Aladdin And The Lord Of The Black Sands
Arabian nights like Arabian days...
Chapter 6: A Horrific Discovery
Jasmine hadn't stopped thinking of the oracle's answer. "Alive and well in a land surrounded by darkness? How could anyone be happy in a place like that?" she mused aloud.
"Jasmine!" a voice called. She recognized it as Aladdin's.
She frowned as he entered then asked, "What do you want?"
"I wanted to apologize for the way I acted. I-I was just upset. I guess I was too scared. I didn't want to know, but you only wanted to help. I didn't want another mystery, but now I have one because of you and the Sultan. I can't get what the oracle said out of my mind, I want to know now, but I don't want to do what my father did."
"You won't Aladdin, because I'll be with you," she replied looking piteously at him. She rose and went to him. "I'm sorry. I guess I went over the line. I guess I couldn't stand caring more about finding your brother than you did. I couldn't just watch you tear yourself apart the rest of our lives for not trying to find him, and you would have."
Aladdin thought a moment. Soon he said, "A land surrounded by darkness huh?" Jasmine smiled. "Maybe Sadira can help us with that. I mean, Mozenrath hasn't made a move yet. He's still our main problem, but I guess we could take some time to look into this. I mean, what are the chances he'd attack right when we're gone from the palace?"
Jasmine saw Aladdin's eyes brightening. She noted the hope, curiosity, and longing in his eyes that he had so far kept well hidden. He really wanted to know. She smiled saying, "Then let's get the oracle and pay her a visit."
"Now?" he asked suddenly uncertain.
"Of course now silly," Jasmine replied as she took his hand leading him towards the treasury.
It wasn't Mozenrath, but Abis-Mal had successfully led the forty thieves into the palace courtyard, through the palace, and to the treasury. To say he was impressed with the thieves' abilities to distract and sneak would be an understatement. They hadn't thought much of him at first, but they held a little more respect for their leader now. After all, he had led them to the treasury without being spotted. He was stealthy enough. With exception to his stupid moves and quick temper that they had to cover, he wasn't a complete failure. This might work.
They entered without incident. Abis-Mal then ordered, "All right, start looking. I want that oracle!" Fully comprehending the amount of gold in the room he added, "Ooh and I want that, and that, oh and this, and look over there…" He went farther and farther from the others who simply shrugged then began searching for the oracle.
Unbeknownst to them, the oracle was no longer there, for Aladdin and company had already taken it to go visit Sadira. "Sadira!" Jasmine called into the home.
Sadira appeared in a column of sand in front of them utilizing a new spell. "Jasmine, Aladdin, Genie, guys, what a surprise! What brings you here?"
"We wanted to ask you a question," Aladdin replied as he revealed the oracle.
She gasped. "You have an oracle!" the asked in disbelief as she grabbed it.
"Careful!" Aladdin exclaimed.
"Oh don't be a baby, I'm not going to break it," she replied. "So, what do you want to ask me that you couldn't ask her, the oracle that is?"
Iago flew over landing on it saying, "Okay, so Jasmine and the Sultan decide they want to ask about Al's brother, but Al didn't want them to. They did anyway. They asked where he was and she told them that he was alive and well in a land surrounded by darkness. Does this mean anything to you, anything at all?"
"A land surrounded by darkness? Well I guess I could consult my books," she answered.
"Great, let's get this over with so I can wallow in the lap of luxury again," Iago said. Genie grabbed him back.
Meanwhile, Mozenrath stormed back and forth pacing. "This isn't fair! I had him right there! I should have finished the job when I had the chance!" he ranted. Xerxes simply cowered away to watch him. "Now I have to find some way to bring him here, but how?" he asked as he finally stopped and looked down at his desk thinking. "Should I go after his Genie? No, too cliché. Jasmine? Maybe not, she kicks hard." He gave an exasperated cry then waved his gauntlet making a magic window appear. He focused it on Aladdin and his friends and was startled to see that they weren't in the palace or the streets of Agrabah. "Where in the world…" he began, but then he gasped as he saw a girl he'd never seen before grabbing a staff from Aladdin. "An oracle!" Mozenrath exclaimed, startling Xerxes. "Of course he'd get the best help. Now who is that girl?" He watched her carefully. It took mere seconds to see that she was a friend of Aladdin's. "Another street rat, or should I say mouse?" he asked as Xerxes floated p to look.
