Despite having a free schedule, Alibaba was surprisingly busy now. Kassim wasn't kidding when he said that Alibaba had started a gang war. The Barasi had noticed the sudden partnership between Tirdad and Papak and were getting restless.
Papak reported that he saw some of the Barasi going to Mirno's suggesting that they might be allying themselves to him. Alibaba hoped that Mirno's pride won out and he didn't join them. For now, they were at a tentative stalemate with the Barasi. If Mirno threw his lot in with them it'd spell trouble. They had to prepare for that possibility.
That found Alibaba speaking with Tirdad's fellows. Tirdad was friends with a number of smugglers and other captains of ships that sailed through Balbadd's waters. Now that they were able to halt the Barasi's take over of the slums they had to focus on their attacks on the traders. They decided to start with the ships being as they were hit the most and had the bigger impact. It also gave Alibaba the ability to look further into what nobles were messing with the slave trade.
Alibaba spoke to the smugglers with Tirdad's approval and convinced them to band together in the cause to stop the Barasi. It was easier to get them to his side because they were all tired of the attacks and wanted it to stop as well. They all got together and poured over the maps looking at the places the ships had been hit and at what times. If they found out where the pirates were coming from they might be able to stop it all in one go.
As for the ships that belonged to the nobles, that was a different manner. Those ships were captained by people Tirdad didn't know or refused to deal with. Alibaba knew why that was in a quick manner.
"Slaves have been brought through Balbadd waters for many years Small Prince." Tirdad explained patiently. They were in one of his warehouses on the docks, a long manifest on the table between them It held a record of ships that Tirdad knew or suspected to be dealing in slavery or other highly illegal hauls. It was a long list. Too long. Alibaba stared at all the ship names with a horrified expression.
"They never set foot on the land of course." He continued. "They keep them below the deck or disguise them as crew members. They dock, give a fake manifest with perfectly normal merchandise, unpack what was ordered to be delivered, and then get on their merry way." Tirdad shook his head sorrowfully.
"I don't know who pays them or who gets paid, but it happens much too regularly for it to be a small guy. The last I knew of, the ships were normally from Reim. That's all I can give you. I kept my people out of that business." Reim, where the arena and the gladiators were. Alibaba remembered that country, meeting Toto and fighting Garda. They had slaves there, he remembered. Most of them were put into the gladiators though. Whoever was doing this had a connection to Reim.
"Do you know when these ships come in?" Tirdad looked up as he mulled the question over. Alibaba looked at the list again. The Barasi were focusing on these ships because the nobles can't report them without incriminating themselves. If they can hit one of the ships before the Barasi though, not only will that put a dent into them but it will let them free some slaves and find evidence of the trading.
"I'll have to speak with some contacts but I'm sure I can come up with something. Why?" He asked why but his smile suggested he knew just what Alibaba was thinking and wanted him to say it out loud.
"We attack the ships first. Free the slaves, take the illegal merchandise, and gather the evidence against the nobles to send to my father." Tirdad's smile widened and he let out a booming laugh. Alibaba jumped as Tirdad threw an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close for a side hug. His eyes glittered with amusement.
"I've always liked you Alibaba." He said. "I was beginning to doubt our monarchy but seeing you has renewed my faith!" Alibaba panicked at that. He quickly shook his head and tried to pull away. Tirdad let him go with his grin still in place.
"Please don't say that." Tirdad shouldn't place such a responsibility on Alibaba. "I'm not in line for the throne, my brother Abhmad is." Rashid had never peeped a word of making Alibaba a legitimate heir. Tirdad's expression didn't change, however. He was an oddly cheerful man for living in the slums, Alibaba noted. It reminded him of his mother in a way. She was always smiling no matter their situation.
"If our dear King places that frog on the throne, my opinion of him will reach an all-time low." Alibaba gaped at the frankness that Tirdad had said it. He practically whistled the statement with a happy smile. Alibaba shook his head once more.
