Night 5- Escape from Jamil

Magi © Shinobu Ohtaka

Shahra © Me

Alibaba watched in surprise as Jamil humbled himself before the sleeping Aladdin. More surprising was the fact that the lord called the blue-haired boy "Magi"…whatever that meant. Still, what bothered Alibaba the most was the fact that he and his two slaves, Morgiana and the scarred man in the iron mask, seemed to be completely ignoring him.

"He's sleeping?" Jamil asked. "I hope he's not injured…that would be most unsatisfying. Goltas. Grab the boy."

The masked man, now revealed to be Goltas, went over to Aladdin, picked up his unconscious form, and hoisted him over his shoulder.

"H-hey!" Alibaba cried. "What do you think you're doing?! Put him down!"

Jamil, Goltas, and Morgiana just walked passed him.

'What am I, invisible?!' Alibaba thought as he ran after them. 'It's like they don't think I exist!'

He then ran in front of them, blocking their path.

"Stop!" he shouted. "Put Aladdin down, I said! What do you think you're doing?!"

"…What am I doing?" Jamil asked. "I think that's the question I should be asking you, peasant."

"Wha…?" Alibaba murmured. "N-now hang on! That kid's with me! Put him down!"

"With you?!" Jamil asked before he laughed. "Don't make me laugh. Look, you commoner…I'm on important business right now and it doesn't involve the likes of you. Now do me a favor and go back to the hole you crawled out of."

With that, the three walked passed Alibaba, again. However, the blonde-haired teen turned around and grabbed Jamil by the shoulder.

"I said wait, dammit!" Alibaba barked.

"…What did you say?" Jamil asked as he smacked the young man's hand off of him. "Goltas…kill him."

"K…kill…?" Alibaba repeated…before he turned and saw Goltas, glowering down at him with his sword in his hand while Morgiana held Aladdin bridal style in her arms. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."

Goltas breathed heavily as he raised his sword, preparing to cut down Alibaba where he stood, but to his surprise, the amber-eyed boy whirled around, dodging his strike, before he ran behind him, forcefully grabbed Goltas by right arm, and pointed his knife at his already scarred neck.

"Now then," Alibaba started, "are you gonna tell me what the hell your deal is or what?!"

A pause…but then Jamil laughed as he clapped his hands.

"That was spectacular, my boy!" he exclaimed. "Clearly, I underestimated you!"

"Uh…thanks…?" Alibaba muttered. "I think…"

Then, SHUNK! Jamil stabbed his sword into Goltas' stomach, causing him to gasp in pain.

"Unlike you, Goltas," said Jamil. "I can't believe how pathetically useless you are."

'W…what the hell?!' Alibaba thought in shock as he watched Jamil continuously stab Goltas in the belly.

"Work is the responsibility of man," Jamil continued, "but a slave is less than that. If he can't do his job right…how can I punish you enough? This much? Or this much, perhaps?"

'He's…he's insane!' Alibaba thought as he watched with a horrified look on his face.

(A/N: Damn right, he's insane.)

"Now then, boy," said Jamil as he pointed the tip of his bloodstained blade at Alibaba's face, causing him to yelp and fall back. "I have a proposition for you. Make yourself useful…walk ahead of us and sniff out any traps in our way. I did have an army of mercenaries and slaves to do that for me, but I'm afraid they're all quite dead."

"Y…you-" Alibaba muttered.

"If you do that, I'll let you come with me," said Jamil. "So…is it a deal? And you better look me when you answer."

Alibaba just stared at the unhinged lord in shock and horror.

'Dammit, dammit, dammit!' he thought. 'Now what do I do?! I can't run and abandon Aladdin like this! And I can't fight back! This guy's off his rocker! And with Aladdin as a hostage…I guess I have no choice.'

"I…it's a deal," Alibaba spoke, nervously.

A wicked grin played upon Jamil's lips.

"Excellent," he said with a sinister chuckle.

XXX

Later, Alibaba is leading Jamil, Morgiana, and Goltas, who is still holding Aladdin, down a tunnel.

