Chapter 23: Sleep When You're Dead
Arzin waited from a distance when Aladdin and his group returned to Gloloria's town. He was unsure how he really wanted to approach the prince. He wasn't supposed to have any contact with any of them while under his brother's treatment, he knew. Part of him knew he should at least stick to the regimen until the Deathseeker's battle was over. The other part knew he had things to say to Aladdin before that battle ever happened.
He saw the princess, magic carpet, and parrot go through Tani's door. Only Aladdin and the Genie lingered behind, with Genie looking over his shoulder at Aladdin as he shuffled his feet.
"Kid, you good?" Genie called.
Aladdin waved his hand. "Go ahead, I'm going to stay outside a little bit. Get some fresh air. Think I spent a too long underground."
"Okay, but probably not a good thing to stay outside for too long in those clothes and get sick from it. I mean, considering how cold that water was, even I'm still shaking down to my bones." Arzin only realized after the Genie noted that Aladdin's clothes were completely drenched. Had they been underwater? He wasn't sure.
He sensed it was Deathseeker related. Not that he expected any of the group to tell him what happened. Arzin knew he'd betrayed everyone in the town on more than trust, just by nature of being a Vessel.
"I won't be long. Promise." Aladdin said. Arzin watched as the Genie reluctantly went inside Tani's cabin. Neither one of them noticed him standing not far away. He watched as Aladdin moved out of eyesight from Tani's windows, walking more towards the center of the village. Aladdin found a nearby hut that was completely dark, leaning against the wall of while closing his eyes. Arzin noticed something had shaken Aladdin - a fear he couldn't put a name to. He started walking forward to confront the Prince directly, but he recognized the familiar voice - or rather angry screeching - of the one part of Aladdin's group he had not noticed entering Tani's cabin.
He'd forgotten the monkey. Don't have to tell me twice, he thought as he started to move away, back to his own cabin for the night.
"Arzin." Aladdin's voice registered from behind him, stopping him mid-step. The prince had clearly noticed his and Abu's presence. "Was there something you wanted to say to me?" He turned to look over his shoulder at Aladdin, who didn't move much closer to Arzin than the monkey had. Abu looked as if he were ready to pounce on Arzin if he so much as looked at Aladdin the wrong way.
Arzin nodded. "Only a few things. Rumor has it you're facing off against the Deathseeker. Possibly tomorrow."
Aladdin didn't confirm anything, his expression giving away nothing but caution. "Say what you need to. I'm listening."
"Don't underestimate it. Not even for a second. The moment you look towards its manipulations and away from what its really doing is the moment you're done for. A warning from someone who's crossed it one too many times and survived."
"I'll keep that in mind. Come on, Abu, let's go." Aladdin started to walk away, but Arzin continued to speak.
"Not done." Aladdin stopped walking turning to look over his shoulder at Arzin, who turned to fully face him. Arzin squared his shoulders, prepared himself to say the words he knew he needed to say. "I'm sorry, Aladdin. Everything I did to you - none of it was what you deserved. I was foolish, careless."
Aladdin stood in silence a long moment, even while the monkey pointed between them while saying "Huh?"
"It wasn't all you," Aladdin said. "I think instead of apologizing to me, you should save that for Miza and Yirya. They're the ones you've really hurt, a lot more than you think."
To Arzin, it was a verbal blow he'd expected, but it hit harder than he thought it would. Arzin had prepared for anger, he'd prepared for conflict, arguments, things he knew that he'd do or react by if the situation were in reverse. Aladdin sounded tired, even sad.
Before he was tempted to say more, Arzin turned and walked away. The Deathseeker's influence inside him was muted due to the medicine Ezele had given him, but that didn't mean it couldn't be capable of inflicting more harm than he wanted. And that was the last thing he wanted to do.
"Talk about awkward confrontations," Genie said after Aladdin told him of the brief encounter with Arzin. "He didn't say anything else to you?"
"No. Kind of glad it ended where it did. He sounded sincere though." Aladdin stretched his arms over his head as he sat on the edge of his bed. Jasmine had already fallen asleep that evening, as had Iago and Abu. Tani was visiting Ezele, and Carpet was stretched out in the other room next to Aladdin's playing checkers with himself. Abu was curled up on a ball on a pillow close to Aladdin's own.
Genie folded his arms across his chest as he stood in the doorway to Aladdin's room. "Al, I know I'm probably going to say this a millennium's worth of times, but you've got this. Don't let the Deathseeker's taunts worry you."
Aladdin rubbed the back of his neck. "When you put it like that, that's a lot of pressure. Kind of makes me afraid to sleep." Aladdin meant it to be a joke, but Genie's expression was so pained that Aladdin regretted the words instantly. He wondered if his voice gave away part of his anxiety. "Didn't mean it like that. We did a lot today, I'm ready to turn in and get this over with."