"E-even so, I'm not going to be King. We need to focus on the Barasi and not on that." Because it wouldn't happen. Alibaba was damn near about to stick his fingers in his ears and starting singing to keep from hearing people say that. Kassim, now Tirdad. The next thing he knew Papak and Morgiana will start on it too!
"That's just the thing, Small Prince." And what was with that nickname? Alibaba wasn't that short! "The two legit heirs aren't doing a thing about the Barasi, but you are. Why is that?" Tirdad hummed. Alibaba frowned at the older man
"Sabhmad was the person who brought it to my attention. Abhmad is likely busy with his tutors but if he had the chance he'd be trying his best to stop it too." He defended. Tirdad hummed again and shrugged with a quirk of the mouth.
"Still, I find myself growing very interested in you. After all, a Prince just suggested we raid a noble's ship like pirates." Tirdad slapped the table with his fist. "I haven't had this much fun since I was a tyke on the Islands learning how to captain a fishing boat." Tirdad slapped Alibaba on the back and left the room laughing. Alibaba stared at the empty doorway bewildered. Tirdad was from the islands? He didn't know that. Alibaba thought he was from the mainland. It explained the tattoos he supposed, even if he didn't know what they meant. He shook his head at Tirdad's antics and followed the man into the other room.
Like the last few days, Alibaba and the others were meeting to configure where and when ships were pulling through from Reim. With that country being their only clue so far, it was the only thing to do. As they poured over the documents and ship logs Alibaba had asked Tirdad and Papak, who offered to help after their general meeting for the gangs, if they knew of any secluded places he could train.
"Why?" Papak gave Alibaba a suspicious look that would have been more intimidating if he wasn't wearing a pair of large glasses on his face. "You have some secret weapon you haven't told us about?" Alibaba was unsure if he wanted to tell the other two about Amon. He trusted them to an extent and they were all working on an understanding of divulging what useful information they had with each other to keep ahead of the enemy. However, Amon was different. It was something more important than the footwork and workings of the Barasi.
"Oh don't look so constipated Papak." Tirdad blew a razzberry at Papak, making the other man lean back offendedly. "It's not like you or I have shown all our cards on the table either." Tirdad set his arm on the table and leaned his head on his hand.
"There a place on one of the islands I know about, but that's a bit out of the way." Alibaba glanced at Papak with an incredulous look He just blew the other man off and went to answer Alibaba! Papak growled and threw his stack of papers from his clenched hand at Tirdad.
"Show me some respect dammit!" He hollered. Tirdad waved frantically as the papers hit his face. Alibaba watched as Papak lectured Tirdad on being respectful to one's elders while the other sucked on his finger where he got a paper cut. These were two of the biggest names of the slum's underground crime network. And they were acting like kids. Alibaba wished that Kassim or Morgiana were with him instead of running around training and gathering information. Just so that there was someone else to see this.
Kassim was busy getting what dirt he could on the Barasi, recruiting who he could to their side on the way. Zainab and Hassan took a leave of absence from their boss to help him. Morgiana spent her time training with the guard at the palace while she and Alibaba were there or was doing the same with Tirdad and Papak's strongest followers. Unsurprisingly she was able to kick all of the ass. Alibaba felt sorry for each and every soul that went against her.
Tirdad reminded Alibaba of Sinbad in his carefree ways. His smiles and cheerful demeanor still reminded Alibaba of his mother, but the personality was like a childish version of Sindria's King. Oh, Tirdad could be serious when the time called for it, but he seemed to prefer to make everything a personal joke to amuse himself with.
Papak was a more serious man, making all of his decisions carefully. He cared for his brothers and the girls who worked in their houses deeply and took his leadership of both very seriously. That being said, he was a good man who always gave Alibaba his attention with a seriousness others wouldn't. He was kind of like an older brother, which made sense since he was the eldest of his siblings.
