Night Four: Pearl of Wisdom

"...So she never told you about it?" Sin inquired curiously, on one bright day and on their long voyage back home to Sindria. Behind him, Jafar shook his head and watched Sin lean on the railing and further out to sea. "That makes sense; technically it's a failed experiment. Back when Al-Thamen showed up a lot, Yamaraiha and I researched a bit into suppressing the flow of magoi. We wanted to tamper with household vessels; and as she's a magician she wondered if we could make one cause a non-household user's magic power be stopped. However we couldn't make one act that way as –"

"As the person will need to think of himself as part of your household to work. There's also the point of you need to persuade someone like that to even wear it," the once assassin interjected, and ne nodded.

"Yes. But it's still something I could use like a weapon if he appeared again."

"...Sin; it's not really a weapon if you have no intention of using it as one you know."

"Hence I said something I could use like a weapon. I'm not sure why I kept it, really. We just ran into Al-Thamen a lot, and Judal's always been dangerous. I thought we could get it to work, and without magic he wouldn't be a problem."

"That and you hate throwing away pretty things..." Jafar paused, and bowed his head in thought as if to consider all this at his own pace.

Sin took to leaning out even further on the ship's railings close to its mast, and stretched. Amber eyes were tracing an invisible path across the ocean's surface, over its churning waves and watching as the dazzling sunlight struck against the sapphire waters. As it did, he marvelled at how it seemed like those deep waters were ignited with pure white flames. How he missed such sights now, and all the more how he missed his adventures on the open seas. He yearned for the excitement of those days, and felt lost within himself as he stared far into the dark and unfathomable depths far below them.

How simple and exciting things had been, since he sought out those oceans. Salt and freedom cast their mingled scents into the air, with the promise civilisation was far from sight. He could blame his past to that, given what the control of a nation had done to his family. But then, of course, he had made his own family after that. And country.

"So..." he looked back to the pale man after a while. "It's rare you don't say what you think, so be honest. Do you think what I did was wrong?"

More than likely, his long term adviser did. He continued to ignore Sin for several more moments as he was watched from the corner of his king's eye. "It's you, and you've always got something planned. I hate to ask but were you really thinking of seducing someone else – a man – for Sindria?" Sin gave him a sharp look at that; he knew where to draw the line with things like that. "Bad choice of words; but it seems you have feelings for him. Those aside I knew you always wanted us to have a Magi. Were you thinking about that when you went off and kidnapped their oracle?"

"...Good question."

Jafar would know he had him there, and noticed Sin was now avoiding his eyes. "Conversely, that's not a good answer to my good question."

He knew that; but wasn't the idea of having Judal as his Magi a little of a daydream to start with? He also didn't like to think he was quite that vindictive. Judal could fight and Sin was all too aware of that. Nothing made him happier than fighting, war and using his power after all. that just crossed his line, when it came to manipulating people that far. Given the dark Magi was controlled by Al-Thamen his whole life, he didn't want to do the same."

"OK, Sin. Even if you weren't thinking about that, you have kidnapped him. You know that Kou might not take too kindly to you just running off with their oracle..."

"Well I asked him if he wanted to be kidnapped and he didn't seem completely adverse to the idea..." Sin muttered before rubbing sheepishly at the back of his neck. Saying that allowed, it sounded a little suspicious, and the day suddenly seemed a lot hotter than it was. "But they don't have to know that, not yet anyway. Sindria's so far away from them, and they'd not think he's allowed himself to be captured. We can hide him?"

"We? You're mixing me up in this?" Sin nodded and Jafar groaned loudly. Of course he was, they were friends. "I think at this point it's a given fact you'll –we'll – have to hide him. And it's best kept between us. Sin, what were you thinking of doing when that –lunatic – wakes up?"

"I hadn't thought that far – ah! Kidding, sorry," he corrected himself as the other man's dark eyes narrowed. "Look, without power he won't be able to harm us, so you should be happy. Back on the docks he seemed upset so I followed him. I...never thought he'd just open up and be honest with him. It was really strange, but I think he's honest and we should save him from them. I didn't plan any of this you know."

"I believe you," Jafar took off his cowl to fan himself with it, smoothing his slightly messy silver hair as he did. He never did fare with warm weather all that well. "I can understand saving potentially useful people from dangerous situations – sometimes I can even understand kidnapping them oddly enough, but Judal is...how can I put this politely? He's insane. Someone like that can't be saved just like that; things as you know are complicated. If Kou and Al-Thamen find out we have him – they will attack. And I know you don't want Sindria in danger."

Sin's usually calm eyes darkened as fury flashed across them. "I'll never, ever let that happen."

That anger came, as always, from the uttering of that organisation's name. They were a menace he despised. He had lost his family once long ago after all, and his promise had been to protect the new one – his whole country – from the same fate. For him that organisation was a menace for that reason alone, and thus when they clashed paths he resolved to it being fate for him to clash with them. He couldn't see that changing whilst they existed, they were too dangerous.

