Disclaimers:  Adventures of Sinbad characters and concept are property of their creators.    The following story is exclusive property of the author.

Demons from the Past

©, Mrinda Jez

Chapter One

Bryn stood at the rail of the Nomad gazing out over the sea.  On the horizon the tiny port town of Karakas was coming into view.  They had received a commission from the Caliph of Baghdad to deliver a supply of saffron to the town.  She gazed at the natural cliff faces surrounding the city on two sides like great walls.  Karakas was know for the beautiful marble quarried for the cliffs.  The houses and shops of the town were made out of that marble giving them a polished sheen.

She looked up as she heard Dermott cry overhead. He was making lazy circles above the ship.  Suddenly, he pulled up and dove down out the ship.  In a flutter of wings, he landed beside her.  Bryn caught her breath as she felt what Dermott had sensed.

The emotions poured over her in waves.  Apprehension...  Anxiety...  Fear.  She looked back out at Karakas.  No, she thought, not from there.  She turned to look about at the crew.  Doubar stood at the helm, a look of grim determination on his face.  Worry creased Firouz's face as he checked something on his charts.  Sinbad stood at the bow scanning the coast line with Firouz's magniscope.  She glanced at Rongar, but the moor was busy mending some nets on the other side of the deck.

Sinbad started back towards the aft of the ship.  His eyes were scanning the eastern horizon.  Bryn glanced where he was looking.  Dark clouds were starting to build on the margin of the horizon.

"Sinbad," Doubar called to the captain.  "How long are we going to be in Karakas?"

"Just as long as it takes to unload the cargo.  I want to be back out to sea as soon as possible.  I don't like the look of that storm building off to the east."  Sinbad walked over to Firouz.  "Are you alright?"

Firouz nodded his head and said something to Sinbad that Bryn couldn't hear.    He was motioning to the charts and talking fervently to Sinbad.  Bryn started towards them.  She was going to find out what was going on.  As she approached she could make out what Firouz was saying.

"Sinbad, it would probably be best if I just took the longboat and some supplies.  You could pick me up on your way back out to sea.  It would only be for a few hours.  I'd be fine."  There was a tone of pleading in Firouz's voice that made the hair on the back of Bryn's neck stand on end.  She had never seen him look so frightened.

"Firouz, that's crazy.  Everything will be fine.  Besides that, it isn't safe for a man alone in a small craft, there's a storm brewing."  Sinbad gestured out at the horizon.  The dark clouds that had been just a smear of dark a few moments ago were billowing into great pillars of blackness.

"I know," Firouz said so quietly that Bryn was barely able to catch the words.  He walked over to the rail and stared out at the approaching storm.  "He's there, Sinbad.  He's coming."

"Firouz, he couldn't be.  Dim Dim..." Sinbad started, but Firouz cut him off.

"I can hear him, Sinbad!  Like before."  Firouz gripped the rail.  "He's calling me."

Bryn opened her mouth to ask who they were talking about, but suddenly she felt as if she were being smothered.  The storm had swallowed the ship, engulfing the Nomad in a wave of pure evil.  The ship heaved and she was thrown to the deck.  Her vision swam and dark specks floated on the periphery of her vision.  She forced herself to draw a deep breath.  She felt a force radiating from deep within her soul and push the evil away from her.  Her vision started to clear and she saw Sinbad stagger to his feet.

"No!   Not again!  Leave me alone!"

She scanned the deck for the source of the voice.  Firouz was clutching his head screaming into the wind.  A wave slammed into the side of the ship drenching them all.  Sinbad reached for the inventor, but suddenly he flew back as if he had been swatted away by a giant hand.

Bryn stumbled to her feet and fought her way across the deck.  She reached Sinbad and helped him to his feet.  The ship lurched under their feet again knocking her to the deck.  Sinbad had managed to keep his footing and started for Firouz.

Bryn saw the inventor standing on the deck oblivious to the chaos around him.  Lightning rent the sky and she saw the look of abject terror on his face.  A dark tendril of the cloud snaked down and wrapped around him.  Dark power pulsed in inky waves through the cloud.

"No!" Sinbad yelled and charged into the mist.

"Sinbad!"  Bryn watched in horror as he disappeared into the blackness.

Lightning rent the sky in a blinding flash and Bryn heard Firouz scream in agony.   She threw her arm up to shield her eyes.  Her vision slowly cleared and she saw Sinbad and Firouz laying on the deck.  The storm started to dissipate and sunshine spilled, lighting the rain slicked deck.

