Step one to preparing for Al-Thamen was getting Kassim the training he needed. This was easier said than done. While Balbadd was known for its tourists, there were little to none swordsmen. Most were just merchants passing through, and while that could help in getting Kassim a sword to use, it didn't solve the problem of teaching him.
Another option was Barrack, who was teaching Alibaba in the royal sword style. The captain was no Sharrkan, but he was knowledgeable of different sword styles and could at least get Kassim started. The downside of this was getting Barrack inclined to train him, let alone finding the time do so. Barrack was a busy man as is.
Alibaba could request Kassim be trained if he had a legitimate reason for doing so. A simple answer would be to say that Alibaba wanted Kassim as his own personal guard, but that wouldn't do well. Kassim wasn't ready to leave his home in the city, especially when Zainab and Hassan had yet to return home from their job. Claiming to be a personal guard to Alibaba, whether in training or not, would mean Kassim would have to move into the palace. Not that such a thing wouldn't happen in the future. Kassim fully planned on fighting alongside Alibaba and sooner or later the palace would have to get used to seeing the two boys at each other's sides.
So, they were at a crossroads. Alibaba spent more of his lessons racking his brain for a solution than he did actually listening. He wasn't too worried, Alibaba remembered much of his education from learning it the first time around. It did annoy his tutors though.
"Young Prince, I insist that you pay attention!" Lord Vamir was one of his least liked tutors. The man was an older noble with a stick-thin body, balding hair, beady eyes, and a greying beard that could compete with Kouen in pointiness. The biggest thing about the noble that annoyed Alibaba was the man's personality and tone of speaking.
Vamir did not like what he thought was an injustice of having to tutor a bastard prince, instead of teaching the actual heirs to the throne. Because of this, he would always be sneering down his nose while teaching, a patronizing glare and stiff lip being his most defining features. Vamir would speak down at Alibaba in their lessons and make callous remarks on Alibaba's supposed low intellect offhandedly. It was as if Vamir truly thought that Alibaba could not understand nor would ever be able to comprehend a higher learning befitting that of a prince. Alibaba would have written the strained relationship off to him currently knowing everything that Vamir was teaching already, but he remembered that Vamir was just as nasty back then as he was now.
"It might be difficult to understand coming from the streets," That was a favorite line of Vamir's. Alibaba was wondering when the noble was going to say it this time, he lasted longer than usual. "But in order to not make a fool of one's self, it is pertinent that you know the culture and customs of neighboring lands!" Vamir looked positively ruffled. His arm sleeves were pushed up and his glasses were askew on his nose. This didn't stop him from giving Alibaba his number one glare of – you are a stupid street rat and I am an intelligent noble who deserves a better and more worthy student than you.
"What do you think would happen if the King of Sindria himself visited your father and you did or said something that would insult him or embarrass Balbadd? You could fracture years of relations between our two countries in just one moment!" Alibaba reigned in a snort. There was little that could affect Sinbad in such a way, he was sure. That man would more likely find such a situation hilarious and dive right in and make a fool of himself as well. After going on so many adventures and defeating so many Dungeons, Sinbad had almost no shame and very little could faze him. Alibaba was sure that even Ja'far, the much more sane and sensible of Sinbad's Generals, had come to the point of – I have seen everything; nothing could be worse than Sinbad on a Dungeon spree.
Sinbad. That brought an idea to Alibaba's mind. He tuned out the rest of Vamir's lecture as he tossed it back and forth in his head. Alibaba was known to admire the adventures of Sinbad. Ever since Reimir, Vamir's brother and Alibaba's languages/history tutor, showed him the novels depicting the King in his younger adventuring days, Alibaba had become a big fan. Granted, after showing up in the past Alibaba's open interest died down as he was more focused on more important things. Like figuring out a way for Kassim to learn how to properly fight.
But Alibaba's interest in Sinbad could possibly work in his favor for this. He could approach his father, who would be more likely to actually listen to his request, and use his old idolization as an excuse. He could claim that he was inspired by Sinbad's adventures with his friends and wanted to do the same with Kassim. Not only would it help in getting Kassim the training he needed, but it would also give Alibaba the excuse he needed to be able to travel outside of Balbadd.
Never would he thought that he would want to thank Vamir for anything, but Alibaba now had a somewhat good plan thanks to the older man's want of belittling him. The Rukh really does work in strange ways.
