A/N: Hello, aren't I nice? Giving you multiple chapters in 1 day? LOL; tis the season, right? Well, I hope you're still enjoying; we're at 505 reviews for this fic! If you're enjoying, plz leave a review in my "writer's stocking", K? K. A special thanks to all of you who have so far: Rollingbell, YukinaCross, Scorpion DOADA, and Putscheshka; your support means A LOT to em. And I wanna send a holler out to my new readers in Jamaica, Poland, Austria, Denmark and Finland! Hopin' y'all have a great day…onward!
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Aladdin & the Heirs of Magic: Ch. 11- A Courageous Path
Jasmine petted Xerxes consolingly on the head. The truth was, she never thought in a million years she'd actually feel sorry for the eel; he and his master had been a merciless plague to Agrabah…but after what Xerxes had just told them…how could she not pity him for suffering like he had? Despite what he and Mozenrath had done to her kingdom afterwards…Xerxes hadn't deserved to endure that pain and torment.
She watched as Aladdin let go of her waist and paced, his face pinched in thought and worry. Married or not, she could see his thoughts plain as the nighttime stars. He was conflicted; it was far from surprising; learning that his most insidious enemy was probably having his magic drained from him this moment…the need to be the hero was warring against the human need to see Mozenrath get his.
But, it was far more complicated than that; though before Jasmine could open her mouth to say they should probably talk this out and decide, Genie and Iago passed one another a look that was just overflowing with…something's…and Iago suddenly said, "Uh, guys, conference again."
Jasmine turned to politely tell Xerxes to wait, but at Iago's words, the eel went back to air-pacing without even looking at any of them. And once again, Jasmine felt Aladdin's hand take her arm.
"Aladdin," she softly chided. She wasn't a child.
Al gave her a pensive look. "Sorry," he said, probably not even realizing what he was doing—or how it was being interpreted. Jasmine suddenly felt bad for her tone…and she took his arm, and got a smile for it.
"This is what you expected?" Aladdin asked Iago.
The parrot slouched a little. "Jafar tried to do the same; on more than one occasion. He didn't have the same level of success Desdane did though…but the eel said it: Desdane is in a class all his own"-he shuddered, "—for better or worse."
"Sounds like more 'worse' to me," Genie said flatly. He turned to Al. "So…do we save the Wiz-kid?"
Aladdin took Jaz's hand. He couldn't help it; Desdane sounded far more ferocious than Mozenrath ever was and touching his betrothed helped him stay grounded. He wondered now if Mozenrath was as blood-thirsty as his master; from what they had heard, Al was beginning to doubt it. Still, one story wasn't enough to go on. But, there were other deciding factors in play that they had to consider.
"The fact is," he mused aloud, "if we don't save Mozenrath, Desdane will probably take his power. Then, we'll have a sorcerer with his own magic, plus Mozenrath's and if he opens another portal and starts draining creatures of their magic again," he shook his head, "…we can't let that happen." Al met Genie's eyes.
"You and Carpet can't help, Genie."
Genie's jawbone hit the balcony with a loud 'thud.'
"Mozenrath's kingdom is filled with crystals that'll alert Desdane; and I'm not going to let Desdane take you or Carpet's power. Take us to the perimeter of the Black Sand; then we'll go in. You and Carpet will wait for us outside the city."
Carpet, who was standing beside Genie, slumped dejectedly, but nodded his 'head.' Genie sighed in defeat. "Ok, I'm with rug-man. We'll keep watch."
Al looked soberly to Jasmine. She nodded and walked back to Xerxes.
The eel looked hopefully up at her, but said nothing.
"We're going to save Mozenrath," she announced.
Instantly, Xerxes plastered himself around her shoulders in a tight hug. "I find way repay, I find way," he said over and over. Jasmine couldn't help but smile at the sincerity of his tone.
Behind her, she heard Iago. "Eeeeewwww! Princess; get him off you! You wanna go to your wedding tomorrow smelling like filthy eel!?"
Xerxes cut off cuddling with the princess long enough to hiss and snarl at Iago and chomp his teeth threateningly. "Filthy eel bite loud-mouth bird!"
"Who are you calling a loud-mouth-?" Iago was cut off by the onslaught of folded arms and frowns aimed his way. "Ohhh, uhhh, right." Then he added under his breath. "Going to the wedding smelling like eel…all of those rich snobs might just take their gold and go home-"
Genie gave him a look.