She pushed her way to her feet and stumbled over to the fallen men.  Sinbad started to rise as she made her way to him.

"Check Firouz," Sinbad said breathlessly.  He wearily worked his way to his knees.  Doubar, who had finally made his way from the aft the ship, appeared at his side and helped Sinbad to his feet.

"Sinbad, that wasn't...?"  Doubar's face was a mask of concern.  Sinbad nodded.

Bryn knelt by Firouz and gently turned him over onto his back.  His face was ashen and drawn.  She laid her hand on his chest to make sure he was breathing.  He was, barely.  She looked up at Sinbad.  "He's alive.  What was that?" she asked.

Sinbad looked out over the sea at the receding line of dark clouds.  "That was Egan."

Chapter Two

"Doubar."  Sinbad motioned to his brother.

"Mimial, Gilden, get those ropes tied down," the big man ordered a couple of seamen standing nearby and headed over to the captain.

"How bad is the storm damage?" Sinbad asked.

Doubar glanced around at the rigging and debris strewn about the deck.  "Not as bad as it looks.  We do need to replace a couple spars and some rigging that got torn up, but that's about it."

"And the cargo?"

"A little water damage to a couple of crates, but all in all, we made it though pretty well."  Doubar lowered his voice.  "How's Firouz?"

Sinbad shook his head.  "We should have never come back here.  Not after the last time."

"Sinbad, you had no idea this would happen.  It shouldn't have.  And besides that, we had express orders from the Caliph to deliver this cargo to the magistrate of Karakas."

Sinbad drew in a breath.  "I know.  I just thought..."  He rubbed his face.  "I don't know what I thought."

Doubar chewed on his mustache.  "We should have the cargo off loaded and repairs finished in a couple hours."

"Good," Sinbad looked out towards the city.  "There's someone I need to see.  I'll be back before the tide."

"Robis?" Doubar asked.

"Robis."  Sinbad nodded.

"You want me to come with you?"

"No," Sinbad said.  "I need you here to oversee the cargo and repairs.  I'll take Rongar with me.  Bryn is keeping an eye on Firouz."

"Aye," Doubar said and then he patted his brother on the shoulder.  "Be careful."

"You need to remind me?"  Sinbad smiled.

"With you, Little Brother?  Always."

******

Sinbad and Rongar walked through the crowded streets of Karakas.  Rongar tapped Sinbad on the arm to get his attention.  He made a few quick hand signs and frowned.

"We're going to see a man named Robis." Sinbad said in answer to Rongar's question.  "He was a student of Dim Dim's."

Rongar made a few more gestures.  "Not exactly. I don't think he will be very glad to see us."  Sinbad's eyes took on a far away look.  "He had been a close friend once, but then he turned to black magic."

Rongar grabbed Sinbad's arm, spinning him around.  His hands flew as he glared at the captain.

"Rongar," Sinbad said trying to calm the moor down.  "He's not practicing the black arts any more.  And from what I've heard, he doesn't have any real magic any more.  He may have answers though."

Rongar crossed his arms and gave Sinbad a dark look.  Sinbad closed his eyes and sighed. "Rongar, this maybe our only way to save Firouz."

The moor gave him a questioning look.

"I don't have time to explain now, but we need to find Robis."

It took them nearly an hour to finally find someone who would tell them where Robis lived.  Most they asked spit and made the sign to ward off the evil eye.  It was not until they entered the seedier end of Karakas that they did finally find someone who would tell them, for a price.

The man led Sinbad and Rongar to a run down looking house on the outskirts of Karakas.  The house was made of the same marble as were all the buildings in Karakas, but on this one, and the few surrounding, the rose colored marble was cracked and crumbling.  The polished sheen was marred and dull.  The guide spit and held out his hand.  "This is it.  Where's my money?"

Sinbad tossed a couple of gold coins to the grubby man and the guide disappeared back the way they had come.

Rongar nudged Sinbad and jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

"I know we're being watched and if I don't miss my guess, it's Robis."

"Very good, Sinbad," a voice whispered in his ear.  Sinbad whirled, his hand to his sword. Rongar already had a dirk out of its sheath.

A man in dark robes stepped out of the shadows.  A hood obscured most of his face.  "Come now, Sinbad.  Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

Sinbad slid his sword back into its scabbard and motioned to Rongar to put his dirk away.  "Robis."

