Seven devils all around you
Seven devils in your house
Well I was dead when I woke up this morning
And I'll be dead before the day is done
_
The great rocky crags jutted up from the ocean like curved daggers thrusting into the sky. The waves crashed against them angrily, as though trying to break them down. "This is the island of Machana." Iago pointed to the central formation, a huge monolith made from sea glass and coiling into the heights.
"Not exactly the most welcoming of places." Mozenrath commented as the soared to the top. A cavern had been carved into the shape of a skull with it's mouth wide open.
"This from the guy with undead servants and snakes on his door." The bird was getting entirely too comfortable with backtalk. Mozenrath seriously debated giving him a good solid jolt of energy to teach him better manners but Xerxes saved him the trouble. Nipping at the blue tail feathers and sending the bird screeching into the tree branches.
"Mozenrath!" Aladdin shouted as he protected Iago and Abu shook an angry fist at the hissing eel. "Keep a handle on that…thing."
"It's not my fault if he doesn't like your pet's attitude." Mozenrath defended, stroking his familiar with a wicked smile. They landed inside the skulls mouth. "So the orb is in there?"
"Yeah, but I'm hoping we can skip the three great obstacles, seeing as how we already managed them once before."
"You certainly do get around hero." There was actually a note of impression in the sorcerers voice as the tread deeper into the tower. Spider webs blocked the path and Mozenrath made a face as he dusted them off his finery. Xerxes on the other hand seemed to be having great fun gulping down the arachnids and had twitching legs hanging from his teeth when he came back to his masters side. "Xerxes that is disgusting." He chastised and the eel looked crestfallen.
They crossed a narrow set of stairs and went through an arched doorway. It opened up into a dimly lit cavern with large pillars, each one shining a fluorescent greenish-blue glow from the imbedded sea glass. "Impressive." Mozenrath said non chalant and touched along the pillar. It gave the room an eerie beauty that he was accustomed to.
However the giant archway on the other side made him more than a little nervous. Nobody makes an archway that big if they don't want something equally big to come through it. He mused.
As if on cue the floor vibrated with the falling of heavy footsteps. A guttural sound echoed from the arch. Mozenrath was suddenly reminded of just how helpless he was at the moment. "You've…done this before right?" he said to Aladdin, trying to keep all the nervousness out of his voice.
It was something of a comfort to know that Mozenrath was just as nervous. "Yeah. Genie had a cold and we needed the orb to cure him. I'm hoping Machana will remember us…fondly." He added.
Mozenrath jerked around like he was about to punch the street rat. "You hope he remembers you fondly? I swear for one of the supposed good guys you have more enemies than I do!"
"It's an occupational hazard." Aladdin said as the voice called out into the room.
"Who dares disturb the slumber of the great Machana?" A shadow appeared as the footsteps continued to come closer. The group looked up as a crocodile headed figure, easily as tall as the walls around Agrabah, stepped into the cavern. It roared threateningly, it's blue eyes landing on the intruders. "Who are you who seeks the orb of Machana?"
"I'm Aladdin and this is…" he made to gesture to Mozenrath.
"Wait…wait a minuet hold on here!" the voice turned irate and a hand reached down, plucking up the hero from the ground like an ant. The blue eyes narrowed as they looked at him cautiously. "I know you! You're that kid! That that that street rat who turned up and answered the riddle!"
"Somehow I don't think he remembers you fondly!" Mozenrath couldn't help but shout out mockingly. "I'm just saying…" he shrugged as the Genie punched a fist into his palm meaningfully.
Machana ignored him however. "Whadaya think this is a two for one sale? You pass all the obstacles and now you can just waltz in here whenever you please?" He dropped Aladdin back on the ground and pointed to where they'd come from. "No no. It doesn't work like that! One orb per customer. Go on! Shoo! Out ya go!"
"Hold on a moment!" Aladdin protested. "This orb isn't for me! I needed the last one to curse my friend from a cold!" he indicated Genie and then pointed to Mozenrath. "This time I need one for him."
The alligator head arched and came down, looking at Mozenrath an uncomfortably long time. "He looks healthy to me. What's wrong with him…besides being scrawny?"
Aladdin nudged Mozenrath and the sorcerer gave him a look of loathing. He jerked his head towards Machana and gestured as if to say 'go on, show him.'
