Hello Hello!
I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday's and spending time with their families and friends, taking some well deserved breaks and slowing down and recharging.
I've been running around all day before the break of dawn, but I did it with family and friends, just wanted to give you all your next fix right here.
When 2026 finally comes, I promise there will be new surprises and works I'll be sharing.
Enjoy!
CHAPTER 40
Sakura was startled from her deep sleep when she realized the sheets were in complete contact with every inch of her skin, every stitch of clothing missing from her. She became painfully aware of the sun's warmth and the equally warm breeze that brushed against her. In a moment of temporary amnesia, she searched for the answers to the result of her current state, and once they came flooding back, it washed over her with a wave of embarrassment that turned her body five shades of red. She squeaked when she heard a soft groaning and turned to see Sinbad sleeping on his stomach beside her.
Thin fingers wrapped around her jaw. "Oh," she said, then proceeded to run them through her hair, calming her breath to slow her excited heart. No one should be this happy this early in the morning!
She froze, feeling Sinbad's form shuffle under the covers. He opened his eyes, blinking away sleep as he sat up, never minding the sheets that fell to expose his dignity. He yawned and then grinned in a way that made Sakura feel like she had lost a piece of her sanity while her heart jumped into her throat. "Good morning."
Sakura clutched the sheets closer to her chest, looking down and then back at him, accidentally materializing her thoughts into words. "So it wasn't a dream?"
"You honestly think it's possible to have a dream that good?" Sinbad asked, beaming now, stretching out his arms once. Sakura saw how his muscles flexed and tightened before relaxing when he brought down his limbs.
"N-No," Sakura shook her head, blushing. She still couldn't believe what she had done. The mechanics of the act were not lost on her, from a medical perspective and as a woman, she read the context on both ends. However, those feelings she had experienced, the sensations, they were almost too wonderful to be real. Suppose that was just the rare times the expectations of the innocent weren't eradicated by actual practice.
Chuckling, Sinbad scooted closer to Sakura and kissed the side of her head, making her blink with wide eyes. "How are you feeling?"
"Well…" Sakura averted her gaze to the window. "Considering last night…"
She stopped herself. With the way things had gone last night, she was not going to pump up Sinbad's ego by giving him the details. He'd never allow her to stop hearing about it.
"You were there-you should know!" Sakura countered, pulling the covers over her head and curling up when she heard Sinbad start laughing.
"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea, but I'd love to hear your opinion." Sakura jerked away when she felt Sinbad start poking at the sheets she was attempting to hide under. The memory of last night had now appeared fresh in her mind, and it was not going to be easy to erase. It was going to be there for the rest of her life.
"My opinion is that someone is going to end up single and incapacitated if he doesn't stop poking fun." Sakura hissed.
Sinbad was grinning madly now. Sakura had been rather shy and conscious last night. It was a side of her he hadn't seen before. That awkwardness that accompanied her inexperience and nativity-he found both endearing and alluring.
He saw one of the pillows lying on the floor and chuckled. She had been so worried about the kind of noises and faces she would make that she tried to smother herself with a pillow while he was on top of her. That face she made when she looked at him, those glossy eyes, nearly made him lose all control. He had taken things as slowly as he could. She had trusted herself to him, and he did his best to make sure he did not break that trust. Sakura didn't come across as the kind of person who would do anything with someone she didn't feel strongly enough for and even then she would have boundaries. She made that very clear to Sinbad when she agreed to be with him and last night they broke through all of those boundaries. Though it was consented, he did not want her in any way to regret it. He wanted all of her, and he was going to make sure she knew that.
His smile turned gentle, reaching for the covers Sakura was hiding under. 'Soon.'
"Hey, come on out of there." He gave a small tug, but she pulled back.
"No," Sakura grumbled.
"We have to get ready before Ja'far or someone else comes knocking on the door." Sinbad pointed. He leaned against the headrest of the bed. "I don't really mind everyone knowing what we did last night, but I'm sure they'll figure it out on their own when we're both late for breakfast."
