It's been a while, hasn't it?

Welp, I'm back and here's a new chapter.

Onwards!

EDIT: In light of recent SnB chapters, I changed Guison into Ipos.

Finding Ranya

Chapter 8: Fatima

Fatima.

The name had a familiar ring to it. It took Shion a couple minutes before he remembered where he heard it. That…was the name of Amani's teacher, wasn't it? The one who died when Balbadd's royal palace was ransacked by its people. Shion never knew the woman personally, but he heard only good things about her.

(Well, Alibaba expressed extreme fear when recalling Fatima, but even he respected Amani's predecessor.)

Shion felt a little giddy that he could finally see a connection between his mother and a Blessed Child. His fingers fluttered around the edge of the page in preparation to turn it the moment he was mentally prepared to move forward.

(Of course, that moment didn't take too long. The page was already turned.)

'I was three days into my journey when I first encountered Fatima. I was wandering around a marketplace in a small town where she was trying to reason with a vendor who was under the assumption that she wanted to kill him.' His mother's script informed his father. Shion liked to think that his mother was smiling as she wrote this like he usually did when he wrote to his Blessed Children. But who was he to know? He barely remembered her voice. '…She just wanted an apple.'

Shion snorted.

"S-S-S-S-S-Stay away from me! Evil Spirit! Assassin!" The vendor wailed. "I'm going to die! Someone! Help!"

Blue eyes turned to the little girl with silver hair, who barely reached the man's chest. The reaction was immediate. Skepticism and incredulity filled Ranya as she watched the ridiculous scene continue while the rest of the town continued their merry way as if the whole thing wasn't happening. (That, Ranya would realize later on, was not normal either.)

Despite his screams and loud accusations, she continued to hold out a few gold coins and a pouch. It was obvious that murder was the last thing in mind of the child.

Then, the child's stomach growled loudly.

Ranya couldn't take it anymore. She strode over to the vendor and stood in front of the child defensively. "Hey! That's no way to treat a child, mister! And that's an even more deplorable way to treat a paying customer!"

Much to Ranya's bewilderment, the vendor's expression changed abruptly from fear to confusion. He looked around. "Eh? The evil spirit is gone?" He muttered to himself before his eyes landed on Ranya. "Ah? Miss, you've saved me from the monster! Thank you! Thank you very much!"

Any argument Ranya was prepared to release onto this rude man dissolved at the face of his genuine gratitude. She glanced backwards at the little girl to make sure she was still there before turning back to the babbling man. 'Strange, she's still there. Is that guy trying to pull my leg or something? But he looks so sincere…'

Ranya could say nothing as he dumped all the apples. When she insisted she could pay for them, the vendor would hear no more of it and shooed her away.

"It's like he's a completely different person. Wonder why he acted like that…?" She muttered to herself before the rukh by her ears reminded her why she came over. The blonde looked down at the little girl. "Ah, sorry about that. I almost forgot! Here, take these apples. The guy should've given it to you anyways since he was treating you horribly."

(How did she forget about that girl? Even if it was only for an instant…)

The little girl accepted the apples with much grace as she could while holding the coins out stiltedly. "…Thank you. Here."

Ranya denied the coins with a laugh and a shake of her head.

"Oh no, those apples were free. No need to hand those over, kiddo."

The little girl's face twisted in confusion. Honestly, it was the first emotion Ranya saw in her face through the whole interaction. Even through the strange vendor's screaming, the girl hadn't reacted at all.

"But it's money." She insisted as if Ranya had refused the ultimate power or something of the like.

Ranya laughed.

"Yes, it's money." She agreed patiently as she closed the child's fingers over the small, metal pieces. "It's precious. And it's not something you should throw around when you're offered a free meal. You should save those up for the next time you get hungry."

The girl looked at the coins thoughtfully. "I see. Thank you for your help, then."

"No problem, kiddo. Enjoy those apples!"