"Now," Papak turned to Alibaba. "As much as it pains me to say it Tirdad has a point. I don't have any really good places to suggest though. Other than the Old Grounds that is." Tirdad perked up and nodded his head with a thumbs up.
"That place would be perfect! No one goes there!" Alibaba thought about that. He had considered the Old Grounds before but was unsure. It was separated enough from the rest of the city that it should be okay. As long as Alibaba was careful with his flames that was. His training grounds could easily just become a signal flare to the enemy.
"I'll think about that. I just want to be careful. An ideal place would be where a fire wouldn't be able to spread into the city." Alibaba scratched the back of his head idly.
"Fire?" Papak asked. Alibaba nodded. Papak exchanged a look with Tirdad but thankfully they didn't pry. Alibaba wasn't sure what he'd do if they did. Papak took his seat again and grabbed a random paper from the table to look it over.
"I wouldn't know of a place then. Everywhere my brothers and I are situated are in the city." He shrugged his shoulders and went back to the document. Tirdad took his seat as well and leaned back in it with his arms crossed.
"Somewhere you can set fire to everything without worry." He hummed. Alibaba chuckled nervously and waved his hand idly to catch Tirdad's attention.
"That's not what I said, I don't want to do that." He corrected. Sadly, he didn't think that Tirdad heard him. The older man kept humming under his breath and looked up in thought.
"Well, if you go far enough into the Old Grounds you should be fine. The place is damn near burnt to the ground anyway, so no one will notice any more fire damage. There's also the west docks," Tirdad looked to Papak. "You hear of anyone claiming it?"
"The place is crawling with Barasi and guard." Papak gave Alibaba an apologetic look. It was looking like the Old Grounds would be his only choice in the matter.
"I haven't had this much fun since I was a tyke on the Islands learning how to captain a fishing boat."
Tirdad's words were echoing in his head as he climbed aboard the ship in the late night. On the deck, several of Tirdad's men were preparing to set sail. Tirdad was at the helm looking like a cheerful pirate ready to take the seas by storm. Alibaba gaped from his spot between Kassim and Morgiana who were joining them on the raid.
"What are you doing up here?" Alibaba asked when they reached Tirdad's side. Tirdad yipped, not barked because he wasn't as gruff as that, a few orders at the men and woman on deck before turning to Alibaba. In the dark his tattoos on his face made him look more sinister and predatory, making his grin all the more creepy to look at.
"Why, I'm captaining the ship. I've always wanted to do a raid like a pirate, but I've never found a good reason to!" Alibaba stepped back and let Tirdad continue his orders. He didn't think that Tirdad would want to involve himself this much in the Barasi's business. They must have really done something anger him to rally this much attention from the man.
Alibaba led Kassim and Morgiana below deck to the captain's quarters where he knew the maps and other important documents would be held. The three of them had been so busy lately they hadn't had any time to go over just what was going on.
"We found a pattern in the ships coming or going to Reim." He explained while pulling out a map of the waters around Balbadd's marine space. "We made it up from the attacks the Barasi made and Tirdad's contacts with the other captains. Between the two we think that ships coming from Reim will take this route into the western docks," Alibaba traced a finger over the route. "Or through the needle, between Kano Island and the mainland." And there he traced the second one. He tapped the second route idly and looked up.
"Tirdad said he didn't think they would take this one because of how dangerous it'd be. It's a small valley between the island and mainland's mountain ranges and is filled with rock formations and whirlpools. He said that only the best of captains would be able to sail it." And Tirdad did not hold the captains of these rival ships in any high regard. Kassim looked at the map carefully with a pensive expression.
"What course will we be taking?" He asked. Alibaba ran his finger in a wide arc that curved into the western sea. His finger trailed, turning southward. the plan was to hit the ship just after they passed Kano Isle. It was a longer route, but Tirdad said it would keep them from being easily seen.
