Deep beneath the palace of Parro was a dark and sinister dungeon that held the most dangerous low-lives ever. However, at this moment, it also held our innocent hero. Istvan had been chained to the wall by the guards. While struggling to break free, he was scolding himself.
"She was the princess! I must have sounded like such an idiot to her. Now I'm stuck down here." he said.
"Now I wouldn't say that." Istvan looked up to see a familiar friend of his sneaking through a bared window.
"Suni." Istvan said happily.
"Hey buddy." Suni said as she climbed down to the floor.
"Come on, get me out of this." Istvan told Suni, only to receive an annoyed glare. "What?"
"You want to know what, I'll tell you." Suni then pulled out a cloth and put it on her head. "Hi, I'm weak and pretty and want to distract you and blah, blah, blah." Suni said with a high pitched voice, obviously mocking Sayori. "That's what you did. You chose that girl over me."
"Sorry Suni. But, she was in trouble! But she was worth it." Istvan said defending himself.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Suni said picking the lock to the chains.
"Don't worry Suni, there's a law, remember. She's the princess and needs to marry a prince. She deserves a prince." Suni finally got the chains off of Istvan's wrists. "I'm a fool to think I have a chance with her."
"You're only a fool if you give up on yourself."
Istvan and Suni looked into the corner of the dungeon cell they were in and saw a VERY creepy looking old man who had a mess of white hair, tattered clothes, a hunched back, a beard that went all the way to the floor and a cane to hobble on.
"Who's the geezer?" Suni asked.
"I don't know, who are you?" Istvan asked.
"Oh, a lowly prisoner just like you, but together I think we can be more." the old man said, rubbing his fingers together to imply money.
"We're listening." Istvan said as he and Suni became interested in the old man's words.
"There's a cave, a cave of wonders. Full of the greatest treasures imaginable." To prove his point, the old man pulled out a handful of jewels. Suni could barely restrain herself, but the old man took back his small treasure. "Enough, I'd wager, to impress your princess, hmm?"
The man turned away to allow Istvan and Suni to think it over. No sooner had he done that when his hunch poked him. He opened his coat slightly to see Astrias is his hunch.
"Hey Naris, hurry up, I'm dying in here." Astrias said.
The old man, or Naris in a clever disguise, closed his coat and returned to the conversation.
"But the law says that only a prince can marry…" Istvan said before Naris got in his face and cut him off.
"You've heard of the golden rule, haven't you? Whoever has the gold makes the rules." Naris smiled to reveal his horrible teeth, one of which was made of gold. Guess he makes the rules.
"Well, why would you share it with us?" Suni questioned.
"Yeah, why not keep it to yourself?" Istvan questioned.
"I need someone with a strong back and good legs to go in and get it for me." Naris said, patting Istvan on the back and legs.
"One problem, it's out there, we're in here." Istvan had a point. The dungeon is inescapable without getting caught.
"Not so fast! Things aren't always as they seem." As Naris said this, he pushed a block on the wall with his cane revealing a secret passage. "Well, what do you say?" Naris held out his hand and waited for Istvan response. Istvan and Suni looked at each other. They've got nothing to lose.
…
Istvan had agreed to Naris's deal. The two, Istvan on foot and Naris on horseback, headed into the desert where Naris reassembled the Talisman to summon the Cave of Wonders. "Who dares disturb my slumber?" The cave said, just like last time.
"It is I, Istvan." Istvan said as he stepped forward. The cave gave him a questioning look, but obliged.
"Proceed, but be warned, YOU MAY TOUCH NOTHING BUT THE LAMP!" The cave opened his mouth to reveal a staircase into the Cave of Wonders.
Istvan looked back at Naris for a moment. "Remember boy, bring me the lamp, then you shall receive your reward."
That was good enough for Istvan. "Come on Suni." Suni climbed up on Istvan's back, fearing what the cave was guarding exactly.
…
The entrance to the cave was very long because of how far into the ground the main portion was. At the bottom of the staircase, Istvan and Suni had their jaws drop when they saw the treasure room. Mountains of gold and jewels were everywhere.
"Wow! A hand full of this stuff would make me richer than the king." Istvan said.
"Every hero for themselves!" Suni said as she jumped off Istvan towards a gold pile.
