Chapter 10 : Sinbad
I like going to different places and seeing the scenery and meeting the people. I've always enjoyed traveling. It's as good a way as any to spend your time.Kitty Wells
What would do if you were a thief and you happened to come across a man who had fallen asleep? Not to mention the amount of gold and jewelries on him! I would definitely do the logical, well logical for a thief anyway.
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Aladdin was having these little conversations with Mor when they were heading for Balbadd. It was really a good idea to invite the girl. She made a good travel companion except for the overelaborated display of gratitude. She wanted to catch a ship back to her homeland that departed from Balbadd and of course she wished to meet them again as well to voice her words of thanks.
It was really blissful for him when Mor thanked him. He had never thought that helping others would gain such happiness in return. To make it clear, Aladdin didn't do all that to get thank from others, he swore!
Now, was he imagining thing or there really was a naked man in front of them. Was it normal to walk around naked in the desert? Nope, definitely no, judging from the shocked expression Mor had. After some rather ridiculous attempts to take care of the 'monster', they finally calmed down enough to lend the man some clothes although he was obviously oversized in Aladdin's clothes.
"My name is Sin," the man introduced himself as the three of them sat by a campfire. "I was on my way to Balbadd when the thieves robbed me clean."
"I see." Now that explained the awkward situation. Both Aladdin and Mor gave a short introduction.
"Eh?" Aladdin voiced when he sensed something from the man; something very interesting indeed. Well, well, who did we have here? A man with seven Djinn. Even though his metal vessels were clearly not with him now, the surge of power was still there, pulsing through his very being. Just wait until Judal heard about this! He would probably laugh his head off. Who knew such powerful person would be robbed by thieves and had to walk around the desert naked?
"It feels great when you encounter new lands and new knowledge. The confidence, experience and bonds of friendship that are formed through adventuring are priceless. Adventures are splendid. They are truly what make a man a man." That had just further confirmed Aladdin's guess about this person. The way he talked about adventures was as if he himself had been through much which he probably did, as the High King of the Seven Seas.
A breeze greeted them and Mor stood absentmindedly. Raising her head, she sniffed the air.
"I can smell the sea," she announced.
"Once you get to the top of that hill, you should be able to see it," Sin said. Mor and Aladdin shared a look before they followed the man's advice to the hill. What greeted them was a breath-taking picture of a port town, packed with houses and located by the sea. The constant breezes were refreshing and nice against their skins.
"This is…"
"Balbadd!" They gasped at the amazing scene below as the man helped to carry their items and joined them from behind.
"Yeah, this is the nation of Balbadd, made up of this port city as its capital and hundreds of various islands in its adjacent waters. It's a great oceanic nation," he explained. Aladdin snapped out of his awe and reached for his items. Giving a glance at the town below, he smiled.
"I'm going to take my leave first. See you two soon then," Aladdin excused himself. The two were having a confused face as to what he had meant before the confusion melted into shock when he suddenly pushed himself down the hill.
"Aladdin!" Mor and Sin yelled. When they looked down, the child was nowhere to be seen.
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With relations to the oases in the north, small nations in the northeast and Partevia and Laem Empires in the west, Balbadd had flourished as the centre of maritime trade since times untold. The royal family, Saluja had governed this nation for generations. However, it was a real pity that the country fell into disorder with the death of the previous king.
Aladdin walked up the stairs that led to the hotel. Upon entering it, a few heads turned, wondering what a small child like him doing in the best hotel in the country. He ignored the stares and exchanged a few words with the person in charge. From the corner of his eyes, he couldn't help but notice a pair of eye-catching people. One was wrapped in robe with the snowy white hair and sharp eyes that reminded him of a serpent's while the other was tall and muscular. His armour shone in the light and he had the very same eyes Mor had.
"I'll lead you up to your room," a lady offered. Aladdin gave her a small smile.
