Chapter 8: Night Games
"It's really you isn't it?" Aladdin's voice sounded cold even to Jatika. He reveled in the fact that his disguise worked. He had them all properly fooled. Jatika was surprised that his magic had sustained this much for this amount of time, but part of it was due to the execution of his plan already underway topside in Agrabah.
He just had to manipulate the Prince and his friends a little longer.
Jatika-Grenden laughed. "If you're so dubious about my identity, street rat, then why don't you have a closer look?" The imp used his magic to take hold of a shadow that had lengthened just beneath Aladdin's feet. Abu was the one to spot the magic shadow before the others, but screeched out a warning too late as the dark, solid billows of smoke wrapped its way from Aladdin's feet to his shoulders like a cocoon, gripping him in a full squeeze that made him yell. The magic reeled Aladdin toward Jatika like a fish on a hook.
"AL!" Genie cried, turning his attention to Jatika. "Oh, no you don't, mister." Genie made a motion to roll up imaginary sleeves on his arms, before raising his hands. "You're not the only one who can work magic around here."
"I wouldn't waste any of your magic if I were you, foolish Genie," Jatika-Grenden warned. "Aim any of that towards me, and you'll be hitting him just the same. I don't think you'd want to hurt your own friend by extension, would you?"
Genie's brow narrowed as he realized he couldn't do anything else for the moment.
Iago shuddered as he stood on Genie's shoulder, opposite of where Abu stood on the other. "Who's takin' bets that he's got somethin' for the kid to do? I'm callin' it."
When Aladdin was in stepping distance, Jatika approached him with a wide grin on his face. "Close enough now to tell that I'm real?"
Aladdin spoke through his teeth, his brow narrowed. "Real enough. I wanna know what you did to Jasmine and Carpet. Where are they?"
Jatika-Grenden's features turned to a dark mask, even as the sorcerer stood in a dark green robe that flowed over his shoulders and thin frame. "I would tell you to follow me, but since you're a little wrapped up at the moment, I'll bring them to us."
From a corner in the underground palace, Jasmine and Carpet appeared in sight, cloaked in the same magic that Aladdin found himself within. Jasmine's eyes went wide at the sight of Aladdin. She struggled against the magic that bound her, but wasn't able to speak because of a cloud of magic hovered over her mouth, preventing her from speaking. Carpet wasn't far behind her. His knobs flailed wildly as he also struggled against his magical enclosure.
"Grenden, let them go!" Aladdin snapped.
Jatika laughed. "Oh, I will, in good time. But before I do, let's just say I have quite the test to put you through."
Iago pointed with one wing in Aladdin's direction. "See what I mean? Pay up, monkey!"
Abu just gave him a side eye glance, crossing his arms over his tiny chest.
Aladdin struggled further against the magic that held him. "Test? What test? The last time you put me through a trial, you almost had me killed."
"On the contrary, considering last we met - all of you had me killed." Jatika made sure his guise turned toward Iago with a glowing, red-eyed stare. Iago's eyes went wide, and he trembled as Jatika-Grenden pointed a steady finger in his direction. "And it just so happened that a certain bird dropped a crystal that contained my life force on my head and split it open. I haven't forgotten."
Iago grinned sheepishly. "Really? 'Cause, I don't remember that at all. Nope, not a thing! I'm just the innocent party over here with the maimed wing. Nothing to see here."
Jatika hurled a magic ball towards Iago, which made Abu panic enough to leap from Genie's other shoulder and scurry away. Genie snatched the bird out of the way in time, the magic ball crashing a distance behind them into a vase that disintegrated into several sparkling pieces. Abis Mal and Haroud both looked stunned at the close call, especially since they had to duck themselves to avoid the magic hitting them as well.
Genie sighed at the sight of Iago, as the bird's chest rose and fell in panicked breaths. "Iago, one of these days, you've gotta learn that opening your beak, especially with a lie, doesn't make things better."
"Point taken; point taken!" Iago said, waving his bandaged wing like a flag of surrender. "You won't hear another squawk from me from here on out."
Jatika had an idea occur to him. "Actually, your beak may be more valuable than you think, bird. Especially considering your prince may need your help to undergo the task I have for him."