"Suni stop!" Suni stopped, just as Istvan told her. "Remember what the cave said. We can't touch anything. Now come on, let's find that lamp."
Suni took one last look at the gold, but grudgingly followed Istvan deeper into the cave. As the two walked on, they failed to notice a carpet come to life. It was purple with red, blue, and yellowish-gold design on it. He was the sole inhabitant of the Cave of Wonders.
Now the carpet didn't see people in the cave very often, and our two heroes were quite interesting, so he decided to tag along. As he followed behind, Suni stopped for a second.
"Why do I have the feeling were being followed." Suni turned around, but the carpet flew onto a pile of gold. Suni saw him only as a carpet and continued walking. The carpet climbed off the pile and began to follow Suni again. Suni stopped and spun around to see if someone was following her and Istvan. The carpet dropped to the ground, but Suni couldn't help but wonder how the carpet moved.
"Hey Istvan something creepy is going on."
"Not now Suni."
As Suni followed Istvan down the hall, the carpet floated over Suni and tapped her on the shoulder. Suni turned around to see who was there, but the carpet flew behind Suni and pulled her tail. Suni turned around struck an attack pose.
"Alright, whoever is doing that, I gotta warn you, I'm a master of Kung-Fu!"
The carpet had an amused look. He never has anyone to play with in the Cave of Wonders. Suni slowly looked over her shoulder to see the carpet just floating there. Suni lost it when he saw the carpet alive, I mean, come on, how often do you see a living carpet that floats.
"Istvan, Istvan you gotta see this!" Suni, in her shock jumped on top of Istvan and knocked him to the ground.
"Suni, what are you doing? Are you crazy?" Sun was forced to grab Istvan head and show him that they weren't alone. "Wow, a magic carpet." Istvan could see that the magic carpet was afraid and was trying to hide behind some treasure. He knew he had to do something to calm him down. "Don't worry, we won't hurt you."
The carpet knew that Suni was still sore about being messed with, so to make it up to her he grabbed a jewel from the pile he was hiding behind and offered it as an apology gift. Now you're probably wondering how Suni would be able to keep it if the cave said you could touch nothing. Well, the answer is that since the carpet lives in the Cave of Wonders he is allowed to touch the treasure and permit others to touch it, to an extent.
Suni, however, was not going to forgive the carpet that easily. "Get that out of my face and hit the road you loser, you're not wanted."
The carpet felt hurt when he heard this, but knew he deserved it. The carpet began to float off in a mopping style. "Suni! Wait, don't go." Istvan said, catching the carpet's attention. "Maybe you can help us."
Istvan had just said the magic words. Hearing this caused him to rejoice.
"We're looking for this lamp." The carpet jumped, knowing exactly what Istvan meant. As the carpet flew off, he gave a wave for Istvan and Suni to follow. "Alright I think he knows the way."
"That or he's leading us into a trap."
"Suni!"
"Alright, alright, but I got my eyes on him."
…
The carpet leads our hero and sidekick through the Cave of Wonders to the center of the cavern. The room was rather plain, but had one eye catching feature. In the middle of the room was a lake with a trail of rocks leading to a large stone staircase leading up to pedestal with a light shining down upon it. On that pedestal was the lamp Istvan had to retrieve for Naris.
As Istvan climbed down onto the first rock on the trail he turned to face Suni and the carpet. "Wait here."
"Whatever." Suni said, annoyed she couldn't go. As Istvan made his way down the stone trail, Suni allowed her eyes to wander and they laid themselves on a massive jewel which was placed in the claws of a golden tiger, similar to the cave's head I might add.
Istvan reached the staircase which began to ascend. Back with the carpet, he was watching in great interest as Istvan made his way to the lamp. The carpet turned around to see Suni making his way to the tiger's jewel. The carpet flew over to Suni and grabbed her tail to prevent her from taking the jewel. Now remember when I said the carpet was allowed to touch the treasure, he cannot, unfortunately, give away all the treasures of the Cave of Wonders, including that jewel.
