A Couple Years Later

As his feet lightly lit upon the upper wall, Sinbad grinned, glancing behind him. The thrill of magoi flooding his veins made his heart pump faster and soar, and there was a thrill bordering on ecstasy in trying out a new equip for the first time. He felt his hair billowing out, feathers brushing his neck and swaying in the corner of his vision, and he took a deep breath of moisture-laden air before laughing aloud at his triumph and pleasure. "I thought you said you were gonna keep up, Ja'far!?"

A flicker of movement and there was Ja'far, landing beside him in a crouch, glancing up at him with eyes that were darker than their customary grey. "Whenever did you get the impression that I was not, Sinbad?" He rose up, brushing a lock of hair out of his face with easy distain. He was, Sinbad noted with a fiery note burning in his heart, much more feral in times of action like this - full of speed and grace, the claws at fingers and toes more pronounced, the tips of horns curling toward the back of his skull, tail flowing behind him. Ja'far met his gaze and Sinbad read full well the irritation for so openly staring, but Sinbad was too in the moment to care much aside from a full-throated chuckle.

"I think I like this form," Sinbad declared, holding his arms out in from of him. He felt replenished, on top of the world, and his eyes traced the crimson slashes decorating his torso. With a sharp movement he clenched his fists, tilting his head back with what was probably a reckless smile. "Djinn equip Focalor... Times like this and I truly feel alive, my advisor."

"Is that so?" Ja'far crossed his arms, lithe, gazing not up at the cloudy evening-dimmed sky and ahead, over the empty steppe lands outside of the city walls. "For all the fuss that you put up about accessing this as soon as possible... It is a good thing to hear, I suppose. Believe," and he raised his chin here, "That if you weren't satisfied, I would kick your ass back into the last fortnight."

Sinbad rolled his shoulders, humming. Then he glanced to the side. "Hey, Ja'far?"

"Yes, Sinbad?"

"In your opinion, what is the best way to test out a new djinn?"

"How the hell should a demon kn-"

"C'mon, Ja'far, you can do better than that - you've spent the last, how long, around me? I know you can't use a djinn or its powers, but you are not unfamiliar with magic or djinns themselves."

"Djinn magic and demon magic are integrally different to each other, I will remind you." Sinbad could see the tips of Ja'far's sharp canines as he spoke. "Nonetheless, if you are so bent on wrecking yourself as soon as you can - well, a physical test first is best. Magic flows afterward."

"A display of physicality, hmm?" Sinbad tipped his head, eyes half-lidded. "Well, I think I have a solution, mayhaps." And Ja'far's noncommittal reply, he added, "Would you like to help me test it?"

Ja'far merely raised his eyebrows. Funny, how a whole ten-minute rant could be conveyed in a single look.

"I want to know my limits without having to pull it last-minute on the battlefield, especially now that more and more lives are riding on my blade. And I want it to be secret - so with your power, you could keep up."

"So that's why you called me out on this misty, dreary day?"

"Yup. Poor visibility," he swept a hand in front of them, "Empty land, time to ourselves..."

"Any restrictions?'

"Um." Part of Sinbad was surprised that Ja'far was giving in so easily, and the other part was simply pleased that his plan had worked. "Don't seriously... kill or maim me, please. Let's make this a physical thing, not magical, so limit your transformation to one or two attacks. And, hm..." He pondered for a second. "A race, first." He pointed to the distance. "To the yonder river. When we both reach it, come at me with full intent."

Ja'far blew a drop of rain from the tip of his nose. "If I didn't recall so vividly when you summoned me, I'd say you were a fool. Fortunately, I still have all these years of experience to justify me still calling you one."

"Hey, now..."

"Pff." Ja'far turned fully to Sinbad, baring his teeth. "Use the demon as your punching bag, fine. Don't go off crying when you lose."

"I'll do my best to not disappoint." Sinbad angled his body as well, facing Ja'far in turn. "So you accept?"

"Indeed I do." Ja'far lashed his tail, smirk turning into a mock-sweet look. "On your mark?"

Sinbad barked forth a laugh. "Get set, Ja'far."