'I didn't think much of her again until I heard news about a dungeon that appeared suddenly a few ways away from the town I was staying at. I considered not going but…how could I resist? It sounded so fun!'

'And, the rukh encouraged me to go. So I had to go there anyways.'

"Huh, so this is a dungeon." Ranya whistled as she stared up at the large structure. It looked so…foreign. And daunting. And yet, despite the dangers the dungeon represented, the blonde couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement. "How exciting!"

"It's also dangerous." A soft voice added at Ranya's side, making her jump. "I hope you're not considering jumping into it."

It was the little girl she met at the marketplace before.

Ranya laughed nervously. "And if I said I was…?"

"Then, you're an idiot." The child replied bluntly. Then, she gave the teen a suspicious look. "You're still going to go, aren't you?"

"…Yes."

The girl sighed but nodded.

"Then, I'm going with you."

Ranya's expression turned nervous. "Hey now, kiddo, that might not be the greatest idea. I have no way of making sure you're safe through this whole thing. Dungeons, I heard, are pretty tricky to go through. Besides, I don't think your parents would like that very much."

The girl gave her a flat look that offered no argument. 'Do not patronize me.' Her eyes seemed to say. 'You don't deserve to say those things when you're doing this stupid thing.'

But, instead of saying those things, she said:

"My parents are dead."

And that was that.

'After reuniting with two long lost brothers, one of blood and one of choice, I have left home again – for good this time. I'm sure that Sin already sold the land of our childhood home. I can only wish that it would serve well for another family.

'Yunan – my other brother – spoke to me about my past. I still can't remember, but he told me it was fine. He told me it was best to find out myself with time. Follow the rukh, Yunan said. So, I did. And lo and behold, I ended up following them into a dungeon!'

'A dungeon!'

'Oh skies, it's as wonderful and mysterious as Sin told me! The dungeon is so huge and there are so many strange, new plants and creatures here! So far, it hasn't treated me too badly, aside from an occasional trap or puzzle here and there. I only hope that it will continue doing so since I'm not alone.'

'Yes, I have a young traveling companion. She is a little girl I met during a strange misunderstanding with an apple vendor. She is pretty stubborn for a child her age, but she's clever and good on her feet! Her movements are so smooth and her steps make little to no sound. I wonder who taught her how to move as she does?'

'Though she has yet to give me her name, I feel that we are beginning to become friends!'

"What are you writing?"

Ranya paused in her hasty scribbling to look up at her companion. They had set up camp after a long day of traveling. Or…what Ranya assumed was a long day of traveling. She had no sun to tell her the time and the flow of time here was funny. Ranya smiled and tapped at the half-written page of her journal. "I'm just writing an account of my travels. When I reunite with Sin, I won't forget about all the details!"

"I doubt you'll forget something like this." The girl stated dryly before tilting her head. "Sin?"

"He's my little brother." Ranya said fondly, making the girl across from her stiffen. The blonde smiled to herself and continued, thinking back to her purple-haired, golden-eyed brother. "Sin is an adventurous one. He actually conquered a dungeon all by himself! I wanted to see what it's like, so I came here!"

The girl raised a brow. "And not for the fabled power to make you king? Not for the riches that conquering it would provide?"

"Nope! I mean, a bit of money for travels would be appreciated, but what would be the point? I can get that kind of money with a little bit of work. And the power of a king? Why would I need such a thing? I'm a traveler, not some monarch!"

The girl stared at the teen blankly before pulling the covers over her head.

"I heard enough crazy talk for today. Good night."

Ranya blanched.

"Oi!"

Ranya wheezed unattractively as she hefted herself up the mountain that appeared out of nowhere. Though it looked grandiose and majestic, the trip up was tasking. The little girl, on the other hand, appeared completely unaffected by the climb.

"How…the heck…can you climb up…this mountain…so easily?!" Ranya complained between wheezes.

The girl paused in her climb to shrug. "I trained. This is nothing."

"What kind of intense training is that?"

"Training."

