The Moving Forest

Zarqa's words and Sindbad's resolve moved them. It wasn't long before the men of Al-yamama, old and young, grabbed whatever weapons they had at hand and joined Sindbad to hear out his plan.

Needless to say, some adhered to their own beliefs and refused to consider Zarqa's words. Those returned to their houses with annoyed expressions on their faces.

Far, far towards the northern side of the town, Ali Baba bolted the windows and doors shut before crouching down beside his mother's bed, holding his dagger close to him.

" What happened in the market? Why did they sound the bell?"

Ali Baba smiled as he took his mother's hand as if to assure her. " It's nothing, Mama. It might become noisy later but don't worry. It will be alright."

" It's Zarqa, right? She had seen something…"

" Mama," his tone made her stop her attempt to sit up. " You just rest."

With a nod, Jawaher closed her eyes and her breath fell back into a monotone rhythm. Ali Baba sighed and looked down at his dagger. " I swear to protect you till my last breath."

Ali Baba didn't have to go that night to the market, having had the time to think over it, he had made a guess long ago about the moving forest. He too believed Zarqa was never one to lie and so predicted things would eventually come to this. " Thieves' minds work alike I guess."

No matter what the villagers chose, what he had to do never changed. He would protect his mother at all costs. He had spent the week scheming plans of how to get out of the town safely if it was ever seized.

He heard scratching and looked up just as Morjana's head peeked through a small hole in the eaves that she squeezed through. "Morjana," Ali Baba held up his arm in anticipation and the crow landed on it. "You must stay close too. If it turns out badly we will be leaving this town immediately."

The crow looked into his eyes and then busied itself with cleaning its feathers. " Ignoring me. I wonder why I even bother with worrying over a crow."...

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The battlement was occupied by Sindbad's men and Zarqa, the girl's eyes never swerving from the west.

" Anything yet, Zarqa!?" Calling from in front of the closed western gate of Al-yamama was Sindbad who appointed himself as a guardian.

" Nothing new!"

" What a bore." Sindbad exhaled stretching his arms as though warming up to start a race. " Probably too weary of your eyes that it's taking forever."

Zarqa's heart was beating too fast as the thing was getting closer and closer.

" I see it too!" A man to her side cried while looking through a telescope. " It's truly an advancing forest!"

The other men gathered around him, each wanting a turn to see it. At that moment, Zarqa's eyes went wide.

It happened in a heartbeat. The forest cast away its leaves and became a rushing mass of clouds and dust. The men beside her gasped, the telescope fell off their hands and clunked on the ground. Sindbad's eyes squinted at the swirling clouds of sand. " As I thought…"

" Men and women alike! Kill them all and bring whatever you can!"

" Roger!"

Rushing towards them on their horses was a group of thugs and outlaws.

" Sindbad!" Zarqa knew that no matter how strong he was, he couldn't stand his ground against that many of them.

Sindbad however maintained his stern look as he gazed at the closing criminals, his left hand casually resting on the hilt of his sword.

" Don't mind him! Flatten him as well!" The men cried out in excitement at their boss' proposal.

" Would it be that easy though?" Sindbad smirked and held out his right hand aloft. In an instant, the men by Zarqa's sides rushed around, arranged themselves, and held up their weapons.

" Go!" With one single hand motion from him, Sindbad's men unleashed their arrows, aiming beneath the horses' feet.

The horses panicked, reared back, and neighed loudly, breaking their advance and rounding in their places. Whenever one of the thieves managed to get hold of his horse and force it forward, Sindbad's men would simply force it back again.

" It's true that if you came at me like that, I wouldn't stand a chance against you," Sindbad addressed them, his eyes fixed on their leader. " But I'm not alone too."

Their leader, a ruthless man with a scarred face, missing teeth, and unkempt black hair and beard met his gaze and considered him before climbing off his horse. " You've got the guts to stand before us, I'll commend you for that."

Sindbad's smirk merely broadened as he folded his arms and stared down the leader approaching him. " So trying to make me drop to your level, I see. I'll humor you."

The leader's face contorted with rage it threatened to blow off. " I will cut down that mouth of yours!" He pulled out his large carved scimitar and pointed it at Sindbad. " Let me see how you're going to sound smart then!"

" Can you do it?" Sindbad composure didn't weaver even as the ticked-off thug launched at him with the intention of beheading.

" Sindbad!"

With a swift movement, Sindbad drew his sword and blocked the leader's onslaught. The large man backed and snorted when he laid eyes on Sindbad's sword. " You think that a thin sword would stand a chance against me! You're out of your mind!"

" Is that so?" Sindbad took a fighting stance and even the thugs took a step back when his aura shifted to intimidation. " This Katana was gifted to me from the people far in the east on a past journey. Not that it is only elegant and befitting of me, but it's also very sharp, sharp enough to cut down the egos of those like you." The blade glistened under the light of the brazier. " Now come at me again and let me see you cutting down my mouth."

" You little!" The leader and Sindbad locked their swords as they advanced on each other.

" I have a name!" Sindbad twisted his wrist and his Katana cut through the thief's flesh. He fell back so the only wound he sustained from that attack was the scath on his chest. " I'm Sindbad, the conqueror of the seven seas. You'll do better to remember it!"

The thief was enraged he attacked left and right. Sindbad stopped him with minimum moves as if he were dancing. His men cheered him on. " That's Sindbad for you!"

" No one had outmatched him in a duel!"

" You scums! Are you standing by while your leader is in a pinch!?"

" You guys! Help the leader!"

However, as they made forward, another batch of arrows fell upon them. " We won't let you interfere with Sindbad's duel!"

" It's as you hear, honorable fella." Sindbad laughed as his and the thug's swords intertwined again. " If you wish to get to the town, you have to beat me in this duel."

Zarqa was mesmerized by Sindbad's gracious moves it was hard to take her eyes off him. He had already captured everyone's attention, his presence was like a dazzling light bestowed on them. As Zarqa was taking a liking to Sindbad's performance, an image flashed before her, of a burned Al-yamama, of ruined houses, and of Sindbad covered in his own blood…

" Why…" Zarqa took a step away from the parapet and the fussing men crying out Sindbad's name. " Sindbad is holding them back… all of the town's people are waiting by the gate to defend themselves… yet why… why didn't the future change?!"

The clinking of the swords worsened her panic and she walked away, trying to calm herself and sort her thoughts. If she didn't act, everyone would be killed.

" Why?… what am I missing?! The forest's truth was revealed, the thieves shouldn't be able to advance on us from the western gate!"

Down there on the other side of the gate were the residents of Al-yamama who believed her, wielded their weapons, and were ready to defend themselves. Was she going to let them down after all of that? She who had protected that land from all four directions?...

" Four directions…" a breeze blew against her as she looked up at the other end of the village. " It can't be…" Before she knew it, her body was pulled forward, her feet were already racing one step after the other down the battlement, yet her eyes didn't swerve from the northern gate. " And after all I said about fulfilling my sworn duty without fail, I can't believe I overlooked it!"

One would argue that crossing the town would have been way quicker than running across the walls. But Zarqa knew she would be losing as much time climbing down the tower and making it through the crowd huddled around the gate.

She couldn't afford to ponder much about it. Her body already decided for her. And so, while the cheers for Sindbad got louder, a small shadow was running against the darkness of the night on the walls.