Night 4- Dungeon Suite

Magi © Shinobu Ohtaka

Nightfall. All was quiet in the town of Qishan, except for the sound of large footfalls being made by Ugo, who stopped at the top of the stairs leading to the dungeon, Amon, with Aladdin and Alibaba sitting upon his shoulders.

The headless Djinn soon shrank down, letting the boys stand before the gate, which had a shining, golden light.

"…This is it," Alibaba said as he stood before the gate. "The entrance to Amon. If anyone even touches the Holy Gate, you get sucked in, instantly…and hardly anyone has come back from this dungeon, alive. Some say it's even 'The Gateway to Death'."

He then turned to Aladdin, who is down on his knees with a somewhat tired expression on his face.

"Aladdin," Alibaba said, "if you wanna turn back, now, this is your chance."

Aladdin didn't answer, for he had his hands around his stomach, feeling it growl quietly. However, Alibaba didn't seem to notice the boy's hunger. He just turned to face the Holy Gate…and not long after, Aladdin stumbled forward, accidentally pushing the blonde-haired teen against the gate, and not long after, the golden light shined brighter as they were both pulled in. Alibaba screamed as he and Aladdin flew through a winding tunnel of gold, and at the end…they found themselves, floating in a black, starry void, and below them was a red earth with pillars of light in various places.

"W…what the…!?" Alibaba questioned before one of the light pillars touched him and Aladdin…causing them both to vanish.

XXX

'…Where…where am I? I…can't see anything…I can't feel anything…I can't even breathe…wait, can't breathe?! Oh, shit! I need air!'

Alibaba struggled to move through the water before he finally emerged, gasping for air. When he did, he saw that, somehow, the water was very shallow, only reaching up to his ankles, at least, and at the bottom, an eight-pointed star was carved into it.

"…What the…?" the amber-haired teen muttered in surprise, but then…

"Hey! Alibaba, you're here!"

Alibaba looked up to see Aladdin, running up and waving to him.

"You finally made it!" the doe-eyed boy exclaimed.

"Finally?" Alibaba repeated, coughing a bit as he did.

"Yeah!" Aladdin answered. "See? I'm all dry."

'But…we went in at the same time!' Alibaba thought in disbelief. 'Is there a time lag in this place?'

"Hey, Aladdin," he said as he stood up and walked out of the cavern with Aladdin walking beside him. "That black sky and that red earth I saw…what was that?"

"I dunno," Aladdin answered, "but it sure was pretty! Although…I can't help but feel like I saw it before."

"Huh?" Alibaba muttered, confused.

"Anyway, come on!" Aladdin said as he took his hand. "While I was waiting for you, I found something that's just as incredible!"

Without warning, he led Alibaba to the end of the tunnel, where a bright, golden light shined, and as they reached the end…they found themselves, standing in the midst of a huge cave with many holes in the walls and various plants growing all around. Even the rocks sparkled!

"H…Holy smokes!" Alibaba cried in awe at the sight. "Look at it all…glittering rocks…and flowers I've never even seen before! This…this is…this is the dungeon!"

"We made it!" Aladdin cheered.

"I can't believe it! We actually did it!" Alibaba exclaimed. "That fountain I ended up in must've been the starting point!"

"The starting point?" Aladdin repeated.

"That's right!" Alibaba answered. "According to The Adventures of Sinbad, 'Passing through the labyrinth gate, beyond shining pillars of light, he found himself at the start. He chose the right and arrived at the treasure vault, and there, he discovered vast riches and the Djinn Metal Vessel'!"

"Wow!" Aladdin exclaimed. "So for the both of us to get what we're looking for, we have to find the goal, right?" He then turned to the tunnels behind him. "But look at all these different holes. Which path do we take?"

No response.

"Uh…Alibaba?" Aladdin asked before he turned around and saw said teen walking towards another tunnel.

"C'mon, Aladdin!" he called. "This way!"

"Eh?!" Aladdin questioned. "W-wait a minute! Don't you think that's kinda random?! A-Alibaba, wait for me!"

As he followed, he stumbled for a moment and then put a hand to his stomach, beads of sweat falling from his face. Then he looked up at the tunnel with an uneasy feeling.

"Aladdin! Hurry up!" Alibaba called from inside.

Not wanting to be left behind, Aladdin hesitantly followed his friend down the path.

XXX

Meanwhile, back in town, Budel, who had been defeated by Aladdin and Alibaba earlier that day, had gone to report to Lord Jamil. However, instead of getting angry, the man revealed some shocking news.

