Artemyra's unexpected Guests

Hello everyone! Finally back. We're reaching the finish line of 2023 soon, and I don't know about you but at times I feel like we're not at the point we wanted to be. But there's always another day and another step to take forward. 

That's something I keep telling myself, especially when I'm not as far with my stories as I may have wanted to be. 

 I hope this chapter brightens up your day! Enjoy! 

Sinbad's eyes widened in awe as he took in the breathtaking scenery before him. The ship sailed through a vast ravine, surrounded by towering rock walls. Completely absorbed in the mesmerizing sights, both he and Mystras failed to register Ja'far's incessant reminders about making preparations for their arrival in the kingdom of Artemyra. After a year of correspondence, they had finally gained permission to enter the country. Rurumu had handled most of the negotiations, leaving Sinbad to fulfill his duty as the head of Sindria Trading Company and meet with the leader of Artemyra.

Concerned, Ja'far watched his great leader, who seemed lost in a tourist-like trance. "It's so hot here," Hinahoho complained, fanning himself in an attempt to cool down.

Noticing movement above the boat, Mystras gazed up and gasped at the silhouette of a bird hovering in the sky. "A bird?" he questioned aloud.

Sinbad placed a hand on his hip, squinting at the creature. "It looks like a bird, but..." As the majestic creature drew nearer, Sinbad's eyes widened in realization. "It's huge!"

The bird spanned a width greater than that of the boat, and to their surprise, two girls sat atop it. The girls noticed the Sindria crew and approached, drawing alongside the boat.

"Well, isn't that rare?" one of the girls remarked. "Travelers from the outside."

The second girl sitting behind the first waved friendly greetings. "Hey there!"

Mystras clasped his hands together, a blush coloring his cheeks. "Amazing! Pretty girls!"

The first girl called out to them, her voice cheerful. "If you manage to reach Artemyra safely, we can have some fun."

Concern creased their brows as the second girl continued, "But what will happen to you? A few days ago, we saw some utterly exhausted men. But we believe in you, so good luck."

A sly smirk graced Sinbad's face. "Yes, we understand. So, wait for us tonight."

The girls blushed, their words tumbling in flustered response. "Are you an idiot? We weren't serious."

With that, they took off, leaving Sinbad and his crew behind. Sinbad watched their departure with a mischievous grin. "Well, this trip just got a little more interesting."

Lost in his thoughts and still gazing out at the scenery, Sinbad suddenly yelped in pain as Ja'far smacked him on the back of his head. "Ja'far!"

"Don't even think about it," the young boy warned, his voice laced with authority. "You're not going to cause trouble for us before we even reach our destination. Quit daydreaming."

Sinbad interjected quickly, his words flowing before he could fully comprehend them. "I was just thinking about how good those outfits would look on Sakura!"

Ja'far rolled his eyes, unimpressed. "Of course, that's what I understood when you spoke with those girls. What do you think Sakura would say if she saw you behaving like that?"

"It was harmless flirting," Sinbad protested, raising his hands defensively. "I would never—"

"Spare me the lies," Ja'far retorted, holding up a hand. He sighed, his voice tinged with longing. "If Sakura were still here, she'd be able to keep you in check, and I wouldn't have to deal with you and your tendencies as much... I really miss her."

Mystras chimed in, his curiosity getting the better of him. "I don't quite understand something. Sakura is currently traveling on her own, right? But before, she was with Sinbad-sama and everyone else?"

Sinbad nodded, a hint of wistfulness in his eyes. "Yes, she had her own reasons for traveling and decided to set off on her own."

"I see," Mystras replied, his voice laced with a soft sigh that hinted at relief.

"Well, at times, their relationship seemed like something more," Hinahoho joined in, only to halt himself abruptly. A sense of foreboding urged him to withhold certain information.

"What is it?" Mystras inquired, his expression filled with persistent curiosity.

Hinahoho sighed, realizing he had already revealed too much. "She told me that Sakura claimed to be in love with someone else."

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Sakura couldn't help but sneeze, a tickle in her nose that hinted at a possible oncoming cold. She rubbed her nose suspiciously, contemplating the source of her sudden sneeze. Before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, she felt someone come running up behind her, their hands covering her eyes. A familiar giggle escaped Sakura's lips as she recognized the touch.

"Pisti, what are you up to?" Sakura asked, her voice laced with amusement.

The young Artemyra princess pouted playfully as she released her grip on Sakura's eyes. "Aw, you knew it was me..."

Sakura smiled warmly as Pisti nestled comfortably on her lap. A few days, or perhaps weeks, had passed since Sakura arrived in Artemyra. Following her djinn's advice, she spent her time exploring the intriguing country and its unique customs. The role reversal she observed was fascinating—men handling domestic affairs and caring for children, while women shouldered the breadwinning responsibilities and manual labor. One intriguing discovery she made was the presence of male workers exclusively in the Red Light District, while other places were filled with women entertaining men.