"Aaaaand dinner is ready, kiddo! Please blow on the stew before eating it. It's hot!"

The little girl looked thoughtfully at her bowl. She tentatively took a bite and her face brightened. "…Good."

Ranya grinned.

"Ahahaha, right? I might not be as good as you in the physical stuff, but I'm an awesome cook!"

The little girl took another bite.

"I suppose you're not completely useless after all."

Ranya eyed her. "You know, for a cute kid, you're pretty mean. Just be grateful and eat your dinner."

Ranya and the little girl stared at the tablet with blanks stares. The symbols written all over the stone looked completely daunting to the pair despite their simple markings.

"…"

"…"

"What the heck is this gobbledygook?" The blonde asked to no one in particular.

"I have no idea."

'It's been a while since we first came into the dungeon. A lot of things happened. Or…maybe it's more suitable to say that nothing really happened.'

'My companion is beginning to look a bit angsty. Is it that she has another promise she needs to fulfill? Now I feel a bit bad for indirectly dragging her into this. A kid shouldn't be tangled into a situation like this after all.'

'Ah, I have so many questions. Maybe I should ask.'

"Hey kiddo?"

"…"

Ranya moved a little closer to the little bump under the blankets.

"I know it's a bit late but…what's your name? Mine's Ranya."

The little bump didn't answer.

The blonde sighed. "Hey, look…I know that you're frustrated about something and I'm sorry that I dragged you into this. But the only way out of this place is to find the djinn, so please…bear with it a little bit longer. I'll do my best to find the way out as fast as I can."

The little bump shifted. A silver-haired head popped out with a dry expression.

"Doubt it."

Ranya pouted. "Mean. So mean."

The little girl looked at the blonde with consideration before she spoke.

"Fatima."

Ranya perked up. "Your name?"

Fatima nodded.

"Fatima." Ranya repeated slowly as she began to smile widely. "It's nice to meet you, Fatima."

Fatima sighed. "And also? I am not a child. I'm sixteen years old."

Ranya gaped. "Wait, what? Sixteen?! But you're…you're so…"

"Don't assume people are children just because they're short."

"I'm so sorry!"

'It took almost forever to find the treasure room. It turns out that the stone piece with the strange symbols that we passed by a few days back was some signpost that led to the room's entrance.'

'Ah, how embarrassing.'

'But all's fair and good at the end. At least, Fatima will be able to go to where she needs to go after this. It was fun while it lasted.'

'I'll miss her, but I wish her well in her travels.'

Ranya and Fatima both looked up in awe – not at the treasures, not at the copious amounts of golden coins – at the imposing djinn that towered over them.

"I am Ipos, Djinn of Forgiveness and Dignity." The djinn boomed. "Who will be king?"

The two females looked at each other and then back at the large creature. Ranya remembered how Sinbad recounted the appearance of his own djinn, Baal, and compared the description with the djinn – Ipos – in front of her.

"Aww, you don't have any horns." Ranya complained a little with disappointment. The djinn in front of her blanched at her comment, breaking any illusion of its imposing character. "Wh-What?!"

Ranya waved his reaction away. "You're pretty big and blue." She confessed. "But, you have absolutely no interesting qualities! Sin's said his djinn had horns. Horns! And scales! And a tail."

Fatima shot Ranya a warning look. "I don't think it's a good idea to offend the –

"Are you talking about Baal?" Ipos asked incredulously, interrupting the girl in mid-sentence. She sighed quietly.

"Yeah! That guy!" The blonde confirmed with a wide smile. "I was expecting something similar, but you're just a pretty guy." She sighed. "Though, I guess that's what I get for assuming."

Ipos flushed. "Pretty?" He repeated shyly. "Was that a genuine compliment?!"

Fatima sent the djinn a dry look, fear and awe already worn out from witnessing the whole conversation. "It wasn't. It was a backhanded compliment at best."

But, of course, she was ignored once again.