"You're…you're going to what, milord?!" Budel questioned in shock.

"I said I'm going into the dungeon," Jamil answered as he got up from his desk.

"B-but milord!" Budel cried. "Over 10,000 people have entered Amon and none of have ever returned! Even you will die if you go in there!"

"That would be the case, normally," said Jamil. "However…do you remember that boy you saw with the peasant, Alibaba?"

"Y-yes," said Budel, "but what does he have to do with-"

"I've been waiting a long time for him," Jamil said. "At last, I can aim for the top!"

"Huh?" Budel muttered, confused.

"The top?" asked one of his bodyguards. "But you don't have to, Lord Jamil!"

"That's right!" said one of Jamil's servants. "You have money!"

"And slaves!" added another.

"And vast lands, too!" said one more.

"Yes," Jamil agreed. "My realm is…a charge from the country's king." He the turned to look at two of his slaves; a couple of women who were holding wine and fruit.

"Isn't that…infuriating?" the man asked…before he smacked the two women to the floor and began to kick them. "Such inferior food, women, and status will never satisfy me! The king looks down on me!"

Budel and his bodyguard shuddered as they watched Jamil continue to beat his slaves.

"Now is the time for me to conquer the dungeon," Jamil began, "and claim my own country!" He then turned to Morgiana, the man in the metal mask, and several other strange figures in chains.

"Let's go!" he ordered.

The slaves nodded before they followed after him…except for Morgiana, who glanced down at the shackles around her ankles.

"Morgiana!"

Morgiana gasped as she looked at the glaring Jamil.

"I said…let's go," he hissed…gripping the hilt of his sword. Morgiana gasped quietly…before she sighed and dejectedly followed, her chains rattling with every step she made.

XXX

Meanwhile, back inside Amon, Alibaba and Aladdin are still walking through the tunnel the former had chosen.

"It's unbelievable, right, Aladdin?" asked Alibaba. "We'll nab the treasure and surprise that fat pig, Budel! Right, Aladdin?"

A pause…but then, Aladdin suddenly grabbed the back of Alibaba's shirt, causing him to trip and fall on the ground, face-first.

"OUCH!" cried Alibaba as he held his bleeding nose. "Aladdin, what the hell?! Why did you stop me?!"

"It looks a little scary up ahead,," Aladdin answered, "so why don't we go back and think more about which way we should go?"

"What?!" Alibaba questioned. "You're kidding, right?! How are we supposed to find the treasure?!"

"Yeah, I know," Aladdin said, "but…think about it…we'd probably die before we could reach it, right?"

Hearing that caused Alibaba to gasp silently in shock.

"Remember, Alibaba?" Aladdin asked. "You said that this place was like the entrance to death. I'm sure a lot of people have gone in here, but all of them died when they tried to find their way through. It's really dangerous in here, so if there are lots of routes, we shouldn't be so hasty, right? This maze is important for achieving our goals, right? So let's go back and think about it together, okay?"

A pause…but then Alibaba smiled and nodded his head.

"You're right," he said. "Let's go back."

With that, they headed back to the main room to think about their strategy.

The problem was Alibaba was so excited that he entered the dungeon, he just ran ahead without thinking. As for Aladdin, he was surprisingly one step ahead of him because he had arrived before Alibaba and waited for him first. The odd time lag between their arrival had actually saved their lives. However, as they left the tunnel…they didn't notice something lurking behind them in the shadows. It attempted to follow, but blinded by the light from the cave, it retreated back into the darkness.

"Ugh…so many holes!" Alibaba groaned as he looked around. "And they all look the same! How will we know which way to go?!"

"Hey, Alibaba!" Aladdin called as he stood by a tunnel. "Look over here! There's a mark next to this one!"

"Huh?" Alibaba muttered as he went over to see. "Let me see."

He squinted before he saw a small X craved into the wall next to the tunnel.

"Oh, yeah!" he exclaimed. "You're right, little buddy! It's an X?"

"What does it mean?" Aladdin asked.

"Dunno," Alibaba replied. "Are there you any more?"

"I'll go look," Aladdin answered before he went to look for another one, and found a circle carved into it. "Oh! Look here! This one has a circle!"

"And here, too," Alibaba said as he looked at another wall with another marking. "I…don't even know what I'm looking at. Looks like some kind of cross or something. Anyway, they all have markings. What could this mean?"

XXX

30 minutes later, Aladdin and Alibaba are lying on the ground, the latter looking frustrated and exhausted.