"You have no idea how much those slaves and mercenaries inconvenienced me," said Jamil. "At least now you're here, my boy."

"O-of course, milord!" Alibaba said with a fake smile.

'Ugh…here I am, playing busboy, again,' he thought, 'but then, I don't have a choice. If I don't play along, he'll probably go nuts and hurt Aladdin, too. All I have to do is wait for Aladdin to wake up, and when he does, he can blow his flute and we can escape! It's perfect!'

A pause…but then, Alibaba heard a small hissing noise. He turned…and saw Jamil trying to blow Aladdin's flute.

"What's with this flute?" Jamil asked. "You can't even play it."

'SHIT!' Alibaba thought.

"I wouldn't want the boy to drop this while he slept," Jamil said, "so I'll just hold onto it for him until he wakes up."

'Dammit, he must've known what I was planning the whole time!' Alibaba thought. 'Now what am I gonna do?!'

As they walked, the tunnel began to look less like a cave…and more like some kind hallway with torches on the brick walls.

'What's this?' Alibaba thought. 'Torches? And brick under the rock? Was this always here? No…not until now.'

"It seems the dungeon is changing," Jamil noted as the group reached the end of the tunnel. They shielded their eyes from the bright light…before they looked and saw a huge gate in the shape of a dragon's gaping jaws.

"Ah!" Jamil exclaimed. "Now this is a dungeon! This gate just screams 'This way to the goal', doesn't it? I'll admit, it's a bit gaudy, though."

He then spotted a stone with some odd looking characters inscribed on it.

"Aha!" Jamil said. "An inscription written in ancient text! If I'm not mistaken, this is the language of Tran."

"Tran, eh?" Alibaba asked. "A few small southern tribes still use this language."

A pause…but then Jamil chuckled as he handed Alibaba some corn kernels.

"Good for you, boy!" he praised. "I'm surprised a commoner like you can read!"

"Uh…thanks," Alibaba said.

"Still, it's strange that you can read Tran," Jamil said with an almost suspicious look in his eyes.

"Well, I…I heard it came with the territory of ancient tombs and dungeons," Alibaba began, "so I taught myself!"

"I see," Jamil muttered. "Well, unlike you, I was taught by a teacher. Now then, let me see. I believe it says 'This path is the dragon's…point of truth…'? Hmmm…that can't be right."

'What kind of teacher taught him Tran?' Alibaba thought with an irritated expression. 'His translation's all wrong! …Hold it…maybe I can use this to my advantage! I'll take a bit of a gamble, here.'

"'Pass the dragon's fangs to reach the truth'," Alibaba translated. "'All will be revealed at the dragon's tail'. Is that right, milord?"

A pause…but then Jamil stabbed Alibaba in the arm, causing him to yell out in pain and surprise.

"Dammit!" he cursed as he held his bleeding arm.

"That's actually what I was going to say," Jamil said with a sneer. "A peasant like you should know his place, boy."

'Urgh…he thinks he can just do whatever the hell he wants, huh?' Alibaba thought with a grin. 'But just you wait, Jamil…I didn't suffer this for nothing, you know.'

Later on, they walked down further…but then they stopped.

"Um…milord?" Alibaba asked. "What is this?"

They found themselves staring down a hallway…with large, sharp spikes on the ceiling. There were even some decomposing skeletons littered across the floor, which was also riddled with holes.

"This is what you're here for," Jamil smirked. "So…you go first. I insist."

'It's a booby trap,' Alibaba thought. 'Obviously, I have to talk between the spikes on the ceiling and the holes on the floor.'

He gulped nervously before he looked back at Aladdin, who is still motionless.

'…I can't falter,' Alibaba thought. 'Not here…not now. Besides…Aladdin's risked his life for me…and I can't let him down!'

With that…he dashed forward, and not long after, the spikes came jutting down from the ceiling, ready to impale him. However, Alibaba twisted and turn, avoiding the spikes as they hit the floor. Not just that, but spikes also came jutting out of the holes in the floor, too.

