Chapter 25: One Last Time
Aladdin held Miza's hand with a firm grip as they moved through the fleeing crowd. They were running in the opposite direction everyone else was. Some were lingering behind to help those who were injured in the Deathseeker's ongoing onslaught on the beach. Others were like Aladdin and Miza - searching for people who were missing and asking anyone they could.
"Excuse me, ma'am? Have you seen Arzin anywhere?" Aladdin asked one woman who was running with her husband towards the memorial. It had been the third person Aladdin asked at random, but everyone before had told Aladdin they hadn't seen him at all.
The wife shook her head, but her husband answered. "He was one of the ones that stayed behind to look for the injured, I think. He went towards the cliffs. I tried to warn him, but he seemed determined to search for anyone who may have ran out that way."
The cliffs? All the way back to the shoreline? If the Deathseeker's out that way... Aladdin found his thoughts racing wildly, but thanked the two for their help.
Miza looked up at Aladdin expectantly. "We're going to the beach cliffs to look for Uncle Arzin? Papa said the beach cliffs and desert cliffs are too dangerous for anyone to go - people get hurt there all the time. Do you think Uncle Arzin's hurt?"
Aladdin opted to be honest with the girl. "I don't know, but if there's any chance he might be, he'll need help." But something else bothered Aladdin about the trek. He remembered the nightmare from that morning, where the Deathseeker had attacked and almost killed him. He knew that the previous nightmares were manipulations by the Deathseeker to control him. What if the dream had been an intentional warning? Aladdin couldn't help but feel he was walking straight into a trap. He wasn't about to walk into something like that, especially with Miza with him.
"Hey Miza?" Aladdin said, turning the girl's attention fully to him as he knelt to look at her. "Can you promise me something?"
Miza's brows rose. "Miza can make a promise. She can keep promises too."
"Promise me, once we find your Uncle Arzin, that you'll go with him back inland. No matter what happens."
Miza frowned, tilting her head as she studied him. "Isn't Aladdin coming back with us?"
"Not right away. I have to help Genie fight the Deathseeker. He can't do it on his own."
A long moment passed before Miza found words again. She didn't meet Aladdin's eyes even as he gently held both of her hands. "Miza doesn't like it, but she gets it." She slowly looked up at him and nodded firmly. "...I can make that promise."
Aladdin nodded back to her. "Okay. Let's go find him." He stood, put his fingers to his lips and whistled. He hoped that Carpet could hear him from where they stood, between the Deathseeker's frequent screams and the crowd of people around. Sure enough, Carpet appeared overhead. He swooped down eagerly, ready to fly.
"Hold on tight," Aladdin warned. It wasn't Miza's first time flying Carpet in the days that they'd spent in Gloloria, but she'd kept low enough to the ground that, if she ended up tumbling to the ground, she wouldn't get hurt. Carpet and Abu had done a fair share of playing with Miza while the others worked, much to Iago and Genie's annoyance.
Miza gripped the edge of Carpet as she'd been taught to do, and Carpet eagerly took off.
When they were high enough to look over the stretch of Gloloria's beach, Miza's eyes widened. "Whoa."
Aladdin laughed a little. "That's right, you've never been this high up before."
"When the Deathseeker's gone, and Aladdin and Jasmine and everybody comes back to visit from Agrabah, you should take Miza on more rides like this."
"I'll...keep that in mind." Aladdin found his focus on Miza's cheerful words wavering as he looked at the damage on the beach to most of the huts and the once bustling diner. They'd only been standing the day before and now almost all of it was gone.
Miza's smile faded as she saw what Aladdin did. "Ma-Tani lost her home. Miza did too."
"We can help you guys rebuild, Miza. Just the same as we did before," he said, his voice quiet. It wasn't much comfort, but it was all Aladdin could think of in the moment. "As long as you have your family and friends, that's what matters, right?"
Miza thought about it for a long moment as they flew, before she nodded. "Yeah. Aladdin's right." Miza's eyes traveled along the shoreline, over towards the beach cliffs near a cluster of huts that somehow remained standing. Between the huts, a man lay facedown on the sands, motionless. It seemed some of the fleeing villagers from that part of the beach hadn't noticed someone was still there and badly injured.
"Aladdin, someone's still down there! Look!"
Aladdin followed Miza's motion. While the girl wasn't able to recognize the man from a distance, Aladdin felt panic rising in his throat in recognition of who he believed it to be. Aladdin recognized him from his clothes and the bow and empty quiver strapped to the man's back.
