In the original tale, Ali Baba was from outside Damascus, a capital and second large city to Syria. The name for said city in Kurill Prime is now known as Suriatia (originally Surat in India). He had a best friend in a camel - I actually do not know how to spell or pronounce the name, but there is a humped beast in here with a Japanese name - its name even comes from the Japanese word meaning "one". :D Totally true to the tale in both the original and in the movie.

Chapter Three

Akihiro and the Forty Thieves

"You see," Kilana went on, pleased and thrilled to her core as this was one of her childhood favorites, "Akihiro was a poor young man who lived outside the city of Suriatia. A Vorta of decent features, wearing poor clothes, carrying little latinum in his pockets and living on the wild vegetation as he lived in a hallowed out tree in the forest near the great Talaran River which broke into the sea. His best friend was four-legged and had a hump - a wise ichiran camel named Sora. She was one of the wisest of beasts in all of Suriatia. Surrounded by all the native vegetation of our planet in existence, with a desert not far from the frontal forest entry in which Akihiro lived, his only family consisted of not only Sora, but an older brother named Kaeden. Unlike his younger brother, Kaeden was extremely lazy and lacking of common sense."

Weyoun's interest had been piqued, but then it contorted to utter disinterest in a second. "It all sounds very fascinating, if not for the fact that I am lost now," he told her, sitting up cross-legged. "What is the main point of this story?"

Deyos had told her that if you didn't have the audience hooked in the first few moments, they were as her husband said: lost. She cleared her throat and apologized, having gotten down the main hero and two important people in his life, but yet... "It brings me to the eventual main villain of this story: Black Kuro. No one knows his real name, but he was the main ringleader of the titular forty thieves. At the time, the government and the people under it were ravaged with these fearsome men; the Vorta were not entirely peaceful as they are today. Black Kuro was the most murderous of them all, and no one was safe from him and his band."

"And what does he have to do with Akihiro?"

Kilana smiled, displaying all her teeth. "He made Akihiro rich and famous, and in the most unlikely ways imaginable, but unsurprising for the poor man all the same." She found herself looking at the small water fountain in the middle of the bedroom, somehow seeing it as an oasis as she continued the story. "No trade road was safe, for the Forty Thieves always hid and pounced unsuspecting, taking everything they needed and eventually hiding their loot in a secret cave within the Suriatian mountains, striking fear into the hearts of many. Black Kuro himself was a master of disguise and deception."

Weyoun's eyes glittered with the upmost engrossment at the details. His voice was lowered to a hush. "They stole gold, jewels, silks and everything precious. Even food?" he queried, and she nodded.

"Which was found when, unknown to them, Akihiro and Sora the camel were traveling into the oasis one day, and the man himself was talking about how to make himself rich, not uncommon for the poverty. Anyone could fantasize becoming wealthy and powerful, not knowing that prices were too high, and that once you had what you always dreamed of, you had to fight to keep it. It was that day he was collecting firewood to sell at the local market for a substantial - correction, fair price if not more than enough. But it was enough for his brother and himself, and for Sora. He was a really good-hearted young man," she said with a dreamy smile. She almost got lost when she tried to envision that Weyoun - her Weyoun in her heart - had what Akihiro possessed, and his impatient clearing of the throat brought her back to life.

"He considered selling wood not a good idea to make a fortune, had so many ideas of pouring alcohol into trees to grow fruits faster, have a succession of them to come, all of which the camel did not approve but he thought splendid. It was also then that Sora saved his life when she smelled and saw the incoming men in black from the distance. Animals seem to have more common sense than humans and humanoids," Kilana said with a light laugh. "Meanwhile, as he and Sora hid in the bushes, they saw Black Kuro and his band of renegades stop before the collection of caves, and the leader himself reached out and commanded, 'Open sesame'."

"Sesame," Weyoun repeated, frowning. "As in the seeds and the biscuits carrying them."

