Chapter Nine: The Fall of Duman
Back in the run down palace of Melody, where Duman had completely taken other. He had chained up Princess Musa to his wrists, and Hoeboe was chained to the wall, looking at his daughter in emotional pain. She was holding a basket of fruits for Duman as he took an apple from her plate.
"I just hate to see you like this, Musa," He lied as he took a bite, and a piece of apple flew on her cheek, "A sweet Melodian song like you should be next to the most powerful man in all the dimensions." And while he was saying this, Musa flicked the piece of apple off her face, and Duman transformed her restraints into a beautiful tiara.
"So what do you say, Princess?" He asked her as her deep dark blue eyes widened, "With you by my side as my queen-" But Princess Musa grabbed a grass of cider from the table.
"Not a chance!" Musa shouted, spilling the cider all over Duman.
"I should teach you a little more respect!" Duman shouted, pushing Princess Musa to the floor, he was about to use his magic on her, when he turned to Nabu, "Nabu, I have decided what my final wish will be, I wish for Princess Musa of Melody to fall madly in love with me." And with that, Musa let out a horrified gasp.
"Master, may I add that I have a few guidelines I must follow-" Nabu began, but was interrupted by Duman.
"Listen here, you big purple idiot!" Duman yelled "You will do what I tell you to!" As Duman was scolding Nabu for trying to stand his guard, Princess Musa could see Riven coming in from the window, and she formulated a plan to distract Duman while he get in.
"Oh Duman." She began, standing up, "I really never realized just how good looking you are." And with those words, Nabu's jaw dropped in shock.
"Now that's more like it," Duman chuckled, "now my lovely songbird, tell me more about myself."
"Well, for starters, you're so tall, and full of dark mystery." Princess Musa began as Duman walked up to her. Riven jumped through the open window and down the curtains, where Nabu saw him.
"Riven, where have you been, buddy?" He asked quietly.
"Ssh, Nabu!" Riven hissed, then Nabu zipped his lips, then moved over toward him where he hid, then he unzipped his lips to talk to Riven again.
"I can't help you, I work for Duman now." He told Riven in a whisper, "What are you going to do?"
"Don't worry, I've lived on the streets of Melody all my life, I can improvise." Riven reassured Nabu. Then Riven slid down a mountain of Duman's treasures to try and get back Nabu's lamp, when he overheard the conversation Princess Musa and Duman were having.
"Please, my princess, continue." Duman urged.
"And you hair is so… pointed." Musa added, playing with the purple point of Duman's hair, "You've stolen my heart, at last."
"And what about the man you met at the market?" Duman asked Musa.
"What man, I barely remember him." Musa lied. Riven knew all along that Princess Musa was covering for him so he could get Nabu's lamp, and he was almost at the point of reaching it, when he knocked over a vase in the process. Musa saw this and pulled Duman in for a passionate kiss. Even though Riven knew Princess Musa was acting, the fact that she had kissed Duman shook him to the core. Even Pepe was disgusted by the sight before them.
"Well, that was unexpected." Duman began, but before he could continue, he saw Riven's reflection in Musa's tiara, "It's you!" Then he shot Riven back with a blast of his power, and he landed in the pile of treasures.
"How many times must I have to destroy you?" Duman asked him as Musa fought to get Duman's scorpion sceptre from him. However, Duman throw Princess Musa to the ground, and then Riven began to fight for the sceptre.
"Musa, get Nabu's lamp!" Riven cried out, but Duman flung him backwards again, and when Musa was close to grabbing the lamp, he shot her with dark energy from the sceptre.
"Not so fast princess," He replied, "your time has just ran out." And with that, a huge hourglass fell and trapped Princess Musa inside.
"Musa!" Riven gasped as the hourglass began toppling sand on her.
"You don't mess around with Duman!" Duman shouted, shooting another beam of magic toward Pepe, turning him into a stuffed teddy bear. Then he shot yet another beam at Riven's magical carpet and it unraveled. As Riven still tried to get Nabu's lamp, Duman made a row of swords appear, just so he would have a difficult time getting it, and Duman grabbed it from the floor.
"Believe me, boy, I'm just getting heated!" He warned as Riven took a sword from the row. Suddenly, Duma created a ring of flames appear around him.
"Are you afraid to take me on man to man, you snake!" Riven threatened.
"Oh really, I'm a snake?" Duman laughed, "Well, let's just see how much of a snake I am!" Once he said that, the flames surrounding Riven transformed into the tail of a huge snake, and Duman turned into the snake Riven said he was. Then he began attacking Riven.
"Go Riven, slay him with your sword!" Nabu encouraged.
"Stay out of this!" Duman hissed. Nabu continued cheering Riven on as he began running. He had to dodge Duman's venomous tongue, and he fell into the pile of treasures and landed on the floor as his sword slipped out of his grasp and flew across the floor.
"Riven, please help me!" He could hear Musa crying out as he gasped, and then he sprang up and ran back out to Duman, getting back his sword. Riven then jumped on top of Duman's long body and tried to slay him as the wicked snake hung out the window. Then he ran back with a stick to tried and free Princess Musa. She was almost buried within the sand within the hourglass.
"I'm coming Musa, hang in there!" He called, and when he was close to the hourglass, Duman grabbed him with his snake body.
"You're so foolish," Duman hissed, "you thought you could honestly defeat me! Without that genie, you're a nobody!"
"Nabu." Riven thought, "Nabu has way more power then you could ever possess!"
"Excuse me!" Duman shouted.