"No, it's fine. I'll manage somehow," he decline politely, pulling his items behind him. For a moment there, Aladdin's and the mysterious white haired man's eyes met. Staring at each other without any meaning at all, Aladdin finally broke off the eye contact with a smile. The man seemed a bit taken aback at first before he too returned it with a small smile.
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"Ah, what a nice room~" was Aladdin's first impression to the accommodation though it was kind of expected from the best hotel of Balbadd no matter how fallen the country had been recently.
The room was large and nice. It gave out a very warm and comfortable feeling. There were large windows which provided a good view of the city. Overall, the room was beyond satisfaction though the floor felt a bit weird beneath his feet.
"Aladdin, you're stepping on me." Aladdin jumped a little when the 'floor' spoke. Sparing a glance at the supposed to be floor, he sighed heavily for beneath him was Judal who was sprawling on the floor where he was sure he should be standing on instead.
"What exactly are you doing?" Aladdin deadpanned, stepping off the elder after he kindly delivered a stomp on the elder's body.
Judal grunted in return, pushing himself up as soon as the weight left him. 'Ouch, Aladdin could really consider going on a diet next time.' That was what threatened to leave his lips but for the sake of his life, no, he would hold himself. It was still too early to die just yet.
"I'm bored." Now, that was an obvious fact.
"Why don't you go out? To play or sightseeing or something?" Aladdin asked before diving into the soft bed. Sighing in content of how soft it felt against his small frame, he nuzzled his head against the fold of the blankets.
"No, going out is not an option. There are that idiot king's annoying generals outside, right down at the hall. I don't feel like picking up a fight with them…yet." That was an excuse. Judal knew that Aladdin knew as well but he would never admit that he was waiting for the child's arrival just to make sure that he was safe and sound.
"Idiot king? Do you mean Sinbad?" Aladdin's question was barely audible as a result from burying his head into the soft furniture. Judal had to lean in closer to the child to hear him and when he did, he mumbled something that sounded like "Ah, yeah, that idiot who gets in my way always."
"If it's him, then I met him," Aladdin stated and sat on the bed with his legs dangling by the side.
"I see…" was what Judal said at first but as Aladdin's words digested in his mind, his eyes widened. "What?"
"I said I met that idiot rival of yours on my way here. Apparently, he was robbed so now he doesn't have any metal vessels with him. And…since you said that his generals are here, it won't be a surprised if he ends up staying here as well," Aladdin gave a guess.
"Who are you?"
"Get out of here, you weirdo!"
"Your clothes are way too revealing!"
Aladdin looked up when he heard the commotion from below.
"Speak of the devil…" he drawled. Sharing a look with Judal, they showed mischievous grins and made their ways down to the hall.
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"Please stop," the white haired man from earlier said and ambled towards the guards. Giving some explanations to the guards, he managed to dismiss them. Really, he was getting stressed to deal with the troubles that idiot attracted.
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"Ow, it ended too soon~" Judal whined from their hiding spot behind a pillar. "And I'm looking forward to see him being tossed right out too~"
Aladdin commented nothing on the childlike antics the elder shown; instead his gaze was fixated on the standing figures that were known as Sinbad's generals.
"Please do something about your inappropriate attire," the shorter of the generals said, pushing the king to the back. Aladdin and Judal yelped a bit before they took covers, making sure that they were hidden when the both of them had passed. As soon as the figures disappeared behind the doors, Judal laughed out loud though he tried his best to not roll on the ground and pass off from excessive laughing.
"Get a hold of yourself, please," Aladdin droned.
"Do you see that? I think the idiot king just went through a whole new level of idiocy!" Judal couldn't help but laughed on their way back to their room.
"Were you surprised to see another Fanalis?" A voice from behind the doors made Judal's laughter died down immediately. He grinned and grabbed Aladdin by the arms. Putting his hand onto Aladdin's mouth to cover the yelp that followed, he made a motion with his finger to signal the child to keep it down for a while. The child obliged and pried the hand covering his mouth off with a movement that indicated he understood.
