Chapter 3

A/N Thanks to those who reviewed and/or seven clicked on the link to my story. I know it it is starting off slow, but We will get to the fun parts soon. As for this chapter, Anon Reviewer, it looks like we were on the same track of mind.

Enjoy!

Aladdin blinked.

Two wide eyes, framed by a furry face peered into his own. Aladdin let out a strangled yelp and attempted to scramble away, but did not move very far as he discovered that his legs felt like lead. The creature let out a shriek and leaped off of Aladdin.

"Abu!"

Aladdin sat up squeezing his eyes shut. He rubbed his temple. His mind was all jumbled up inside. When he reopened his eyes, he found a statuesque, hooded figure speaking with a small Capuchin monkey.

"I must be insane," Aladdin muttered to himself.

"You were quite out of it."

"What?" Aladdin looked up to see the man addressing him.

"You get caught by a sandstorm?" the man asked, withdrawing a canteen. "You're lucky I found you."

The man handed the canteen to the Capuchin who scampered towards Aladdin and held it out.

"Er- thanks." Aladdin awkwardly patted the monkey on the head.

The Capuchin let out what sounded like a stream of angry chatter and smacked Aladdin's hand away.

"Abu, that's no way to treat a guest," the man chided.

Abu crossed his arms and stamped back over to the man.

"Where am I exactly?" Aladdin sipped the water.

He was in what looked like a makeshift tent. From the heat, he deduced that he was still somewhere in the desert.

"You're on the outskirts of Palladine. I am Cassim, a master thief of sorts," Cassim said doing a small bow.

"Palladine?" Aladdin thought aloud. "The city is about a two days' walk to Agrabah..."

"Why would you want to go to the Great White City?" the man asked intrigued. "What's in Agrabah for you?"

"My sister and I-"

"Sister?" Cassim interrupted. Aladdin swore he heard a tinge of excitement in Cassim's voice.

"Yes...sister," Aladdin said confused.

"Well, where is she?"

"I was hoping you would know," Aladdin said apprehensively.

The brightness in Cassim's voice vanished instantaneously. Even under the face covering, Aladdin could tell that Cassim's face was solemn.

No. Amira couldn't be gone. She was a fighter; she would've survived that sandstorm.

"I-I'm afraid that no one would've survived that sandstorm," Cassim said quietly trying to keep his voice steady.

"That's where you're wrong," Aladdin seethed.

"Listen, I know that it's har-"

"Stop."

"You have to face the truth sooner or later."

"Stop."

"Al, plea-"

"I said STOP!"

The canteen flew across the sands. Aladdin sank to the ground and clenched his fists. He gritted his teeth, willing himself to calm down. He felt a small hand on his back. Aladdin looked up from his crouched state to see Abu next to him.

Aladdin gave a half smile and pat the monkey's head again; this time Abu did not slap his hand away.

X.X.X

Mozenrath frowned at the jeweled necklace he held in his hand.

"Princess send back?" Xerxes inspected the jewel.

"Unfortunately." Mozenrath held up the necklace to Xerxes who grasped it with his mouth and placed the necklace on its stand in the laboratory. "It would appear that the Princess has no taste for rare magical artifacts."

"Princess know it rare?" Xerxes asked.

"Well, Princess's are not known for being particularly bright," Mozenrath smirked. He looked up from his desk at the mamluk who had brought back the necklace. "Leave."

The mamluk turned and slowly shuffled its way to the open doors when Mozenrath noticed something strange.

"Stop. Get over here," Mozenrath ordered. The mamluk shuffled back towards its master. Mozenrath inspected the mamluk, finding the oddity. "Xerxes, what is this?"

Xerxes floated towards the mamluk to see what his master saw: a fine row of Xs encircling the mamluk's shoulder.

"Stitches?" the eel answered unsure of what his master meant.

"I don't recall putting mamluks back together this way." said Mozenrath narrowing his eyes.

"The boy."

"What?"

"Boy stitch mamluks," Xerxes admitted.

"Bring the boy to me," Mozenrath barked at the stitched mamluk who shuffled out of the laboratory once more. "Is this what that boy does in his free time? Stitch mamluks?" Mozenrath muttered amused.

"Why boy not mamluk?" Xerxes asked.

"Phasir," Mozenrath said with disdain. "He may be a blind fool, but I know better than to meddle with a Prophet."

"Master."

Mozenrath looked up to see the young boy standing in the doorway. The boy looked a downright mess. His already ragged clothing was even more ragged not to mention his hair was sticking up and looked like it had bits and pieces of straw.

"You called?"

"Is that how you keep yourself?" Mozenrath asked, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

"I do sleep on a straw mat, sir."

"Disgusting," he muttered. He motioned for the mamluk to come closer.

"Well, it is where you put me," Ali said defensively.

"You'd rather be one of them?" Mozenrath nodded towards the mamluk who stood in the doorway. "Mm, thought not."

Ali frowned at this.

"Now, Ali," Mozenrath continued, "you've been here for, how long?"

"Around two weeks." Ali stepped further into the laboratory hesitantly.

"And what have you been doing?"

"What you've told me to do." Ali answered straightforwardly.

"I don't recall telling you to do this." Mozenrath grabbed the mamluk's arm and pointed at the stitches.

"They were falling apart, what was I supposed to do?" Ali asked. "I wasn't going to clean the rest of the Citadel by myself."

"Where did you even get the tools?"

"Xerxes brought them to me."

"So, now you're ordering around my servants?" Mozenrath asked with a dangerous tone. "I don't recall you being the master here."

"I thought you'd prefer your servants in one piece." Ali crossed his arms stubbornly.

