Chapter 15: The Game Ahead

Unlike his other nightmares, Aladdin had a less disconnected feeling to the environment around him as he lay on the sands of the empty shoreline of Gloloria. His head ached as he opened his eyes to the sky above him. From where he lay, he could tell he was near the lighthouse on the outskirts of the town.

"Good evening, street rat. Nice of you to join me."

Aladdin sat upright abruptly, looking over his shoulder to see the magic thief standing a short distance away. "Not exactly here by choice."

The thief chuckled at Aladdin's obvious irritation. "I should think you would be more eager to confront the next task ahead of you. Unless of course, you can speak my name now and end the thief's game for good."

Aladdin's jaw clenched. Aladdin knew the latter challenge by the thief was a fruitless one; he already knew Aladdin couldn't guess his name. The prince would not give him the satisfaction. He slowly rose to his feet, brushing off sand from his clothes. Though he knew it was a dream, Aladdin was surprised at how real it was - to the point where it felt like he was outside. "I'm more interested in where you've taken my friends."

"They're fine. As long as you follow the rules, they'll stay that way. Actually, if you manage to complete the next tasks I give you, I'll let both your Genie and Carpet go. No strings attached."

"What are you planning for me to do, thief?" Aladdin said, folding his arms across his chest as the thief chuckled, his body shaking from laughter.

"You ask far too many questions for your own good. Look behind you. There lies the main part of your task." Aladdin looked over his shoulder to the broken lighthouse looming beyond, waves crashing along the rocks just beyond it. "I want you to search the lighthouse to find a key. It's one that once belonged to Saztou."

"A key to what?" Aladdin asked, raising a brow.

"Not for you to ask. You are simply to retrieve it and bring it to me. I will be watching your progress closely, so don't think to ask your Princess or the town for aid for what the key is and what it's for. You'll know when you find it. It's in a very obvious place."

That made Aladdin pause. If the thief is making me look for this key, that means whatever it opens must be dangerous. I don't have to know about it to figure that much. And if it's a trinket that will set Genie and Carpet free, what cost will come with me finding it?

Aladdin took a long breath. "How deep in the lighthouse should I search for it?" The prince had a hunch that was a fair question to ask. He could see the thief's body shift, as if he was anticipating Aladdin's agreement, though Aladdin hadn't agreed to anything at all.

"You would need to go above the ground levels. Of course, it's a dangerous task since the place could come crashing down on you at any time, so my advice would be to search during the daylight hours. And considering the only safe way out gets flooded over at high tide, better you do it before then too."

"Why do I get the feeling you're warning me for reasons other than my safety?" Aladdin snapped.

"Give me what I want, and you'll get what you want. You certainly have to be alive for both of those things to occur."

"Fair enough," Aladdin reluctantly agreed. "And how much time are you giving me?"

"Two nights. Same as before. Of course, same rules apply. If you can figure out my true name before then, you know where to find me. It will take you a while to get to my lair by foot since you neither have your Genie nor Carpet to aid your travel. But I suppose that's more encouragement for you to be certain of who I am before you guess." It sounded like the magic thief was smiling as he finished, which meant the thief had planned exactly what he wanted out of this game. Aladdin would either have to get the key, or he'd have to venture to visit the thief outside Gloloria. Both of those would take time for travel. Time he didn't have, since there was no way he could possibly do both of them. That limited his options.

"Okay." Aladdin said.

"Excellent, glad that you're so willing to take up the challenge in our little game." The thief clapped his hands together.

"Make no mistake, thief, I aim to end the game this time," Aladdin said, narrowing his eyes at the masked figure. But if Aladdin's tone bothered him, the thief didn't show it.

"One last thing before I let you go," the thief said, his tone issuing its own warning, "You would do well not to trick me, Aladdin. Follow the rules, this venture is to be done alone. You will not ask for aid in this venture."

"If I refuse?" Aladdin challenged.

"If you refuse this game, if you don't complete the tasks in the time allowed, or if you try in any way to double-cross me - I will make you regret it. I might just happen to take a third capture. Your princess would be a fine candidate for that."

