Whispers of Fire Ch9 bit – Jewels

~ crossovercreativechaos

“I take it you have something of mine.”

“Looks like I might.” Cassim reached into his robes left-handed, taking out a loosely-wrapped bundle of cloth. Clean rags half-fell away from a headpiece that glittered gold and ruby and lapis-blue in flickering torch flames. An ornament that couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than what it was: the formal jewels of the King of Sindria.

Cassim’s smile was a desert jackal’s, cold and cruel and hungry. “Something you want to tell me about our guest, Merhdad?”

Don’t back down. Look weak, and he’ll break it off right here. “A client’s a client,” Alibaba shrugged, trying for casual. “I wouldn’t tell him where to find you, even if he asked. Why should I give you a name when he needs a low profile? You have a problem with the commission, you two figure it out.”

Sinbad’s eyebrows jumped at that one. Masrur… looked amused. If Alibaba was reading that slight crease of red eyes right, and he wasn’t just unhappy with the fish that’d turned up at dinner.

“Oh, that’s rich,” Cassim almost growled. “Like where to find me is anything like-”

“Dealing with the King of Sindria?” Sinbad cut him off smoothly. “I’d say it is, honestly. After all, we both have a lot of lives riding on our secrets, Cassim. I doubt you feel any less for your thieves than I do for my kingdom.” He waved a hand at the headpiece. “It’s a pretty trinket, but it’s not the most important thing I’m looking for. So! Shall we negotiate?”

A slow clap echoed through the night.

Above? Alibaba jerked his head up, seeing Morgiana and Masrur just as startled, and how the hell had someone snuck up on two Fanalis–

A carpet floated in the night air, almost a drift of fog itself. Standing on it was a grinning man, maybe Cassim’s age; long black braid blowing in the wind, thin midriff bared by black loose pants and a half-shirt, arms and throat ringed in gleaming gold.

“Dealing with thieves, Sinbad?” The grin spread wider as he floated down; still not low enough for one of Morgiana’s leaps. “Aw. That’s so boring!”

A/N: Yes, you may eep now. 😉

22 thoughts on “Whispers of Fire Ch9 bit – Jewels”

      1. Prediction: One broken brain, numerous broken bones, //massive// city wide rebuilding project. And not necessarily in that order…

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  2. He has timing. You have to give him that. He has timing.

    And Cassim, I didn’t know that Alibaba was required to give you absolutely every single piece of information down to the last detail that he has about his activities past and present and every person he interacts and whatever secrets they told him. Secrets that aren’t Alibaba’s. A full disclosure that I’m sure you have reciprocated fully?

    Or are you the only one allowed to have secrets? Or to keep other’s secrets?

    What or who gives you the right to tell Alibaba he’s not allowed to have any secrets from you, even ones that aren’t his to share?

    For someone who complains mighty about certain people being overprivileged jerks, you are acting awfully entitled . . .

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  3. Sinbad, it might be rude but I’d suggesting just swiping the Metal vessel, blast Judar and finalize the bargain with Cassim when you aren’t all in danger of being fried by the dark Magi.

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      1. Darn the bad luck.

        Ja’far is going to frown. He doesn’t mind guarding Aladdin but he always frowns when his king was in danger and he wasn’t or couldn’t be there to help get him out of it. Yes, Sinbad is often in danger. Yes, Sinbad can usually take care of himself. Yes, Masrur is there. Still, he is going to frown. And be extra pointy the next time something or someone is stupid enough to get his way or annoy him.

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      3. …of course it is. Because having Sinbad actually be able to fight back against the deranged magi would make things too simple!
        I think we’ve blown past ‘eeep’ and are heading towards ‘nope the heck out of here’ territory.
        (Grabs popcorn and a bean bag chair to watch the show, because Toxic is nuts)

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      5. Very, very pointy.

        Eep.

        Through now my bunnies keep giving me the image of Ja’far as a white-quilled porcupine. A grumpy porcupine.

        And the fact that there are people convinced that Sindria really is home to a species of foul-tempered porcupine with white quills. A rumor that Ja’far finds annoying and his friends find amusing.

        Especially since Alibaba warned Sinbad that this was still a trap!

        “He never listens . . . or he doesn’t listen well enough. Overconfident idiot, thinking he can handle anything even without his Metal Vessels . . . remind me again why I follow King Moron of the Seven Seas?”

        Also . . .

        “Next time someone tells us it is a trap, I am following the kid’s suggestion. I’m sure the other Generals will agree that it is the only option. Even the one stuck with trying to keep him escaping and coming back . . .”

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      7. I see Ja’far as dandelion fluff. Ironic, given dandelions are edible and even good for you.

        Can he not be both?

        And I mostly see him as the porcuine he’s feeling very annoyed and very pointy. The rest of the time, he’s more dandelion fluff.

        Not that I would ever say that anywhere he could hear it.

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  4. Heh i don’t know what this says about me but i just smiled and felt like cackling. I am counting on at least 2 brainbreakers, as well as possibly one society changer, many heads going thunk (self inflicted or by other people) and i am kind of hopibg for a reluctant king that kicks as much butt as Aragorn.

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  5. I’ll be honest, I didn’t so much as ‘eep’ as whisper ‘effing Judar’ in a mix of resignation and anger under my breath.

    As shiori_makiba said, he has very good timing. Almost too good timing, to the point where I genuinely wonder if he waited for the perfect opportunity to show himself. Because I feel like he totally would lie in wait, ensuring none of them know he’s there, just so he could interrupt and be perfectly dramatic and unexpected.

    _The grin spread wider as he floated down; still not low enough for one of Morgianna’s leaps._

    But what about one of Masrur’s?

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