A/N: Hello all; first off, a BILLION thanks to all the reviews I received on the last few chapters! I was SOOOOOO incredibly thrilled; so to all reviewers, new and returning, you guys REALLY made my day and I want u to all know how deeply appreciative to you all Anyways, this story is sitting at 1,832 readers to date; so let's keep going! And for all of you out there who have not reviewed yet, I hope this next chapter is good enough that you'll feel compelled to leave a few words Thanks, and onward!
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Aladdin & the Heirs of Magic: Ch. 20- Lady of the Ruins
Jasmine didn't recognize the chamber she and the others found themselves standing in when Aladdin hesitantly took a couple steps back.
It was large with a high ceiling and circular in shape. Dark grey stone—much like the secret tunnels that led them to the Citadel, the princess noted—made up the walls; the floor, unsurprisingly, was sand and scattered around the chamber were stone tables holding an assortment of scrolls, relics and bound leather books. Her brown eyes met the cobalt of their rescuer's as Aladdin introduced Xerxes to the magician who had snatched them from certain death.
Sadira: witch of the sand.
She pulled off her ornate emerald cloak, woven of a very fine silk and set it on a nearby stone bookcase and knelt down to examine Mozenrath.
"Who is he?" she asked, never one for preamble.
"His name is Mozenrath," Aladdin told her, closing the distance and crouching down on across of her, "we snuck into the Black Sand's Citadel and broke him out of their dungeons."
Sadira's brushed dark hair away from his neck. She flinched when she saw the gouges; teeth marks from the magic-drinking vampires.
Jasmine found her curiosity threatening to overwhelm her, but was too aware that Mozenrath needed healing, and quickly, so she bit back her onslaught of questions and instead asked: "What can we do?"
Sadira's intense gaze swept over the wizard, her eyes narrowing after a moment and un-focusing—sensing his condition through magic, Jasmine intuited.
"He's been tortured…badly," the magician said at length, swallowing hard, "and he's been fed off of-"
Jasmine winced; realizing Sadira was heavily editing the truth, wanting to spare them the worst of it.
The sand witch rose, her lithe body fluid and graceful. "Aladdin, if you could carry him to the bed over there," she gestured to her far right, where a simple one-person cot with pillows and blankets was tucked into a corner, "the rest of you can help me gather supplies."
No command, no orders, only the request of a friend. Jasmine, Genie and the animals gathered around her as she succinctly delegated tasks, gesturing to various cupboards, shelved and chests of where her array of healing tools was kept.
Quickly enough, Mozenrath was set upon the pastel-colored blankets and cotton pillows and Sadira was hard at work, grinding herbs into a paste, cutting bandages and such. Genie was assisting, poofing a Bunsen burner and bottles onto a small table beside the bed for preparing elixirs.
Around her, sitting on large pillows, Aladdin and Jasmine held hands, both still shaken by their brush with demise. Abu and Iago shared a chair; Carpet hovered near Genie, watching keenly. Xerxes lingered beside his master.
Everything seemed to have settled down enough that Jasmine felt it was all right to satiate her plaguing curiosity. "Sadira, how did you know to come for us?"
Their friend didn't break tempo as she answered, "I arrived at the palace just in time to see your father throwing a fit and ordering the guards to begin a search for you." Her tone was sharp with reproof and Jasmine put her head down; she knew her father would react so.
It didn't help squelch the piercing guilt though.
"I stopped just short of greeting him, came back here and used my sand mirror to find you all." She still didn't halt her work, but her movements became rigid with anger. Her light coffee-colored skin was pinking also. "May I ask what you all were doing in that kingdom, about to be impaled by fire-blades and fed to a monster?"
Jasmine sighed, fresh feelings of conflict yanking at her inwardly from every direction. She told Sadira about how Xerxes came to them, all he had told them about Desdane's return and Mozenrath being imprisoned and tortured. She only added a few details about what Xerxes had intimated about the wizard's childhood. Somehow, it felt too personal to go into it at length.
