*I have just became interested in Magi: Labyrinth of Magic recently. I have gotten inspired for a new fanfic.
*The role of Aladdin has been replaced by a sixteen old girl Parthevian girl named Le. She was raised in a tribe of Parthevian Freedom Fighters, which are people who free slaves and help rehabilitate them into ordinary citizens.
*They wear thick chokers, anklets, and bracelets on their necks, ankles, and wrists, that were actually shackles from the slaves they saved. They wear them so they can know what the slaves are going through and therefore make them more determine to rescue them.
*She went into a dungeon trying to rescue slaves that a lord dragged in with him, and that's how she got Ugo.
*Instead of being an offspring of Solomon like in the Manga/Anime, she is the reincarnation of Solomon and a magi at birth.
First Night
Qishan, Marketplace, Afternoon:
In the desert town of Qishan, a blonde haired boy of seventeen was working back of the local marketplace, unloading sacks of grain. "You're working hard today, Ali Baba." A man scooping legumes stated as the youth wiped his brow of the sweat he built during his hard work. "Well, those who don't work, don't eat." he stated. "True, unless you're stinking rich." the man said. "Even kings need to work to rule a kingdom." Ali Baba said. The men laughed at the statement.
"So where are you off to today?" the scooper asked. "Next I'll be delivering fruit to Lord Budel." Ali Baba answered as he received his pay from the boss. "Oh, that greedy, foolish pig." the scooper sighed at the obnoxiousness of that trade merchant. "Hey! I have to work to reach my goal." he stated.
"What goal?" one of the other men asked. "The kid has his sight set on the dungeon." the scooper answered with an amused smile. "Well, I suppose youngsters should have big dreams." the other teased. With that, Ali Baba left in a huff. He was serious, and one way or another, he capture that dungeon.
Awhile later, he arrived at an area where caravan wagons were parked. The camels were at the wells to have their fill of water. Ali Baba went part way to place the apples in the back. And there was something in the front eating the meat. "What the…?" Ali Baba exclaimed.
A cat like creature with dark gray fur with black stripes no bigger than a sheep was helping itself to a free meal. It turned around and it was a tiger with a silver shackle like collar around its neck and blood from the raw meat dipping from its mouth. "Where in the world you come from?" Ali Baba asked, cautious of the creature. The tiger just purred in content.
"Is Ali Baba around?" a man's voice sounded, bringing the boy to alert. Outside the wagon, an extremely obese man and two guards came to inspect the wagons. "I'm here sir!" he said as he jumped out of wagon, body blocking the entrance, acting as if nothing was wrong.
"Is everything loaded?" the man asked. "Yes!" Ali Baba answered still blocking the entrance to the back. "Well then, let me see!" Budel ordered as one of his men grabbed Ali Baba by the scuff of his neck and threw him aside. "Wait!" the youth said in desperation.
But it was too late, he opened the back and saw something eating the merchandise. When the tiger saw the man, he bared his fangs at him, growling with the blood all over his face. Needless to say, he was not happy. "ALI BABA! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Budel demanded. "I don't know sir, I just found that tiger here." Ali Baba tried to explain.
Then suddenly, the tiger pounced on Budel's fat stomachtiger saw the man, he bared his fangs at him, growling with the blood all over his face. , knocking him to the ground. "GET THIS MANGY FELINE OFF OF ME!" Budel demanded as the tiger growled and bared his fangs and claws at him. "BAD KITTY! Ali Baba yelled as his tugged on the decorative shackle like collar with as much effort as he could. After a while, he had finally managed to get the tiger off of him.
"I'm so sorry, Sir!" Ali Baba said, trying to explain, but Budel wasn't having any of it. "QUIET!" he said as he stepped on top of his head, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS! YOU'LL WORK WITHOUT PAY UNTIL YOU CAN PAY OFF YOUR DEBT! NO WAY YOU ARE GETTING OUT OF THIS ONE! YOU GOT THAT, PUNK!" "BUT IT WAS THE TIGER THAT ATE THE MEAT!" Ali Baba complained.
Qishan, Ali Baba's House, Night:
Exhausted from the complaints that Budel gave, Ali Baba dragged his feet back to his house. For some reason, the tiger followed him like a lost puppy, or rather lost kitten. "Why are you following me?" he asked annoyed. The feline just gave a meek sound as if he was an innocent kitten.