"I'll be in here with Rug Man if you need anything or if something goes wrong. I don't absolutely need sleep tonight. Plus, there's something really sad about a rug playing against himself in checkers."
Aladdin smiled then. "Sounds good, Genie. Night."
Genie closed the door as Aladdin blew out the candle at his bed side. He turned on his side, facing where Abu slept on the pillow near his head. He reached out his hand to smooth the standing fur on Abu's back. The monkey visibly calmed, appearing to sleep peacefully.
"See you when I wake up, pal," Aladdin whispered.
The dream Aladdin had was the first time he hadn't woken up in a scary vision of the Deathseeker's making from the start. He stood on the beach of Gloloria, foaming waves running over his ankles and bare feet. The sun peacefully set on the horizon, bathing the waters in a mix of calmer reds and oranges, much different than the appearance of blood red waters he'd seen in his previous nightmares. He wasn't wearing his royal attire or pajamas, but the purple vest and tattered pants he was used to wearing on the streets of Agrabah. He reached up to the top of his head to feel for his usual fez, but it was missing.
"Seems I finally meet the real you, Aladdin." An unfamiliar voice called from behind him. Aladdin looked over his shoulder to see a man about his own age, with long light brown hair that curled at the nape of his neck. The man had his hands clasped behind his back, casually walking up to the point where he stood beside Aladdin while looking at the sunset. "It's a wonderful sight, isn't it? This sunset is one of the draws to the beach of Gloloria. You can't get a better view of it anywhere else. I would take it this is breathtakingly similar with the view of the Palace you have in your kingdom, right?"
"Have we met somewhere before?" Aladdin said, hesitating. He felt the man standing in front of him was familiar. Could it have been one of the Deathseeker's victims or someone from the portraits he'd seen in Remi's archive?
The man only chuckled, his sea-green eyes turning to Aladdin with amusement. "You don't recognize me and you actually feel guilty about it. You are full of surprises. I'll admit, I struggle to understand you while knowing your history. You've had horrible things happen to you in your youth and adventures, yet you still retain a sense of wanting to help others, acting selflessly, and maintaining a sense of hope that bad situations will improve."
Aladdin raised a brow. "For you to know all of that, I must have met you somewhere before."
The man chuckled again. "You have, but if I tell you, it may change the dynamic of our discussion. Feel like I should have tried this casual approach with you from the beginning. It may have made our meetings a little less...antagonistic. I am waiting for an answer from you, after all."
That's when Aladdin realized the truth of the man's identity. From what Aladdin recalled of Saztou's account, the human in front of him fit the description - young, handsome, muscular, seemingly charming. It filled Aladdin with such an instant wash of dread that struck him cold. His eyes narrowed as he took an abrupt step back from the man.
"Of course it's you."
The Deathseeker grinned widely at Aladdin. "Not the reaction I hoped for, but fair enough. It seems that I've treated you more than unfairly these past several days in Gloloria."
"More than unfairly?!" Aladdin snapped. "You call nearly trying to kill me and my friends on several occasions that?"
"You are still alive, are you not?" The Deathseeker disappeared from beside Aladdin, instead appearing behind him. Aladdin whirled around to face him, stepping back as the waves kicked up against the back of his heels. He had to pivot to keep from falling backward in the water. "Do you prefer the nightmares that I showed to you?"
"I don't prefer any of it. What I want is for you to leave the people of Gloloria in peace. No one deserves to die by your hand, not another villager nor traveler. You are not a god anymore."
The Deathseeker's features twisted into a sneer. "You dare level those words of disrespect towards me?" But just as quickly as the Deathseeker's rage arrived, it calmed. Aladdin was surprised by how quickly the emotion disappeared. "Your anger is understandable, given that you are a human and accounting for the things that I have done to you, your friends, and the larger town of Gloloria. But you are unlike many men I've chosen to punish over the course of my reign. You are actually pure of heart, devoid of the wickedness that I usually find in the hearts of humans. Nothing that I've said or done has broken your resolve. That's why I think you'll make a fine Vessel."
"Why are you pushing so hard for me to willingly become a Vessel of yours? I know what being a Vessel means, so there's nothing you can say that would make me even want to consider joining you. I will NOT be your puppet."
"I believe you misunderstand," the Deathseeker said, eyes flashing in the setting sun. "Becoming a Vessel is on the level of knowing who is most likely to survive among the weak. Those who die at the hands of my Vessels were not fit to live in the first place. I usually target those I know who will not be loyal to me or be strong enough to live in the projected realm I will create within Gloloria. I search for and create Vessels who will not only demonstrate their strength, but also their loyalty."
Aladdin felt his nerves stand on end as he spoke through his teeth. Everything the Deathseeker was saying was twisted in a way to fit its own logic. He decided to play along to try to understand what the Deathseeker's motivation was. "Makes sense. A god needs followers and those to spread the word in order to survive."
