thecurseofdeath

[thecurseofdeath]

Ithnan doesn't do much.  If he worked on his potions, he'd be accused of making poison--which wasn't too far from the truth.  Then he'd be accused of planning to kill the king.  All that silly stuff when someone was trying to find anything to prove that you were guilty and not worth redemption.  So, he spends a lot of his time cooking and reading and tending to the snakes.  He can't really do much without his magic.

The bird’s head tilts the other way before it preens under its wing, ignoring the snakes.

Sinbad closes his eyes and sits back in his chair, folding his hands together. He’s taking a big risk in this; allowing Ithnan to live. And the process has been tiring for him, when he’s hardly had time to recover from all the long days and nights of planning that the summit required out of him and his staff.

[thecurseofdeath]

Ithnan looked around at the suite.  It indeed was a better than the prison.  He looked at the bird that was watching him, probably wasn't something to worry about.  The snakes slithered about the room curiously, most of them resting on the balcony to bask in the sunlight.

It’s actually a somewhat nice suite, self sustaining with a area to cook and bathe. There’s even a stocked bookshelf, a work desk, and a balcony where the curious bird perches to watch Ithnan with a tilted head.

[thecurseofdeath]

Limiting his magic would be more difficult for him, considering he did everything with magic.  He supposed it couldn't be helped, though.  He was somewhat free from prison and execution. Being led around by the guards was a tad bit irritating, but that couldn't be helped either.

Ithnan placed the basket of snakes on the floor, letting them wandering around a little.

There’s not much comfort waiting for Sinbad, especially when he announces before the Eight Generals and his councillors that he does not condone the idea of killing Ithnan — at least at this time. He tries to spin it to be practical, house arrest and close guard rather than death which will make the agent free to roam and more likely to retaliate. Knowledge holds little worth, after all, when it comes from one known as a liar and for nearly destroying a kingdom with it.

It takes a long while but eventually he makes headway; a trial period at least to see if the arrangement will be beneficial. It’s good enough.

It takes more than just a day, but soon enough Ithnan is released… Though not without one precaution. Before he is released, golden rings are fitted around his wrists and ankles to serve in dampening his magic use. Only with them on will he be allowed out of the cell and escorted under guard to some private chambers that ultimately serve as a more comfortable sort of cell for him.

Sinbad is nowhere to be seen during this, though there is a small black island bird that seems very interested in the proceedings.

[thecurseofdeath]

Ithnan let the snakes rest in his lap for the time being, stroking each one soothingly.  "Everything is fine now.  Don't worry."

Sinbad nods, turning away from the cell and moving to head upstairs out of the dungeon. He has a lot of work to do to make this happen.

[thecurseofdeath]

Ithnan lowered his head, looking down at the flow silently.  "My snakes are my only children." he said quietly.  He could probably never have any considering.  As Sinbad placed the basket down, the snakes popped out of it and slithered over to Ithnan, crawling over him.

"Thank you Sinbad." he said, looking up at him.

"But that’s the only difference I can see between David and I, as it stands," Sinbad continues quietly. "When faced with a bleak future, one without any hope or joy for oneself…. He hastened the end. Worked toward it. Perhaps that could be seen as noble, knowing that the resources of the world would die before the world’s inhabitants. I can understand it, even if I have chosen to forestall the end instead and bear my burdens as long as I am able to.

I can also see the merits in his judgment, though you may despise me more for it. I can understand using children as batteries, making other species inert. Perhaps that WAS his way of postponing the end of his world, by making sure as few beings as possible could use — and thus taint — Ill Ilah’s magoi.” He sits on his haunches, arms laying over his thighs, his brown eyes dull. “It’s very easy to try and judge personally what is white and what is black. But it’s important to remember that everyone perceives that distinction differently.”

His eyes close. “I may be doing well, for now. But remember how quick you were to see me as an evil man who would torture your pets just to see you grieved. Even if you were the one who struck at me first.”