"Athar! Athar!" A voice called. The tiger perked up at the sound of the voice, and gave a happy meow. "Athar! There you are!" a young boy of about sixteen, wearing the local Qishan clothing said as he ran to the two. He was wearing a turban with an oval shaped ruby on his forehead, his purplish-black hair was peeking at the back of the neck, and his amber eyes were so vivid they looked like gold. He also wore silver armlets on his wrists, silver anklets on his ankles, and a silver choker around his neck which were thick as shackles. He also wore a gold bird amulet with spread wings.
"I have been looking for you everywhere!" he exclaimed. "Is this your tiger? Ali Baba asked. "Yeah, we got separated when we first arrived at to Qishan." the boy explained, "I hope my friend wasn't any trouble." "Well…he…uh…" Ali Baba hesitated to say that he did.
Then suddenly, Athar collapsed. "Athar!" the youth exclaimed. The young tiger was hyperventilating. "What's wrong?" Ali Baba asked. "I don't know!" the boy said as he examined his feline friend, "It looks like stomach pains! He must have gotten into something, like he ate something bad or got his paws on some poison."
Then it hit Ali Baba. "It must have been the meat he ate earlier at the caravan wagons I was at." he exclaimed. "The meat must have been bad!" the boy exclaimed in anger. "I got some medicine for animals, I received some a grateful customer, but I haven't found a use for it yet. I was going to sell it, but this is more important. "Ali Baba explained as he brought them inside the house.
Without any time to spare, he administered the medicine and soon he was calmed down. "Thank you so much!" the boy exclaimed, "I don't know how to thank y…" GRROOOWWWWLLLLL! "Well, I think I have some fruit around here. I'm Ali Baba by the way." He said. "Le." The boy answered. Ali Baba tossed an apple to Le, who happily accepted it.
"Aw man, I'm running out of stuff to eat around here. And that pig, Budel, cut off my salary until further notice." Ali Baba complained, "Now I got to capture a dungeon or I won't be able to make ends meet." "You looking to capture a dungeon?" Le asked as he finished his apple began to stroke Athar's soft fur. "Yeah! Crazy huh?" he answered, getting ready to be teased. "Bold, actually." Le stated.
"Bold indeed, Dungeons are mysterious buildings that appeared over fourteen years ago." Ali Baba, "At the top, there are countless treasures. Gold, silver, magic flying carpets, goblets that gush wine, and even a magical djinn in a metal vessel. However, along the way to the top, there are all sorts of traps, monsters, and dangers. In fact, not just anyone can conquer a dungeon." "Yeah, but little do they know that those buildings are a test of character." Le said to himself. "What really? A test of character?" Ali Baba asked.
"I been in a dungeon before." Le stated. "What and you lived!" Ali Baba exclaimed. "Yeah. Also you don't want to go in there alone" Le answered, "It turns out that the djinn of the dungeon is the master of it. Even if there's only one person and he or she makes it to the treasure room. That person is doomed if the djinn deems them unworthy of being their master." Le explained. "So the purpose of the dungeon is actually to proof ourselves to the djinn that they will be a worthy master? Not the Treasure?" Ali Baba asked. "I assure you that the treasure is just a side bonus." he answered.
"Hey Le, are you a dungeon capturer?" Ali Baba asked. But Le didn't answer because he drowsed off and fell to sleep. He in turn fought off a yawn and fell to sleep, after the day he had, he deserved it.
Qishan, Morning:
The morning came and Athar was feeling much better. In fact, he was feeling so great, he played with the cord Ali Baba tied around his neck, almost choking him. "Looks like someone is frisky as kitten this morning." Le exclaimed.
"By the way, Ali Baba, would you let me see the meat Athar ate yesterday?" he asked. "I suppose I can, but why?" Ali Baba asked. "If that meat was so bad that someone would get sick from eating it, then the value of it would be significantly smaller than what that Budel stated." he explained. "Alright, just follow me." Ali Baba said as they started to leave the house.
As they walked towards the marketplace, Le's curiosity formed questions in his mind about Ali Baba's intentions. "Hey Ali Baba, I was wondering why you wanted to go to the dungeon? Was it for the money or something?" he asked. "Yeah, since I need money." Ali Baba answered, "And by that, I mean enough to buy a whole country."
"To buy a country?" Le asked skeptically of his behavior. "Yeah, and to buy great food and beautiful women." Ali Baba ranted on, "If a man is wealthy, he can popular, and all these women with gigantic breasts throw themselves at you!" "One thing's for sure, you won't impress Amon that way." Le stated, feeling really disgusted for some reason.
