By Marco Merkelijn
To Michelle for her wonderful friendship and inspiration.
It was the hottest day of the year. Agrabah was melting. The merchants that sell food did not even open their stalls that day. Everything and everyone was slow, there were very few people on the market. "I will not sell anything more today" Merkal thought. He closed his stall, packed his camel and walked home. His camel did not want to walk, he just wanted to lay down and sleep. "Come on boy just a few more streets and you can rest for the whole day and night" he said to his camel. They stopped by a well to drink Merkal looked down the well. "It isn't much by friend but it is enough for now. After a refreshing drink, they started to walk again. They pass a crate with melons "It is hot and I rot." The half-sleeping Merkal thought, "Yes it is hot very hot. But wait a minute since when can melons talk?" he said to himself. He hears someone giggles Merkal turned and glared at a girl who came from behind some barrels. "Don't you recognize me Merkal?" she asked him. Merkal totally stunned by a speaking melon and the heat tried to think. "Yes off course I recognize you, hello Crystal it is great to see you again?" he smiled at her. "It is great to see you too my friend, it has been almost a year since Yesenia and I left to enhance our magic powers." They hugged each other. "So I see you sister taught you her tick, where is she anyway?" Merkal said while he and Crystal said down on a few barrels. "Yesenia will return shortly now. "She send me to find you, we need your help. She will tell you everything later." We talked some more about what they did while they where away. And what I had done in the last year. "So you learned more how to use your magic right? You were not the only two there you where there with about ten other students. And Yesenia was the best student of the class?" Crystal nodded in agreement. "Well it doesn't surprise me that she is the best." Merkal said remembering his best friend magic powers. He seems that Crystal is a little upset hearing how good her sister is in magic. Trying to comfort her Merkal said. "You are good at magic too, I remember the day we met you where proud that Yesenia could let things talk and now you can do it your self. I am proud of you both," he said to her smiling. It worked she seemed to feel better already. "Thanks Merkal. Yesenia said the she would meet us at you place so shall we go to you home now?" Merkal agreed while talking some more they walked so his place where Yesenia already was waiting for them. "It is about time you find him, I got a little worried." She said glad that her sister and best friend where save. "Yesenia I am so happy too see you, I missed you" they hugged and walked with Crystal behind them inside his place. "I will be back soon, I have to put away my camel" he walked outside and brought his camel to this stable. 'Here you are Rafeek" he said giving him food and water "rest now."Back in his home Crystal and Yesenia were talking about Merkal. "He had changed in the past year didn't he?" Crystal said to her sister who was looking around the place. "I didn't noticed it, what I do notice is that this room didn't changed over the past year. Everything is still the same." She stands up and walks to a window. "Almost nothing has changed in Agrabah while we where away. But, you must admit Merkal acts a little different then a year ago. "Crystal begun. "Yes and so are we Crystal and so are we." The room was silent for a few minutes then Merkal entered the room again. "Sorry about that, the poor camel almost died of the thirst. Now that I think of it, I would like something to drink too. Anybody else?" His two friends want like to drink too. Merkal walked to the kitchen to get some water. He returned shortly. He gave them their glasses. "Crystal said you needed my help" Merkal begun, looking at Yesenia who had sat down again. "What can I do for you?" Yesenia begun "You remember that we told you about Coronath? Yes off course, it was your home of the first part of your lives. You moved to here because it was dried out." Yesenia nods. Merkal looks at the sad expression on Crystal's face. "I am sorry that if I brought sad memories up." Merkal apologies. "It isn't your fault Merkal. Yesenia please tell him." Crystal turned her head away to hide her tears. Yesenia laid a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "A great and evil sorcerer attacked Coronath." Surprised and shocked remembering what they had told him about the city Merkal only could say "Why?" Yesenia shrug her shoulders "We don't know, but I am determined to find out why he did. And to kick that sorcerer out of Coronath" Merkal saw the mad expression in the young woman's eyes. An expression he had never saw in her before. "But why do you need my help?" he wonders. Crystal looks at Merkal. "Our mentor told us to find someone with courage, determination and who is willing to die for a worthy goal. Yesenia thought immediately about you." She points with her thumb to her sister. "So would you please help us in this battle? Merkal thought a second. "Good, I am with you. I will fight until we free your people or..." he stops a moment looking a the floor to find the right words "or I will die." His gaze full with determination, and will to battle for his two friends and their people. Crystal smiled, happy that he would help Yesenia walked to Merkal and hugged him. "Thank you my friend
'How are we going to handle this? " Crystal asked looking at her sister. "Just before we left our mentor Fasir told me that you only could defeat him by taking his power away from him. I seen this sorcerer before, his name is Mozenrath." Merkal's eyes open wide. "Mozenrath!" he says very loud. Surprised by the outburst of the merchant Crystal asks, "You heard of him?" Although he looked at the ground, Yesenia could see that he was really upset about something. "Mozenrath attacked Agrabah more then once. A friend of me, Aladdin defeated every time he attached." He smiles while he remembers how Aladdin defeated the sorcerer every time. "You know Aladdin?" the surprised voice of Yesenia sounded next to him. He looks up to his best friend. "Yes Aladdin, yes I met him, the Princess of Agrabah and some friends of them." "So why not ask them for their help?" The youngest of the three asked. "He and the others are on vacation for some time. We have to do this on our own."
