Titel: Beginning of a new journey

Sprache: Englisch

Summary: Dies ist Pipers eigene Version wie die Serie ihren Anfang findet.

Category: Abenteuer

Rating: ohne Altersbeschränkung

Status: Fertig

Sinbad was on the edge of the Nomad, trying to see if they would be reaching the Isle of Dawn soon. He was using the Magnascope, a piece of equipment his friend, Firouz, invented. He peered through the eyehole and smiled. “Land ho!” he shouted to his brother, Doubar, who happens to be his first crewmember.

Doubar grinned at him and steered towards north.

Sinbad walked away from the deck and approached a dark-skinned man, Rongar. “Set the sails, Rongar. We would be approaching land soon.” He ordered the Moor.

Rongar nodded in response, for the man cannot speak.

Sinbad turned away from him and went to his brother. “Can’t wait to see Dimdim again!” he exclaimed.

“I bet you can’t. The last time you visited him, you were this high!” Doubar placed his hand on his hip.

Sinbad laughed. “Yeah, well. I wonder how Dimdim is.” Dimdim was a great friend of Sinbad who happened to be a very powerful sorcerer.

“Don’t worry too much, little brother. He’s a great man. The gods must’ve treated him well for the past 15 years.” He said.

Sinbad scratched his chin. “Hmm. There must be something important that made him tell us to come to him, but I am clueless on what it is.”

Before Doubar can respond to what he said, Firouz appeared behind them. “Sinbad, the Isle of Dawn is but a few feet away. Shall I lower the long boat?” he asked.

Sinbad nodded, and then patted Doubar’s back. “Let’s go, brother! Dimdim is waiting for us.” He said before walking away.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dimdim was peering through his pool. There he could see what Turok and his daughter, Rumina, were up to. Those two were evil sorcerers. He looked at his apprentice, a woman named Maeve. “Maeve, please. I need you to go to the market and buy me some garlic extract. I need it for the protection spell I must put on Sinbad.”

Maeve nodded vigorously. “Is it okay if I bring Dermott with me?” she asked, indicating the hawk that was perched on the gauntlet on her arm.

Dimdim looked at the bird then smiled at her. He was the only one who knew the truth about Dermott. He was Maeve’s brother who had been put under a spell by Rumina. “Of course you can, Maeve. Now please be careful.” He reminded her.

Maeve smiled at the older man and said, “we will,” before going out of the house.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Maeve was strolling along the market. Garlic extract in hand, she took a few minutes to enjoy walking and seeing the scenery around her. But her mind was wandering somewhere else. ‘I wonder who this Sinbad is. Dimdim’s always talking about him.’ She sent to her brother telepathically. Although they were in different forms, the siblings keep in touch through mental conversations.

‘He must be someone special’ Dermott told her.

‘Maybe. I bet he’s old’ Maeve said, and then giggled at the image her mind had conjured up.

‘Probably someone bald.’ Dermott contributed.

Maeve laughed even harder, but tried to suppress it, otherwise the people might think she’s insane or something.

‘Sister, I must leave you for a while,’ Dermott told her.

Before she could respond, the bird had already flown from her hand. “Darn,” Maeve muttered. She looked up on the sky, squinting. “Now where did he go?” she wondered. She walked a few more feet, trying hard to get a better view of her brother.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sinbad was also strolling along the market. He told the others that he would buy something as a gift for Dimdim, and would meet with them in a short while. “What was that herb Dimdim always love?” Sinbad asked himself for the nth time. He was looking at the merchandise at his side while walking. Suddenly resistance met his way. He found himself falling on top of someone. Sinbad looked in horror at the woman he was on top of. “By the gods… are you alright?” he asked her. He was worried when he saw that her eyes were closed. To his relief, she opened them. To his amazement, her eyes were a lovely color of hazel.

Maeve blinked, trying to focus the image of the man on top of her. The only thing she was aware of was the fact that she was supporting all of his weight. “I would be if you’d get off me!” she nearly shouted at him.

Sinbad hastily scrambled to his feet, and then offered a hand to this red haired beauty. He was expecting that she would take it, so he was a bit surprised when she ignored it.

“How dare you!” the woman screeched, glaring at him through those glorious eyes of hers.

“I’m sor…”

“Who do you think you are, anyway, blocking my path like that?” she snapped at him.

Sinbad stared at the woman. She was really beautiful, with that mane of hers, and with those eyes. She was tall; on her feet she nearly reached his height. Too bad she was glowering at him. Sinbad crossed his arms in front of him. “Are you going to give me a chance to apologize for blocking your path, or are you going to yell at me forever?” he asked her, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

Maeve caught that glimmer in this man’s incredibly blue eyes. He was very handsome, and she had never met anyone she could compare this man with. Too bad he really struck a raw nerve. She stared at the stranger in disbelief. “Why you-,” she said through gritted teeth.