Aladdin turned to fully face the thief then, his hands balled into fists at his sides. "If you even think of laying a finger on Jasmine..."

The thief held up a hand. "Just a warning, your highness." The thief's tone mocked the prince more than anything else. Before Aladdin could respond, the thief used his upright hand, palm facing forward, to clench into a fist that became surrounded by magic. Aladdin felt his mind explode with fresh pain, as if something had struck him from behind. Then all went dark.

When Aladdin woke from the dream, Abu was in his field of vision, looking down at Aladdin with concern. He wasn't sure when Abu had woken, but he was glad to see a friendly face, even if the monkey was upside down.

"Hey pal. Least that wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be," Aladdin said, his voice still thick from the weight of his dreams. He looked to his side to see that Jasmine was still there, her head resting between her arms. She'd long fallen asleep.

Aladdin sat up slowly, wanting not to wake Jasmine as he shifted. "Looks like she was here all night. Wonder how early it is." He used his hands to smooth back his messy hair. Abu screeched that it wasn't too long past dawn. To the prince's surprise, Abu offered a piece of a loaf of bread.

"For me? You went to breakfast this early already?" Aladdin asked as he took the bread. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Abu said with a role of his eyes, motioning his paw for Aladdin to go on with eating it. The gesture made Aladdin chuckle.

"Well, I'll definitely keep it with me to eat later. Not hungry right now." His smile faded as quickly as it came. "I have to get going soon. The faster I finish this part of the game, the faster that I can get Genie and Carpet back."

Abu screeched a few questions, but Aladdin shook his head. "You know why I can't tell you that, Abu. You know probably more than everyone else here. I wish," Aladdin had to keep his voice from shaking so he stopped long enough to breathe before he started again. "I wish this wasn't something I had to keep from you guys. But I don't have a choice."

"Aww, Aladdin." Abu looked sad, but Aladdin used his hand to pat the monkey's head.

"I'll be back as soon as I can though. Promise." He looked over to Jasmine as she started to wake with a groan.

"Aladdin? Sorry, I should have stayed awake longer." She yawned, stretching her arms over her head.

"It's okay. Looks like we all got enough sleep from the look of it. Not as restless of a night as expected, at least."

Jasmine studied him as he rose, preparing to get ready for the day ahead. "I'm sure you don't need to do all that before we go to the diner."

He shook his head. "Not going - Abu gave me what I need at least to fill me this morning. I have to get an early start." He told her as much as he could, which was basically having to head to the outskirts of town in order to be back before nightfall. He didn't tell her about the key. When he finished, he realized Jasmine wasn't exactly happy, her arms folded across her chest as he got ready.

"I don't like that you're going all that way alone, Aladdin. You don't know what the thief might be planning. What if you're walking into a trap?"

"It's a risk, but I have to take it," he said. "I don't know what he'll do to Genie and Carpet if I don't. Magic beings or not, the thief could still hurt them and anyone else in the village if I don't follow the rules of the game."

"Any luck with figuring out who he is?" Jasmine asked.

Aladdin shook his head. "No. Tried to recognize who he was during the dream, but I couldn't place his voice still. Haven't come up with any plans around it yet, either."

Jasmine groaned. "I hate this. Every last bit of it. You shouldn't have to go at all." She stood behind him as he packed a sack to leave. She looped her arms around his waist, and he stopped as she pulled him closer to her. "But as much as I hate it, I know you're doing this because you have to. Just...promise me you'll be safe, okay?"

"Hey, you know I will." He smiled as he used his hand to tilt her chin up to face him. "I'll say the same thing I told Abu. Once Genie and Carpet are free, we can find a way to beat the thief at whatever else he's planning. This is the last part of the game I expect to play; I'm not playing anymore after this. But I gotta get them out first."

They shared a long kiss before he left the room, leaving Jasmine and Abu standing in silence. Jasmine didn't appear done with the situation as she teased the strands of her hair back into place.