"Yes. And at the command, the mountain parted in half, letting loose two powerful dragons slithering out and bowing down at the sight of the master thief. They were the guardians of this treasure trove the thieves stashed from the world - until Akihiro himself came along. It was also said to be worthy of someone more noble than the Forty Thieves to take back what rightfully belongs, if only they knew the magic words that Black Kuro used. And he heard it all - and upon seeing the gold, pearls and silks and all taken in a fair amount, he saw this as the opportunity he long waited for, and Sora agreed with him. Kaeden would be most pleased, he knew. They had a way to leave the life they had behind to start fresh, and he managed to get past the dragons and flee with Sora before the Forty Thieves returned at any time.

"By the time he returned home, his lousy brother Kaeden was overjoyed that they would both have their own shares of the riches, but Akihiro himself decided that not only did they need a bigger home in the city for the sake of it; it was to ensure that in case the robbers the riches were taken from would find out who they were robbed by. Kaeden needed to go out on his own, ignoring the plea of his brother that it was dangerous and that he should take Sora with him as she had protected him, but the foolish elder didn't need anyone to look after him, not even who he considered 'just a camel'."

By now, Kilana was laying on her side while her husband remained in his position. He had been toying with his mother's pearls still in his hand, but he had been engaged the entire time. "Why was Kaeden different from Akihiro besides the fact he was lazy?"

"Aki had something that Kaeden never had: a good heart."

Unfortunately, Weyoun continued to frown, but she recognized all the signs that he was pondering this new information regarding a being in general. "You truly think a...good heart CAN protect you and anyone around you?" He was asking this of herself. It sounded as though he wanted to believe it as much as she did, but could not. Which answered her question as to whether or not he ever knew anyone with a good heart, and the answer was no. She nodded.

"Anyway, the younger gave him two biscuits to remember the password as he took Sora and found the cave. He bypassed the dragons by feeding them the biscuits and then finding more of the luxuries - but unfortunately, he forgot the password to reopen the doors to let himself out for Sora to carry what he needed. And this cost him his life altogether, for Black Kuro and his men arrived with their newest share, and killed Kaeden when he panicked and engaged in an ill-fated sword duel with the master thief, remembering the password at the last minute and in an untimely manner." She couldn't help but laugh as she tried to picture Kaeden's response, funny and tragic at the same time, when he spoke "open sesame". "Sora had sensed the thieves coming long before and ran off, leaving Kaeden to his doom only to save herself and the fact he forgot the magic words. Upon her return, Akihiro was handling his share of the riches and had hired a servant girl to help him move into the city. Her name was Miana, a young Vorta not much younger than he."

"What was...Miana like?" It seemed to say her name, Weyoun thought it a pleasant roll off his tongue, and the sound made Kilana herself very roused; she pushed it down to concentrate on the story.

"Some say she was beautiful," she answered. "And certainly clever, very independent."

"It sounds like you." This was the first time she'd seen a smile - or rather, the best he could make of one - on his handsome face. It made him that much more sentient than inhuman as everyone was saying he was now. It filled her heart with more hope, and how it made her melt internally. He must have meant every word he said about her being clever, beautiful and independent, and for a moment she thought so...

But then her mind snapped that he assumed she put herself in the place of Miana. "Like me?" she repeated, laughing. "Oh, no, not like me at all. She is her own woman. And unknown at the time, Akihiro might have had a case of attraction towards her, and her to him, but it was not proper at the time. That same day, Sora arrived without Kaeden, to which the younger brother demanded he be taken to the cave, and Miana came with him. By the time Black Kuro and his men were gone, Kaeden's body was found strung up in the tree near the cave entrance as a warning to anyone else who dared to steal from them again. In his grief, Akihiro fell to his knees and blamed himself, despite Miana's pleas that it wasn't his fault. They took down the body for a proper burial, never mind that she was right that the thieves would return and find the corpse gone and know their victim had friends or loved ones, but this was Akihiro's brother, and he did not deserve carnivorous birds picking at his flesh and bones.

