Kassim lined himself up and waited for a beat to get the patterns down. When he was ready, the older boy lunged, swiftly prancing around the sprouting fires and hopping the center. It was there that Alibaba knew there was a dragon head statue sticking out of the wall. Kassim was nestled at that halfway point, safe from the surrounding flames. It was hard to see from Alibaba's perspective, but Kassim reached out and put his hand into the open mouth.
The flames stopped completely, making it look as if it were clear. Then, as Alibaba remembered, a swarm of embers formed into a vortex around Kassim. He shouted in surprise, and in a few quick seconds, the flames vanished with Kassim nowhere in sight. Kassim must have taken the secret passage. He better have at least.
Alibaba for his part knew that he had to at least pretend that he thought his brother was dead. It helped that he honestly choked on his words when the flames surrounded Kassim. It brought back flashes of old memories he'd rather keep locked away. Of the treasury, flames at Kassim's back, his cold eyes and mocking thanks. Alibaba's mouth dried and his eyes watered as the memories flashed, but he shook his head to get rid of them. That was the past.
Alibaba swallowed harshly and made sure his hands trembled as he wiped his eyes. Not a hard task. When he steadied himself he caught Morgiana watching him curiously. Her and Jamil's parents. He focused on the latter, needing to convince them more so.
"Hmm, not much love lost is there?" Cera asked archly. "No matter, all the better for us move forward. Isn't that right Jaken?" The man nodded imperiously and moved forward without a word. The archer and Morgiana followed silently, chains clinking slightly with each footstep. Cera huffed, as if cross, and grabbed Jamil's hand to guide him along. Alibaba was being left behind. He bit his lip nervously. This was his chance. He could sneak away from the group and follow Kassim to the treasure room.
Alibaba kept his pace slow to let the others get further ahead. When he reached the dragon, Alibaba kept an eye to make sure they weren't watching as he reached his hand into its mouth. He gripped the hidden handle and twisted, expecting the flames to appear and the secret door with it.
Instead of that, Alibaba was met with silence. Nothing. He frowned and twisted the handle again. Still nothing. That was a problem. Alibaba's eyebrows furrowed in frustration. He was forced to follow Jamil's family. Alibaba didn't know how Jamil had got to the treasure from before without taking the path Alibaba had found.
And this time Alibaba didn't have Aladdin's magic carpet to fly.
The next room was circular with multiple hallways on one side and a plain stone wall on the other. Jaken and Cera had pushed forward in one of the pathways with Jamil, the archer, and Morgiana waiting behind at the wall. Alibaba joined the three in a pensive silence. Jamil eyed Alibaba speculatively.
Alibaba carefully didn't meet the boy's gaze. Truthfully he didn't really know how to be around him and Morgiana. The girl held no recognition of Alibaba, which while logical, still hurt. She and Aladdin became Alibaba's closest friends. He had no idea how to act around her now with that missing connection.
"You don't seem all that sad about your friend." Jamil crossed his arms with an arched brow. "What were you two thinking anyway? That mere peasants could defeat the Dungeon? That you would be chosen as a King?" The boy scoffed and ran a hand through his hair. He gave Alibaba a mocking sneer that screamed just how much he disagreed with that.
The smart thing to do would be to either stay silent or to pander to Jamil's ideals. Alibaba knew how this worked, how people raised like Jamil were like. He grew up in Balbadd's slums that had more than one corrupt shop owner or disillusioned noble. Not to mention his short stint as a caravan driver for three years. And the short times he visited the royal courts.
Alibaba knew what he should say to keep Jamil on his side, or at least more partial to Alibaba's cause. The problem with knowing what the smart answer was, it was also knowing the right answer. The truthful one that he believed in his heart. Speaking plainly was not a hot topic in the higher social circles, everyone playing certain roles and parts to serve their personal goals. When working as a caravan driver Alibaba knew all about it. Participated even. Aladdin taught him a different route. One where Alibaba stayed true to himself and his beliefs no matter the consequences.