"My goodness, he's swift!" Jamil exclaimed in surprise. "Is he an athlete from the Reim Empire?!"

Alibaba continued dodging the spikes as if he were in some kind of a dance, and when he reached the end, he rolled on the ground, avoiding the last of them.

"Yes!" he cheered. "I made it!"

"Wonderful, my boy!" Jamil praised.

But then…a door opened beneath Alibaba's feet.

'Oh…crap,' Alibaba cursed mentally…before he fell in.

"…Well…too bad for him," Jamil said, sarcastically. "Goltas, Morgiana…let's keep moving."

XXX

"So tell me, Morgiana," said Jamil as he, Morgiana, and Goltas continued walking through the dungeon corridor. "How did you managed to avoid the holes?"

"I could smell the stench of death coming from them," Morgiana answered.

"Ah," Jamil mused before he turned to Goltas…who arms were bleeding heavily. "I see. As for Goltas here, he could grab the spikes from above. You two are so much more useful than that commoner boy!"

Morgiana quietly seethed as Jamil ruffled her hair.

"Unh…!"

"Hmm?" Jamil hummed before he turned and saw Aladdin beginning to open his eyes. "Ah! Finally awake, are we, Magi?"

"Huh?" Aladdin muttered before he looked around. "W-who are you? And where's Alibaba?"

"Well…about that," Jamil began, "perhaps I could tell you over a bit of a snack? I'm sure you must be quite hungry."

Aladdin's stomach growled a bit at the mention of food.

"Well…I guess a little bite to eat couldn't hurt," the boy said.

XXX

"Really? You mean you actually saved my life, mister?"

"That's right."

Aladdin sat on a carpet that Jamil set out for him, eating rice cakes.

"So…who are you, again?" Aladdin asked.

"My name is Jamil," Jamil said with a friendly smile. "I'm the Lord of Qishan. My job is to organize the town's safety, industry, and infrastructure, as well as preserving the people's way of life. In other words, I help the people of Qishan. So, it was natural that I help you, little boy!"

"I see," Aladdin said. "W-what about Alibaba then? Also, do you know where my flute is?"

"Well, your friend took your flute and went on ahead to search for help," said Jamil. "I'm afraid he might've gotten lost, but rest assured, I'll find him, too."

Aladdin blinked at Jamil before he looked over at Morgiana, who looked away from him.

"Ah, yes," Jamil said. "These two behind are my two slaves. The big one is called Goltas. He's from a nomadic tribe up north. As you can see by the scar on his neck, he suffered an injury that caused him to lose his ability to talk. He's very resilient and has superhuman strength. The red-haired girl is Morgiana, a descendant of a tribe known as the Fanalis. They are hunters that reside in the Dark Continent to the south. She has a superior sense of smell, even to that of a dog's, and has extraordinarily powerful legs. They both cost me a pretty penny, but I went ahead and bought them both, anyway."

"Oh," Aladdin muttered. "Well…I'd love to stay, but I think I'll go ahead and look for Alibaba on my own, if that's okay with you."

Hearing that caused Jamil's smile to disappear while Aladdin got up and prepared to walk away.

"Thanks for helping me anyway," the boy said, "and thanks for the food, too. I appreciate- OOF!"

He stopped when he looked up…and saw Goltas, standing in his way, glaring a him with his visible eye.

"Umm…do you think you could move, Mister Goltas, sir?" asked Aladdin. "Please?"

"…It seems I can't even play 'nice guy' with you, can I, boy?"

Aladdin turned to see Jamil glowering down at him, menacingly.

"Uh…M-Mister Jamil?" Aladdin asked, nervously.

"It's Lord Jamil," Jamil corrected. "As long as you're in my presence, you'll address me as such…Magi or no Magi."

"What do you mean?" Aladdin asked. "What are you talking about? Why are you looking at me that way?!"

A malevolent grin appeared on Jamil's face, much to Aladdin's unease.