"Kaeden had a great funeral attended by friends and family, the expenses paid for by his brother and Miana beside him. The event did not go unnoticed by the word of the Forty Thieves, for they noticed the amount of jewels and gold missing, ultimately coming to the conclusion Kaeden had help. They dug up his corpse to make sure it was the right man - and found the answer that someone who had just come into money afforded a lavish funeral such as this. They traveled in disguise into the city, discovering none other than his younger brother, Akihiro, who currently lived in Suriatia and on a cliff overlooking the sea. You see, Weyoun, robbers find nothing wrong in robbery - except when it happens to them. The consequences are most dire.

"Meanwhile, for Akihiro himself, he was living most happily in his life of new luxury, with Miana loyally caring for him and Sora the camel - but it was not entirely complete. 'It's good to be rich,' he said to the lovely young Miana, 'if only there was someone else to share it with.' He still felt guilty over the death of his brother and that some part of him did not deserve this happiness - but it was Miana who made him smile. Agreed with him everyone should have good fortune, and that someone else should share it with him."

She paused to look at Weyoun, seeing his nod and thoughtful expression that indeed good fortune should happen, even if not everyone had it. And it was never good to share it alone. The hackles of hope were back on the rise. "And Black Kuro and his rogues were hot on the trail," he stated, "in the meantime." He was such a wonderful listener.

"Yes, they decided by the next night that Akihiro and all he loved would be slaughtered. They traveled once more in disguise and returned to the city, to carry out their plan of attack. They walked up to the gates where to slaughter Akihiro - and everyone in his house."

It was then that she found her place to stop. Time seemed to go on forever when you engrossed in telling a story. Behind them both, the birds called in the distance, informing all that morning had come. The sun shone in from behind Weyoun's standing form, and the man himself had lost track of time himself, upon noticing that she stopped. Now was the good time to pause, for this was the next step. By pausing at the right time with a cliffhanger meant the audience would want more but had to wait. It was what left them on edge and hungry until next time. That was exactly what Weyoun needed.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, sounding almost out of breath after hearing this story which he had not thought he'd wanted to hear from the start.

She smiled softly. "Nothing, Weyoun."

"What happened to Akihiro, Miana and the others? What happened next?" he pressed, excitement apparently coming to life as she wanted. "Did Black Kuro kill them? Don't you know?"

"Of course I know. But I'm tired, and I'll pause for now until tomorrow night. It's already morning."

He whirled around and gasped in utter horror, seeing the life that was the sun. Taken up the planned time she was supposed to be killed; everything he planned had gone to waste today. "No, morning never comes well for me," he said to her. "It's an interference in my line of vision. Now, answer me: you won't go on?" he asked dangerously, narrowing his eyes.

Kilana shook her head, seeing the dark fire in those eyes. "Yes, I promise, but not now. Sunlight isn't the good atmosphere to tell a story. Darkness is always the best time. If you understand, dear husband."

The storm broke as quickly as the calm faded.

"It's a trick," Weyoun seethed, the crack breaking into an even larger one than before. "You're lying to me, just so you can save your own skin! You lousy, shameless temptress!" He was accusing her of manipulating him with her charm and grace, her stories, so she could get a pardon. She gasped in horror; this was not as easy as she'd thought, and now it seemed her time had come: she was going to die.

"NO!" Kilana found herself wrenched upwards by the arm and dragged off the bed. She fought against him, but he was much stronger. "Where are you taking me?!"

He dragged her down to the back of the bedchamber, to an elegantly gated back room. "I want you to meet somebody," he growled as he pushed the doors open -

- and she was meeting face to face with Chief Executioner Yelgrun, with a pink silk rope in his hands. Her father had been right; she'd signed her death warrant. But she wouldn't give up. "Stay back, you bastard," she snarled through her burning tears, her lips pulling back with courage, but it only made him smile.

"Please, Madam Ambassador, if you stay calm," he said smoothly, "it will be quick and painless."

The rich fabric in his hands stretched thin and tight, powerful enough to break her fragile neck. There was only one way out, it seemed: Weyoun couldn't hear the rest of the story if he killed her. Without turning her entire back to the murderer hired by her own husband, Kilana kept her teeth bared and her sweet shell lowered to turn her face halfway to him behind her. "You won't know what became of Akihiro and Miana if you do this."