Mozenrath took a deep breath and undid the bindings on his arm, lifting the bleached white digits up. The greenish light of the room gave it a sickening quality and Machana made a look of disgust.
"Errrugh. What'd you do to yourself kid? Did get your arm caught in a wheat thresher or what?" He stood back up as Mozenrath fumed hotly. Machana ignored him. "Alright I see your point. But you still can't just stroll in and get one." He accused. "But hey, I'm a fair guy. So here's what we'll do." He nodded to Mozenrath. "You have to pass the obstacles. On your own. With no help from the peanut gallery."
Mozenrath looked over at Aladdin cautiously the hero nodded. "Alright. Fine. Let's get this over with."
"Hold your horses kid." He poked Mozenrath in the chest hard enough to send him sprawling in the dirt. "What's your name?"
"I am Mozenrath, ruler of the land of the black sand." He said proudly as he stood up, brushing dust from his cloths.
"Mozenrath! Quiver in fear before the first great obstacle of Machana!" He roared and the roof of the cavern began to quake, sending a shower of rocks and dust on them all.
"Don't worry." Aladdin said jovially. "Last time he asked me to stick out my tongue and touch my forehead."
"Ahh! You think you've clever don't you?" Machana said and both sorcerer and hero gave him a look of sheepish guilt. "Well the challenges have changed since you're last visit. What? Did you think I'd let you go off and tell everyone how to get through here?" he laughed triumphantly. "Oh no. I should thank you. You made me realize I needed to step up my game for the next gooder."
"One, I'm not a do gooder." Mozenrath said as though he'd been dealt a grave insult. "Two, I hate you." He pointed to Aladdin angrily. "And I blame you for this."
"Me? How was I supposed to know you'd come along and drag me out on this adventure?" Aladdin defended.
"I blame you because one way or another you always manage to make my life more difficult!" Mozenrath shot back. "I swear even when it has nothing to do with you! I could start something a hundred miles away from Agrabah and I'd be willing to bet my other hand you'd show up to make a mess of it!"
"Well maybe this time you should be grateful considering I'm trying to save your life!" Aladdin poked Mozenrath in the chest and crossed his arms.
"Hey break it up break it up!" The alligator faced Machana put a large hand between them with a heavy thud. "Have your little lovers quarrel later."
"WHAT!?"
Machana actually recoiled from the combined force of their outraged yell. "Hey I'm not here to pass judgment I just do the obstacles."
Aladdin turned to chastise his friends (who frankly seemed to find the implication hilarious) while Mozenrath turned about five different shades of red and moved as far away from Aladdin as he could get without being conspicuous. Even Xerxes seemed to be getting a laugh out of it. He stopped at a vile look of impending doom from his master and hid behind the Genie.
"Traitor." Mozenrath muttered and turned back to the immortal being before them. "Alright. Let's get this over with. What is the first obstacle?"
Machana grinned cleverly. "Now pay close attention." He leaned in to the sorcerer. "When I was going to St. Ives I met a man with seven wives. Each wife had seven sacks. Each sack had seven cats. Each cat had seven kittens. Kittens, cats, sacks and wives. How many were going to St. Ives?"
""A math problem?" Aladdin said suddenly and began stroking his chin.
"Don't strain yourself street rat." Mozenrath said over his shoulder as he began doing the calculations in his head. Seven and seven is forty nine. Times seven again comes out to three hundred and forty three… He didn't realize it but he was moving his finger in the air along with the calculations, mumbling quietly.
"What's the matter? Didn't think Algebra had real world applications?" Machana laughed triumphantly. "Come on come on! I haven't got all day!"
"Hold on a moment!" Mozenrath said without breaking his concentration. Three hundred and forty three multiplied by seven equals…carry the two over then the three… He doubled checked his math again and smiled. "Two-thousand four hundred…" he stopped mid-sentence. "Wait. Wait hold on." He changed position.
"Well? What's your answer?" the creature pounded its fists eagerly.
"Just give a man a minuet." Mozenrath said plaintively as he went back over the problem. "Can you say it one more time?" Machana rolled his blue orbs and repeated the question.
When I was going to St. Ives I met a man with seven wives. Each wife had seven sacks Each sack had seven cats. Each cat had seven kittens. Kittens, cats, sacks and wives. How many were going to St. Ives? He repeated the words again, turning it over in his head. "It's not math…it's a riddle." He smiled slyly as Machana began to look worried. "When I was going to St. Ives." He said triumphantly. "I was the only one going to St. Ives. Everyone else was walking the opposite direction!" he held up a finger. "Just one."