Iago started to say something to that, but thought better of it.
"You haven't even told me what it is, let alone asked me whether I'd do it, Grenden," Aladdin said.
The boy's persistence angered Jatika. "Oh, you will, Aladdin. I'm all too aware of your sickening sense of altruism. But this trial is two fold. You'll save your friends from meeting a dire fate - one by one - at my hand." Jatika extended his shadowed magic, grabbing Abu, Genie, Iago, Abis Mal, and Haroud in the same clutches. Aladdin's eyes widened with panic. "You forget, street rat, that I have more power down here than any of you. The second part of my terms, in addition to sparing your friends, will be that you'll save your now eclipsed city by undertaking the task I have for you."
"You did something to Agrabah, too?"
Jatika smiled. "You'll find out the details soon enough. So what will it be, boy? I won't ask twice. Will you, or won't you go through the trial?"
Aladdin jaw was tight, and his expression remorseful as he looked among his friends.
"Do it! He's gonna destroy us all if ya don't!" Iago protested.
"I don't wanna be destroyed!" Abis Mal cried trying to wiggle out of the magic that left him slightly suspended off the ground. "My life has been too short already!"
"That's not the only thing that's short about you, sir," Haroud said, but even with his quip, he looked concerned.
Abu screeched in protest.
Aladdin looked over to Jasmine, who, even with a panicked expression, closed her eyes and nodded toward him.
Aladdin turned back to Jatika-Grenden. "Fine. What do you want me to do?"
Jatika - Grenden opened his palm just inches close to Aladdin's face, revealing a hologram of a white crystal. "Scattered through the city are six crystals like the one you see here. The only you have to do is retrieve them all, and bring them back to me."
Aladdin raised a brow. "That's it? How would I find them if I don't know where they are?"
"For one, I don't expect you to go alone. Let's see." Jatika - Grenden looked among the group. "I suppose since this task will be challenging, you may take your Genie with you." He released the magic hold on Genie, who looked surprised at first, but then frowned. "And I suppose it's worth taking that bird with you, just so I won't have to put up with his squabbling."
Iago dropped from midair from where his magic hold released. Genie had to catch him since he couldn't fly.
"As for how you'll find the crystals, let's just say that you'll know when you come across them. They'll be very obvious to you, Aladdin. Especially you."
Aladdin looked as confused as Jatika had expected him to, but Jatika held back a laugh. "In any case, I hope you like the reworking of Agrabah I've done in your absence. While the lot of you were searching for me down here, I made some changes top side to the city reflective of the night. Let's just say you might want to hurry - your Sultan will need all the help he can get."
Jatika saw Aladdin's expression fall a little, but recover quickly. "What about everyone else?"
Jatika shrugged casually. "They'll be here when you return, no harm to them. I'll give you my word. Just as long as you bring back the crystals in a timely manner. I'm willing to give you two nightfalls, if you can make it through those."
"Two nightfalls..." Aladdin considered it. "Wait, does that count this one? It's probably close to nightfall in Agrabah by now."
Jatika grinned. "Yes, so you'll only have this coming one and the following. By the morning after next, I expect you to have the crystals for me. And no multiple trips - I want all six crystals to me in person at the doors to Lamrai. Or..." Jatika turned to look at Jasmine. "I'm afraid your wife may be the first to feel my vengeance."
Jasmine gave Jatika a glare that matched Aladdin's own furious one. The imp thought it was almost endearing, sickeningly so, how much the two of them were alike.
"Fine, Grenden. But you'd better not go back on your word," Aladdin said cooly. "If you'd actually let me go, I'd..."
Jatika cut him off. "On the contrary, I'll send you three on your way, personally." He used his magic to open a magic door, of billowed black smoke. "Your highness first."
Before Aladdin could say anything, he felt himself lifted in midair, and thrown through the portal while still bound by Jatika's magic.
"AL!" Genie and Iago started, but couldn't do anything as Jatika repeated the same gesture with them, before sealing the way shut.
"As for the rest of you," Jatika - Grenden chose his words carefully, making sure to mask his voice and the wider than possibly human grin that crossed his features. "Your participation as spectators has begun. Let the nightmare games in Agrabah begin."
