Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1
Ok, I'm really sorry for this chapter being so late. Really sorry! Besides exam block, assignments, piano exam practice, and life in general…my computer broke down…so this is a re-typed a.k.a not as good, version of the chapter I'd originally written.
Ok, enough from me!
Recap:
Cassim and Rasoul
"Now go," continued the Sultan "Head out front and guard, like you've never guarded before, but together,"
Cassim and Rasoul headed off. Rather, Rasoul dragged Cassim behind him as he strode forward furiously. The sultan watched on in amusement. "They will come around," he said to himself with a satisfied smile "after all; I am an, excellent judge of character…now they just need to fix their own!"
Aladdin and Jasmine
She opened her mouth to speak "We should get—"
The rest of her sentence went unheard as a slick tentacle unexpectedly emerged from the water, grabbing Jasmine by her ankles and furiously dragging her down into its depths.
"Jasmine!" Aladdin yelled in alarm. Without hesitation or fear for himself, he dove into the sinister waters.
"Don't worry," said Aladdin "We'll get that elixir, I mean, we have to pick the lesser of two evils, right?" Jasmine nodded. As long as Saleen was banished, being immortal was useless to her, so it didn't matter to any of them that the potion was in her possession, by then, they would be long gone from this living island. The trio continued through the seemingly peaceful jungle in silence, hoping and praying that they next thing they found, was what they were looking for.
Nadira and Ishaq
"No," I answered again, hurrying my words when I saw the giant snake coming up right behind us "but that doesn't matter! Jump!"
And without a second thought, and Ishaq's hand in mine,
We both jumped.
Najila and Jafar
"Jafar," she spoke, her voice echoing in the dark chamber, the only light coming from the vision pool in the pedestal "There are some things you must know about the elixir to gain its powers,"
"Continue," he ordered.
"Firstly, Forever coiling and circling around the elixir, is a small serpent, that serpent is highly important, you must remove the serpent from the elixir, and induce the serpent to gift you with its venom, in order to obtain immortality when drinking the potion, full immortality cannot be gained without this serpent," she explained "Secondly, after the snake's venom is running through your veins, the potion must be drunk immediately, or else…certain effects take place…not permanent, but seemingly so,"
Chapter 38:
I was aware of nothing except for the air through which I was falling and Ishaq's grip on my hand. The air slithered through my skin, and in that brief descent to what lay below, all I felt was pure freedom. Strange, I know, but it was somewhat liberating. Falling was like a momentary dent in time, where you truly do forget everything except the feeling of the absolute lack of control possessed by yourself. You can't stop yourself mid-fall and you cannot start over, it's uncontrolled and weirdly enjoyable, that is…until you inevitably hit whatever's below you.
The blue waters pierced my legs like sharpened knives and sent a jolt through my senses. My sight was momentarily lost, as the stinging waters forced me to snap my eyes shut. Coldness spread through my body. After awhile, I forced myself to burst through the surface of the water. My lungs accepted the air hungrily.
"Ishaq…" my shaky voice echoed above the waters. From the corner of my eye I spied an outline swimming furiously towards me. I relaxed as the outline became clear.
Ishaq reached me, concern written all over his face. "Are you ok?" he asked immediately. Words were useless to me just then, I threw my arms around him, my wet cheek resting on his equally drenched shoulder. I felt his arms tighten around me, and for that moment, things felt right. We began swimming towards the land together.
The feeling of firm soil beneath my feet suddenly felt strange in comparison to the feeling of air. I removed my soaking abaya and squeezed the water out of my hair. My gaze returned to the cliff we'd just jumped from. It suddenly occurred to me that my plan had worked, and that we were very far from where we'd started. "Look!" said Ishaq, indicating to an opening in the jungle. Walking over to him, I too, felt a sudden elation. Only a few yards away were Aladdin, Jasmine and Sharif. Given the circumstances, luck truly must have been on our side at the time.
