Heavy, heavy chapter, and I realize that fight scenes are not my forte. I should work on that. Anyway, one of the twists I had planned and a few more are on the way. I think I made Sa'luk a little mad with power...and blood lust. First he was just power hungry. Interesting. Let me know what you think!


Chapter Fourteen- A Life for a Life

The Captain of the Guard was more than pleased to toss Cassim literally on his knees before the Sultan. It was gratifying that he had managed to capture a high profiled thief, the Sultan would be sure to reward him handsomely for his good work. He grinned and peered down at his leader.

"Your highness, I present to you, The King of Thieves." He waves his open palm across to demonstrate further. "We found him stealing in the treasury."

"What is the meaning of this!?" The Sultan demanded, pushing past his daughter and her betrothed as they parted for him to pass. "Stealing what!?"

"They plucked this, your majesty," a second guard yanked on the cloth hanging from Babkak's pocket, withdrawing the Oracle that was tangled between the layers of cloth. Babkak met Aladdin's pained eyes briefly before dropping them.

"You guys stole? This is why you came back?" The hurt dripped from his throat, dribbling from his lips in thick layers of betrayal. He shook his head, turning to Jasmine, and then to Savannah. "Don't tell me you knew about this."

"Boy, she had nothing to do with this," Cassim intervened. "She tried to stop me."

"How can I believe anything any of you say to me anymore?"

"Aladdin," Omar interjected.

"No, I'm through with the lies. That's all any of you have done, especially you." Aladdin turned to his father.

"I'm sorry, Aladdin. You can place me in clothes befitting a prince, but that doesn't change who I am. I am the King of Thieves."

"And that makes you a prince," Razoul smirked at Aladdin. "Seems you get your prince after all, princess."

Jasmine glared at Razoul, Savannah following. Well, he was getting cocky and arrogant. The Sultan waddled closer to them and sighed. "Aladdin, my boy, I'm sorry. I sentence your father and your friend to a life sentence in my dungeon. I cannot risk them out in the open stealing."

"What about the rest of them, your highness? You can't trust them, either." Now it was Razoul who was greedy for praise.

"They have done nothing offensive. They were pawns in the King's master plan. Take them away."

Razoul raised Cassim, another hoisting Babkak away. Babkak had lost his family a long time ago, and Aladdin had been more like family to him than anyone he could remember. All this time he had been letting Aladdin down time and time again.

"Was losing your only family worth that stupid scepter that we don't even have?" Babkak spat lowly before being yanked by the guard into silence.

Cassim's head hung low, even as they chained him to the dungeon wall. Babkak was right. Losing Aladdin wasn't worth the price of forever isolation. He waited for the chains to begin their chafe; in the meantime, he lost himself in pitying thoughts of how this was all of his fault. He would allow himself to hurt for at least a little while.

While they were distracted with punishing Cassim, Sa'luk could feel himself aroused at the thought of all of his dreams coming into fruition. He reveled in Cassim finally being put away, for good. He slid into the northern most tower of the palace, overhearing the sentence and conversation from the floor above. The Oracle was in his grasp, and he would give anything to have it. Once the guard holding the Oracle was in view, he slid down and banged into him, running his claws through the accompanying guard. Killing a man was no stranger to Sa'luk, and in fact, he would do it again if he had the chance. He reached down and pocketed the Oracle's scepter.

He would have the opportunity to do it again, as the minor fight had aroused suspicion and he heard footsteps coming in his direction. He grinned and ran into them head on.

Savannah's head turned in the direction of Sa'luk's grunts and growls. She snapped her head in Aladdin's direction. "You don't think?"

"I thought he died," Omar whimpered.

"He did die. He came back from the dead," Aladdin replied sternly before walking into the direction of Sa'luk. He had just about enough of this nonsense from these grungy men who had lost prayer a long time ago. Aladdin wanted this over with and them out of his life. Living a lifetime of happiness, his children playing above while their grandfather wallowed below was too much for Aladdin to bear. He would find a way to release his father and send him away for good. He tried, he made every effort to make Cassim part of his life, it seemed to him that Cassim did not want the same.

"Hey, Al, there's a creepy beefed up guy up ahead. You sure you want to face him?" Genie tapped his fingers together as he followed.

