[Sinbad's POV]
"What are you doing here Judar?" I called out as I watched the smug smirk cross his pale face. He stood tall as he glared at me, baring his teeth like a dog showing its dominance. My guards circled him pointing their spears ready to attack him at my word, but he remained still as if nothing could touch him, and certainly was in the position too.
"You're looking awful you know that?" Judar quirked a brown and I was even more annoyed. "And what's the deal with that thing on your face?" He asked.
"Certainly you are not here to discuss the way my face looks?" I questioned him before a smirk appeared once again, annoying me even further.
"Oh not at all, I just wanted to discuss a few things," he shrugged. "Like how do you feel about our new little magi," he asked and I didn't know what to say, "or about Kou's future Empress that you have locked inside your palace walls."
"What?" I questioned but I didn't get to ask cause he changed the topic once more. "But I am more concerned about what you think about our spirited little friend," he spoke.
"And who is that?" I asked, "You know, Aladdin." He added and his infamous smirk crossed his lips once more.
"It doesn't make sense, why should there be yet another magi in this world?" He asked and I remained silent since it had crossed my mind before about Aladdin's appearance.
"Since ancient times, there have always been three magi's. You do know that don't you?" He spoke and his voice irritated me even more. "And this is born out of history itself, there were always three magi's who chose noble kings, built great nations and created this world." He spoke, "And that's how it has been for this era too," he grinned as he stared me down.
"So first there's me, of course, then that old hag in Reim, and the other magi is the one who wonders all over the world making dungeons appear and disappear, ya know, that guy," Judar commented sounding annoyed.
"That should be all of us, if a new magi were to suddenly appear in the world then that could only mean that one of us has died, but I've never received such information. So who the heck is he then?" He asked while he sounded a little scared.
"A fourth magi existing for the first time in history, Aladdin." He scoffed, "Not only that, he showed up wielding a mysterious power that even I haven't seen before, ever since then the old guys in the organization have been thirsting for that power. I thought that maybe you have the same thing in mind so..." He paused and gave me a devilish grin.
"What are you implying?" I asked as curiosity hit me like a train. "Drop the clueless act, what exactly are you up to? What are you truly planning to accomplish by using that little twerp?" Judar questioned and I felt my blood boil.
"It has nothing to do with you," I uttered and the man before me sniffled a laugh and then scoffed. "You are one heartless guy, I'm trying to tell you how lonely I am. I wanted to join forces with you." He spoke and I was fed up at this point.
"Oh come on, you are a member of the organization...Or just maybe, you forget what you did to us in Partevia?" I questioned and I could sense the emotion from my guards filled with pain and rage from the previous encounter with the magi.
"Now don't give that look Sinbad...Not when I'm," his tone changed from his cocky attitude to this soft and vulnerable tone which surprised me greatly.
"Not when I am, just as much as a victim of Al-Tharmen!" He cried and I was in utter shock from his statement.
'Judar is a victim of Al-Tharmen?' The thought of it shocked me when he mentioned it and I just couldn't shake the feeling that he was fibbing or telling the truth.
"That little magi gave me a glimpse once, and I could see my past..." He uttered as he faced the sky, "I was selected by the rukh and was born in a peaceful, little eastern village, but soon after...both of my parents were murdered by the organization." Judar confessed and I didn't know what to say.
"They took me away with them and used me as a magi before I could even understand what was going on! Ever since I was an infant you see!" He bawled as tears filled his eyes and I was in more shock than anything seeing the man cry before me.
"And yet, you're saying that it's all my fault?" He questioned me, "I wished for an ordinary life! But am I still the only one to blame here Sinbad?" He cried and fell to the ground in tears. Seeing Judar cry was strange and I felt bad for the guy knowing this new information about him, I almost wanted to comfort the guy.
"Come on Judar," I uttered under my breath but before I could walk over to the guy, I felt a hand on my left shoulder stopping me.
"Nice show you put on for us Judar, I think you almost convinced everyone here!" I heard a light laugh mocking Judar and when I finally looked over my shoulder I saw Sarnai there with a smug look on her face while she watched the guy cry.
"How are you mocking the guy?" Ja'far asked as she laughed a little more and took her hand off my shoulder. I almost forgot what her touch felt like and I was already missing it.
"Because I have lived with Judar for years and know that sad story by heart when he tries to get his way, almost like a child." She mocked as a smirk crossed her lips.
"You caught me," Judar's cocky voice returned and he wiped away the fake tears and stood tall and smiled at Sarnai.
"Good to know Sinbad is not locking you away in this shit hole," Judar spoke. "Speaking of a shit hole, what are you doing here Judar? The organization done babying you after Balbadd?" She snorted and I felt my heart melt at the sound of her laugh.
"Yeah, yeah whatever," He huffed and then brushed off his pants and then looked back in our direction with his smug face.