"Amon?" Ali Baba asked. "The name of the dungeon, which also happens to be the name of the Djinn who controls it." Le explained, "And if you act greedy like this, he will probably wipe you off the face of the dungeon." As Le stated this, he flung his arms out to empathize his point, hitting someone in the process.
It was a young girl with bright red hair and eyes to match. She was carrying a large that was twice her size and it was overflowing with lemons on top of her head. She felled on her rear from the impact. "I'm so sorry! I should have watched what I was doing!" Le apologized to the girl.
However she just juggled the lemons that had fell out of the basket back in and stood back up with a pouty look on her face. "Are you okay? Do you need help with those?" Ali Baba asked. "No thanks, I'm fine." she refused bluntly and walked off.
Ali Baba then noticed a shocked look on Le's face. "What is it?" he asked. "She's…" Le stated as he pointed to the girl's feet. Ali Baba turned to where he was pointing and gasped. Around the girl's ankles were shackles and chains. When she noticed that they saw her chains, she blushed in humiliation and tried to pull over the bottom of her dress to hide them. However as she did so, she tilted the basket, spilling the lemons onto the ground.
"She's a slave…" Ali Baba stated. "She's so embarrassed, she feels the need to hide the chains." Le said, clenching his fists to keep himself from shaking in anger, "If I ever find the person who came up with the idea of slavery, I'm going to chain him or her so tightly they won't be able to move again!" Ali Baba flinched at that statement. "Anyway, this is a pretty rotten world we live in." he stated.
Without a second thought, Le walked to the girl and bend down next to her. "Here, let me help you." Le offered and he bend down and help picked up the lemons, Athar assisting as well. "Oh no! You don't have to!" the girl exclaimed in a panicked tone. "Please let me." Le insisted.
Reluctantly, the girl accepted the help offered to her. However, some of the other people were skeptical about this act. "Helping a slave girl?" a random man asked. "Unthinkable!" the woman with him said, both obliviously of high class. "Um…Le…Everyone is looking at you." Ali Baba said, concerned about the others' stares. "Let them! This girl is a person and I'm not about to ignore someone who needs help." Le exclaimed, this awestruck the young man.
"What are you doing with that slave?" a man demanded. "Lord Budel!" Ali Baba exclaimed. "I certainly hoped you are not trying to free that girl, because would be a serious offense." He said as he grabbed a lemon and rubbed it against Ali Baba's cheek, "You could lose an arm for that."
"Leave Ali Baba out of this, I only helping her gather the lemons she dropped, nothing more." Le said, as Athar growled at the obese man. "Why help her? She dropped them herself, so she should be the one to pick them all up?" Budel argued. "So you're saying that I shouldn't help her at all, is that it?" Le interrogated. "That's right." he answered.
Then he grabbed the girl roughly by the hair. "The life of a slave is a rotten one indeed." he stated as he smashed the girl's face and tossed her harshly to the ground and stepped on her hand, "Even if someone does this to you or this, you can't complain or do anything about it." "Get off of her!" Le demanded. "What did you say, brat?" Budel asked getting annoyed by the demand. "I said, get off of her right now!" he said as he grabbed the man by the scuff of his fat neck and pulled him off of the girl.
This angered him further. "What are you going to do about it, kid? You want me to make you a slave as well? Or would you rather that I execute you right now!" he exclaimed. "Try that and I'll make you regret it!" Le warned, not moving an inch. "You and what army?" Budel asked. "This army." Le answered as he took out a long golden flute and played a single note.
Then out of the other end of the flute, two large blue arms came out and knocked away the guards accompanying Budel into the local produce stands. Budel just stood there in shock. Then the arms raise its arms and clapped really hard, creating a strong gust of wind from the force. However, Budel was unharmed and just fainted from seeing his life flashing in front of his eyes.
Le then gave the right forefinger of the giant blue creature a high five in a sense. For some reason, the giant went stiff as he pointed to the girl, went pink, and went back into the flute. "Oh man, you're still shy around a pretty girl, aren't you, Ugo?" Le stated.
Everyone else just stood there in shock at what had just happened. "What's going on over there?' a guard asked as he and his companions ran towards the commotion. "This is bad, we have to go!" Ali Baba exclaimed as he grabbed Le by the wrist and led him away from the crowd. As they the guards approached the scene, the girl ran from the scene as well.