"Oh crap!" Sakura scurried out of the covers, grabbing one of the sheets to wrap her body up, and then went in search of her clothes, which were lying on the floor near the side of the bed. However, Sakura realized that she might have been jumping a little too soon, because when her feet touched the floor, a shock wave ran through her and numbed her legs, rendering her immobile. She ended up sinking to the ground, with her legs tucked under her thighs.
Sinbad moved across the bed and peered over to look at her. "What's wrong?"
She held up her hand, signaling for him not to say a word. Sakura was looking down at her hands on the ground. It only took her a few seconds to realize she couldn't move. Her legs felt like lead all of a sudden, and she collapsed. She felt her blush travel as far as it could go, dipping below the sheets that covered her.
"Sakura?" Sinbad called, worried now. He got off the bed, slipping on his pants that were lying on the floor, and rushed around till he was in front of Sakura. He crouched down in front of her. "What's going on?"
The kunoichi was wide-eyed, staring at her thighs. "I-I can't stand up."
This was further embarrassing in the fact that Sakura was extremely well-honed from training. But she couldn't have expected that it was this particular activity that would make her knees give out so easily.
Sinbad shot up, realizing that this was the usual aftereffects from the first experience. "O-Oh!"
Sakura covered her red face, "I can't go down to the others like this."
Removing her hands, Sakura looked up to Sinbad before extending her arms out towards him. "Here"
The purple-haired boy's lip curled in confusion. "Eh?"
"Pick me up!" Sakura elaborated, still holding out her arms, the sheets slipping slightly with her movement. Sinbad's heart gave a jolt when he saw her face; her mouth slightly open, emerald green eyes staring right at him-last night definitely opened a new floodgate in him! Now he was the one getting flustered.
"R-Right." Sinbad reached down, carefully scooping Sakura into his arms. Sakura asked if she was too heavy when she felt him trembling. Meanwhile, he was praying to his self-control to stay with him a little longer.
"If I'm heavy, set me down on the bed already," Sakura said, noticing how tense Sinbad had become and trembling.
"That's not why I'm trembling. In fact, I think you might have burned a couple-
"Shut up!" Sakura lightly smacked his chest as Sinbad put her back on the bed. He covered her with the other sheet and went around the bed to get his clothes and started dressing.
"Okay, you should stay here. I'll go and get you breakfast."
"Wait," Sakura called when Sinbad was about to touch the doorknob. He looked back at her. "Can you hand me my clothes on the floor?"
Sinbad raised his eyebrow, smirking. "I'm getting you breakfast. Leave me something to look forward to when I get back."
"Pervert!"
After throwing a pillow at his head, Sakura watched as Sinbad rushed out, closing the door behind her. Sighing, she threw herself back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Smiling in bliss. Boy, would she be getting an earful if they ever found out.
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It took several days for them to cross the desert after leaving Heliohapt with the intent of backtracking into Rerim territory, Katargo. Sinbad made the decision that for escorting Masrur to his homeland, a smaller group was more effective to avoid attracting attention and causing delays. Initially, the intended part was Sinbad, Masrur and Sakura. But then Sinbad was reminded that no one in this group knew how to get to the Dark Continent.
That's when their new addition, Sharrkan, said that there was another group who lived there. The Torran people in the South. A civilization older than Heliohapt. He suggested that they might know more about the Dark Continent, including its other inhabitants.
Because Sharrkan was the only one who actually knew where the village was, Sinbad asked him to accompany them, despite Sakura and Ja'far's protests. So Sakura asked Ja'far to join them as well, much to Sinbad's protests.
Travelling South meant that they had to deal with even worse weather, including strong sandstorms. The grains would pelt into your skin at painful speeds, trying to tear through the first layer wasn't anyone's idea for a pleasant journey.
Sinbad and Sakura had started off by using their djinn equips to fly, but Sharrkan got motion sick, so they resorted to walking on foot. Though after the sandstorm, Sinbad insisted on flying once again.
"I'm telling you we should just fly there!" Sinbad protested, pulling the hood of his wrapping further over his head.