"Carpet, take us down there as quickly as you can," Aladdin said, his voice firm, but not wanting to alarm Miza. Aladdin hoped beyond all things that the man lying there - Arzin - was still alive.
Arzin lay on the ground, half conscious after being hit in the head with a piece of debris while he and several other villagers had fled from the Deathseeker. Fresh blood covered part of his forehead. He felt the faint effects of the Deathseeker calling for him to act. He knew he didn't have to worry about being an active Vessel anymore. Ezele's medicine was stronger than the sea demon's influence now. It was the best indication that the Deathseeker was close to meeting its end.
He tried to remember the last thing he did before he passed out. He'd been running with a group and had to stop. They'd insisted on helping him and he'd growled out some response about going back to make sure there wasn't anyone left behind. In truth, he'd been worried about Ezele, Yirya, and Miza. He'd seen Yirya with the Princess of Agrabah and Aladdin's monkey, but no sign of his brother or niece. He'd passed out sometime after searching for them along the cliffs, where he'd found another group foolishly hiding there thinking they would be safe from the Deathseeker there. He'd told them to head inland. Arzin didn't remember anything beyond that point.
He looked around the area, rolling onto his side. He realized he was too dizzy to sit up, much less focus on much around him.
"Uncle Arzin! Uncle Arzin!"
That was definitely Miza, he thought as he heard the familiar voice. He hadn't spoken to his niece since Aladdin told him to apologize to Yirya and Miza for his actions while under the influence of the Deathseeker. He'd had a long talk with Yirya that night, but Miza kept avoiding him. Not that he could blame her.
Arzin heard the shuffle of footsteps, then realized from the startled gasp that he'd been found.
"Arzin! Hey!" Aladdin appeared in his line of sight, as did Miza, who looked so worried, Arzin really wanted to know what he could say to make the girl less concerned for him. He didn't deserve either of their pity. Not a single bit of it. Not after what he'd done.
"Do you have to be so loud, Prince of Agrabah?" Arzin managed. "I'm certain that if you spoke any louder, the Deathseeker would hear you from kingdoms away."
Aladdin largely ignored Arzin's remark. "You look in pretty bad shape. Can you stand? The Deathseeker's still out of control. The magic's killing it, but not quickly."
"That bad?" Arzin said. "Tani's hut still standing?"
Aladdin shook his head. "Destroyed shortly after Miza and I managed to run away. Think that was the last time I saw Genie too. He's been fighting it this whole time."
"And you're not going to help him?" Arzin's question was more pointed than he'd intended, but it was meant to make the Prince uncomfortable, especially since he was talking about his friend fighting alone. Aladdin didn't hesitate, though.
"I told Genie in our plan that as soon as I made sure people were off the beach and on their way inland, I'd join the fight. Though he told me he didn't want me fighting the Deathseeker directly at all. Not after...well, you know."
Aladdin meant to soften the blow from his words, but it still hit Arzin like a punch to the gut. He'd walked right into that, again. Aladdin started to say more, but Arzin held up a hand to stop him.
"You've made your point. And I'm fine." Arzin managed to sit up on his own. Aladdin offered his hand, which Arzin took reluctantly as he stood.
Miza didn't say anything during the time they spoke, shifting her feet uncomfortably. Carpet was only a few strides behind her, drifting around as if he were waiting for the next step. Aladdin glanced over to the two of them, but he didn't speak. It looked like he knew the girl wanted to say something. Arzin thought Miza's nervous reaction was his fault, so he started to reassure her, though he had no idea what to say.
"Miza, look..."
The girl only approached Arzin, surprising him by giving him a hug, burying her face in his shirt. Her voice was muffled, but he understood her words.
"Miza knows Uncle Arzin went through a lot, that he didn't mean to hurt Miza. That he didn't mean to hurt anyone else, either. But Miza just want to know that he's Uncle Arzin again. Not the monster."
Arzin let out a long, shaky breath. "Not the monster. Not anymore."
"Okay. Miza thinks that's good."
Arzin wanted to laugh. Miza hadn't changed in her very blunt, point blank answers, even to tough conversations like this one. She offered him a way out of an awkward apology in the moment, but he knew he had more reparations to make. He placed a hand on top of her hair as she pulled away from the embrace. "Good girl." He turned his attention to Aladdin, who met his gaze. "Why did you bring Miza all the way out here with you? She should have been inland by now, safe with the other residents."
Arzin's tone hadn't been angry or threatening, but Miza took the words as such and scowled, speaking before Aladdin could respond. "Don't be mad at Aladdin! Miza wanted to go with Aladdin to find you. Papa said it was okay. Aladdin said he'd protect me and Uncle Arzin with his life."