"I don't get it," Alibaba muttered. "There are so many of them! How do we know which path is the right one?!"

"Maybe the circles mark the right way?" asked Aladdin as he drew the symbols on the ground with a small twig.

"Nah, that sounds way too easy," Alibaba replied as he sat up.

"Hmm…" Aladdin hummed, but then he gasped when he felt his stomach growling quietly.

"Did you hear that?" Alibaba asked.

"Hear what?" Aladdin lied. "I didn't hear anything."

Alibaba gave the boy an in inquisitive glance, but then he shrugged and scratched his chin in thought.

'Think, Alibaba, think!' he thought. 'People have been getting lost in this place for 10 years, now.' He then looked down at the symbols Aladdin drew…and his eyes went wide. 'Wait…maybe…!'

"Aladdin," he said. "Go look for a tunnel without a symbol, okay?"

"Uh…okay," Aladdin answered as he stood up and walked off to another hole in the wall. "Oh! Found one!"

"Good," Alibaba answered as he walked toward the tunnel and put his hand on the wall. "This…is the right path."

"Huh?!" Aladdin questioned in shock. "B-but how do you know?! It doesn't have a mark on the wall!"

"About that," Alibaba answered with a smirk. "Listen here, Aladdin. The size and style of the symbols are all different. I think people drew them."

"Uh…yeah, I guess," Aladdin agreed, placing his finger on the corner of his lips, curiously.

"And who do you think drew these symbols?" Alibaba asked.

"Um…the people who came here before us?" Aladdin answered.

"Bingo!" Alibaba exclaimed. "This dungeon appeared about 10 years ago, and people have been flocking in here, ever since. The first ones would have been confused because there were no symbols to mark the way! Like me, they would've just ran down any tunnel! But this is a dungeon we're talking about, and here, there are right and wrong ways to go. If the path you chose to go down was a dead end, what would you do?"

"I'd…go back," Aladdin began, "and try another path."

"Exactly!" Alibaba said. "And that's just what they did, but all the holes look the same, so if you went back many times, wouldn't you get confused about which ones you had already explored?"

Aladdin gasped as realization hit.

"Oh! I understand now, Alibaba!" he exclaimed, excitedly clenching his fists. "The marked ones are the ones that people have already tried!"

"That's right!" Alibaba answered. "So now you understand, right? 10,000 people have entered Amon, and if they marked the paths with dead ends, then why?"

"Because all of the wrong paths have marks on the walls," Aladdin began, "but this path doesn't have one! And that means…"

They both looked down the unmarked tunnel with renewed determination.

"This one is the right path to go!" they both exclaimed.

"Forward, Aladdin!" Alibaba exclaimed. "The treasure room awaits!"

"Yeah!" Aladdin cheered as he followed his friend down the path.

They were indeed correct in their choice…but little did they know that for that very same reason, a deadly obstacle lurked. As the duo headed onward…they didn't see a horde of shadowy creatures creeping up on them.

XXX

Later, Aladdin and Alibaba marched onward down the tunnel, their path illuminated by the glowing flowers. As they walked, Aladdin seemed to be lagging behind a little, holding his stomach.

"Looks like we've made progress," Alibaba began, "and we haven't run into anything dangerous so far. This must be the right way, Aladdin! …Aladdin?"

Alibaba turned and saw Aladdin, sitting down on a rock.

"Hey, everything okay?" Alibaba asked, concerned. "You've been acting kinda strange since we got in here."

"I-I'm fine," Aladdin reassured. "I just need to rest a bit, that's all."

Alibaba didn't seem very convinced, but decided to leave it be, for the time being.

"By the way," the teen began, "this place is pretty bright for a cave, huh? I wonder why!"

"Oh!" Aladdin said. "Probably because of these pretty flowers, see? They're glowing!"

"Oh, yeah!" Alibaba agreed as he looked at the luminous flora. "I've seen this kind of plant on the surface, before!"

"It's really pretty," Aladdin said as he sniffed. "Smells pretty, too."

"Dungeons sure are full of discoveries, aren't they?" Alibaba asked.

"Yeah," Aladdin agreed before he stood up and walked ahead. "A-anyway, let's keep going."

"You sure you're okay to keep going?" Alibaba asked. "I could carry you on my back, if you want."

"I'm fine," the boy replied as he went on ahead while his concerned friend followed after him. "Alibaba, look! The room ahead is even brighter than the tunnel!"

Alibaba smiled as he and Aladdin entered the room…and found it full of gleaming multicolored orbs, hanging off the ceiling.