That’s how quickly someone’s perceptIon of right versus wrong can become warped. But Sinbad has known that for a long time, having been victim of it enough times… If the people you slight are selfish and ignorant, you will be remembered as a villain no matter how just your actions were.

He casually slides the basket against the bars of Ithnan’s cell and then stands, straightening the front of his robes and his drape. “I’ll see to the preparations for your release today. But you best not disappoint.”

[thecurseofdeath]

Ithnan rubbed his chin.  "I...suppose so." he said, tilting his head to the side.  "You've...done a good job here...at least I think so." he looked back up at him.

"There is no reason, no cosmic design," he mutters in return. "God is just a wellspring, an energy source. We’re all the same. Some people might find that comforting, but I don’t. As time passes more "souls" — really, the magoi in them that remembers its human form — become black rukh and feed back into God but can’t be sent back out. It’s a system called entropy."

Sinbad shakes his head. “I’m just an anomaly, a chance thing. That’s the best I can hope for, because if Ill Ilah is sentient, Singularities are likely born into the world as a catalyst to bring about the end of it, because God is already dying. Isn’t that why black spots can be brought into being, after all?”

It seems like he’s given this a great deal of thought through the years, as David and other Singularities on other worlds each must have. In some, faith becomes paramount in making sense of it all. But that’s where he and David differ — Sinbad has rejected the system as much as he’s able, rather than considering himself blessed by it. All he’s ever wanted is a world where people are equal, yet his very existence stands as proof that it can never happen; yet he continues to struggle against becoming anathema to his life’s work.

[thecurseofdeath]

Ithnan smiled a little.  "Perhaps so, but there must be a reason why you were sent here if not to help the world move forward." he said.  "Especially if you're not a part of Solomon or Ugo's design."

"It may seem funny to you… Consider yourself lucky in that."

For a moment, Sinbad resembles him. Of course, there are obvious differences, but it’s something in the eyes like a current flowing between the two of them. “I can’t honestly say I wouldn’t, if that was the only option to save the world,” he continues, nothing jovial in his tone. ‘I already exist as hated by Al-Thamen and in defiance of “Solomon’s” order; ever the rebel against the pretty little process devised to assure not one, but two worlds are ruined by the same ghost. Maybe Singularities exist only to undo the world, though your work in Magnostadt proved that I’m not even necessary in that. So, don’t get me wrong… My existence in this world is as cancerous as your own.”

[thecurseofdeath]

Ithnan laughed lightly.  "I know that I can't make world peace, Sinbad.  But stopping Al Thamen will make it a bit more peaceful." he said.  He looked up at the king.  "David...probably had his regrets.  But he did decide to kill thousands of children and people in the process.  I don't think...you'd choose to be that way."

"Then Sindria may not be the place for you — because neither of us can," Sinbad says quietly. "I have spent my entire life trying to be the best person I can and bring happiness to the most even if it means there will be none for me. I never wanted to be praised, I didn’t do it to be praised… But now when I turn away those who would stab me in the back and complacently allow others to be enslaved as they once were, I’m called disingenuous. When I am too good at fulfilling the role I was thrust into as a vessel and as a king — to the point of forsaking the power of an assimilated vessel so my friend can live a normal life — I am called fake and too good to be true. When I use a princess as a tool to prevent further war, suffering, and misunderstandings; when no harm has befallen her under my watch and she has only come into respect… I am cruel and manipulative enough that it is better to side with a man who enslaves and destroys to make the world as he sees fit."

Sinbad puts his hands on the bars, calloused fingers wrapping around the iron as he leans forward. His eyes close for a moment and he openly sighs.

"I wonder if he struggled too, that past Singularity. I wonder if he kept on struggling in vain, even when he could see the future; when it seemed like every action he took was like the trembling of a fly caught in a spiderweb. Or did he finally let go and sink into it; the embrace of the infamy he could do nothing to assuage? Did he come to accept it, to find it welcome how much easier it was to simply let yourself be the villain that others are so eager to make you out to be? I can only imagine what that must be like, as I continue to struggle my way up the high road.

