Chapter 13: Hard Fought Miracles
"I don't wanna die!" Iago screamed as he flew in zig zag patterns along the pathway back towards the entrance to the temple. But just beyond his tailfeathers was a large beastly monster that looked far too close for comfort.
Jasmine was struggling to find an opening to grab the bird outside of the focus of the monster. She was familiar with it. When Aladdin had finished meeting with Sufyan the first time, he'd encountered a similar monster who was able to mimic the scream of a human. Aladdin had thought it was someone who needed help, but the monster revealed itself and chased Aladdin and Jasmine through several traps in the last temple. In the end, it had succumbed to a trap Aladdin lured it toward. But Aladdin hadn't been in the best shape then. She worried how he, Lati and Abu were doing. She hoped they were at least safe compared the present danger that she, Iago and Carpet were in.
"Iago, just make your way over to me, then we can leave!" Jasmine gripped the edge of Carpet, trying to fly a safe distance from the monster while also trying to angle herself enough to catch up to the bird before the monster did. She was surprised by how apt the monster was in dodging the natural traps of the temple. Whatever the beast was, it was far more astute than the monster she and Aladdin faced before. It wouldn't be easily fooled.
"I'm tryin'!" Iago said, narrowly missing a swipe of one of the monster's paws, claws and all. "I forgot the last part of the story you told when you and Al were in this predicament before. It was too traumatizing. Now I get it!"
Well at least he remembered something about it, Jasmine thought with a groan. Bad timing though.
Iago was nearly hit again by the monster, but he just barely managed to dodge the blow. The blow came far too close for comfort for Jasmine and Carpet, who had to pull back at the last second. It didn't seem like the monster was interested in either Jasmine or Carpet though. Just Iago. Jasmine wondered if it was Iago's bright red plumage that drew the monster towards him.
"Iago, meet me up ahead. Hurry!" Jasmine said. She and Carpet flew a fair distance ahead. If Iago could just get to them, they could speed far ahead of the monster and get out of the temple without a second thought. Maybe Aladdin, Lati, and Abu would be able to get out using Lati's magic. Or if she really needed to, she could at least get Iago out of the temple. But to her horror, she realized the magic puzzles that Lati had used her magic to solve were closing behind them. There was no way for Jasmine and Carpet to get back to where Sufyan's lair was, especially since they had to flee on short notice.
Aladdin, I hope you're all okay.
Iago struggled to fly to where Jasmine and Carpet were waiting. The monster was only a claw away from Iago despite some off the mark swipes. Jasmine knew that she and Carpet would have to speed as quickly as they could to avoid the monster themselves once Iago caught up. But none of them expected the monster to suddenly stop it's momentum, yanked back by something Jasmine couldn't see at first. It whined as a beast would if caught by its tail.
Which is exactly what happened. Jasmine saw that the beast was - at least temporarily - lassoed and trapped by a strong vine knotted around its tail, keeping it anchored to a far corner of one of the widest open areas of the temple.
Nearby, at a distance, Aladdin stood near the source of the vine, making sure it was secure in place. Jasmine had never been so glad to see him. And not far from where Aladdin stood, Abu was perched on the shoulder of a woman - Lati? - who was a little further away, also helping secure the vine to keep the monster from moving forward.
Aladdin confirmed the her identity when he called out to her. "Lati, you and Abu go as fast as you can towards where Carpet is. I'll buy you guys some time and catch up."
Iago had finally caught up, landing on Carpet at that moment while struggling to catch his breath. "Monster finally stopped chasin' me. Maybe it got tired."
"No, Aladdin, Abu, and Lati are to thank for getting you out of that pickle." Jasmine saw that the beast now turn its attention, with full rage, in Aladdin, Lati, and Abu's direction. "But they're going to need help getting out of the one they just created."
Aladdin realized that the monster had turned its sights on him, which was exactly he planned. Keep your eyes on me instead of them, tough guy, Aladdin thought, his eyes narrowing. You just might regret it if you don't.
He waited just long enough. When the beast started closing in on him, Aladdin started triggering the traps. To his surprise, at first, the beast easily dodged the pits and other column shifts that would have pinched it into a corner.
