Chapter 15

Author´s note:

Okay, a new chapter is up for you guys. And I guess I have to say that this chapter is rated R, not for any juice nice stuff concerning a certain sexy sailor though :-P However, this chapter is getting a little more… extreme, so ye be warned.

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Ila88:Hehe, sorry for that but me likes cliffhangers. :-D (evilgrin) Nope, he definitely isn´t. He or… someone else. Sorry for not being able to stick up to the ASAP, it was ASAP as I could manage, this week as been unsettling and busy (sighs)

Helen of Troy: (jumps) Whee, new reader, nice to have you around. :-D And good to know you´re enjoying it so thanks for dropping a line :-)

Space-Case7029: It does sound like Rumina, doesn´t it? Which is the reason why she is not, mwahaha. Or at least not directly. She´s the one to pull the strings behind the plotting but she is not the only danger and not the most grave one, heh. Well, Maeve will discover things about herself soon enough. For now people are still a little dense and things too subtle and fast paced for her to notice in time, but her hour shall come :-)

TiaKisu: What would a story be without trouble, eh? :-) Well, that was actually somewhat difficult to figure out especially because when watching the tv show you can not really look into his head especially regarding stuff like his role as captain. So what I did was taking climpses I got and forming them into something more pronounced, also adding the stress he´s under right now. Usually I guess he´d see it more as teamwork but with his fear for Maeve´s soul right now I guessed it would be more logical for him to demonstrate his position as the alpha male of the pack. :-P

Mera: Aw thanks (feels flattered and blushes) I´m trying my best, hope you keep reading and having fun with this little story. :-)

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Chapter 15

Kareem´s sacrifice

´I don´t like that. I don´t like it at all.´

Unable to completely dismiss the slight annoyance and warning in his eyes, Sinbad tore his gaze away from the group of young sailors who were gathered around Kareem in a loose group, chatting in a seemingly harmless manner. However, from the way Kareem´s voice drifted over to him in indistinguishable chunks and a word he could make out now and then the boy was obviously telling some tale – most likely making a big adventure from his small getting drunk tour in that village – having the full attention of his friends, three of them, all of them being the young men who usually hung out with him as well – once there was a time to hang out. Like now.

The Nomad had made good speed in the last hours, so at least the wind seemed on their side for now giving the captain of the Nomad at least a glimmer of a good feeling that was further strengthened by the fact that after Maeve had now obviously arranged her place with the crew, the red haired sorceress, unaware of the danger that threatened her soul, was now comfortable enough to idly rest on top of the cabin, her face turned towards the wind and sun, an image he could barely keep his gaze away from. Having her around again was a constant reminder of the fact that if he made the slightest mistake, if he did just one wrong step, he could easily fail this mission, fail her, and lose her forever. At the same time her presence was intoxicating, making him feel like the shy boy he had long ago abandoned when he had still been a kid. He had to remind himself, and not for the first time, that he shouldn´t stare at her. For Allah´s sake get a grip on yourself, he inwardly rebuked himself. Think of the condition she is in, all of you are in and she the most. It´s not appropriate to stare at her like that. Sooner or later she will notice. A tiny voice in the back of his head whispered that he wouldn´t mind her noticing at all if only that meant getting a response from her that fit with the mental images that were chasing around his thoughts. He tore his gaze away with a slight grunt directed at himself only and not heard by anyone but himself, forcing himself to look out at the sea and trying to concentrate on what he was doing. But he had been a sailor for many years so working the tiller didn´t really need too much attention.