Machana crossed his arms and grumbled. "That's correct. You think you're so clever. Did yer boyfriend over there teach ya that trick?" Before Mozenrath could do more than bluster Machana directed them through the archway. "Well go on! Next obstacle right through there! Can't miss it!"
"That was clever." Aladdin admitted as they continued down the hall. "How did you figure that one out."
"It wasn't that hard. I used to like riddles all the time when I was a child. It was fun trying to figure out where the trick was." He caught Aladdin's' expression.
"Nothing. It's just hard to think of you as a child that's all."
"Everyone had a childhood Aladdin, including me. I grew up just like everyone else… well…maybe not just like everyone else." He had the candor to admit.
"Awww! I'll bet you were just a little cutie!" Genie poofed forward, dressed now in a polka dot fifties dress. He took out a wallet and letting the train of pictures fall from the air to the ground. "Come on now? Did widdle baby Mozie have pudgy cheeks?" he wrapped a friendly arm around Mozenrath and grinned.
Mozenrath gave a beleaguered sigh. "Gauntlet or not, if you touch me again I swear I will come down on you like the wrath of the gods bellow." His voice so deadpan it actually made the genie shiver. The blue djinn poofed back next to Aladdin and jerked a thumb at the sorcerer.
"What's his problem?"
"Heck if I know. Maybe he's more nervous than he's letting on." Aladdin surmised as they continued into the next cavern. "He certainly doesn't take getting teased very well."
"Yeah, he took that whole jibe about being your boyfriend real personal." Genie observed.
"Well he does hate me." Aladdin reasoned.
The walls opened up as the cavern grew into a new room. It was hung with thick curtains of clinging spider webs as the shadow of a massive arachnid of gold and red dropped down from above them.
"Tremble in fear mortals!" Machana landed before them, the skull like visage of his new form towering. "You have reached the second great obstacle of Machana!" He laughed with mocking effect, his long spider legs lifting in the air as he produced a cube about the size of a pomegranate. He held it down to the sorcerers level. Mozenrath could see that each side was composed of nine smaller cubes, all one color.
"Now Mister Smartie Britches let's see ya figure this one out." He took the cube and began to twist it back and forth. Mozenrath tried to keep up with his movements but with eight legs he was going far too fast. A moment later the cube was entirely disorganized, each side now a collection of all the combined colors. "You have one hour. Either return the cube to its original state, or suffer the consequences."
Mozenrath caught the cube and turned it over in his hands. "You've got to be joking." He said and began trying to see the trick. "It's impossible." He surmised after a few minutes.
"You haven't even tried yet." Machana actually sounded disappointed as Aladdin strode forward.
"Here let me see…"
"Naah!" Machana poked him back with a sharp leg. "No helping."
"But what happens if he fails?" Aladdin started.
"Hey nobody said you had to stay for the show. It isn't your lives on the line here. You can feel free to leave at any time." Machana stated, pointing at the exit.
Aladdin frowned. "No thanks. We'll stick around."
"Aww see now that's nice." Machana said with sincerity. "By the way you two make such a cute couple."
He heard a groan of exasperation from Mozenrath and it was Aladdin's turn to blush. "Look could…could you please stop saying that? You're making everyone uncomfortable."
"Oh no right I get it!" The spider thing said and nudged Aladdin with a wink. "On the down low right? I'm cool."
"That what? No. That's not what I mean." Aladdin tried to explain. "He and I…we aren't…I mean I'm married…to a woman…who I love. A lot" He paused as Machana looked at him with sarcastic disbelief. "She's a princess." He said as though that carried any weight.
"There!" Aladdin and Machana both turned to see Mozenrath holding a completed cube with a wry smile. "Finished." He tossed it back to Machana who almost dropped it in surprise.
"What? That's impossible? Did you peel off the stickers?" He began checking it in earnest.
"No you just didn't count for my intelligence." Mozenrath said smugly. "Well? Are we going to get to the next challenge or not? I'm starting to get bored."
Aladdin looked at him and shook his head. "You just couldn't help yourself could you?"
"You think you're so smart hmm?" Machana leaned close and Mozenrath became aware of just how sharp the teeth were. "Well I've got news for you buster, the last obstacle is the hardest. And if you fail, I'll crush you till you're nothing more than a greasy smear on the rock."
