Chapter Seven- Complete Control

Aladdin awoke the following morning, his stomach rumbling with hunger. He hadn't eaten anything since the fruit and he was also thirsty. He heard footsteps and looked over to see Mozenrath at the door. He opened it and pushed it closed behind him before he busied himself with re-arranging the chains. "I assume you're hungry?" he asked once he was done. A loud gurgle was heard and the wizard smirked. "I thought so." He waved a hand and a platter heaped with raw meat appeared along with an enormous bowl of water.

Aladdin dipped his beak into the bowl and gulped down the water which re-filled itself. A bottomless bowl, he thought as he started on the meat. I definitely won't go thirsty.

Mozenrath watched with folded arms as Aladdin ate and drank. He had presented Jasmine with the same breakfast and she eagerly ate it, admitting that the fruit was the last thing both of them had eaten. When Aladdin swallowed the last of his food, Mozenrath spoke again. "Now, that you've been fed and watered, perhaps you'll be more reasonable."

"Never," Aladdin growled.

"I will discipline you to get you to obey, but I'd rather entice you to obey." He laughed at Aladdin's parted beak and seeing him recoil in surprise. "I am not the complete villain you think I am. Think of how I treated the wind jackal."

"But I also recall how you treated the sprites," Aladdin countered.

"Yes, but I had no intention of keeping them whereas I will keep you and Jasmine, who killed Amin yesterday, by the way."

"No," Aladdin whispered in horror. "She wouldn't. She didn't."

"Oh, she would and she did. I could tell that she had let her griffin instincts loose during the kill; no doubt to suppress her doubts of killing. She was of two minds when I asked her how it felt afterwards. She said it felt good, but she also felt guilty about it. I promised to work with her so that she won't feel guilty about killing anymore."

Aladdin couldn't believe what he was hearing. Mozenrath was going to turn Jasmine into a killer and him as well if he submitted to him. "Mozenrath, you will not make Jasmine a killer."

"I already have and will keep doing so. You can't stop me from training you two to obey me."

"I can stop you."

"The only way to stop me is to kill me."

"Kill? No, I can't do that."

"I know and by the time you are capable of murder, you will be my loyal pet." He patted the beak and then jerked back when Aladdin snapped at him. The gauntlet glowed and he fired a blast of magic at Aladdin that made him screech and fall on his side, paws twitching. "You will learn respect and be loyal to me! Your friends have clearly accepted that you belong to me!" snapped Mozenrath as he left, slamming and locking the door.

Jasmine licked her beak clean of water as she laid on one side of the Throne Room. Her master had left to feed Aladdin and see if a full stomach would make him more reasonable. She doubted it. Aladdin was a strong-willed man, er griffin and did not willingly do what he felt was wrong. She sighed softly. He needs to acknowledge that we're griffins and that Mozenrath is our master due to the bread we ate. If we obey, he will reward us. Jasmine was aware of what she was thinking, but wasn't concerned about it. She didn't realize that by killing in true griffin fashion while letting her instincts guide her, she had fallen deeper under Mozenrath's control.

The room's doors burst open and Mozenrath stormed in. Jasmine cringed as he went past, took his seat, and fumed. His eyes fell on the cowering female and his anger melted a little. "It's all right, my pet. I am not angry at you, it is your mate that angers me."

"He was unreasonable, Master?"

"Correct and I suspect you knew that would happen."

"Yes, Master. He needs to accept that we're griffins now and that you are our master."

Mozenrath inwardly smirked. Jasmine is definitely in my control. Her murder of Amin has brought her to accept her new life. That is what Aladdin needs to do. Once he has killed, he will be loyal to me as well. I could send Jasmine to speak to him and then have her hone her killing skills with some of my undead servants. Yes, that sounds perfect. "Jasmine, after your next meal, you will try to convince Aladdin to submit to me. I will send for you when I am ready to have you hone your killing skills."

Jasmine bowed her head. "Yes, Master."

Aladdin glared at Mozenrath as his food was brought to him, but Mozenrath simply put the plate down and left. He went to the meat and sniffed it. It smelled of only meat and then began to eat. He had been suspicious of a powder or potion to make him accept Mozenrath as his master, but nothing smelled or tasted different from his morning meal.

I will not give in, he thought. I will keep fighting and find a way to escape. He swallowed the last of his meat and laid down to wash his paws and beak. He wondered when Mozenrath would try to persuade him again until he heard claws clicking and the rustling of wings. He stood up and faced the door, his tail swishing happily. "Jasmine!" he called.

The female griffin appeared and used her tail to use the keys to open the cell. She purred as she nuzzled him and he responded in like. "Jasmine, tell me the truth. Did you kill Amin yesterday?"

"Yes, I did," she said, still purring. "I was conflicted in the aftermath of it, but now I'm not."

"You're not?"

"No. It felt good to let instinct guide me and it made everything clear to me."

"Clear how?" he asked, afraid to hear her answer.

"I'm a griffin and Mozenrath is my master."

"No," he said in soft horror.

"Aladdin, you shouldn't fight it. Submit to Mozenrath and we can be together all the time."

"Jasmine, no. We're humans and no one is our master."

"We're not human anymore and we can't be human again. We're permanently griffins and we'll have a comfortable life as Mozenrath's pets."

"No," he repeated.

Jasmine growled and smacked his head with the back of her paw. "Stop being so stubborn! This is our life now and you might as well get used to it!" She stalked out of the cell and locked it. She was hanging up the keys when a rift opened to her left and Mozenrath's voice called, "Come to me, Jasmine." She fired one more intense glare at Aladdin before leaping into the rift which closed behind her.

Aladdin moaned as he sank to the floor of his cell. Jasmine had fallen completely under Mozenrath's control and was trying to get him to join her. She had admitted to killing Amin, being conflicted soon after it, and then had time to reflect on it before deciding to obey him. She seems happy to be his pet. I want to be with her but I'm not in love with the price. I will not be Mozenrath's pet or listen to him. I know that I am somewhat under his control, but I will not let it go any further than that.

He pulled himself into a ball as best he could since he was still chained and fell into a fitful sleep where he was with Jasmine and both carried out the orders of their master.