Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be. But the idea is, kinda.
Note: I know it doesn't look like it's changed much from the movie, but trust me, it will. Soon enough.
CHAPTER 1: In which our story begins
The night wind was sharp, twisting every which way in the desert, ever changing the shape and size of the sand dunes. The sky too, was sharp, each pinpoint of the stars could be seen clearly, even from the darkest crevice of underground caves. However, the story does not begin in those caves. No, the story begins with a dark man, a very dark man indeed, who sat upon his dark horse upon the highest dune in the desert, erect and proud. His eyes kept close watch over the horizon and narrowed his eyes when he saw a figure riding across the dunes.
"You're late." He announced, glaring at the short, pudgy man who was now cowering before him.
"A thousand pardons, oh mighty one." The man rasped, falling into a hasty bow while rubbing his hands together.
"You have it then?" The man raised an eyebrow at him.
The man smirked. "A few slit throats to get it." He rasped, pulling out the half of the medallion out of his vest. When the taller man reached for it, the shorter man yanked it back. "Ah, ah, ahhh! The treasure!" He enquired.
A parrot flew by, snatching the medallion from the man's hand, scratching his hand in the process, causing him to cry out in pain.
The tall man opened his hand and the parrot dropped the medallion in it. "Trust me, my pungent friend. You'll get what's coming to you." He said.
"What's coming to you!" The parrot squawked as the man took pulled out the second half of the medallion and connected them, forming a scarab shaped medallion. The medallion instantly glowed and began flying on its own towards an unknown destination.
"Quickly! Follow its trail!" The man shouted, pulling his horse into a run. The other man followed.
The speck of light was all they had to guide them as they raced through the desert, the horses pounding into the sand. They eventually reached a large dune where the scarab separated into two and the halves plunged into the dune which began to rise up and transformed into a giant tiger's head with the glowing points serving as his eyes. The tiger head seemingly yawned and kept his mouth open, as if daring anyone to enter.
Both men stared in amazement, the taller man with greed and the pudgy one with sheer fear. "At last," The taller man's lips curled into a pleased smirk. "After all my years of searching, the cave of wonders!"
The parrot on his shoulders squawked his agreement. "The cave of wonders!"
"By Allah!" The pudgy man stood, his mouth open and eyes disbelieving at the magnificent sight before him.
As soon as he remembered the thief was next to him, the taller man grabbed the shorter man by the neck and brought him up to his face, snarling. "Now remember! Bring me the lamp. The rest of the treasure is yours, but the lamp is mine!" He demanded of the shorter man before throwing him down on the sand.
Although the shorter man scowled with indignity, a greedy look came on his face as he approached the mouth of the tiger, which was the entrance to the cave.
"The lamp! The lamp!" The parrot squawked as the man went farter and farther from them. As soon as he and the taller man were alone however, he began talking in a nauseating tone. "Jeez, where did ya dig this bozo up?" The taller man only put a finger to his lips and shushes him.
The otherman now had reached the cave and was about to enter, hesitatingly when the cave roared to life, blowing the man away, and began to talk in a booming and majestic tone voice. "Who disturbs my slumber?" He demanded.
Cowering again, the shorter man spoke up, very afraid now. "It is I, Gazeem, a humble thief."
"Know this. Only one may enter here. One whose worth lies far within. A diamond in the rough." The tiger warned its eyes bright and glaring at the figures before him.
Gazeem glanced back at the taller man for advise to which he shooed him on.
"What are you waiting for? GO on!"
Gazeem hesitates then moves to place his foot inside the cave. With great apprehension, he plants his foot down. When nothing happened, he was relieved and planned to continue his trek when another roar deep in the tiger came and slams shut its mouth trapping Gazeem who had tried to escape. The dune collapsed to as it was before, leaving the tall man, the parrot and the two halves of the medallion.
"Seek thee out, the diamond in the rough." Was the cave's final words.
The parrot unburied himself from the sand and began coughing as he does so. "I can't believe it. I just don't believe it. We're never gonna get a hold of that stupid lamp! just forget. Look at this. Look at this. I'm so ticked off that I'm molting!" He flew over to the man.
"Patience Iago. Patience. Gazeem was obviously less than worthy."
"Oh there's a big surprise!" The parrot sneered, sarcasm dripping with every word. "That's an incred—I think I'm gonna have a heart attack and die from that surprise! What're we gonna do? We got a big problem here, a big prob-"
The man pinches his beak shut. "Yes, we do. Only one may enter. I must find this one, this… diamond in the rough."
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