XXX

A moment later, Aladdin sat on the floor with iron shackles locked on his wrists. He glared at Jamil, who stood before three passageways with Goltas and Morgiana.

"Hmm…three passages," Jamil mused. "Does that mean that the dragon has 3 throats? 'All will be revealed at the dragon's tail'…that's what the peasant said."

'This is a tricky one,' the lord thought. 'According to the translation, the treasure room must be ahead…but how do I determine the right path? Should I use Morgiana? Her sense of smell is very keen…but it doesn't mean anything if she can't smell any corpses. Goltas won't be of much use either, since he can't talk if he finds anything…'

Just then, Morgiana seemed to bump into Jamil from behind, causing him to stumble for a moment before he looked back and growled at her.

"CLUMSY BITCH!" he roared as he smacked her across the face with the back of his hand, causing her to fall. "Watch where you're going next time, you stupid wench!"

Morgiana only glared at Jamil, who scoffed as he turned to look at the passageways again.

'…I'll probably have to go on my own,' he thought. 'However, since Goltas' body is so sturdy, I can use him to shield myself from traps.'

"Goltas, come with me," Jamil ordered. "As for you, Morgiana, you stay here and watch the boy. Don't let him out of your sight."

Morgiana nodded her head quietly while Jamil and Goltas went on ahead. She stood beside Aladdin, who looked down at the floor, his wrists still bound by shackles.

"…So we meet again, huh, Miss?" Aladdin asked with a smile, but Morgiana didn't speak. The boy blinked up at her before he hooked his fingers into the corners of his mouth and began to stretch his lips. He remembered that whenever Sheba was sad, he would always make this face at her to make her laugh. It always seemed to cheer his mother up instantly, so why wouldn't it work for Morgiana? After stretching his face several times and still getting no reaction, Aladdin decided it was time for a different tactic. So, he took his turban and started to wrap around his forehead, leaving his hair free.

"Psst!" he whispered. "Hey! Look at me!"

Morgiana turned to look at Aladdin…who now looked just like Jamil.

"Ta-dah!" he exclaimed. "It's me, Lord Jamil!"

A pause…but then, to Aladdin's surprise…Morgiana started snickering, and her mouth began to quiver. However, she gasped and quickly covered it.

"Ha! Saw that!" Aladdin said. "You laughed!"

"D-don't be silly," Morgiana argued. "I don't laugh. Not anymore."

"Ah, come on," Aladdin said. "You did so laugh! Come on, you try it! Try and make me laugh!"

Morgiana glared at Aladdin, who just blinked at her with that same innocent smile. The girl turned away for a moment…but then she turned around, squishing her cheeks with her hands and making her lips poke out like a fish's lips. Before long, Aladdin broke out into laughter, and to even Morgiana's surprise…she started to laugh with him. The two laughed and laughed and laughed…until they finally stopped to catch their breath.

"…You know," Aladdin said, "you're really pretty when you smile, Miss…Morgiana, right?"

"Yes," Morgiana answered, "and…thank you. I…can't really remember the last time I laughed like that."

"Mother says we should laugh every day," Aladdin said. "Otherwise, we'd all be dead."

"Your mother sounds like a very wise woman," said Morgiana.

"She is," Aladdin said. "By the way, you look a bit different than most people, don't you? Is it because you're from that Dark Continent place?"

"…It's not dark, actually," Morgiana replied. "They call it 'dark' because it's an uncharted area to the south of the southern provinces of the Reim Empire. It's a derogatory term for my homeland of Katarg."

"Uncharted?" Aladdin asked. "You mean no one's ever gone there? Is it dangerous?"

"Well…only to those who don't much about it," Morgiana answered. "There are countries and villages and the sun is bright and beautiful. The land is vast and full of large animals, and even delicious fruit."

"I see," Aladdin said. "That sounds nice. Sun, fruit, and animals…your home sounds like a very nice place!"

'…Home,' Morgiana thought. 'Yes…I'm sure it must be…but I'm afraid I don't really remember much of it, though.'