Surely any sane person would clash with them, anyway. They were cruel, senseless people, and if allowed to succeed Sin felt they would burn this would alive. Their goal seemed to be to destroy this world and pour darkness and doubt into it. And there was that point how they had threatened his home and family – they had just hurt far, far too many people he care for to be allowed to walk away. Even if the thought scared him, it reminded him of helplessly watching his father being dragged away for execution all those years ago. Or not being at his mother's side as she passed away. Clutching his father's sword, which was now Baal's metal vessel, at his side, he blocked such thoughts from his mind. After that he had indeed gathered a new family, one bigger than he had dreamed which he loved dearly. That, to him, was the best reason to fight. Not for a country or something ridiculous like wealth or power, but for people. Many of those had tasted Al-Thamen's cruelty, however, and his revulsion for the shadowy organisation almost frightened him sometimes.

However it seemed they had one thing – one person, he didn't despise. But then Judal was as much a victim as any others they hurt; perhaps more, even if the dark Magi denied it. Thoughtfully he drew a strand of deep violet hair back from his face and remembered their meeting those years ago. After all their clashes were interesting, even if not a good, simple sort of interesting.

The majority of dungeons Sin had conquered had been Judal's after all, and not meant for him. He remembered when that little brat had showed up and attempted – and failed – to bar his path. That insufferable spoiled child had always insisted on fighting him, and he had laughed at first when that midget had insisted he was a powerful Magi. It became a lot less amusing when he experienced first had the brat was strong. For whatever reason, and now obviously a personal one, the child admired Sin deeply. He had offered to allow him to conquer the dungeon if he sided with him. Judal had insisted that they would be invincible together. He had even pronounced "invincible" wrong, that time. But he was just a cute kid then, and more than a cute kid it was who he associated himself with that made Sin reject the offer. He couldn't do it; he wanted to do things the right way, his way. But then Judal never liked to lose, or being rejected.

Thus their encounters and clashes became inevitable, and often painful. Judal was more and more confrontational as Sin grew in power, but likewise had more and more fun challenging his strength. Within him noticing, it seemed that naive and insufferable brat had grown to be beautiful despite the ugliness surrounding him. So they fought, and Judal seemed to want him more and more as an ally even if his terms weren't attractive. When Sin took his seventh dungeon, and promised the djinn had been the last, Judal had been watching and had been upset he opposed it. Now that made sense to Sin even if he thought they would never cross paths again and had gone on to found Sindria. It was then he realised just how difficult, and rewarding, it would be to fulfil his dream.

How strange it was, waking in Balbadd to see Judal again. Three years on, he had...changed, and Sin hadn't expected that. He still wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation, or his feelings.

He felt he wanted Judal, but this was the best way for that. He couldn't do it any other way even if he wanted to, as the thought of being Al-Thamen's pawn and black king sickened him. He wouldn't throw away his family and all he had done for them, but he would welcome the dark Magi into that family. Judal seemed to be the latest in a long list of people he had saved from them. Those people had taken a naive child blessed by the rukh, and corrupted him for their own sordid purposes. Another reason for him to be assured he was doing the right thing, it seemed.

Jafar gently nudged his arm, as if to show he was done thinking. "If Judal tries to go back to Al-Thamen, will you stop him? He's hurt us deeply in the past. I haven't forgotten that, and I know you haven't."

No, he hadn't. They were enemies, and as such it was ridiculous to claim the dark Magi hadn't done terrible things. Sin wanted him to take responsibility for them. He knew his general was thinking about that, and often did as he loved Sindria as much as he did. He couldn't excuse or justify it, but he was curious if he could stop Judal doing such things once he was his. He wasn't too willing to force him, but it was better than allowing it to happen.

"He belongs to me now, and I won't let him hurt out people," Sin said finally, even if it seemed an oddly optimistic and childish reasoning. Perhaps he was being arrogant. But then, in a way, it felt almost as though the self-made king had chosen his Magi rather than the other way round. Given the trouble of war and conscription in Partevia, country of his birth and all her problems, he wasn't really one for tradition. "The fact is, if he didn't want to be with me that household vessel wouldn't work. He wants this, I think. They won't figure out immediately I have him, so I have time. I..." he paused. "Is it cruel, taking his magic away from him? He hasn't woken up since we left Balbadd. I didn't expect that vessel to work quite so well on a Magi – I guess their bodies are more delicate without magoi than I thought. When we experimented Yamaraiha just got a little dizzy and hungry."

"Sin...honestly you're hopeless. Trust you to get yourself in a mess like this. You know I don't approve, at all," Sin smiled, and nodded. He didn't expect him to approve. It might not be the smartest idea, but it was thus far a very interesting and attractive one. "And yes, we found out the hard way just how much he likes power. I can't believe I'm saying this but if we can keep him hidden long enough for you to work out how to stop him hurting people, I might be sort of alright with it. I can't believe part of me doesn't think this is a completely horrible idea. But remember, he's dangerous."

"He's more asleep than dangerous right now. But really, Jafar, thank you. I don't know what I'd do without –" Sin was interrupted by the tone of a loud, irate voice of someone shouting from the floors below them. He certainly had some lungs on him. But then, seeing as their journey back to Sindria was so far pleasant, it seemed fitting Sin had something of a human tempest brewing below deck. "Ah! Speak of the devil; it seems he finally woke up."

"Sin just...please, be careful," Jafar both groaned and pleaded nervously. Sin offered a cheerful grin. With one final look to the turning tides, the cloudless sky and perfectly burning sun, he headed below the deck.