She would not cry or let her fears that echoed across the command center get back to the other girls below, or to the stoic Jem'Hadar, or let her weakness get the best of her now. If she had anything to say about this...

"Stand down, Yelgrun."

Her heart had been bursting so rapidly she thought it would explode...and then Weyoun had spoken. He ordered Yelgrun to back down and leave her. Was it a trick? Before Kilana could speak, she felt his hand on her shoulder, turning her body halfway around, but she looked him completely in the eyes. His entire face was unreadable, but his eyes were burning with violet fire.

"You will finish the story of Akihiro and the Forty Thieves tomorrow night," he told her, poisonously soft before it raised a level to a rough order. "Get out of my sight."

~o~

Damn himself for his accursed weakness!

Weyoun roared in rage and slammed an expensive vase from its stand as soon as he was far away from his bride and the executioner. Wherever she was going now, he did not care. She'd won this round, and he'd lost. The poisonous witch - she cursed him with her spell!

But she also held his interest with Akihiro, the poor young Vorta who had gotten lucky and made himself rich, but as a consequence, his brother was killed by the same vicious thieves he'd stolen from. Akihiro was a good man with down luck that changed with the guidance of some wise ichiran camel, but the monsters he robbed were after him and the servant girl who harbored secret feelings for him - she must genuinely care for him that much despite the fact they were employer and employee. In reality, it would be socially unacceptable unless the employee himself or herself found means to let go of their position so that way it was acceptable. Weyoun shook his head; he must be overthinking this.

He had to know what this Black Kuro did to them; he had to know.

Damn the enchantress for this.

He dismissed Yelgrun and the assistant, needing some time to think. He had duties to perform, which he would get to soon, but first a word with his advisor and father-in-law about his willful daughter. "Why did you allow your offspring to be my wife?" he demanded, rounding on the advisor who lifted his chin in response.

"I tried to talk her out of it -" he replied, but it made Weyoun's blood boil and erupt at once.

"You fool, I did NOT ask you that! She made me postpone all for a mere story!" he shouted. "Answer me now, Borath: WHY did you let her instead of some zenana girl like we discussed?!"

Borath glared at him with such disloyalty; it was disloyal in Weyoun's own eyes. His most trusted counselor had a part to play in this, and he needed to know. "Because she wanted to, Weyoun. You might not remember, but she was your playmate when you were children..."

He sighed in utter agitation, turning his back to the other Vorta altogether. "That's what she said."

"And it is true," Borath answered heatedly. "She wants to help you, that is all. She is nothing like her, even if you do not see that now. Even if you do manage to execute her - my daughter -" Weyoun gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes as he looked down at his reflection in the fountain near the veranda. "- then know she died trying to save you from this pool you are drowning yourself in."

~o~

Today she was back on the streets, this time in disguise with help from one of her maidservants. Laced up in plain brown silk and cloth with golden coins dangling in places, she scoured the streets of Maduraa, enjoying the sights and smells of ointments and foods around her - she was still alive long enough to enjoy this from afar, but she did not come here to enjoy the sights.

She had to see storyteller Deyos about her situation.

And so she told him everything, to which he nodded at the end. "I sit in the streets every day, telling stories, but if the audience isn't interested in what I have to say..." He shrugged. "...then there is nothing I can do about that. It only walks away. However, in your case, if your audience isn't interested, you're dead," he added somberly.

Kilana nodded grimly. It had only gotten even more challenging than she'd thought, but she had come too far to give up now or to die. She promised her father she would not get killed. And come to think of it, Weyoun might not ever have it in him to have her killed. Who knew what he was doing right now or talking to her father about; she fervently hoped it had to do with her at some point. "I thought it would be easy, but it isn't," she admitted. "I...almost lost before I got started. I hooked Weyoun when we got to Black Kuro..."