A screech made Sinbad look up. A bird was flying towards him! Luckily, he ducked before it hit him. As he straightened up, he saw the bird land on the woman’s gauntlet. He looked at the woman and saw her half-smiling.

“Serves you right.” She muttered before walking away. Sinbad smiled at her retreating form, and then found himself wishing that he would meet that woman again. Sighing, he removed the dust from his clothes.

“Little brother!” he heard Doubar say to him.

Sinbad turned and smiled at him.

“Did you buy the herb Dimdim wanted?” Firouz asked him.

“No I didn’t, but something incredible just happened.” He then told them how he met the beautiful red haired woman.

Doubar patted his back after the story. “That is incredible!” he said, grinning at him.

Rongar was smiling, too.

“Oh! Sinbad, while you were encountering that girl, we asked the people around for Dimdim.” Firouz remembered.

“Yeah. They said that he had been living with a woman for almost two years now.” Doubar said. Sinbad’s eyes widened.

“Really? Dimdim, with a woman? That I have to see.” Sinbad joked. The other men laughed, then proceeded their way to Dimdim’s house.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Maeve was seething as she made her way to Dimdim’s house. “Ooh, the nerve of that man.” She said to her brother. “He’s the most… obnoxious man I’ve ever met!” she retaliated.

‘Sister, why is it that what you’re saying is totally different from what you are thinking?’ Dermott teased her.

Maeve blushed, for she had been thinking that he was also the most handsome man she’d ever seen. She entered inside the house. As she approached Dimdim, the latter noticed that her skin was flushed. Instantly, he became worried.

“Child, are you alright?” he asked. “What happened?”

Maeve looked down at her toes. “Well, I was at the marketplace…” she then told him how he met the man.

Dimdim was smiling all throughout the story. “Looks like you’ve met your match.” He said to her.

“Oh, Dimdim. I just…” Suddenly Dermott’s voice floated in her minds. ‘Sister I must go out now.’ It said. Maeve looked at Dimdim, silently asking his permission to go out. Dimdim smiled in response. “I’d be back before dark.” She said before going out of the house.

After a few moments, Dimdim heard someone knocking on the door. He opened it. “Sinbad!” he cried out happily, engulfing the young man before him with a hug.

“Dimdim! It’s so good to see you!” Sinbad replied.

“Come in, come in.” he ushered them inside. He shook hands with Rongar, Doubar and Firouz. “So how have you been, young man?” Dimdim asked him.

Sinbad smiled. “Well, I am now a captain of my ship, the Nomad.” He said proudly.

“That’s wonderful!” Dimdim exclaimed.

“Dimdim, we heard from the market that you live with someone?” Doubar asked.

“Oh yes. Her name is Maeve. She’s my apprentice for two years now.”

“Where is she?” Firouz asked.

“She’s outside for the moment. She would be back soon.” Dimdim turned his attention to the captain. “Noticed anything that had changed in this isle?” he asked.

“Nothing much, but there is this incident this afternoon. See…” he then told him how he met the woman.

Dimdim was taken aback. Was it possible that Sinbad and Maeve had already met? Before he had the chance to speak, a voice called him. Maeve was back. Dimdim stood up. “if you’d excuse me,” he said before walking to the kitchen. There, he found Maeve and Dermott with a large bundle of grapes in her hands.

“I assumed your guests are here, so I picked this up on our way.” She said, proudly showing off the goods.

“Thank you, child. Please, wash them first so we can serve it to them.” Dimdim instructed.

“Certainly.” Maeve said before grabbing a bowl and walking to the sink.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Meanwhile, after Dimdim had gone to the kitchen, Sinbad was looking around the house. “Nothing really changed in this house,” he commented.

“Except maybe now Dimdim has a woman!” Doubar said, then laughed.

Sinbad smiled at the thought, picturing a middle-aged woman, possibly in her sixties. Her hair would be white by then, and she would probably be small and plump. He snapped out of his thoughts when Dimdim returned from the kitchen.

“I guess you’re all hungry by now.” He said.

“We certainly are!” Doubar exclaimed.

“Maeve, come quick.” Dimdim said.

Sinbad focused his eyes on the kitchen door, expecting the woman his mind had made up. But no, the woman who walked into the room was… the beautiful red-haired woman he met earlier! Sinbad’s knees almost buckled beneath him, if he hadn’t supported himself he would have fallen off.

Maeve was expecting to see old men in the room. As she entered, she got the biggest surprise in her life. Standing before her was the man she met earlier! The bowl of grapes she was holding almost slipped out of her hands.

“You!” they both said in unison.

Maeve and Sinbad both looked at Dimdim in surprise. Dimdim almost laughed at the astonished looks in their faces.