But maybe,” he whispers, a gleam in his eye as he looks past the bars and perhaps this place entirely, “Maybe someday I’ll crack and give way.”

[thecurseofdeath]

"I want to stop Arba from continuing to ruin the world in the name of 'Father.'" he said, closing his eyes.  "In the end, its as David did.  Perhaps once we were righteous in our ambitions.  But no longer..." He opened his eyes.  "I could never fully atone for the things I have done to this world and the people in it...or for the things I have done in Alma Toran...but...for Dunya...and for Setta...I want to make the world peaceful again."

"Then spend this time figuring out why you want to be alive, despite your life being "barely living"," Sinbad admonishes him. "Figure out some new purpose. Be glad that you have the chance and the freedom to do that. Not everyone does.

You better figure it out, because I expect an answer when I get back. A reason I was right to let you live and shoulder more that I didn’t need to.”

Ultimately, it’s Sinbad who will have to fight for Ithnan’s life. He has the luxury to wait here in the cell with his snakes, while the king is argued with, second-guessed, and guilt-tripped for doing what he always has: helping people live their lives.

[thecurseofdeath]

Ithnan closed his eyes.  "I...don't want to...die..." he said quietly, stroking the young snake gently.

"Well… Now you have a chance to be free of it," Sinbad says after a few moments. "Precautions will still be taken, but hopefully you will be able to understand why I must do so."

He then stands. “I will see to the preparations.”

[thecurseofdeath]

Ithnan leans his head back.  "There are things I don't agree with when it comes to Gyokuen...but I have been alive for a very long time...if you call this living.  Being bound to my duty is pretty tiring...but...being inside Alibaba's rukh...having Aladdin force those memories on me that I had buried a long time ago...making that small part of me one with Solomon's will...that...is very tiring..."

Sinbad frowns. It must be nice to run away from everything like that, he imagines. Difficult too, but most everything worth a damn in this world is. He knows that tiredness, the kind that a night’s sleep can’t cure. His brown eyes look distant for a moment.

"What was the thing that broke you, finally?"

[thecurseofdeath]

Ithnan blinked and looked down at the snake.  "I have the knowledge for magic from Alma Toran which would probably be useful to your defenses..and knowledge of Al Thamen...I doubt Aladdin told you everything." he said, shifting a bit.

"I don't try to look dismissive...it's more...I'm just tired..." he said.  "I just want peace..."

"It’s not a matter of believing. It’s a matter of obligation. My people will not feel safe after a "sorry". Neither do I, for the record. We all have tried the path of forgiveness before, and end up hurt because of it. So, if you want to live, you must offer me something worth enough that I am able to justify not killing you; worth enough to offset the risk being taken by putting you up."

He can’t be much more blunt about it, at this point. “You must also work on you demeanor. The way you look at people seems dismissive, churlish and mocking; like a barely contained sneer. It won’t foster much confidence in your ability to turn over a new leaf.”

[thecurseofdeath]

Ithnan blinked and held his hands out, scooping up the snake in his hands.  "I don't want to die." he said, closing his eyes.  "But I...I wasn't going to beg forgiveness...you didn't even believe my apology so..."

"I wonder why you are so eager to die, then. I think if there were a being out there who knew of my true nature and still earnestly wanted to be by my side, I might cling to them. Being acknowledged and understood is a miracle, let alone being loved. Wouldn’t you miss it? Wouldn’t they miss you?"

Sinbad gestures to the snake in his hand with a movement before he crouches down and releases the animal onto the floor so it might slither between the bars and go to the agent it cares for.

"For the record," he says, "I wasn’t planning to hurt it. But I’m damn sick of apathy."