“… tell you it is true…” Kareem´s voice drifted over to him again, carried by a stronger breeze of wind. “Or did he ever tell you where in Allah´s name we are going?” That got Sinbad´s attention and he looked over to the small group, slight tension rising inside him. He saw Matteo shrug and the other two just remain where and how they were, lazily slumped against the railing. They were clearly enjoying their shift off for now that they were making good speed and less sailors were needed for the moment. “Well, he´ll know.” Sinbad heard Matteo reply. “He´s the captain you know.” The reply to that was a snort. “So he has the right to keep secrets from us?” Kareem snapped back, clearly not amused and in a bad mood. “I tell you, we´re sailing right into an awful lot of danger, yesterday was bad enough wasn´t it. We could´ve all drowned and that would´ve been the end of it.” Another youth shrugged, indicating that it wasn´t something unheard of to get into a little bit of danger now and then, seeing who they sailed with, however that reply did not seem to satisfy Kareem. “Mark my words.” he growled. “You´ll get your heads in a sling, he won´t tell you anything and all of a sudden you´ll be right in the middle of trouble. He won´t tell you and you are so foolish you don´t even realise you are his pawns.” Sinbad did not wait for a reply, did not notice that Matteo´s glance had actually turned from sceptical to slightly doubtful. “Firouz.” he just said and the other man walked over to the tiller, understanding by a wave of his friend´s hand that he was to take over for a moment since the captain had to settle something. Sinbad walked over to the group, directly towards Kareem. “One more word like that” he said his voice dangerously low, no anger but clear threat in it. “one more attempt to infect others with your strange moods and those will be your last hours as a sailor, Kareem. I´m sure there are dozens of lads waiting in any random next harbour waiting to take your place.” Kareem just gave him a brazen gaze in return before he turned and left, strengthening his defiance in a way by taking up some of the ropes and starting to work on the smaller sail. Sinbad knew he had not won. Whatever had gotten into the kid it seemed to settle as an unwanted pattern of behaviour and he decided to make his threat a reality if Kareem´s behaviour had not normalised before the next stop. He couldn´t need any sort of childish power struggles, especially not now.

At the same time however, he was starting to become doubtful. Was it the right thing to do that he had not yet told the crew where they were going and what was at stake for every single one of them? He didn´t make the illusion that he partly kept them unaware because as for now he needed every man or any man he could have to sail the Nomad. He was acting selfish in a way that submitted his crew to danger, this was not the way a good captain was supposed to act, but however he tossed and turned the thought he had no chance. It all came back to his reasoning that it was the only way to save Maeve. He would tell them. Somewhen. Not now. Not today.

It was an hour before sunset and the Nomad was still sailing in benevolent waters, riding on soft but powerful waves when Sinbad asked Maeve to show her the necklace again. It was glowing as strongly as ever, reassuring him that they were heading for the right direction, making him feel more at ease. Her question why the necklace helped him find the way he replied with a shrug, with a “maybe it is as you said, because you are a woman.” and an additional. “it´s magic and I don´t really know much about that.” This reaction obviously didn´t satisfy her, her gaze and a slightly raised eyebrow told him clearly enough, but for now she did not say more but turned her attention back to Dermott and kept ruffling his feathers softly as if she was drifting back into her own world of thoughts again. Sinbad, however much he desired to just sit next to her, talk to her and drop the one or other intended of pretended to be accidental flirtatious line, turned towards his old observation point again. If he became too much of how he had been around the old Maeve he knew, this would confuse her. So much closeness would not fit in her mind. As she saw it, they barely knew each other. Propping one leg on the railing, he looked out onto the sea, his own thoughts of troubled emotions engulfing him.

He heard steps behind him when it was almost too late. Expecting Rongar who of course would not address him when walking up from him from behind, or maybe Doubar, he turned his head and, noticing it was the young sailors, turned around in full surprise. Kareem was among them, his face showing an expression that hovered between slight amusement, curiosity and content but no positive curiosity. Rather the curiosity of a vulture that was wondering whether what was to follow would bring any profit for it. But Kareem kept quiet. It was Matteo who spoke first. “We want to know where we are going.” he said, his voice clear and without the humbleness Sinbad knew from him. “If we are sailing into danger, we want to know.” Sinbad turned fully and in this moment Kareem´s strange smile unsettled him greatly. What was going on with that boy or rather? What had those people on that island fed to him in their ale? “I will tell you in time.” he replied, his eyes locked with Matteo, making sure the young one understood where his place in the hierarchy was. “No.” It was a third boy who spoke now. “We want to know. Now.” “We have been sailing day and night since the woman came back.” The fourth one said with a stern voice and even though it was mostly his close circle of friends interacting with each other and Maeve it bewildered Sinbad to hear the boy call Maeve ´the woman´. That was certainly uncalled for. “We are crew. We demand to know, captain.” The last word was bordering on mockery and when Matteo uttered it he did a step forward, closer to Sinbad and in silent choreography his mates followed his example, closing in on the captain, one of them even straying his hand towards the belt where he kept his dagger. Sinbad didn´t know what to feel: confusion or anger.

