"Seems your little songbird has escaped the cage.""You're cheating!!""But mother dear, surely you didn't expect me to play by the rules...?! Fair play and honesty is a hero thing, just as well as feelings, remember?" "It's not fair!""You say that so often. I wonder what your basis for comparison is.""I'm terribly disappointed in you.""You shouldn't be. After all, it was you who taught me."And such a dedicated teacher you were too, he added to himself."If I were you, I'd try to get something done instead of sulking over this little drawback. You've lost some precious time here, you know," he said conversationally."I'll get you for this! Don't think for a second you can interfere with my game and get away with it!""Of course not, dear mother. I shiver with fear and grovel at your feet, begging for mercy. And oh, next time you might consider a more elaborate plan. Kidnapping the princess was just too pathetic."She hissed at him, her cat's eyes narrow slits of green fire."That's enough! If you don't start showing some respect, I'm sure I can find another powerful wizard with a taste for little boys, who could take over where Destane left you..."She disappeared in a shower of green sparks before his furious blast could hit her, the echo of her mocking laugh the only sign she'd been there at all.

"Aladdin!""Jasmine!"She rushed over to Aladdin and embraced him, holding him hard. The Sultan came over to them, taking her hand, tears of relief in his eyes."Dear child! Thank Allah you're all right! What happened? How could you escape from Mirage?"She smiled at them."You will never believe this..."

The lithe figure flowed over the ground, it's paws soundlessly touching the sandy street. It's body gleamed like polished copper in the first sunlight, reflections running like fluid flames over it's body. It's eyes glowed like coals of fire, the whiskers shivered as it smelled the man-things nearby. It felt hunger rage inside it's slim body, like a physical pain, a need, an obsession...Another shape slid out of the dawn's shadows, and yet another, and yet another... the feline animals came flowing out from the lingering darkness, like a pouring river of gold and cinnamon, their fangs gleaming and their eyes burning with unholy fire. Impatiently hissing they spread through all of the city. There would be mice enough for all of them to hunt.

"Sultan! Your highness!"The guard came stumbling towards the little group by the golden Elephant throne. They looked down at him in surprise."Your majesty, the city's being invaded by monsters!""What?!""They're demons, your highness! Gigantic quick-silver cats, blood-thirsty as wolves!""Then call out the guards!""They're already out there fighting, but the monsters are everywhere! Swords can't kill them! We're doomed!"Aladdin turned to Jasmine."Another of Mirage's ideas I suppose...?"She jerked her eyes away from the terrified guard and forced herself to concentrate."It must be. Aladdin, we have to stop her!"He nodded."But I want you to stay here. I don't want to risk losing you again!"She started to protest, then thought better of it. He took her in his arms, holding her close, she clung onto him as if she never wanted to let go. Gently he stepped away and started to descend the stairs down from the throne."Genie, Carpet, let's go!""Aladdin!"He turned and looked at the princess, she looked so small and vulnerable."Be careful," she whispered. He nodded and gave her a reassuring smile, then the magic carpet swooped away with him, carrying him out of sight.

Their bodies were feline shapes formed by fluid metal, like ginger quicksilver. The large strange cats were everywhere, their fangs and claws slashing at the panicked people who ran blindly, trampling their own as they desperately tried to get away. Mirage studied the disastrous scene in the glowing crystal sphere that soared before her. She chuckled evilly. Chaos, carnage and conquering... she hadn't had this much fun for months."Poor Aladdin... Seems like you and your beloved princess are about to perish along with your little city. And poor Mozenrath, too. I think I'm winning this game..."She threw her head back and laughed, the insane echoes ringing through the temple.

Princess Jasmine could only watch the horrible scene from her balcony, seeing the demons play mercilessly with the homeless people, the defenseless ones who had nowhere to run. As she watched helplessly, a man dove around a street corner, followed by a group of the cats, and a second later a horrible flow of red ran out from the alley, mingling with the dust of the street. A young mother with a little child stumbled and fell under the cats' attack, disappearing under a mass of golden bodies. The child just stood there, staring at the monstrous scene, to shocked to even run away, tears running down his little face drawing white lines in the dust and dirt on his cheeks. Nauseated she turned away, fleeing into her rooms. There must be something she could do, something someone could do...!