"Street mouse, street mouse," Xerxes nodded.
"Perfect. She can't possibly be as much trouble as Aladdin and his friends are to capture. Aladdin will play the valiant hero and swoop in on that Carpet of his to save his friend, and he'll walk right into my hands. The Citadel could use a nice gold statue, don't you think Xerxes? Maybe two, or three, or more."
"Kill Aladdin," Xerxes nodded. Mozenrath let out an evil laugh then tossed his cape around him disappearing in a swirl of black sand with Xerxes.
"There's nothing here Al," Genie declared as he, dressed as a wealthy snob in a comfy chair, put down the last book. He was surrounded by a mountain, or three, of them. "Looks like we have to figure it out ourselves."
"Hello, oracle at our disposal!" Iago declared pointing his wing at it.
"Yeah!" Abu agreed.
"No, I'm not using my question yet," Jasmine declared.
"Well now's as good a time as ever!" Iago argued.
"Drop it Iago. We'll figure it out," Aladdin declared.
"This is ridiculous! I'll just ask it what it means," Sadira declared as she went up to it.
Aladdin suddenly saw a dark sand portal appearing by the oracle and paled. "Sadira, don't!" he warned.
She had picked it up and looked back in surprise. Suddenly, though, she felt a strong hand clasp down on her wrist and a sultry voice say, "Sadira, do."
She gasped and whirled around only to find herself staring into the face of a pale young man around Aladdin's age. "Who are you?" she demanded as she pulled free of him.
Mozenrath looked at Aladdin then said, "Why, Aladdin, you didn't tell her about me? I'm hurt. Haven't you learned it's dangerous not to warn your friends about your enemies?" He looked at her saying, "Forgive him. I apologize. He is, alas, just a low brow street rat." He bowed low saying, "I, on the other hand, am Mozenrath, Lord of the Land of the Black Sands."
"And now you'll be leaving my home!" Sadira shot making him frown.
"Now is that any way to treat a guest? Though I suppose I shouldn't expect much more from a lowly street mouse," he said.
"Street mouse," Xerxes snickered. Sadira looked at the eel in disgust then curiosity. She focused once more on her intruder.
"Oh yeah! Take this!" she shouted. With that she called out a sand monster from the ground! It appeared right in front of the intruder startling Mozenrath. "Let's see how you fare against a sand witch!" she called triumphantly as Mozenrath dove out of the way of an attack by the monster.
"Sand witch! Sadira, he's a powerful sorcerer!" Aladdin warned rushing forward to her. She gasped in alarm on hearing this and whirled around in time to see her monster be blown apart by a magic blast!
"Sand witches, ugh, how amateur. They're so pathetic," Mozenrath said. "Nonetheless, that was a nice monster. Stronger than I thought," he added. Cordial expression dissolving into a vicious scowl he said, "Play time's over! You, sand witch, are coming with me!" Before she could react, before Aladdin could reach her, Mozenrath had ensnared her with his powers and disappeared!
"Sadira, no!" Aladdin cried out.
Sadira struggled against him, finally managing to miraculously overcome his magic hold just as they disappeared. His concentration was broken and they ended up falling from a portal he'd accidently opened, right into the black sand just outside the Citadel. Sadira jumped up and used whatever spells she could remember to attack a surprise and furious Mozenrath with her powers. With the first powerful hit he flew backwards into the Citadel wall. Rising he said, "Now is that any way for a lady to act?" The enchanter shot at her with a magic blast. She dodged and attacked. The battle was lost from the start, though, and soon, after all the tumbling around in the desert sands on top of each other, Sadira was once more held in the magical grip. "Hmm, I was wrong. You were more trouble than I thought," said the now very irritated necromancer.
"Bite?" Xerxes asked. Sadira gasped.
Mozenrath, though, replied, "Now Xerxes, Sadira is our guest. We want her to feel welcome. For now." He laughed along with Xerxes as he brought her inside then stuck her in shackles to the wall. She had dropped the oracle. He went up to it and took it. He then went to the Midas hand.
"You creep, let me go!" she demanded.
