Author's Note: Hallo! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while - I've been juggling a few other fics too. I actually put this down as a fic on hold, but reading people's reviews, I can't help but feel like I should update! And anyways, I haven't been paying enough attention to Alibaba and Morgiana.
Super tons of thanks to kiutemy, Original-Character-Disorder, chocopaste, Guest, and Briianna for reviewing! I love you all so much!
Disclaimer: I don't own Magi: Labyrinth of Magic
It was night once again, and Alibaba was sleeping soundly on the creaky bed at the cheap inn they'd found. Morgiana was feeling especially restless that night – it had been four days since she had promised to train the palace runaway, and she wasn't feeling all too good about it. Alibaba wasn't bad – he actually picked up techniques she set down for him pretty well – it was just that Morgiana couldn't teach him everything in a single week. Even though he was a decent learner, he currently wasn't good enough to fight off a single bandit from the canyons, much less defeat them in the packs they liked to travel in.
Another thing that bothered Morgiana was that Alibaba's sword style was unlike anything she had seen before, which meant she couldn't adapt her teachings very well to suit him better. Morgiana tossed and caught her dagger over and over absentmindedly. She knew she had said that she would leave in a week, but at this rate, Alibaba would be killed.
'Not that I care,' Morgiana thought quickly. She caught the blade quickly and stood up, flinging it at the paper target they had set up on the first day of training. It hit dead center. She shook her head quickly, and went to retrieve her weapon. She couldn't afford to get attached to Alibaba. He would just make her weaker, and she really didn't need that to happen. Inside, though, she knew that she had already warmed to this bright boy, and it would be hard to change that.
In his sleep, Alibaba snuffled and then flipped over, half his body hanging precariously over the edge of the bed. Morgiana looked at the dagger in her hand, at its sharp point and clothed hilt, then back at Alibaba. Taking a few steps forward, her bare feet silent on the wooden floor, she quickly heaved Alibaba back into the bed before retreating to an armchair in the corner of the room and falling asleep.
The fifth day of Alibaba's training wasn't much different from the first four. Morgiana made him do some push-ups, sit-ups, cardio, and other little workouts to help him build a little muscle. Then, they would work on his knife throwing, before finally moving onto sword fighting – well, dagger fighting. It was definitely the hardest Alibaba had ever been worked, and he would find himself sweating profusely, panting hard, with his muscles sore at the end of the day, while Mor stood beside him and looked absolutely fine. He was almost a hundred per cent sure that Morgiana didn't even use half of her full strength while training with him.
After landing on his back after a particularly vicious attack, he heard Morgiana tsk. Alibaba pushed himself up, massaging his tailbone. He could practically feel a bruise forming. "What's wrong," he asked.
Morgiana was staring at the floor, avoiding eye contact like she usually did when she spoke. He wondered if this was just a habit or something she had picked up when she was a… worker. "It won't be enough, you know."
"What won't be enough?" Alibaba asked.
"Training. The Bandit Canyons are filled with dangers. The chances of your death are quite high," Morgiana's tone was blunt with honesty. "It might be better if you stay here."
Alibaba laughed and it sounded partially forced. "This again? I said I'm coming, right? We're partners, now." The last part sounded more hopeful that a statement. "And what would life be without the danger of death?"
"Partners," Morgiana repeated. Her voice was higher than before and she was fiddling with her fingers. "We are not partners. Whatever, just get in stance."
Alibaba grinned and held his dagger in front of him. Before he knew it, his dagger was on the ground, out of reach, and the tip of Morgiana's dagger was at his throat. Morgiana fell back and tossed Alibaba his dagger. "Let's do a little bit of hand-to-hand before we wrap up."
"I can go for a bit more!" Alibaba protested.
The Fanalis tugged on her pink hair. "I have nothing more to teach you. Tomorrow, rest for a day, and then I – we'll leave."
Alibaba nodded, and then readied himself for combat as Morgiana fell into stance. Hand to hand combat was the hardest part of training Alibaba experienced, for multiple reasons. First of all, Morgiana was a lot better at physical fighting than using her dagger, and she naturally used more power. Second, his coordination wasn't all that great. Third, without his weapon, Alibaba felt a million times more vulnerable, and that wasn't doing anything for his confidence.
When he was in a headlock for what felt like the millionth time, the sun was starting to set. Alibaba pulled his pants up to his shins and carefully inspected his legs. Multiple bruises were starting to form. He could point them out and tell how he got them. A large one a little below the middle of his shin from were Morgiana had kicked him so that he'd lost his balance and fell over; a small one on his left calf where Morgiana had struck a short, sharp kick; one just above his ankle, where he'd misjudged the distance of a kick, and smashed it into Mor's knee. (It gave him a small surge of pride that the Fanalis had a matching bruise on her knee where he'd kicked her, though it had probably hurt him more than her.)
Alibaba pulled out his coin bag and opened it. After spending some money on food for the pair of them for the week, and using it to rent the room at the inn, the bag was less heavy than it had been when he had started his journey, though still full enough for a while more. Morgiana glanced at the money in his hand and bit her lip, turning away. Alibaba hastily pulled the drawstrings shut and stuffed it under his shirt. He didn't mind paying for their stay – after all, Morgiana had saved his life, and taken to the trouble of training him, but he knew that it made Morgiana uncomfortable, and she had, though rather gruffly, thanked him multiple times, and expressed her distress at not being able to pay her part.