"As I told you before," Deyos answered eagerly, "the first moments are vital. You paused at good points, yes, now in which the thieves hide out in Suriatia to kill Akihiro, but sneaking in how?" His eyes glittered with excitement. Excitement she instilled in her husband before it was gone immediately.

"A caravan."

This made him frown and shake his head in minor displeasure. "Too common, my child. It has to be something more...exotic. Tomorrow night, you will pick up where you left off, but you have to hook the ambassador again." He leaned forward. "Let me tell you a story. Last night, I was walking the streets exactly one hour after sundown, when I came face to face...with death."

Her lungs felt tighter than before, as though the air had been drawn out by bare hands until her world turned dark. "Did death...come for you?" she whispered, assuming it was a Vorta in black as it was prone these days. Deyos grinned at her.

"You see? You're hooked."

Indeed she was. Now she knew she had to think of a way to carry out the manner in which Black Kuro and his men came to Akihiro's home. But, as ever, her father still was not convinced when she told him later that night.

"He's still insane, and he will still kill you," Borath was telling her. "No matter me telling the childhood truth for your part. He doesn't believe me in the slightest, and this story of yours will not do the trick as I have been telling you!" He lowered his voice in case anyone, the Jem'Hadar especially, heard their conversation. "I can make arrangements for your escape..."

Kilana held her hand up to him. Fleeing never made a damned thing better. "It's too late, Father. If I run away, not only will he punish you, but he'll pick a poor girl from the zenana. If I keep making him listen to my stories as planned, he will change."

However, her voice sounded like it was doubtful unlike her earlier confidence. And her father noticed this. "You don't sound as certain as you did before."

"I'm not." And if Akihiro did not do the trick, then she didn't know what else.

Her mind clicked then. It was another that her mother had told her when she was a young one, and one that was the perfect blend of tragedy and comedy, but the latter dominated much of the former. Hopefully Weyoun would love that one.

~o~

She was still alive only to tell him the last of Akihiro and tomorrow morning, she would die. Weyoun would not waste another minute, but he could also never let go of the conversation he and Borath had.

She had been a childhood playmate of his, but how could he not remember? She still claimed the ring she wore on her right hand was from his mother, and that he'd given it to her; he could faintly recall a little only now. That ring had been a wedding gift to his mother from his father, but then she died and left it to her son to give to Borath's daughter whom she loved like her own, never mind that the girl wasn't royalty. She and Weyoun barely reached teenage years when she...left for Delhati for schooling years. She must have gotten one great education there, for he knew the island and the city fond of its distinctive education system, music and art, and so many great assets. However, population wise, it was mildly larger than Maduraa.

Weyoun wanted so much to believe the story from father and daughter, but why couldn't he? Unless there was proof somewhere in Headquarters...

He would have to look at that another time, if permitted that Kilana followed through in pleasing him with the last of the story. But her very presence reminded him too much of Luaran - except she was in no way like Luaran with this. His late wife had never expressed interest in folklore and tales like this, never entertained her husband except in the art of desire all of which proved to be false.

His second wife now arrived that night, and upon seeing her, Weyoun thought his throat had been caught. She was gowned in flowing panels of pale pink and gold to flaunt her innocence, and around her neck ropes of gold. She stood before him, regal and firm but soft at the same time. He could never forget her fierce courage as she stood up to him and Yelgrun. She was stronger than Luaran ever was, he would grant her that compliment. "As I was saying last time," Kilana stated, getting right to the point, "Black Kura and his men came in a caravan, but not any ordinary caravan; it was one full of great jars of what were passed off to carry oil."

He had been sipping more tulaberry wine when he couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous notion of forty men hiding in jars on a wagon. Really, what nonsense! But clever all the same. This Black Kuro had a black heart to match his name. "But naturally," his wife added, "Akihiro had absolutely no idea of the danger he was in. Miana, however, was the one to save his life in the end. He should have trembled, but she did not. On that night, she was outside with Sora the camel confessing her love for him only to fear he did not love her. Even though Sora was only an animal, she understood the young maiden's worry; she also agreed on the fact Akihiro was just a dreamer who didn't see the real picture in front of him, that he needed protection." Weyoun had to agree there; how could you live life blind to the truth in front of you? Just as he had been in his first marriage.