"The world sure is full of places I don't know," Aladdin mused. "I would love to visit that place, one day! To see wide open spaces and people enjoying themselves…it sounds like such a nice life. Maybe…you could take me there, one day."

"…Yes…maybe," Morgiana said. "If it were possible."

"Well…it is, isn't it?" Aladdin asked.

"…I wish I could run away," Morgiana said, "but…I'm afraid I can't…because I'm slave."

"…Oh…I think I understand," said Aladdin. "It's because…of Jamil, right? Are you…afraid of him?"

Morgiana's eyes went wide before she looked at the boy, who blinked up at her.

"It's not just your legs that are chained," Aladdin continued. "Your heart is bound, too…isn't it? Bound by fear and torment."

"…You speak as if you were a slave, yourself," Morgiana mused.

"Well…I did help someone like you, once," said Aladdin. "She's free now…and she's probably looking for me, somewhere. She looked broken when I first saw her…but when I helped her, it was like she sprung back to life! She even saved my life in return!"

"Is that so?" Morgiana asked.

"So, Miss," Aladdin began, "I know that you feel like you're bound…but if you ask me…no one can really bind you."

A pause…but then Morgiana chuckled.

"You're a strange child," she said. "I'm surprised that you crossed Jamil, and yet you're still here, talking to me. I wish…I was as brave as you…or your friend."

"What do you mean?" asked Aladdin.

"…I hate to say this," Morgiana began, "but…I'm afraid that…your friend is dead."

Aladdin gasped quietly at this.

"W-what…?!" he whispered. "But how-"

"Jamil used him on a booby trap," Morgiana answered. "I'm very sorry. I wish…I could've helped him, honestly."

As Morgiana spoke, Aladdin felt little pebbles falling on his head. He looked up…and he saw Alibaba, waving to him with a nervous look on his face.

"Your friend is quite dead," Morgiana said, solemnly.

"I-I see," said Aladdin, who glanced back and forth between her and Alibaba, who slowly climbed down from the hole in the wall he was in.

"However," Morgiana said, "I'm not going to let you suffer the same fate if you happen to cross Jamil too far as well."

She then dropped something in front of Aladdin: a small key.

"I grabbed this key when I pretended to bump into Jamil," she said. "I was going to use it unlock my own shackles…but in the end, I realized that no matter how hard I try, I just can't escape from Jamil." As she turned around, she gasped as she saw Alibaba, standing beside Aladdin with a cocky grin on his face.

"Y-you…?!" Morgiana questioned. "But-"

"I'm immortal, that's how," Alibaba answered.

"Alibaba!" Aladdin exclaimed. "I knew you weren't really dead, all along!"

"Thanks, little buddy," Alibaba said. "Now let's get you out of these chains."

"Wait, Alibaba!" Aladdin said. "Let's unlock Miss Morgiana's chains, too!"

"What?!" Alibaba questioned. "Are you outta your mind?!"

"Please!" Aladdin urged. "She was going to unlock her own chains, but she gave it to me, instead! She's actually willing to give up her freedom to help me!"

Alibaba glanced at Morgiana, who looked down on the ground with a somber look in her eyes.

"…Is that true, Morgiana?" Alibaba asked. "Did you really give up the key to your shackles?"

Morgiana chewed her lip and nodded her head. Alibaba paused…but then he walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Morgiana…you need to come with us," he said, causing Morgiana to gasp.

"W-what?" Morgiana asked. "B-but I can't-"

"Yes, you can," Alibaba answered. "Outside in Qishan, you may be a regular slave, forced to do Jamil's bidding…but here, in a dungeon, those rules don't apply! You can run away! You can escape from Jamil, and no one will blame you! Here, you are not Jamil's slave…here, you can be free!"

A pause…but then Morgiana took Alibaba's hand in hers…and then, the dams break. The teenage girl raised her head up, her tears cascading down her cheeks as she sobbed.