"She's speaking the truth, all of it." Aladdin said after a long moment, his voice quiet. He didn't seem willing to say more than that.
Arzin began to respond, but the Deathseeker's screaming call for its Vessels echoed through the air. Miza put her hands instinctively over her ears, but Aladdin fell against the side of the hut nearby, doubling over from the pain. Arzin managed to remain standing, but the sound wasn't doing much to help his own throbbing head.
"Aladdin?" Miza asked. Her worry for the boy was clear enough to Arzin.
"I'm okay, Miza. Promise."
"Not used to it, are you?" Arzin asked as Aladdin recovered. "Makes sense considering you were never its Vessel."
"It doesn't hurt you?"
"Only a little. As a full Vessel it wouldn't cause me pain, but I would turn into an extension of the Deathseeker upon hearing that. I wasn't aware of it when I was fully under the influence."
"Makes sense," Aladdin said. "You and Miza should head inland. I'll ride Carpet with you up to the point where you both can join the others. After that, Carpet and I need to meet up with Genie - he's still fighting the Deathseeker after all this time."
Arzin felt a low bubble of anger rising in the pit of his belly. "I could help you fight, you know." He pointed to the bow at his back.
Aladdin shook his head. "Part of fighting is knowing when to stay and when to go. You know that as well as I do. You're in no shape to fight right now. And you have something more important to protect than your vengeance against the Deathseeker. More like someone."
Arzin knew what Aladdin meant. If the Deathseeker had a stronger influence over him, Arzin would have been angry at Aladdin's suggestion. Maybe even challenged him. But Arzin was tired. He'd fought a lot in the initial battles with the catapults and fire arrows he'd used in the initial wave of the fight against the Deathseeker. He could think clearly enough outside of his wounds and the Deathseeker's influence to know he needed to protect Miza more than anything now. He wasn't about to admit that Aladdin was right, but he could at least acknowledge the Prince's words for what they were.
Miza tugged at Arzin's sleeve. "Aladdin promised Papa he'd tell you and me to go where everyone else was, once we found you."
"Guess that's the plan then." Arzin looked up at Aladdin. "You have others waiting for you too, Prince of Agrabah. Remember that when you're fighting it in this last stretch. Don't do more than you have to." Arzin took the bow from his back, offering it to the the Agrabah prince. "Think you could use this to help your Genie. That sword might've come in handy when the demon wasn't surrounded by lightning magic, but if you tried to use that to cut off its limbs now, the shock from the lightning would kill you."
Neither Aladdin, Miza, nor Carpet expected Arzin to do that at all. Aladdin took the bow, placing it alongside the weapons already strapped to his back. "Thank you, Arzin."
As Miza boarded Carpet, with Aladdin and Arzin following not far behind, Arzin briefly looked over his shoulder at Aladdin, his brow furrowed. He spoke loud enough in a voice that was meant for Aladdin's attention only. "I don't want to have to tell my niece that you died a second time, so you'd better come back to the rest of us when you're finished. I won't forgive you if you force me to have that conversation again with her."
Aladdin's brow narrowed, his gaze not yielding from Arzin's. "I'm not planning on dying."
Arzin turned away from him, moving forward. "That's all I needed to hear."
Aladdin urged Carpet onward after he saw Arzin and Miza disappear into the small crowd fleeing the area. The call of the Deathseeker echoed through the air, twisting at Aladdin's nerves. The pain made it hard for the prince to focus, but he knew what he had to do now.
"Come on, Carpet. We can't let the Deathseeker follow the villagers inland."
Carpet sped forward and upward, flying high enough to have a good vantage point of the beach. Aladdin saw the terrible state of the beach for what it was. It wasn't just the broken huts and equipment. Long black streaks covered the sands, remnants of where the Deathseeker had traveled. Aladdin couldn't tell what it was, but he guessed it was either the demon's blood or body melting from the effects of the magic. He could even see parts of the water that were turned black with the sludge, like ink staining a glass of clean water. The sun was almost completely set, leaving the beach mostly dark.
Aladdin found it easy to see the Deathseeker in the darkness however. The lightning magic still surrounded its body, coursing down its limbs and across its face. It howled in spurts, attempting to move forward while destroying anything in its path. Aladdin briefly heard another cry in the distance, but it didn't come from the Deathseeker.