"Mozenrath!" she called halfheartedly. She felt utterly stupid, standing there talking to herself. Then the image of the little crying child appeared before her eyes, how his tears had run down his dirty cheeks. Anger and despair gave her voice strength."Mozenrath!"Silence. She let out a broken-hearted sigh and her shoulders fell. What had she been expecting anyway...?"What is your command, O revered Princess...?"She whirled around. He sat comfortably outstretched at the window-ledge, leaning his back against the window-frame, his arms crossed over his chest. He bowed at her with mock humility."You must stop Mirage!""I must do what...?"He polished his fingernails on his tunic. She bit her lip as she realized she had offended his touchy ego. She gave him an appealing look."Please! She's slaughtering the people out there!"He glanced out through the window uninterestedly, then went back to examining his nails."I know. So?""What do you mean 'so'? You said you would protect Agrabah from her!"He shrugged and cocked an eyebrow at her."You can't play a game without sacrificing some of the less important pawns. As long as she's wasting time working of her annoyance on the street beggars and thieves, I don't have to go out of my way to protect my main chessmen - you and your beloved father, that is.""But what about the people?! You can't just let her kill them all!"He smiled coldly at her, and she shuddered before the indifference in his eyes."I don't care a bit about the people. To me, you are just pieces in my game, and that's the only reason I'm willing to help you. I'm a chess-player, not a saint.""You're a monster!""Whatever. Besides, never fear. I'm sure that a thousand of her lionaras couldn't clean out the rat's nest you call your city. Those street-rats usually shows an irritating reluctance to die, you know."She just stared at him, shaking her head before his impassive, emotionless voice and the merciless words he spoke. He stood, pushing away from the window and approached her, his eyes hard and cold."And don't call me again, unless you have anything more useful to say. I don't like you blowing your dog-whistle at me."She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could draw her breath he raised his gauntleted hand and disappeared in a cascade of blue-black flames.