"Wow!" Alibaba exclaimed. "Look at these things! What are they?!"

"So pretty!" Aladdin shouted. "And they smell good, too! Maybe they're some kind of delicious fruit!"

"These look too hard to be fruit," Alibaba replied. "I think they might be some kind of rare gemstone! I dub them…Rainbow Pearls!"

"Yeah! Rainbow Pearls!" Aladdin cheered before he giggled and looked up at Alibaba. "Dungeons sure are exciting when you explore them with a friend, huh? I'm glad I came with you, Alibaba!"

"Aww, gee, Aladdin," Alibaba said as he looked away, scratching the back of his head. "I think I should be thanking you. After all, if I had come here by myself, I'd probably be long dead, by now. As for you, you handled this place like you've been in a dungeon before. You've helped me a lot, you know?"

Aladdin didn't appear to be listening. He was too busy looking at one of the newly christened "Rainbow Pearls", but as the blue-haired youngster didn't seem to notice a shadow looming over him.

"So let's keep working together as we move forward!" Alibaba exclaimed as he reached down and petted…something. "Okay, little buddy?"

When he opened his eyes, Alibaba saw, to his shock and horror, that what he thought was Aladdin was actually a giant, green ant with sharp teeth!

"HUH?!" he cried as he stumbled back. "H-h-h-hey, hey! A-A-A-A-Aladdin, you-"

"Umm…Alibaba?"

Alibaba turned…and saw Aladdin's head stuck in the mouth of an even larger ant.

"Help me…" the boy pleaded, surprisingly calm about it. "Help me, please…!"

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Alibaba screamed as he pulled Aladdin, who is now covered in slimy, purple saliva, out of the insect's mouth. Obviously, the ant didn't take this very well, for it started roaring loudly.

"Aladdin!" Alibaba cried. "Are you okay?! Talk to me!"

"Ugh…gross…!" Aladdin groaned. "My whole body is cold and sticky…!"

Just then, KRAK! KRAK! The Rainbow Pearls began to crack, and not long after, more ants emerged from them.

"Oh, man!" Alibaba cried in shock. "These things aren't gems! They're monster ant eggs!"

"Hang on, Alibaba!" Aladdin exclaimed as he held up his flute. "I'll get us outta here!"

FWEET~! He blew into his flute, causing Ugo to appear and scare the ants off.

"Run, Ugo!" Aladdin ordered as he and Alibaba sat on the giant's shoulders. "Get us outta here!"

And that's just what Ugo did. The monstrous ants tried to follow, but Ugo was so big and his legs were so powerful, they just couldn't keep up with him. However, as they watched Ugo escape with Aladdin and Alibaba, they glared at the Djinn's huge, muscular legs…and not long after, their back legs began to take on the same shape!

XXX

Alibaba looked back at the tunnel as he and Aladdin hung on to Ugo.

"Looks like we lost them for now," Alibaba noted.

"Good," Aladdin said, breathing heavily. "Hey…you think we can stop and rest for a minute?"

"Huh?" Alibaba muttered as he looked at the boy, who was sweating bullets and panting heavily. "Uh…yeah, sure."

"Thanks, Alibaba," said Aladdin as Ugo went back into the flute, and soon, the two boys sat down on rock. Aladdin panted as he leaned on Alibaba, who put a hand on his shoulders in concern.

"Aladdin, what's wrong with you?" Alibaba asked. "You're looking kinda pale and you've been a bit wobbly on your feet!"

"I'm fine," Aladdin reassured with a weak smile. "Really, it's nothing…I'm just a bit hungry, that's all."

"Hungry?" Alibaba repeated.

"Yeah," Aladdin answered. "You see…when I summon Ugo, I have to use all the energy in my stomach…so that's why I-"

Guuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrmmmgh! Aladdin's stomach roared, causing Alibaba to gasp while Aladdin sighed heavily.

"I'm starving…!" he murmured.

'Dammit, this is not good,' Alibaba cursed mentally. 'I didn't actually think we'd be going into the dungeon so soon, so I didn't get any supplies.'

"Oh, man, I'm sorry, Aladdin," Alibaba said. "I should've thought ahead and brought some food with us…but don't worry. When this is over, I'll have so much money, I'll buy you as much food as you want! I'll, uh…I'll get you those watermelons you love so much! And soup…and apples…oh! And baklava! You like baklava, right?"

"I love baklava," Aladdin answered, drooling a little.

"There, see?" Alibaba asked. "It's gonna be okay. I promise."