"Prince Sharrkan will get sick again!" Sakura threw her arms up in the air, wincing when her bare arms were shot with sand. She adjusted Sharrkan's hood over his head. Masrur was walking through the sandstorm with little trouble, barely batting an eye. "You can't just do things for your own convenience."
"She's right, Sin." Ja'far agreed. Starring down at his map.
"See, this is why I didn't want the two of you together! You're always teaming up against me!" Sinbad exclaimed. He then turned to Sakura, pointing at her accusingly. "You're supposed to support me as my partner!"
"That doesn't mean I have to stupidly nod my head at every brash decision you make!" Sakura exclaimed through the howling winds. Tasting sand on her mouth.
"Sakura's right Sin-
"See what I mean!?"
"Hey, don't just-
Sharrkan watched the exchange, feeling more out of place with his new companions. In his suppressed palace life, he hadn't learned any valuable social skills and wasn't sure how to interact. After all, no one needed a puppet to speak its mind, and even with its strings cut, he was still learning to walk on his own.
Sakura seemed nice enough, and his brother must have thought so as well, since he wanted her to stay in Heliohapt, but she was with Sinbad. He couldn't believe that they were in a relationship. Before they left, Sakura and Sinbad had argued like this too; Princess Serendine had told him that this was actually normal, but he wasn't so sure if in any relationship, you were supposed to argue this much.
An hour passed before the sandstorm ended and the journey resumed. The storm had also settled between Sinbad, Ja'far, and Sakura as well. Now they were just giving each other the silent treatment, their gazes averted.
Sharrkan looked down, disheartened. 'This is awkward, I don't know what to say to them."
He felt a soft tap on his shoulder, turning around quickly with a bit of a jump to see Masrur standing behind him. "Hey, what kind of place is the Dark Continent? You know, don't you?"
Sharrkan smiled, feeling relieved that he might have met someone he could actually talk to, and this boy seemed to be about his age. "Yeah, though I've never actually been there."
Masrur sighed in disappointment, "So you don't actually know anything then? I guess that's what being royalty is like."
"Hey," Sakura lightly bonked Masrur on the back of his head. He looked up at her with confused eyes as she crouched down next to him. "That wasn't nice, Masrur; Prince Sharrkan's going through the trouble of helping us find your homeland; also, he is older than you."
Sakura then looked back up at the prince, smiling. "I'm sorry about that Prince Sharrkan; he doesn't have the best social skills, but Masrur didn't mean to offend you."
Sharrkan shook his head, blushing at the announcement of his name. "No, it's fine."
He froze when he felt fingers gently run through his hair, softly scraping against his scalp. Sakura's thin fingers slid through his hair with ease. "I know that you haven't had a lot of freedom to express yourself, but you don't have to hold yourself back around us okay Prince Sharrkan?"
"Hold on," Sinbad said, walking up to them. "He is one of our allies now. His status shouldn't matter anymore, so why don't we drop the formalities?"
"That would be easier," Sakura turned back to Sharrkan, "How about it, can we just call you Sharrkan from now on?"
Then a huge smile broke out on his face, and his eyes shimmered happily. Sharrkan nodded his head vigorously. Sinbad held out his hand for the boy.
"I'm sure you'll be bewildered by all these new experiences, but this is an adventure. Of course, there will be danger, but we're friends now, and friends protect each other, and in the future, you'll become a source of strength for us. We're counting on you Sharrkan."
Nodding happily, Sharrkan took Sinbad's hand in his. "Yes."
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The adventure through the desert continued in search of the Torran village, heading South under the beating sun and cold nights. Sakura was extremely agitated, but it wasn't the desert conditions and heat that were getting to her. It was constantly having to ward off Sinbad's advances. She had foolishly hoped he would behave a bit more distantly.
They stopped for lunch, deciding to finish the meat they had stocked in their bags before it went bad.
"Sharrkan's, this meat is delicious huh?" Sinbad asked, already holding his large portion in his hands.
"Yeah," Sharrkan beamed, about to bite into his own meal; instead, his teeth clamped down over one another when Masrur briefly snatched the meat from him and was heading towards the fire.