Mozenrath swallowed hard as the spider disappeared down the next tunnel.
Aladdin waited until Machana was entirely out of shouting distance before he turned to Mozenrath and asked. "Okay, how'd you do it?"
"Do what?"
"The puzzle box. How did you solve it? I've never seen anything like that and you did it in like five minuets." Aladdin seemed impressed enough that Mozenrath allowed himself a very small smile directed at the street rat.
"Honestly?" he said and quickly plucked a feather from Iago's tail. The parrot squaked and flew off. He closed his eyes and slowly the feather changed from vivid blue to green, the yellow, the red, then white, orange, and back to blue. "I could have solved it the right way, but it would have taken too long. So…"
"You cheated." Aladdin grinned and took the feather.
"It wasn't technically cheating. All he said was that I had to return the cube to its original state. He didn't say how I had to go about doing that." Mozenrath seemed particularly pleased with himself.
Aladdin chuckled. "Maybe I don't give you enough credit Moze."
"I can be very resourceful when the need drives Aladdin." Mozenrath shrugged. "A trait we seem to share."
"It's so nice when you two are getting along." Iago said with heavy implication in his voice. Mozenrath suddenly seemed to come back to himself and up went the walls. He scowled darkly and walked down the tunnel ahead of the group.
"Iago." Aladdin chastised. "He was actually being semi-normal for a second."
"Hello? Am I the only one who remembers who we're dealing with here? This is Mozenrath! The guy who turned his mentor into a walking cadaver! The guy who made a career outta twisted arcane magic and brooding!" The bright red parrot squawked. "And you're sittin here play patty-cake like a couple of college roomies."
"Birds gotta point Al." Genie agreed. "We gotta remember who and what Mozenrath is. A few minuets of good mood doesn't make up for everything he's done."
"Yeah. I know." Aladdin agreed with a sigh. "I guess it's in my nature to trust people too much."
"Hey don't beat yourself up buddy. It's worked out in your favor before!" Genie tried to lighten the mood. "Remember Amal? Transformed into an immortal creature of darkness for seven years until…" he made a bright blue poof. "…saved! By your friendship."
Abu nodded and chittered out a 'Yeah.'
"And lets not forget Sadira. Witch of the sands, huge obsessive crush on you. Over time you even won her over." Genie said smartly.
"Yeah but Amal just had to reminded who he was already. And Sadira wasn't really evil, just lonely. Besides Mozenrath doesn't have a crush on me." He stopped. "At least I really hope not."
'My point is, you've done a lot of good before just by befriending people.' Genie had. "But I think your tendency to be the nice guy might need to be curbed a bit in this instance."
"Alright I get it. But hey who knows. Maybe when we save his life Mozenrath will take it as an opportunity. A second chance." As they rounded the corner and saw Mozenrath standing there in all his dark angst, eyeing them impatiently and sneering as they entered into the next room. "Maybe not."
This cave was filled with stalactites, each pointing down at them with threatening emphasis. The pillars were more squared and solid, layered back into row after row and giving the room a look of infinite space. The dust about their feet picked up as great wings beat through the corridor.
A majestic gryphon, the color of gold and tawny sands, landed before them, it's bulk blocking any hope of exit. He lowered his head to Mozenrath's level and eyed him with lethal intent. "You must now answer the third and final test of Machana! Fail, and you'll grease my beak with your blood!" he stomped down a paw just in front of the young wizard, making him stumble and fall backwards. "And Aladdin there will be looking for a new beau."
"HE IS NOT…!" Mozenrath stopped mid sentence and put his face to his palm, rubbing his sinuses with his fingers. "Can we please just get on with this?"
"Fine fine." Machana waved it off and gave an official cough. "The last test is a series of questions which you must answer perfectly in order to succeed." Machana chuckled as Mozenrath steadied himself. "The first question: What…is your name?"
Mozenrath's face fell, turned to look at Aladdin who shrugged, confused. "Mozenrath."
"What…is your favorite color?"
His lip curled, feeling as though he was being teased. "Purple."
"What…is the airspeed velocity of an un-ladened swallow?"
The sorcerer opened his mouth, stopped, and closed it again. He didn't want to risk saying anything until he had an answer. Suddenly he smiled. "African or European?"
Machana stared. "What?"