Just then, they heard what sounded like…heavy footfalls.

"W-what's that?" Aladdin asked as he and Alibaba looked back.

"…Oh…my…god!" Alibaba cried, for there, charging towards them, were the ants. However, as they got closer, they had huge, muscular legs, just like Ugo!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" the boys screamed before they both got up and made a run for it.

"RUN, ALADDIN, RUN!" Alibaba shouted, but before he knew it, he and Aladdin were surrounded by the monstrous bugs.

"Alibaba, what do we do?!" Aladdin questioned, scared out of his mind. "We're trapped!"

"I got this!" Alibaba replied as he drew his knife. "No way am I gonna let this freaking bugs kill us! YAH!"

SLASH! With one fell swing, Alibaba easily cut one of the ant in half!

"What the-?!" he muttered. "These things are as soft as rotten apples!"

As more went in for the attack, Alibaba continued to cut them down, but as he did, he soon saw something that made his stomach turn: the ants had turned in big, amorphous, green blobs!

"W-what happened?!" Aladdin asked in shock.

"These things aren't ants," Alibaba answered. "They're Slimes! They're dungeon monsters that have soft bodies! When they fight another creature that's stronger than them, they try to take their opponent's shape to have a better advantage, and no matter how many times you cut them down, they just keep regenerating over and over!"

"Th-that's not good!" Aladdin cried.

SLASH! SHING! WHOOSH! SPLAT! Alibaba kept trying to cut down the Slimes, but every time he did, they'd just splatter all over the ground, and then, the blobs began to slither and conjoin together. Here a Slime, there a Slime, everywhere a Slime, and when they all gathered together, they created a huge, many-eyed, many-mouthed, humanoid mass called a King Slime!

"HOLY MOTHER OF SOLOMON!" Alibaba cried.

"Look! It even has your knife, Alibaba!" Aladdin added, pointed at the sharp, blade-like growths in the King Slime's hands.

GRRAAAAAAAAAARR! The King Slime roared before it began to take a deep breath using its many mouths, and not long after, FWOOSH! A huge jet of fire was spewed from the main mouth, nearly charring Aladdin and Alibaba to cinders had they not jumped away in time.

"You okay, Aladdin?!" Alibaba asked.

"Watch out!" Aladdin shouted, and as Alibaba turned, he saw the King Slime swinging its blades at them.

"YIKES!" Alibaba cried as he grabbed his blue-haired charge and dodged the strike, which left a huge fissure in the ground! "Ah, damn, this isn't good!"

Aladdin looked up at the King Slime before he looked down at his flute with a serious expression.

"Okay, Ugo," he said. "Third time's the charm!"

FWEET~! Blowing into his flute, Aladdin summoned Ugo, once more.

"Yeah!" Alibaba cheered as he and Aladdin sat upon the Djinn's shoulders. "Now we're sure to win with this big guy!"

He then looked over to Aladdin, who panted heavily as he tried to hold his head up with one hand.

"Oh, yeah," said Alibaba, concerned. "That flute drains you of your energy."

"It's okay," Aladdin reassured. "I-I'll be fine. Go get him, Ugo!"

Ugo reeled back his fist before he punched the King Slime in the arm. However, the humanoid blob quickly reformed it before roaring furiously.

"Heh…!" Aladdin smirked. "I guess I have no choice but to play my trump card!"

FWEET~! He blew into the flute once more, and all of a sudden, bright red flames appeared on Ugo's fists while the rukh began to flutter around him and Aladdin.

"What the…?" Alibaba whispered. "What are these things? Little birds?!"

Just then, Ugo charged forward before he put his flaming fists together, and then, THWAM! He slammed the King Slime with a powerful blow, so strong, it sent the monster crashing right through the ground. As the dust and steamed cleared…Ugo had gone back to the flute. As for the King Slime…all that remained was a huge hole where it once stood. Alibaba gasped in shock, but then he laughed.

"Yes!" he cheered. "Wahoo! That thing is done for! You did it, Aladdin!"

"Heh…yeah…!" Aladdin replied between pants. "Ugo…sure is strong…huh? Now…let's head…to the goal, together, o…kay?"

Fwump! Without warning, Aladdin collapsed on the ground, to Alibaba's shock.

"Oh, no!" Alibaba cried as he ran to him and began to shake his shoulders. "Aladdin! Aladdin! C'mon, little buddy, wake up! Open your eyes!"

No response. Worried, Alibaba put his ear to the boy's chest…and heaved a big sigh of relief.