“Captain Sinbad, I’d like you to meet my apprentice of two years, Maeve. Maeve, I’d like you to meet the captain of the ship, Sinbad.” He introduced them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After they have all been seated, with Maeve and Dimdim sitting opposite of Sinbad and his crew, Dimdim began telling them why he made them come. “I am requesting for your help, Sinbad. I’m sure you’ve already met Rumina and Turok.” He said.

“Yes, I’ve met Rumina by chance.” Sinbad said, but didn’t bother to add the fact that Rumina was practically obsessed with him.

“Who is this Turok?” Firouz asked.

“He’s Rumina’s father, which made him far more formidable. Those two are about to conquer Baghdad by putting them all under a spell. I have to go there to stop them. That’s where you could help me, if you wanted to.” Dimdim finished.

Actually, Sinbad was only half-listening to what Dimdim was saying. He was busy stealing glances at Maeve. On some instances, their eyes have met, and they would both look away, embarrassed. “Of course we would help you, Dimdim.” Sinbad declared. He looked at Doubar, Firouz and Rongar, who all nodded in agreement. “There is one question, Dimdim. Is Maeve going with us?” Sinbad asked him.

Maeve looked at Sinbad, then at Dimdim.

“If there is enough room for her. She would be a great help for me.” Dimdim said to him.

Sinbad smiled. “There is plenty of room. So, as of tomorrow,” he said, then extended his hand to Dimdim and Maeve, “Welcome aboard my ship.”

Dimdim accepted his hand, muttering “thank you” over and over again.

Maeve looked at Sinbad’s eyes, and sensing that he was challenging her to accept his hand, grabbed it and shook it hard. As soon as they touched, a jolt of electricity ran through them. Maeve’s eyes widened, and so did Sinbad’s. They let go of each other’s hands abruptly. Maeve immediately retreated into the kitchen, whereas Sinbad went to join his crew outside the house.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As soon as Sinbad stepped out, he was bombarded with questions.

“Are you out of your mind, little brother? You know it’s always been considered as bad luck to bring a woman aboard the ship.” Doubar reminded him.

“I know that, Doubar. But as you can see, she is Dimdim’s apprentice. He said so himself that she would be a great help to him. Besides, after all of this is over, she would be leaving the ship. What harm can a week’s adventure bring?” Sinbad argued. That had them all convinced.

“So she was the one you met at the marketplace. What word did you used to describe her? Incredible?” Firouz asked him in a teasing tone.

Sinbad grinned. “I’m telling you, she’s a real firebrand. She’s got a temper that matches the color of her hair.”

Doubar smiled as well. “Well, our adventure tomorrow would certainly be a different one.” He said.

“That’s true.” Sinbad agreed, surprised that he was actually looking forward to it.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Maeve was in her room, still wide-awake. “That is Sinbad? He’s certainly different from what I expected,” she thought, shifting her position in bed. “Dimdim said that he’s the captain of a ship. But he’s so young! He’s just slightly older than me, that’s for sure.” She shifted again. “I certainly hope I could kill Rumina with my own hands. And I pray that her spell on Dermott would be over.” She closed her eyes, then fell asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Early next morning, Sinbad’s crew, with Dimdim and Maeve, was boarding the Nomad. Dimdim had brought with him a few clothes and his book of spells. Maeve brought a few pieces of clothes and Dermott. As she climbed up to the deck, Doubar and Firouz noticed the hawk.

“Nice bird you got there.” Doubar commented.

Maeve smiled at him. “Thanks.” Then she walked to the side where Dimdim was talking to Sinbad.

As soon as Sinbad saw the bird, he was a bit worried that it will attack him again. “Do you really need to bring him with you?” Sinbad asked her.

Maeve smirked at him. “His name is Dermott, captain. Besides, Dermott only attacks people he considers as jerks, so you need not worry. Well, maybe a little.” She mocked him.

Sinbad grinned at her. “Oh, I’m not worried. It’s just that I find it unusual for a woman to have a bird perched in her arm.” He shot back.

Dermott flung his wings wildly. Maeve restrained him from flying out of her arms. “Now you really should be prepared for an attack, Sinbad. Dermott just added you to his list of targets.” She commented dryly, then walked away.

Sinbad turned away from her, thoroughly amused. He looked at Dimdim. “Is she always like that?” he asked him.

Dimdim laughed. “Sometimes. But you have to understand. It’s one of her tactics, a way of fighting back.” He said.

“is that bird… Dermott.. always with her?”

“All the time, Sinbad. They have a special bond that only they can understand.” Dimdim replied.

Sinbad then stared at the sea. “How did she become your apprentice, Dimdim?” he asked again. Sinbad felt as though he wanted to know everything about Maeve.