"Your dungeon was great to explore, though!" Ranya quickly added, finally realizing how rude she must've sounded. "The sights were beautiful and your puzzles were pretty clever! Especially that gobbledygook in front of your treasury!"

"Do you mean the Toran writing…?"

"Yeah. That."

"Well, thank you." Ipos said awkwardly, still blushing. "I'm glad that you enjoyed your experience here in the dungeon. It's been a while since I last had guests."

Ranya glanced at Fatima. "Do you mind pointing me and my friend to the exit? It's been fun, but we need to be on our way now. Who knows how much time passed?"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible until I choose a king."

Ranya pulled Fatima in front of her. "What about this one? She's pretty talented and clever. I bet she'll make a great king."

The djinn blinked in surprise at the appearance of the silver-haired girl. She looked up defiantly at him, though little tremors and shivers gave her fear away. He gave her a quick once-over before shaking his head. "…No. She will not be my king. This one is a Blessed Child. She serves an important purpose of giving power to a king. Though some few of my brethren would grant them the king's power, I am not one of them."

Fatima slumped with disappointment. Ranya, on the other hand, looked a little panicked.

"Whaaat? Then how are we going to get out of here now?"

Ipos' fingers tapped nervously. "Um…would you like to be my king?"

Ranya tilted her head. "King? But I'm a traveler."

"That's fine." He assured her quickly. "I enjoy traveling too. My power is useful for those kinds of things, so I think we would suit each other very well. I also feel that you would become a wonderful king!"

"Ah, well, if you say so." Ranya scratched the back of her head sheepishly. She then shuffled around her bag before procuring a knife. "I heard from Sin that you needed something metal to latch onto. Will this be fine? I'm pretty attached to it so…"

"Of course!" Ipos gushed with excitement. He pointed over to a large, star-like symbol. "Put everything you need over there and just step in. The transportation circle will do the rest, my king."

Ranya let out a relieved laugh as the blue sky came into sight. "We're back! Finally! Isn't this great, Fatima?" The blonde paused when she heard response. She turned around. "Fatima?"

Fatima continued to remain silent.

Ranya's smile wavered only the tiniest bit before it came back in full force. "Well, I guess this is where we part paths, huh? Thanks for coming along in this trip, Fatima. It was pretty fun while it lasted."

"…"

The blonde sat up and gathered her bags. She glanced back at the little girl for the last time. "Goodbye, Fatima."

"…"

Ranya sighed. She turned away and took a step to her next destination.

Before she could take another step, a small hand grasped onto her sleeve, halting her movements. The rukh around her hushed.

"I need your help."

Ranya looked to her companion in surprise. Then, her blue eyes softened. "Then, I'll help."

Fatima struggled a bit before she could voice what was on her mind. Ranya waited patiently, knowing how hard it might be for her to open up.

"The vendor was not incorrect when he called me an assassin." Fatima began, shifting uncomfortably. Ranya blinked. "I am not innocent. I know thousands of ways to kill a grown man. I was raised to become a horrible weapon for an organization."

"…Huh."

"I can't tell you the details of the organization I used to work for, but I'm not part of it anymore." Fatima continued to confess. "Now, I'm trying to find power so I can defeat it and save my little brother."

"A brother?" Ranya asked kindly.

"…His name is Ja'far. He is small, a bit of a brat, and too jaded for his age. I…I do not wish for him to continue this sort of life." The younger teen declared with a firm tone. "But I'm not strong enough at this moment to save him."

Fatima bowed her head.

"Please…Please help me find the power to save him!"

'I never saved Fatima from Al Thamen. I don't even think I was aware of the organization until she opened up to me far later in our travels. Fatima left Al Thamen by her own choice. I know that Ja'far may have insisted otherwise because of their strained relationship, but it is the truth.'

'Fatima is strong. Fatima is good. And Fatima loves her brother more than anything in the world.'

'Please tell Ja'far this, Sin. I beg you.'

And the concept of Blessed Children will be introduced to the story in the next chapter!

Thanks for waiting and thanks for your support!