Genie's in trouble, Aladdin thought, recognizing the voice. I need to find a good point to attack it without getting too close. That should give him some time to recover. He's been fighting it this whole time. Semi-phenomenal or not, he's gotta be tired.
Come as close as you dare, Aladdin, the Deathseeker spoke in his mind. I know you're there, somewhere. I can sense your approach. I won't let you leave this battle alive.
"And I won't let you hurt anyone else here," Aladdin said aloud. Carpet's knobs motioned, as if he wanted to know what Aladdin meant, but Aladdin moved on. "Keep steady, Carpet. I need a good aim. Only have so many arrows to hit it."
Aladdin was able to light the flaming arrows by himself. It was a little harder to do without Abu helping out, but he'd managed. He hoped the others were safe, wherever they were, but he was glad that Jasmine, Abu, and Iago were nowhere near this danger.
Five arrows, one target. He fired his first arrow to see if he could strike the body of the Deathseeker to damage it. It hit its mark on the sea demon's body, but while Aladdin could tell it hurt the Deathseeker, it wasn't enough to stop its deadly advance. The flame didn't even take on the large massive black blob. Aladdin could only faintly see the gleam of its large teeth on the main body.
He looked a distance away on the sands at a form that lay there. His eyes widened in panic as he realized the form directly in the path of one of the sea demon's limbs.
"GENIE!" Aladdin aimed his second arrow as close to the head of the Deathseeker's limb, even as its jaws opened preparing to bite Genie. He let the arrow fly, the flaming end of it catching the side of the electrified limb's neck. It was enough to stop the limb short of its attack, screeching wildly. Aladdin used his third arrow to shoot directly inside the mouth of the limb, with the same technique Jasmine had earlier that evening. That attack was more effective than the last, causing the limb to shrink back to the body of the Deathseeker, before the limb fell limp.
Aladdin used the distraction to fly to Genie's side, leaping off Carpet when he was close enough to touch the ground. "Come on, Genie. Please, please wake up."
Genie groaned, and it took a couple of times of Aladdin shaking his shoulders for the semi-phenomenal being for him to stir. "Wait, Ma, I'm still tired. Can I go back to sleep and try not to dream about that big scary monster that I was...huh?" Genie opened his eyes and saw the worried face of his friend. Genie's own eyes widened and he sat up with such quickness that Aladdin moved back. "Al? What are you doing? You shouldn't be here!"
Aladdin frowned. "You really think I was going to let you handle the Deathseeker by yourself? I got here as fast as I could."
Genie cringed, before sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Kid, I get you're trying to help, but this thing is not a walk in the park. Not even for me. And you're only just recovering from the last several attacks." Genie then noticed the screeching Deathseeker with only one working limb. It had stayed put because now it couldn't easily drag itself across the beach anymore. "Did you do that?"
Aladdin nodded. "Yeah, just now. I think it's almost done. I've got two arrows left and my sword. If we can take it out in this next stretch, we're done. You up for it?"
Genie grinned, his mood brightened. "Of course. You get your arrows ready, I'll distract it. Also, make sure Carpet keeps his threads intact in the meantime."
Carpet waived his knobs in approval as Aladdin climbed aboard the rug. Genie stood, cracking his knuckles and tilting his head from side to side. "Okay, let's try this again. I have a score to settle with this former sky god."
Aladdin and Genie wasted no time splitting apart as the Deathseeker readied its next attack. Genie was quick to aim a few well timed magic blasts against the body of the Deathseeker, while drawing out its one remaining limb to strike out. Aladdin tried to get a good shot at the limb, but the limb wouldn't open its jaws. It probably guessed what Aladdin was trying to do. If the Deathseeker lost the remaining limb, it would surely lose the battle.
Aladdin wasn't expecting the limb to throw itself back, right into Aladdin's path with the intention of hitting him and Carpet. Carpet swerved abruptly, causing Aladdin to drop one of the arrows and struggle to hold his grip to keep from falling off. The flaming arrow dropped to the sands, harmless and not useful enough to recover.
"Easy, Carpet! Now I only have one arrow left," Aladdin said. "Well, an arrow and a useless sword." Aladdin recalled what Arzin had said about using the sword. If he tried to use the sword to cut off the Deathseeker's limb, it would likely kill him from the electric shock.
That's only if I'm still holding the sword, he thought. I wonder if there's another way I can attack it. To trick the demon's limb.
That's when the plan came to him. It was a long shot and a big risk to him, but Aladdin knew the Deathseeker wouldn't be expecting it. Genie would have the best shot in it all. But he didn't have time to convey the plan to his semi-phenomenal friend. He'd just have to improvise.