"Sharif! You guys! Over here!" I screamed, overjoyed at their sudden appearance. They approached us even more excitedly than I had, cantering up to us like skittish colts. I gestured for them to join me in the sunlight next to the water, where I was attempting to dry myself. Ishaq followed them over and the four of them seemed to form an impromptu circle around me.
"Ok, at least we're all still alive," I heard Sharif mutter as I bent down, flipping my hair over to dry it.
"We can't be far now," Aladdin commented, his voice stern.
"We haven't got any sign as to where we need to go…how do even know what we're looking for?" Jasmine questioned.
Still bent forwards, I squeezed the water out of my soaking locks and listened thoughtfully to the others. Jasmine was right; we hardly had any sign as to where to go. For all we knew, we were running around in circles. This whole island was like one big circle…you never knew quite where you were going…until you found yourself where you started within minutes. Still, I couldn't help but wonder where exactly this elixir was hidden. A twirling lock of hair tickled my cheek, removing me from my thoughts.
Springing up from my bent position, I flung my long hair behind me, not caring as the dampness sent a shiver through my shoulders. The others continued to discuss, and Sharif's case, argue as to Tali's whereabouts, but still nothing seemed to make sense. I turned to face the cliff from which Ishaq and I had jumped, and recalled the vicious serpent that had chased us with a vengeance. In some ways, I suspected that the giant snake that had chased us, had not been a mere part of this island…Najila and Jafar would have had something to do with it, I was sure. After all everyone knows that serpent is a symbol of immortality…Wait, the serpent is the symbol of immortality.
"And if you had just stayed away from Tali, like I said then maybe—"
"Aladdin…"
"And if you'd just fucking left us alone then maybe—"
"Sharif! Aladdin! Enough, I mean it!"
Tensions had returned to their normal high, it seemed. I glanced at them, only to find Aladdin being restraint by Jasmine and Sharif, possibly more aggressive than Aladdin, being held back by Ishaq.
"Ok," I began, surprisingly managing to avert their attention "I think I know where we have to go now,"
I stared at the shadows on the wall, dancing with the flicker of each flame. Occasionally the torch's fire would crackle, or an ember would fall, distracting me from the hypnosis of the shadows. After the numbness had worn off and my senses had awoken from some sort of….unnatural sleep, I found myself virtually compressed by four walls. Four cold chamber walls, where apart from the torch, there was nothing… not even my own memory to help explain this strange occurrence.
I glanced at my hands, the knuckles appearing almost shrivelled from the coldness in my body. Sitting on them didn't help either, I realised after the third attempt. Suddenly I heard a thud, something ramming against the door perhaps. It flung open, a woman, with similar features to Nadira, perhaps a bit older, stood, her face glazed with concern. She glanced briefly in the other direction, before entering the chamber and quietly closing the door.
"You don't know me, but you know my son" she began hurriedly.
"I don't know anything about…anything, right now…so could you please explain," I retorted, unable to hide my bitterness or bother to mentally recall who the heck her son was.
"You are Tali aren't you…?" remarked the woman, her eyebrows rising inquisitively, I nodded as I rubbed my frozen palms together, creating no effect whatsoever.
"Nasheeta!" screeched a husky voice, a familiar voice "Nasheeta, come here!"
The woman looked towards the door in fear. Her beautiful dark eyes grew wide; she bit her soft lips like a lost little girl and placed a smooth hand on mine.
"I need to tie this around your mouth now," she told me, almost casually "but trust me I'll find a way to—"
My mouth hung open in protest "Wait, wha—"
"Nasheeta!" yelled the angry female voice, virtually thundering through the walls.
She wasted no time in gagging me, her hands shaking in the process. As soon as she'd completed her task, she bolted to the door. I noted the misplaced terror in her eyes as she turned to face me before exiting the chamber, "I'll be back" she seemed to mouth, before briskly exiting.
If I didn't already know it, and I did…Something very bad was going to happen.