Clearly, Kareem had agitated his friends against him but the mere fact they acted on that impulse now was against everything that crew stood for. And the young sailor proved to be more ruthless than initially thought for within a moment Sinbad´s instincts kicked in and he made a quick movement to grab the boy´s wrist and wrestle the dagger from the boy´s hand. The young man gave a painful howl and staggered slightly, Matteo and the other boy however saw this as the signal to defend their friend whereas Kareem, as Sinbad would have noticed if his attention had not been focussed on defending himself, stepped back from the fight a little a cruel but clearly amused smile playing around his lips. Sinbad swiftly dodged a fist blow delivered by Matteo and in a moment the boy found himself flat on the back. However, it was a fight with three against one and they had gotten him by surprise. Sinbad could very well defend himself but he would not want to use his sabre against these boys for whatever had gotten into them, they were crew, he was responsible for them. The daggerless youngster had meanwhile gotten to his feet again and clambering back to his feet lunged at the captain who fought hard to keep the boy at a distance. It was only seconds after the fight had started but Sinbad noticed from the corner of an eye that Rongar and Doubar had seen what was going on and were now hurring towards him.

“Sinbad?” Maeve´s voice. She had sat up from where she had been half lying, her face wearing an expression of utter confusion and … concern? and for a moment he was distracted, not noticing that Matteo had managed to get to his feet again and grab for his own dagger, doing a swift move to approach the captain from behind, the knife raised to deliver a deadly blow. All Sinbad saw was Doubar grabbing for a knife from his belt and tossing it. Only when the weapon hissed past the capitain´s ear and struck home, making Matteo sink to the floor like a falling tree he realised that Rongar had just saved his life. His eyes wide in shock at both the sight of Matteo´s gaze breaking when he looked down at him and at the fact that this young and eager kid he had taken on board months ago and who had never stood up against him had just tried to kill him, he just stared for a moment, trying to understand what was going on. As Matteo died, his two friends froze in their step just as if they had suddenly realised what was going on and in a moment, Rongar and Doubar were over them, holding the young sailors in their grips. But someone was missing … Looking around wildly, Sinbad spotted Kareem on the other end of the ship – how in Allah´s name had he gotten there? – just a few metres from where Maeve was. With a chuckle that wasn´t his own it seemed and that sounded oddly unmatching a young boy´s voice, he was behind her, embracing her in a way that made Sinbad grit his teeth. “Discord...” he said and even though he was quite a few metres away, Sinbad could understand him when he stepped down from the tiller and towards the young sailor, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sabre. “Beautiful, beautiful discord.” And with that, Kareem´s features… melted. Maeve gave a startled gasp when the grip around her slackened and turned almost fluid for a moment but the body that belonged to the boy soon reformed lying at the red head´s feet. And from it… something rose … formed … became solid. And without even having to guess all who looked upon her knew what she was. Whatever dark arts she had under her command and whatever tricks she might have worked: it seemed Rumina had gotten another deity under her command or debt. The figure rising from the motionless body of Kareem was that of a goddess. It was clear by the look in her eyes, by the way her whole being breathed power. However, even though Sinbad knew that his blade would be useless, his grip around the sabre hilt did not slacken but tightened to an extent that his knuckles showed white and his jaw clenched.

The goddess was tall and yes, Sinbad had to admit she was beautiful. Even though she had formed from the boy´s body or risen from it, (rather risen for even as she manifested her shape, Kareem was still lying motionless by Maeve´s feet) she seemed to have taken solid form by now, obviously deliberately choosing to be human sized for now. Her features were lean and slender, her skin paler than that of humans in this area of the world, her eyes a fierce and very bright green, even her irises shining in that same colour. Her hair was dark, floating around her like a mantle with every move, reminding Sinbad of the tales he had heard about Medusa with snakes as hair.

And the goddess chuckled, then laughed. “Look.” she said. “Look where I got you. “Discord, your own men jumping at your throat.” She floated over to the other end of the ship within the blink of an eyelid and was next to Matteo´s lifeless form within a second, brushing a hand along the dead boy´s cheek in a gesture that was very close to a caress. “Look, black man,” she said, directing her words at Rongar and now floating towards him. “Look what you did to the poor, poor boy. And all just because your captain is a fool. Little Matteo was right you know. Right to attack. He will lead you…all… into… your deaths.” She gave Sinbad a sidewards glance and a cruel smile. And even though he had never met this goddess, Sinbad suddenly knew who he was dealing with. The deceit, the falseness, the joy she took from the fact that the crew had split into two sides. “Eris.” He said tonelessly. The Goddess of Discord. “The very same.” she said, doing a mock imitation of a graceful bow and giving him a wink, her flirtatious body language appearing totally cruel under the given circumstances. “Well well, looks like the little sailor did grasp the one or other bit of knowledge after all. Knowing who Eris is. My brother will be devastated and envious because you knew me, but not him.” Again she laughed.