"I forgot what I came here for but thanks to Sarnai here I remembered," he chuckled. "The old guys in the organization are coming after you now, Sinbad." He smiled which caused me to freeze.
"You only have yourself to blame Sinbad, you made all those geezers lose it when you decided to take in that little twerp and his friends; and, they're not taking their usual approach, they want this country destroyed." He implied.
"You see..." An evil smile crossed his face and I knew it couldn't be good.
"They mean war." A look of utter shock replaced my stoic expression and it was hard to believe that they would go that far.
"Oh, and that's not all, you thought if you sent them inside Zagan they would at least be safe, didn't you?" Judar asked as I raised my brows in disbelief at his comment. "What?"
"But too bad for them," he shrugged and played it off as not important.
"Don't tell me, you've already sent some of your people down inside Zagan?" I asked as it took a while to sink in, knowing that I may have put all their lives in danger.
"It's like I said, the old guys are serious about this." He added. "Oh and before I forget Sarnai, the Emperor is very unhappy with you and would like his future daughter-in-law to finally make a decision," he mocked at her.
"Yes, yes I understand you are not the first person to tell me," she replied as she stared at Judar and he chuckled before looking back at me.
"Listen, Sinbad, I did want to join forces with you. If I could conquer the world with you I thought, what could be more fun with that?" He asked, "But then I realized something, because you're so insanely powerful, it would be even more fun for us and try and kill each other!" The magi exclaimed.
"So, why don't we get started right away then?" I asked feeling more rage fill my skin, but remained in control so I wouldn't get ahead of myself.
"Sin?" I looked down at Sarnai as she called my name and I instantly felt any anger I had towards Judar subside while I looked down at her freckled face. Though, I couldn't stare at her for long since Judar started to laugh at my suggestion.
"Hey not so fast! I got a lot going on too!" He shrugged, "And the task that I need to carry out today is to destroy this country's barrier!" He announced. "So listen Sinbad, whatever you do, don't get yourself killed by those old guys yeah?" He raised a brow.
"Wait until the Kou's and Sindria's start killing each other for real, and when your prized possession is a part of Kou," he smirked. "Oh, and the Kou Empire would blow your minds these days! We've got a total of five dungeon captures now! Ask your woman there!" He barked while staring at Sarnai as he gloated.
"What is he talking about?" I looked down at her while she avoided my eyes. "Well, there's Princess Ren Hakuei, Princess Ren Kougyoku, Ren Kouha, Ren Koumei, and..." She stopped speaking as she looked to the ground in shame.
"Ren Kouen," Judar finished her sentence and I looked back at him in shock while he was already looking at me.
"Her fiancé is the real gem among them, if he and I joined forces we could take over the Eastern Continent in the blink of an eye! And after that, well, of course, this place would be next, now even more since Kouen's wife is here," he announced.
"My Kou Empire could easily destroy this country of Sindria," Judar stated as I tensed at his words and so did my generals.
"Destroy? What are you talking about Judar?" The high-pitched voice of Princess Kougyoku could be heard from behind me as she walked next to Sarnai and looked utterly confused.
"We are going to war, well for now not the Kou, but the organization soon will be. So I am telling you Kougyoku, you should come home along with Sarnai so you are safe and sound." His voice turned soft as he spoke to her and I was more uneasy than I ever was, "I know you probably fled here since you lost face after the Balbadd fiasco. Come on I'll make you a general!" He offered.
"You were so pumped up and ready to fight for your country as a warrior don't you remember that?" He asked and she went silent as I'd assume she was still thinking about what Judar was saying while she stared at me.
"What's wrong Kougyoku?" He asked and when she didn't answer he shrugged and looked as if he didn't care at all. "Oh well," Judar turned back in my direction.
"Anyway, what I am here to tell you is; are you listening to Sinbad? Don't die on me until I kill you got it?" He announced before flying off out of sight.
"Sin! Are you just going to let him go?" Ja'far asked me in a panic as I still stared up at the hole in the barrier.
"Ignore him, it's not time to battle Judar now. Have the eight generals gather in the tower now, we are holding a war council," I stated and Ja'far understood as he announced that we were now at war to my guards and they too understood and hurried off. Everything was going on at once and I felt adrenaline enter my veins as I began walking with Ja'far.
"King Sinbad!" I heard that familiar voice call to me once more as I stopped in my tracks and so did Ja'far. I wanted to turn around and look her in the eyes and see that gorgeous face once more but, my friend stopped me.
"Are you sure you want to engage in communications with her after what Judar had told us?" He asked and I looked at Ja'far as if he was insane.
"Think about it Sin, her being is the reason why all this is happening. Sarnai is a part of Kou now and her being here is causing more problems for us, I know she's an old friend but now's the time to think." He looked at me harshly.
"Are you willing to sacrifice everything you wanted over feelings?"