"Why didn't you tell your father?" was all Sadira questioned when she finished.
Jasmine knew why Sadira was centering on that: she had never known her father—or mother for that matter. Jasmine had always felt sorry for her on that score; she had lived in luxury her entire life; confined yes, and her mother had died giving birth to her…but she had always had her father.
And Sadira envied her that; she envied her over many things, for that matter.
It always made Jasmine feel guilty; she hadn't asked to be born royal, hadn't forced Aladdin to love her, or her father for that matter. It had merely happened—and had Jasmine been given her way, much about the world would have been different.
Sadira, for instance, would have had both of her parents, and a comfortable life of her own.
And Sadira knew that too; which is why she had returned Jasmine's overtures of friendship…despite all else that had happened between them.
"Father would have forbidden it," Jasmine softly replied; it was a weak answer, and everyone knew it.
"Look, it was my fault," Aladdin put in suddenly and Jasmine opened her mouth to rebuff it, when Iago cut in.
"It was both of your faults," he snapped, and pointed at the others in turn and all of you too; I wanted to stay home, but noooooo, we had to go save the crazy wizard from the other, even more crazy wizard! We had to go off and nearly get killed again. What's with all of you and this stupid need to constantly be suicidal?! I mean, can't you even just try to be cowards, just once? If you don't like it, you could always go back to being heroes again!"
Sadira chuckled. Everyone else blushed and-or shook their heads.
"All right," Sadira mock-grumbled after a moment, "I'll let you all off the hook this time-"
"Good, so no soup then, right?" Iago asked bluntly.
"Keep interrupting and I'll make some," Sadira lightly returned and Iago instantly clamped up.
Aladdin was looking around. "Sadira, where are we?"
"In one of my ruins," she said simply, "this one is outside of Agrabah, just west of my tower; it was the closest one to transport us all too. It's heavily warded; we'll be safe here at least the night." She tested a bandage she just wound around Mozenrath's flesh arm. "I don't want to try moving him at least till morning."
Meanwhile, Genie finished with whatever it was he was heating on the table. It looked like a magenta liquid, marbled in color though. He expertly poofed two cups into existence and poured half of the potion into each cup. He turned to Al and Jaz.
"Here you go guys; bottoms up," he cheerfully said.
Al frowned, confused. "What is it, Genie?"
"A potion to heal your injuries," Sadira told them, still focusing on Mozenrath, "you were cut by undead creatures; it'll take powerful magic to mend those wounds."
Al took a cup and sniffed it; wrinkled his nose. "It smells terrible."
Genie gave him an apologetic look. "Well, Al, you don't have to drink it, but…Uhhhh…"
"'UH' what?"
"You'll turn into the undead yourselves," Sadira flatly said, finally facing them and planting her small hands on her legs. She was kneeling at the bedside. "You were cut by the undead; that's how it works: they cut you…you become one of them. Or…you drink the potion."
"Hey," Iago put in, "look at the bright sides: one, Genie made it; two: it's not soup."
Sadira leveled Iago a scathing look. "I'll have you know my soups have improved a lot during the last few months."
"Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it…oh no! NO! I mean, when I see someone else eat it…and survive."
"You did survive."
"Just barely."
Another glower.
"Okay, okay," Jasmine conceded, just to make the arguing stop, "we'll drink it."
She and Aladdin plugged their noses…and drank the awful brew.
Jasmine made herself imagine the fine wine they'd partake of the upcoming afternoon.
Because this definitely wasn't it.
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Desdane watched the lazy night breeze wash over the dunes; he listened to the massive vacuum of silence, only gently interrupted by the breeze stirring up the sands.
Sand.
A sand witch; he had recognized those accursed spells. The meddling power of those insufferable creatures he had disposed of so long ago.
Or so he had thought.
He took a deep, contemplative breath; but, this girl…she was but one.
And his previous apprentice, wretched, traitorous creature she had been…won't be there to interfere this time.
His cloak made a loud snapping sound as he regally turned and vanished in scarlet mist.