"You want to what?" they exclaimed in unison. I knew my idea wasn't going to appeal to them, especially to Ishaq.
"I can see your concerns, but given the whole serpent thing…I think it could be very possible, the serpent was under control by Jafar and Najila and could very well lead us to them," I explained in my most logical voice.
"Ok, Nadira look…that's stupid," Sharif stated bluntly "I don't think climbing up that cliff," he paused to wave his arms towards the cliff in the most exaggerated manner "is the wisest idea…especially not to find a creature that was trying to kill you," My brother clearly needed no help in telling people he thought they were wrong! So tactful.
"I don't believe it," said Aladdin "but I think I agree with Sharif. Carpet's not here to fly us up and the creature may have been long gone by now, besides you don't know for sure that it would take us to them,"
I turned to Ishaq and Jasmine, whose thoughtful visages gave nothing away. In all honesty, I agreed with them, my plan was full of flaws, was too hard and didn't even have any solid truth to it…but then again, nothing on this island was as it seemed! I told Ishaq and Jasmine so, praying that they might consider my plan.
Jasmine appeared torn, between her husband's disbelief and her immense desire any possible link that would lead us to them.
"Well…" she started, her voice concealing all possibilities "Maybe we should just…oh I don't know!"
I turned to Ishaq, expectant of a fifth rejection.
"Ok, let's do it," he said confidently.
I turned to the others "See, you got what you wanted guys, now you think of something!" I muttered sarcastically, before the realisation sunk in.
He was willing to run with my idea!
Ishaq took a few steps closer and began pacing around me "I mean it, you were right before, when it was chasing us, it didn't even attempt to scale the cliff, and you might be right now, but one thing I know is that we're not getting anywhere by standing here and rejecting our only lead,"
I glanced the others. Sharif seemed to grudgingly consider the idea now that he realised that I wasn't the only one who'd gone totally crazy. While he and the others talked, I pulled Ishaq aside. "Are you sure?" I whispered to him "Do you really think it could work…"
He threw me an irresistible smile "Of course, or else I wouldn't have agreed. You might be on to something, and you might not be…but we may as well try!"
Briefly, I stared the cliff from its base to its point, suddenly aware of the incredible height that I'd been suggesting we climb. Why is the craziness of my ideas only apparent to me after they've been considered possible? "But it's so…tall," I said "Plus, I just asked you to jump off of it!"
He laughed "Yeah, I know. But it was strangely worth it…"
Our eyes locked momentarily, possibly only a split second before we were rudely interrupted. "Ok, we've agreed to…climb up that cliff," reported Sharif.
"Well," I chirped "Let's get to it!"
Nasheeta circled the glowing vision pool like a vulture, her mind haunted by that undecipherable premonition. Light? Four girls…one of them was Nadira…she thought. Was it possible that it linked with another vision she'd had…possibly a dream? She rhythmically tapped the rim of the vision pool. The timing of the vision was what struck her. It was so out of sequence… She peered into the luminous waters that swirled in the pedestal, and saw nothing.
"Curses!" she screamed as she struck the pool violently, sending enchanted waters everywhere.
"Najila," resounded Jafar's stern hiss "Control your temper," Najila stared at him grimly, then turned to the rising moon she saw ascending through on of the arched entries.
"It is quite blatant, that you know something…something that I don't…and of course, Najila, this is a partnership, so it would wise to share troubling burdens and other such matters, hmm?" he laced the fingers of both his hands over the head of his serpent staff.
Najila stepped out one of the arches of the octagonal chamber, and walked down some stairs towards a balcony that overlooked the Isle of Secrets. Jafar followed intent on discovering whatever it was Najila was hiding. She stared over the island in thought, her angular jaw tightened with nerves.
"Najila," Jafar repeated harshly "If you are keeping some from me, believe that it is the end of our partnership as you know it,"
Najila's eyes remained fixed on the horizon. The sky was darkening, and the watchful moon was ascending to its nightly throne. That was one thing that was constant in the Isle of Secrets, night, it always came and always went, what happened in between always changed.