"Alas, my little sand maiden, I can't. You see, you are my bait to lure our dear friend Aladdin to his doom. Besides, the more gold trophies the better," Mozenrath replied.
"You'll never beat him!" Sadira boldly declared.
"We'll see about that," he retorted lightly.
Meanwhile, Aladdin, Jasmine, Carpet, Iago, Abu, and Genie, were flying over the desert towards the Land of the Black Sand. "Mozenrath, why doesn't he leave us alone and give up?" Aladdin asked annoyed. "If he's done anything to Sadira…"
"Sadira can hold her own against him, at least for a while," Jasmine reassured.
"Jasmine, he beat Genie with a punch! Genie has semi-phenomenal nearly cosmic powers!" Aladdin replied.
"Oy, don't remind me," Genie groaned.
"I never said she would hold her own for long," Jasmine replied, "but maybe long enough for us to reach her in time."
Abu began chattering and pointing. The others looked ahead. "Oh great, there's a place I never thought I'd see again!" Iago fearfully complained. The Land of the Black Sand was appearing.
Mozenrath was examining the oracle and reading about it, trying to tune out his captive's annoying talk about how great Aladdin was and how he stood no chance and on and on. He knew she was purposely doing it. He grimaced. She was giving him a headache. Xerxes was even feeling it. "Bite now?" he begged.
"Please do!" Mozenrath replied. Xerxes looked unbelievably happy and instantly flew at Sadira. She screamed, having been startled, then cried out in pain as the eel bit her.
"He bit me! Your miserable little pet familiar bit me!" she furiously yelled at Mozenrath.
That was it. She'd pushed him too far. Mozenrath whirled around yelling, "Will you shut up!" She was too shocked to retort. "Here I am trying to take over the seven deserts and beyond, and you can't be quiet for one second! I'm through with you! Aladdin will come here to collect your body!" He lit his gauntlet preparing to strike.
Just then, though, a voice yelled, "Mozenrath!"
Mozenrath froze, smirked, then turned to the high window saying, "Aladdin, just in time as always! Please, make yourself at home! Or don't." With that he shot a blast at the group which Carpet easily avoided.
They neared the ground heading for Sadira. As they were passing over Mozenrath, Aladdin leapt from Carpet right onto his enemy! Carpet stopped next to a relieved and grinning Sadira.
Genie poofed in front of her. "Let's see…" he began. He materialized a key ring then said, "The key to the city, no; key lime pie, nah; keyboard, not gonna work; ah, here we are, the key to Mozenrath's magic shackles!" He fitted the key in the key hole releasing her.
"Thanks guys," she said gratefully.
Just then, though, Xerxes tackled Abu making the monkey cry out. He brought Abu into the air. "My monkey!" Iago exclaimed. He instantly flew off ready to attack his friend's assailant.
"Sadira, come on, we have to help Aladdin," Jasmine said as she reached her hand out for her friend. Sadira took it leaping onto Carpet.
"Yeah, but this Mozenrath guy is impressive," Sadira said with a worried smile. "Can we beat him?"
"We've done it before," Jasmine replied.
Carpet flew right at the two fighting men, but suddenly he was grabbed from behind and pulled from under the two women! Sadira and Jasmine screamed and rolled on the ground. They rose up only to find themselves surrounded by Mamluks! They gasped and went back to back.
"What are they?" Sadira questioned.
"Mozenrath's henchmen, things, they're called mamluks," Jasmine replied.
"Let's show them who's boss," Sadira said.
"I'm right there with you," Jasmine replied.
Sadira instantly bent down scooping up a handful of sand then thrusting it at them. The sand surrounded them tearing them apart. Jasmine pulled off a roll attack then fought physically against them.
Meanwhile Iago, Xerxes, and Abu were struggling with each other. "Let the monkey go eel boy!" Iago ordered.
"No way!" Xerxes replied. Abu bit him making Xerxes drop him. Iago swooped in at the same time as Xerxes. Now the poor monkey was being torn apart like a tug of war rope.
Genie saw mamluks coming at him and said, "Ew, the undead." He then transformed into a war outfit complete with weapons. "There's only one way to deal with the undead." With that he attacked!