"I'm sorry Lord Vamir." Alibaba bowed his head in faux shame, the apology tasting bitter in his mouth. "I'll pay more attention to your lessons." Not likely, but it was the only thing he could say to get Vamir to stop frothing at the mouth. Vamir hmphed and shook his shoulders in a way reminiscent of a bird ruffling its feathers.
"See to it that you do." He spat, adjusting his glasses back in place. Alibaba forced himself to sit still and listen as Vamir went back to droning on about Balbadd and its various relations to the world's kingdoms. It was much more difficult to do than what he expected.
When the lesson was thankfully over Alibaba sped out of the room as quickly as possible. He weaved through the hallways between passing nobles and servants, heading to where he knew Rashid would be occupied at this hour. It was close to late morning, and Rashid would be holed up in his office, going over documents or trade agreements before lunchtime.
Alibaba made sure to steer clear of his brother's usual hangouts with some of the other court nobles. While Sabhmad wasn't all that bad of a brother, he was a painfully shy man who stuck close to Abhmad. The eldest brother wasn't shy in the least and did not fear to let his negative feelings toward Alibaba be known. Around this time of the day, they would either be resting inside the cool shade of the palace gossiping or be visiting a noble's house and spending a relaxing day there. Abhmad and Sabmad had their own tutors and lessons, though they were much more flexible and compliant to the legitimate sons of the King.
He had luckily been able to avoid his brothers and reached Rashid's office with no trouble. Alibaba inhaled deeply and tried to mentally brace himself before knocking. It was always jarring to see Rashid alive and well. Alibaba could hardly believe his father would get sick in only a few more years, it just didn't seem possible now.
"Enter." Alibaba carefully opened the door at the muffled command and slipped inside. The office looked more like a study, bookshelves lined with various tomes and his desk neatly decorated with papers and maps. Rashid smiled at Alibaba and waved him forward, setting the scroll he was reading down.
"Ah, I didn't mean to interrupt." Alibaba stuttered, still uncomfortable in the large presence that was his father. Rashid laughed the worry away and gently pulled Alibaba closer when he stopped a few feet away from the King. Rashid's hands were warm and rough with callouses. This weren't the hands of a nobleman who had never done manual labor. Alibaba didn't know the story behind the texture of his father's hands, but he was beginning to think he wanted to find out.
"It's no trouble son." Alibaba jumped at the affection inflicted at the claim. When he was younger – or at least when he was eleven the first time – He didn't notice just how kind and loving he father could be. Alibaba had done his best to steer clear of the King, not wanting to be a bother with his obvious street upbringing. Something that he was always reminded of by nobles like Vamir.
"So, what brings you here?" Ah, this was it. Alibaba swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. If this didn't work, he honestly had no idea what they would do. The only other thing Alibaba could think of was to ship Kassim to Sindria or Reim. He doubted Sharrkan would want to take on a student without Sinbad's request and Reim was a nightmare on its own. That and Kassim would refuse to leave Alibaba on his own in Balbadd, thinking that the blonde might try to find a way to avoid the throne. Which, to be fair, wasn't a wrong assumption.
"Well," He started, suddenly unsure how to express what he wanted. "Reimir told me about the adventures of Sinbad, and I was really impressed." Alibaba's mind scrambled as he stumbled over his words. Rashid, while a nice man, had a large and enveloping presence that was almost as big as Sinbad's. Alibaba didn't know what to do with it when Rashid focused his whole attention to him. It was like being caught in the gaze of a hawk's golden-eyed stare and he was being evaluated in every sense. Alibaba was sure that he was coming up short.
"Hmm." Rashid chuckled but his eyes narrowed in thought. "I heard about that, Reimir said you were completely enraptured with the young King's deeds." Rashid gave Alibaba a sly smirk that caught him off guard. He had never seen such an expression on his father before.
"This wouldn't have anything to do with your nightly excursions into the city would it?" Alibaba flinched, face paling in panic. Rashid knew about Kassim! How? Alibaba was careful when he snuck out. He was never followed, he was sure of it!
"U-uh, I-I mean, er-" Alibaba couldn't come up with anything. His mind was a screaming mess of smaller Alibaba's running around in terror with a giant sign flashing HE KNOWS!
Alibaba was screwed.