"It's half-cooked, I'll fix it."
Sakura sighed; she would have to tell Masrur to start giving warnings before he simply grabs things from people. She turned to Sinbad when she heard him moan as he bit into the meat.
"I sure am hungry." He said, his voice raised to be heard but coy enough to actually sound believable.
"It's been a few hours, we're walking through this blazing heat; you are going to get hungry Sin." Ja'far stated, eating his food in tiny, decent bites.
"Yeah, but it's so strange, Ja'far. I mean I had such a big breakfast this morning. Right Sakura?"
It was as if Sinbad's hand was a trigger for her body to heat up, because when he touched her shoulder, she felt her entire face turn red. Sakura abruptly stood up and made her way towards the fire. "Oh, my meat's a little underdone too!"
That seemed to be a believable excuse for her to escape Sinbad's snare. Her anger was boiling. She crouched down beside Masrur to put her food over the fire, hardly paying attention to the flames as they flickered and danced around the meat.
'What is he thinking?!'
Sakura had dozed off after Sinbad left, feeling relaxed after giving herself a healing session. Using her medical jutsu to soothe her aching hips. She refused to cater to Sinbad's ego by displaying that. She was still a little lightheaded herself, so she didn't want to have him around to tease her or ask any questions.
Barely a few minutes later, the door opened and Sinbad entered, carrying a tray filled with different colored fruits. She could detect the distinct smell of meat, eggs, and some pastries. And tea.
"Looks like I finally got the breakfast in bed thing right." Sinbad grinned, noticing how Sakura's mouth hung open when he placed the tray in front of her. She adjusted the sheets around her before shifting to the side to make room for him.
"Thanks."
"Sure," Sinbad said, grabbing a piece of red fruit for himself. He had double checked on all of the food, which took some time-he didn't want to have a repeat of regurgitating like in the marketplace. The silence that surrounded them as they ate was thin and papery, easy to shred.
"Did you mean what you said last night?"
Sakura cocked her head to the side in confusion; she didn't say much of anything last night when they started-she was too busy choking on her nerves and embarrassment.
"After." Sinbad clarified, taking another bite out of one of the pastries.
There were no words Sakura had to describe that feeling, the desire, and stirring emotions. She grinned, staring up at the ceiling. Sinbad rolled onto his stomach next to her, still panting. He smiled when he saw her face. Cupping her jaw, he kissed her softly before pulling away.
"Sure took us a while to get here, huh?" Sinbad asked, brushing a few wet strands across her forehead.
"Mmm," Sakura hummed, tired but content. "Whole thing finally feels right though."
Sakura didn't think her face could grow any hotter, but taking a breath, she calmed herself before responding. "Yes, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't believe it at the time."
Sighing in relief when Sinbad seemed satisfied with the answer, Sakura went back to eating. There was nothing left on her plate.
Taking the tray and placing it on the dresser, Sinbad looked back at Sakura.
Sakura smiled, leaning towards Sinbad, pecking his lips, but when she pulled back Sinbad leaned forward, reconnecting their mouths. Sakura clutched the sheet tightly to her chest, shielding herself. She didn't mind being seen naked in front of Ja'far and Masrur, but it was different with Sinbad.
Her back pressed against the bed; Sinbad moved to hover on top of her. They would pull back and then come back at a steady pace. When Sinbad pulled away and grinned down at her, Sakura decided to ask.
"What was that about?" she asked, still panting.
"Sorry-got a little carried away."
Shaking her head at his apology, Sakura softly replied, "I don't really mind."
Taking that as the signal to continue, he moved down again, leaning towards her lips, but missed when she moved her head to the side. He stared down at her, now baffled by her own contradiction of words to actions.
"Sinbad, I know that things are going to be different now since we've both consented, but I still have certain conditions."
Sinbad's face turned serious. "What is it?"
Taking a breath, Sakura visibly pulled the sheets closer to her body, though Sinbad could see the outline of her finger through the thin material. "We need to be careful, and you need to trust me when I say we aren't safe."