"Yes, I suppose so. We're a rare sight." Another voice was heard, deep and lack of emotion. 'So, he's also a Fanalis after all,' Aladdin thought as the both of them pressed their ears to the door. Eavesdropping was never a good habit but he would make it an exception this time.
"I'm sure the answer is no, but you didn't let everything get stolen, did you?" The other asked hopefully.
"Yes, I did" was the swift reply. Outside, the two eavesdroppers were trying their best not to laugh at the nonchalant reply. They could imagine the face of the white haired man when silence fell onto the occupants of the room and they waited and waited for the reaction of the man. It only took a few more seconds for the voice to sound again.
"Not just your clothes, but all of your tools and everything you had on you?" He asked, just to make sure.
"Yes, everything." That reply alone made him feel faint.
"You…Have you forgotten what those tools are?" He was officially freaking out now, grabbing the king by his throat and swinging his head back and forth to clear his mind.
"Don't worry! I'll take care of it. Just leave it to me!" Sinbad said with a few laughs of his own. He was really not worrying about anything huh?
"Honestly…How long is it going to take you to start acting like a king? You are Sinbad, the King of Sindria!" The man lectured.
"I doubt that he'll ever learn to act like one," Aladdin whispered quietly. Judal gave a small smile in agreement. Ah, he felt sorry for that idiot's generals. Dealing with this kind of king was definitely hard. It was a blessing that Kouen or any other king candidates didn't act that way, at the very least they took good care of their own metal vessels and that alone helped to save a lot of unwanted troubles along the way.
"Hide," Aladdin sobered suddenly, pushing Judal away from the doors and hurriedly hid behind some large plants. That was when the doors were pushed open all of the sudden with a force that the wooden materials shook, struggling to stay firm.
"What's the matter, Masrur?" A voice called from inside.
"…I thought I heard something," the muscular man replied. His cold eyes scanned through the hallway. From behind, the others emerged from the room, sparing glances to the surrounding.
"No, I didn't see anyone here. Maybe, it's your imagination?" The king voiced his opinion.
"Maybe," the bright haired man answered and the trio walked away.
When the coast was clear, Aladdin revealed himself from his hiding spot. He let out sigh, "Now, that was close."
Judal hummed in response as he rubbed his sore back; an aftereffect from being shoved into the small corner of the wall.
"What do you think they're here for?" Aladdin inquired.
"No idea," Judal shrugged.
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"I'm only here for one thing. Reopen maritime trade with Sindria." Both the current king of Balbadd and his brother flinched under the stern tone. "Your father and I cultivated an alliance between our two nations. Are you trying to break that?"
"I-I'm sorry, but it's impossible for me to reopen the trade. I already have my hands full with domestic issues here in Balbadd."
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"Hey, chibi, the person you wanted to meet is his name Alibaba by some chance?" Judal asked from his lying position on the comfy bed.
"Wow, you actually remembered his name. I'm impressed," Aladdin said. His tone dipped with sarcasm. Judal snorted at his mocking.
"Actually, there have been rumours going on…no, not rumours because most people have confirmed it to be true," Judal started.
"Like?"
"The Fog Troupe. Balbadd is a city of fog. Recently, a group of thieves has been appearing with the fog…"
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"Just a group of stinking thieves. Two years ago, they broke into the royal treasury and their numbers have been growing ever since," King Ahbmad explained, his nose wrinkled in displease. "They equip themselves with some strange magic. The army can't do anything against them. They've become a powerful anarchist force."
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"But they only attack the mansions of nobles and national trading vessels. They redistributed the goods and money they gain so some fools are considering them heroes," Judal further explained.
"So they are heroic thieves? How interesting," Aladdin commented and turned so that his back was laid against the comfortable material. "But…I don't see the connection of this with Alibaba."
"Impatient, aren't you?" Judal teased. "That's not all, you see…"
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Ahbmad was complaining about how the foolish people saw the thieves as heroic figures and all they had done was raising the taxes.
"You two have a terrible reputation," Sinbad pointed out dully.