"We will be going this way. If we sail now in the night and the wind is favorable Tirdad said that we could make it around in three or four days. We plan on intercepting the ship here." Alibaba pointed at a different point of the map, some miles away from the Islands. From what they had been able to figure, the Barasi wait until the ship gets closer to the Islands and is at the edge of Balbadd's waters.
It was going to be a close call if it goes well. They won't have much time on the ship before they would need to leave. They didn't want to get into a marine battle against the Barasi. They didn't know how many pirates they had on call or what their ships were outfitted with. That and the ship they were using wasn't meant for such a thing. The Freeway was built for speed and maneuverability.
"That gives us a small window of time to intercept, raid, and escape. We can't waste any time or we run the risk of getting caught by the Barasi." Kassim's foot tapped the ground slowly as Alibaba explained. He was grimacing at the plan. Alibaba didn't blame him. It was a rush job, thrown together in a hurry when they finally found a ship they knew would be coming in. Kassim didn't like sloppy planning. He knew that it could get his people killed. Still, Alibaba was confident they could do this. It wasn't the best of plans, but between the three of them, Tirdad's marine savvy men, and Tirdad himself – Alibaba was sure they could win this battle.
"Mirno's been getting a lot of company in his gambling halls lately." Kassim muttered off topic. Alibaba's face tightened at the news. He was worried about that. "I can't get too close because the old man has his people keeping an eye out for me but he's been getting more traffic his way than normal." Meaning the Barasi might still be visiting with Mirno, trying to form a pact like the one Tirdad and Papak had.
They were in a better position in the case of that happening than before, but Alibaba was hesitant to say they were completely prepared. Mirno was powerful and had a lot of people under his belt. The Barasi had a good armory that changed warehouses nearly by the day. Kassim had tried running a raid with Papak to destroy one of the caches they knew about, but the storehouse was cleaned out when they got there.
They have more people banded together against the Barasi now. The captains of the smuggling ships, Islander ships that wanted the potential threat gone, and the slow number of people Kassim recruited to their side. It wasn't quite an army, but it was close enough of one that made Alibaba nervous. He was reminded of what Kassim had told him.
You just started a gang war.
That wasn't Alibaba's intention but it was what happened. He only just hoped he didn't make a mistake. There were so many people who were looking to him for plans and leadership that he had to force his back to straighten and his voice not to falter. Alibaba wasn't a good leader. He was a terrible one who had some good luck and a few good ideas every now and then. He could pretend though, pretend and pray that he was doing the right thing. His father had sent that missive to Sindria nearly a month ago. It was only a matter of time before Sinbad was there to help. Alibaba was surprised that he hadn't popped up yet.
"We'll be ready." Alibaba jumped at Morgiana's statement. She stared at Alibaba with a blank expression, eyes beady. Alibaba didn't know what Mirno did to garner her ire, but he was not envious. Alibaba smiled at Morgiana and sighed.
"Thanks." If she believed they'd be okay then it couldn't be too bad. They couldn't worry about 'what ifs' now anyway. They had to focus on what was in front of them.
There was a bang on the door and it swung open. Tirdad stepped inside with a fearless stride. His happy-go-lucky aura was gone, leaving a more serious intention behind. He was in his 'boss' mode then. Tirdad looked at the maps that the three were going over with a nod.
"You've caught them up then? Good." Alibaba moved to the side as Tirdad took a seat behind the desk. He looked right at home then. Like he was born on a ship meant to rule the seas with a quirky grin. Tirdad forward and tapped the map with his knuckles.
"We have a couple days before getting to where we want so that gives us time. What will we do if the Barasi converge while we're there?" He looked at the three of them firmly. "We have to be ready in that possibility. This ship won't last long in a battle. We don't have the firepower to fight back." There were only two cannons that Alibaba knew about and not much ammo for them in the first place. They kept the decks light for better speed.
"If they attack we'll be ready." Kassim said, not offering more. It wasn't enough for Tirdad.