He nodded without question; he knew what the outcome would be if they weren't. Despite their feelings for each other and the events that took place, they still had responsibilities and duties that needed their full attention. They were aiming to change the world and build a country; anything unexpected could really take them for a loop and create new priorities that neither admitted to being ready for.
"Anything else?"
"Yes," Sakura said automatically, taking Sinbad aback slightly with her sharp tone. It was also kind of ironic, given she was completely bare, covered with a bed sheet right under him. "I don't want anyone to get suspicious about us…." She bit her lip, hoping Sinbad got the message.
"Don't worry," Sinbad snickered, "I don't plan on blatantly advertising, but I'm not going to deny if I'm asked."
"That's fine." She just hoped that no one would actually ask, or she was going to have to go into hiding.
Sinbad smirked, leaning down. "But I have conditions of my own."
Sakura swallowed hard, noticing that glimmer in Sinbad's eye. "W-What would that be exactly?"
The glimmer in his eyes became a bright shine right there. Sinbad leaned down towards her, kissing her cheek affectionately, and it might have seemed like a harmless act of endearment, but Sakura bristled, knowing that he had something sly planned.
"Those three conditions you had before-I want to eliminate them all."
"HUH!?" Sinbad put his hand over her mouth before she countered with the inevitable protesting.
"Instead, we'll replace them." Sinbad started, taking his hand off her mouth. "Firstly, the hands to yourself rule is gone,"
Sakura glared at Sinbad and he smirked; he knew that once she made an exception once, her rules would become ineffective. That didn't mean she was happy about it, though.
"And the second rule-now not only applies to me." Sinbad pointed to Sakura, "But you as well. If it's going to be me, it can only be me."
She raised an eyebrow, but gave a nod in agreement.
"Speaking of which, we talked quite a bit about my colorful past but what about yours? Anyone I need to know about other than Sasuke?"
"No."
Here, the response was almost too quick, but Sinbad overlooked it because of her passive expression when she answered him, not able to see the false message. Sakura did not want to bring up what happened back in Kou-it didn't really count after all, at least that's what she believed. The thought of telling Sinbad just gave her an unsettling feeling in her stomach, which she wished to refrain from escalating.
"Anything else?" Sakura asked, crossing her arms over the covers.
"Just one more thing, from now on-" He gave a sly grin. "From now on, no more holding back. Full effort."
'Oh crap.' Sakura swallowed hard, staring up at Sinbad with wide eyes.
The last condition nearly made Sakura unravel. With her conditions, she had made a type of barrier around her from Sinbad. He didn't have a problem with public displays of affection, but Sakura, being the novice she was to these kinds of displays, pulled away. She wasn't used to being showered with affection to this degree, and it was overwhelming. The kind of overwhelming that would destroy her usual demeanor in public. The years in this world had given her a stronger front. Now that her relationship with Sinbad had changed so drastically, he would be able to break that front in a second and she wasn't too fond of letting him know just how big of an impact he had on her. Which was why she did her best to keep her distance from him-especially now that the seal of conditions barrier had been ripped off.
"AH, SAKURA THE MEAT!" Ja'far screamed from behind her.
Sakura was so engulfed by her thoughts of that morning that she accidentally kept her meat over the fire long enough to burn it ash black and singe a part of her thumb and index finger. The throbbing burn caused her to drop her scorched meal and cradle her injured hand.
"Are you alright?" Sinbad asked, coming up next to her, he took her hand to look at her fingers, now completely red.
"Don't worry, I can heal-
Sakura cut herself off with a gasp when Sinbad took her fingers and placed them in his mouth. She let out a soft squeal.
Pulling back, Sinbad glanced up at Sakura, smiling. "Better?"
"SINBAD YOU IDIOT."
Ja'far, Sharrkan, and Masrur all flinched when they heard the hard smack followed by Sinbad's cry of pain.
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Sakura and Sinbad adopted a new cycle through this journey. Sakura warding off Sinbad's advances and Sinbad returning. When they stopped for a water break, Sakura had bent down to get her bottle and drink, only to spit out that water when Sinbad smacked her from behind, which resulted in the same repercussions when he had 'treated' her burns. Then there was an incident when they all came across some rabbits as they neared a forest area, almost out of the desert. Sinbad made an indecent comment about them, which set Sakura off in a very bad way, and she just stopped talking to him altogether.