The King laughed and patted Alibaba on the head. "Surely you didn't think I wouldn't notice my youngest son leaving the grounds at night?" He teased. "It would make for very lackluster guards to be unable to see when someone was sneaking in and out at odd times in the night." Alibaba should have just made the damn tunnel. They didn't notice that last time and Kassim was in his right mind so there was no worry of a treasury fire.
"I'm sorry!" Alibaba bowed, his face burning with embarrassment. He was done for. Rashid was going to ground him to the palace and give him so many lessons there wouldn't be time for him to visit Kassim. Alibaba was going to have to use carrier pigeons just to stay in contact! As Alibaba was imagining a pigeon clawing his face while trying to attach a letter to its leg; Rashid's laughter died down into soft chuckles.
"Don't look so worried, if I was going to stop you I already would have. Honestly, I'm surprised it took you so long to go out." That was not what Alibaba expected. He looked up in wonder and honest curiosity. Before, Alibaba never took the time to truly get to know his father. He was too intimidated by him. Now though, Alibaba wanted to change that. He wanted to find out what his father was like. Just who was this man that his mother fell in love with? This was a second chance, and he wasn't going to waste it.
"Did you have me followed?" Alibaba asked, wary. If anyone from the palace knew where Kassim lived, it would be a problem. Kassim, Zainab, and Hassan would have to leave their home and find somewhere else to live. It would be too dangerous not to. Alibaba, while the youngest and illegitimate, was still a prince. There were sure to be people who wished to cause him and his friends harm and Alibaba knew all too well how easy it was to bribe a guard into spilling secrets. Granted the palace guards were harder nuts to crack, but it wasn't impossible.
"No," Rashid answered honestly. "I figured if anyone in this palace could look after themselves in the streets, it would be you." It was said warmly, with fondness. Coming from Vamir or Abhmad it would have been an insult. But, Rashid didn't look down on Alibaba's slum upbringing. He treated it as a point in Alibaba's favor. That was something so different Alibaba didn't know what to do with the information.
"Thank you." Instead, he decided to focus on how he didn't need to tell Kassim to move. He could only freak out about so many things at once, so Alibaba tucked the oddness that was his father into a mental box to be proked at later. Sometime when he wasn't under the watchful gaze of Rashid. Alibaba doubted that much passed the King's notice.
"Having said that," Rashid's face turned more serious. "I would appreciate it if you let someone know when you leave the grounds. Barrack or I would do. It wouldn't be good to completely unaware of a prince's whereabouts in the case of an emergency." Alibaba nodded his head rapidly. If it meant he could keep visiting Kassim then he would do it. Maybe even now he could leave during the daylight, though it would be more difficult with most of his time being spent at lessons.
"Right. I will be sure to do that." Now, back to what he came in for. "And, for what I was saying, I have a friend." Alibaba hesitated for a moment and pressed his lips together. This was harder to ask than what he thought it would be. Rashid wasn't aggressive to Alibaba's street life, so maybe he'd be more understanding. Maybe, the truth, just a small part of the truth anyway, would go a lot better than coming up with some story.
Alibaba straightened and looked his father in the eyes, praying that his voice didn't tremble with the nervousness that was making his heart beat a mile. "He's like a brother to me actually. He lives in the slums, near where I grew up." Alibaba waited for something to flash in Rashid's eyes. Disgust, annoyance, veiled disinterest – anything negative. There was nothing of the sort. Rashid sat back and listened openly, giving Alibaba his full attention like he would an official in the court. It was mind-boggling.
"He wants to learn swordsmanship, any style that would be available for him." Alibaba knew that Kassim wouldn't be allowed to learn the same sword style as Alibaba. Not only was it only meant for the royal family, but Alibaba didn't think it would suit Kassim.
"As you know, the people who come through are primarily merchants, not swordsmen. So, I would like to request that Barrack, or even a different tutor, teach him here." Rashid didn't comment immediately after Alibaba finished. He stared at Alibaba thoughtfully and it took everything in Alibaba to not fidgit on the spot.
"Why can he not board one of the ships at the port and travel outside the city?" It was a good question, and Alibaba doubted saying that Kassim didn't want to leave Alibaba and give the boy a chance to avoid taking the throne. There was no way Rashid planned on making Alibaba heir this far in advance. It was most definitely a spur of the moment thing created by his illness.
"He doesn't want to leave if it meant leaving me behind." Which was true in its own way. Rashid nodded his head and hummed under his breath.