[thecurseofdeath]

"A snake is born a predator, yes, but you cannot blame an animal for going with it's instincts.  However, like most animals, snakes only lash out at people when they're frightened or defending themselves.  If you're kind enough to treat a snake with the kindness you would show other animals, it would be gentle...like they are with me...they eat their fill of rodents and slither around the floor, come rushing to the door when I come home...cuddle up with me when I go to sleep even when I put them in the basket to sleep..."

Good, hate me. Use that as your motivation to live, Sinbad thinks to himself. It was good enough for you once, why not again?

The assumptions hurt worse than the accusations, if he were to be honest. Sometimes, all he wants is for someone to see through the act. But he has become the penultimate liar, a man so adept at twisting the truth that it’s difficult to separate fact and fiction. Truthfully, the idea of harming the snake turns his stomach and he intends to avoid it if possible.

"Then be its advocate. Humor me and tell me why it deserves to live despite that, how perhaps, it is a victim of its nature and of whoever designed it too live this way. Why should a snake be allowed to live, when it is made only to bite and kill? Better yet, knowing of its nature, why should one humor it and hold such a beast close enough to strike at their heart?"

[thecurseofdeath]

"You, like most people, have a misconception of snakes." he frowned, looking at the squirming animal in Sinbad's hand.  "What do you want from me?  It's not enough that you'll take my life, you have to torture and kill my helpless animals too?"

It seems Ithnan cares more about these snakes than himself, it appears; which gives Sinbad something to work with. Something that’ll get past those dull red eyes. Steeling himself, the king takes one of the snakes from the basket and holds it firm in his grasp.

For a moment, he pauses like that. Will he have to break the poor thing’s neck?

"You could say they’re culpable," he begins, voice steady. "Besides, isn’t that the snake’s lot; to slither around in the filth, hiding and hissing and striking out with its poison? Snakes don’t know how to love, they’re just born and fated to become betrayers. Seducers. Liars."

He doesn’t care if Ithnan hates him for this, he cares as little as the agent cares for living. But if he can’t give a damn about his own lot, at least he can for that helplessly squIrming snake in Sinbad’s grasp who’s as helpless to fight its fate as Ithnan ever was to fight his own. That’s one of the hardest lessons Sinbad ever learned: sometimes, you have to do horrible things to do what’s right in the end. You have to kill, lie, cheat, and manipulate. He too, is helpless to escape on his own.

[thecurseofdeath]

"Because I know as the Singularity, you can sense those kinds of things." he said.  "So leave them alone.  They didn't do anything to you."

"Why should I believe you," Sinbad asks calmly. It looks like he might be right, as sad as that is when you think about it. But the king is terribly sly.

"Next thing I know they’ll bite someone and you’ll be back like that," he says with a snap of his fingers. "Why else would you protect them while you’re on your way out?" He hopes he can just talk his way through this, rather than actually hurting one of the snakes to prove how "serious" he is. Sinbad knows they’re just animals, for what it’s worth — he sensed none of Ithnan’s magoi in them.

[thecurseofdeath]

Ithnan blinked and looked up, eying the basket with some concern.  "Those aren't the snake you think they are." he said.  "They're actual animals.  Leave them alone..."

Sinbad sits in his office, debating the man’s fate until Ithnan’s effects are placed on his desk. A basket? Without thinking, Sinbad opens the top only to be met with multiple pairs of beady little eyes regarding him. He quickly closes the lid, but… That gives him an idea.

He wasn’t concerned with being a hero, after all. That was a delusion only suitable for children. Sinbad is more interested in simply doing what is right and fair, and these snakes might actually help him with it. Ithnan may not care a whit about himself, but these snakes on the other hand… That might be the key to getting a real reaction out of the agent rather than flippant apathy. That did not mean however, that what he was intending to do with the snakes was forgiving or kind.

Soon enough, he’s standing before Ithnan’s cell again, the hissing basket tucked under one arm. “We’ve found your snakes,” he announces, waiting to see how the agent will react.