The Sailor and the Dragon-Sinbad x Reader

Chapter 18: The Mastermind

I own nothing
Chapter 18: A Revenge Plan in the Making

Thunder of dragon was a phrase originally coined by humans that dragons happened to like, and agreed was fitting, enough that they started to use it themselves. The phrase was created to describe the sounds dragons would make while flying in a frenzy. Dragons, being the large creatures they are, are shockingly stealthy when they choose to be. However, when angry or scared, the strengths of their wing flaps are so powerful, they mimic the claps of thunder. Hence why on that particular day in Reim, despite the sky being clear as it could be, people feared a typhoon was fast approaching. (Y/N) and her allies were racing towards the Sindria Trading Company as fast as possible. She was so distraught that her companions fear that her wing flaps would start causing collateral damage.
"Get ready to dive!" She ordered as they finally reached the headquarters.
The heirs, along with Bullcharge and Ambertail, who was riding on Blitzscale, all power dove to the ground, catching themselves before impact. When they were all the ground, they morphed into their halfling forms and raced inside.
The company was seemingly functioning, though a bit emptier than when she left. Several of the workers recognized the girl and looked relieved to see her. But she ignored them running towards her office.
"Ja'far! Hina! Rurumu!" She rushed to her office to find the Imuchakk along with Muhad and Vittel.
Rurumu raced up to her and embraced her. "I'm so relieved you're okay."
"I'm fine." She insisted, but still accepted the hug. "What in the Ancestors' names happened here? What's this about Sinbad being taken as a slave?!"
Vittel looked down, shame clouding his eyes. "It was all my fault. I made a stupid choice and now it's cost us Sinbad. I can't ask for your forgiveness (Y/N)."
She took a deep breath. "Vittel...what happened?"
"It happened right after we left for our diplomatic mission." Hinahoho explained. "Accident occurred at sea which caused a deficit in our trades. During the chaos, a head of a distinguished company approached the company. She offered goods she claimed were valuable, but the market suddenly became flooded and were plunged further into debt. Sinbad tried to make a bargain to have the debt wiped but...he lost."
"What did he do?" Windweaver asked.
"It was a gladiatorial fight." Vittel said.
"And he lost!?" Windweaver exclaimed. "But, Wavereader had two Metal Vessels! How could he lose!?"
"She had a Fanalis in her ranks." Rurumu answered.
The dragons all blinked. Fanalis were an interesting race. Their strength and speed were unmatched by any other humans. The only reasons dragons and Fanalis hadn't butted heads themselves was distance and a mutual respect for each other's strength. Still, it made sense how Sinbad lost. Despite everything, he was still a man.
"Frankly, I'm surprised he wasn't killed." Blitzscale huffed as Icesheer crossed his arms.
"She'd loose out on a prize then."
"(W/N)?" Ambertail said softly, noticing her friend had gone silent.
"When did this happen? All of this?" Her voice was deadly serious.
Hinahoho hesitated to look at her. "It was hours after you left."
She slammed her fist into the wall, infuriated. "Why didn't you send a message!? I would've come back to help or sent someone in my place!"
"That's why we didn't tell you!" Rurumu matched her volume. "You were shouldering an entire civil war. Sinbad forbade contact with you since you've been killed if you were distracted worrying about us!"
"He...he said not to contact me?"
"Sinbad said you needed to focus on helping your people. He didn't want you to get hurt for this."
"I'm hurt either way!"
"I'm sorry, (Y/N)." Vittel said quietly. "This was all my fault."
"Mine as well." Muhad added. "I should have been vigilant."
The rage bubbling within her simmered slightly. She could let her emotions drive her into a frenzy. After all, with Sinbad gone, she was in charge of the company. She took another breath.
"None of that, you two. This isn't on you."
"I mean it kinda is." Icesheer snidely whispered, only to be viciously winded by Blitzscale.
"Not the time, you ice brained buffoon!"