"And to what purpose would teaching him serve?" That wasn't something Alibaba expected to be asked. He honestly thought it would be a simple yes or no answer. He floundered on the spot, not knowing what would best convince Rashid in his favor. Seeing this, Rashid smiled.
"I'm not declining, I'm just curious." The King raised his eyebrows. "That and in any trade or deal, there must always be something of value for both parties. Otherwise, it's just asking for charity, which would put you in debt." And debt was something to always avoid. Alibaba took the surprise lesson to heart and nodded his head.
"Honestly, I want to go on adventures like Sinbad did, and Kassim wouldn't let me go on my own. This way we can both be prepared." Internally Alibaba winced at the white lie. His plan was to tie it back to Sinbad and use his inspirational fame as a smokescreen for the real reason, but after seeing this new side to Rashid it was hard. "If you want a more official reason, then it can be like training Kassim as a personal guard? But he doesn't want to live inside the palace grounds." The last part was mumbled, but Rashid could still hear the words.
"Adventures like Sinbad?" Rashid's look was unreadable, and his voice flat. Alibaba visibly winced this time. Maybe using Sinbad wasn't a good idea?
"Yes?" It came out as a question as if Alibaba wasn't sure. A couple beats passed before Rashid spoke again, an odd gleam in his eyes.
"Very well. A prince having a personal guard isn't unreasonable, and he wouldn't need to live on the grounds so long as he showed up to his lessons promptly. I'm sure his living arrangements will change in the future." Alibaba perked up. He did it! Rashid approved of the lessons for Kassim, everything was going to be a lot smoother now.
"He'll show, I promise!" Even if he had to drag Kassim by his hair. Alibaba wasn't going to miss out on this opportunity. "Thank you!" Alibaba felt a rush of bravery and relief and couldn't help rushing forward and hugging Rashid. The man startled, hands resting on his back in surprise. Realizing what he did, Alibaba stepped back with a blush and ran out, heading for where he knew Barrack would be. He had to tell Kassim about this.
Barrack didn't make a big fuss about receiving a new student. He adapted well and began to accommodate for Kassim's lack of knowledge while still furthering Alibaba's own training. This was one of the reasons why Barrack was Alibaba's favorite in the palace. He took his job seriously and didn't look down on Kassim or Alibaba from their roots.
Barrack had Alibaba going over his footwork with a dummy in place of a real person. While he would have liked to eavesdrop on what he was talking to Kassim about, Alibaba had to put his full focus on his task. Being eleven again was hard in ways that one wouldn't think at first.
Alibaba wasn't used to having his limbs so short, and fighting with his dagger again was awkward. He had finally gotten used to the larger reach of the sword Sinbad had gifted him as a new vessel for Amon, and now he had to get back into the rhythm of using a knife again. Maybe he needed to invest in a new weapon?
"Gah!" Alibaba groaned from his spot on the ground. He tripped over his feet again. He couldn't wait until his growth spurt. He was tired of these foreign limbs and wanted his old sense of balance back. Alibaba lied down for a moment, chest heaving from the exercise, and glanced over to where Kassim and Barrack were standing.
Kassim wasn't intimidated by Barrack, his back straight and eyes not afraid to meet the General's face. He was flipping a sword between his hands, the hilt moving from one hand to the other with an ease that Alibaba envied. The two were talking, and it was hard to hear but if Alibaba tried hard enough he could catch the words.
"You have no dominate hand?" That was Barrack's deep baritone. Kassim shrugged, gaze flicking down to the sword he was fiddling with.
"Not really. I use my right hand normally 'cause that's what everyone else does. My left isn't useless though." It couldn't have been because when you were a pickpocket being able to use both hands was a benefit. People watched the right hand more often, expecting it to be the one to filch anything. That wasn't a problem for Kassim though.
"Strike me." Barrack stepped back and pulled his own sword. Kassim paused, eyeing the older man up and down before pouncing. He shot forward and brought the blade down in a harsh blow, the hilt in his left hand. Barrack blocked the sword and twisted, rolling the blades apart and striking, the steel at Kassim's throat.
"Again. This time put both hands on the hilt of the sword." Barrack showed Kassim the correct stance and grip before starting again. Kassim didn't lose as fast, but he was clumsier. Barrack stopped and frowned at Kassim.