"That's my crew up there and this is my ship. I need to know exactly what you will do." Alibaba glanced at his friends. They had spoken about what they would have to do in that situation. The plan was that they would provide a distraction for Tirdad to escape. With Amon, Alibaba could now summon large amounts of flames and was almost at a partial equip. Kassim's new weapon choices, he calls them flame cannons, had a good distance. He could fire a volley for a sufficient amount of time before his magoi was used up. After that, he still had his swords. Morgiana herself could probably launch herself at the other ship and wreck it to pieces all by herself.
"Kassim has a long ranged weapon that can be used as a distraction, and Morgiana and I will board the pirate ship if need be to give you time to escape." Alibaba said. "This is why I needed a place to train, I've come a long way since you showed me the cistern." Not far enough, but for now it would do. Alibaba just hoped none of the pirates had magic tools as well. Tirdad's eyebrows raised and his knuckles paused in their rhythmic tapping.
"Fire huh?" He must be remembering what Alibaba had said that night in the warehouse. Alibaba nodded his head. Tirdad took a moment to think it over before giving them a sharp nod. "I'll take that for an answer for now. Next time, have a more coherent plan." It wasn't a request. Alibaba's back straightened and he nodded his head. Satisfied, Tirdad started to go over their plan to take the ship with them. They had to do it perfectly to avoid any mishaps.
"When we intercept there won't be much time Small Prince." He reminded Alibaba. "The ship won't let us board them all nice like." That was true, and the Freeway's battle prowess would be the same against the Reim ship as the Barasi's. They wouldn't be able to force their way in like a normal raid.
"I'll take care of that." Morgiana stepped forward. Tirdad gave her a considering look at the calm statement. Alibaba gave her a more concerned expression.
"Are you sure Morgiana? There will be a lot of people there, and it will take us time to get across." They didn't have the normal tools for boarding ships like pirates did. They'd have to do it the old-fashioned way with planks and plain swinging from the ropes to the other side. Morgiana didn't look worried in the slightest. She stretched her toes and loosened her shoulders like she was about to go into the attack right then and there.
"I'll take care of it." She repeated. Alibaba bit back his argument. If she wanted to do it then he wouldn't stop her. Alibaba had full confidence in her strength. If she needed help then he and Kassim would be there to lend a hand.
"Well, there's that taken care of." Tirdad commented with a sly smile to Morgiana. "After boarding the ship my men and I will wrestle control of the top deck. You, Small Prince, will go below with a small number and find the hot goods, incriminating paperwork, and any potential slaves." He frowned up at Alibaba while listing it all out. "I'll show the men you'll be commanding after this. Will you be able to do all that?" It was a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time. Still, it had to be done so Alibaba would do it.
"I'll figure something out." He promised. He already knew that Kassim would be with him in the search. Morgiana would go below the decks but they'd need her up top helping with the take over of the ship. Alibaba planned on sending Kassim for the papers. They'd be in the Captain's quarters and he was the faster lockpicker between the two. That and Alibaba personally wanted to be the one to free the slaves. It felt like a burden that he had to fix himself.
Balbadd was supposed to be a place free of slaves and some of the nobles are dealing with the trade. As Prince, it was his responsibility to find out who and to stop it from happening. It might not be his direct fault that they were on that ship, but Alibaba still felt like it was his duty to make sure they all were out of their chains himself.
"After that, it's just a matter of getting back to the ship and hauling ass before the Barasi show up." Tirdad stood up from his seat. "Not the most complicated of plans, but that's how I like them. Short, sweet, and to the point." His serious demeanor dropped as he gave them a happy grin.
"Let's get started then."
Tirdad gave Alibaba five people for the raid. Ansel, a scarred man with a toothy grin and the demeanor that Alibaba expected that of pirates they were competing with. Hakim was the youngest at seventeen and looked like a boxer. He said that he once won a competition in Mirno's fighting rings with nothing but his fists. Vito, a silent man with a more wiry body and a wicked aim with his throwing daggers. Another man built like Ansel by the name of Zeke, and a fox-eyed woman by the name of Nina.