Later, they hid in the sewers. Ali Baba pondered about what happened as Le catch up to his breath and petted Athar. "Hey, Le! What was that thing just now?" he asked. "Oh that was my friend, Uraltugo Noi Nueph, the Djinn of Wisdom and Compassion. But we just call him Ugo for short." Le explained. "Djinn of Wisdom and Compassion?" Ali Baba asked. "Yes, the Djinns represent a particular aspect. For example, I heard that Amon is the djinn of decorum and austerity." Le answered.
Ali Baba was flabbergasted, Le was in possession of an extremely powerful being. Going in the dungeon was hard enough as is, but if he had someone with a djinn, he would have a better chance. "So, Le, do you fancy good food?" Ali Baba asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "Of course, but first, the meat." Le said.
Qishan, Jamil's Palace, Afternoon:
"So, what happened in the marketplace today?" a young man with messy black hair asked Budel, as two female slaves with silver ankle chains wearing silk clothes waiting on him and massaging him as two others hold some bowls of fruit for him as he did some deskwork. "It was nothing, a couple of fools were trying to help a slave. That's all." Budel explained, stiff with fear of the man in front of him. "Were they wearing shackle like ornaments on their wrists, ankles, and/or neck?" he asked. "Well, one of them was." Budel answered. "Then it sounds like we got a Freedom Fighter on our hands." the lord stated.
"You're handling that order to that lord across the desert, right?" he asked. "Yes." Budel answered. "Well then, before you go, could go could you investigate that boy?" the lord asked. "B…bb…but that Freedom Fighter has a tiger and some sort of blue giant monster inside a flute! I'm not even sure, how he gets it in there!" Budel exclaimed trying to excuse himself from this job. "A blue giant monster?" the lord asked in upmost curiosity.
Qishan, Red Light Distinct, Night:
"What's that sour look on your face for?" Ali Baba innocently asked. "It's because you brought me to a kinky place like this!" Le answered with disgusted as some bar girls tried to hit on him. "I thought you would like this. Don't tell me you're more interested in guys?" Ali Baba asked. "I'm not gay!" Le exclaimed as he hit the table in anger, "And besides, should you really be using your money like this, when you in debt to that pig?"
"It's fine, it probably wouldn't matter anyway by now." Ali Baba answered. "What do you mean by that?" Le asked. "Well, I have decided to go into the dungeon soon!" he exclaimed. "What?" Le stated. "Of course, I won't go alone. If you like, I would like you to join me." Ali Baba said.
"Why me?" Le asked. "Well for starters, you have already been in a dungeon and survived, and you got a djinn with you and even a tiger, and you said so yourself, I can't go into a dungeon alone. It would help if I have an experienced person with me." he explained, "If not you don't want to, perhaps at least you can give me some tips." Le was reluctant at first, but he decided to at least help Ali Baba with this, since he was going to need all the help he was going to get.
"Alright, first you need to know about the djinn." Le started, "The dungeon is fill of different monsters and traps, and depending on the Djinn. For example, the dungeon Vinea had a water djinn, so it was full of all sort of water monsters and traps." "So what kind do you think is in Amon?" Ali Baba asked. "I think he might be either a fire, earth, or wind djinn, dungeons are also influence by the environment surrounding it. With the desert heat, sand, and strong winds, it could be any of them." Le answered. "I see…" Ali Baba stated.
"Also we need to stock up on supplies that could be useful inside, and plenty of it. Inside the dungeon, time flows differently than it does on the outside. When Sinbad, the famous adventurer, conquered the first dungeon, he was in there for two months when it only felt like a few hours." Le added. "Alright then, I guess we need to think of some things that might show up and come up with what to bring." Ali Baba said. "Well then get brain storming." Le stated.
For the next hour or so, they thought over what to bring and what they might encounter in there. Then they were finished. "I think that about does it." Le said. "We'll get the supplies and equipment we need tomorrow morning." Ali Baba said as the announcement for service time came, "For now, let's enjoy ourselves to the fullest!" "Right…" Le said with a disgusted look from Ali Baba's dirty look.
After excusing himself for a bit, Ali Baba sat himself at a nearby couch as he requested the most popular woman at the bar. Le just sat back at the table enjoying the meal. Minutes later, a woman came to the table.
"May I join you?" A feminine voice asked. Ali Baba jolted to attention at the sound of her voice. Her long nailed fingers picked up the pitcher of wine on the table. "I've noticed you with that charming young man with the cute little cub earlier." she stated. "Oh, he's not a friend." Ali Baba said as he tried to act cool in front of her. "Oh really?" she asked. "You see, I had decided that I wasn't going to have any friends from now on." he said.