They walked back to the inn together, where they got dinner at the small restaurant there. When they got back to the room, Alibaba, like he did everyday, offered the bed to Morgiana, but she refused (as she did everyday), and made her way to the couch. Alibaba collapsed on the bed, his aching muscles glad to rest, and fell asleep.
When Alibaba woke up, the soreness in his body was almost gone, replaced with more of a dull pain that could be ignored. He didn't get out of bed, snuggling deeper down the warmed covers instead. Alibaba let his eyes scan the room. Sunlight poured in from the single window in their room. Mor was sitting cross-legged on the floor, her back facing Alibaba. From the look of her soft muscles, and steady breaths she was asleep. How she stayed sitting, Alibaba didn't know.
He crawled out of bed as quietly as he could and pushed the blanket to the side. He then walked over to Morgiana and slowly eased her into his arms. She sighed, but didn't wake. Morgiana was strong and tough, but she was still physically smaller than Alibaba, and was easy for him to carry. Alibaba carried her over to the bed and set her down, gently pulling the blanket over her body. Unlike any other time Alibaba had seen her, where her face was stoic and guarded, her sleeping expression was soft and peaceful. Alibaba smiled, and just stood there for a short while, studying her face. Morgiana was extremely beautiful, her features sharp and exotic. Without really knowing it, Alibaba found himself comparing her to the women of Balbadd. In Balbadd, there were pretty women, too, but next to Morgiana he felt that they would look extremely plain. Finally catching wind of his own thoughts, Alibaba shook his head. After what Morgiana had been through the last thing on her mind would be love. If anything, she'd be more against it than ever.
Alibaba walked over to a large, cloth knapsack they had purchased and started to pack. He placed his spare change of clothes and towel he had brought at the very bottom, and then walked over to the rickety bed stand where a pad of paper and pen lay. He quickly scribbled a note to Morgiana, explaining that he would be off to the market to buy food for their journey. He let himself out quietly and headed in the direction of the market, wondering what foods would be best for their trip. Something filling, like bread would be great, and cheese would add flavor, but might melt in the heat of the canyons. Fruit would rot easily, but he would buy a couple of apples for a snack or two. In the market, he purchased a few loaves of bread and some packets of non-perishables, like nuts or dried fruit. Alibaba also bought a small oblong of cheese that had been wrapped in a layer of wax. The shopkeeper promised that this would prevent the cheese from melting or going bad too quickly, and Alibaba had readily paid for it.
Whistling a jaunty tune, Alibaba started his walk back to the inn, hands tucked safely around a brown paper bag holding his purchases.
When she woke up, the first thing Morgiana noticed was that she was in the bed, and not on the floor, where she had fallen asleep. The second thing she noticed, was that the cheerful prince was nowhere in sight. She felt a rush of concern when she saw that his dagger was on the floor, where it had been discarded the night before. Without his weapon, the boy was basically defenseless. Quickly calming herself down, Morgiana fired up some logical explanations of where he would be. Getting breakfast would be the most logical, but he usually went out to buy it with Morgiana.
Morgiana sniffed, slightly put off that he would just leave. 'If he's not back in an hour,' She thought. 'I'm leaving without him.'
As soon as she'd finished the thought, the door swung open and Alibaba walked through. He grinned at her. "Good morning, Mor!"
Morgiana ignored his greeting and jumped to the point. "Where were you? I'd decided that if you didn't get back, I would leave myself."
Alibaba laughed. "I went to the market to get some food for our journey. I even left you a note!" He pointed at the bedside.
Morgiana turned red immediately and her lips clamped shut.
"Did you not see it or something?" Alibaba asked.
Morgiana shook her head, and mumbled something that Alibaba couldn't make out. "Sorry, what did you say?"
Morgiana huffed loudly, saying, "I can't read, okay?"
It was Alibaba's turn to flush. Of course, with Morgiana's previous position, she wouldn't have learnt how to read. He had just assumed, without thinking, and ended up here, feeling like the most insensitive person ever. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think. I mean, I was stupid. I can… teach you if you want."
The tips of Morgiana's ears colored matching her hair, and her expression was uncomfortable. "No. Or maybe, after we reach the Roi Empire?"
Alibaba beamed. "You got it!" Internally, he felt like punching himself, but refrained from doing so, showing off his purchases instead. After packing away the food in the knapsack, he announced that he was ready to go anytime. He lifted the bag to his shoulders and almost toppled over. The food had certainly added weight, not to mention there were two, large, sheepskin flasks filled to the brim with water. Morgiana rolled her eyes and picked up the bag, slinging it over her shoulders like it weighed nothing. "Since you went to the trouble of buying the food, I'll carry the stuff."
Alibaba chuckled, but nodded. He knew that he wouldn't be able to carry it, and, besides, this was Morgiana's way of thanking him, and if he refused, it would be plain rude.
The pair exited their room, checked out of the inn, and walked east until they passed through the creaky gates of the city. This would be where the real journey begun. A few hours hike through the crumbly, rocky desert, they would reach the Bandit Canyons. The previous prince and slave set off.
Author's Note: Hey everybody! This chapter is longer than the others, just to make up for the long period between updates. I don't know if you picked up on it, but Alibaba never calls Mor a 'slave', and I was trying to write like he felt extremely uncomfortable doing so. For example, when he's thinking about her habits, he trails off, and finally settles as calling her a 'worker'. I think this shows that even though he was a prince, he is still very uncomfortable with the concept of slaves.
Thanks for reading! I'll try and update soon!