"It's about time I put an end to this, Genie. And it starts with this guy." Aladdin approached Sa'luk, rearing his fist into his cheek. Genie left Aladdin to his fight, and ushered the remainder of the guards away to safety, while Aladdin drew Sa'luk into a more open space. He lured him out into the main hall, hollering for Savannah to take Jasmine and the Sultan away from the area. Omar tossed him the sword at his hip, Aladdin caught it and parried Sa'luk's claws just in time to prevent the other from decapitating him, as it seemed Sa'luk's aim was for Aladdin's throat.

Savannah attempted to push Jasmine and the Sultan away from the scene, knowing well there would be gore and more than likely entrails, or a severed head spewed on the floor. Savannah prayed to Allah, her mother, father, brother, Aladdin's mother, anyone she could call upon to watch over Aladdin as Sa'luk did manage to scrape his cheek with the very tip of the blade, or Aladdin managed to strike his upper bicep.

Her heart caught in her throat every time, finding herself frozen. Jasmine could not idly stand by and watch some brute try to take over her kingdom. She had seen deranged psychopaths before; she lived in the palace with Jafar, after all. Picking up the closest object, a chair, she slammed it against Sa'luk's back. The man chuckled and had his claw risen to strike Aladdin. He lowered it and turned to Jasmine with a plastered smirk.

"I was going to spare you, princess. After all, my business is with this damned spawn of Cassim. But, seeing as how you simply had to intervene, I just simply cannot allow that."

The Sultan managed to chase after his daughter, pushing Jasmine out of the way as Sa'luk's claw rushed down on her, the air whistling. Instead, the claw struck the Sultan and sent him reeling back. Father had to save daughter. Jasmine gasped in horror as Aladdin struck Sa'luk in the back moments prior to him striking the Sultan, as Sa'luk's target was Jasmine. Everyone attempted to protect the other, but none could prevent the Sultan's attack. As much as he was a ruler, he was still Jasmine's father and he was learning to put Jasmine first.

Savannah chased after Sa'luk as he attempted to flee after yanking the sword from his back. He didn't appear grazed, not from what she could see. She swept the rug out from beneath Sa'luk to stop him. He slashed at her, but she ducked her head. Sa'luk jumped out of the window then and into the abyss. Savannah was prepared to chase after him, but Genie was hot on his trail. Jasmine called out to her father, shouting his name repeatedly.

The room once filled with hot metal hitting metal, masculine grunts and groans, now dimmed to a deafening silence. Savannah listened to the ragged, labored breathing of the dying Sultan. Everything had happened so quickly, her head spun at the idea of trying to place everything in chronological order. A father saved his daughter, and as Savannah gazed down at Aladdin, she knew that father would save son. These were bonds that were never severed, no matter the title the man in question held. The only exception to that rule was a man who severed ties with his son, or vise versa.

Jasmine's sobs broke Savannah's thoughts as all kneeled around the sultan, bowing their heads in prayer. The sultan uttered Jasmine's name. The princess picked her head up and took her father's cooling hand into her own. It sent a chill through her.

"Dearest, you must…you must promise me…that you'll be happy." The Sultan coughed as he choked on air and his words.

"I promise, father," Jasmine leaned down and kissed his forehead gently, allowing her lips to linger. Her lips trembled against his forehead as tears slid down her cheeks, running kohl in black streaks. Her fingers tried to hold tight onto what she had left of her father.

There was no point in trying to convince the sultan that he would live. The color had begun to drain in his face and Sa'luk's claws had punctured through his chest. He should have died instantly, but death was upon them. As much as Savannah feared it, she stared it in the face, meeting Death's eyes through the Sultan. She hadn't seen that look since the man in the marketplace the night she and Aladdin had been tricked by Jafar.

Deep labored breaths, becoming shallower as moments trickled past. His vision was becoming a blur, and he was grateful when the vision of his daughter came into light. Her mounds of raven hair consuming his view, her mother's eyes, her lips, he squeezed her hand with every ounce of strength he had left within him. He wanted her to know, that no matter what, he would always be with her.

"I love you, daddy." Jasmine squeezed his hand tightly as father and daughter remained locked together. Aladdin took the Sultan's other hand, his own trembling. Jasmine's eyes refused to leave her father's until his last breath. It came ragged, painful, and with a gasp no one expected. His pulse stopped and Jasmine bowed her head against the hand she had been clutching, her body trembling as Savannah kneeled down to embrace her. Aladdin gently lowered the Sultan's hand and rose.