Then he got a good look at the woman, the lady was huge and her face looked like something out of a child's drawing. "Please to meet you, my name's Elisabeth." She introduced as she used her hand with sharp nails to slice open the pitcher as Ali Baba just sat there with a blank look on his face, "I'm known as the most competent hostess at this establishment." "Guys actually go for a woman with a larger build more than a slimmer girl?!" Le stated stunned at the sight of the woman.
Awhile later, Le and Ali Baba came out of the bar. Le was sated by the meal he had, but Ali Baba was exhausted by the special service he received from Elisabeth. "Well that's what you get for being shameless." Le said. Ali Baba didn't answer and just stared into nothing.
"So, this is where you have been." An annoying voice said. It was Budel and he had two guards with him. "If you have money to waste on partying, then surely you can be able to pay off your debt to me?" he interrogated. "Ali Baba doesn't own you even a copper piece, because the meat wasn't worth that much. It was rotten and in poor quality. Athar got really sick last night!" Le stated. Athar growled in agreement, baring his fangs and claws at the pig of a man.
"What are you implying, you brat!" Budel demanded. "The meat was all brown. When the meat is cooked, the meat is supposed to be brown, but the meat in your wagon wasn't cooked, it was raw, and raw brown meat is a serious health hazard." Le explained. "That Wagon was for the poor villages over the desert. You were planning to sell that meat to them?" Ali Baba Interrogated. "Hey! That meat is suitable for those desert scum." Budel answered. "Filthy pig!" Le exclaimed.
"Either way, it's true that I don't have any money now. But me and Le here are going to conquer a dungeon. Then I'll be able to pay you back whatever money I owe!" Ali Baba said. "Even though you might not deserve it." Le say to himself. But Budel and his men just laughed.
"Also, I need to take that boy." he said referring to Le. "Why?" Ali Baba asked. "For the attempt of freeing a slave." Budel answered. "I wasn't freeing her, I told you I was helping her with the lemons!" Le snapped. "But you would like to help her escape, wouldn't you?" he asked. "And if I would?" Le asked. "Then I will make you a slave on the spot." Budel answered. "Do that and I'll feed you to Athar!" Le exclaimed as Athar snarled more.
"Whoa! Whoa! Everyone calm down! Look I give you my word that I'll give you the money when the dungeon is conquered. Just be patient." Ali Baba said. "Forget this! Men take them!" Budel ordered. The next the two youth knew, they were overpowered and drugged to sleep.
Qishan, Caravan, Morning:
"So, what can I do for you now, Master Budel?" Ali Baba said, trying not to get on the heavy man's bad side. "Fifty caskets of wine from Lord Jamil, a gift to a lord across the desert. It's worth a fortune, so careful!" he ordered. "Yes Sir! Ali Baba exclaimed, "What a joke, transporting wine across a desert! It's suicide!"
"I can't believe you allowing yourself to be put to this restricted position." Le stated in a huff. "I don't to be here anymore than you do, but we don't want to make Budel angrier than he is now." Ali Baba explained as he took his seat in front of the wagon in order to steer the camels. "Whatever!" Le said sulking, looking in the other direction, that's went he noticed something.
"Hey, Ali Baba! Look! It's the girl from yesterday." he exclaimed. "What?" Ali Baba gasped as he looked at the wagon with the cage with several people in chains inside, including a mother and her young daughter, and the red haired girl, "Lord Budel, who are those people there?" "Slaves we are transporting to the mines." he answered. "Not only are we transporting wine, but innocent people. We're digging our graves, I'm telling you." Ali Baba stated, leaving Le perplexed by his words.
Once the wagons were loaded and everyone was ready, the caravan left the desert, and begun the treacherous journey across the desert. "It is pathetic for one to think outside of one's station if life. Mice are mice and Slaves are slaves. Wouldn't you agree?" Budel said as he messily ate an apple from the back of the wagon Ali Baba was driving. Le just scoff at the statement. "That's ri…" Ali Baba mumbled under his breath. "Uh…I can't hear you." Budel mocked.
"You're absolutely right master, you are so wise!" Ali Baba said. "I can't believe you said that!" Le yelled in his ear, "This pig is comparing those poor people to livestock animals, when despite rank and oblivious intelligence and manners, is no different from him!" "They are just lowly slaves!" Budel snapped. "They are Humans!" Le exclaimed. "Okay, let's not yell please, these camels are awfully skittish." Ali Baba added in, trying to prevent a fight. The two huffed as they turned away from each other.