Alibaba shifted on his feet and worked his jaw slowly before responding. Beside them, Morgiana and the archer stayed silent and stared forward with blank eyes. The archer looked half dead with the amount of will missing from his eyes while Morgiana was the picture of perfect control with her emotionless mask. They were doing their utmost to fade into the background. They were succeeding as well, If Alibaba wasn't keeping an extra eye on the two he might have forgotten about them.
"Who knows?" Alibaba shrugged idly, looking up at the ceiling with a wry smile. "We don't choose, the Djinn does. Maybe you will be picked, or maybe one of them." He waved a hand to Morgiana and the archer. Jamil's mouth parted in surprise. Morgiana and the archer didn't show a large reaction, but their stances did become more rigid. He had their attention as well now.
"In a Dungeon, the rules of the outside world don't apply. Here, there is no social order. No nobles and peasants. No slaves." Above there was a small square hole in the wall. It was where Alibaba remembered using to reunite with Aladdin. Alibaba hoped that Kassim was alright and would find his way without trouble. He dropped his head down and locked gazes with Jamil.
"Here, everyone has a chance at the prize. It's as the world is supposed to be. Where everyone is free and equal to meet their true potential. They are just as human as you or I, and are just as worthy to receive the Djinn's favor." Alibaba's smile tugged down sympathetically.
"That you truly believe yourself to be better than them, that you think they are less than human, it makes me almost pity you. The outside world isn't going to bow down to your whims or serve itself on a platter. Humans aren't things you can buy, they are people. And have just as much right to be a King or Queen, as you or I."
Jamil balked at Alibaba for a good minute, not seeming to fully understand his words. While thinking slavery as a normal and humane thing was inexcusable, Alibaba could almost understand Jamil. He was born into a family that thought such things, raised in an area that was known for its slave trade. Jamil was a product of his upbringing. It doesn't gain him any goodwill from Alibaba, not after seeing him cheer at the death of one of his mother's slaves. Seeing Jamil's parents just made it easier to see how Jamil became the man Alibaba knew him as.
"You can't really believe that!" Jamil shouted incredulously. "These monkeys as kings?" He drew his rapier and jabbed into the side of the archer. The man grunted in pain but made no move to stop him. Alibaba flinched in surprise, eyes widening. "They're worthless! Pathetic worms for meant to follow the orders of those better." He punctuated his words with another stab. Alibaba's surprise made him hesitate, but he shook himself out of his stupor shortly. As Jamil went for another stabbing motion Alibaba darted forward and grabbed his wrist. Jamil balked at the action as if surprised that Alibaba thought to go against him. He recovered quickly however and yanked out of Alibaba's grasp.
Jamil then brought his arm up to strike at Alibaba. Acting fast, Alibaba sidestepped the strike and lunged forward. Simultaneously pulling out his blade, Alibaba got into Jamil's personal space and grabbed the boy's hand once more and pushed down to disable the rapier. Alibaba's dagger met at Jamil's neck, barely touching the flesh but ready to move at a moment's notice. Plum eyes widened in shock and fear. Alibaba waited for a beat and gently pushed Jamil away. He stayed between Jamil and the other two, blade still out just in case.
The two stared each other down. One in partial fear, and the other in complete defiance. There was a silent beat and then Jamil retreated slowly. His face was chalk white and his hand was shaking. His slow gait gained pace and soon he was running towards one of the hallways. Likely the one that his parents had gone through. Alibaba sighed in relief, not wanting to get into a full fight against the boy. When sure that he was gone for good, Alibaba sheathed his dagger and turned to Morgiana and the archer.
He gave them a grim smile, mentally wincing at Morgina's widened eyes. He looked away to avoid the gaze and was caught off guard by the archer. He was still standing perfectly still, even with the multiple stab wounds that were bleeding profusely. The only thing was that he was now pointing a drawn arrow at Alibaba's face. He tensed and took a step back in surprise, making the archer's arm muscle's bulge in anticipation.