The queen had made Sakura feel incredibly welcome after their battle, going above and beyond to ensure her comfort. Sakura was given a room in the palace and treated to a banquet where she savored some of the most extraordinary and unfamiliar dishes she had ever encountered. During the day, Sakura would embark on exhilarating flights with Pisti on the back of their magnificent bird companion. The other princesses also took a liking to Sakura, eagerly joining her in storytelling sessions each night, where Sakura shared tales of her travels—carefully selecting appropriate details for the young audience. The queen occasionally joined these sessions when she had the time.

Yet, despite the pleasantness of Artemyra compared to other hostile lands Sakura had ventured through, she couldn't forget her ultimate mission. Each time her gaze fell upon the half-finished mirror, it served as a constant reminder of the task at hand. Two years had already slipped by, and Sakura knew she had a long road ahead, potentially another two years or even more at her current pace.

"I must approach the queen soon and request the shard," Sakura contemplated silently, her determination unyielding.

"Mama wants to see you," Pisti declared, her small hands resting atop Sakura's.

Sakura nodded, a hint of surprise flickering across her face. "Alright... Well, that came sooner than I expected."

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"You're having visitors?" Sakura asked her voice laced with curiosity, as she recalled there wasn't anyone who had managed to reach Artemyra and the people themselves weren't keen on having visitors. 

"Well," Mira began leaning back against her desk chair, They were currently both seated in her study it was a large room, white walls free of any cluster that you would normally find in studies, a single shelf of scrolls packed right behind the desk. 

"You see, recently I've been exchanging letters with a company head and now we've arranged to meet in person for the first time. They want to establish a relationship with my country and be allowed to trade with us." 

To say Sakura was surprised would be an understatement, this sounded a little too familiar to be a coincidence and she wasn't going to take a chance in not asking.

"Um, your Highness, what is the name of the company?" Sakura had a hint of nervousness laced in her voice as she felt a bead of sweat roll down her forehead. 

"Sindria trading company, I believe." 

Sakura felt like her eyes were about to bulge out of her head, this had to be some kind of sick game fate was playing on her. First Sasan and now Artemyra? 

"The next time, you're not getting away so easily." 

'I have to get out of here now,' Sakura thought remembering Sinbad's warning. He was a lot of things but Sakura knew how persistent he was and she didn't think he was joking when he said that. 

"Your Highness," Sakura began straightening her shoulders "I know that this is of short notice but I really need to leave as soon as possible," 

Mira seemed slightly surprised as she rested her chin on her hands "Oh, so soon? I was hoping you would stay a while...I suppose you want the djinn's shard before then?" 

Sakura nodded strongly, she had every right to ask for it; after all, she earned it fair and square.

"That's fair." Mira said, "I won't deny you your prize, course I was hoping you would stay a little longer, at least be here to welcome our guests and maybe help size them up?" 

Oh, Sakura could do that easily enough but she wasn't about to risk it. Sinbad coming to Artemyra while she was still there did not bode well for her after the last time she ran into him. 

Mira sighed "Alright, you can prepare to take your leave while I deal with the visitors," 

Sakura really wanted to insist that she could leave sooner "Please your highness I-

"At least stay for lunch, you can leave straight after. I imagine the girls will be quite devastated by your departure, it would be nice if you could spend one last moment with them." Mira insisted, it was like she knew that Sakura was going to beg to leave sooner and she wouldn't have it. Sakura sighed in defeat, so long as she didn't run into Sinbad she should be fine. 

"Of course your highness," 

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Sakura groaned as she finished packing her things-which wasn't too much. After that she tidied up the room which also didn't take as long, she might have been a bit of a slob in her own home, her mother would always fight with her to put her shoes away, fold her laundry, learn how to make her own meals but those were things she didn't really have time for but this was different, she was in someone else's home-a queens no less and she couldn't risk disrespecting it when there was something so important at risk for her. Just as she finished her door flew open and seven little blonde girls came rushing in with distorted expressions on their faces. 

"Sakura!" 

"Sakura-san!" 

"Sakura-nee!"

"Saku-nee!" 

"Saki!" 

"Sakura-chan!" 

"Sakura!"

Sakura spun around to see the seven Artemyra princesses all with pleading looks as they stood in front of her door, she spotted a few tears in some of their eyes. 

"Is it true?" 

"Are you leaving now?" 

Sakura gave a gentle smile "That's right." 

"But why!" 

Oh, how was she going to put this? 

"Something...came up and I need to be on my way today. Your mother insisted I stay for lunch, but after that, I'll be leaving right away."

