80th Chapter! Thank you so much for supporting my fanfiction up till now!

Chapter 80: Half

Once they crossed the desert oasis, Sonny found himself in a tropical jungle that was occupied by dinosaurs. Amazed, Sonny took in everything as he ran through thickets of tropical plants, rode on a log through twisting rivers, and leaped across various cliffs till he caught sight of the pterodactyl with King Shahryar dangling from its mouth.

"Hey, you! Urchin!" King Shahryar yelled from above. "Get me down from here!"

As Sonny stopped at the edge of a cliff, King Shahryar's robe tore from the pterodactyl's mouth causing him to fall toward the swamp below. However, Sonny managed to leap into the air and catch Shahryar mid-fall before landing on a rocky outcropping. Holding him by the neck of his robe, Sonny let go of Shahryar causing him to collapse onto the ground.

"Why must you be so rude?" Shahryar demanded as he got up. "I'm the king, and therefore you must treat me as such!"

"But I just saved your life, King Shahryar," Sonny said sarcastically. "So don't I deserve at least a little gratitude from you?"

"Sonny, look!" Shahra exclaimed, pointing at the pterodactyl as it flew toward a large structure that loomed across the swamp. "The creature seems to be heading toward that castle, a relic from an ancient kingdom."

"Then let's go check it out," Sonny said enthusiastically.

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On their way to the castle, Sonny and Shahra came to another rocky outcropping that was covered in grass. Here, the two found a large ring nestled in the grassy weeds. But unlike the first ring which was gold-colored, this one was emerald-green with gold lettering.

"This must be another one of the World Rings," Sonny said as he picked the green ring up only to get zapped by the same electrical pulse that the first one gave him. "But I still don't get why they give off this weird energy when I touch them."

"That's because you're feeling the power that comes directly from the rings," Shahra answered. "And it's this same energy that caused all the creatures in this landscape including the one we followed to behave strangely."

"How do you know that?" Sonny asked.

"Oh, I…must've remembered it from the time I came here with Sonic."

"So Sonic's been to this world before?"

"Yes, but not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't explain. My memories are still hazy."

"I see." Sonny placed the green ring next to the gold one in his sweatpants pocket. "So if you're a Genie, can't you just make Erazor Djinn's flaming arrow disappear from my chest if I wished it?"

In response, Shahra looked away. "I'm sorry, Sonny, but I can't."

Sonny's eyes widened. "Why not?"

"Because my magic is not as strong as Erazor Djinn's."

"Well don't feel bad about it. We'll find a way to remove the arrow somehow."

Upon reaching the castle's entrance, Sonny and Shahra found themselves confronted by many of Erazor Djinn's underlings. After defeating them, they made their way into the castle which was an endless maze of tunnels and machinery guarded by mechanical giants. But the further they went down, the hotter the temperature got until Sonny and Shahra found themselves in the lowest levels of the castle, which consisted of pools filled with liquid metal and burning fire. It was also here that they found Erazor Djinn who was levitating in the air and chanting to himself.

"What's he doing here?" Sonny asked, trying not to get Erazor Djinn's attention.

"He's summoning more spirits to help him destroy what's left of the book," Shahra said.

Then once Erazor Djinn was done chanting, a giant mechanical golem with glowing eyes emerged from the pool of liquid metal below and roared loudly.

"What the heck is that?" Sonny exclaimed.

"That's an Ifrit, a djinn who can control fire," Shahra responded.

"Indeed," Erazor Djinn said, floating toward Sonny and Shahra. "I have already wiped out half of the book's stories, so the Ifrit will burn the rest. Have you gathered the seven rings yet, rat boy?"

"Stop calling me a rat!" Sonny yelled. "And no, I have not collected all seven rings."

"Then you'd better hurry up," Erazor Djinn said, pointing to Sonny's chest. "Only half of your life-force remains."

Sonny looked down at his chest and saw that the flame which had been burning brightly before was now less bright than before. Then as Erazor Djinn vanished, Sonny tried to pursue him but was blocked by the Ifrit. So Sonny attempted to fight the Ifrit, but Shahra held him back.

"You can't fight the Ifrit now, Sonny!" Shahra said. "Your life is tied to the flame, so fighting the Ifrit would be like fighting fire with fire."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Sonny asked urgently.

"Find another way to defeat the Ifrit, and I know just the person to help us," Shahra said.

"Fine, then take us to him," Sonny said as he quickly rubbed the ring on his finger.

"Your wish is my command," Shahra said and used her magic to transport her and Sonny out of the castle just as the Ifrit was about to smash them.

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Back in the Sand Oasis, Shahra looked around for Ali-Baba while Sonny helped her. After they found him, the two told him how they got there and what happened since they last spoke. He listened intensely and seemed to be in deep thought while Shahra spoke and Sonny supported her claims.

"Hmm, I'm not sure if I could help," Ali-Baba said after a long pause. "But my friend Sinbad might know something. He's a worldwide traveler and explorer."

"So where is he now?" asked Sonny.

"Well, last I heard, he was fighting off some pirates when he got taken by the Rukh which is basically a living fossil shaped like a bird."

"Do you have any ideas about where this fossil bird-thing could be located?"

"I think the Rukh flocks someplace out in the skies to the west."

"Okay, thanks," Sonny said and turned to Shahra while he rubbed the ring again. "Hey, Shahra, will using that magic carpet of yours cost any wishes?"

"Only one, Sonny, but I can grant you as many wishes as you like as long as they're simple," Shahra said and made the oriental rug appear in front of them.

"All right, then let's find that Rukh and save Sinbad!" Sonny said as he and Ali-Baba jumped onto the carpet along with Shahra and then they took off into the skies above.

To be continued…