Neither had a need to say 'go.'

A jumble of movement and they both leapt from the wall as one, falling toward the dusty ground below. Sinbad's feathery hair billowed out around him and he narrowed his eyes, intent - but still caught the blur of twisting motion as Ja'far's human body elongated, shimmering several shades lighter than the rain-heavy clouds above. Halfway down the length of the wall and Ja'far howled a battle cry, dragon ripping free and paws extending to the ground. Sinbad yelled with him, feeling the magoi within him pulse in return.

Falling...

And their feet hit the ground and they shot forward like twin bullets, streaking forward over the plains. Sinbad pull his whole being into movement, barely skimming the grounds as he hurling himself forward. He was dimly aware of Ja'far keeping pace beside him, head level with Sin's torso, winding forward like a snake darting through water. His leathery ears were tight against his head, and as one great eye made contact with Sin the pupil seemed to glitter like a mirage, defiant and wild.

A torrent of motion compressed and the river burst into view, swollen with rainwater. Sinbad had pulled ahead by a few mere yards but he could hear - could sense - Ja'far on his tail, feel the pant of the great beast pulling air into mighty lungs. That thought - that he was outracing a dragon - pulled Sinbad forward as though on wings and he reached the river's edge heartbeats before Ja'far, hurling his whole body up before the demon collided with him.

A tremendous roar below him and he spun around to a haze of mist and sand, seeing Ja'far dig his paws into the ground, one leg skidding out behind. In spite of the jumble of limbs and coils those glowing eyes did not leave his presence, and he gathered energy to propel himself upward, feeling the click of teeth as Ja'far's jaws snapped inches from his feet. Ja'far followed him upwards, evolving into a twisted game of tag - Ja'far lunging and he dodging at last minute, flipping and flowing until the ground yawed far below him, dizzyingly. The coils of the dragon drew tighter and tighter as the demon wound about him, giving him fewer and fewer options to dodge without getting hit.

Seeing an opening, he darted forward and slapped his open palm against the side of Ja'far's neck as he careened past, narrowly avoiding being slapped by a tail. "Not good enough!" He shouted, elated at how easily the movements of this equip came to him. Nonetheless, he knew this was not a form he could hold forever, but - he wanted to draw out this exertion-filled moments, wanted to feel his muscles burning as he pushed toward the limit. "Come on, Ja'far, give me a challenge!"

Ja'far retreated about fifty yards, hovering and twisting in midair. Sinbad, too, halted and floated, watching the wrinkle of Ja'far's muzzle as he bared his teeth, poised and waiting for whatever the demon would throw at him next. It wouldn't seem like he would have to wait long, for Ja'far flexed his talons, rolling his eyes down to examine them. He stretched his claws wide and howled, a deep, belling sound, then that long neck seemed to coil in and the shape of the dragon disappeared, wrapped into a bubble of darkness which pulsed in once, twice. Sinbad breathed in sharply, mentally probing his magoi reserves, then started and leapt a few bounds backwards as the bubble pushed out sharply, torn from the inside. A moment of nothing - and then it burst and a mostly-human Ja'far was hurtling at him.

Mostly human because now he had wings.

Sinbad had only a moment to gape before the demon was on him - and he almost couldn't help it, because aside from the dragon he'd never seen Ja'far before in any form where he had large wings except when they were obviously part of whatever creature he'd transformed into. These wings, though - they were huge, stretching twice Sinbad's height at their span (he estimated), and darkly iridescent, shimmering like raven feathers. He had no time to stare and admire, however, because Ja'far was upon him, striking out with a clawed hand and their game of chase turned into a close-combat melee of punches and kicks.

A particularly tense flurry of sidewipes and Sinbad had to laugh again, this time at how in-sync they were - each attack was deflected easily into the next move, as easy and flowing as a preordained chain. Those grey eyes across from him were narrowed in concentration, teeth slightly bared.

