billowing bits of salt and sand. Meanwhile,a hundred of the best fighters from Baghdad ,seated
on horseback and carrying swords and bows, formed the line of battle at the city gate. Prince Casib sat valiantly on his stead, his sword poised to signal the attack. Rongar slowly nodded his head in reply to Firouz's question. Then he stopped and vigorously pointed to the sky. There were curious dots lifting into the air and zooming swiftly towards Baghdad City. Rongar signed forty with his hands.
"I wondered why Rongar kept so silent",thought Firouz with a small smile."I.. I guess he can't speak at all..."
Almost as soon as Firouz dwelt upon the words, he felt a dull pain shoot across his forehead.
"You're a person from my past!",he cried out loud.
Rongar raised his eyebrows and nodded warily. Was Firouz about to recover his memories as well?
"You..you are a friend of Caipra?... No? Well,that was just a guess.. I thought,perhaps since.."
A column of flame shot just above their heads. Rongar frantically ducked for cover ,pulling Firouz along with him. The warriors of Kohlmar had landed along the beach and a full fledged battle had begun against the fighters of Baghdad!