Nina had experience on a ship and helped Co-Captain one of Tirdad's merchant ships for him so Alibaba decided to send her with Kassim for the papers. She'd have a better idea of what to look for than Kassim who would have just grabbed all the papers available at random.
Ansel and Zeke got along well with each other so Alibaba decided to pair them with Hakim to go find any of the illegal merchandise like weaponry or such. They'd be able to haul more at a quicker pace with their combined strength. That left Vito to go with Alibaba to free any potential slaves. Another reason why he chose Vito to go with him is that the man had said that he was a good lockpick as well, so if they couldn't find any keys to free the slaves they'd have that available to them as well.
The days passed quickly and before he knew it Alibaba was standing on the top deck in the morning light with Kassim and Morgiana at his sides. In the distance, a ship was coming into view, the Reim shipment. Tirdad started calling out orders and the ship picked up speed towards the ship. This was it. Alibaba looked to his friends, hand clenching Amon's dagger tightly.
"Are you guys ready?" It was too late to back out now. They had to be ready, no matter what. Morgiana loosened her muscles and hopped lightly on her feet. She gave Alibaba a sharp nod in confirmation. Kassim fingered his flame cannons and smirked.
"Don't be a pansy Alibaba." Not quite what he wanted to hear but Alibaba would take it. Kassim and Morgiana would do their parts with Tirdad leading the charge above deck. Alibaba just needed to do his part.
The Freeway got closer and just as the Reim ship, named Summer's Eve, started readying cannons Morgiana bunched her legs and jumped. The Fanalis strength launched her high into the air and cracked the wood planks that she had stood on. Alibaba watched in awe as she landed on the other ship with ease, downing three men in the process. She quickly went to work and was destroying the crew, keeping them in a big enough frenzy to keep them from firing.
"Move your asses!" Tirdad shouted at their crew. Alibaba and Kassim were helping them get ready for boarding, hauling the large planks and dancing through the other bodies that were pulling ropes and moving sails. "You don't want her taking all the good ones do ya?" In another life, Alibaba was sure that Tirdad was a fearsome pirate.
Once they were close enough the planks were set and men were swinging from the Freeway to the Summer's Eve. The two ships were in complete chaos with fighting going on everywhere. Alibaba was sure he saw Morgiana throw four men into the water at a point. Tirdad was at her side laughing like a lunatic as he shamed another two men in sword combat by slicing their clothes to shreds.
Alibaba ducked and dodged around bodies with his group around him, knocking down anyone who was in the way to the below decks. The clock was running and they needed to hurry. They forced their way inside and split up as planned to their designated areas. Vito was in front of Alibaba, leading the way to where they might have been keeping any slaves.
There was a trap door beneath some barrels that they found. When opened it had a staircase that led into a large cellar with barred cages. Inside them were people huddled together for warmth. Their feet and hands were chained together. There was no key hanging around so Vito had to make quick work of the locks with Alibaba keeping an eye on the staircase.
The slaves were all looking at them in scared surprise. Alibaba was sure that they looked a strange sight. Vito's tunic was armed to the teeth with throwing daggers and his face pulled into a mean looking grimace. Alibaba himself had his face wrapped and hidden away with only his eyes visible. You could hear the commotion that was going on above them with little muffled between the levels. In their shoes, Alibaba himself would be worried.
"Ali!" Alibaba turned to the staircase at his alias. Hakim stood at the base, having come down while Alibaba was looking over the surroundings. Hakim moved his eyes over the room with a downturned mouth and crossed his arms. Alibaba frowned at the boy and walked to him.
"What are you doing here?" He asked. Vito paid them no mind, focusing on getting the cages unlocked. He managed to get one already and had moved on to the next. The people inside the cage didn't move, waiting to see what happened next. "You're supposed to be Ansel and Zeke." Did something happen? Hakim rolled his shoulders and gave Alibaba an apologetic look for deviating on the original plan.