"You heard me. An African or European swallow?"
"Well…well what does that matter?" Machana said irritably.
"Because one's faster than the other. It really isn't fair to give me a question if you don't have the specifics laid out." Mozenrath pointed an accusing finger. "Unless of course…you don't know the answer."
Machana paused and looked quite put out. He growled and tapped his large paw angrily on the ground. "Alright. Okay you win. I give up." He groaned as a small door opened up in the chest. "I tell ya kid you can really pick 'em." He accused as a small blue beetle tossed a rope from the door. "Just gimmie a minuet to go get an orb okay. You wait here."
"A beetle?" Mozenrath rounded on Aladdin. "This whole time I was trying to impress a beetle?"
The hero shrugged. "Some things just aren't what they appear."
"Spare me." Mozenrath turned his back to the group. "At least this is over."
"Oh no sweet Mozenrath." Said a voice entirely devoid of warmth. ""It has barely begun."
"What?" Mozenrath turned slowly, the voice chilling through to his very core. "No." he said in a threadbare whisper.
Standing at the entry was a man taller than any of them by a good two feet. His build was lanky and twisted, his face full of gaunt lines and a sickening smile. His beard and mustache were peppered with black and grey and he wore finery that had gone out of style at least a decade before. There was an air of power to him, threatening but old, as though it was having trouble focusing.
"Who is that?" Aladdin asked curiously, then he recalled the shape of the hat and the shallow, slightly greenish color of the skin. "Is that…?"
Destaine laughed and summoned his magic, making the walls crack and crumble around him. "Tremble pathetic mortals! Tremble at the return of the mighty…"
"It's Destaine!" Iago screeched and ducked behind Aladdin. "Hide me!"
It took all his pride for Mozenrath not to follow the same path. Instead and turned to the Genie. "Give me my gauntlet!" he ordered quickly.
"Pthhhhbut! Not a chance wiz kid!" Genie said as the sorcerer began to charge his power about his hands.
Aladdin and the group ducked as the first volley of rocks soared through the air at the new wizards command. They struck the ground like little bombs, exploding into the ground and sending shrapnel of stalactites everywhere.
Mozenrath turned again. "You have to! It took the gauntlet to defeat him last time. We don't stand a chance like this!" he insisted.
"Yeah well he doesn't exactly look defeated to me." Aladdin answered. "Genie, sword!"
The djinn gladly poofed one into Aladdin's hand and Mozenrath stared agape. "He gets a sword and I'm standing here naked in the breeze? Give me something to defend myself with!" Another poof and Mozenrath stood there holding a wooden handle with a cylindrical tube attached to it. When he touched it squished softly and the entire thing was held together with a greyish silver tape. "What in the…?"
"It's a boffer." Genie said wickedly. "And you'd better get used to it cause it's the closest thing I'm letting you have to a weapon." He sped off before Mozenrath could come up with a scathing retort.
Aladdin was already moving his way past the attacks to get closer to the wizard. "Who are you?"
The man rounded on him, eyes taking in the youth. "A better question would be who are you boy?" he said and sent a wave of radiating power at Aladdin. "I don't recall Mozenrath having any friends like you around."
"We're not friends." Aladdin said pointedly, remembering what Iago and Genie had said. "I'm just here to help him." He dodged the magic meant to take him out and blocked the next shot with his sword, sending it doubling back at the sorcerer.
"I see. Such a pity. I could have had so much fun with the both of you." Destaine commented as he absorbed the returning power. "Perhaps I still can!" he chuckled and the rocks began to raise, imbued with his power. "Now tell me, where is my star pupil. I'd like to have a few words with him before the reunion begins."
"I'm right here you old vulture." Mozenrath said sharply, holding out the wooden core of the boffer and pressing all the power he could into it. The wood was certainly not meant to hold magic for long, but it would be easier to give it a full charge now than attempt to continuously try and rebuild how own. Without further ado he fired on Destaine, the flames landing precariously close to Aladdin's position without actually hitting him.
Destaine flung up his cape with snide inflection. "That is the best you can do? I could have sworn I taught you better than this."
"Well enough to destroy you once old man!" Mozenrath fired another bolt. This one was a little closer to the mark and the old wizards turban flared brilliantly as Mozenrath tried to line up another shot. "And I can do it again!"