"Is something going on?" Sharrkan asked Ja'far in a soft whisper. Watching Sakura and Sinbad walking in front of him.
"I wouldn't worry too much, they're just like this," Ja'far said, attempting to ease the young prince, but even Ja'far was wondering what exactly had taken place that Sakura wanted to create so much distance between her and Sinbad. From what he heard that night, when all of them were 'informing' themselves outside of Sinbad and Sakura's inn room, it didn't sound like their conversation was going to be taking any pleasant turns, but given how Sinbad was acting, he would think they had made up, but with the way Sakura was acting gave him a completely different interpretation. Which quite frankly made his head spin.
"Yeah, they're always like this," Ja'far said again, of course, it was more to himself than Sharrkan.
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Totem poles stood high, painted with intricate designs and carved on top to resemble birds. They aligned the paths that led to the coned-shaped tents with large stitches visible where the material was attached. A field of crops and stone slabs set out in the distance. In a circle, stone slabs that stood up and were placed like gates at shrines. There was also a kind of barricade set up around the village, logs that had been carved until the ends were sharp and then tied together to stand alone. This was the Torran village at the Southern tip of the Dark Continent.
Ja'far looked at the map, "This is definitely the Torran village."
Sinbad looked around in awe, getting that same gleam in his eyes to indicate the euphoria when coming across uncharted land. "I can't believe there's actually a village in a place like this."
"Yeah, I was starting to doubt it myself…" Ja'far said.
"It sure was a long way." Said Masrur, his calm red eyes looking around as well.
"I thought you'd be a little more excited," Sakura commented, resting a hand on top of Masrur's head in affection. "After all, we should be getting closer to your homeland right?"
Starring up, passive as always, Masrur nodded.
Although Sakura was a little surprised herself. They had crossed the desert, which was almost completely vacant of any sign of life. There were some dangerous creatures that lurked around there but it was even lacking the presence of other people. Which would make you wonder whether or not there was a village this far in the Dark Continent.
After Sinbad saw two women exiting from one of the tents, he called to them with his overly charismatic grin. "Excuse me, miss. We're travelers, could you please show us into your village?"
The women who saw Sinbad and everyone else began trembling, staring at them with their eyes wide before they heard a shout; in no less than ten seconds, there were men at the barricade to the village, they wore white clothes around their waists to cover, their torsos and arms were painted with spiral symbols all over them. They looked upon the group with hostile glares, pointing their spears at them.
"Sin!! What did you do now?!" Ja'far accused.
"Honestly, this has to be a new record for you! We didn't even make it into the village!" Sakura added, backing away from the spears and pulling Sharrkan behind her.
"I just called out to them!" Sinbad took a step back when he felt one of the spears was a little too close to his face.
"Clearly, that was all you needed to do!" Sakura exclaimed.
"Hey this is not my-
"Would you two not do this now!?" Ja'far cut in.
The men started shouting in them, in a language that no one could understand, well, Sakura was able to place a bit of the language. She had only ever really read it, but this was definitely Tran-also known as Torran but they were speaking it so quickly and with such guttural and harsh tongues that she was struggling to understand what they were saying. It was somewhere along a warning. Of course, she didn't think she needed to translate for it to be obvious. Their tones were enough to relay that message.
"What are they saying?" Sinbad asked.
"They're speaking Torran." Sharrkan swallowed hard. "It's their official language."
Sakura narrowed her eyes, "They think we're intruders."
Sinbad and Ja'far looked at her. "You can understand them?"
"Not really, they're talking at the same time," Sakura said, keeping her eyes on the villagers in case they decided to thrust more than just their words at the group.
Masrur came forward, lifting his leg high and rotating with quick speed. Destroying the sharp ends of the spears, so that they were now nothing more than broken sticks. That probably wasn't going to earn them any favors with the village, but it was a little too late for that to be a concern.