"He gave you all that power and he can take it away from you just as easily!" Riven added.
"Riven, why are you bringing me into this?" Nabu asked nervously.
"Just face it, Duman, you're always going to be second best!" Riven shouted to Duman courageously.
"You're right." Duman though, "The genie's power is greater than mine… but no for much longer." Then, Duman wrapped himself around Nabu.
"Nabu, now I'll make my third and final wish." Duman ordered, "I wish to be… the ultimate genie!" Everyone's eyes watched, Princess Musa in horror, almost buried in the sand, and Riven's eyes full of hope for the up coming minutes.
"Very well, you are my master." Nabu sighed. Then he gave Duman the his final wish with a point of his fingers, and Duman's snake form transformed into a muscular dark blue genie. Riven dropped to the ground, still holding the stick, and he finally was able to free Princess Musa from her timely prison. He smashed the grass of the side of the hourglass, and Musa fell out in a pile of sand as Riven gathered her in his arms. The princess of Melody looked up at Riven and coughed out sand.
"Yes, the total and absolute energy and power!" Duman declared as wind began to blow furiously and complete dark magic was overwhelming the entire room.
"Riven, what did you do?" Musa asked in horror, grabbing onto Riven's arms for dear life.
"You just have to trust me on this, Musa!" Riven shouted over the fierce blowing wind. A dark lamp appeared on the ground, and Duman was unaware of it.
"All the powers of the magical dimensions are mine to control at last!" Duman laughed wickedly.
"I wouldn't get too ahead of yourself, Duman!" Riven shouted, grabbing the black lamp.
"Huh?" Duman asked, looking down at him.
"You wanted to be a genie, you got it!" Riven continued as cuffs appeared around Duman's wrists, "And all the limitations that come with it!" And so, Duman was pulled into the lamp that Riven was holding in his hand.
"All the powers you can imagine!" Riven told Duman, remembering that Nabu had told him that exact same thing, and once Duman was completely gone into the lamp, he continued, "Absolutely no living space."
"Riven, you're a genius!" Nabu cheered, ruffling his hair. Everything and everyone turned back to normal. First it was Pepe, then the carpet, and finally Princess Musa, King Hoeboe and Tune. And at last, the palace of Melody was returned to it's beautiful state. Riven looked down at the dark lamp that he held in his hands.
"Let me get rid of him." Nabu offered, "A millennium in Treasure Cave will put an end to him." And so, Nabu throw the dark lamp far away toward where Treasure Cave was, and it landed with a gigantic light. Princess Musa and Riven looked at each other for a moment before speaking.
"Musa," Riven began, "I am so sorry I lied about being royalty."
"I can understand why you did that." Musa replied.
"I suppose… I have to say goodbye to you." Riven sighed as Nabu watched the two lovers on the balcony.
"I hate that law!" Musa shouted in protest, "It's not fair, the only man I actually loved and he's not even a prince! I love you Riven." The scene of love made Nabu's eyes tear up.
"No worries, Riven, you still have one wish. Just say it and you'll be a prince again!" Nabu told him.
"But Nabu, what about your freedom?" Riven asked.
"It's only an eternity of granting wishes, this is much more important, its love." Nabu insisted, "Trust me, Riven, I've looked, and you're never going to find a girl like Musa in a long time." Then Riven went over to Princess Musa.
"Musa, I love you more than anything, but I have to stop pretending." Riven told her.
"I get it." Princess Musa told him, then Riven walked up to Nabu.
"Nabu, I wish you were free!" He declared.
"One permanent prince wish coming up…" Nabu began be stopped mid sentence, "What?"
"Nabu, you're free now!" And so, Riven raised Nabu's lamp, and all of the power released itself, and Nabu's cuffs disappeared. Then, the lamp fell to the floor.
"I'm free… I can't believe it, I'm actually free." Nabu gasped, "Riven, wish for something, anything. Wish for the Sun of Solaria, go ahead, wish for it."
"Okay, I wish for Solaria's sun." Riven replied curiously.
"No way!" Nabu laughed in a teasing manner, flying all over the balcony in total bliss, "That feels so good! Now I want to see all the realms of the magical dimension!" Then he looked down at Riven as he just smiled dully.
"I'm going to miss you, Nabu." Riven admitted.
"Me to, buddy." Nabu told him, "And no matter what, you'll always be a prince to me."
"That's right,"King Hoeboe replied, saying something for the first time since he was captured with Princess Musa by Duman, "as far as I'm concerned, you've proven you're worth as King. Now it's that law that's a problem."
"Dad?" Musa asked in surprise, "What do you mean?"
"Well, am I the King of Melody or am I not?" King Hoeboe asked teasingly, "From this day on, the Princess of Melody will be able to choose any man she sees fit for her heart."
"I choose him!" Musa cried out, overjoyed as she ran into Riven's arms and he twirled her around before setting her on her feet, "I choose Riven!"
"Oh, group hug!" Nabu cheered as he pulled in everyone who was there, "Well, I can't do anymore around here, so I'm gone! Bye you two love birds!" And he was gone. King Hoeboe made plans for Riven and Musa to marry, and Musa and Riven began to make plans to improve the kingdom. They planned to put all the gold and treasures that Duman had possessed into the less fortunate of the kingdom. Musa was looking over all the laws that her father and the kings of Melody before him had set, to change them for the benefit of the people of Melody. Once Riven and Princess Musa were married, they set all these new laws in place, and with Duman finally destroyed, the realm of Melody had never been more prosperous.