"Oh, good," he said. "You're still breathing. That's a good sign."

He then looked at his young friend with a mixed expression of guilt and remorse.

"Dammit, this is all my fault," Alibaba said as he took Aladdin into his arms, holding him bridal style. "I'm so sorry, Aladdin. I pushed you too far."

He then looked around, trying to find a place for him and Aladdin to take shelter. He soon saw a side tunnel and made his way inside, finding more of the luminous flowers within. He then laid Aladdin on the ground and covered him with his coat.

"Don't you worry, Aladdin," Alibaba whispered as he opened his canteen and poured some water into the boy's mouth. "I won't leave you alone. I'm gonna stay here by your side, until you get better, okay? Then we can head for the treasure room, together."

As if he heard him, Aladdin seemed to smile in his sleep, and Alibaba smiled back before he sighed. Then he looked over at the boy's flute.

'…That flute sure is dangerous,' he thought. 'Who knew it could use up that much energy, huh?'

Looking around, as if to make sure no one saw him, Alibaba carefully reached over and took the flute off Aladdin's neck.

'Well, nothing's happened to me…yet,' he thought. 'Maybe I should blow it?'

Hesitantly, Alibaba put his lips to the flute's reed and blew…but not even a single note played. He chuckled sheepishly at his own failure before he looked at the eight-pointed star on it and saw the strange markings written in a circle around it.

'I wonder what this star means,' Alibaba thought. 'Can Aladdin read this? Where did he come from? I mean…I think I pretty much know what happened to his mother, considering his reaction when I asked him about her…but where's his father?'

He then sighed as he looked back at him.

'Come to think of it…I don't really know much else about him. Then again, I should talk. Your family, your home…you don't really talk about such personal things…and he doesn't really know very much about me, either. I guess…when he wakes up, I should tell him why I really came to this dungeon.'

An image of a man with long dreadlocks standing before a flaming building in his head, causing him to shudder.

'…I promise Aladdin, I'm gonna tell you everything about me,' Alibaba thought. 'And as for you…I'm gonna find out as much as I can about you.'

He then yawned and stretched before he lied down on the ground…and the luminous flower stopped glowing.

XXX

The sound of water dropping down to the ground broke the silence…followed by another sound: the sound of footsteps.

'What the…?' Alibaba thought as he awoke to the sound. 'Footsteps?'

Cautiously, he made his way to the exit of the side tunnel…only to gasp silently in horror upon seeing Jamil, Morgiana, and the masked man.

'Jamil?!' Alibaba thought. 'What the hell's he doing here?! Oh, great Solomon…don't tell me he followed us?! Dammit…if we get caught here, we're screwed!'

He then looked over at Aladdin, who is still sleeping.

'Well, at least Aladdin looks a lot better than he did before,' he thought. 'I'll just sneak him outta here before they notice.'

But before he could go and grab Aladdin…he froze when he sensed a pair of eyes watching him. He turned and saw Morgiana, glowering down at him with that expressionless face.

'The…the slave girl?!' Alibaba thought. 'W-what's she doing here?!'

Then…Jamil appeared behind her, glaring at Alibaba.

"Well, well, well," said Jamil. "What have we here? So this is where you were hiding, eh?"

He then placed his hand on Morgiana's shoulder.

"Good work, Morgiana," he said. "You get extra corn for this."

"I don't like corn," Morgiana said with a deadpan tone.

"Yes, yes, of course you don't," Jamil muttered before he and the masked men entered as well.

'Dammit!' Alibaba cursed in his head. 'Now what do I do?! I can't run away, or they'll go after Aladdin! I guess I don't have a choice…I'm gonna have to play suck-up, again!'

"Oh, Lord Jamil!" Alibaba cried as he fell to his knees, bowing. "I am humbled by your appearance! You must help…my poor little brother and I have become lost in this dungeon, and he has become very ill! Please, won't you-"

"Shut up, peasant," Jamil sneered as he and his two cohorts walked passed Alibaba, who was flabbergasted at the lord's reply. However, he turned around…and saw Jamil, kneeling before the sleeping Aladdin.

"I've been waiting 10 years for you to appear before me…O great Magi," Jamil said.

'A Magi?' Alibaba thought. 'Does he…know who Aladdin is?'

Aladdin just remained asleep…completely unaware of the danger that he and Alibaba are now in.

TO BE CONTINUED

Yeah, Jamil's pretty much one of the most hated characters in this series.

Oh, and for those wondering, I'm really following the manga here with little bits of the anime mixed in.

Review, please!