"It's not our fault! This really annoying guy just took over the Fog Troupe recently," Ahdmad roared.
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"The new leader of the troupe happened to share the same name, Alibaba though they call him Miracle Man Alibaba," Judal finished. Registering the look of shock in the child's face, he waited for his response.
"Miracle Man Alibaba?" Aladdin repeated. "I don't think he'll be the one who leads a group of thieves. He doesn't even like to show off like that. It's definitely a different person."
"What if…" Judal voiced. "He's the very same person you are looking for? What are you going to do then?"
"The activities of the thieves have been a hindrance to the schedules of the ships and boats which meant that the ship to the Dark Continent may also be one of them. I bet that Mor will kick his ass if he's really the leader," Aladdin chuckled a bit. Judal knew that Aladdin was just trying to avert the conversation. Normally, he would just let it slip but not this time, he needed to know if he was strong enough to face such possibility.
"I didn't ask for the other's reaction," Judal stated. "I asked for yours. What will you do if the Miracle Man Alibaba is the same as the Alibaba you are searching for?"
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"Why on Earth did he have to show up now of all times!" Ahbmad let out in one breath and if not for Sahbmad, he would have let out more information than necessary and things would turn pretty bad.
"At any rate, because of the Fog Troupe, trade is impossible. If you want to reopen trade that badly, you'll have to find your own solution," The king concluded. Even though he was a king, Sinbad really had little patience dealing with this sort of king.
"You don't mind if I do?" Sinbad asked. His tone grew cold as his knife was unsheathed. Digging the knife into the table, he declared, "I'll get rid of that Fog Troupe. I don't need your army either. We'll do it alone.
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"No matter what he does, reopening trade with Sindria is impossible. If he gets rid of the Fog Troupe in the process, well, all the better for us," Ahbmad said when Sinbad and his generals left. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the Kou Empire's letter.
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Judal was trying to be patient, really but the fact that Aladdin didn't even bother to reply his question annoyed him. He was about to say something when a black Rukh interrupted. It moved back and forth in front of Judal as if urging him to do something. After reading the message the Rukh carried, he sighed out loud tiredly.
"I'm going to Balbadd's palace. That old man said that he needs me for something," Judal informed the child. Ruffling the child's blue hair, he gathered himself up. "Probably to meet with that fatty king…"
Aladdin watched as the elder left through the window and he sighed, lying down onto the bed. Staring at the ceiling, his mind wondered back to the question Judal posed earlier. That was right. If it really was Alibaba, what should he do?
Thinking was not helping much. Instead, it earned him quite a headache. Food might help. Aladdin did a mental drooling at the thought of food so he rolled over to get down of the bed. Mission, get some food!
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Sinbad was treating Morgiana to some infamous delicacies of Balbadd. He seemed to enjoy the sight of the young female's blissful expression when she dug in. It was no use to be pondering about the previous conversation with the king so why not enjoy himself first.
A flash of blue at the corner of his eyes caught his attention and he recognised the blue braid that swung in the air with every moment the owner made. Being as a loudmouth as he was, he gave a yell of realisation. That drew the attentions of the others.
"Aladdin!" He shouted from his seat and the white haired man immediately delivered a chop down his head, telling him to be quieter. Aladdin, in turn, blinked when he heard his name been called and whipped his head, only to find Sinbad a few tables away.
"Ah, mister Sin!" He greeted cheerfully, careful not to use Sinbad's real name. He watched as Sinbad introduced him to the generals who were both curious and suspicious of the child. They visibly relaxed after the explanation of how they met along the way.
"And these are Ja'far and Masrur," Sinbad introduced, gesturing towards the pair standing behind him. Then, he suddenly turned and addressed Morgiana. "Masrur is a Fanalis."
"What?"
"You're too, right? You two have the same eyes," the king concluded. The two Fanalis exchanged small greetings before Sinbad decided to treat Aladdin too, something about to celebrate their reunion here.