Eventually, Sinbad saw the opportunity to land a blow. Ja'far must have sensed it, but either he was getting tired or was just too slow to react, for Sinbad smashed him in the shoulder with a punch and he dropped several feet. He yelped and spun down, eventually righting himself and bearing back upwards with slow strokes of his wings, climbing back to Sinbad's altitude. Waiting, Sinbad rolled his shoulders, gazing back the way they came at the now distant city walls. Maybe a minute more of transformation before it became dangerous to maintain it, he estimated, then jerked back with a gasp as something whistled past the cover of his eye.

He dropped back a few steps and flailed around wildly, looking for his opponent (it had been a stupid idea to take his eyes off Ja'far when he knew full well the other would take advantage of his distraction). Nothing, nothing - and there he was, yards above Sin, those wings stretching in a breathtaking display.

Magnificent.

At least, those were his thoughts until Ja'far swept those powerful wings down, shooting a cloud of - black feathers...?

Sinbad quickly realized that these missiles were more like knives as one skimmed by his cheek and he cursed out loud, dashing to the side - but as Ja'far swept his wings again Sinbad realized that Ja'far wasn't going to stop at one attack. He shot upward like an arrow, pivoting and swerving to avoid the feather-knives, and burst into the clouds above. Rain droplets rolled down his chest, chilling his skin, but he moved forward, dimly extending his senses. Somehow, he could feel Ja'far below him, waiting for Sinbad to reappear - and as his magoi reserves began to flutter with him he oriented himself directly above (most people have a natural blind spot above their heads, right?) and plunged downward -

- Emerging directly over Ja'far's head. He had the faintest impression of Ja'far's startled face, staring up at him before they collided, except instead of throwing his weight into a punch or hit Sinbad tackled Ja'far, wrapping his arms around the demon and letting gravity take hold.

They plunged downward together, Ja'far wiggling in Sinbad's grasp. "Let go!" He yelled, wings flailing against Sinbad's shoulders, hands scratching at Sin's sides. "I don't - let - " and when Ja'far's voice faltered Sinbad looked into Ja'far's face, grey eyes meeting tawny for a few eternities...

And Sinbad's energy abruptly ran out as the djinn equip dissolved into smoke and feathers that were quickly blown away by the speed of their fall. In their proximity, Sinbad could make out the dilation of Ja'far's pupils as shock took hold, and suddenly the arms which had been struggling against him now were wrapped around his back, wings sweeping up to engulf Sinbad's vision.

"SIN!"

Funny how vividly Sin could feel the other's heart pounding against his own, feel the strain of the other's back muscles as they shook against the strain of slowing their descent. He felt strangely lethargic, as though it would be so easy to just... close his eyes and sleep, but the wild note of Ja'far's voice made him struggle against it.

"Damnit, Sin, hold on -"

And the world seemed to shake and spin around them, and in what seemed like an eternity later Sinbad opened his eyes (when had he closed them?) to see Ja'far's concerned face inches from his own.

It came to Sinbad, then, that they were no longer falling - now he was resting on the muddy ground, although his head was oddly comfortable. He blinked, disoriented, registering the powerful flicker of relief that had fluttered over his demon's face. With a slow, careful movement he reached up to rub his face, feeling the latent ache of his muscles overtaxed by the djinn equip. His temples throbbed, and with a wince he thought, I'm going to regret this in the morning, aren't I.

He must have also muttered something of that nature out loud, because Ja'far snorted, leaning farther back. "It serves you right, idiot. I should leave you to sleep out here - maybe clean water would restore your wits."

Sinbad stared up at Ja'far's face, not quite yet grasping why the other was upside down in his point of view. "Did I overdo it?" He winced, adjusting his neck against whatever it was pillowed against. "Um... I'm sorry, Ja'far. I didn't think that the cooldown would hit me quite that hard." A growl from his stomach, and Sinbad felt his cheeks warm slightly. "Thank you for helping me test it."

"Well, it's not every day I get to rail against you like that." Sinbad watched the flutter of Ja'far's eyelashes as the other looked across the dreary grassland. "I suppose you didn't do too poorly - how do you feel you performed?"