Cloverheart stepped forward. "You were tricked. You couldn't have possibly known the outcome. Take it from me, you shouldn't let that weigh you down."
Vittel seemed a bit reassured by the advice, but Hinahoho looked at the male suspiciously.
"And you are?"
"This is Cloverheart." (Y/N) introduced. "And his retainer, Bullcharge. They're some of the new representatives of the dragon coalition."
"New representatives?" Rurumu repeated.
"A lot of new representatives. I'll explain what happened after we get Sinbad back. Where is Ja'far?"
"In Balbadd working on that."
"Balbadd? King Rashid?"
Hinahoho nodded with a smile. "He's agreed to help us."
A weight lifted from (Y/N)'s shoulders. Harun, their master, would know what to do. She swung towards the door.
"Then I'm going to Balbadd."
Rurumu nodded. "We've already sent word so they know you're coming. You won't be shot at at the very least."
She nodded in thanks and turned to the other dragons. "You lot stay her and protect this place. I don't want another ambush."
"You can't go alone!" Windweaver insisted. "We just made the journey here!"
"And Ambertail made the journey her and back by herself. I can handle the trek to Balbadd."
"I'd advice against this, (W/N)." Blitzscale warned. "The mastermind is still out there and still after your pelt in particular."
"Let them come." The younger warrior hissed. "I'll make them rue the day they first heard my name."
"I'm going with you." Ambertail insisted. "You're not going by yourself."
"No, Amber. Rest. You've already made two trips here back to back. You'll collapse at this rate!"
"We'll go with her." Cloverheart volunteered. "We'll make sure she gets there safely."
Bullcharge grinned, punching his fists together. "The Tribe of Sharp Rocks never forgets debts! We'll guard her with our lives!"
"Wait, the Tribe of Sharp Rocks?" Hina said, confused. "Isn't that your tribe's sworn enemy?!"
She looked to Blitzscale. "Get them up to speed. I'll be back as soon as I can." She then looked to her human friends. "I'll bring him back, I swear it."
Rurumu smiled and nodded. "We know you will. Now go."
(Timeskip)
Balbadd was a beautiful country flourishing thanks to a rise in economics. There was great poverty hidden behind that shiny exterior as the people of the slums fought to get by. In the Royal palace, a young boy with bright blonde hair gazed out the window, wondering how his friends were doing right now.
"Prince Alibaba." The captain said firmly, getting his attention. "You should be attending your lessons."
The boy looked down. The captain was one of the few people who seemed to genuinely like him. Despite being a prince, Alibaba's mother had been a commoner and he had grown up in the slums until the king sought him out. He heard the harsh whispers of the palace staff, the mocking and hostile words of his half brothers, and even his own father, who had searched for him, seemed distant. No one seemed to want him here. Without protest, he silently began to follow the captain. As they walked though, the sound of thunder filled his ears. That couldn't be, though. The day had been beautiful moments ago.
"Is there a storm coming, captain?"
The soldier huffed with a smile. "So to speak. A thunder really. Come, let's get a better look. I'm sure you lessons can wait for a few moments."
The captain led Alibaba to a balcony that overlooked the entrance courtyard. Several honor guards stood prepared as if waiting to welcome guests. Only, they were very spaced out, leaving a huge gap in the center.
"What are they doing down there?"
Before the captain could answer, the sound of small feet began running at them in a panic as the thunder grew louder. A moment later, two more small boys appeared.
"Captain!" The rotund one said in a demanding voice. "What is happening!? Why are there loud sounds!?"
"Calm yourselves, my princes. There is no danger. Your father's guests are just about to arrive."
"F-father's guest?" The more timid boy whimpered as Ahbmad gave his usual disgusted glances to their half brother.
"Father already has that strange boy as a guest!" The first prince whined. "And why are these guests so noisy!? They should be punished for this!"
The captain just chuckled. "Just watch, my princes. This isn't a sight many people can boast about seeing."