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"So what do you plan on doing?" Ja'far inquired after the kids were gone by the side. "You made such a bold statement to those brothers but you don't have any of your tools."
"It'll work out."
"What?"
"At Sindria's founding, the previous king of Balbadd taught me a lot about trading. Even though he's no longer with us, I owe him a great debt. I can't stand by and watch his nation fall to chaos," Sinbad said.
"It's not about that but what exactly shall we do first to take care of the thieves?" Ja'far asked, bringing up the cup for a drink.
"Eh? You're talking about the Fog Troupe that appeared recently, right?" Ja'far was so shocked that he ended up getting all the liquid out of his mouth. What? He didn't even sense the child approaching. From Sinbad's expression, he didn't notice the child too but still he gave a nervous 'yes'.
"I see. Actually, I'm quite interested in them as well. Mind sharing some information with me?" Aladdin asked, tilting his head to the side.
"Umm, I don't think it's something that interesting for a child though. There are far more interesting things around Balbadd than a bunch of thieves," Sinbad persuaded the child. After all, the least others knew the better.
"But, it is interesting," Aladdin insisted. His face turned into a pout as he resumed, "and I'm not just a mere child, Sinbad, the master of seven Djinn; the 1st Djinn Baal, 6th Djinn Valefor, 16th Djinn Zepar, 34th Djinn Furfur, 41st Djinn Focalor, 42nd Djinn Vepar and 49th Djinn Crocell."
Enjoying the shocked looks as he listed Sinbad's Djinn, he took the liberty to continue, "And you're also the high king of the seven seas, King of Sindria, Sinbad."
What was with this child? Normal children shouldn't know this much even if they were fans of his. He never gave his true identity. To accurately state the name and the rank of the Djinn, this was absurd! Ja'far and Masrur tensed beside him. Their body readied to attack whereas Sinbad's face became serious.
"How, may I ask, did you know about that?" Sinbad asked in a lower and darker tone. He leaned in closer to the child to be at least more menacing. Despite that, the child just laughed and sat back on the chair, looking totally relaxed. The king blinked in confusion when Aladdin clapped his small hands.
"Amazing! Even without your metal vessels, you can sound so damn confident! You're brave and interesting. I'll give you that," Aladdin said. If possible, Ja'far and Masrur looked as if they were on the verge of attacking the child while Sinbad's face darkened.
"Who are you?" Sinbad asked. His voice was tense and stern, clearly demanding answer.
"You don't need to get so worked up, you know!" He teased, crooking his head to the side with a grin on his face. He knew he was just been very annoying to them now but it couldn't be helped, it was too fun to see their Rukh moved accordingly to what they were feeling now. He should stop this soon. "For your information, I know because of your Rukh. I can see the power within you since we met and not to mention the faint senses of the metal vessels from you."
Masrur clenched his fists tightly. Ja'far reached for his blades beneath his layers of robe. Morgiana seemed to be confused as she threw nervous glances to and forth of Sinbad's group and Aladdin.
"Rukh? You can see them? No, you must not only be capable of seeing them, right? Who are you exactly, Aladdin?" Sinbad growled, trying to keep his voice low.
"Who do you think I am?" was the reply that didn't reveal any useful information.
"I'm not fond of beating around the bush."
"Or so I've heard," Aladdin stated. He sighed in defeat at the increasing tension, knowing that he couldn't play further without them attacking him. "If you really want to know that badly, fine, I'll tell you. I'm a magi. Therefore, it's only natural that I know the flow of Rukh that is within you."
"You're a magi?" Sinbad gasped in disbelief.
"Ah, yes. Now, can you call your men to calm down? They look as if their blood pressure had just skyrocketed," Aladdin requested. He needed to calm down as well. He was becoming increasingly excited for each passing seconds and no, it was not a good sign. He couldn't let that side of him took over yet.
"Beside," he added. "If I want to harm you, I would have done so back then when you're defenceless."