“She came to me one night. She said Rumina had done something really awful to her. I saw that her magic has potential, and if developed it can be something superior to anyone else’s. So I began teaching her. Maeve is a delightful student. She did not only learn to use her magic, she also learned how to use the sword. Broadswords are her specialty. Despite her slender form she has unusual strength.” Dimdim explained. He looked at the younger man, and saw admiration glowing in his sea-blue eyes. ‘you two are destined to be together, Sinbad. If only I can tell you that, but both of you must find that out for yourselves.’ He thought.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A few hours later, Sinbad was on the edge of the deck, with Doubar. They were watching Dimdim, who was teaching Maeve how to throw a fireball.

“You’re right, Sinbad. That girl sure has a hell of a temper.” Doubar said. “But it’s surprising, though. Even though she snapped at me and Firouz, we never felt the sting of her words.”

“I know what you mean, Doubar.” Sinbad said.

“I thought Dimdim have been teaching her for two years now? How come I haven’t seen that her magic is good?” Doubar asked.

Sinbad shrugged. “Well, you know. She’s still learning. Maybe her magic is really good she-“ suddenly, a fireball almost hit his feet. Maeve was trying to throw the ball, but as her hand flung backwards the fireball flew from her hand and onto Sinbad’s place. “Or maybe her magic really sucks.” He muttered, before walking to Dimdim and Maeve. He glared at her. “Would you mind being careful next time? We were nearly roasted with that fireball of yours!” he said.

Maeve returned the glare. “Maybe if you were the one throwing fireballs, you would realize how hard it is to control it.” She countered.

“I just wanted to say that you should be careful with those, otherwise my ship would be burned down before it had sailed on different seas!” Sinbad said.

Maeve crossed her arms. “Oh really? Well I thought your ship would be unable to sail on different seas even before I burn it!” she declared hotly.

“Is that so? Well, for your information, my ship is in perfect condition!” he retorted.

“You call this ‘perfect condition’? Ha!” she said sarcastically.

Dimdim had been watching the two argue. Both their eyes were flashing, and he was worried that something ugly might happen if he did not intrude, so he stepped between the two. “Okay, okay, stop it you two.” He thundered. Immediately, Sinbad and Maeve closed their mouths. “Is this the way I taught both of you? You should be acting like two adults, not children.” He said to them. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, Sinbad, Maeve and I would like to continue our lesson.”

Sinbad glared at Maeve before stomping off to where Doubar is. He found the other man laughing. “What’s so funny?” he snapped.

Doubar tried to stop his laughter. “It’s… just… that… I’ve…I’ve never seen that side of you before, Sinbad.” He said.

“Well, with that girl around, you’d be seeing more of it!” he muttered angrily before walking away.

Doubar shook his head before laughing again. He was laughing so hard his sides began aching.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sinbad went to his cabin. He slammed the door shut as he stepped inside. “I’ve never been more insulted in my whole life!” he muttered. He threw himself on his bunk. “How dare she criticize my ship? If only she knew how I worked hard to get it!” he thought. After a few minutes, his nerves began to calm down. Then, he started to laugh. He visualized how her eyes were flaring and flashing as she argued with him. “That Maeve is different from all the other girls I’ve met, that’s for sure.” He thought. He closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Suddenly a wild thump nearly threw Sinbad out of his bed. “What was that?” he asked himself. He immediately went out of his cabin and proceeded to the deck. As it turned out, it was already night, and they were confronted by a very large sea serpent. Sinbad saw the others had already been armed with swords and arrows.

“Sinbad!” Doubar said to him.

Sinbad nodded and withdrew his sword as well.

“Well it’s a good thing you’re already up,” Firouz said.

“How long is that thing been bothering us?” Sinbad asked.

“Not too long, he had just appeared out of nowhere.” Firouz replied.

Sinbad glanced at his left and saw Rongar throwing daggers at the monster. At his right, Dimdim was casting a spell on the monster, but unfortunately, it has no effect on it. Maeve was beside him, and sure enough, her broadsword was already at hand. Then, Sinbad noticed that the monster began attacking the ship. It lunged forward, his head aiming at one of his crew. As it turned out, it was aiming for Maeve! Sinbad went into action. Even before the serpent reached Maeve, he reached her first and knocked her out of its way.

“What the-“ Maeve exclaimed, surprised. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Saving your life!” Sinbad retorted. Then, Dimdim’s cry sliced through the air. As Sinbad turned, the serpent carried with him the sorcerer. Then, realization drawn in. The serpent wasn’t aiming for Maeve, it was aiming for Dimdim! And now that Sinbad had knocked Maeve off of her ground, it only made it easier for the serpent to reach Dimdim.

“No!” Maeve cried. “Dimdim!” she tried to form a fireball with her hands, but before she threw it at the monster, it was gone. Maeve’s whole body trembled. She fell on her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

Sinbad gathered her in his arms to comfort her. As he held her, he was blaming himself for not being able to save Dimdim. “We’d find Dimdim, Maeve. I promise you that I would do everything to help you find him.” He whispered to her ear.

The End