"Wait one moment. Kaela!" Barrack turned to where a group of soldiers were training. One of the men jumped at the sound of his name and came running. "Let me see your sword." Kaela handed it over with a shifty look to Kassim that spoke of his displeasure. He smart enough to not voice it however.
"Here." Barrack held the sword's hilt to Kassim who took it with a confused expression.
"You want me to change swords?" His voice was dripping with how stupid he thought that was. Barrack shook his head though.
"No, use both swords." Kassim gave Barrack an incredulous look but got into a stance. At the command, they started again. Steel clanged loudly and Kassim lasted longer than he had before this time, using both swords in tandem. He was defeated all the same though, breath coming in heavy pants.
"That seems to be the best style to fit you." Barrack commented, lowering his sword. "Two-handed would be another good choice but your footwork and balance would need a lot of work. It would be possible, but inadvisable when this clearly is a better option." Barrack then went on to teach Kassim the fundamentals of double wielding and what swords were used in the style. Kassim would need lighter blades, or would have to build his arm strength. Doing both was suggested.
Alibaba huffed silently and stood up, getting back into his stance. Kassim would be fine in Barrack's hands. He needed to focus on his own training. He couldn't let Kassim get too far ahead of him after all. With a calming breath, Alibaba centered his mind and started again.
Months passed into a year, and both Kassim and Alibaba grew stronger. Alibaba finally got his growth spurt and had a much better time with pretty much everything from walking to his swordsmanship. Kassim became more proficient with his unique sword style, his skill getting higher and higher the more he trained.
Alibaba became busier than he thought possible. Between lessons, training, and spending time with his father, Alibaba had little free time. When he could he visited Kassim in the city, be it day or night, and try as he might it was impossible to keep his identity a secret. Soon the people found the sight of the youngest Prince wandering the market as a common thing.
As Alibaba tried to fit in all the things he wanted to do in his schedule, he found out just how busy he was. It was odd when compared to his brothers who had more free time in their studies. This was something Abhmad took advantage of, only doing what was necessary and no more. Sabhmad was better, spending his off time in the library reading or watching the courts at his elder brother's side. It unnerved Alibaba. As the youngest and an illegitimate at that, child Alibaba's shouldn't have less free time than his brothers. Abhmad especially. As the eldest, Abhmad's day to day must be filled with lessons regarding the task of being the next King. It was strange, but Alibaba didn't comment on it.
He was sure he wouldn't like the answer.
Instead, Alibaba focused more on his studies and learning more about Balbadd and its place in the world economy. Now, Alibaba can see why Al-Thamen had wanted the city in its grasp so badly. Apart from Kouen wanting the world to bow to the Empire, Balbadd was a lot more important than Alibaba expected.
The coastal city traded with a number of nations across the world, running from Sindria all the way to Heliophapt. The only place they hadn't reached was the Kou, and that was because the Empire was secluded and rarely opened its borders to others. Al-Thamen's largest thorn in its side was Sinbad, and Balbadd was Sindria's largest trade partner. Cut off Balbadd, and they put a fracture in their number one enemy. That, and it put strains on other nations as well, causing more waves in the Rukh and making it easier to control the world's trade routes for their own interests.
It made logical sense to capture Balbadd if one was hell-bent on world domination. Take Balbadd, and you essentially tie a noose around the throats of dozens of nations on the map. This information kindled the already roaring flame of Alibaba's want to protect his home. He couldn't let Balbadd fall, no matter what.
Balbadd lived and died by trade. So, Alibaba just had to make sure that the markets stayed open and the ships kept docking in at the port. When Abhmad became King, the trading stopped and the city slowly died as he made the debt to Kou larger and larger as the days passed. So, if his father died once more (if, not when, because Alibaba was going to try and stop that from happening.) Alibaba needed to keep Abhmad from making the same mistakes. Or that he didn't make the same mistake should Rashid name him the heir. Alibaba was still praying that his father didn't do that.
Rashid never made a hint of making Alibaba the King in the times they spent together. Not that Alibaba expected him to. Alibaba was fourteen when that happened, and Rashid was on his deathbed. Alibaba was currently twelve, and Rashid in full health.
Deciding to cross that bridge when he got to it, Alibaba found himself planning the next step in his and Kassim's plans to prepare for Al-Tharmen. After getting Kassim trained up to an adequate skill with his blades and Alibaba finally managing to get used to his younger body, they wanted to to to Quishan. Amon's Dungeon was waiting and Alibaba was anxious to have the Djinn at his side again. For more than one reason.
