The impacts come one after the other. The catchĀ āā the landingĀ āā rolling onto the ground. At sixteen, he might have brushed this off like it was nothing, but now⦠well, now is no different! He isnāt that old, after all, and heās as fit as ever despite the luxurious lifestyle he and his generals have become accustomed to. In fact, it isnāt even worth mentioning.
But that doesnāt mean he isnāt going to complain about it.
āFine, fine⦠Iād appreciate a softer landing next time, though.ā Thereās more soreness in his body than actual pain, but complaining takes his mind off of it for a moment. Itās only when he realizes that he doesnāt need that particular distraction that he abandons all pretenses of injury as he scrambles to his knees.
Yes, thatās definitely him. As always, Jaāfar has appeared before him in the nick of time, saving him from yet another potentially cataclysmic downfall āā this time, literally. The realization has him smiling, though heās sure heāll be scolded for it after causing a scare like that. As if he could help it, he thinks. Then again, Jaāfar couldnāt possibly know what caused him to fall in the first place. Come to think of it, Sinbad isnāt quite sure himself. Theyāll come to that in time, though, heās sure. For now, heās pleased enough to see his general before him.
His smile widens as he finally greets him.Ā āFancy meeting you here, Jaāfar. A moment later and I would have been flatter than ā well, you know what I mean.ā Thatās one way to deal with a near-death experience, sure.Ā āI donāt suppose you know any more about this situation than I doā¦?ā He certainly hopes so, for both their sakes.
Ah. Yes, heās more than fine.
āOh, a thousand apologies, Sinbad! Next time I have to catch you from falling to your death, Iāll be certain to make sure there are plenty of pillows available!āĀ
The freezing icy blade beneath his faked sunny tone makes itself extremely apparent, more so when he drops the smile.
āWhy donāt you do me a favor and never scare me like that again!!ā It doesnāt matter that part of Jaāfar already knows the dismissal of Baalās equip isnāt actually Sinās fault, itās how lightheartedly heās acting in the face of it! After all this time worrying about the other and his condition, this is the greeting he receives. Truthfully, he doesnāt know what he expected. The adviser is this close to flicking the otherās forehead or pinching an ear or nose. The exasperated irritation only eases as the momentary burst of adrenaline does. He heaves out a tired sigh, but gets to his feet only a little shakily.
Right, at least if Sinbadās acting like this, nothing is seriously wrong. Thatās good, Jaāfar thinks, and it brings itās own form of relief that pools warmly with the others. He found him. Heās alive (thanks to him) and apparently none worse for wear. Sinās alright. Thank the rukh.Ā
āI know a little;Ā I was surprised to wake up here with my vessel in tact and working, and thankfully I see youāve kept yours as well?ā Good. Good. āI arrived shortly before the monsters started spawning, but Iāve managed to gather some information while scouting the area-ā theĀ āand looking for youā goes unsaid-Ā āI can fill you in on the basics of what I know right now and give you more details later.āĀ
After all, theyāre still on a battle field.