"You really are a liar, you know that." Le said as he slumped in his seat. "What's that supposed to mean?" Ali Baba asked. "What you said just now, it wasn't the truth, it wasn't how you really feel. And if you keep lying to yourself like that, no one will believe you, and soon, you won't be able to believe even yourself." Le explained. That statement really put Ali Baba in deep thought about this.
Desert, Evening:
It was sunset and the caravan continued to move across the desert. Budel was still greedily eating and drinking the food brought for him to indulge in on the trip. The rest, were working hard to get across the desert safely, getting very sweating, sore, hungry, and tired.
Then suddenly, a hole sunk in the sand a mile away from the caravan. At the sight of it, the group panicked and whipped the camels to move faster, but the hole was getting bigger and heading towards them. "It's the Desert Hyacinth, it's attracted to the scent of flesh and wine." Le stated. "Blast! It showed up after all!" Budel exclaimed as he was hoping it wasn't going to be a problem. "That's what you get for transporting wine!" Ali Baba said as he whipped the camels to go as fast as their feet can carry them.
"There's a way to stop that thing and go faster at the same time." Le added. "What's that?" Ali Baba asked. "We have to dump all the wine out of the wagons and let the Hyacinth have it. It will get drunk and the wagons will be lighter." he explained. "No way! This wine is worth a fortune!" Budel snapped.
The more the monster emerged from the sand, the larger the hole got, and the closer it went to the caravan. When the edge of the hole reached them, the wagons turned around and halted in their tracks. Then the hole stopped expanding and the creature revealed itself as a giant purple flower with large thick vines and a base filled with digestive acids.
"We got to get out of here!" one of the men exclaimed. "Forget the cart! Let's just go!" another exclaimed. The slaves were panicking more than the others outsides, begging to help them out, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. However, Le ran up to them and opened the cage. "Calm down everyone, just come out one at a time slowly and go to the back of the wagons and far from the hole." Le ordered as he led the slaves out of the cage one at a time.
Then one of the vines hit the side of the hole, just as the mother and her small daughter were getting out of the cage. As the wall crumbled, the little girl was still on there, and she began to fall towards the monster. As she fell, the red-haired slave girl from before grabbed her by the hand and reached out for someone to grab hers.
As Le and Ali Baba reached out for the girl's hand, Budel came to grab a barrel of wine that was also falling, pushing them aside and out of the girl's reach. The two youths, along with the little girl's mother could only stand in shock while the two fell into the mouth and digestive juices of the beast. After that happened, the petals of the giant flower closed, ready to digest the two inside.
"That was close!" Budel exclaimed holding the barrel close. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN "THAT WAS CLOSE"? THERE'S A CHILD AND A YOUNG GIRL DOWN THERE! YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LEAVE THEM THERE TO DIE?! AND ALL SO YOU CAN SAVOR EVERY BARREL OF THIS ROTTEN DRINK TO SOME SNOTTY LORD!?" Le yelled. "They can help by keeping that thing immobile while it feeds on them." he answered as he went back to the wagons. "WE CAN SAVE THEM! JUST FEED IT THE WINE, AND IT WILL BE IMMOBILE ALTOGETHER!" Le snapped.
Meanwhile, the mother of the little girl was screaming and crying out the girl's name, struggling against the guards that were holding her back from going down and saving her daughter. "PLEASE LET ME GO! I HAVE TO SAVE MY DAUGHTER!" she cried. "Don't you dare let her go! If she dies on me, I'll incur a huge debt!" Budel complained. "THE LIVES OF TWO INNOCENT PEOPLE ARE WORTH MORE THAN A THOUSAND CASES OF WINE. YOU CAN ALWAYS MAKE MORE WINE, BUT YOU CAN'T BRING SOMEONE BACK TO LIFE!" Le yelled in Budel's ear.
While Budel and Le were arguing about the lives at hand, Ali Baba was sitting there in shock and deep thought as he watched the two girls struggling against the vines trying to pull them under the digestive juices. "Ali Baba! Don't just sit there, load the wine!" Budel demanded. Le just stood, fists shaking in anger at the bull-headedness of the pig of a man.
The mother had stopped struggling and just cried at her helplessness. "Stop that crying, Woman!" Budel commanded of the despairing mother, "Alright! I'll reimburse you for that brat! How much do you want?" "YOU CAN'T REIMBURSE A LIFE WITH MONEY EITHER, YOU PIG HEAD! WEREN'T YOU LISTENING!?" Le snapped. "Then how about a different king of reimbursement?" he said with a dirty smirk on his face.