"Focalor... is powerful, and his magoi courses through my veins like a tornado." Sinbad let his chest bell out as he inhaled, then sighed. "I definitely understand his nature a bit better... Next time, I think I can isolate how to use his brand of magic."

"Hm."

A few seconds passed, and then Sinbad asked, "What exactly happened? Did I pass out?" That would be a bit embarrassing - yeah, he'd almost done so for Baal, but that had been his first ever full djinn equip.

Ja'far glanced down at him. "I don't think so... you just kinda felt dazed when I grabbed you. I did stop us from plowing into the ground, so any thanks you'd like to give would be gladly received, mind."

Sinbad gave him a lazy smile. "Thank you, my dear companion."

"Stop that." Ja'far swatted his forehead, tail thumping slightly to Sin's left. "Sincere, not foolhardly."

"Ouch, rude! Alright, alright, I learned my lesson," Sinbad finally laughed, feeling a bit of his headache finally bleed away. "Still, you are the best."

"I know." The mass cushioning Sinbad's head seemed to shift, and Sinbad furrowed his brow slightly, trying to connect the dots and figure out how there was a - he paused. Then he reached up, as slowly and stealthily as he could, and ran his fingers against the ground by his head - and ended up petting Ja'far's knee.

Ja'far shrieked and shoved Sinbad away, unceremoniously dumping him fully on the ground. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Owow - hey, hang on, hold up!" He instinctively reached out at the demon who was clambering to his feet, ears tinted red. "Were you - um - " Doing what I thought you were doing? "Were you letting me rest my head on your lap?"

"Shut up, stupid Sinbad!" Yes, Ja'far's face was definitely red now, or at least that's what Sin saw before the other turned. "You were really out of it, and you had mud all over you, and -"

"Ja'far, hang on." He held up his hands in a placating gesture as he rolled onto his knees, watching the demon as though he might a startled animal. "Was... Did I scare you?"

Ja'far humphed, still turned away. "No, idiot. You just..." He fell quiet for a second, then finished, "You weren't opening your eyes."

Sinbad stared up at Ja'far, mouth slightly agape. For all their years together... Ja'far made it clear from the start that he didn't like being touched, and after several quarrels Sinbad did his best to make sure that people didn't try to on accident. He had on some occasions, mostly unavoidably, but the times that Ja'far had let himself into such close contact... Sinbad could count them on one hand. And for him to have done it when Sinbad was weak and defenseless...

He felt his own cheeks heat.

The wind swirled around them, tugging at their clothes, and Sinbad finally blew a raindrop from his lips and bent his head toward the ground. "Thanks for the save, Ja'far." He tried to inject as much honesty - as much sincerity - as he could into that simple, single phrase, and when he dared to peak up through his bangs his demon was gazing at him with an odd look in his eyes, almost... touched, if Sinbad dared name the emotion in steely grey eyes.

Then the moment had passed and Ja'far turned away fully, tail tucking close behind him. "You're dragging me along on your foolhardy quest, right? You can't prove me wrong if you're in a crater in the ground." His voice was subdued, but it picked up as he took a few steps forward. "Come on, I would like to get back before the true darkness sets in and our companions are rioting in the streets looking for you. I don't have the energy to carry you all the way."

"What about over the walls?" Sinbad offered, finally climbing to his feet and making a face at the muck covering his clothes. Helpfully (and a bit ruefully) he added, "I think the gates close at night, too."

"Are you -" Ja'far grumbled, low in his throat. "Fine, but only when the city is a bit closer." He deliberated, then added, "I want a hot meal too."

"I can arrange that."

"... Serious?"

"Ja'far," Sinbad caught up, standing squarely beside him, "Get us back, and after what you did we can have whatever meal in the city I can provide."

"Really?" Ja'far asked, somewhat peppier. "I am going to take that claim very seriously, you know. I hope you know how much gold you have on you."

"Ah, come on." Sinbad stepped forward, feeling his companion trot to walk beside him instead of behind like he usually did. In light of that Sin couldn't help but toss a smile to the side, bone-weary and aching but feeling unexplainably satisfied. "And hey - if I based my contract off anything, it was my ability to keep my promises, yeah?"