The Deathseeker grinned. "You understand then. By becoming my Vessel, you become my follower, a person whom I will work to the ends of the earth to protect as long as you stay loyal to me. You will be able to live in the realm that I create, a kingdom that is even greater than the previous Gloloria. And if you agree, I'll certainly include your friends in my circle of protection. No harm will come to them. Given that you are an aspiring Sultan of Agrabah, I would expect that you could spread my influence even to the kingdom there."
Aladdin couldn't listen to any more of the conversation without being angry, so he decided to be honest. "Sorry, but the answer's no. People have the right to think for themselves. People have the right to believe what they believe without their lives being threatened or taken away. I will not be your sword of execution, nor will I spread the word of a god that believes humans are disposable or a means to an end."
The Deathseeker's features twisted into a sneer. "I take it that I have your answer then?"
"I gave you my answer back when you possessed Arzin in the cave the other night. It hasn't changed. I reject all of your terms. My choice will be to help the people of Gloloria defeat you once and for all. They'll earn their freedom from your influence and you'll never have the chance to built the twisted world you want to create or control humanity as you see fit. I said it before, and I"ll say it again: you are not a god. Not anymore."
The Deathseeker's eyes changed colors then, from a sea-green to as black as a night sky. "I was foolish to think I could ever change your mind." Aladdin watched in horror as the fingers of the man standing in front of him turned into sharp teeth that glinted in the setting sun. The Deathseeker's human palms turned into mouths with long, wagging tongues that stuck out from beneath the teeth. The skin of the Deathseeker's muscular, human arms fell away to reveal the signature black and spiny limbs that Aladdin recognized on the larger sea demon's form. It felt more creepy that these living, thriving limbs were still attached to a human, whose laugh echoed on the beach.
When the Deathseeker used its limbs to try to sink its teeth into Aladdin's arms, the prince was prepared to run, successfully dodging both attacks. What Aladdin wasn't prepared for was the sudden change in scenery. At first they were on Gloloria's beach, but the setting shifted to the top of a cliff on the far edge of Gloloria's village. Aladdin had to stop himself from nearly running feet first off the edge.
"Whoa, whoa." Aladdin's chest heaved as he saw the sharp cliff descend into a cluster of large rocks and foaming waters down at the bottom.
The Deathseeker's voice came from behind him as Aladdin got his bearings. "I know what you're thinking, Aladdin - former street rat and current, soon to be expired Prince of Agrabah. You believe this is only a nightmare, that nothing that happens to you here will reflect in reality. But there are tales in which humans who die in their dreams never wake up. Are you willing to test that theory right now?"
It wasn't lost on Aladdin that the Deathseeker chose to use Aladdin's former words against him in that moment. Aladdin slowly turned from looking over the edge of the cliff that he stood on. He faced the Deathseeker's part human and part demon form, standing only a few strides away. There was nowhere to run, no place to dodge that didn't involve him falling to a bloody, watery grave.
The Deathseeker didn't expect Aladdin to charge forward in that moment, knocking the half-human and half demon being to the ground. But the Deathseeker was quick to use one of its limbs to sink its teeth into Aladdin's upper right arm, before throwing the prince back in the path towards the edge of the cliff. Aladdin grunted as he fell to the ground, clutching the wound on his arm as blood ran down it. Nightmare it may have been, but the pain felt too real.
"How does it feel to be powerless, Aladdin?" The Deathseeker continued as it slowly approached where Aladdin lay. "Your Genie, your magic Carpet, nor any of your friends can help you here. Though, if by chance you do survive your death in this realm, you can spread the word that I plan to kill every single townsperson in Gloloria, starting at sunset. Of course, if you don't survive, they'll have no warning."
Aladdin, Aladdin!
Aladdin only faintly heard the other voice calling out to him just after the Deathseeker spoke. The voice sounded a lot like Abu.
Unlike the other nightmares, Aladdin knew that he was dreaming. He realized the experiences he had in this nightmare were different than the others, and he needed a plan if he would survive the Deathseeker's attacks. Coming up with plans during times of mortal danger should be his specialty, but he realized simple tricks like the battle with Arzin in the cave wouldn't work.
His approach now would be far more direct.
"Well, nothing to say? Are you too tired from all the revelations you've made today?" The Deathseeker taunted. "That's okay, you're certainly welcome to sleep, but not now. You can sleep when you're dead."
Even as the Deathseeker loomed over him, Aladdin waited for the right chance to act. The Deathseeker used one of its demon limbs to angle over Aladdin's body, aiming for his neck. As the limb opened its mouth wide and struck, Aladdin grabbed it just in time to keep it's jaws from striking him. The spikes on the side of the limbs dug into his hands, but Aladdin gritted his teeth against the pain. The motion shocked the Deathseeker so much that it only had enough time to register using its second limb to try to strike Aladdin.