Before Alibaba could question him further, a roar rang out, causing the boys to stumble back in fear. The soldiers were unfazed. The blonde prince ran up to the railing to see if he could find where the roar came from, only for a massive form to dive past the side of the palace. He blinked in surprise as a creature he had never seen before flew towards the courtyard, followed by two others. The other princes ran to the railing, for once not wasting a stink eye on Alibaba. The three boys were in awe as the creatures landed, their wings stretched to the heavens and their scales glimmering in the sunlight.
"Dragons..." Alibaba said in awe as the beasts suddenly became smaller, transforming into human like form still adorned with wings, save for the small, grey haired one.
"Oh." Sahbmad whispered. "T-they really can turn into humans. F-father said they could, b-but I didn't think it was true!"
"Why are those beasts here!?" Ahbmad demanded, still a little frightened. "Why is father welcoming monsters as guests!? Monsters should be killed!"
The captain pointed a spear at the party as the soldiers led them towards the entrance. "See the one leading them? The girl. Her name is (W/N). She's a student and a friend of your father's. You're expected to show her respect. She's a future leader of a tribe of dragon warriors, as well as a companion of your father's current guest."
Alibaba crouched, glancing through the pillars to get a better look. The two males stood on either side of the girl. They looked to be guarding her as they glanced around, as if expecting to be attacked. Then he got a better look at her. His cheeks flared. She was...really pretty. Her eyes gleamed like gems and her hair flowed in the wind. She also looked very strong. As if sensing eyes on her, she looked up and met gazes with the young prince. Alibaba flinched, tucking his chin in as he expected a glare. Instead, her gaze softened as she gave him a half smile. Shyly, he waved to her and she waved back before disappearing into the palace. Just then, the captain cleared his throat.
"Make no mistake, my princes, that woman is a warrior. If the king is to be believed, she is not someone you'd wish to make an enemy of."
(Inside)
The soldiers led the dragons towards the library as quickly as possible. If (Y/N) wasn't so distracted, she would've told the two representatives of the Tribe of Sharp Rocks to not look so hostile. Eventually, they were led to a massive library where Ja'far and Harun were sitting. The boy lit up as he saw her walk in.
"(Y/N)!"
They ran and embraced. (Y/N) could almost feel the tension release from the former assassin. The poor boy had been shouldering most of this burden himself in these last few months.
"I'm so sorry I didn't get back sooner."
"You were in a war zone!" He argued back. "There was no way you could've helped...especially since we didn't tell you."
"Well, I'm here now. Just point me at our enemy and I'll tear them down...metaphorically speaking."
Ja'far gave a half chuckle as they looked back at King Rashid. The elder man seemed quite pleased to see her and greeted her with a warm nod.
"I'm glad to see you're well, (Y/N). When I was informed you were currently handling a civil war, I had some fears. Forgive me for doubting you even for a moment."
She bowed to the king, as an apprentice would do for their teacher, much to the surprise of the other two dragons. "I can never hope to repay your kindness, Master."
The king chuckled. "What kindness? I am merely discussing business with an old student and not at all plotting to bring down a prominent trading company to rescue an old friend."
There was a mischievous look in his eyes as (Y/N) grinned. "Oh, of course. Can't cause an international issue."
She joined him, taking a seat across from him. Ja'far seemed to immediately revert back to right hand man as (Y/N) instinctually took the lead.
"I assume you've been told what happened." Rashid assumed.
"The basics, really." Cloverheart corrected. "We didn't stay long enough to here the details. We don't even know who our enemy is."
"And you are...?" Ja'far asked.
"This Cloverheart and his retainer Bullcharge." (Y/N) introduced. "They represent the Tribe of Sharp Rocks."
"Wait, isn't that the tribe that started the war!?"
"Yes, yes, a misunderstanding. I will tell you once we settle this matter. For now, Master, if you could clarify who I should be directing my seething rage at?"