He had much to do.
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The wounds, thankfully, closed up and disappeared just after Al and Jaz gulped down the last drops of the grotesque brew; Jasmine was half-convinced Sadira told Genie to make that particular potion as punishment for worrying the sultan.
It would be like her; sneaky and underhanded she excelled at…when she thought the need arose.
Jasmine plunked the empty tan cup back on the 'brewing' table. "Okay, you've chastised us," she said, and twisted her lips at Sadira's "innocent face."
"Why did you ward this place?" Jasmine pushed ahead, not being baited.
Sadira gave her a half-disappointed look and tied the final bandage on Mozenrath. Jasmine had to admit, she was impressed. The boy wizard no longer looked like…well, and escapee from a torture chamber. He was clean, dressed in a simple, floor length navy robe and his wounds bathed, salved and bandaged.
Jasmine felt muscles un-tense that she hadn't even realized were knotted up. He would heal; somehow…she simply knew that.
Genie and Carpet had gone outside to keep watch; Sadira admonished them to stay in the shadow-side of the dunes…but Genie had insisted he would feel better if someone was guarding…just in case.
Sadira gracefully stood and stretched her objecting muscles. "I've been traveling these last few months-"
Jasmine nodded; she knew that. Sadira had been traveling off and on for the better part of two years now, learning to hone her magic…and taking in the wonder of new places and new things.
New experiences; Jasmine had seen the difference. It had been obviously good for her.
"But," Sadira went on, looking contemplatively at the floor and not seeing Jasmine's reflective expression, "all the while, I felt…something, growing in the Land of the Black Sand. Something…ominous; but I couldn't place what…until tonight."
"You sensed Desdane return?"
A shake of the head. "Not exactly. I felt…some force, explode almost, within that kingdom. But…it felt both dead…and alive…so I didn't understand it. But…we all knew about the planetary convergence tonight and the possibility that something could happen. I just knew after feeling it I had to get back here as soon as possible."
Jasmine let out a breath; grateful that Sadira had done exactly that. But then a thought occurred to her. "The planetary convergence…what do you mean…you knew something could happen? Because of the extra power being unleashed?"
Sadira nodded. "Yes. It's especially dangerous when different worlds draw near each other at times like this. But, we'll be safe in about 8 days."
Jasmine blinked and Aladdin jumped to his feet. "What do you mean, 'in 8 days'?" Aladdin demanded, trepidation saturating his voice.
Sadira pursed her full lips. "Well, the planetary convergences aren't usually a one-day event, like an eclipse. The planets are all always moving…in the right sequence they can stay fixed in a convergence pattern for a long time. There are a lot of variables in play." She shrugged helplessly.
"And what does that mean?" Aladdin's tone said it: he already knew the terrible answer, but wanted someone to say it, just so there was no doubt.
Sadira let out a resigning sigh. "It means that so long as the world's remain as they are; any magician with enough power can use these next 8 days for basically…whatever they want."
Jasmine shut her eyes; truth's full, horrible weight settling on her like a mountain…no, a whole mountain range. "And, opening portals? That too?"
"Yes." Was the sober answer.
She heard Aladdin sigh; he was feeling the same weight, she had no doubt.
She felt him take her hand; needing that feeling of being 'centered.'
"What can we do?" she heard him say after a full, heavy moment.
"Wait it out," Sadira gravely, but gently told them, "I don't have the power to stop every sorcerer from opening every portal; we can only deal with things as they come."
Jasmine grasped at straws. "But…you warded this place from Desdane," she objected, "surely that means you have some idea of his power, what he's capable of."
Sadira's eyes widened; Jasmine blinked at that. Why did Sadira look as though she was…remembering something?
"Oh," she said, her voice thick and portentous, "believe me; I know in full what he's capable of."
Al and Jaz traded bewildered looks.
"But…how?" Jasmine asked, lost.
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A/N: So, how does Sadira know? LOL; you'll have to wait and see? Still enjoying? Liking so far? Plz let me know! Till next time!