"Ah! I think you'll find me a greater challenge without your glove boy." Destaine launched a wave of power through the air and it connected with Mozenrath, sending him spiraling back into a pillar. "So much for the promise of the next generation." He grinned and began to approach his former pupil as Mozenrath struggled to stand. "Now what to do with you first…"
"Now Genie!"
"What?" Destaine turned and his face blanched as a stream of solid water blasted into his torso, slamming his back against the walls.
"Come on!" Aladdin held out his hand to Mozenrath who was just desperate enough to let himself be pulled onto the rug. "We have to figure out a strategy to take him down. If could just…"
"No. Listen to me." Mozenrath said quickly, righting himself. "The only way I did it the first time was with the gauntlets help. He isn't even at half his full strength and we aren't even touching him!" his point was made for him as the rocks around Destaine exploded and the man fired off a bolt at the Genie, sending the blue entity through the air and across the cavern. "We need to get the orb and heal me first. We can decide what to do from there."
" But we can't just run away."
"It's not running away! It's strategic repositioning." Mozenrath argued. "Machana went that way!" he nudged the carpet. "Come on."
Destaine gathered himself up and smiled. "And where do you think you can run to that I can not find you Mozenrath?" He grinned, summoning six of the mamlucks from the black sands. With a single movement they fell to the ground in shambles, mixing with the rocks and stalactites as he shaped their being. Within moments, six hounds stood before him, dead golem like creatures growling and snarling for blood. "Go! Find Mozenrath! Slaughter the others and feed but bring the pup to me!" They howled and obeyed.
The howl echoed and Aladdin half turned. "What was that?"
"Something we don't want to catch up with us." Mozenrath said as they entered a room filled with shelves. "What? He had all of these and he gave us such troubles over just one?"
"It's called a trial. You're supposed to earn 'em you ingrate." Machana said, rolling one over. "And what you couldn't practice a little patience as well?"
Mozenrath ignored the comment and reached to take the orb.
He jerked back his hand just in time as the orb burned furious red and exploded. "What? No!"
Destaine laughed triumphantly as he entered the hall. His magic swarmed out to the nearest shelves, the orbs nearest him turning red and imploding. "Now what sort of trouble have you gone and stirred up here?" he wagged his finger as though disciplining a child. "You will have to be punished for this Mozenrath."
"I've had enough of your punishments to last a life time." Mozenrath said and raised his staff up. Instead of aiming for Destaine he instead aimed for the ceiling. The next bolt of energy brought down several of the sharp stalactites. They missed the old mage by a hair as he dissipated and reappeared in a new place.
"One would never know, seeing the company you chose to keep." Destaine mocked. "Who is your new friend?" he gestured to Aladdin. "Don't be shy Moze. Introduce me."
"I'm Aladdin." The street rat said bravely, brandishing a sword. "And I already know who you are. So why don't we skip the pleasantries?"
A cruel smile. "Fair enough." He raised his arms as the dogs he had conjured leapt from the doorframe, one of them tearing into the djinn with its sharp teeth, the other grasping carpet by the tassels and grounding the group.
Aladdin and Mozenrath both tumbled to the floor, trying to find their footing before Destaine made the next wall of orbs implode, sending a shower of glass and wood everywhere. "We have to get one of those orbs before he destroys them all!" Mozenrath shouted.
"You find an orb!" Aladdin answered back. "Well take care of Destaine. GO!"
Mozenrath didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed the staff and grimaced. There were only a few charges left and he wouldn't be able to fill it again without time to recuperate his own magic stores. He would have to take his shots carefully. He headed off down the aisles.
'Hey! Hey! HEY!" He lifted his foot, realizing he had almost stepped on the blue beetle. "What in the world is going on here?" Machana stood up, shocked as he looked around at his stored orbs being destroyed. "You! You little malcontent! You're responsible for this!"
Mozenrath rolled his eyes, not particularly caring what the creature though. He moved, looking and shoving aside the destroyed orbs as he tried to find one intact. Another explosion told him that the likelihood of this was getting less and less by the moment. A blood curdling howl followed by a masculine scream roused his attention. It sounded like Aladdin was finding out just how difficult it could be to face a wizard like Destaine. A part of his wanted to say it served the street rat right…
But mostly he was sincerely hoping that the hero's good fortune would hold out.
