Chapter Eleven

~Luke~

"Pfffttt!"

Luke was interrupted from his dream by a brief gust of wind that brought with it a wisp of sand into his snoring mouth. He fruitlessly tried to eradicate himself from the unpleasantness he now faced. Hunched over on all fours, he rattled his dry, dehydrated tongue. When he was satisfied that he had done all he could do, he straightened himself and looked up at the sky. He could tell it was still pretty early in the morning and figured it be best to start his recent daily-traveling now before it got too hot.

It wasn't long before he was met by the crippling effects of dehydration and the heat exhaustion that were his loyal companions that accompanied him the previous day. He knew he had to find water soon. He could feel his mind leaving his body as he continued trudging through mounds after mounds of sand. After hours past, what little hope he had began to dwindle away, leaving his thoughts to venture towards a more dismal arena.

'I'm going to die here' was the only thought surfacing through his hazy, clouded mind.

Another hour went by and Luke's spirit was completely shattered; he had given up all hope of ever finding water... or a town... or a person. He continued to march now only out of ceremony. Truth be told, the emptiness and uniformity of the desert put him at a very bad place mentally. He desired for a change in scenery; a palm tree off in the distance, a lonely cloud blowing across the sky, ANYTHING! Anything but the enormous, desolate sandbox where everything looked exactly the same. A forsaken place where he couldn't tell if he was walking in a straight line or walking in circles or even walking AT ALL!

Luke reflected to himself. He saw images of his life from long ago of his friends, his family. He revisited the day when news of his father's death tore the very fabric of reality away from him. He didn't know when he stopped walking, only snapped out of his daydreams long enough to realize his legs no longer moved in the systematical rhythm of before. Blood rushed up his torso and continued upward, attacking his head so that he lost balance and fell to the ground. He laid on his back, arms outstretched. His eyes open but blind to the world before him. This was it. He knew the time had finally come for him to die and he embraced it with opened arms.

A cool wave crashed over his body as he slipped out of consciousness.

.oOo.

Wind blew and howled as a masked figure stood before the limp body of a sandy haired, teenage boy. The boy was laying on his back, arms out in a T-formation. The figure could not help but to think that this individual looked peaceful, despite the long and agonizing death he no doubt had endured. The figure turned, causing the mask to leave the display of the boy to quickly look out at the landscape that entombed him. The figure's hidden eyes searched for any other victims that fell prey to the desert, but none caught their attention. The mask turned back to the boy's still body, and the figure slowly began to shift towards it.

Once the figure was standing above the creature, the mask knelt down for a closer look. The figure, unsure of what to do, raise a hand and placed it on the boy's chest, quietly listening. The mask fell as the person inside said a quick prayer for the recently departed soul, but quickly snapped back up as a realization engulfed it. The realization was then confirmed as the boy gave out a soft groan.

This boy was alive.

.oOo.

Luke's eyes flickered under his eye lids, his mind resurfacing back to consciousness. He blinked a few times, seeing bright dots in black. Then he realized he was looking at the stars in the night sky. He groaned, his neck stiff and sore.

"Back from the dead, are we?"

Luke's shoulders tensed and he twisted his head to face the speaker. A midget of a man was sitting behind him, wearing a tuburn too big for him and blue robes.

"What happen? Where am I?" Luke eyed the strange, little man with confusion.

"Don't you remember? You and your friend were out in this blistering heat when who but little old me comes around minding my own business and is surprised at what I see. Two young people sunbathing in the Sahara. One of them half dead."

The merchant continued with enthusiasm. "So, naturally, I being a good person... and more importantly, a good businessman... I agree to give you two a ride in exchange for some manual labor."

Luke's head was spinning. "Manual labor? What kind of manual lab-," Luke stopped, recalling something the short merchant said. "Friend? What friend?"

Luke instantly thought of Mark, and when the short merchant jerked a thumb to the right, he turned his head in anticipation. It wasn't Mark. Luke was disappointed in his former friend. Beside him, riding a camel, was a person garbed in black. Hiding the face, a black mask wrapped entirely around the whole head, on it small molded details of where a mouth, nose, and two eyes might be.

Luke looked down to discover that he, too, was riding the back of a camel, facing backwards towards the way they came. He faced back to the merchant.

"Why am I on a camel?" Luke questioned.

The short merchant snidely replied, "Because the rental place was all out of magic carpets." He rolled his eyes.

"Why am I backwards?"

"Because you drool. Now stop asking stupid questions!"

Luke refocused his attention back on the masked figure, who seemed to have heard none of the conversation. It stared ahead in a hardened concentration. Luke felt gratitude towards this individual, knowing full well that if he hadn't been found by this mysterious being, that he would have died. He would find a way to thank this person later, right now a more pressing thought occurred to him.

"Where are we going?" He asked the short merchant.

The merchant smiled to himself as if waiting for this particular question.

"We are going to Agrabah," he then added in a ominous tone, "The 'City of Mysteries'."