Harun motioned to a map on the table. "Maader Umm Mariadel, head of the Mariadel Company. It's a prominent merchant guild in the Reim Empire. Maader as you can guess is quite the snake."
"Well, I just have to savor bringing her down."
He smirked. "Your hatred and cunning will be valuable."
"Do we have a plan?"
"Well, Balbadd has been...discussing the possibility of instituting slavery. Would be a shame if Maader gathered all those resources only for it to fall through. That would be ruinous for any company."
"A taste of her own medicine." Cloverheart said with a smirk. "I quite like this man."
"The net's been made." Ja'far assured her. "All we need to do is cast it. And with you back, you should be able to manipulate her right into the trap, (Y/N)."
She cracked her knuckles. "I'll take great pleasure."
"I still don't get why we can't burn the place to the ground." Bullcharge said. "Wavereader is recognized as a warrior of (W/N)'s tribe, so it would just be us saving one of our own."
Cloverheart punched him on the head. "Forgive my companion. He's an idiot."
Rashid waved him off. "It's quite fine. Honestly, sometimes I envy the much more straightforward politics of dragon culture. Given that her company is a slaver company, and Reim is a empire that has flourished on slavery, destroying it violently would have untold consequences."
"Tell me more about her practices." (Y/N) asked.
"They're barbaric." Ja'far growled. "You should've seen her with her 'children'. It was awful."
"D-did you just say her children?" Cloverheart said, his face suddenly becoming pale. "She referred to them like that?"
"Yes?"
"And did they refer to her as mother by any chance?"
"Yes, actually."
(Y/N)'s eyes widened as she suddenly recalled the dying magician's words. It was only then that something went off in her head. What were the odds the debt collectors came mere hours after she left? That Maader would choose a gladiator battle to decide Sinbad's future when she, a dragon, was publicly the company's Vice President? Unless...
"Cloverheart, you don't think..."
The male came up to the table. "Do you have this company's emblem? Something they used to mark themselves?"
Harun looked at his student. "(Y/N), what's wrong?"
"A hunch. Please?"
The king pulled out a document which held the seal of the Mariadel Company. Her heart froze as she immediately recognized the symbol. Cloverheart pulled out the cloth of the dead magician and placed it on the table. They were identical.
Ja'far's eyes widened. "Where did you get that?"
Cloverheart seethe in anger. "It was the emblem worn by the magicians who were controlling my mother and the other leaders into starting a war."
The humans' eyes widened as they turned to the female.
(Y/N) kept her expression straight, even as her claws dug into the wood of the table. "It seems we do need to discuss what happened in my absence."
(Timeskip)
(Y/N) recounted everything that had happened leading up to the war as Cloverheart and Bullcharge tried not to burn down the library in their fury.
Ja'far seemed just as angry. "So the entire war was a trap!?"
(Y/N) nodded. "This woman did her research. It's no coincidence that she chose the Tribe of Sharp Rocks. It was all a ploy to get me away from the company, from Sinbad."
"More than that." Rashid added. "She was specifically targeting your life. She wanted you permanently out of the way."
"Coward!" Bullcharge hissed. "That bitch must have known no human could match a dragon in a fight!"
(Y/N) dug her claws into her legs. "She killed countless dragons, caused unrest in the tribes, just so she could get rid of me! I take it back. I won't just break, I'll destroy her!"
"Calm, my friend." Her teacher warned. "Your fury is justified, but for now, we must keep our wits about us. If she doesn't already know, it won't be long before Maader realizes her assassin have failed and the war is over. If she finds out you're here already, she may panic and try more direct measures."
"Let her try! I'll send them back to her in bloody pieces! Her magicians are no match for my wings!"
"In any case, we've just found our perfect measure to make sure Reim cannot help her when her company falls. After all, it would be an international scandal in itself."
"What do you mean?" Ja'far asked.