"Yes!" he cried out as a smooth, round orb touched his hand and he pulled it from the wreckage. He could feel the power within it swirling and warming his skin happily. It was a comforting sort of warmth that gave one peace in their deepest center. A clear mark of healing magic at it's highest. Mozenrath held the orb close and closed his eyes to absorb the power…
He sensed the sudden magical current just in time to turn. Destaine's power hit the orb at full speed and Mozenrath felt everything scream with hard, violent energy as the orb exploded against his chest. He could not even yell in pain as the backlash of power sent him flying back through the aisles and into a wall. There was a sickening sound of bone cracking and his head swam.
There was a nauseous feeling in the pit of his stomach as he tried to stand and fell back to the ground. He supported himself on his hands and knees as he raised up and tried to spot Aladdin. The hero was unconscious only ten feet away, surrounded by burning wreckage and his Genie was still contending with two of those hounds. Mozenrath took a breath and looked instead for Destaine.
"Right here Mozenrath." A hand tangled in his hair and yanked him up from the ground as it had when he was a child. He struggled against it and a hard strike caught him full in the face. Another. Another. Another, until his nose began to drip blood. The Destaine hit him hard enough to send Mozenrath to the ground, his entire body hurting. "Now my sweet little Mozenrath, what have you managed to get yourself into?"
He looked down and realized that the explosion and burned away his top and bandage, revealing the full extent of damage. He clasped his hand to the bone and began trying to scoot away.
"Poor poor Mozenrath. You always were so prone to injury." As if to emphasize his point he lashed at the young man with the heat of his powers, entrapping him in a torrent of angry energy. Mozenrath gasped and bit down hard, wave after wave of pain hitting him until he bowed. "Now don't be like that." Destaine said in a voice full of false pity. "Come to your master. I'll make it all better." His grin was positively disturbing. "Didn't I always?"
There was a movement and a glint of steel so fast that Mozenrath jumped as he heard Destaine scream in agony. He was surprised more than he could say when he saw Aladdin, baring his teeth right next to him, his sword thrust up into Destaine's shoulder blade. "I'd worry about yourself first!" he shouted and grabbed Mozenrath's arm. "Come on! This whole place is going to collapse!"
The raced past, the carpet swooping down the grab ahold of their group as the last of the orbs fell from their shelves and smashed on the ground. The djinn disappeared from the jaws of one of the hounds and reappeared net to Aladdin as they moved through the tunnels and back out from the caves skeletal maw. It collapsed behind them, the tall towering spire upon which it had rested crumbling down.
"Well that should keep Destaine busy for a while." Aladdin said with a jovial smirk and looked at Mozenrath. It surprised him to see the sorcerer staring silently at the rubble, his face drawn with a strange emotion.
"Not long enough." He said after a while. "Besides, what does it matter? We lost the orbs."
"Yeah but their not the only thing with healing powers." Genie chipped up, always able to find some shred of good news. "Al, do you remember the golden thread of Mothias?"
Aladdin snapped his fingers. "Of course! We used it before when Nefir put that sleep spell on me. We could use the string to…"
"No we can't." Mozenrath said hollowly. "The thread only works on minor ailments. It's not a spell component or a healing reagent. It's an alchemic ingredient. It wouldn't be enough…not by a long shot." He clenched his bone fist and it did not miss him how Aladdin grimaced at the sound it made. "If you don't like it then look away." He snapped shortly.
Aladdin chose not to respond as they flew out over the bay. There was a small town near by where they could resupply before heading off again. If Mozenrath was right and Destaine was powerful enough to get out of there alive, it wouldn't be wise to stay in the same area.
He had surprised himself with his actions in the cavern. It wasn't like him to take such definitive action like that. And certainly not outright stabbing someone! That wasn't like him at all! He hadn't thought about it at the time, and he wasn't going to say anything at this point, but he had been conscious when Destaine had been talking to Mozenrath, waiting for the two of them to get close enough for him to do something heroic.
Something in the way the old wizard had spoken to Mozenrath set him on edge. It wasn't just the words…it was the tone. The sweet, cajoling, almost sickeningly affectionate way Destaine had talked to his former pupil. Like he was pulling at some invisible string tying them both together. He could almost feel how it had disgusted the sorcerer now at his side to be spoken to like this again. But why?
Maybe he doesn't want to be reminded Destaine had control over him? That would make sense with an ego like his. Aladdin put it to the back of his mind as they approached the town. It wasn't like Mozenrath would answer any questions he might have anyhow.