Jasmine was being backed towards a window. Carpet was trying to get to her but was kept busy with his own attackers. Jasmine felt the window sill, gasped, then turned to look out of it over the land surrounded by darkness. Wait! A land surrounded by darkness! Alive and well! She gasped and looked at Mozenrath in horror. "No, it can't be," she whispered to herself.
"Jasmine!" Sadira cried alerting her to an attacking Mamluk. Jasmine caught its sword wielding hand and tossed it from the window. She looked towards Aladdin in terror as he and Mozenrath struggled. It was then that she first truly noticed the similarities. She'd seen them, but never truly noticed them. He is alive and well in a land surrounded by darkness.
Mozenrath tried to get the gauntlet in a position to strike, but Aladdin held it firmly down. Aladdin was finally able to get a vicious blow passed Mozenrath's defending arm. Aladdin then grabbed a hard object, all senses lost, preparing to strike! Jasmine doubted he knew how deadly the weapon he wielded was. It was, after all, the oracle's golden staff! "Aladdin, don't!" she screamed, shocking them both into looking at her. "He's your brother!" she finished.
In that moment everything stopped. Genie ceased to shoot at the mamluks. Iago, Abu, Xerxes, and Carpet stopped in mid-battle. Sadira's eyes were the size of saucers. The mamluks had frozen, and Mozenrath and Aladdin had both gasped, Aladdin paling. Mozenrath appeared to be seeing nothing, his eyes blank and wide as if dead.
All eyes fell on Jasmine the next instant. "What!" both Aladdin and Mozenrath finally managed to yell in outrage.
"Oh no, the princess has gone insane!" Genie declared. "What did you do to her you fiend!" Genie demanded pointing at Mozenrath who had caught Aladdin's descending arm.
"No, I'm not crazy! I'll prove it, watch!" she declared as she rushed by the mamluks and seized the oracle before anyone could respond. "This had better work," she muttered aloud.
The oracle appeared asking, "Princess of Agrabah, have you decided your question?" All were spellbound, especially Sadira and Mozenrath who had never seen her.
"Yes, I have," Jasmine boldly replied. "Who is Aladdin's brother!"
The oracle replied, "A wasted question princess, for he lays before you even this very moment beneath his brother's attacking form. Mozenrath, ruler of the Black Sand."
"What? Impossible," Mozenrath hardly whispered.
"No!" Aladdin said in an agonized tone. He looked down at an equally shocked and staring Mozenrath repeating, "No! It's impossible!" He shot up from his enemy like a disease. "You're lying!" he yelled at the oracle.
"I cannot lie," she replied.
"How, who, Cassim never mentioned another son!" Aladdin protested.
"Who?" Mozenrath asked, too shocked to stand.
"My father, he never mentioned another son!" Aladdin repeated.
"You've met you and your brother's father?" Sadira asked, still stunned.
"N-no, I-I mean I don't know if Cassim was both our father or if we had the same mother and different father's, or even if our parents both were the same! I just know that he's not my brother!" Aladdin said in a rush as he jerked his thumb at Mozenrath who was slowly rising. "He can't be!"
"He is," the oracle bluntly said as she returned into her staff.
"No! Liar! Me, related to a mere street rat! It's not right, it's worse than death! No! Your lies are getting on my nerves oracle!" Mozenrath shouted at the staff.
Iago nervously chuckled then said to Abu, Xerxes, and Carpet, "What do you know? They even sound like brothers."
"We do not!" both Mozenrath and Aladdin shouted.
They scowled at each other. Mozenrath said heatedly, "It would be a lot easier to prove it if you stopped thinking like me!"
"Hah, how can I change how I think!" Aladdin demanded.
"Enough!" Mozenrath yelled as his gauntlet lit up and he shot Aladdin across the room. "Give me the oracle princess!" he ordered Jasmine as he lunged grabbing part of it. The two struggled to claim it back. It was then that Carpet swooped around the room collecting the others. Sadira leapt on, and as they neared Jasmine she blew sand on the oracle saying, "Return to the palace treasury!" With that if faded away back to Agrabah.
"Let's get out of here!" Genie said as he leapt onto Carpet and the group headed towards Aladdin.
"Get back here!" Mozenrath demanded. Sadira stuck out her tongue at him leaving him outraged as they collected Aladdin and took off.