.oOo.

Luke and the masked individual together walked the clamoring streets of Agrabah. Merchants and vendors from all over set up stalls of goods ranging from clothing to flowers, from jewelry to rugs, and from food to hand-crafted baskets. Luke and his companion walked all the way down the row of merchandise until they reached the stall of their short merchant friend. Luke placed the box of knick-knats on the ground aside, the masked individual following suit. Luke was amazed at the assortment of items that laid on the wooden tables before him.

"Whoa," he said as he examined a peculiar good. "What is this thing?"

"Ooooooh," the short merchant looked towards Luke with delight, "Look at this! I have never seen one of these intact before." He held up the good in his hands and continued, "This is the famous Dead Sea Tupperware. Listen. Pbbtt! Ah, still good."

"Umm, ok." Luke looked at the short merchant in confusion. "What about this?" Luke passed him a second item he found on the table.

"Yes! Heh, heh," the Merchant could barely hold in his enthusiasm. "Combination hookah and coffee maker, also makes julienne fries. Will not break!" To prove his words, the short merchant banged the device against the table. The device broke. The merchant looked irritated then turned away to resume his business. Out of the corner of Luke's eye, a golden-bronzed lamp sat in the middle of all the junk. It intrigued him and he opened his mouth to ask what it was, but he quickly reconsidered when he heard the angry grunts and mumbles coming from the short merchant. Luke and the mask individual resume setting up the merchandise.

When the two finished repaying their debt to the short merchant, they waved goodbye and went to explore the city.

"Wow! This is EXACTLY like that one movie," Luke said out loud, trying to rid himself of the awkward silence that fell between the two. The mask individual remained quiet. Luke, deciding to press on, racked his brain for a topic to discuss.

"So...I get it you're not from around here?"

*Silence*

"I'm not from around here. And when I say here, I mean HERE."

*Still nothing*

"Seriously, one minute I'm in California, the next, laying in the sun while a bunch of turkeys tap dance on my stomach."

*Crickets*

Luke was starting to think this guy thought he was crazy and the silence was making him really uncomfortable.

"Silent type, huh?" Luke let out a sigh.

"Do you glow, then?" A muffled, indistinguishable voice said. Luke jumped when he realized it came from the masked individual.

"Um, yeah," he stuttered out, "how'd you know?" But the mask individual didn't reply and their conversation ended there.

.oOo.

Luke and the Mask continued exploring the streets of Agrabah, Luke taking in the sights and sounds. They took a quick stop at one of the stalls, Luke wanting to replace his tattered clothes. They browsed through the merchandise, Luke eyeing the many options. It wasn't what Luke was used to. The items reminded him something that a high school play with a medium budget would use. After the two shuffled through all the rejects, he settled on a vermillion green cotton T-shirt and chocolate brown cargo pants. He paid for his purchased and stuffed his old, battered clothes into his backpack.

"So..." Luke started, putting his backpack on, "Where should we go now?" As per usual, the Mask did not reply. Instead, the mysterious being turned and made its way through the afternoon crowd. Luke shouted, "Hey, wait up!" and sped off after. The Mask halted for a second, giving Luke a chance to catch up. Panting, he turned to say, "You can't get rid of me that easily." This time, Luke walked in front while the hesitant Mask pondered a thought for a moment, but then trailed on after him.

"Maybe we should head towards the palace," Luke suggested to his silent friend. "I've always wanted to meet royalty!"

The Mask turned in Luke's direction, bewildered by his continuing presence.

Luke, feeling the Mask's unseen eyes on him, decided to try again on starting up a conversation.

"I don't think I've ever introduced myself. My name is Luke." He paused in hope of a response.

Nothing.

"Do you have a name?"

Nothing. Again.

Luke sighed. "Well, I gotta call you something. Hmmm... how about Jamie?"

The Mask slightly turned its head.

"Jamie it is, then," Luke said with a smile. "From here on, I shall refer to you as Jamie." Jamie looked ahead, rolling nonexistent eyes underneath the mask.

After a few more minutes of walking, Luke and Jamie came upon the palace gates. Luke stared in awe at the magnificent structure before him, taking in all its beautiful architecture and exquisite detailing.

"Wow, wouldn't mind living there." Luke looked over to Jamie who stood still, unimpressed by the grandness of the palace. Luke began to swayed, alternating from his toes to his heels when a thought popped up in his mind. "Wonder what it looks like on the inside." Jamie's head snapped around in attention, looking at Luke with surprised. Luke could feel the uneasiness with which Jamie stood and smiled a wide grin. He turned and unlatched the gate, pushing it slowly open, then walked inside. Jamie didn't know whether to follow or not, but after looking around and seeing no guards, stepped inside and lightly closed the gate.