Sinbad resisted the urge to shudder at the cold tone the child used. To their shock, even though it was just a second, the magi's eyes flashed blood red. It was gone as soon as it came and the child touched his forehead. With a shaky grin on his lips, he whispered, "Ah, I let it slip again."
Blinking to clear his eyes, Sinbad debated mentally. What the child said did make sense, if he really wanted to harm him, he would have done so earlier. There was no need to wait for that golden opportunity to slip, right? His conscience was telling him to back away from the child but his guts were telling him to trust him. And being Sinbad, he ignored his conscience and deemed that the child could be trusted…for now. Aside from that, having a magi alone would be a great help, especially since he had no metal vessels with him now.
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"We believe the Fog Troupe's aim is either the wealthy merchant, Aljaris' or the noble, Haldhub's mansion," Ja'far deduced. His eyes skilfully scanned through the scroll in his hands.
"Why do you say that?" Sinbad asked. Beside him, Aladdin was keeping his eyes fixed on the floor but his ears were picking up the information.
"False information has been spread about the movements of the army. The Fog Troupe appears to have supporters even within the government," Ja'far answered.
"Even within the government…" Sinbad parroted and Ja'far gave a nod at that.
"The Fog Troupe is more popular among the people than we imagined." That was an undeniable truth.
"If the people support the Fog Troupe, are we doing the right thing by capturing them?" Morgiana asked from the side. Under her strong insistence to help, Sinbad allowed her in.
"I think so, they distribute the money they steal to the people, thereby gaining the people's support. That's why people call them chivalrous thieves but I think the thieves may only do that to make their crimes seem justifiable or perhaps we are hearing a lot of propaganda," Sinbad muttered. "Well, that's what I've come up with. That's my story and I'm sticking to it."
He glanced at Aladdin through the corner of his eyes before declaring, "You guys should also spend some time thinking this over and act according to your conclusions. That's how I've managed to get this far."
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After Aladdin and Morgiana had left, the trio shared a look with each other before Ja'far shot his hands up to shake Sinbad, demanding his reason from involving children into this case. No, not just that, the child clearly depicted trouble. What in the world was the king thinking?
Sinbad pushed Ja'far's hands down to loosen the hold around his collar.
"Don't worry. I think that Aladdin can be trusted for now. I mean, he didn't try to come and attack nor did something fishy, right?" The king voiced.
"That's not the point. Didn't you feel it too? The feeling around the child for that spilt second. It almost feels like that annoying pest!" Ja'far said. His frown was in place and he stiffened at the thought of a certain dark haired magi that proved to be a nuisance due to their many encounters in the past. "I have a bad feeling about that child."
"Well, that's that. For now, we'll do what we must and that's it."
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"The fog has rolled in," Ja'far commented. He and the other two; Aladdin and Morgiana were on one side of the bay while Sinbad and Masrur were on the other side as they hadn't had any idea which side would be attacked.
"Are Sinbad and Masrur the only ones guarding the other mansion?" Morgiana questioned. Ja'far gave her a reassuring smile.
"Do not worry, Sinbad might seem a little shady, but his title as the high king of the seven seas isn't just for show." Ja'far was confident at the king's capability as long as he didn't try anything stupid. That was the least concern though; the thing that worried him most was…He spared a glance at the blue haired child who had been silent for quite a long time now.
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How fallen could Balbadd be? It was ironical that the rich enjoyed food and warmth until they were excess while the poor and needy starved and freeze to death.
That was why Sinbad didn't stop them; the group of poor people that attacked them suddenly, all for the sake of food to survive. He allowed them to access the store for food. It was fair for the wealth of the rich was actually obtained through the poor's taxes. He raised his head to look at the sky, frowning at the state Balbadd was in now.
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The guards were laughing nonstop even though they didn't really know why. It was as if something triggered a nerve and they all started laughing like there was no tomorrow. Hearing the uproarious laughter, Morgiana and Aladdin made their ways to the guards who oddly began their laughter.
'This is mist?' Mor thought before her nose picked up something within the mist.
