Aladdin, the Sorcerer, and the King of Thieves
Chapter Ten: The Scepter
Jasmine knelt and picked the strange scepter up from the floor.
"This seems to be the only thing he wanted," she said handing the short, golden and beautifully decorated rod to her fiancé – not husband: not yet.
Aladdin turned it over in his hands. "I don't remember what is so special about it; it looks just like an ordinary scepter."
"I came out of an ordinary-looking lamp," Genie noted as he hovered around the treasure with a clipboard and pencil, making sure nothing was missing.
"Good point," Aladdin replied. "Well, there's no inscription on this one." He rubbed the emerald on the top, then the scepter's long, smooth side and waited. "Nothing," he said, holding it back, thinking that it might be an ordinary piece of treasure after all.
"Al," Genie gulped, "he may have left that jewel behind, but he sure made it out with the Cave of Wonders." Aladdin, Jasmine and Iago hurried to the empty trunk he was staring into with a worried expression.
Aladdin plucked the empty velvet bag from the gold pile beneath their feet. Having been the one to tie the bag and lock it in the chest, he recognized it right away.
"He took the gauntlet," he whispered.
"This glove business is never going to end!" Iago squawked. "But, if he had the gauntlet on him, why didn't he use it?"
Suddenly, the scepter in Aladdin's hand began to glow and shake and an otherworldly woman's voice cried: "Your question is mine to answer!"
Aladdin let the scepter with the blinding light coming from the emerald float to the center of the room. The light burst straight towards the ceiling and widened until the ghost-like figure of a woman in flowing royal robes appeared, suspended in the air above the scepter. Jasmine moved closer to Aladdin who stepped in front of her, in case this strange image was not friendly.
"What is it?" Aladdin asked Genie.
"An oracle," Genie replied in awe as sunglasses appeared before his eyes. "I haven't seen one for a long time. Hard to find you know. Most of them are hidden inside objects like genies are."
"What did it mean about answering our question?"
"Oracles know everything past, present and future, but answer only one question per person," he answered.
"That wasn't my question! If I knew about that whole one question rule, I would have asked something else! I didn't even know what you were!" Iago hollered desperately. Genie grabbed the parrot and shushed him before setting him free.
"The King of Thieves did not steal the gauntlet; he came only for me. The one who has taken the gauntlet was the one who owned it before you," the oracle said in a calm, ethereal voice that echoed in the air.
"Mozenrath," Jasmine said, coming forth.
"Yes," the oracle replied. "He has taken it back to his home in the Land of the Black Sand."
"How did that creep sneak in past the guards? He couldn't just pop inside the palace without the gauntlet!" Iago pointed out.
"You have already asked your question," the oracle insisted.
"I wasn't asking you," Iago grumbled. "Stupid oracle."
"He must have used a potion or something," Genie reasoned, ignoring the disgruntled parrot.
"This is a great find, Aladdin," Jasmine said. "We can learn anything we want, from our futures even. We could even learn how to stop Mozenrath for good."
"I don't want to know my future other than that it's with you, and I know that already." He replied. "And I know how to stop Mozenrath for good," he said more uncertainly. "But, I don't want to do it."
"I can't say I do either, Al," Genie said. "I'm not so crazy about being the death of him."
"Your past then," Jasmine said. "I know mine, but do you have questions?"
"Yeah, buddy. You were just talking about wanting to know what happened to your family," Genie prodded.
"Your family?" Jasmine asked.
"My mother died when I was just a kid, but I don't know what happened to my father or brother. I don't see how I could summarize everything into just one question, though."
"Ah, but if you find your family, perhaps they are able to answer those questions." The oracle said gently.
"What? They're still alive?" Genie asked, shocked.
"They are indeed," the oracle answered.
Aladdin looked at his feet, overwhelmed. Jasmine lay her hands on his shoulders.
"We will need some time to think," she said.
"When you are ready, all you must do is ask," the oracle said as it dissipated.
The scepter flew back to Aladdin and he grabbed it, stunned by what he had just learned. His whole life he had wished that his family had been alive, had imagined what it would have been like to grow up with them all, but it had been at the same level of wishing to fly, or breathing underwater; he had always known it was impossible. Then again, Aladdin did fly and had breathed underwater. Still, in light of everything that had happened to him since the demise of Jafar, realizing that over half of his family was still alive somewhere and trying to ponder the possibility of actually meeting them again, the first two impossibilities seemed rational.
"Are you alright, Aladdin?" Jasmine asked softly.
Aladdin didn't know. His world had been turned inside out and he had the choice to let it fade back to normal, or to twist it even further. How could he be alright? He felt numb. Overwhelmed. The confident hero of the tales that had begun to spread throughout the seven deserts was frightened and wished that someone could make such a decision for him.
"This is big news, Al," Genie said gently.
"Yeah," he coughed incredulously, "no kidding."
Iago huffed disdainfully. "I say, leave them alone. All these years they haven't come to find you, so why should you go after them?"
"Part of me wants to agree with you, Iago," Aladdin said, "But then I think: what if they were in the same situation as me? I didn't realize they were even alive! Maybe they don't realize I am either." Aladdin handled the scepter and stared at the emerald. "But, I have no idea how they have changed. I hardly knew my father and my brother was only six. Maybe they… I don't know."
"I am sure there is nothing to worry about," Jasmine assured him hooking her arm around his. "You are a saint, and if they share your blood, I'm sure they are too. You have plenty of time to think about it, but I think you ought to search them out, if for nothing else than to bring resolution to your past."
Aladdin smiled at his bride-to-be. "Thanks, Jasmine. I know you're right, but I can't bring myself to ask right now." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Strange, isn't it? To see me like this?"
Jasmine kissed him and there was a pause. "I'll be with you, no matter what."
Aladdin took a deep breath and then held out the scepter. "Here I go," he sighed. All in the room stared at Aladdin as he mustered the courage to speak the words he knew would change his life forever: "Where is my family?"
The scepter glowed and broke loose from his hand. The sheer-like woman appeared in the air again and looked peacefully down on Aladdin.
"As you know, your mother has passed on. But your father and brother are both held captive in separate parts of the land. Your father is with the forty thieves while your brother is within Destene's Citidel," the oracle instructed.
"They're prisoners? Both of them?" Aladdin asked, shocked. "Are they alright? How long have they been captive?"
"I'm sorry," the oracle said as she dissipated. "I can only answer one question." The scepter floated towards Aladdin and he plucked it out of the air pensively.
"I knew knowing would cause trouble," Aladdin said quietly. "But I don't regret it. I have to find them and rescue them."
"I hate to tangle with the Wiz-kid again, but I'm coming with you," Genie said.
Abu squeaked a "Me too!"
Iago crossed his wings stubbornly. "No way. I am not going to be dragged on another of your crazy adventures."
"How many times have you said that and then come along anyway?" Aladdin asked.
"Too many." Iago answered.
"We wouldn't expect you to do any fighting," Genie explained. "Just moral support, as always."
Iago thought for a second or two, and then shrugged. "I guess I could manage that."
"I'm coming too, Aladdin," Jasmine said.
"What?" Aladdin asked, incredulously. "No way! Our wedding!"
"Not much is going to happen without you here concerning that," she countered. "And my father can take care of what does happen. I don't want to be anywhere but by your side."
Aladdin smiled. "I suppose I can't change your mind?"
"No, you can't."
"Ok then," he said. "We'll leave in a few hours. After the forty thieves first, then to the Citidel."
Genie, Carpet and Abu made sounds of affirmation while Iago slapped a wing to his face in distress. "How do I get myself into these things?"