Chapter Six- Resist and Submit

They reappeared outside the Citadel and Aladdin found he could move again. He wasted no time in taking to the air and streaking off for the desert. Mozenrath made no effort to stop him and Aladdin wondered why. If he's going to control me, he should be stopping me. Aladdin shook his head as he flew. He shouldn't question his good fortune.

Jasmine watched her boyfriend fly away and looked curiously at Mozenrath. He wasn't stopping him which made her suspect that he had already anticipated an escape attempt as soon as they arrived home. Mozenrath looked up at her with a satisfied smirk. "He won't get far. I knew that one or both of you would try to escape and had already put in place a way to stop you. Honestly, I thought Aladdin would try something as stupid as trying to escape."

An eagle scream of pain suddenly rent the air, making Jasmine wince while Mozenrath was calm. When the scream had ceased, the dark wizard said, "Jasmine, fly me to your mate."

"Mate?" she repeated as she laid down to allow Mozenrath to climb onto her.

"Yes. You are griffins now and they have mates, not boyfriends or girlfriends."

Jasmine digested that as she headed after Aladdin. She also realized that her suspicions of a ward or barrier to keep them trapped were correct. I figured he would do something like that and that's why I didn't fly after my mate. I don't want to obey Mozenrath, but thanks to the bread, my body responds to his commands.

The form of a gold griffin with white feathers lay on the ground and Jasmine swooped over and landed near it, allowing her rider to dismount. Aladdin's paws twitched and his eyes blearily looked at them. Mozenrath folded his arms as he looked at him. "I see you met up with my lightning barrier. Anything that meets up with it will get quite a shock. I knew you would try to escape and clearly you underestimated my abilities to trap you. It seems your mate has more sense than you do."

"I…will escape," Aladdin panted as he staggered to his paws.

"No, you won't. Your body will carry out my commands even if you disagree with my decisions. Of course, I would rather that you obey me, body and mind. It would be much easier for all of us."

Aladdin gave a real growl. "Never."

Jasmine looked at her paws, thinking. Easier for all of us if we obey him whole-heartedly? Easier how? If I ask him, I may get a vague answer, but if I simply obey him, I'll find out by being rewarded which is what one gets when they listen.

"Now, I am going to ride you, Aladdin, and I order you to fly me back to my home." He snapped his fingers and a heavy metal collar appeared on Aladdin's neck with a handhold on the back and a long metal chain hanging from it. He picked it up and held it out to Jasmine. "If he tries to harm me in any way, tug on this to stop him."

"Yes, Master," she replied as she took the chain in her beak. She saw Mozenrath's pleased expression before he boarded Aladdin, who had given Jasmine eyes full of horror at her compliance.

"Now, fly," he said and both griffins did so. Jasmine purred softly as they flew. Flying was a wonderful feeling and it almost made giving up her humanity worth it. She felt the chains' slack tighten and she saw Aladdin streaking for the barrier! She braked in mid-air and yanked on the chain. There was a startled squawk and she yanked again.

"Jasmine, to me!" called Mozenrath and she did so. He mounted her back, conjured a manacle to bind Aladdin's wings and added more chains to it and Jasmine's beak. He straightened his turban before saying, "Oh, yes. He certainly needs training. I thought he would try to shock both of us, hence the chain I gave you. Home, Jasmine."

Jasmine wheeled around and headed for the Citadel, easily hauling her boyfriend beneath her. She knew her actions probably horrified her mate and, once they were alone, she would explain her actions. It may not make sense to him, but if I can find out what kind of rewards are given, it could lead to being allowed to roam beyond the kingdom.

She landed outside the Citadel, gently putting Aladdin on his paws first. She leaned down to let her master off. He opened the doors with his magic and, as he entered, said, "Jasmine, place Aladdin in the dungeon and then come to my Throne Room."

Jasmine bowed as her beak was full and then headed downstairs, pulling the chains to get Aladdin to follow. The two griffins descended into the dungeons and Jasmine pulled him into a cell that she suspected was strong enough to contain a griffin. She used her beak, paws, and tail to secure the chains to a ring.

"Jasmine, why are you listening to him?" Aladdin demanded. "We need to escape."

"I know that," she said softly. "I'm thinking that if I obey him whole-heartedly, I may be given rewards like being allowed to roam freely. Of course, that may take some time."

Aladdin nuzzled her cheek with the side of his beak. "Clever. Say, if you can persuade him to let you see me…"

"I believe I can do that, but it will also take time, so please be patient." She left the cell, closing the door, and locking it with keys she had found using her tail. She put it on a key ring well out of Aladdin's reach before heading up.

She entered the Throne Room and bowed before Mozenrath who was on his throne. She saw Amin in an energy cage out of the corner of her eye, but said nothing about it.

"Your mate is a stubborn one, something I'm familiar with but I was sure I would be able to control him," he muttered bitterly as Jasmine bowed.

"Master, I may be able to convince him if I were to speak to him."

Mozenrath regarded her for a moment before saying thoughtfully, "Yes, that may work. But I will tell you when to talk to him."

"As you wish, Master."

"Good. Now, I want to test your griffin instincts, specifically what your species is known for."

At this, Jasmine's head turned to Amin and Mozenrath smirked as she fully stood. "Yes. I want you to tear Amin in two. Now that I have you and Aladdin, I no longer have a use for him."

Jasmine's mind raced as Mozenrath spelled the doors shut to prevent Amin's escape. I can't kill him. I've never killed anyone before. It seems I will, whether I want to or not as I will be ordered to kill. That being the case, if I let my instincts take over, killing Amin will be easy.

"Jasmine, kill him," Mozenrath said as he vanished the bars.

Amin let out a scream of terror as Jasmine crouched and growled at him. Her eyes clouded over as she tapped her griffin instincts. Her claws unsheathed as she stalked forward. Amin screamed again as he ran for the doors. Jasmine snarled as she sprang toward him, her wings helping her glide forward. Her beak opened wide and her forepaws were outstretched as she pinned her victim against the immovable doors. She latched her beak around his middle and shook her head furiously, ignoring the man's screams. She kept shaking him until she had torn Amin into two pieces which fell to the floor and she gave an eagle scream of triumph.

Mozenrath laughed after she had screamed. "Excellent! Very good. Tell me how it felt."

Jasmine, her instincts suppressed, turned to Mozenrath, came closer, and bowed as she sought to describe the kill. "It felt good, but I feel a bit guilty doing it."

"I suspected you would. I will work with you so that you will have no qualms about killing."

"Yes, Master," Jasmine replied, knowing that he would keep his word to make her a true killer.