Chapter nineteen

Neah didn't think her plan would be this hectic. She knew no one would get along, but fighting this much? No way could she have planned for this. It was mostly passive-aggressive arguing between Sinbad and Prince Kouen, along with glaring and rude remarks between the generals and the other Kou princes (Kougyoku and Hakuei were keeping to themselves). Neah didn't even want to start with how much all of Sindria hated Judar being there. Reim and the Seven Seas Alliance hadn't arrived yet, nor Yunan, and it was worrying Neah.

"So, Magi, how much longer do we have to wait?" A loud booming voice asked from behind the small magi.

Neah turned to see one of Kouen's household members. She wasn't sure of his name. "Ah, not long. We still have a day and a half before MWS should be attacking, and we're still waiting on Reim to arrive."

"Neah! How much longer? I hate being around all these idiots," This time it was Judar who was complaining.

"A day-" Neah was cut off as another person asked her how much longer. "Ok, you know what?!" She climbed onto a nearby wall so she was standing above everyone. It was supposed to be dinner, but nothing was working out well. "Listen up! I'm not going to repeat myself a million times, so I'm telling you all at once." Everyone quieted and looked up at the girl. "We've got another day and a half before MWS should be attacking, and I'll explain in more depth more about them when everyone is here. We're still waiting on Reim and the Seven Seas Alliance to come. Scheherazade should be here with her Fanalis Corps in no time. Also, the third magi of this era will be here eventually, his name is Yunan." Neah noticed Sinbad didn't seem pleased with that information. "Until then," The magi sighed, "don't kill each other!" She jumped off the wall.

"You asked Yunan for assistance as well?" Neah wasn't surprised to hear Sinbad's voice.

"Yep," Neah crossed her arms. "I was in the area...ish." Sinbad frowned, Neah rolled her eyes, "Suck it up. He's powerful. I'll need his help."

"For what?" Judar butted in, "It's not like that old guy can do much. Physically, he's weak as fuck."

"You're one to speak," Neah retorted.

"The hell does that mean?" Judar glared at her.

"You might be good with magic, but I doubt your very useful physically." Neah smirked.

"Shut up," Judar rolled his eyes.

Neah chuckled, "Wow, you're not even going to deny it?"

"Neah! Sinbad! Problem!" Sharrkan came running over.

"What is it, Sharrkan?" Sinbad stepped towards the general.

"I think that MWS guy contacted the others from his time," Sharrkan began explaining. "I walked in on him talking to some weird glowy thing coming from his armor. He was saying that because we're getting prepared, MWS should come early."

"Seriously?!" Neah exclaimed, her arms falling to her sides. She looked around and breathed deeply, "Fuck..."

"Is everyone here yet?" Sharrkan asked.

"No! I'm still waiting on Reim and the Seven Seas Alliance!" Neah became angry, "I'm going to fucking kill that guy." She began angrily stomping to the prison.

"Wait, Neah! What should we be doing?" Yamraiha, who had gathered with everyone else when Sharrkan ran over, asked.

"Ah, I don't know!" Neah called over her shoulder. She stopped walking, "Just...Train, I guess! I want to talk with Prince Koumei's djinn when I get back, though. Alright, Sleeping Beauty?!" She didn't wait for the Kou prince's approval, and continued to the prison.

~

"So, you want to tell me what you were doing contacting MWS?" Neah stared down the man who was locked behind cell bars. "And how you called them in the first place?"

"I didn't do anything. That filthy Heliohapt man is a liar," The man denied.

Neah narrowed her eyes, "Filthy? What leads you to believe that? Is it because he's got darker skin and white hair?"

"Precisely. He's also a household user."

"So? How does that make him a bad person?" Neah walked up to the cell and stopped just in front of the bars. "You know, if you pulled your head out of your ass you'd know that Heliohaptians are actually really cool. All healthy and shit. And they like snakes a lot."

"Like I would want to know anything about those animals."

Neah rolled her eyes, "Right. Them and the magicians are animals, sure. And you're the perfect human, right?"

"I never said I was perfect."

"Just, better than them. More deserving of happiness. Right? Am I speaking your language yet?"

"If you're going to kill me, just do it already." The man's personality had changed completely. He wasn't scared anymore, it was like he was prepared. Like he knew something Neah didn't.

"I'm not killing you just yet." Neah pulled out a small dagger she'd stolen off the weapons rack for the soldiers on her way here. She looked the MWS soldier over, confused as to why no one unequipped him of his armor. She sighed and mentally cursed Sinbad, Is it really hard to teach soldiers common sense? "Take your armor off."

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm not coming near you until you take your armor off. Who knows what else it can do."

"Alright, fine." The man stood and took off all his armor, leaving him in just a pair of black boxers and socks. He walked over and handed her his armor through the cell, "That good enough for you?"