"We found their weapons haul and there wasn't much in goods there, illegal or not. I guess this was supposed to just be a slave ship." He nodded to the cages at that. Alibaba silently agreed. They must have been coming into Balbadd with the excuse of bringing in weapons and armor from Reim. Balbadd didn't trade much in that with the other country, but it was common practice for some merchants to pay a ship to haul it to another city for customers who lived outside of Balbadd. That and Balbadd was often a resting point for ships who had other shipments to make.
"They sent me back here while they hauled what they needed to the ship. They'll come here to help after that." It was different than what they planned but Alibaba could adapt. He nodded his head and waved Hakim forward. Alibaba stepped to the first unlocked cage and swung the gate open.
"I know this seems confusing for a lot of you but there's no need to be scared." The slaves all looked to Alibaba with either distrustful or hopeful looks. "We're going to get you off this ship and onto ours and help you escape. You will be free people." Alibaba put a hand on Hakim's arm. "We don't have much time, so please follow Hakim. He'll lead you to our ship safely." The hardest part will be making it up to the top deck. Once up there their crewmates will help pave a way clear for them to the ship. It was the in-between section that would be more dangerous.
"Come on guys, let's get off this punty raft!" Hakim conformed to Tirdad's usual expression and smiled brightly. The people were slow at first but it didn't take long for them to listen. They all wouldn't pass up the chance to escape.
Ansel and Zeke came down as promised soon after Hakim led the first group out. They took out two more groupings while Alibaba and Vito stayed behind. There were three more cages to unlock, with five to ten people in each one. Alibaba winced at the numbers. This was more than what they expected. It was just as Hakim said earlier. This was more of a slave ship than a merchant one.
"Oi!" Alibaba looked back from the staircase he was guarding when the male voice roared out like a war cry. It was towards the back, in the last cage. He glanced back at the staircase and to Vito who was busy with a different cage. He was on his third pick with that one, the lock was more difficult than the others. He couldn't be distracted now. Decision made, Alibaba quickly jogged to where the voice came from. He'd be quick and find out what the man wanted.
When Alibaba got to the last cage he had to do a double take. The cage held more slaves than the others. Inside most of the occupants gave a wide berth to the giant of a man at the center. Alibaba looked up neck arching, and gaped. The man was a Fanalis, of that there could be no doubt. His hair was messily cropped short, as if someone had taken a butcher's knife to it, giving his already intimidating figure a manic look. The man stood at least six foot tall, arms bulging with muscles, and a Glasgow smile on his left cheek that could give nightmares. Alibaba's mind pinged with memory as if he had seen the man before. He wouldn't know from where, sometime from the future no doubt.
"Yes?" Alibaba was surprised at how level his voice came out. He was really a ball of nerves at seeing such a figure. The man's aura was vibrating with something that automatically put Alibaba on edge. The man looked down at Alibaba with a slight frown, eyebrows crinkling doubtfully. Alibaba suddenly felt like a mouse before a lion.
"You're going to break us out of here?" He rumbled, disbelief oozing in his words. Alibaba mentally winced as he nodded. He knew that he didn't make for an impressive figure. Not as a twelve-year-old. This man seemed to be someone who respected strength too, of which Alibaba did not look to be swimming in.
"Of course!" He assured. "I know we don't seem like much, but I promise you'll all be out of your chains soon." Even if he had to use up all his magoi melting them. Though, Alibaba frowned as he looked closer at the bindings on the man. It was different than the normal chains the other slaves were wearing. They were wood-made cuffs with metal rims around the ankles and wrists, a frim padlock keeping them in place. That would take a careful eye to get rid of if they couldn't lockpick it.
Vito finished the cage his was on and joined Alibaba. He startled at the sight of the Fanalis, but didn't let it distract him for long. He bent down and peered at the cage's lock, idly gnawing on his bottom lip. After a moment he looked up at Alibaba with a shake of his head.