Amon had become a constant presence, and now without him, Alibaba felt off-kilter. Like he was vulnerable. Also, Alibaba was praying that Amon had zapped into the past as well, or at least gained memories of the future like Kassim. If Amon didn't remember him, Alibaba wasn't sure what he'd do. It was stressing enough when he thought about how Morgiana and Aladdin wouldn't recognize him. He would have all these memories of friendship while to them he'd just be a stranger.
Regarding Morgiana, that was also another important reason to head to Quishan. Jamil wasn't in charge of Quishan yet, but he still had Morgiana in his clutches. That was something Alibaba couldn't let be. Morgiana didn't deserve a slave's life, no one deserved that for the matter. Morgiana was special though. Alibaba knew what she was capable of and what she could become.
So Alibaba needed to get to Quishan as soon as possible. This was understandably hard when he was a prince who was only twelve. Sinbad hadn't even conquered his first Dungeon until he was fourteen. There was no way Rashid was going to just let Alibaba leave Balbadd to go into a potentially life-harming situation. So going in a legal and more official manner was out. That was where Kassim and Alibaba's street knowledge came into play.
There was a dozen of ways to leave the city unnoticed. Every street rat that lived in the slums knew where these exits were. Truthfully, leaving Balbadd wasn't the problem. It was what happened afterward. Rashid might (read: Would) send out guards or a specialized team to retrieve Alibaba and haul him back to the palace. That meant traveling would be made all that much harder.
There wasn't much that they could do about it. Alibaba and Kassim made provisions for the expectation, but Alibaba still didn't feel comfortable with just leaving. He had gotten closer to his father since waking up in the past. He knew that his disappearance would send the man into a worry that Alibaba didn't want to cause. So he, against Kassim's advice, wrote out a letter. It was addressed to his father and depicted Alibaba's wishes to see the world and have his own adventure. Alibaba made sure not to mention Quishan or a Dungeon but did tell his father to not worry or send anyone after him.
Alibaba didn't plan on traversing the world yet, just Quishan and back or now. So, ideally, he would be back home within two months. Ideally. Alibaba wasn't getting his hopes up, knowing just how plans could go terribly wrong. Exhibit A: Hakuryuu kicking his ass and his time traveling as a result.
Kassim and he had already left Balbadd. Alibaba had left the palace as he normally would and met with Kassim at his home. Alibaba then changed out of his royal attire and threw on more travel worthy cloth. He had a white cloak, which he wore with the hood up to cover his already turban wrapped head. They weren't taking any chances.
The two boys trailed at the edges of a caravan that was taking the same path they needed to follow. Kassim did all of the talking and spun a story of Alibaba having disfiguring scars to explain why he never revealed his face. The people of the caravan took the story at face value and thankfully no one wanted to see the proof. Three days out of Balbadd and no soldiers were storming up and demanding the return of Alibaba. Maybe his letter did help. Or the soldiers just hadn't caught up yet.
Alibaba was counting on the latter. Praying on it really.
Thankfully the trip to Quishan was uneventful for the most part. No desert hyacinths, thank Solomon, and minimal resistance from bandits. The bandits would have been easy for the caravan to take care of on their own, but with Kassim and Alibaba it was a walk in the park. Kassim made sure to only use one sword while Alibaba refrained from using his full potential. The last thing they needed was to attract more attention to themselves.
They were just under a week away from Quishan. The caravan stopped at an oasis spring and made camp for the night. Kassim and Alibaba sat on the outskirts of the large group of people huddled around the large fire. They were all laughing and talking while eating their dinner, happy to almost be in the city. Quishan wasn't as wealthy as Balbadd when it came to the markets, but it did well for itself. The city was a sitting directly on some of the popular trading routes and travelers often had to stop there for rest. Quishan wasn't the final destination for the caravan they were following, but they were going to pass through.
Alibaba had his back angled away from the firelight as he unwrapped his face to eat the broth they were served. Across from him, Kassim was eating languidly, chewing on the stewed meat that was added to the broth. He watched the caravan lazily, gaze twitching to look at the guard posts every now and then. Alibaba looked as well while eating, savoring the wonderful cooking of Jessa, the caravan leader's wife.