"Aladdin might have his own plan to beat the magic thief at his game, but I don't think it's going to be a fair one." She gave Abu a knowing grin while Abu looked at her with confusion. "What do you say we go on a journey of our own? Aladdin may not be able to tell us what we need to know, but nothing's stopping us from discovering what we need to know on our own. And we can just so happen to watch his back while we're at it."

"Aladdin, you heading out of Gloloria?" Ezele stopped Aladdin just before he was about to leave town.

Aladdin gave a short nod to the medic as he looked over his shoulder. "Yeah. Part of the game rules, really."

Ezele returned the gesture. "You don't have to explain; I had a feeling. You seem ready for a bit of a trek, but I wanted to stop you before you went too far. Have a few things that might help you along the way."

Aladdin's brows rose as Ezele handed him three small glass vials to place in the sack he carried. "I'm not an expert in magic that's meant to attack, only more to heal or for protection if needed. These should help you in a pinch. Remember the colors so that you can remember what they do." He pointed to a green vial. "This will help you heal most surface wounds. You don't have to use much for it to work. It's not a cure all - if you break a bone or get stabbed through the heart, it will not help you."

Aladdin's smile then was both genuine and a grimace. "I'll keep that in mind."

Ezele pointed to a vial filled with blue liquid. "This is a teleportation vial. Pour it on the ground and it will open a pathway back to Gloloria in a pinch. The path will only be open a short amount of time, however. Use it only when you're ready to." He pointed last to a vial filled with red liquid. "This is an attack vial. I tried to use one against the magic thief before, but it wasn't with enough force to stop him. If you cross paths with him, it may be enough for you to mount a distraction if you have a hard enough surface to throw it against. Just be sure you're a fair distance away so it doesn't backfire on you."

"I-I don't know what to say, Ezele," Aladdin admitted. "This helps so much. I don't know how to repay you."

"All I ask is that you come back in one piece, your highness. I would expect your friends would like that as well, as do many of us in Gloloria. It would be a shame for your journey to end here and for you to not get your friends back." Ezele rubbed the back of his neck as he surveyed the village behind them. "Feels like everyone's hiding from the thief in the same way as the Deathseeker, from the look of it. Many of us in this 'new normal' after the sea demon's demise would be along the shore. We don't know what the thief wants, let alone know his next move, but you seem to be the only one who can stop him. We'll place our trust in your efforts."

Aladdin groaned. "Considering he's targeting me, I feel partially responsible for that fear. I'll do whatever I can to stop it." He paused a moment, realizing something with a weight of dread sitting at his gut. "How's Remi doing?"

Ezele nodded, understanding the prince's weariness. "You needn't worry over him, he's in good hands. Still working out the curse and we're making steady progress. He's remembering pieces of what happened to him, but nothing distinctly about the thief. Remi asked about you this morning. I regret to say that nothing I tell him eases the burden of what happened to your Genie. He continues to say it should have been him."

Aladdin's brow narrowed, his expression turning to one of muted anger. "It shouldn't have been any of us. And it won't be once I'm finished with the game."

"I hope you're able to end it, your highness. Just be sure you return to us safely once you do."

Aladdin nodded before he turned and headed onward for his journey. Ezele waited a beat, watched as Aladdin disappeared from immediate view, before looking over his shoulder near the hut. Two figures emerged from their hiding places. "I hope you both watch over him well, Princess. But Aladdin's more preceptive than you think. I don't think it will be easy to trace his path without him noticing you two."

Jasmine shrugged, shifting her cloak along her shoulders. "It would be easier to follow him when it's dark, but Abu and I can handle it."

"Oh yeah!" Abu agreed.

At that, Ezele smiled at them. "I take it your parrot isn't joining you, is he?"

Jasmine and Abu shared a knowing look before Jasmine spoke again. "Iago isn't great at dangerous situations, so he agreed to look after things here. And maybe potentially plan a welcoming party for Genie and Carpet when they get back. His words, not mine."

Ezele laughed. "Well, I suppose I'll keep an eye on his progress while you all are gone. Though my words to you are the same as I told Aladdin - take caution and return to us as quickly as you can."

"We will. Come on, Abu, let's go." Jasmine said as the two of them followed Aladdin's path ahead.