"This will take some time Ali." Alibaba was worried about that. They didn't have enough time as it was. "I told Hakim and Ansel to go ahead to help with the Captain on top deck." Meaning they were on their own for now. Alibaba bit back his initial want to reprimand Vito for giving the order. Alibaba wanted as many people as possible in the case of something going wrong. He couldn't blame Vito too much however. Most of the fighting must have been over by now, and Alibaba was a newcomer to Tirdad's ranks. He gave Vito a tight nod, signaling him to get on with the lock.
Alibaba stood at Vito's back, keeping an idle eye on the stairway. Inside the cage, the slaves were murmuring amongst themselves. The Fanalis didn't join in, eyeing both Alibaba and Vito with a narrowed gaze. His gaze stayed on Alibaba for the most part.
"Are you in charge of this?" The man asked brusquely. Alibaba glanced at Vito, who had tuned out the world around him. He hesitated for a moment, and then shrugged. It was a surprisingly hard question to answer. In a way he was, helping pull together the plan for the surprise raid. At the same time, he wasn't, Tirdad holding most of the reigns and having the most people at his command. All Alibaba had was Morgiana, Kassim, Zainab, and Hassan. Even then it wasn't the same, Alibaba refusing to 'command' them.
"I'm working with the Captain of the Freeway. Together, we're going to free you and the others." Alibaba smiled even though the man couldn't see it. "Are you from Reim?" He fuzzily remembered Muu Alexius and his mention of the Fanalis Corps. The man huffed with a twist in his expression.
"No. I was put on the ship to be sent to a new owner." Alibaba nodded, stomach tying itself in a knot. It hurt to think that someone from his city was helping these traders. It was wrong. Alibaba rolled his shoulders in an attempt to shake the feeling away. He couldn't lose his focus now.
"What's your name?" The other slaves kept to the back of the cage, avoiding any conversation. Only the Fanalis stayed where he was, uncaring of the newcomers. Alibaba didn't really expect an answer. He just didn't do too well in silence during stressful times. The quiet could mean something troubling was on the way.
"Lo'lo." Lo'lo glared at Alibaba as if daring him to comment on the odd name. Alibaba wisely didn't say anything. Not that he would in the first place. Lo'lo's very being screamed aggression, and judging from the impatient tapping of his foot, he didn't have much patience.
Morgiana was going to want to meet him. She might even leave with him once he was freed. Alibaba was under no illusion that Lo'lo was going to want to stay behind once those cuffs were off and he had some gold in his pockets. Morgiana would have more reason to go with him than to stay behind. Lo'lo was one of her people after all. Alibaba wouldn't stop her. She deserved this connection in her life, even if he'd miss her.
Alibaba's thoughts faltered as he heard footsteps from the stairs. He turned, wary but expecting Ansel or one of the others. The fighting above seemed to have died down, meaning Tirdad had control of the top deck. Sadly, Alibaba's initial fears were right. Three mean sauntered into the prison, and given the way they held their swords, Alibaba doubted them to be friendly.
Alibaba glanced at Vito. The man had blanked out his surroundings, focusing on the lock. Three picks lied broken on the floorboards beneath him. Alibaba couldn't bother him now. He would need to take care of the three intruders himself. The man in the front smiled cruelly.
"You bastards may have the Captain and the top deck secured but we ain't letting you get away with the big score!" He patted a key ring at his hip. "We're gonna kill you two and have that Fanalis take back the ship and the goods!" Alibaba got into a ready stance, Amon's blade held tight to his chest.
"I won't let you pass." He needed to knock these men out quickly. If he was fast enough and Vito hadn't unlocked the cage yet they could use those keys. There wasn't much time though, and Alibaba was outnumbered. The best he might be able to do is hold them off until Vito had a chance to help or one of the others returned.
Whatever the case may be he couldn't lose.