"Don't move." Alibaba turned back to Morgiana. She was now in her fighting stance, face blank. Alibaba held up his hands in surrender, not completely understanding what was going on. "Lord Jamil's parents will decide your punishment when they return." Alibaba felt as though the world had tilted sideways. He hadn't faced against Morgiana since...ever? When they first met? It was bizarre and made his stomach twist and heart pang terribly. This wasn't right. They were friends.
But, that wasn't the case now. Not to Morgiana. To her, Alibaba was just a stranger. A stranger who had attacked her 'master'. Solomon, Alibaba was lucky she and the archer hadn't killed him when he first touched Jamil. Why they didn't was a mystery, one that Alibaba wasn't thinking he'd find the answer to. He looked between the two nervously, not knowing what to do now. He was only trying to help, not wanting another unneedful death to happen on his watch.
Neither Morgiana or the archer looked to be speaking anytime soon. Alibaba racked his brain for something to say that would calm them down. Sadly he was coming up with a blank, mind still freezing at being an enemy of Morgiana. She kept her eyes on Alibaba, red orbs hard and flinty. Next to her, the archer's arms quivered with obvious strain. Alibaba decided to avoid Morgiana for the moment and focus on the man. He looked worriedly at the still bleeding wounds. Sweat was gathering at the archer's brow and his lips were pulled into a grimace. He stayed in perfect position for a few seconds longer before collapsing. Morgiana and Alibaba both let out shouts of surprise. Morgiana dashed to catch the archer, gently setting him on the ground.
Alibaba pulled off his overcoat and used his dagger to rip several strips off. He knelt across from Morgiana and held them out carefully. She was glaring at him warily, hand hovering above the archer's bleeding side.
"Here, we need to stop the bleeding." Alibaba knew better than to attempt at wrapping the archer himself. It would be a one-way ticket to death by Fanalis. Morgiana looked between Alibaba, the archer, and the way Jamil had gone to. She didn't wait too long before snatching the cloth. The archer tried to grab her wrist as she wrapped the wounds. He stopped after she gave him a particularly scary glare. It good to know that Alibaba wasn't the only one to receive those.
"What you said before, you really believe that?" Morgiana's voice was soft, pitched higher than what Alibaba remembered. She didn't look up at him, focusing on bandaging the archer.
"Of course." It left his mouth without thinking, an automatic response. He faltered afterward, not really expecting her to speak properly with him. Not after facing him down like a desert bandit. Morgiana glanced at Alibaba oddly, eyebrows furrowed. The archer was watching Alibaba closely as well, flat brown eyes unnerving him.
"What are your names?" It was only a matter of time before he slipped and called her by her name. Best to do it after she introduced herself, to avoid any questions. That and Alibaba was really curious about the man's name. He was tired of mentally referring to him as 'the archer'. The other two traded glances briefly before Morgiana spoke.
"I am Morgiana. This is Isvassa." She tightened the last bandage at this. Alibaba helped her assist in getting Isvassa to sit up. They leaned him against the wall. He looked uncomfortable, his pained grimace getting worse. Alibaba mentally wilted, not knowing how to further help with the pain. One of Isvassa's hands twitched towards something to the left. Alibaba looked and saw that Isvassa's bow and arrows had clattered to the ground when he collapsed.
Morgiana was busy double checking the bandages, a concentrated look saying that she didn't want to be disturbed. Alibaba pivoted in his crouch and gently picked up the scattered arrows and placed them back into the quiver. He then picked up the short bow. Alibaba could feel Isvassa's eyes on him while doing this, the silent stare down intimidating him somewhat.
"Here." Alibaba smiled nervously as he held the bow and quiver back to Isvassa. By this time Morgiana had finished and both she and Ivassa were staring at Alibaba in surprise. It was odd, and dimly Alibaba wondered if this was how Aladdin felt whenever he called upon Ugo.