Brother? Sinbad pieced the things together in his head. Brother. Few knew about all the widespread relatives the gods had but that could only mean that Eris´ brother was Hypnos who they had encountered just a day before.

“What do you want?” he asked his voice pressed. “Are you another god crawling under the boot of Rumina?” She shot him a glare for a moment before she regained composure. “None of your business, human.” she then replied, floating close and cupping his chin with a hand for a moment in an almost affectionate gesture. “I did her a favour let´s say and quite honestly, it´s always…so…nice to see authorities crumble, friends wage against each other, sailors misbehave and try to kill… once Eris has set the grounds for a little bit of… discord.” The way she talked, Sinbad caught himself thinking that indeed her and Rumina would get along well. She was different from the sorceress in outer appearance, the features of Eris seemed more eery and… softer … ironically, but still.

“It was you.” Sinbad gave back, fighting the urge to brush away her hand, returning her gaze stubbornly. “Kareem would never have acted up to me like that. It was you possessing him, you…having him influence Matteo and the others.”

She chuckled. “You are not as stupid as the average pirate.” she said with the mock of an appreciative gesture. “Well combined, Sinbad.” She retreated a little, leaning against the railing. “And oh it was worth it, every minute of it.”

He was after her in a second, his sword now at the ready, the blade only inches from her throat even though he wasn’t even sure whether an earthly weapon could do a goddess any harm. “Tell me one reason why I shouldn´t seek revenge for that.” he said in a low and pressed voice. “Tell me one good reason why I shouldn´t carve my name into your skin for these two boys you killed.”

“Two?” she gave back, not moving an inch and not showing any signs of fear. “One, good captain. One. Just Matteo.” Sinbad turned his head towards Maeve and noticed with his heart making a leap that… Kareem was alive. He was moving very faintly, he could tell just as if he was waking from a deep slumber. And then he knew… Most deities had limited power when they took human form. And this one was bound to possessing this boy. She had given up that possession to take shape and reveal herself which meant that if he…. NO! he dismissed the thought again, hating himself for even thinking into that direction. Eris floated over to Maeve once more, her slender bare feet barely touching the ground. “Dark thoughts there, captain.” she almost whispered, obviously taking delight in reading his mind. “dark… dark thoughts. I like it.” She turned and knelt. “and you are right… if Kareem died, I could not keep myself here. If he stays alive… and even if only barely so… I will just need a couple of moments and succumb the crew to my will. Against you.” Her smile became even more cruel. “How would you like it if your beautiful…mistress here tossed the next knife at you?” Maeve´s gaze that followed that was poisonous enough to kill as he noticed with a grim satisfaction. But the thought was horrifying. “Your choice captain.” Eris cooed. “Wait and see your people turn against you. Kill you. Lose this battle and everything you are fighting and seeking for in this moment. Or do a quick slash. Kill the boy.” She conjured a dagger and handed it to him. “Get rid of me, I know this is what you want… Sinbad.” The last word was spoken in an almost loving way and even though Sinbad knew the goddess was speaking the truth (for deities were simply too powerful to feel the necessity to lie) the thought alone was terrible. It was tempting. He knew he had gotten more radical since he had found Maeve, he knew he had acted more rashly in some situations keeping in mind what was at stake. But that went too far. “No.” he said his gaze locked with hers feeling terribly torn but feeling he had to stand his ground.

“No?” she gave back. “So you value this boy´s life more dearly than the life of… as a little bird whispered to me … your most prescious treasure. Well well, what a surprise. I never knew you had a liking for young sailors Sinbad.”

He was in a position where there was no room to argue, just two ways to go and each one was terrible to behold, leaving him no excuses, no chances and no possibilities. Sinbad hated losing control over any given situation, there had never been anything he had hated more. He felt like he had to weigh things against one another, but he knew he didn´t have the time. And then, all of a sudden, the goddess was gone. Dumbfolded, the captain stared at thin air for a moment, before he looked around, meeting the gaze of every single one of his friends and crew who had gathered around by now, each their gazes transfixed and terrified… before he understood. Kareem was dead. With the last effort of strength that the boy had been able to muster after retiring from being possessed by the goddess… he had redeemed himself. He had taken the load off the captain´s shoulder as his bloody dagger proved, reddened by Kareem himself with the boy´s own blood.