"Genie! Isn't there anything you can do?!"The carpet hovered above the older, poor parts of the city, where the beasts had chased everyone away. Everyone, that was, that could still run. The limp forms of the ones who hadn't been fast enough lay slumped in the alleys and street corners. In the street below him, a large pack of the big, copper red felines were gathered around a fallen man - Aladdin felt grateful their bodies concealed what they were doing, but their red, blood dripping fangs gave him a pretty good clue. The djinn looked down at them too, loathing and uneasiness written across his face."The lionaras of Röda Döden - the red death. I've heard of them.""Magical beasts...?"The genie nodded morosely. Aladdin shook his head in disgust."Why am I not surprised? It would be nice to face something not magical - just for once. Well, let's see what these kitties can do..."He drew his sword, carpet swooping down and he slashed at the silky-furred bodies. With an almost human cry the cat closest to him fell, but now the others had seen him and turned away from their monstrous meal to face him. They seemed to press closer to each other as he charged again, their golden bodies melting together, the surging pack moving as one single animal...He gasped as he realized they actually were merging together, forming a gigantic creature, easily three times as big as Rajah. With high, slim legs, a whip-like tail and an almost human face, framed by a silky, golden mane, the creature fell upon him, slashing at the carpet with long, razor sharp claws. He barely dodged the attack, made an insane maneuver and managed to cut deeply into the fore-leg of the maroon lion. His eyes went wide as the cut-off limb fell to the ground, only to transform back to it's cat shape, leaping towards the large lionara and disappearing into it like a drop of water into a the sea. The beast immediately faced carpet to attack him again. His surprised hesitation would have cost him his life, hadn't something distracted the large lion. A blue-black lighting flaring in the corner of his eye made him turn around, as his attacker suddenly shrieked with pain, scorched by a magical blast. Mozenrath floated easily in the air beside the hovering carpet, watching him with contempt."Can't you do anything by yourself? Whatever happened with the invincible hero stuff?"The cat growled and eyed the two of them suspiciously, lashing the long tail hesitatingly. Aladdin looked even more suspicious and hostile than the monster, as if he'd rather face the lionara than the sorcerer."What was that about?! Exactly what are you up to, Mozenrath?"The sorcerer scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest."Don't get any ideas, this isn't anything permanent. But at the moment I need you - you're too valuable a piece on this chessboard for me to lose right now. You've defeated Mirage before - I would be terribly disappointed in you if you couldn't do it again.""Why don't you fight your own battles, Mozenrath - and leave us alone?""Don't be ridiculous. That wouldn't be half as much fun. Besides, this isn't a battle, it's a game, and you are my pieces. I shouldn't even be here, my interference is really against the rules."Aladdin opened his mouth to let the sorcerer know just how much he cared for this pervert game of his, when the lionara finally decided to attack. Screeching with fury, the claws aimed at his heart, the beast threw itself at him. The carpet barely avoided the fangs. He stabbed at the monster with his sword, but it caused no harm as the lionara dissolved into the many smaller cats while the blade passed through only to melt together again once it was gone. He couldn't hit the thing, couldn't hurt it - couldn't stop it."At this point a piece of advice might be worth considering..."Mozenrath's soft, calm voice cut through the lionara's furious hissing. Aladdin whirled around and waved his sword at him, with something between an impatient gesture and a pure threat."All right, what?!"Mozenrath glared expressively at the sword in front of his nose. "I'm actually trying to help you save your puny little city here you know, so how about a more humble attitude?!"Aladdin lowered his sword, trying to keep an eye at both the evil carnivores, sorcerer and beast, at the same time. Mozenrath finally deigned to continue."There's one thing lionaras just can't stand.""And are you going to tell me what it is, or just stand there being smug about it all day...?""It's simple. All you need is salt water. Sticks at them and keeps them from merging together. They hate it.""Salt water? That's it?""Do I really have to explain everything twice? Are you hard of hearing, or don't you just understand plain Arabic?""Mozenrath, why don't you just follow the rules for a change, and get the heck out of here?!"The thin sorcerer somehow managed to look hurt, giving him a reproachful look about as sincere and genuine as a chameleon's color."Don't mention it. You're welcome. Just let me know when you need my help again...""Oh, please, give it up. Just who do you think you're fooling? Genie, do you think you can fix some salt water?"The djinn disappeared in a puff of blue smoke, only to come back a fraction of a second later, armed with a fire-hose which he aimed significantly at the sulking sorcerer. Mozenrath's eyes went wide, and with a hiss he disappeared just before the violent jet of water hit him. The lionara had been sneaking up behind them and the water drowned it. It stiffened and screeched, writhing inside the shower of water as if scorched by it's touch. Grotesquely falling apart, the lionara dissolved into the smaller cats again. They growled and clawed at the others to get away from the water. Genie transformed into a gardener with a straw-hat on his head, holding a watering-can in his hand, watering them tenderly. Like clay, they melted, forming awful bizarre shapes as they slowly disappeared, their growls dying away in gurgling moanings. Finally an oily shimmering at the surface of the water puddles was all that remained, shifting in rainbow colors over the water as the midday sun shone at it.

"Mmrrreoww! They shouldn't know about that! I think someone's been sidestepping the rules again...!"She hissed and spat, carving deep furrows in the stone wall with her claws as she slashed furiously at the innocent Egyptian figures there."I will win this game, no matter what it takes! And when it's over, I'll make my little insubordinate son pay dearly for defying me like this! If he thought obeying Destane was bad, I'll convince him it was a paradise compared to what I'll make him do..!"The image of Agrabah and the heroes slowly morphed into a chessboard, the people becoming stylized chessmen. Opposing them, spreading out like a pile of bleached skeletal bones over the black and white squares at the horizon, more of her own pieces stood passive, waiting for her to play them. Her expression smoothed out, the distorting anger being replaced by smug evil and she stretched out her clawed fingers, touching some of the different bleached ivory shapes to ponder her next move.