Isvassa hesitated before taking the items. He gave Alibaba a short nod in thanks and shadowed his eyes under the fringe of his hair. While they were like this Alibaba took the chance to get a better look at Isvassa. His bandages were slowly pinking but weren't completely red. Alibaba hoped that was a good thing. On his bare chest were multiple scars and previous wounds that made Alibaba frown in sympathy. His face was surprisingly clear of such blemishes, free from damage. Isvassa had long brown hair that was pulled back into a low tail. His complexion was more tan than what Alibaba was used to seeing, indicating he either Isvassa got a lot of sun or he was from a country Alibaba wasn't familiar with.
The three fell into a peaceful silence. The two must have decided that Alibaba wasn't much a threat given the lack of threats or glares. Alibaba also made sure to be careful to not spook them too much. He sat beside Morgiana, leaning his back against the wall. She was sitting with her knees pulled up, a concentrated look on her face.
"I'm sorry about your friend." Alibaba's lips thinned at the thought of Kassim. While objectively he knew that Kassim was okay, it was still worrying about him being far away. He didn't like the thought of Kassim being on his own in the Dungeon.
"Thank you. I think he's okay though." At the questioning looks, Alibaba explained further. "I've known Kassim since I was little. He's always been good at getting out of tough spots. Until I see a body, I'll have to believe he's okay." They didn't look convinced, which was understandable. Kassim had vanished right in front of everybody. Still, Alibaba had to have some reason as to why he didn't look too devastated at the loss of his friend.
"You really believe we are supposed to be free?" She peeked at him with the reapeated question andn change of subject. It pulled Alibaba up short, unused to the more shy version of Morgiana. He didn't answer right away, knowing he had to say his feelings the right way, not just off the top of his head.
"My home is a short travel across the desert from Quishan. Balbadd. Slavery is illegal there. Maybe it's from my upringing, but I truly think that slavery is an inhumane and terrible thing." Morgiana shifted in her seat and glanced to Ivassa before turning back to Alibaba.
"Ilegal?" Her voice was questioning, head tilted in confusion. Alibaba didn't understand at first, but then he realized. Morgiana was a slave, she hasn't been given a true education other than what was absolutely nessecary.
"Ah, there are no slaves in Balbadd." This surprised both Morgiana and Isvassa. Morgiana inhaled deeply with widened eyes. She looked to Isvassa who had straightened in his spot, back rigid. They stared each other down for a beat, seeming to have a silent conversation that Alibaba wasn't privy to. It made him wary, wondering if maybe he had misspoke.
He looked up with a sigh, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't scare them off. All thoughts froze in his head however. Above him was Kassim who was sticking his head out of the small hole with a sly smirk on his face. He gave Alibaba a short wave.
"You must be lying." Alibaba jumped and looked back to Morgiana. Her mouth was pulled downwards into a tight frown. At her sides, Morgiana had fisted her hands. "Slaves are everywhere. There is no escape." Isvassa was looking down morosely, a white knuckled grip on his bow. Alibaba glanced up and he saw Kassim start to lower a vine. Alibaba suddenly wished for Aladdin, seeing as this won't be the quick escape it was last time.
"I'm sorry you don't believe me." Alibaba stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. It was useless, more of a nervous gesture, as that he would only get dirty later on. "Balbadd has never participated in the slave trade. It's a port city, ships from all over come to trade. From Reim to Sindria. When you get free, you should come. I'll give you a tour." Alibaba mentally snickered at their dubious expressions. "From there you can catch a ride to anywhere in the world. Maybe see your own homelands again." The vine reached Alibaba then, touching the ground. Morgiana and Isvassa both looked up in surprise, balking at the sight of Kassim.
Alibaba grabbed onto the vine and quickly began to climb. Kassim also was pulling up with all his might to help. Niether Morgiana or Isvassa made to stop him, still looking upwards in shock. Alibaba managed to almost make it all the way up before Jamil and his parents returned.
Jaken took one look at the escape and his face reddened to a high degree. "Don't just stand there you idiots! Get them!" His scream seemed to shake both Isvassa and Morgiana out of their stupor. Morgiana's face hardened and she stood up. Next to her Isvassa did the same, readying his bow. Alibaba squeked in terror and scrambled to get up. He knew what was going to happen next.