The guards all had their own bowls and had their attention split between watching the surrounding area and the cheerful huddle by the main campfire. If they were in the middle of the desert Alibaba would be worried at that, but they were close to Quishan and were in an oasis. Alibaba couldn't fault them for relaxing. Kassim though, Alibaba noted wryly, did take offense to it.
"Fucking idiots." He muttered, draining the last of his bowl clean with a scowl. Alibaba huffed a laugh and pointed his spoon at him teasingly.
"What? If we get ambushed do you think you won't be able to take them on?" Kassim threw a crude gesture at Alibaba in response. Alibaba grinned cheekily with a snicker. When Kassim looked ready to dunk Alibaba's face into his food he quickly went back to eating.
"What's going to be the first thing we do when we get there?" Alibaba lifted his head at Kassim's hushed question. Alibaba glanced at the circle by the fire and shrugged.
"It depends." He made sure to keep his voice quiet as well. The others weren't paying them any attention but he didn't want to risk getting overheard. "I had never been to Quishan until I was sixteen, two years after the treasury. I don't know what it's like now." Granted, the time difference was only two years but Alibaba knew that a lot can change in that amount of time. He didn't remember any history of Quishan from before he had stumbled there half dead last time. He didn't learn much about it in his studies yet either in this timeline. They were walking in blind essentially.
"There are only two things we need to worry about. Morgiana, and the Dungeon." This was more of a hiss than a whisper because one of the guards was being switched out and the man had walked past him and Kassim to get more food. Alibaba waited until the man was out of earshot before continuing.
"I don't know where Morgiana is except that she's a slave to a man named Jamil." Though now he wouldn't be a man per say, but instead a young boy. All they needed to do is find Jamil and they'd find Morgiana. How they would free her would be tricky but Alibaba would straight up kidnap her if worse came to worst. Hell, he might just end up making it plan A.
"A noble prick?" Normally Alibaba would roll his eyes at the title. Kassim had little respect or any nobles or rich people in general, even though Alibaba himself was technically part of such a grouping. This time he just nodded his head grimly. Jamil was the definition of a prick, and Alibaba only knew him for a short time. He doubted that Jamil was any better as a child than when he was a man.
"As for the Dungeon, when I had arrived in the city it was open for anyone to try and conquer. That was five years from now though." Which could mean anything he knew about Quishan from the other timeline could be null and void. He didn't know if it had different policies before he showed up, and Alibaba had never thought to look it up. Or if he did, Alibaba couldn't remember.
"Don't some Dungeons have guards?" Kassim asked. "So that only rich people can enter?" Alibaba nodded. That was what he was worried about. They might have to sneak their way into the Dungeon, which would be hard because the stairs up were so large it was impossible to not see anyone coming.
"They say it's for only royalty but for the most part yeah." Guards could be bribed after all. Kassim's lip curled but he didn't comment further. "The first thing we need to do is to gather information. Find out where Morgiana is and anything we can find on the Dungeon." Alibaba was starting to think that he'd need to expand how long he thought it was going to take to get home.
"Which do we focus on first?" Alibaba frowned down at his bowl at the question. Most of the broth was gone by now. He knew what he wanted to answer that with. Finding Morgiana was a top priority, non-negotiable and he wouldn't leave until she was free. However, as much as he'd like to apply Aladdin's sometimes black and white view of solving problems Alibaba knew that he needed to be smart about this. He could not, under any circumstance, let his identity as a Prince be found out. He couldn't just go to Jamil and order him to hand over Morgiana, nor could he 'buy' her off him. Depending on her situation and Jamil's position in Quishan's nobility Alibaba might have to wait until he conquered the Dungeon to free Morgiana. It left a sour taste in his mouth and made him want to throw up his dinner but it was the truth.
"We'll split up at first," Alibaba spoke over Kassim when he started to protest. "I know it isn't as safe but we'll cover more ground. You'll hit the streets and find out anything about Jamil and his slaves while I'll find everything I can about the Dungeon." This was the most logical and efficient way of doing things but Alibaba had a second reason for why he chose it. Kassim was better on the streets and knew how to work his way through the gangs and make the right connections. He'd find everything they need about Jamil in no time. That and Kassim wouldn't be as biased about Morgiana as Alibaba. He would have a better judgment on whether they had to wait to free her or not.
"I don't like it." Kassim grumbled, crossing his arms. Alibaba didn't like it either, but it was the best plan that they had.