Chapter 4 - Separate Times in Desperate Measures
Ajan narrowed his eyes as he saw the flying carpet heading toward the tower. He grinned, thinking that it was time for the next phase of their plan. Garan and Faran were already stationed in the underground catacomb below the city, ready to srike when needed. He knew that Aladdin and the others wouldn't be able to get to the tower without finding a way underground, so he didn't worry about them freeing Safir, but he would have to set his next plan into motion without the rain.
Ajan's first wish from Genie was to be able to control the weather around the vicinity of this kingdom and the next few, which included Agrabah. Genie obliged (though unwilling). Ajan summoned the magic within him to ease the rainshower. Now he just had the poisoned arrows to worry about.
The poison didn't come from any of the venom that the U-serpents usually had from biting their victims (with each of the U-serpents bites having different effects, one of which had failed in making Aladdin a member of their group), but rather they came from an odd concoction of flowers they'd found in the catacomb. He'd mixed the poison in a pot and dipped the tips of his arrows in them. Now it was just a matter of finding his target.
He put the arrow in the bow and aimed for where Aladdin's group had landed at the base of the tower. Ajan knew they were speaking to the merchant they'd captured, but he figured in the diversion, they wouldn't figure out his position until it was too late.
He leveled the arrow at Aladdin's heart, and let it fly.
The group landed at the base of the tower where Safir was supposed to be held capture, and from where Daleel had said he'd escaped, but none of them could find an entry point until Abu started screeching. A narrow space existed as an entrance.
Safir roused from his reveire, hearing Abu's screeches. "Is someone out there?"
"Yes, are you Safir?" Jasmine asked, since she was the first one to get to where Abu motioned.
"If you're here, that means Daleel was able to reach you. Or did he..."
"He's fine, he's at the Palace with the Sultan," Aladdin followed, kneeling beside Jasmine. "Is there any way you could fit through here?"
"No, the space is too narrow for me to slip through, though it seems your monkey or parrot could slip through without trouble."
"I'm goin' first!" Iago took the initiative to slip through the opening, though it took a few pushes on behalf of Abu to fit him in there, before Abu scurried back to perch on Aladdin's shoulder.
"Iago, you stay with Safir until we can find a way inside," Aladdin said.
"Good, 'cause...Al, look out!'"
Abu screeched as an arrow heading straight toward Aladdin emerged from out of nowhere. Aladdin barely had time to step out of the path of the arrow, but Abu wasn't so lucky as the point of the arrow skimmed him on the side of the shoulder. The arrow landed a distance away upon the sands.
"Abu! You okay?" Aladdin said, noticing Abu screeching and clutching his shoulder.
"Okay, okay!" Abu reassured, but as another arrow shot out, barely missing both of them, he screeched again, finding a way down the back of Aladdin's shirt to hide.
"Get down!" Jasmine cried as another flurry of arrows shot out. All of them heard laughter in the distance, as through the haze in front of them, Ajan emerged.
The U-serpent laughed, a wide grin spreading upon his features. "Greetings, Aladdin. Glad that you've had a chance to s-see us again."
"Yeah, well, we're not here for a random visit," Aladdin snapped. "Where's Genie?"
"He's right here, unfortunately for all of you." Ajan pulled the silver lamp with the strange marks from his cloak, rubbing it as a mist of red smoke swirled into the air, and then Genie appeared, wincing.
"Uh...Okay this is definitely an awkward meeting," Genie said.
"Genie! Are you okay?" Aladdin asked.
"Not particularly at the moment...OW!" Genie flinched when the black cuffs on his wrists glowed red. He turned to scowl at Ajan, who only laughed. Ajan was controlling Genie directly from the use of the lamp, at least as far as Aladdin could tell.
"I'm his-s new master now. And unlike the standard three wishes for a regular lamp, this special lamp allows a master up to four wishes. And I'm ready to make the first part of my second wish, since my little arrows-s didn't quite hit their mark. Genie - capture and s-separate them with your magic!"
Genie transformed into a kid with a beanie hat, who nervously rubbed his shoes together. "Do I have to? I don't wanna!"
"Do it!" Aladdin saw Ajan rub the lamp again, and the cuffs on Genie glowed again, causing Genie to yelp.
I've gotta get the lamp away from Ajan, Aladdin thought, then ran and lurched to grab it. Ajan turned just in time as he saw Aladdin, then used one of his powerful forearms to knock Aladdin to the sand. That caused Abu to tumble out of where he was hiding, sprawling on the sands.
"Nice try, boy, but we'll start with you. Commence the capture, Genie. I command you!"
Genie summoned his magic, and all at once, Carpet, Jasmine, Aladdin and Abu were all captured in individual, red spherical bubbles of magic that floated above the sands. Safir and Iago watched in horror from the inside of the tower.
Jasmine pushed against the sides of the bubble, but found that she couldn't break the rubbery confines. "You monster! Let us out!"
Carpet flew around his bubble, pushing against the sides to no avail.
Abu and Aladdin were captured within the same bubble, but even as Abu tried to race around the bubble to push against it, he suddenly collapsed with exhaustion in Aladdin's hands.
"Abu? What's wrong?"
Abu wimpered pointing to the small cut on his shoulder where the arrow struck him.
At the gesture, Ajan hissed in delight. "That arrow was-s meant for you, Aladdin. With enough poison to kill upon full impact. But your monkey got in the way of that. I suppose the next idea I have in store for you, along with the monkey's pending death, should s-seem just as fitting a fate."
"What do you want, Ajan?" Aladdin snapped, struggling out of the magic bubble that encased him.
"Nothing more than s-seeing you suffer, boy. And I'm already liking the taste of that." With a flicker of his tongue darting out, Ajan turned to Genie, who winced. "Genie, I'm ready to make the terms of the s-second part of my wish."
"I was afraid you were going to say that," Genie muttered, his tone bitter.
"I wish for Aladdin and his monkey to be banished together in the heart of the catacombs. We'll know what to do with him from there."
Aladdin struggled inside the bubble, though he still cradled Abu just on the inside of his shirt. "You can't do this!"
Genie frowned. "I'm sorry kiddo, he's got my hands tied. As long as I have a master in possession of that lamp, I can't push myself not to obey him. It's automatic."
Regretfully, Genie lifted a hand, aiming it towards the bubble as Aladdin's eyes widened.
"Genie, NO!" Then the bubble disappeared with a flash.