"My, Sinbad.  Don't you cut a striking figure.  You must be quite the Captain to inspire such loyalty and obedience."  Robis circled the two men, inspecting them.

"I have a good crew," Sinbad said tightly.

"And you," Robis said to Rongar.  "Prince Rongar if I'm not mistaken."  Rongar tensed at the title.  His eyes shifted to Sinbad and back to Robis.  "No, my wily friend, Sinbad didn't tell me, but I have my sources."  Robis came to a stop in front of Sinbad.  "And that's why you are here, isn't it.  My sources."

Robis pulled his hood back from his face.  Sinbad caught his breath in shock.  Angry, red grooves scarred the left side of the other man's face.  Robis cocked his head, "What?  These?"  He gestured at his face.  "A parting gift from Rumina," He said with a cryptic smile.  "She wasn't too keen about me leaving her Father's tutelage, but that isn't what you're here about."

Sinbad's eyes narrowed.  "You know what is going on, don't you?"

"Of course."

"Then will you help us?"

Robis' face drew deadly calm.  "What's in it for me?"

Sinbad's hand strayed to the hilt of his sword.  "Your life."

Robis howled in laughter.  Sinbad and Rongar exchanged confused looks.  "My life?  Oh, that's rich Sinbad."  Robis laughed.  He whirled on the two men.  "I have no life!  My life ended when you trapped me on this god forsaken rock!"

Sinbad recoiled from the man's outburst. "You did that to yourself, Robis.  I had nothing to do with it."

"Nothing to do with it?  I would still be in Baghdad if not for you and Dim Dim's meddling."

Sinbad's voice dropped to a deadly whisper.  "Your practice of black magic is what got you exiled here from Baghdad."

Robis watched him, his fury disappearing like a sudden spring storm.  "Perhaps.  It may be as you say.  It may be for the best that things happened as they did.  But for all my short comings, I never tried to kill Dim Dim."  He smiled as he saw Sinbad flinch.  "It's begun again, hasn't it?"

Sinbad nodded.  Rongar looked at the young captain and then at Robis. There was much more going on here then he could see, and he did not like it.

Robis crossed his arms and frowned.  "You should have never brought him back here, you know.  This place is dark with Egan's power, even after all these years."

"But Dim Dim --"

"Dim Dim was a fool!"  Robis exploded.  He managed to get some control of himself and continued.  "Dim Dim could exile Egan, but he did not have the power to banish him completely.  He could blank his memory, but he could not erase the fact it happened."  Robis started to walk away from them, then he stopped.  "Does he still wear his amulet?"

"What?"

Robis turned.  "Does he still wear the amulet?" he asked speaking slowly as if to a dim witted child.

"I don't see what that has to do with--" Sinbad started.

"Just humor me," Robis snapped interrupted him.

"No."

"This isn't good."

Rongar made a quick sign and glared at the ex-magician.

"You want to know what it means?"  Robis repeated Rongar's question.  "What it means, is that things are a whole lot worse.  Was it taken off him, or did he take it off?"  Robis paced in nervousness.

Sinbad looked at him suspiciously.  "Taken off him.  Remember, Rongar, when he was abducted." The moor nodded.  "He hasn't worn it much since then."

"I see.  It all makes sense now."

"What are talking about?"

"Don't you see?" Robis stopped to stared at them.  "No, you don't.  Dim Dim put a spell of protection and warding on it to keep Egan out, and a binding spell to tie Firouz to the amulet."

Sinbad thought for a moment. "So, if he were to put the amulet back on?"

"It's not that simple."

"But I've seen him take it off before."

"Yes, he took it off, but he always put it right back on, right?  And this time he didn't."

Rongar looked at Sinbad and nodded.

"When it was forcefully taken from him, as you said, it broke the spell."

"But why does Egan want him?"

Robis sighed.  "He was Egan's apprentice.  Egan had a hold on him and now that hold is all the anchor Egan has with this world.  Dim Dim was never able to sever that tie, only disrupt it with his magic.  Now the wall Dim Dim created is crumbling and Egan is back."

Sinbad reached for the man.  "Will you help us?"

Robis stepped back into the shadows and pulled his hood back over his face.  "That is beyond my power.  You can find what you seek in yourself and those around you.  Good luck."

"I don't understand.  What do you   Robis?"   Sinbad took a step into the shadowed arch way, but Robis was gone.

Rongar stepped up beside his captain.  He looked at him and signed something.

"I don't know, Rongar, and I don't like it."

Next Part

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