"Genie! Catch!" Aladdin threw his bow to Genie when he was close enough to cross paths. He could tell Genie wasn't expecting it, as Genie struggled, but managed to catch the bow.
"Al, what are you doing?!" Genie shouted, voice slightly panicked.
"Incoming - last thing, don't drop it!" Aladdin threw his quiver to Genie. Genie caught that easily, the flaming arrow still ready to fire.
"Why are you giving me the only useful weapon you have?" Genie asked.
"Because I want you to use it when I give you the signal!" Aladdin shouted back as he drew the sword out, holding it in his right hand while he held onto Carpet with his left.
"And what's the signal?"
"You'll know it 'cause it'll be very obvious!" Aladdin called, before turning his attention to Carpet. "Carpet, fly straight over the Deathseeker's head and don't stop until I tell you. We only have one shot to do this."
Carpet was hesitant at first, but he gave Aladdin a quick salute before he charged.
The Deathseeker's laugh rang through the air. You are truly a fool, Aladdin.
Aladdin wasn't expecting the Deathseeker to open its mouth, revealing a long tongue that stretched out like an extra limb. If it grabs me or Carpet while I'm doing this, I'm done, he thought.
"Al, don't do it!" Genie shouted, but realized even if he charged to help Aladdin, the Deathseeker's limb was keeping Genie occupied with trying to hit him with its electrically charged body. He wouldn't reach Aladdin in time to help him.
The Deathseeker thought Aladdin was going to use his sword to cut off its tongue. It prepared to attack Aladdin with that very aim in mind, swerving as if to avoid the attack and reach out to attack Aladdin from behind. The prince had other plans, as Aladdin suddenly shifted the sword downward, threw the sword with all his might, just as he passed over the Deathseeker's tongue.
The tongue missed its intended target as Aladdin's sword struck right between the eyes of the Deathseeker. The Deathseeker howled in pain, both the mouth of the body and the limb's mouth opening in an echo of the same screech.
Genie winced. "So that was the signal. Figures." Genie used the bow, shooting the flaming arrow easily into the mouth of the limb.
The limb screeched, recoiling as it made its way back to the main body. But instead of going limp like the last one, it started to flail wildly.
YOU WILL NOT DESTROY ME! I AM A GOD OF THE SKIES, I AM A GOD OF THE SEA. YOU WILL HEAR MY CALL AND BEND TO MY WILL!
Aladdin felt his insides twist at the Deathseeker's scream ripped through the air. He tried covering his ears to lessen the impact, but Carpet was flying too wildly. If he didn't hold on, he could easily fall off.
"Carpet, please! Stop!" Aladdin said, trying to calm his friend. But Carpet's speed did not slow. He kept going faster, twisting, turning, anything to shake the call of the demon. Aladdin felt his vision blurring.
"Al, hold on!" Genie went to try to reach them, but didn't see the demon's limb approaching from behind.
"Genie, behind you!" Aladdin cried. But his warning came too late as the limb hit Genie, knocking him to the ground. Genie hit the ground pretty hard, groaning from the impact, but it didn't seem like the lightning magic had as much impact on him as the blow.
Aladdin saw that the Deathseeker's main body was melting down now, lessening the impact of its scream, but Carpet was still too disoriented. Aladdin had to calm him or both of them would crash to the ground.
"Carpet, please, listen to my voice. You have to slow down. You can do it. You've done it before," Aladdin said, struggling to speak through the pain that shot through his head and body. Carpet had been flying around the Deathseeker's body in wide, furious circles. Likely it was doing that to keep from crashing to the ground and avoid the still thrashing, electric limb. It did slow its pace, but not enough to keep Aladdin's vision from spinning.
It wasn't until almost the last minute that Aladdin noticed the Deathseeker's limb heading straight toward them, coming out of nowhere like a battering ram, ready to hit them the same way it'd struck Genie.
"Carpet, GO!" Aladdin shouted. Carpet's movement was quick, but not quick enough as the Deathseeker's limb connected with Carpet's underbelly as it suddenly pulled up. The impact alone would have knocked Aladdin off, but the weakened, but still electric magic around the limb connected with Carpet, surging and striking Aladdin with white hot intensity. Aladdin screamed as he fell. There was a moment where his body felt like it was on fire, like he was weightless, spinning through the air.
It was only when he hit the water that he realized how far the impact had thrown him. How hard it was for him to breathe as he sank beneath the dark, rolling waves.
Can't breathe...
Can't breathe...
Can't...breathe...
Can't...