The palace seemed even bigger from the inside. The interior contained high-ceilinged rooms and an elegant decorum of golds and whites. A smell of sweet aromas and fragrances filled the air. Marble floors lined the hallways, which is where Luke and Jamie found themselves now. Luke thought that Jamie seemed a little on edge, as though expecting a guard's shout at the discovery of their presence at any moment. They walked through a tall double door that led out to a spectacular garden filled with a variety of vegetation. The brightest of the colors emitted flower petals blinded him, his eyes unable to capture the beauty. He leaned forward to bury his face in a nearby rose bush, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply.

THUD!

Luke found himself laying on his back, Jamie in the same situation next to him. Mark was sprawled out on Jamie's stomach.

"Mark?" Luke exclaimed, bewildered. There was something moving across his chest and when he looked to see what, he discovered that there was a monkey with a fez outstretched on him. It was the monkey that belonged to Aladdin, Abu. The monkey regained focus, then leapt off the teenage boy and scampered away in a hurry.

"Hey! That monkey owes me money!" Mark exclaimed angrily and took off after him.

"Wait!" Luke and Jamie jumped to their feet and trailed on after the two animals, who disappeared through the gate.

They searched for them in the center of the Bazaar, but got separated in the crowd of people. Luke walked around the street looking for his friends. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a brown and red blur streaking past the legs of unaware pedestrians. Luke pushed his way through the crowd, trying to catch up with Mark. "Mark!"

"Go away, kid! I'm busy!"

"I just want to talk!"

"Forget it, kid. You're bad luck."

"I need to talk to you, please!"

"Fine, but not here and not now. I have a monkey to catch."

"Mark, wait up!

Meanwhile, Jamie had wandered off the road to a small alley where Abu had fled to. Spotting the creature at once hanging by its tail from an above banister, he walked over underneath and stared up after it. Abu gave a devious grin and started taunting in a monkey dialect, aggravating Jamie further. Shouts coming from Luke found their way over to them, distracting Jamie while Abu jumped down onto his shoulder. Quick as a flash, Abu pick-pocketed the lamp from out of Jamie's pocket, the same lamp that Luke saw on the short merchant's table. Legends say that a powerful genie resided inside and, once awakened, would grant three wishes. Jamie had lifted it from the table when no one was looking. He grabbed after it, but was too slow, Abu had already returned to the safety of the above banister.

Outside the alley, Luke had wandered into the middle of the road, finding no sign of Mark. Coming down the road in the other direction was a cart carrying a massive amount of heavy boxes. Luke couldn't hear the noise of it as it came down the path due to all the clamoring of the shoppers. It grew closer and closer at a quickening speed.

Jamie jumped and swung at the monkey thief fruitlessly before noticing what was happening out in the Bazaar with Luke. Jamie looked over with urgent eyes then back up at Abu, knowing that saving Luke would mean losing the precious lamp. In the end, Jamie made the hard decision of abandoning the very item that drew him to the city in the first place. He bolt across the crowd and pulled Luke out of the way just in time, causing the two to fall on their backs.

"Ow," Luke grunted. When he sat back up, he saw the cart that had just gone by and realized how Jamie had saved him. He turned and started to thank his savior, but Jamie stood up mid-sentence and stared over towards the alley. Abu had fled along with the lamp. Luke could sense something was wrong and open his mouth to speak just when Mark approached.

"Dang monkey got away! Sneaky little-" Mark continued to mumble obscenities to himself. Luke stood up and continued to look after Jamie.

"Listen Kid, don't ever loan money to a monkey! Cuz they will NEVER pay you back!" Mark lifted a finger towards Luke, who just smiled in acknowledgement.

"Thanks for the advice," he replied, looking down at the marten.

Mark sighed, "Ah well, not much I can do now," and he turned to walk away. "You coming, Kid?" he shouted back. Luke turned back to Jamie, but he had vanished.

Sad, Luke muttered back, "Yeah. Right behind you."

~The Horned King~

It was a cold and miserable morning. It had rained the night before with the moist evidence still remaining in the atmosphere. The stone courtyard was silent and empty for most of the morning, that is until two dark figures approached the center. One was short and hunched over as he hopped along next to his companion, a lengthy, much taller individual. The shorter of the two looked around nervously, spinning it's head around as if it expected someone to call out, "Hey you!" at the sight of them.

"Relax, Creeper," the tall one commanded. His voice was dark and airy. "No one will come out here. Not today."

The shorter one lifted his head up to look at the one who spoke to him.

"Yes, Sire," the servant named Creeper replied obediently. "Because they're all too busy getting ready for the King's coronation to notice us." Creeper went on, saying this like it was the punch line to a joke. "The fools! Right, Sire?" he looked up at his master with approval-seeking eyes.

"That is correct, goblin," the taller man said to him without returning his gaze. Instead, the man was facing towards a bell tower off in the distance. "Let them celebrate. Today is a day that is worth celebrating for reasons unknown to them," he paused before saying the last part, "Today is the day that I, the Horned King, finally claim what is rightfully mine."

As if on cue, the bell tower he was staring up at chimed seven times.