But not before Aladdin used his leg to sweep the human feet of the Deathseeker, making it lose its balance.
Al, Al you need to breathe!
Aladdin heard Genie's voice then, somewhere beyond the realm of the dream world. Whatever was happening with him there couldn't be good, but he kept his focus on the Deathseeker. "If there's even a possibility that I can fight you, I'm going to do it alongside my friends and the people of Gloloria. You won't get the chance to kill me here."
Aladdin then used all his strength to throw the stunned Deathseeker off of him, hurling him over the cliff.
"NO!" The Deathseeker cried. The sea demon's cry echoed for a while until it was drowned out by the rushing waves over the rocks at the edge of the cliff. Aladdin didn't bother looking over the cliff. He lay on the ground, struggling to breathe as blood covered his hands and injured arm.
Aladdin, please, please wake up!
"Jasmine...I'm coming back," he whispered at the voice he heard. A shudder traveled down his spine as the remnants of the nightmare faded away from him.
When Aladdin woke, it was one of the few times he didn't startle awake, nor was he covered in sweat following the nightmare. But somehow he was more tired after waking up than he'd been when he went to sleep.
Abu moved into his line of vision, peering at Aladdin with familiar concern. But somehow it seemed the monkey was even more on edge than the last several nightmares Aladdin had. It was only then that Aladdin realized he wasn't alone, as Abu screeched out of his line of vision to where Genie and Jasmine were sitting by his bedside.
"You really scared us there for a second, kiddo," Genie said.
"I heard you in the middle of the nightmare with the Deathseeker. When did you guys come in?" Aladdin found he couldn't move, his body felt too heavy to bother sitting up.
Jasmine answered before Genie could. "Thank Abu. He was the one who realized that something was wrong before any of us did. He went to find Genie, who had stepped out to get Carpet after he lost a game of checkers. But Genie wasn't around and Abu came to get me. You stopped breathing, Aladdin."
Aladdin's eyes widened. "For how long?"
Genie frowned. "Way too long. Rug Man and I were right here and didn't hear anything. I mean, Carpet was being a spoil sport and I was trying to talk him down after it, but when we heard Jasmine calling out for the two of us, we came back in here lickety split. We figured something had happened."
Aladdin closed his eyes, exhaling a long, shaky breath. "Of course. The Deathseeker really did try to kill me in the nightmare. Makes sense. Guess it wasn't happy with answer I gave him."
"Oh Aladdin," Jasmine said. "That must have been awful."
"Nothing I couldn't handle for what it was, Jasmine. I'm okay," Aladdin said, reaching out his left hand to squeeze hers gently. His brow narrowed, expression turning serious. "But Gloloria's got a big fight on its hands. What time is it now?"
Genie answered. "A bit before dawn. Why?"
Aladdin sat up slowly, explaining to them in detail what he'd learned in the nightmare. He didn't leave out any details, including the battle he'd fought with the Deathseeker. When Aladdin finished, Genie and Abu whistled softly.
Genie spoke, running his hand down his chin. "Talk about crunch time. If we're fighting at sunset, that doesn't give us much time to formulate a plan. We have everything set up to fight with the villagers, but we're going off the plans from our last battle with the Deathseeker. Best time for us to fight it would be the middle of the day. We would be at a disadvantage, at least a little bit."
Aladdin shook his head. "That may have been from what we knew from the last battle, but we have another piece of information now. Remember what Saztou said at the lighthouse? It's weak against lightning magic. The Vessels that the Deathseeker controls can use lightning magic where he can't because of his affinity to water."
Jasmine winced. "If that's true, that's complicating things since the Vessels are under the Deathseeker's control. The only two that we know for sure are Arzin and Yirya. Telling them any kind of plan to betray the Deathseeker could place them in danger."
Genie nodded. "Not only that, telling them of any plan could tip the Deathseeker on what we're planning on doing, and that'll be rough to execute."
"Not if we have a plan in place to keep them unaware," Aladdin said, looking between them. "You, Genie, me, Jasmine and Abu - this plan doesn't leave this room or reach beyond any of us. Okay?"
Genie's brows lifted. "Ooh, you've got some secret special plan?" Genie transformed into a Secret Service agent with shades. "This is top secret, classified, and unspecified."
Jasmine gave Genie a side eye glance while biting back a smile. "Joking aside, Aladdin, are you sure it's going to work?"
Aladdin exhaled slowly. "It's a huge risk, and you guys may not like it because it's dangerous. But I think we can pull it off. If I was able to surprise the Deathseeker twice using street tricks while fighting him before, he's not going to see this one coming."
"Let's go!" Abu screeched excitedly.
Aladdin grinned. "Okay guys, here's the plan. Let's help the people of Gloloria end this, once and for all."