All seven girls whined before each began protesting, their words getting mixed Sakura couldn't hear them individually but she did catch 'no', 'please don't go', 'stay a little longer', 'stay here forever with us', 'don't leave' and such. 

Sakura quickly held up her hand silencing the girls in an instant, her eyes turning firm "Look, I've loved staying here with you girls and Artemyra is a wonderful place but I have something important that I've been putting off for too long as it is. So it's time for me to leave, nothing's going to change that. So in our last moments together you girls can either pout and be angry about it, or we can have a memorable time before I depart." 

The answer was a no-brainer. 

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A few hours passed by quickly, Sakura and the princesses went flying around Artemyra on their birds, they ended up having a picnic at lunch and set up on the outskirts on a high cliff overlooking the city queen Mira was still occupied with the visitors; it was Sinbad she was meeting with so Sakura didn't find it surprising. Though she was a little worried, knowing Sinbad and his habits he might disregard Mira's position as queen and see her as another attractive woman to hit on.

'No, come on even he's not that stupid Sakura told herself 

'I hope,' 

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When Mira finally did return to the palace Sakura was informed and went to her immediately, what she noticed instantly was that the queen looked disturbingly pleased.....it was the look that reminded her of Tsunade when she was ready to pummel someone. 

"Um, how was your afternoon your highness?" Sakura asked carefully 

Mira grinned widely and leaned back on her throne "Oh eventful, I met with the leader of the Sindria. My company had thought it was a woman called Rurumu whom I had been conversing with in those letters but it was a man who called himself Sinbad, he was with three other men as well-well actually two men and a child." 

No doubt Hinahoho, Mystras, and Ja'far since there would be no way they could get to Artemyra so soon after going all the way back to Reim. They would have to take a trip straight here. 

"I see," Sakura began "And how did the meeting go?" 

Mira pulled out something gold and held it up to display "I discovered something rather interesting....it turns out that the leader was also a dungeon capturer." 

Sakura's eyes widened as she heard Beleth's voice call out in alarm "My king, that's-

'Valefor's metal vessel,' 

"R-really another dungeon capturer?" asked Sakura straining her voice to keep calm. 

"A multiple dungeon capturer like yourself," Mira replied bringing out the sword that contained Baal. 

Now Sakura was officially panicking, what exactly had the queen done with Sinbad, Ja'far, Mystras, and Hinahoho? 

"Oh....I would really like to hear about him," Sakura said forcing a smile 

"Not much to hear though. He and his subordinates met with me and when I discovered there wasn't a woman with them, I opted to send them away unharmed but then, their young leader Sinbad dared to lay his hands on me and attempted to seduce me into submission in which I retaliated." 

Sakura swallowed "How?" 

Mira's smirk grew wide "By throwing him and his friends in the Valley of the dead, our country's deepest ravine." 

Sakura hid an expression of shock but she quickly recovered, given the circumstances, she didn't think it would be a good idea to let Mira know that her favorite guest was close to those who had offended her. She still had to think of the consequences for herself. 

"With all due respect your highness, isn't that a bit extreme?" 

"He greatly offended me, so I do not think so." Mira said flicking her wrist "I will not be made a fool of by any man, especially an outsider" 

"Yes of course but-

Mira raised her eyebrow in suspicion "Why do you seem so fixated on defending these barbarians?" 

Sakura stopped herself "I'm not, it's just that I find this form of retribution to be a bit....too excessive."

She wasn't even sure if she was using that word right. 

Mira leaned back "Well if they're alive they probably won't be for long, there's nothing in that ravine that they can survive on, and without metal vessels, they have no way of returning to the top." 

Sitri burst out laughing, her voice ringing in her master's head like a bell. "Oooh king your lover sounds like he's in real trouble now!" 

"This is quite a dilemma," Stolas sighed "Perhaps you are right we should take our leave now," 

That's something she would've really liked to do and had she not just heard the story, Sakura would've already been gone after getting the queen shard but now thanks to Sinbad there was no way she could leave until he and everyone else was out of that ravine safely. 

"Oh yes Sakura, I do apologize for the delay but I did not forget," Mira said holding up her staff and ushering Sakura towards her "Come,"

Sakura stepped forward taking the mirror and holding it towards the staff, both objects began to emit a light before vanishing; Sakura examined the looking glass again and saw another shard placed. At least that was one thing covered and had Sinbad kept himself in check that might've been all Sakura needed to do to wrap up her business in Artemyra but now she was going to have to find a way to help him and his friends he got thrown into a valley. 

She was going to have to do something else first though

"Thank you, your highness," Sakura began "With this I can continue my journey." 