Najila squinted at the sky, hoping the see the star of Sameena, the great ancestress, and prayed for a sign, anything that would tell her that what she saw, something beyond her powers, wasn't real. Her sharp intuition told her to believe what she'd seen was true, and her own intuition told her that if it was…nothing would ever be the same.
We had climbed the cliff, we actually managed to accomplish it without anyone falling…miraculous really, considering that once one was clinging to the rocks lodged into the cliff face, the true height of the formation became very apparent. As soon as I allowed my gaze to drop downwards, something I'd consciously been trying to avoid, I regretted it.
It was very different to the sensation of falling, to the freeness of it. When you are holding on crumbling rocks, and the distance below has stood still, then it is scary. As I my gaze drifted downwards, the minimal amount of rock under my feet began to crack. Naturally I screamed, but before I could panic further I was pulled up by Sharif and Ishaq. Nevertheless, we'd made it, and that was what counted.
Suddenly, everything around us looked entirely different to how it had when Ishaq and I had been around. The jungle was gone; there was not a tree in sight.
"So where's this serpent, Nadira," Sharif asked somewhat cockily, already playing the part of the annoying younger brother.
Truth was…I didn't know.
I cast my eyes around nervously. Nothing looked the same as before, nothing at all. The jungle had disappeared entirely. My gaze turned back to the sky, dark and ominous, silently laughing at us. It just seemed so…empty! The land stretched on far beyond the eye could see, and gave no indication as to what lay ahead.
Aladdin, who'd been very quiet for a long time suddenly, spoke up "I see it,"
"See what?" Jasmine asked, looking around inspectively. "The serpent," he replied "Look,"
We all turned to look, and indeed slithering speedily in the distance, was that vicious snake.
"Let's go," I ordered. As soon as I stepped from where I'd been standing, a burst of flames appeared from the sudden hole in the ground, and then disappeared as quickly as it had come. We all turned around, stunned by the sudden appearance of fire in such a close proximity.
"Let's go," I repeated "But carefully!"
After that, no one said a word…but everyone stepped cautiously.
Jafar and Najila returned to the octagonal chamber, aware that time was running out. Najila knew that if a vision depicting the potion's location didn't come soon, all of their careful planning would be lost. Najila began pacing around the vision pool, her impatience and fear becoming increasingly obvious to Jafar. How odd…he thought to himself, as he observed the movements of his partner. Before either could ponder any further, Nasheeta burst through one of the eight archways.
"What are you doing here?" Jafar growled "You were supposed to stay near Tali…I know she can't escape, but I will not take my chances!"
Nasheeta backed away in fright, her whole body shaking in his presence. He wasn't foolish, he could sense her fear, and he knew why she feared him more than anyone else. Jafar raised a lithe hand and allowed his spindly fingers to graze her cheek lustfully.
"Now Nasheeta, what is it you came to tell me?" his voice dripping with unctuous charm.
Nasheeta flinched at his touch, but did not dare brush his hand away. If Najila noticed, she paid no attention.
"The serpent, which you sent to distract and stall them…" she started shakily "Well…it's back,"
"It's back!" Jafar burst, rage filling every chord of his voice "This can't be…then they will find us far before we've found it…"
Nasheeta jumped back, her fears instantly accelerated. "Silence!" interrupted Najila.
Jafar turned towards her, his anger still blazing like fanned flame. "Najila do you know what this means, if they follow the serpent before we have—"
"Of course I know what it means!" she yelled. Jafar and Nasheeta stared at her blankly.
"But it won't matter," she continued, an icy smile appearing on her face,
"Because I've had the vision…I know where the elixir is,"
Again I'm sooooooooooooo sorry for the late update! Really, really sorry! I also apologise that it mightn't seem very good, I just had a massive case of writers block. But don't worry everything will be back on track soon! Review please :)