The Enemy is My Gain

Yanmu glared at the alien. He detested the idea of entertaining the creature in his cabin, after the loss he and Genie had caused him.

However, because of Genie's intervention with the derby race he was able to obtain the Andes Power Scroll. Anyway, the neutrality loss had been easy to rectify with the use of his pirate network. So that moment of slight was nothing more than an insignificant oversight in the end.

Still, the loss of face made him want to punish the men, but his immediate need was greater. So he put this on the back burner when he focused on the scroll. The last meeting with a cabal death mage lingered. Now, his higher priority was to get the Shadow Cabal and Demon King off his back for good. For this reason, he'd work with his weaker enemy to achieve his aim.

When his previous attempt to break the scroll's seal almost eroded his spirit network with a backlash of cosmic magic, it was clear that he needed Negation Cosmic Magic to open the scroll.

His men's reports of Leela's fight with Kairo and Genie in the Ancestral Records confirmed they both had what he needed—mutual cosmic magic to unlock the Andes Power Scroll. Combining their power to apply negation would be purer; the scroll's curse impurities could be removed without backlash to him. He was willing to change his tune and use the men for his advantage.

"If you help me, I'm willing to put our past grievances aside." He frivolously offered to Genie while balancing a dagger on a fingertip.

"Why would I even think of doing that?" Genie eyed him suspiciously.

Yanmu caught his dagger and rose from his chair to crouch before Genie's face. "Because I'll pull back my forces, which are about to attack your borders."

Genie carefully listened to the man's offer of recalling his forces from hidden advantages across their shared border. Lyon would have had to know this was coming. Yet, from Yanmu's unwavering confidence in the fact, it seemed this prince had been able to slip agent units and sleeper cells in pivotal locations a bit at a time to avoid triggering alarms.

"You seriously think my brother wouldn't be aware?"

"Oh he'll be aware, but by that time, the attack would be so brutal there won't be much of a border left. Even now your little palace is under attack."

"What?" Genie's face betrayed his shock, which gave Yanmu more leeway to push his taunts and offer further.

"Oh, yes, you were taking a nap through it all." Yanmu rose and returned to his armchair. "The palace is in ruins—Shadow Cabal and Valerr had a field day trampling all over your pitiful gardens.

Genie's heart beat fast, disbelieving that his home was destroyed. No, his brother was there. Even if the palace faced a siege, the Palace Insight magic would prevent total devastation. But if there was an inside attack, then regardless, the fighting would've been brutal. With the palace weakened, the court would fall into disarray: difficult to orchestrate an immediate military response to the borders.

He sighed, weighing up the situation. From what he knew of Yanmu, the man wouldn't tease him with an offer he couldn't half deliver.

Yanmu smirked. "So, you take my offer or see your country fight a losing war. My pirates are merciless and many."

"I'm one man."

"Two." Yanmu pointed to Kairo. "I need both of you to cooperate and willingly."

His smirk widened as a wicked thought flashed through his mind. "I'm sure you won't want to miss the chance for an intimate moment with your significant other."

Genie groaned and nodded. "Fine, but you better uphold your end of the bargain."

Yanmu dropped his smirk. "Do what I want and everyone can go back to farming, and whatever is done in this backward country."

He tossed a small bottle of pills to Genie. "Hurry up and heal. Get him up. I want you on the deck in one turn. "

Genie picked up the bottle as he pushed himself up to a sitting position.

"Oh, and remember the stakes. Millions of your silly people's ghosts will haunt you if they find out you could've stopped their deaths." He laughed as he left the cabin, sealing them in with magic.

Genie shook his head and held up a healing pill before him. It looked safe enough, so he swallowed it, allowing his spirit network to finish its reconstruction. It felt good to have magic again, and be in control of his body.

"Kairo!" He observed the man's slumbering face, feeling his yearning to hold him.

Instead, he gently opened the man's mouth and slipped a healing pill into it. He felt relieved when Kairo stirred awake.

"Genie!" Kairo blurted upon waking.

"I'm here." Genie blushed, feeling happy his name was the first word out of Kairo's mouth since his return to consciousness.

Kairo turned his head, panting for breath, and looked relieved. "You're okay. Are you?"

"I'm fine. Thanks to you my soul is in my body and no longer tied to the Soul Bells curse."

Kairo smiled, and blushed as he recalled his new feelings. He soon realized he was staring at a creaky wooden roof. He felt a rocking sensation and the smell of the ocean. "Genie, where are we?"

Genie sighed as he filled Kairo in on details, allowing the man to reclaim full control of his body.

One turn (hour) later, Genie and Kairo walked onto the main deck wearing their usual armor. But they were without a weapon.

"Here. No funny business." Yanmu ordered his men to hand them their weapons.

Kairo frowned when he held Zeus. "The palace guards confiscated this from me."

Yanmu laughed. "The palace guards were weak fodder who cried like babies when my pirates cut their throats."

This taunt stirred roars and jeers from his men.

Kairo gripped his weapon tight, feeling anger on the guards' behalf. His tension eased when he felt Genie's hand over his. This gesture had Yanmu smirking with bemusement.

"I'm sure your Genie has told you what will happen if you try to double-cross me." Yanmu soberly reminded Kairo.

Your Genie? Kairo stared at Genie who wasn't giving anything away. He sighed, understanding the bind they were in. Naturally, averting a war was the only option to take.

"Fine. But you know I'll come for you if you screw us over."

Yanmu laughed and added. "Screw you? Ha! I'm not that open-minded." He stared roguishly at Genie. "No doubt your demon-specter would want to screw you all night long."

Kairo choked down a hard breath.

"Kairo!" Genie fussed over him.

"I'm fine." Kairo waved him off as he recovered.

Genie growled at Yanmu. "If you dare touch him, I'll kill you."

"And taint my body with his filth, I'd rather not." Yanmu screwed up his nose.

"Just tell us what we need to do."

Yanmu bellowed out an order for his men to haul anchor and sail for the tropical island ahead.