"The caravan of jars was parked outside, which Miana noticed in the event of time. But not before she came to her employer's study and learned that he had plans of making money regarding these new supplies of beetles found in the desert part of the island, that it had been only luck that he was rich as he was now. He knew he would not stay lucky all his life. Miana noticed the parked caravan outside and learned from the other servants that it was a merchant selling jars of oil for the palace, staying the night after a long journey, which made Miana suspicious. Upon needing more oil for the lamp gone out and that there was no more in the house, she ventured out into the night - only to hear voices within and plots to kill her, Akihiro and the others in the estate. It was then that it dawned on Miana these were the same robbers her Aki stole the gold and jewels from. She knew then and there she had to tell him and find means to stop these rogues once and for all."

Her eyes were glinting then, filled with excitement that she had gotten to the best part. Weyoun's core thrummed, not just from the effects of the wine, but the thrill that the villains were being taken out. She was a master teller, leaving him on edge and enrapturing him with that soothing voice of hers. It made him wonder if she learned to do so in Delhati, or if she was a natural.

"Upon warning him, she had the most brilliant idea, and with Aki's help and the other servants, they released the jars from the caravan and sent them all rolling out into the streets, screaming and arousing the attention of the residents in the streets, down the hills. All of them but Black Kuro were caught and eventually executed. Lined up and shot by the Jem'Hadar, ten at a time in a single day by the time the week was over. All of them were then burned in a vast pyre that reached the heavens with a torrid smell of rotting flesh and charring bones.

"It was all over," Kilana told him with a smile, leaning against the lotus pillar, looking up at the ceiling as if in a sweet daydream, then returned her attention to him and added, "but it wasn't the end. Akihiro decided to throw a grand party to celebrate the victory, with the exception of the ringleader himself still missing. Nevertheless, he had a famous attractor who entertained all on Kurill Prime. And the joker was not the only one to perform for Aki; Miana was a beautiful dancer that Akihiro never knew, and so she demonstrated, climbing to her feet and standing in the middle of an opened circle, wearing burgundy velvet and golden coins with her magnificent black mane free about. Dancing like this..."

Her hips were swaying side to side as though drums were actually playing; she must be a brilliant dancer, as he was just now learning this based on what he watched. Her arms flailed over her head before gracing in front of her and swirling in a whirl with the rest of her body. She dipped and twirled, flicked her wrists back and forth as though unscrewing something from a power source, alternating back to the gentle flailing of the arms and her gyrating hips, which he took note as the gossamer around her body flared, showing off a curve here and there...

The pace seemed to have picked up as she began to pump faster, her upper body flaring and swishing that Weyoun's attention seemed to be more focused now on her body rather than the dance or the story itself...

He heard himself scream aloud and felt himself jerk back after she threw her hands at him, closed around an invisible weapon and striking him. For the moment, he let himself down in the enchantment and thought she used her dance to distract him so she could pull a secret weapon from her gown's confides, but nothing was there. His heart exploded with the fear come alive - but it was all in his imagination.

"In the midst of her dance, Miana," Kilana breathed harshly, her eyes wide and wild with the aftermath of her frenzied samba, "pulled the sword from the belt of the entertainer once he was most vulnerable and susceptible to her beauty as Akihiro was, she stabbed him in the heart in front of the man she loved and all their guests. The last words the dying man spoke were 'That's not funny; not funny at all'. And it certainly wasn't; business had never been more serious. When he fell back, the sleeve of his right arm drew back to reveal the black marking on his wrist where his pulse throbbed but now ceased forever. It was Black Kuro in disguise, and Miana had spotted long in the distance and once again saved Akihiro's life. This was the moment he proclaimed he would not live without her, that he loved her - and asked her to marry him," Kilana finished with a proud smile. "It was a happy ending for them."

Whoo, it was a fun story. :D But that's only the beginning. Kilana has more to tell her suffering husband, so stay tuned. Read and review, as usual.