"…Please," she whispered. "Take me with you…take me away from that man! Take me away from this nightmare!"

Alibaba smiled…before he held up the key.

XXX

Meanwhile…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Jamil let out a terrified scream as he and Goltas found themselves surrounded by a horde of Slimes.

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!" Jamil cried as he ran out. "M-MAGI! MAGI, HELP ME! I BEG OF YOU! THOSE MONSTERS-"

When he made it out…all he saw was two pairs of shackles, one looking new and clean, the other looking rusty and stained with blood.

"What in the…?!" Jamil questioned before he looked up…and saw Aladdin, Alibaba, and Morgiana running away. "MORGIANA!"

Morgiana tensed as she heard the angered lord shouting her name.

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING, YOU UNGRATEFUL BITCH?! GET BACK HERE!"

"Ignore him!" Alibaba shouted. "Just keep going!"

"Right!" Morgiana agreed.

"By the way, Alibaba," Aladdin spoke up, "where's my flute? That lord said you had it!"

"What are you talking about?!" Alibaba questioned. "I don't have it! Jamil does! We'll worry about getting it back later! Right now, let's focus on getting outta here!"

"I need to ask you something," Morgiana asked. "How did you really survive that trap?!"

Alibaba smirked as they kept running.

"Truth is, I lied about the translation," he said. "What it really said was 'The truth resides in the dragon's fangs. All will be revealed before you reach the dragon's tail'."

"Wow, Alibaba!" Aladdin exclaimed. "You're so smart!"

"I have my moments," Alibaba said.

"Look out!" Morgiana shouted before all three of them braked to a halt in front of another horde of Slimes. However, these looked different they had encountered before. While their heads remained grossly disfigured…their bodies took on an almost feline-like appearance.

"Oh, great, not more of these things!" Alibaba shouted as he drew his knife.

"They look like…tigers…?" Aladdin inquired.

"Quickly! Grab onto me!"

The boys turned to look at Morgiana.

"Come here!" she ordered. "Now!"

"Uh…okay," Alibaba said before she and Aladdin went over to her, and without warning she suddenly grabbed the two males and held them in her arms.

"Uh…what are you doing?" Aladdin asked, nervously.

"Y-yeah, I don't like the looks of this!" Alibaba added. "How are you able to pick us up so easily?!"

"Hang on tight," Morgiana said…before she pressed her foot into the ground, causing it to crack!

"HUH?!" Aladdin and Alibaba questioned in shock, but then, Morgiana suddenly jumped up and dashed across the wall. The Slimes tried to jump after her, but because she was so high up, they couldn't reach her. Soon, she made it to the other side, and then turned to the grotesque beasts. Then, she lifted her leg up and kicked the wall, causing it to crumble until collapsed in front of the Slimes, trapping them.

"…Holy-" Alibaba muttered in shock.

"Wow!" Aladdin exclaimed. "That was amazing! How did you do that?!"

"Yeah!" Alibaba agreed. "I mean…most people can't be able to do something like that without breaking their ankles!"

"Well, I'm not like most people," Morgiana said. "I am a descendant of the Fanalis. My legs are far stronger than most human beings."

"Oh, yeah," said Aladdin. "I think that Jamil guy mentioned that, didn't he?"

"Never mind that," Alibaba said. "Listen. I found something after I fell through that trap door. I think it might be what we're looking for."

"Really?" Aladdin asked. "Cool! Let's go!"

Grrrrrrrr…! A deep growl suddenly went off, causing the three to freeze in place.

"Uh…Aladdin?" Alibaba asked. "Tell me that was your stomach growling."

"Not this time," Aladdin answered, nervously.

"I was really hoping you wouldn't say that," Alibaba muttered.

Morgiana turned around, only to gasp upon seeing the flashing red eyes of a large tiger, snarling and growling viciously at the trio.

"Don't move!" Alibaba exclaimed. "Don't make any sudden movements. One false step, and we just might be cat food."

Morgiana took a fighting stance, preparing to attack should the cat attempt to pounce while Alibaba slowly drew his knife, again. However, for some reason, Aladdin remained surprisingly calm.