He fluffed himself indignantly. "I was just thinking of the princess!"
"Suuuure you were," Genie retorted.
"Guys," Aladdin cut them both off. He gestured for Carpet. He scooped up Abu and he and Jasmine came out onto the balcony with Xerxes still wrapped around her like a necklace. Al had never seen the eel look so grateful—genuinely grateful at that.
Jaz patted his head. He loosened a bit and met her gaze.
"You're going to 'repay' us by guiding us into the Citadel and help us get Mozenrath out. We'd like to live long enough to get married tomorrow."
Xerxes eagerly nodded. "Xerxes help; Xerxes know way."
Al somberly nodded. "Ok, Carpet, get us there unnoticed."
Carpet took off into the wide, star-studded skies.
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Mozenrath felt his senses return in stages. His mind was swimming in a deep sea of disorientation, pain and emptiness.
But there was a sort of…void, inside him now he could feel. He grasped at his tattered thoughts and forced his mind to focus. Why did he feel so…detached? There were senses, awareness, and such that seemed to have abandoned him.
Abandoned him.
Then it hit: his magic. The magic torn from him! He gasped for a breath, his lungs filling with the icy air of Desdane's lab, and looked up through bleary eyes.
His 'master' stood over him, an orb of brilliant golden light swirling just above his open palm. Mozenrath bared his teeth, fresh anger surging through him.
His magic; his stolen magic.
"You won't keep that from me," the boy sorcerer snarled in fury.
Desdane looked truly amused. "Oh?" he asked casually and waved his other hand. A complex sphere of various precious metals manifested in it. It seemed to be constructed of joined parts, shaped like puzzle pieces; little round sections were scattered across it.
Mozenrath cringed. The Chest of Arbol; a magic "safe." It would only open for its master…which in this case was Desdane. If he placed Mozenrath's magic into it…how would he ever get it back!? There were no spells powerful enough to overwhelm it; it'd be sealed forever against him!
The truth was…he wouldn't get his magic back. Ever.
"No," was all he could say.
Desdane only smiled; with a word, he commanded the Orb to open. The many round sections turned and sank into the orb: the openings. The revolving light was syphoned into it.
"No!" Mozenrath cried; his magic, the very core of what he was, was being taken from him, bit by bit. He could feel the open cavities inside of himself, where his that magic once dwelled; now gone. Desdane was ripping him apart, from the inside out—again.
Pieces of himself, gone. He flexed his bone arm; yes, he was very acquainted with the feeling.
The round sections clanked back into place. It was the loudest sound the boy had ever heard.
"But, that was only a tiny portion of your power," Desdane smoothly avowed, leveling a conniving look at his apprentice. He released the Orb and it hovered in place. "The Orb will be able to take most of your strength. And after that…I have other ways to finish the task."
Mozenrath stilled. Yes, he knew exactly what could do such a deed. His magic barriers had partly held though; but, the Orb could be ruthless…it might work.
Where had Desdane found it? Mozenrath had sent that hated magic stealing relic into a far off dimension long ago!
Desdane smiled thinly. "The Orb is mine to command." He flexed his one hand…now gloved by 'Mozenrath's' gauntlet. "The same as this; no matter where you send them, they will hear my call and come to me." He waved at the Orb, which floated over to the younger wizard and stilled a couple feet from his head. Mozenrath forced himself to not recoil. Desdane smirked. "Your barriers were impressive; I'll grant you that, child. But…the Orb has taken magic from far stronger than you. It holds magic of greater strength than your own. Your resistance is all for nothing."
Mozenrath didn't meet Desdane's vile eyes. Yes, he could sense magic in the Orb…a particular someone's power who was now his own servant—
Xerxes.
And…Xerxes had bound his life to Mozenrath! The wizard's breath caught as a reckless, no, suicidal thought occurred to him. Would it work? He let out a slow breath; he'd risk it. It didn't matter now if he died…only if Desdane was killed too. It'd be worth it.
He shouted a word of command to the Orb.
It exploded.
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A/N: Well, hope you liked! Plz don't be shy; say something if you did; doesn't have to be a novel, whatever you feel like! Hold the flames though… LOL. Merry Christmas!