"Magicians controlling dragons isn't new." (Y/N) explained. "It just hasn't happened since the Arcanic Wars. It was outlawed by threat of death as an agreement of the treaty. Since the treaty is not binding to merely countries, but magicians as a whole, Maader not only broke it, she's outlining a reason for war. Once word of this spreads, every dragon in the world will take up arms."
"Reim may be strong, but I know for a fact they would never declare war on dragon kind itself." Rashid assured them. "Even the Sorceress herself would have to rule that the tribes are within their right to dispose of Maader."
"So we can burn it to the ground?" Bullcharge asked, hopefully.
(Y/N) held up her hand. "No, not quite. After all, we're in violation of the treaty ourselves if history is to be believed."
"How so?" The king asked.
"Dragons have a magic of our own, a power in our wings that allows us to resist human magic. We surrendered the right to practice it in the treaty. We even forgot about it to make certain we wouldn't violate it. I only manage to stumble across it due to exposure to Sin's magic. She could try to claim we were practicing it first and that's why she struck first. It's shaky, but that's all the Magi needs to justify it."
"I agree." Cloverheart said. "We're better off ruining her company than a physical assault, as much as I and everyone would love to do that."
"Yes, you three should remain hidden for now, just so we have an element of surprise." The king stated.
(Y/N) then smirked. "I agree. Besides, I think Maader's crimes should serve a much better purpose for our people."
"(Y/N)?" Ja'far asked.
"Oh, I'll tell the sorceress herself Maader's crime, and that will be our bargaining chip. But for now, we have more urgent matters. I'll make sure that witch rues the day she first heard my name."
(Timeskip)
(Y/N) stared out at the starry sky, wondering if Sinbad could see them as well. She didn't want to think of what that monster was doing to him. She would pay, suffer the ultimate humiliation, and she would be in endless agony by the time the dragoness was done.
"You look as though you're searching for answers in those stars."
She turned to see her master approaching. She moved so he could join her by the window.
"Maybe I am. There's an old story among dragons that those who have returned to the Ruhk could communicate with living in our time of need. But they've always been silent to me."
"Perhaps it is because you don't need their answer now? You seem to know what must be done."
"I do, but there are other things I need to know. Master...I'm scared, scared that will be too late. That we won't reach him in time, that he'll never know I-,"
She stopped herself as the blonde looked at her with an empathetic gaze. He knew what she was going to say. He had seen in both their eyes the night they had met.
"So, you've finally admitted to yourself that you love him."
She sighed, again annoyed that her feelings were so apparent. "Yes, it seems everyone knew except me. I wrote him a letter before that last battle. I knew that if I died, I needed him to know, and it almost makes me sick that if that had happened, he might still have never known. I hate that woman, not just for my people, but for taking him from me!"
The king chuckled. "Well, you'll just have to use that rage to destroy her once and for all. As for your doubts, you have faith in Sinbad, do you not? Have faith that he can weather the hardships you can."
He left her with that thought.
She sighed and stared at the sky once more, bringing her hands together in a prayer. "Please, you've never answered my questions before, but if you can hear, just give me this one thing. Please, let him be alive. Let him still be him. Let me be able to save him."
Elsewhere, the boy who her prayer was for was also gazing at the night. Sinbad was in terrible shape, but he seemed to have slipped past Maader's suspicions. To her, he was completely under her control. His plot for an uprising was underway thanks to Fatima being shipped off. The others slaves finally began to understand how little they matter to their "mother". It was only a matter of time. Still, even as his body and mind ache, he didn't dare fall asleep. He could stand to see her face again in those nightmares.
That face that he clung to as he was beaten and then "loved" by Maader to twist his mind against him, her voice which told him to fight the witch's poisoned words, those same things would torment him at night. He could hear her scream, calling to him for help as she plunged into the darkness.
Was she even still-
He banished the thought from his mind. She had to be alive. She couldn't leave him, not now, not before he could...
He stared into the sky, also silently pleading.
"Please, (Y/N), please okay."