"Hurry Kassim!" Morgiana took a running start and ran up the wall. A feat that was still terrifying the second time. Kassim grunted and pulled up with all his strength.
"You're too fucking heavy. I'm going to tell Hassan to ban you from his cooking." That was completely unfair. Kassim was just as guilty at steal sweet bread from the other man whenever Hassan and Zainab were in the city.
Luckily Alibaba had made it far enough up that Morgiana wouldn't be able to catch him. Not-so-luckily Ivassa's aim was not affected by his injuries. Alibaba nearly fell off the vine when an arrow sinked into the wall beside him, scratching his cheek and shearing off a few strands of hair. Kassim cursed darkly.
"Bob and weave!" Alibaba spluttered at the barked command.
"How am I supposed to do that?" Alibaba did a little shimmy as he climbed. He doubted it helped in avoiding the stream of arrows that were heading straight for him. He's had three sliced by his arms, one almost hit his neck, and another almost hit his groin area in a terrifying moment.
"I don't know! Just don't get shot!" Very helpful. Alibaba finally reached the hole and let himself get hauled in by Kassim. The two fell into the passageway in a heap, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.
"Go on a diet." Kassim shoved Alibaba off of him. Aliababa let himself get rolled, lying flat on his back. His arms and legs burned and his chest felt like it was on fire. He hadn't felt this sore since his training with Sharrkan.
The passageway was small, more of a crawlway than anything. It was cleaner than what one would expect, a lack of dust or cobwebs. It was completely dark, with only the opening being the source of light. Kassim was crouched next to Alibaba with an annoyed look. Alibaba awkwardly shuffled into a better posistion to follow him. Just before making their way there was a silent moment where they checked eath other over. Kassim had a few cuts and bruises but was fine overall. Alibaba himself was the same, if a bit more sore from the climb.
"Did everything go well on your end?" Aliababa asked as they crawled through the passage. Kassim was leading the way, putting him in front of Alibaba. The sheaths of his swords stuck out behind him, nearly poking Alibaba's eye out more than once. The further they went in, the darker it got.
"The dragon statue lead me into a passage that took me a different room. When I passed by the hole I heard your voice and followed it to where you were." It was about what Alibaba expected. When he and Aladdin were here it was the same thing. That meant the room they were heading to was the one with the large doors. Those doors lead to the inner sanctum. It was there that Alibaba was really going to miss that flying turban Aladdin had. The entire dungeon was going to change into a dead city, forcing Alibaba and Kassim to walk the whole distance to the treasure room.
Luckily the distance to the room Kassim spoke of wasn't far. It was slightly smaller than the place Alibaba had been in before. It was bare save for a giant set of doors. At body level, where a doorknob or handle would be placed, was a small gold plating with the indention of a palm.
The two boys stood in front of the doors silently, taking it in. Alibaba was remembering the first time he was there, with Aladdin. Despite his happiness with Kassim being back and at his side, Alibaba felt off. Like it was wrong to do this without his younger friend. Like he was cheating.
"Ready?" Kassim looked to Alibaba with a raised brow. His hands were on his hips, fingers touching the hilt of his blades. Alibaba took a deep breath and tried to calm his thoughts. He would see Aladdin in time, he just needed to be paitent. And even if this was cheating, it was for a good cause. Al-Tharmen needed to be stopped. Aladdin would understand.
"Yeah, I think so." Alibaba nodded tightly and gave Kassim a small grin. Kassim studied Aliababa for a moment before nodding back. He turned to the doors and squared his shoulders. Alibaba copied, swallowing a lump in his throat.
The lifted their hands and pressed them into the gold indentions. Alibaba closed his eyes as a blinding light enveloped their surroundings. When it was gone he was blinking spots out of his vision. Kassim let out a low whistle at the vanished surroundings. They stood on a lone pillar that overlooked an empty city. Above was a cloudless sky, the sun shining down merrily.
They were one step closer.