"Okay, clearly you know this place well enough to dodge those," Aladdin said, impressed. "But can you keep up with me? Because I know these kinds of traps from the last temple. And I don't have a headache spell to distract me this time."
The monster howled in response, and Aladdin knew not to continue pressing his luck. He ran as fast as he could, dodging the floor traps he expected, pits that opened and closed, daggers that barely missed his head and body, and columns that could have crushed him if he stayed in one place. The monster was equally apt, but its large size slowed its timing down. It had to actually work to dodge the flying daggers and pits.
Aladdin saw Lati and Abu a fair distance ahead of him. By this time, Abu was running alongside Lati instead of being perched on her shoulder. But the monkey actually mistimed his advance, triggering a trap that didn't catch Abu, but had the monkey trip, fall, and spin out.
"Abu!" Lati almost turned around to get the monkey, but Aladdin called out to her.
"I got him! Keep running towards where Jasmine and Carpet are, Lati. Don't look back!"
Lati didn't hesitate for long as she continued running ahead, while Aladdin scooped up Abu and barely avoided one of the monster's paws swiping him as he ran forward.
This monster's way smarter than I gave him credit for, Aladdin thought. Then again, this is his home territory. If we can just get out of the reach of the monster and out of this area of the temple, we should be good to go. Not to say anything about having to deal with him when we come back here after getting the artifact.
Aladdin and Abu just barely made it to Carpet when Lati climbed aboard, Jasmine helping the healer up as the monster closed the distance. When Aladdin pulled Abu up as the final passenger, just before the monster's claw swiped forward, the prince shouted. "Punch it, Carpet! Go!"
Not only did Carpet have to outrun the monster chasing them, but he had to dodge several traps that were closing ahead of them from where Lati had used her magic to open them. Unfortunately, the monster was keeping pace with them, avoiding the magic pillars as they closed.
"We have to find some way to shake the creature off, or we'll not make it out of the temple in time," Lati suggested.
"Can you use your magic?" Jasmine asked.
Lati seemed surprised, recognizing that Jasmine knew who she was. But she quickly recovered as she shook her head. "I can't; I lost my abilities during the extraction. It's temporary, but I don't know when I'll get them back."
"So we'll have to find some other non-magic way to shake him then," Aladdin said, his eyes scanning the ground beneath them as Carpet flew. His eyes widened as he realized something. "Carpet, fly lower, but keep your pace. I've got an idea."
Jasmine turned her head to look over her shoulder at Aladdin. "What are you...?" But stopped as Aladdin had already grabbed what he needed to. A long piece of bone from a long dead monster. Long and strong enough to throw.
"Eww...you just plucked a bone from a dead monster. You don't know where that's been," Iago said, his face momentarily turning green. Abu had a similar reaction as he flinched.
"Wouldn't doubt that creature probably met its end by the thing chasing us. It's us or it, what would you prefer?" Aladdin said.
Iago nodded. "Definitely the thing behind us. Ahh!" Iago yelled as he saw the creature's massive claws attempt a swipe at Carpet's edge, but missed.
"Pull upward Carpet!" Aladdin shouted. "We don't have much further until we get out of here, but we have to clear the other obstacles in time. Otherwise, we're trapped in here with this guy."
"Please don't put that thought out into the universe. My stomach's tipsy enough as it is," Iago said with a groan. "And Carpet's not helpin' with the rollercoaster ride he's takin' us on! I can barely hold a grip!" For emphasis, Iago's wings gripped the edge of Carpet like a lifeline.
"Carpet's ride is the only thing saving us right now from getting swiped by that thing," Jasmine pointed out candidly.
"What the Princess said," Lati added, though her own expression was worried.
"Not for long. Just need a steady hand." Aladdin readied himself with the bone in one hand, his other gripping the edge of Carpet for balance. He took aim, then threw it with all of his might towards the creature's face. The monster didn't have time to dodge as the bone smacked it square in the forehead, causing it to recoil. Enough for Carpet to clear the next closing pillar hurdle with ease, leaving the creature behind.
