"Yes, Rumina, I see it. I'm not blind, you know."
"I wonder why Sinbad's not with that pesky little peasant...."
"If you'd keep a better watch on your prey, you'd know these things," Turok answered with a disgusted look. "I, however, pay attention to these things. They were separated at their last port. Maeve's little good-Samaritan tendencies got her kidnapped. Now she's onboard a pirate ship. And Captaining it, no less! Sinbad is left following behind and trying to catch up with her. He doesn't even know if she's dead or alive."
"But how is it that they've ended up here, father?"
"Ugh, do I have to explain everything!? created a storm that knocked both ships off-course. An old trick, but one that works quite well, my daughter."
"It's a brilliant plan, father. We'll finally be rid those little annoyances!"
As several of the crew of the Night Raven pulled the longboats ashore, Maeve watched with an odd expression that only Sean noticed.
"Maeve, my love, what's troubling you?" he asked softly.
Maeve was startled out of her seemingly trance-like state and stumbled over her answer, "I, um, that is, I just, uh, felt something odd..."
"Are you not feeling well?"
"No, that's not what I meant, I-" Maeve stopped short as she saw a sort of cloud forming in the distant sky. Sean turned and looked toward the thing that was holding Maeve so captivated. As the 'cloud' came closer it seemed to break off into pieces, which Maeve soon recognized as groups of "Harpies!!!"
"What!?" Sean exclaimed.
"Harpies! Rumin-" Maeve was interrupted yet again as the ground suddenly shook violently.
"Earthquake!" one of the sailors yelled.
"No," Maeve corrected, "Not an earthquake, rock warriors!"
"Captain Maeve, how do you know these things?" Clyde asked.
"Because I know her!" she answered, pointing to a dark-haired woman who was misting onto the beach directly in front of the crew. "Rumina," she said the name as if the word burned her tongue.
"Peasant witch, I see you've gotten yourself a new crew. And a new man, a new lover, perhaps? Got tired of Sinbad did we? Maybe I'll go and claim him for myself...."
"None of this is any of your business, Witch, and leave Sinbad out of this! If you so much as think of laying one grimey finger on him I swear I'll-"
"You'll what? Stop me? Hurt me? Kill me, even? Doubtful, since you'll be dead by the time I reach the Nomad."
"And what, pray tell, is going to kill me, if not your bad fashion sense?"
Rumina growled at that last part and answered, "They are! Harpies, ATTACK!!!"
As the flying warriors made their way toward their targets, one frightened sailor asked, "Captain, what do we do!?"
Maeve, more used to being told what to do in these situations, hesitated before answering, "Stay together! Don't let them separate you, and work together, don't try to be a hero! Don't go after them, let them come to you, and try to find somewhere to take cover! Only fight them if you have to and I'll take care of that witch and the ones you can't handle!"
Sean quickly tugged on Maeve's free arm and said, "You can't do all that alone!"
"I'll have to!" Maeve pulled out of Sean's grasp and caught a quick glance of her crew holding their own against the harpies before she started making her way over toward Rumina.
Rumina gave a quick mental command for her harpies to keep at a distance- she wanted this peasant witch all to herself. "So it comes down to this, you'll die and I get Sinbad. Maybe if this Sean fellow lives I'll take him too..."
"Not today, Rumina!" Maeve and Rumina both powered up their magic and flung it at their enemy, both startled when the two energy balls did nothing more than cancel each other out.
"Either I've gotten stronger or you've gone soft," Maeve taunted.
"I'll kill your brother, too, just for that remark," the dark witch countered while conjuring another black fireball.
Maeve, angered that Rumina would even think of harming her brother, suddenly realized that this fighting was going nowhere fast and that she needed to come up with another plan. She needed a more, indirect, approach... After a moment of thought an idea came to her and she thought, *Please, please, please let this work!* Then she raised her arms and her voice and cried out to the heavens,
"You can fight, but you must learn
that from your mistress you must turn,
we are allies, you and I,
so be my warriors of the sky!"
The harpies suddenly halted their attack on the sailors and saw Maeve as their new mistress. They flew to be near her and awaited her orders.
"No!" Rumina screamed, "Harpies, kill her! You're mine, obey me!" The winged creatures paid no attention to her and continued hovering by the red-haired sorceress.
"They're not yours anymore, Rumina," Maeve stated and then ordered calmly, "My pets, kill your ex-mistress."
"NO!!!" Rumina cried yet again as her own creations soared forward and attacked her. The sight was so grotesque that Maeve turned away and Sean came to comfort her while the rest of the crew could only watch in awe. At the very moment Rumina died, all the harpies and the rock warrior that hadn't even had the chance to join the fight disappeared from existence.
Meanwhile Dermott was perched on Sinbad's rainbow bracelet while the Captain stroked his feathers. They were having yet another conversation about Maeve when suddenly a white light enveloped the two, forcing everyone onboard to shield their eyes from the sheer intensity. When the light faded there stood a tall, handsome red-haired man who bore a striking resemblance to Maeve- in a masculine sort of way. That was the first thing everyone noticed. The second thing everyone noticed was Sinbad's muffled cry of pain.
"Sinbad? Are you okay? Where'd you go?" Dermott asked.
"Look... down... you're standing... on... my hand..."
Meanwhile Turok slammed his fist down on the table next to his scrying bowl, blurring the image and then losing it altogether from his lack of concentration. "So you've killed my daughter, peasant witch. I can't say that it is such a terrible loss, she never did live up to my expectations... Still, your punishment will be long... and painful. It's only a matter of time..."
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A Fact Of Life - Part 11