Without waiting for a response, a fist slammed right into Budel's face and send him flying into a nearby wagon. "I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU GET AWAY WITH BUYING SOMEONE'S LIFE WITH THAT ROTTEN WINE OF YOURS!" Ali Baba yelled at the top of his lungs. "Wow! You literally beat me to the punch!" Le stated flabbergasted as he held his fist in a pre-punch position.
Then, Ali Baba, grabbed a nearby barrel and jumped into the hole. He slid down the side and walked across one of the plant's leaves without haste. He tried to ram into the closed petals with the digestive juices filling up fast, but to no avail.
"Open up! I'll get you drunk on this wine." Ali Baba yelled at the plant as the girls continued to struggle inside the beast. He hit the edges touching with his fists, but still it wouldn't open. "Why won't you open up?" he yelled in desperation.
Unable to stand by any longer, Le took out his flute and played single long note. With that, Ugo came out, full size. He was at least fifty feet, he was only wearing a loincloth and in place of his head, the flute was in its place.
He landed on his feet behind Ali Baba and pulled at the top of the monster's petals, releasing the acids from inside. "Now, Ali Baba! This is your chance! Do it now!" Le exclaimed. With that, Ali Baba threw the barrel towards the center of the beast's mouth, smashing it to pieces, releasing the contents, and relaxing its body from the liquid.
The vines from inside plant went lax as well, loosening around the girls who were catching their breath once their heads were above the acid. "Come on! Take my hand!" Ali Baba exclaimed as he reached out for the girl's hand. The bigger slave was hesitant at first, but she reached out and grabbed his hand with a tight grip.
Then the vines of the plant monster came back to life and started to wrap themselves around Ugo's Body. "Ali Baba! That wasn't enough wine, it wore off already! Get out of there!" Le yelled. Taking his advice, Ali Baba used all his strength, and pulled the two girls out of the mouth, and onto one of the leaves. However, he fell into the stomach juices, and vines started to take hold of him.
"Ah! Serves him right for defying me!" Budel stated as he rubbed his cheek where Ali Baba hit him. Unable to stand by any longer, Le pulled off his turban, releasing waist length long flowing amethyst hair tied in a braided half ponytail. Some of the guard, gawked at the revelation of the youth's true appearance.
Le didn't pay attention to the on-looking crowd and laid the unraveled turban on the ground, which seemed too big to fit on a person's head. The turban magically moved on its own and it slipped underneath the remaining wine barrels. "Fly, Magic Turban!" Le commanded as it started to float in the air, carrying the barrels to the hole where the beast dwelled.
Back to Ali Baba, he was just laying in the acid, eyes closed. "Aw man! Am I going to die?" he asked himself, "Not that it matters, I just did nothing. Sure I want money and power, but…what I really want is…" Then he opened his eyes and saw a shocking sight.
Le was on top of the turban with the caskets of wine, with long amethyst hair blowing in the wind, giving the youth a feminine look, giving the blonde boy a startling realization. "Le…you're a girl?" Ali Baba said flabbergasted as he continue to lay in the stomach fluid, "that would explain the disgusted looks from last afternoon and last night." "So you're not a liar after all, Ali Baba. You can speak the truth when it matters." she said with a smirk.
"Stop! That wine is worth more than what he can earn in a thousand years!" Budel pleaded with tears in his eyes, "Stop right now, I'm begging you!" "Sorry, but this wine is extremely cheap, compared to a single human life!" Le said, and she snapped her fingers and released the wine to the beast's mouth. "NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Budel yelled in despair as the caskets broke in the monster's mouth and put the plant in submission, releasing Ugo and Ali Baba.
On a Sand Dune Nearby:
Atop a camel, peering through a spying glass, the young lord from before looked at the sight far ahead of him. He was accompanied by a large slave with a curved sword and a metal mask. The young lord smile in anticipation, for he found the spectacle he just saw to be interesting. Very interesting indeed.
Back to the Caravan:
"MINA!" the mother exclaimed in tears of relief as her little girl ran into her mother's arms and cried her eyes out. "She's alright! The digestive part of the acids' job hadn't even kicked in when Ali Baba got them out!" Le explained. "Thank you! Thank you both so much!" the mother cried out in extreme gratitude to Le and Ali Baba. "I'm just glad she's safe." Ali Baba said. "Happy to help." Le added.