"You did it! That was a brilliant..." Lati began, but her joy, Jasmine's, and Aladdin's were shortlived as Carpet took too sharp a turn, causing Aladdin to lose his balance.
"Aladdin!" Jasmine cried. Aladdin yelled as he fell, but managed to grab the edge of Carpet with one hand. There was a long way to the ground and they had one more set of pillars that threatened to close them in. If Carpet stopped, they would all be trapped inside the temple. For how long, none of them knew. What else would chase or attack them, they also didn't know. None of them wanted to find out.
Abu and Iago were equally scared, but they saw Jasmine reach down to grab one of Aladdin's hands. She started to pull him up.
"No Jasmine, don't. Just hold on. It'll be a tight squeeze, but we can make it. Keep going, Carpet, don't worry about me," Aladdin said, though his words didn't match his tense expression.
Carpet kept his speed, but angled in a way that just barely cleared the last set of closing pillars. But his speed was way too fast. By the time they flew out of the temple, Carpet spiralled out of control. At that point, everyone fell to the sands below, Aladdin being the first to fall.
Thankfully the distance between where Carpet was and the ground wasn't as great as it has been in the temple itself. They all hit the ground, with Carpet crashing into a nearby sand dune.
Jasmine was the first to recover, using her hand to brush sand out of her hair. "Is everyone okay?"
"My beak is full of sand," Iago said, only to cough several moments later.
Abu coughed as he managed to dig himself out of a patch of sand he landed in. Lati was brushing sand from her shoulders, but she held the side of her head like it hurt.
"Are you okay, Lati?" Jasmine asked.
"I'm not hurt from the impact, but I think the effects of the extraction done by Sufyan are catching up with me. I would worry more about Prince Aladdin. He endured the worst of it."
Jasmine didn't see where Aladdin had fallen in the chaos of Carpet's escape, but she saw that he had caught up to where they had landed. His steps were staggered, like he'd been hurt. She rose to her feet, rushing over to the space on the sands where he fell to his knees. She was surprised when he embraced her.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
When they pulled apart, she looked up at him. "I should be asking you that question."
Aladdin hesitated a little too long on the question for Jasmine's comfort. His voice was tired. "I'm...all right. Carpet did what he had to. But I'm starting to feel the extraction's effects. Lati was doing more work with her magic than either of us realized."
Iago and Abu were helping Lati try to pull Carpet out from where he was stuck in the sand dune. But it was Abu who spoke in a series of screeches. Aladdin was the first to answer.
"No, I don't think we can get anywhere if we try to rescue Genie and Komal from Mozenrath tonight. Worse scenario - we'd end up all getting captured and the artifact Mozenrath's got ends up getting used against all of us. Even reaching Agrabah. Not to mention Genie's already captured and Komal being used as Mozenrath's puppet for the time being. Lati doesn't have her powers anymore, like she mentioned earlier. We don't know how long that will last."
"So what are we supposed to do? Go back to Agrabah? We got no way of knowing where we are or where to go since the person controlling you brought us here!" Iago said pointedly. Lati winced at that.
Aladdin's expression was equally pained. "Not the way I wanted to introduce her, but might as well." Aladdin took the time to introduce Lati to all of his friends, and her to them. He also caught them all up on the current situation.
"You are far more gracious than I deserve considering my and my brother's actions are what let you all to this place, your highness," Lati said, her expression sad.
Aladdin shook his head. "We can only focus on what to do now. First thing is getting out of here. There should be a portal out here for us that will take us to Getzistan, based on what Sufyan said in the temple. We can stay in the city for the night. I don't think Sultan Al Dente would turn us away." Even as Iago was relieved by that news, Aladdin's eyes searched the skyline over the vast desert, determined to see where it was. Jasmine followed where he looked, but she quickly found it before he did.
"Is that it? To the east?" Jasmine pointed to a flickering green light a distance away.
"Yeah, we can reach it by Carpet." Aladdin smiled sheepishly as he realized Carpet was still stuck in the sand dune, despite the others' efforts. "Once we dig him out, that is."