"Aladdin, don't breathe in any of the mist!" was her last warning before she picked up the child and leaped onto the roof. As soon as they landed, they could hear the panic from below. The guards were attacking one another?
"What's going on?" Mor gasped.
"They seem to be caught in an illusion," Ja'far replied from behind. "Did you notice the red mist? That's not a product of human hands. It must be strange magic."
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The thieves were now marching forth to the mansion. On the arm of a lady, a weapon was raised. The very same mist that tackled the guards was reeking out of it, licking the air in hunger.
"Your Sword of Phantasmal Scarlet Fog is as frightening as ever, Zaynab," a man commented. The lady huffed and manoeuvred the sword skilfully.
"Stop talking and start using your Sword of Corroding Golden Fog, Hassan," Zaynab lectured.
"Yeah, yeah," he replied, scratching the thick wall of the mansion with his sword and within seconds the walls collapsed as the golden fog tackled it.
"Let's go! Our target is that fat pig's mansion! Go wild!"
Following his lead, the thieves charged forward with their weapons high in the air. They weren't able to get very far as a couple of red wires halted them. They looked up to notice a single man standing on the roof. His eyes shone menacingly.
He landed onto the ground and pulled harder at his wires before a weird, black fog surrounded him. It coiled around his arms. At that moment, Ja'far's arms felt heavy and they slammed into the ground.
"Another magical weapon!" He grunted, struggling to stand.
"That's right. It's the Sword of Shackling Ebon Fog." Ja'far tried, very hard to turn a little to meet the newcomer. Behind him was a man with a strange sword covered with fog in his hand. Ja'far then noticed the other behind him as well, a masked man.
"Kassim!"
Ja'far realised that that must be the man's name.
"Let my comrades go," Kassim ordered.
"Our leader and our main force have arrived!" Someone announced hopefully in the troupe. The masked man who seemed to be the mysterious leader stepped forward, going straight past Ja'far with his men following close behind.
Mor didn't like to waste time as much as she didn't like thieves. Her legs connected with several thieves' heads mercilessly, bringing down them in one swift kick each.
"Kassim, heading your way!" A man yelled to warn the black haired man. He responded by throwing the black fog towards her. The fog seized the girl and pinned her down to the ground.
"A girl?" Kassim let out. Behind him, the masked figure seemed shocked as well.
"Mor!" Aladdin shouted from the roof when he saw what happened. The masked man turned and had another shock.
Kassim was busy handling Mor who could still in fact stood despite the attack of the black fog. He pressed more of it onto her and finally she was held down.
"Now is your chance! Grab the goods and run for it!" Kassim commanded and the thieves cheered, rushing into the mansion to sweep some goods.
"It's no good, right? I won't let you pass that easily," Aladdin chuckled darkly. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply.
The Earth rumbled and out of blue, water started to burst out from the ground. It shot up into the air to form a large wall before it was immediately frozen into an ice wall. The thieves scrambled away from the icy wall.
"Heh, it's a piece of cake for me!" Hassan exclaimed proudly from below and he reached forward with his sword. However, before his sword could even touch the ice wall, the ground roared again and moments later he was knocked backwards with his weapon escaping his grip.
"No, I'll not let you do as you like," Aladdin stated as he sat comfortably on the verge of the wall. Kassim raised his weapon to attack the child when a hand landed on his shoulder.
"Leave this one to me," the masked man said. He took confident steps forward. Aladdin who noticed him squirmed to get a better look at him, only to gasp in turn.
'No, it can't be!' The young magi thought. The seal was responding to him and he could see who exactly resided in the vessel. It was Amon and that meant that…
The sound of clothes unwrapping could be heard. Slowly, the clothes covering the masked man's face slowly fell. Ah, that confirmed it. He was the very same person Aladdin had been looking for; the Miracle Man Alibaba turned up to be Alibaba in the end after all.
Subtly in his mind, the question that he had yet to answer resounded, "What will you do if the Miracle Man Alibaba is the same as the Alibaba you are searching for?"