"GET OVER HERE, YOU TWO!" Budel exclaimed as he was surrounded by his guards. "What does he want now?" Ali Baba asked, impatient by the man's tantrums. "You are going to pay for wasting my wine!" he yelled, "I'll make you slaves for the rest of your miserable lives!"
"That's it!" Le exclaimed as she marched forward with Athar in front. He scared off the guards as they got closer to displeased merchant. Along the way, she grabbed an apple and rope from one of the wagons, walked up to him, kicked him where it hurts, wrapped his limbs with the rope, set him on his back, and placed the apple in his mouth. "Now you resemble what you are, a fat, ugly, greedy, filthy, pig!" Le spat in his face. "That is one girl, you wouldn't want to cross." Ali Baba stated.
"Now, we're going to release the slaves now. And you and your men have better stay out of the way, because in your current state, you look like an entrée to Athar." she warned. At first, Budel wasn't worried, but then in a burst of blue flames, he turned into a full grown adult tiger, baring his extended fangs and claws at him, and licking his lips. With that, Budel screamed at the top of his lungs, the apple muffling the sound.
While he was wrapped up, Le broke the chains of the slaves. "Alright, you guys take the wagon and get out of there!" Le stated. However, the slaves didn't move. "Come on! Shake a leg!" Le urged gently, confused at their hesitation. "We can't! No matter what, we'll always be the slaves of Lord Jamil." An elderly female slave said in hopeless. The other slaves agreed in despair.
"Oh Great! Invisible Chain Syndrome, I.C.S., I should have known." Le stated. "Invisible Chain Syndrome?" Ali Baba asked. "Yes, some slave masters, traders, and merchants are so horrible, terrifying, possessive, abusive, sadist, and or just plain insane, that the slave is too scare to run away even when they got the best chance to do so. They believe that no matter how far they go or how good they hide, they fear that they will be caught again and remain slaves for the rest of their lives. Like they have chains regardless whether they have them or not." Le explained. "Wow! That must make them feel really helpless." Ali Baba said. "I did hear that Jamil, the lord of this region is quite a sadist when it comes to his slaves, so I can't blame them." Le added.
"So what are we going to do?" Ali Baba asked. "Well there's nothing really we can do about them. Unless they gain the motivation to do so, they'll remain this way." Le explained, then she turned to the hope-taken slaves to say something, "But let me say this! Despite your rank, despite your background, despite your religion, and despite your abilities; you are no different from the men who enslaved you. And you know how?" the slaves just waited for the answer, instead of answering themselves. "Because you are all humans, and nothing, nothing, will change that!" Le answered, giving them something to think about.
"What about this!" Ali Baba said, "Whatever I get some the dungeon, I'll use it to pay the freedom of all the slaves. If it's bought no one will argue, right?" Everyone gasped at his announcement. "Are you sure about that? There are a lot of slaves in this country, you'll be using most of your fortune for them. You probably won't get any for yourself." Le asked. "Then I'll just have to get enough to buy a kingdom! Besides, I may enjoy the lap of luxury as much as the next person with fancy food, high class service, and beautiful ladies, I think money should use to help those who need it!" he answered with confidence.
"In that case… Come on, Ali Baba! We got a date with a dungeon!" she exclaimed as we walked towards the wagons. "Are you sure you want to come along? I don't want to see a girl get hurt." he asked, flabbergasted. "Sure I'm sure, I was raised and trained in a village full of Freedom Fighters, so I handle myself, Athar has been trained to assist in Freedom Fighter operations, and we got Ugo as back up. Plus, I'm not about to let my friend go in there alone." Le said holding out her friend for a handshake. "Thanks!" Ali Baba said as he gripped her hand.
"Now, we'll be taking some of your things as compensation for all the grief you given us." Le said as she raided the surviving merchandise, "Don't worry, we'll paid you back with whatever treasure we have left from freeing the slaves." Then Le summoned Ugo again and she, Ali Baba, and Athar, who returned to his small form, went on top of his large blue shoulders. Immediately, he ran towards the direction of the dungeon.
"We'll prepare and rest up for the night and then at the break of dawn, we'll go into the dungeon." Le said. "I guess when Budel gets out of those ropes off of him, there will be no turning back." Ali Baba stated. "That's fine! Because we're about to set off on an adventure." Le stated, "LET GGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOO!" With that, they ran to the dungeon and their first of many adventures together.