"If words won't get through to them, I can silence them with force." Masrur wasn't actually threatening; he was promising. He had come all this way, and it seemed he was more impatient now that they were so close to getting to his homeland. Ja'far didn't want Masrur to continue, though, for fear of provoking the Torran people, but Sakura commented that it wouldn't matter now since they already appeared very provoked.
Then another voice silenced the crowd with its own, speaking in Torran, Sakura could make out, 'That's enough.' From the mob of tall men, all still in their prime, an elderly man, with a beard long enough to reach his chest, stepped through the crowd, and the intimidating men all made way for him. Each held the same nervous expression on their faces as he came to the front of the barricade.
"Put down your weapons. Travelers, you as well, please." The man said; his one hand behind his back while his other held what looked like a walking stick. "I am the chief of this village. I can speak your language."
His eyes fell upon Masrur, the young boy, looking like he was about to be swallowed by the bag on his back. After noticing the distinct features of Masrur's red hair and eyes, he spoke. "You're a Fanalis, aren't you?"
"Yes..."
"You know about the Fanalis?" asked Ja'far. "Then the Dark Continent really is the Fanalis homeland?"
The chief of the Torran Village nodded, "Indeed. There used to be many Fanalis here."
Sakura tensed when she heard the elder and chief say 'used'; as in the past. It gave her an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. Ja'far, Sinbad, and Sharrkan didn't seem to catch the grammatical implications because they were smiling at the prospect of Masrur getting to meet another one of his kind.
"You look like you're all just children, so I doubt you're a group of thieves." The chief said, then his expression turned sullen, bowing his head. "If you brought this Fanalis child here, you must intend to reunite him with his people, but that it impossible…because."
Masrur's passive face morphed. His eyebrows raised high, eyes widened, and his mouth opened to the smallest gape to allow air to pass because it seemed like he couldn't breathe after the chief spoke.
"There are no longer any Fanalis left here."
The chief told them that there were once many Fanalis in the Dark Continent and that they lived in villages; in fact, the Torran Village was originally one of those villages. The reason they hadn't come across any villages in the desert until now was that the Fanalis villages were targeted by slave traders and annihilated.
"But why…? How could a people as strong as the Fanalis be annihilated?" asked Ja'far.
"Fanalis are still just humans. Slave traders took advantage of that fact. They deceived the Fanalis, pretending to befriend them and used medicines to drug them, they took the children hostage to subdue adults."
The next thing the chief said now had Sharrkan's expression falling into horror and shock. "The medicines made in Heliohapt are effective even on Fanalis. The slave traders were aware of that. Did you not know that?"
Sharrkan shook his head, trembling in disbelief.
"No matter how strong you are, once they set their sights on you, it's over…The Torran people have been persecuted as a savage tribe and driven from their homes to this far land. Our brethren, too, were targeted by slave traders." The chief explained. "That's why we distrust all outsiders. We will not allow them into our village. If you understand that, please leave. We'll let you go out of respect for that Fanalis child."
Sakura looked over to Masrur. He finally decided to speak, his voice kept low. "Where was this Fanalis village?"
"In the Southwest of this area, but it's no longer there."
"Masrur." Sakura put her hand on the boy's shoulder, but he had jolted forward in a flash. Stepping hard and sprinting back around the Torran village and into the forest.
"MASRUR," Ja'far called after the boy, but he didn't stop running. He kept on going until he was no longer in sight of his travel companions. Sakura dropped her bag next to the one that Masrur had left behind.
"I'm going to go get him."
"No, wait." Sinbad held Sakura's wrist, pulling her back. "There are some things that you just can't accept until you see them for yourself. Let him go."
Sakura's face scrunched up like crumpled paper before becoming straight again, and she nodded. Realizing that he was probably right about this.
"Um…" Sharrkan started walking towards the path that Masrur had taken. "I'll go check on him. I can't just leave him in that state of mind."
They let Sharrkan follow after him. Sakura covered her face with both of her hands and ran them down, feeling her hands become slick with the sweat from her forehead. Sinbad and Ja'far looked back at the Torran villagers.