Istvan was making good progress, compared to Suni anyway. When Istvan reached the top, he grabbed the lamp and lifted it slowly, expecting an Indiana Jones styled trap or something. Istvan, sure everything was fine, took a good look at the lamp, curious to why there was the image of the leopard on the side. "This is what we came all the way down here for, this is…" Istvan started to say before turning around to see Suni struggling against the carpet to get the jewel, "SUNI, NO!"
Too late! Suni had broken free of the carpet's grasp and reached the jewel. "Wow, we're rich. We're…" Suni started.
"INFIDELS!" echoed the cave's voice.
"…dead." Suni finished in a worry tone.
"YOU HAVE TOUCHED THE FORBBIDEN TREASURE."
"Oh, THIS, you can have it back." Suni said as she placed the jewel back in the claws of the tiger's statue. The statue however breathed flames and melted the jewel before melting itself into magma.
"NEVER AGAIN WILL YOU SEE THE LIGHT…OF…DAY!"
With the cave's final threat flames erupted from the pedestal that the lamp was previously on. Istvan had to make a run down the staircase, but tried to stop when he saw the lake had turned into a pool of lava. Istvan couldn't stop, though, because the stairs had become a slide and was sent flying off to die in the lava. Istvan braced for impact, but it wasn't necessary since the carpet flew over and rescued him.
Suni had ran out onto the stone trail to avoid the statue turned lava, only to regret her decision when she saw the rocks exploding from the lava. Suni noticed all the rocks we're exploding leading up to her, she was trapped.
"Uh, guys, a little help." Istvan and the carpet saw Suni jumping up and down, waving her arms in fear. The rocks next to Suni each exploded, leaving her on the last remaining rock. "Now would be good." Istvan and the carpet flew overhead and grabbed Suni just as the rock exploded.
"Let's get out of here carpet." Istvan said. The three flew back through the cavern as a wave of lava pursued them. The cave itself was beginning to fall apart. Suni, in fear, clung to Istvan's head. Istvan had to pry Suni off repeatedly. "Suni, come on. This is no time to panic."
Suni looked ahead and his eyes went wide. "Can I panic now?"
"Why?" Suni pointed ahead, showing that the group is headed for a wall. "Start panicking."
Panicking was not necessary with the carpet. He knew the Cave quite well and knew there was a massive hole right before the wall. That hole lead straight back to the treasure room where he met Istvan and Suni. The wave of lava crashed down on the treasure destroying it, not that this was a concern to anyone at the moment. The concern was in the two hands of fire about to grab them.
Up topside, Naris watched in horror as the cave roared evilly preparing to close.
The carpet, Istvan, and Suni were about reach the exit when a rock fell and knocked the carpet to the ground and crushed him. Suni had been shot past Naris while Istvan landed on the very edge of the cave's teeth, but he wouldn't be there for long.
"Give me the lamp." Naris yelled.
"I can't hold on for long, give me your hand." Istvan retorted.
"First give me the lamp." Istvan knew there would be no way to argue with a crazy, "old" man, so he gave him what he wanted. "AT LAST!" Naris yelled to the heavens, dropping the old man bit in the process.
As Naris pocketed the lamp, he noticed Suni trying to pull Istvan up. The fiend walked over, knocked Suni aside, and grabbed Istvan by the wrist. "Hey, what are you doing?" Istvan asked.
"Giving you your reward, boy." Naris said as he pulled out a knife. "Your eternal reward."
Istvan watched in shock as Naris readied himself to kill him. Suni was not about to let some creep push her or her best friend around, so she jumped and bit Naris's arm. The pain not only caused Naris to drop the knife, but Istvan as well.
"Maybe I didn't think this out." Suni said.
"Oh, you definitely didn't think this out." Naris said as he picked up Suni and threw her into the Cave.
As Istvan and Suni fell, the carpet finally freed himself from under the rock that crushed him earlier. The carpet quickly flew up and caught his new friends, but Istvan landed head first against the rocks, knocking him out.
The cave released a final roar as he submerged back into the sand, the talisman halves scattering to the far ends of Parro. Naris, after making sure he was safe, laughed evilly, removing his fake beard as well. "At last it's mine, it's mine, it's…" Naris reached into his pocket to grab the lamp, but felt nothing. "What? Where is it?" As Naris felt himself for the lamp he came to the conclusion, his prize was gone.
"NOOOOOOO!" echoed into the night.
…