"I am perfectly capable of mending my servants. Your petty stitches don't do much." Mozenrath tugged at the mamluk's arm which promptly fell to the ground. The mamluk let out something that sounded like a sigh.

"I don't doubt that, my Lord," Ali said sincerely. "You seemed a bit too busy to mend mamluks. Not to mention, I'm sure creating and mending them takes energy."

Mozenrath scowled.

"Leave!"

Ali did a curt bow and exited.

"There's something off about that boy, Xerxes," Mozenrath said as the boy left.

Ali was strange. Mozenrath had sent the boy to live in the emptiest and worst part of the Citadel - besides the dungeon. He had set Ali to working with the mamluks, performing the menial chores. Ali completed these tasks quickly and quietly with no complaints aside from the odd snarky comment. Ali spoke freely, a bit too freely for Mozenrath's taste. He did not trust that boy one bit; even more so because Phasir had sent him.

Mozenrath found Prophets to be bad luck. He had encountered one once with his former master. His master ignored the warnings of the Prophet and now he was a shriveling, half-dead piece of rotting flesh. If Mozenrath could help it, he was not going to end up like his master.

"Get rid?"

"Now, the blind man said I have to keep him under my services," Mozenrath said thoughtfully. "I can't just get rid of him."

"Send on quest?"

"Ah, now there's a thought." Mozenrath stood from his desk.

He made his way over to the cabinet and opened it. He took out a large tray of small vials.

"What Mozenrath do?" Xerxes floated over anxiously.

"Patience, Xerxes," Mozenrath said as he went through the grid every now and then taking out a vial. "There it is."

He held up a nearly empty vial.

"Sharia?" Xerxes read the small label.

"Let's see if Ali is as good as he claims."

X.X.X

"Abu, run!"

Aladdin leapt from roof to roof with his furry friend close behind him...as well as some not so good friends. The royal guards of Palladine were running after Aladdin, struggling to keep up with him. Abu caught up with Aladdin and scampered up his arm. Aladdin glanced behind him, the guards coming closer.

"We've got you now street rat!"

"You think they'd be more creative," Aladdin said to Abu.

Abu started chattering hurriedly pointing ahead of them.

"What is it?" Aladdin asked.

Abu forced Aladdin's head forward.

"Ah!" Aladdin went toppling off the roof.

He fell into an awning before bouncing off of it and slamming into the ground. Aladdin groaned and rolled over to stand on his feet. Abu dusted off Aladdin's vest.

"Where did the guards go?"

Aladdin's question was answered when three bodies came plummeting out of the sky and through the awning causing a great explosion of melon.

Without a second glance, Abu and Aladdin ran. They ran into an alleyway that was lined with crates. Aladdin pushed aside a pile of crates to reveal a hidden doorway covered by a thin tarp.

"Back already?" Cassim was leaning up against a wail, examining his fingernails. Underneath his face covering, his eyes flicked upwards toward Aladdin.

"We would've been sooner, but Abu here decided to take a couple extra jewels," Aladdin said producing a loaf of bread and a couple of apples

"What can I say? Abu's been trained well," Cassim laughed, however his smile disappeared when he laid eyes on Aladdin's shoulder. Cassim frowned and touched the black and blue bruise that was already forming.

"Fell off an awning," Aladdin replied wincing.

Abu crawled up on a crate and began pantomiming how Aladdin fell off the roof.

"Amateur mistake, really," Cassim said, concern still lacing his voice. "You've gotta be one jump ahead of them if you wanna win."

"I know, I know," Aladdin brushed Cassim's hand off of his shoulder "I'm not an amateur though. I've been doing this for my whole life."

"Your technique was rough," Cassim pointed out. "Charisma and charm can only get you so far."

"Not all of us can be master thieves."

"You have promise, boy," Cassim gave a half smile.

Aladdin broke the bread in half and gave part of his half to Abu who greedily took it.

"He's grown to like you a lot," Cassim observed, "even adapted his wardrobe."

Abu adjusted his tiny vest.

"He's a good partner in crime," said Aladdin as Abu puffed out his chest.

"You should take him to Agrabah with you," Cassim suggested.

"I'm not going to Agrabah," Aladdin said after a pause.

"You have to settle your affairs," said Cassim. "You said that your mother left you something in Agrabah. It does not do well to leave the affairs of the dead unattended."

"Well, what am I supposed to do with that money?" Aladdin asked. "I've no one to share it with."

Abu's eyes widened and tugged at Aladdin's arm excitedly.

"There you go." Cassim nodded towards the monkey. "Now, Agrabah is two days journey from here. I would suggest leaving before the spring ends. You will need a bit of money to get past Agrabah's border security."

"I don't have any money."

"Well, it just so happens that I've been saving up." Cassim dug within his robes and pulled out an ample sized pouch and threw it at Aladdin who caught it with an 'oomph'.

"Where did you get this?" Aladdin's eyes widened at the sheer weight of the pouch.

"Told you, I'm a master thief," Cassim said proudly.

"I can't accept this," Aladdin shook his head and threw the pouch back at Cassim.

"It's a parting gift." Cassim threw it back at Aladdin. He placed a hand on Aladdin's shoulder and patted him on the back. "It's the least I could do."

A/N: Really a filler chapter. Amira isn't doing so well right now, is she? Mozenrath would like to kill her right about now. So, this "mysterious" and very generous rescuer came to Aladdin's aid, who could he be? R&R

Questions answered in the next chapter: Who is Sharia? How will Amira fare on this quest? Why is Xerxes so unhappy about this particular quest?