"What…was there something else?" the chief asked. "I told you. We do not trust outsiders. You cannot enter our village."
"Yes, I understand," Sinbad stepped forward. "But I have something to say."
"Then make it quick."
Sakura was a little too consumed with her worry about Masrur and Sharrkan, although she could already guess what Sinbad was going to say. He was the kind of person who wouldn't overlook any injustices easily.
"Slave hunting, persecution, now that I know the truth of how the Torran people have been treated. I can't just overlook it." Sinbad's face became serious, his voice seeming to reveal his true nature. "I want to change this world's injustices."
"You say you want to change the world?"
"Yes, discrimination, persecution, war…I want to change the world that created such atrocities. To do so, I need your help, for the sake of your village-
The chief seemed to take in Sinbad's words as if it were venom and refused to let him finish. "You're only saying that to deceive us."
"I'm telling the truth." Sinbad stood strong. His eyes held that same determined gleam, one that would persist until it engulfed you completely and you were taken by his radiance.
"Stop!!" the chief yelled. "We've already decided never to trust an outsider! WE'VE BEEN PERSECUTED, LIED TO, AND HAD EVERYTHING TAKEN FROM US. WE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO LEAD A HARD LIFE OF OPPRESSION. WHAT COULD YOU UNDERSTAND?"
The chief bellowed for the villagers to remove them by force, their spears once again held up. Ja'far looked over at Sinbad. What would his next move be now?
"I do understand. No freedom, no dignity…I know it because…" Sinbad reached for the fabric around his shoulders, removing it from his neck, revealing the dark, purplish blemish that reached around his neck in a perfect circle. "I am a former slave."
Sakura's hand unconsciously ruffled the fabric around her own neck, suddenly feeling a little constricted, like the collar was still around her. Sinbad took her hand and brought her to step next to him. "It's not just me, my partner, and the Fanalis boy Masrur were slaves too."
The chief's face became soft as he glanced at the marks that both Sakura and Sinbad now displayed around their necks. "That is unmistakably the scar left by a slave collar. So that means…
"Yes," Ja'far said solemnly, "Our master fell from his life as head of a trading company into slavery. He's regained his freedom now."
"Although he was so brainwashed for a time being that he lost his sense of self," Sakura added, shaking in anger at the recurring nightmare. It has been quite a while since that nightmare snuck into her defenseless mind while she slept, but it was now a memory. Nothing like the dreams that would occur and then vanish the next, merely a moment passing by. It was nothing like that.
"I have learned a lot during my time as a slave." Sinbad's hold on Sakura's hand tightened. Neither enjoyed looking back on those days and they did their best to keep clear of it in conversation.
"Knowing first-hand what it feels like to be used to serve the whims of another. I want to save those who are suffering. I want to change the world where people trample on others underfoot."
There were now soft mutters from the Torran people. Ja'far had voiced softly, wondering if they had gotten through to them. Sakura knew that there was no one before who had heard Sinbad's words and had not been moved. The Torran people would be no exception.
"Masrur and Sharrkan have been gone for a while now," Ja'far said, glancing in the direction of the forest the two had run off in.
Sakura turned to Sinbad, after he gave a brief nod, assuring her that he would be able to manage things from here on. She let go of his hand and moved towards the forest path, picking up speed the further she got.
'What could they be doing?'
THAT'S ALL MY LOVELIES! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and remember to stay strong and keep reading!
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EARLY CHAPTERS FOR MEMBERS NOW: BUYMEACOFFEE
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter ( 93, 94, 95, 96)
-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter ( 41, 42,43)
-Crossroads of Fate chapter 33, 34, 34, 35, 36
-Through the Looking Glass chapter 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46
- (Bleach crossover) Kunoichi amongst Reapers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
-Commission: Demon slayer x My hero academia (PART 1 & 2)
- Kunoichi amongst Benders (Avatar x Naruto crossover) (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes WHAT IF SPIN OFF: Dorms and Exams
-(SEQUEL) Through the Spyglass chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6
-SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CHAPTER: Shinigami amongst Shinobi