"Oh that's it! That annoying little street mouse! Xerxes!" Mozenrath called. Xerxes zoomed to him, terrified of the tone. "We're giving chase!" Mozenrath declared with a smirk. He lit his gauntlet levitating into the air. He went swiftly after them.
Meanwhile the thieves were growing exhausted. They'd searched almost everywhere. "Oh where is it!" Abis-Mal shouted in annoyance. Just then it appeared over his head. The others looked in disbelief as it hovered there a moment, then dropped onto his head bouncing into his hands! "Hey, what do you know? Wishes do come true," Abis-Mal excitedly said as the others rushed to him. With that Abis-Mal let it float.
The thieves watched as she appeared greed and curiosity in their eyes. "Ask her about treasure!" the Asian exclaimed.
"No, ask about Aladdin's brother," the swordsman intervened.
"I don't know, treasure sounds good," Abis-Mal hesitated.
"Do it or else you will die!" the charmer threatened.
Alarmed Abis-Mal quickly replied, "Okay, okay, have it your way! Oh great oracle, who is Aladdin's brother?"
The oracle answered, "The one you seek is a powerful sorcerer who abides in the land of the Black Sands as its ruler. His name is Mozenrath."
"Didn't a wizard named Destane rule that place?" the Asian asked in surprise.
"Yes, even the sorcerer Jafar feared him," she said. Abis-Mal's eyes widened. The oracle continued, "Mozenrath, though, betrayed and overthrew his old master forcing Destane to serve him as a mamluk. He then took over the land and tried to overthrow the seven deserts."
"Who stopped him? The first triplet asked.
"Aladdin has stopped him many times prompting a hateful loathing between the two, though neither knew they were brothers until this day and still refuse to believe," the oracle answered.
"Does this sorcerer even have a weakness?" the fat one asked.
"His lust for power is his weakness, and the gauntlet the source of his power. Already these things have almost cost him, for there was a book holding an evil man by the name of Khartoum. Mozenrath's lust for power led the young sorcerer to make a powerful stone capable of freeing him. He in turn, once free after tricking him, a rare feat in deed, zapped the young ruler's powers for a time. As Jafar was to Aladdin, so Khartoum is to Mozenrath."
"Where is this Khartoum book?" the second triplet asked.
"Mozenrath has put it away along with the stone hidden in the Citadel," she replied.
"So, we could go there, steal them, resurrect this Khartoum, then use him to destroy Mozenrath and Aladdin, or at least capture them. Where is this land?" the third triplet asked.
"Your plan will work. If he so chooses to, he can also bring back Jafar to help him. The two are like brothers in spirit, mind, and power. Even through, some say, blood. As for the way to the land…" she answered, then proceeded to explain the path.
"You there, stop!" a voice suddenly called from behind. The oracle faded and the thieves whirled only to come face to face with Rasoul! "Guards, come on!" Rasoul called. In fear, Abis-Mal dropped the oracle. The charmer caught it. They instantly bolted. Rasoul drew his sword, but he was no match for the swordsman. Before the other guards had gotten there the thieves were already well ahead.
As they reached the streets of Agrabah the swordsman said, "This plan is ruined before it started!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Abis-Mal demanded.
"It means how can we bait Aladdin with his brother Mozenrath when the two hate each other!" the swordsman asked.
"Blood is blood," the charmer began to answer for Abis-Mal. "Whether or not Aladdin comes to save his life or watch his execution he will come," the charmer finished.
"Execution? What execution?" Abis-Mal asked.
"Of course! An enemy of Agrabah that powerful would be quite the prize," the swordsman caught on.
Abis-Mal thought a moment as they ducked into an alley. He soon said, "Yes, if this Khartoum is Mozenrath's Jafar, then setting up an execution will be easy. Jafar managed to set up Aladdin easily enough. Besides, if he can zap this young sorcerer's magic and give his gauntlet to us, he'll be defenseless. He'll have no way out except for Aladdin, and if Aladdin decides to let him meet his end, he'll at least show up for it. Brilliant!"
They exited the alley only to come upon a merchant, selling horses. They paused then smirked. "Let's get going then," the triplets said together as they smoothly seized three horses and leapt on. Before the merchant could cry out the others had taken their own horses and ridden off towards the desert.
"Stop, thieves!" the merchant cried as they disappeared.