Aladdin then knew Sa'luk could not live. As much as he was against killing another man, he had taken the life of someone innocent. Omar looked up from the women to Aladdin as he glanced at his friend. Genie returned, having lost track of Sa'luk. He didn't want to return to disappoint Aladdin, however, his eyes widened and stood frozen at the scene.

There was no joke he could crack to make to lift the heaviness of the moment. He glanced at Aladdin, and while funeral arrangements would have to be made, he knew Aladdin had other matters to attend to first. Genie would stay behind to tend to Jasmine and her father's comfort. Even the dead deserved the comfort they couldn't have while they were alive. Genie collected Jasmine into his arms, careful as she was first reluctant to letting her father's hand go. The heat was leaving his body and Genie had a sheet cover him after two blue digits slowly closed his eyes so he may finally rest eternally.

"Savannah," Aladdin called to her. "Stay with Jasmine, please. Genie, come with me." His mind was swimming. Just when things had gone according to the way Aladdin had always wanted. First his father wouldn't change his ways, and now his future father-in-law was deceased. With those instructions, he left and Genie followed.

Savannah watched him and shook her head, rubbing Jasmine's arms softly to let her know she was still there. That was all she could do at the moment. She had lost her family young and had since coped with their loss. Jasmine had her father all of her life with no time to prepare to mourn his death. She wondered what kind of person Jasmine would become from this. Many took to death differently. It was then she curled the other to her. There was no way she could keep the princess at arm's length for much longer.

"I'm here for you."


Aladdin went up to his suite and paced, having multiple apartments to roam through at his leisure. "First my father, and now this!?" Fuming, he looked up at Genie.

"My father's robes, please. It's time the King of Thieves makes an appearance." Genie looked at him in confusion.

"Why would you want to dress like him? Al, don't tell me you're turning a new leaf…"

"Just enough to distract the guards." Aladdin took the floating cloth and slid the fabric over his own clothing. "Good, it fits."

Genie's eyes widened, noticing then just how much Aladdin resembled his father. The facial features, right down to his lips. "What are you planning to do?"

"I'm getting The King of Thieves out of my life. If I'm going to start this new life, it'll be without him in it. Sa'luk is more than likely heading back to Mount Sesame. We've got time."

Genie watched him map out his plan, strategically calculating every move. He couldn't stop now that he was onto something. Innocent blood couldn't be shed for much longer. Sa'luk had taken enough lives, and it was time he was stopped. He knew Aladdin's mindset, and could feel the boiling blood pulsating through his veins. But could Aladdin commit homicide?

Cassim heard the click of the lock, curious if it was the guards giving them their bread and water ration. Babkak's head hung, feeling the sting of betrayal. Aladdin confided in him, trusted him to not turn his back on him and so he did. But, he figured Aladdin would have Savannah and the princess, what would he need a wanted criminal for? Pardoned, yes, but now would he be? The sentence for betraying the royal name was death. By dawn he'd probably be beheaded.

"You're not going to be beheaded, Babkak," Cassim could tell by the way he was whimpering just what he was thinking. "We've been sentenced to a lifetime of solitude in this dungeon." He paused. "Because of me. I lost my family, because of me. I'm so sorry, Babkak."

Babkak picked his head up and gazed at Cassim, hearing the footsteps of someone descending. "Nah, you've been like a father to me, Cassim. I'd follow ya-"

"Then you'll be very happy together," said a voice behind the hood. Cassim furrowed his brows together.

"Are those my robes?" Cassim recognized the voice beneath the mask as his chains came undone. He dropped to the ground and rubbed his wrists. "Boy, what's wrong?"

"Make haste and get the hell out of here."

Something was different. His tone, his language, something was off. Cassim grabbed his wrist after Babkak was released and forced his son to look him in the eye. "Son, what is it?"

"Sa'luk killed the Sultan. I'm going after him. I'm giving you two a head start. Get out while you can."

"And what are you gonna do?" Babkak asked. "The guards will get you."

Aladdin smirked and raised his brows. "I know these guys, they'll never catch me." Securing his costume back together, he flew out the door, his cape wafting behind him. Cassim's lips curled into a smile as he then laughed.

"He even sounds like me."

His face fell when he connected everything Aladdin had said. Sa'luk killed the sultan. He was planning a rebellion and coming from him, that couldn't lead to anything good. Cassim's face fell and looked at Babkak.

"Let's go. Sa'luk's planning something and nothing good."