Mira nodded "I wish you everything of the best," 

Sakura looked down solemnly "It's just that....after spending this time with your girls, I-I do really wish to leave just yet." 

Mira's eyes sparked with interest and...Excitement "You're asking me if you could remain here a while longer?" 

Sakura continued shouting 'Dammit' in her head over and over and she put on her best smile and nodded trying to appear genuine as possible "I really would like to stay-only for a bit longer." 

Mira clapped her hands "Then it is done." 

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"My king...." Beleth began groaning 

"Oh dear...." Stolas trailed 

"This is hilarious!" Sitri cackled 

Sakura clenched her fists in boiling hot rage 'Sinbad, you better still be alive when I find you-BECUASE I'M GOING TO KILL YOU.' 

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'I swear when I get my hands on that womanizing son of a

"Language my king!" exclaimed Beleth "Lately the one you have been using is not befitting a king or a lady"

Sakura was fuming for the last hour, trying to calm herself down but that didn't look like it was possible. The fact that she was putting her journey on hold for Sinbad's sake after he so recklessly caused trouble with the queen angered her to no end. She had waited till nightfall since none of the little princesses were leaving her alone after they found out she was going to be staying a bit longer now in Sitri's djinn equip, Sakura was flying over the valley of death in search of Sinbad and his friends. 

"I can't believe that idiot went and flirted with her!" Sakura growled "Of course she threw him into a valley, serves him right stupid asshole," 

"Such harsh words and yet our beloved king is going out of her way to save the stupid as-

"Sitri that's enough!" bellowed Beleth

Stolas sighed "These humans are so....ah, my king why not find yourself a less troubling lover?" 

Sakura pulled her face, scrunching in what appeared to be disgust "He is not my lover Stolas, he barely qualifies as a friend right now." 

And yet why did she feel her heart clench a little? Something like that hadn't happened since Sasuke. 

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 "I am going to kill Sinbad," Sakura swore under her breath for the hundredth time that day, she had been looking all over but there was still no sign of him or his friends anywhere in the valley, she was beginning to think they might not be there at all. And that was not a comforting thought since the only other option there was if they weren't there was that-

"I think they're dead king, 'Sitri said "Such a shame," 

"Could you be any more insensitive?" asked Stolas 

"I could but I thought it might be too soon," 

"Would you three please just shut up," Sakura ordered to be met with silence thankfully. She wasn't sure she could handle the ramblings of her djinn any longer. Hours had gone by since she began her search but the valley was too big, appearing endless. 

Finally she heard something unusual-not unusual in the sense that it was unnatural but unusual in the sense that this wasn't something she should be hearing in a valley. 

"Mm, you know Ja'far I'd never thought I'd say this but you're really good at cooking snake." 

"I told you before, from my old assassin days I used to eat snakes all the time." 

"Ja'far-san thank you!"

"You're welcome Mystras," 

Sakura let out a sound of surprise and relief as she sped towards the sources of the voices, gathered around a fire-cooking snakes she spotted Sinbad, Mystras, and Ja'far, two problems though, Hinahoho wasn't with them and secondly-THEY WERE ALL NAKED.

Sakura squeaked and covered her eyes, they were all going commando the only thing that covered them below was a leaf….

"How do you think they keep it in place my king?" asked Beleth curiously 

Sakura blushed "I don't know and don't ask me such-

"Don't you think that Sinbad's leaf may be big for?

'OKAY NEXT DJINN TO COMMENT ON THEIR LEAVES GOES INTO THE RIVER' Sakura mentally screamed before deciding to head over to them when Stolas's voice cut in. 

"Just a moment my king," Stolas said "Is this wise?" 

"Is what wise Stolas?"

"Revealing yourself to them after you went through all this trouble to avoid them?"

Sakura stopped. 

That's all for now but the year isn't over yet and there's going to be much more to come! You can check out the full month's schedule on my Tumblr. And EARLY CHAPTERS are available for members. 

Of course here's something to look forward to as well: SNEAK PEAK! 

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS CHAPTER 19

"Not another step!"

His smile remained sly as he replied, "I thought you were here to rescue us?"

Sakura felt her cheeks flush with irritation. "I am, but that doesn't mean—Wait a minute…" Suddenly, realization dawned on her, and she confronted him. "How did you know I was—"

"I knew all along," Sinbad interjected, his grin widening. "Before I was even dropped into that valley."

Sakura smacked her forehead "So the queen did mention me….dammit-wait how did you know I was watching you?" 

Sinbad raised an eyebrow at her "Well it just….let's assume I'm drawn to your presence. Call it destiny?" 

She scoffed, "Aren't you a romantic," 

He winked, "Only for you," 

"And every other woman who meets your eye," She remarked chuckling. 

He smiled, "Can I come over to you-

"No!"