"Yeah," Neah grabbed the armor and tossed it aside, mentally noting to have Yamraiha or someone look it over before the battle. She turned to the wall across from the cell and pulled a ring of keys from it. Unlocking his cell, she entered and locked it behind her, throwing the keys at the outside wall.

"Why are you locking yourself in? Isn't that a tad suicidal?" The man seemed to have a cocky personality now. Neah wondered if his crying about having a family was a lie.

The magi shrugged, "King Idiot won't let me stay down here too long." She twirled the dagger, "So I better hurry up and start asking, huh?"

"What, you plan on torturing me?" The man chuckled.

"If you don't cooperate, yes," Neah pushed him backwards and chained his wrists to shackles on the wall behind him. "So, let's start. Where is Hiroyuki Akera?" She held the knife to his throat.

The man laughed, "Oh, him? I remember him. Wasn't he that little brat that you abandoned that night?"

"What?" Neah narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, you hid, while we got him. Man, that was a while ago now, wasn't it? Where did you hide, huh?"

"I...I hid in the closet."

"The closet? Hmm, I thought I checked there..."

"Wait," Neah paused. "So...you're... That means...you killed my parents, didn't you?"

"Yep!" The man began laughing again, "Man! You should've seen their faces! I mean, you must have heard it all, but seeing it? That's a whole 'nother experience!"

The familiar anger returned, and her grip on the blade tightened, "Where. Is. Hiroyuki."

"Probably with the other magicians. Cramped quarters. Djinn forced to stay manifested until they run out of magoi...It's great, really." The man spoke. "But how about we get back to your parents, yes? It must have been so hard on you."

Neah dragged the blade across his collarbone, "How about we don't? Tell me more about where Yuki is."

"Yuki? Aw, what a cute nickname. Too bad you'll never see him again," The man taunted. "You know, he screamed the whole way to the main office. Cried for you, for his parents. He wanted his little 'Ne-kun' back so bad...It was pathetically adorable."

Neah cut the soldier several more times, "Shut up!"

The man held back his cries to taunt her more, his former innocent soldier act long forgotten, "And your parents, they tried so hard to protect you. Only to be slaughtered. Your mother was beautiful too, looked just like you. Shame she had to be killed."

Neah brought the dagger to his throat and pressed, drawing blood. "Go on, kill me. It's revenge you fallen ones want, isn't it? Go on, then," The man challenged. Neah knew this was what he wanted. It didn't matter if he were to die or not, he'd already warned the others. She knew he was just trying to break her, but whether it was to stall or not, she wasn't sure. Whatever the reason, his plan worked. Neah continued to press harder, cutting off the man's oxygen while digging the blade deeper into his skin.

She didn't even hear the loud footsteps and a deep voice telling her to stop from outside of the cell. She didn't notice the tears streaming down her face until she whipped around to face the person who'd now entered the cell, swinging her knife to cut them.

Sinbad jumped back, Jafar who was behind him gasping, "Sin!"

"Neah, stop." Sinbad ordered. He looked over the MWS man that was now covered in blood and rather deep slash marks across his chest and arms. He looked back to the sobbing and now shaking magi, "Neah, put the knife down."

Neah dropped the knife, not removing her hands from her face. She hated herself for letting the man's words get to her. She didn't even know his name, he could've been making everything up. But it all sounded so convincing. She could hear her parents and Yuki's screams in her head, and they wouldn't go away.

The fallen magi followed Sinbad out of the cell, barley hearing over her cries as Sinbad told Ja'far to take care of the MWS soldier. Sinbad stopped her in the hall before they got outside to where everyone else was still gathered, "Neah, are you alright?"

"Does it look like I'm alright?!" Neah's voice cracked, "T-That man murdered my parents..." Just like everything else going on around her, the magi didn't realize her own actions as she hugged the king. She didn't care how weird or awkward it was, she was barely keeping herself together and needed something to hold onto.

The king seemed to understand, and placed a hand on her head and one on her back. After a few moments, Ja'far walked over, "Sin th- uh, what?" He looked at the shorter girl being held by his king.

Sinbad looked down at Neah, who was slowly calming down and shrugged lightly.

Ja'far's expression softened, "Well... I've been notified that the Seven Seas Alliance has arrived, and that Reim will be here shortly. Both of you are needed before everyone starts fighting again."

Sinbad nodded, "I'll be there in a moment. How's the MWS soldier?"

"Stable, for now," Ja'far scowled. "What did he say to her?" He gestured to the magi.

"I'm not sure," Sinbad answered, looking down at the magi again with worried eyes.

"It doesn't matter," Neah's quiet voice was muffled by Sinbad's clothing. She pulled away from him and wiped her face. She straightened out her appearance and hoped her face wasn't as red as it felt. "The Alliance is here, right? We should get going." She didn't look up at either of the men, who were exchanging concerned looks.

"Are you sure you're prepared to go out there?" Sinbad asked.

"I'm fine." Neah answered harshly. She breathed deeply and headed for the exit, "C'mon."

~