"Wait a minute," he said as he walked towards the growling tiger.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Alibaba exclaimed. "What are you doing?! Aladdin, come back here! Are you trying to get yourself eaten?!"

Aladdin didn't speak. Instead, he just looked at the tiger, staring right into her eyes…and his own eyes went wide.

"…Shahra?" Aladdin asked. "Is that you?"

Almost immediately, the tiger stopped growling and threw her head up, her eyes going from vicious to docile in mere seconds. Then, she rubbed her face against Aladdin as she purred, causing him to laugh.

"Shahra!" he exclaimed, happily. "It is you!"

"Wait," Alibaba said. "That's the same tiger that chased me and my partner in the desert on the day I met you! You mean THIS is your friend, Shahra?!"

"Yeah," Aladdin answered. "She's a tiger…did I forget to mention that?"

"Oh, gee, Aladdin, lemme think," Alibaba said. "YES!"

Aladdin smiled sheepishly while Shahra growled at him, thus increasing his unease.

"Uh…is she just gonna keep growling?" Alibaba asked.

"It's okay," Aladdin reassured as he ran his hand along the fur on the back of Shahra's neck, causing her to calm down. "Shahra's completely tame."

Morgiana hesitantly walked over and held her hand out, and instantaneously, the large feline rubbed her head against her palm, causing Morgiana to smile slightly.

"She's…very soft," she said.

"I know, that's what I said, too," said Aladdin. "Go ahead, Alibaba! You try!"

"Umm…okay," Alibaba answered as he reached his hand. "Hi, Shahra-"

GRROOOOOAARRR! Shahra let out a powerful roar at Alibaba, who yelped as he held his hand back.

"What the hell?!" Alibaba questioned. "I thought you said she was tame!"

"She is!" Aladdin answered. "Most of the time, anyway."

"Perhaps she doesn't like you," Morgiana answered, and if she could read minds, she could not more closer to the truth.

What no one realized was that after she got separated from Aladdin, Shahra stayed behind in the desert to rest, and by nightfall, she snuck into Qishan by climbing over the wall, thus evading the sight of the police. Then, she tracked down Aladdin, who had been with Alibaba at the time, and secretly followed the duo around town…including to the pleasure house that they visited, and needless to say, Shahra did not like it, one bit. Simply put, ever since that incident, Shahra had begun to believe that Alibaba is a bad influence on Aladdin, and has been following the boys in attempt to get her "cub" back from him, and therefore, she followed them into the dungeon.

That also explained why the Slimes took on the appearance of a tiger, since they had actually encountered her earlier.

"Anyway, Alibaba," Aladdin said. "Didn't you say you had something to show us?"

"Huh?" Alibaba muttered before he remembered. "Oh! That's right! Come on, follow me."

With that, he led Aladdin, Morgiana, and a reluctant Shahra down the path. At the end, they reached a large, stone door with an eight-pointed star in the middle.

"A door?" Aladdin asked.

"That's right," Alibaba answered. "I tried to find someway to open it, but nothing worked."

"Look here," Morgiana said as she pointed to the door…and saw two handprints, both depicting a right hand.

"Two right hands," Alibaba noted. "That means…only two people can open the dungeon!"

Aladdin grinned broadly and said, "Then it's a good thing there's two of us, right?"

"Yeah," Alibaba answered before he and Aladdin placed their right hands on the door. "Now for the magic words…"

"Open sesame!"

All of a sudden, the giant door slowly creaked open, creating a huge gust of wind that nearly blew them away had they not braced themselves. As they opened their eyes…they suddenly themselves, staring at the vast blue sky, amidst white puffy clouds, and when they looked down…they found themselves, standing atop a tall tower over a road of gold…and a huge city beneath them.

"What the hell…is this place?" Alibaba asked in shock.

Until Next Night…

I decided to do things a little differently with how Morgiana escaped from Jamil. Love it or hate it, review please!