Yesenia and Crystal left Merkal's place and walked home to their parents. The next morning the three friends left for Coronath. "This is your horse" Yesenia pointed to a black horse a man was holding by his rig. "His name is Bassel. Hi Bassel I am Merkal." His mother and the mother and father of Yesenia and Crystal were standing next to each other. They said goodbye to their children. While his mother hugged Merkal he whispers in her ear. "Do not worry mom I will return safely." She let go of him and cried a little. When Merkal shook hands with Abdul, "We know you for a long time now, you bring my daughters save home. You understand?" Merkal sees the fear of losing the people he loved in his eyes. He thinks back of the time when lost his father, Aadab was sad a long time. He heard her cry at night. He shivers of the thought losing his friends. "I understand sir, I protect them with my life if I have too. " he walked back to his horse he sees how the girls are saying good bye to his mother. They joined him with their horses and mounted them. "Good bye all we will be back soon" Yesenia said while her horse gallop trough the city gates. Merkal and Crystal followed her lead leaving their worried families behind. Without stopping, they traveled all day long. "Let setup our camp for the night" Crystal suggested when they rode past an oasis just after sunset. The others agree, while Merkal was setting up the tents Yesenia and Crystal where searching for wood in the bushes and trees of the oasis. "Do you have a plan how we will defeat Mozenrath yet?" Crystal asked her sister. "No not yet, I promise you that I have one when we arrive at Coronath. Now you go left and I got right to find some more wood. We see each other back in camp okay?" Yesenia commanded her sister. 'Yes madam" Crystal saluted they both laughed and separated.
About 30 minutes after they had left camp Merkal was still trying to setup the tents. "Darn, stupid, trash" Merkal shouted at the material what should from a tent when properly placed. He heard a girl laughing behind him still mad on the tent he turned his head to see which of girls what making fun of him. "That was not funny Yesenia." He said while he kicked one of the sticks. "Sorry, here let me help you" she puts down the wood she found and together they put up the two tents. Just when they where finished and had sat down to drink some Crystal walks in her arms full of wood. " I see that your two had entertained yourselves while I was doing all the hard work." He said smiling. She did not mean that but to see the two sitting down and drinking while she had searched for wood. She sad down with the others, Merkal took the wood from her and made a fire. "Maybe one of us should take watch for thieves and robbers" both of them agreed with their friend. 'Since it is my idea I will take the first watch." Merkal spoke. They eat dinner, Merkal gone to the pond to get water. At the pond, everything was peaceful sleeping or it seems to be. The bottles where full again Merkal stood up looking at the night sky "It is really a beautiful evening" he said to himself. In a corner of his eye, he saw something moving in the bushes. Carefully he walked to it with his dagger in his hand. Holding still in font of it he looks and listens, next to the night sounds there was no sound at all.
Carefully he pushes the bush out of his way. Holding his dagger even tighter prepares to attack. He drops the weapon on the grass. "Sweet" after the bush is an open space with grass in the middle of it, he sees a deer sleeping peacefully with her calf. She shoves the bush back picks up his dagger and puts it away. "I had better go back to camp now" he says to himself. He walks back to the pound, picks up the bottles with water and goes back to camp. "So you where long away. He troubles getting the water in the bottles?" Crystal asked smirking. "No, I thought I heard someone near the pound. It was only a deer with her calf sleeping" Merkal says putting the bottles away. "Sweet" Yesenia says having a happy look in her eyes. "I thought so too when I saw them sleeping peacefully." The girls go to their tent. Merkal gets a sword and lies it next to him. "Good night Merkal" they say just before they get into their tent. "Sleep well." He says back. The night passes and the sun comes up. Yesenia walks out of her tent on her way to the river where the pound begins to wash. Still a little a sleep she did not saw the sleeping Merkal sitting near the fireplace where the fire has burned out. She walks by him. Half way the river she turns around 'Stupid of me to forget the soap" she says to herself. On her way back, she sees the sleeping merchant. "He is so cute when he sleeps" she things aloud. "Who is cute?" Crystal asks crawling out of the tent. "He is" her older sister points to Merkal. "Should we wake him?" Crystal asks getting her things to wash. "No, let him sleep for a little while until we come back. If he still sleeps then we wake him." The girls walk to the river, back in camp Merkal is still sleeping when a blue white bird with a red tail and an orange beak lands next to the sleeping man. It looks around, jumps on the tree-trunk where Merkal was sitting sleeping. It gazed up to him, then turned around jumps of the tree-trunk and around camp, in the tents and in the bags. Then flies off in the direction of Coronath.
Shortly after it had left the oasis, it lands on the edge of a balcony. It gazes around to make sure it was not followed then flies in. It lands again in front of a huge throne where a man was sitting in dark clothes and a sort of glove on his right hand. "Ah Xerxes you are back. Report, do they have the Genie of Aladdin with them?" the bird transforms into an eel "No Genie." The man smirks, gazing strait ahead of him. "So do we have a reason not to kill them?" rolls his eyes to the eel, which had flown closer by to keep drifting in the air. "No reason" the eel laughs evilly. The man raised his hand to make a fist. The glove lighted up. "Mamluks!" the guards at the door and balcony turned around. Saluted, one of the guards dropped his hand because he hits his head to hard. "Why do I have to work with these amateurs?" he was asking himself. "Go to the oasis and kill every living soul there. Understood?" the guards nodded. The sorcerer raises his hand, pointed at them and mutters something; the glove shoots a beam of magic. The beam hits the Mamluks a huge cloud of blue, red and purple smoke covered the undead guards. After the smoke cleared up a little, the undead soldiers where gone. "Why did you transported them master?" his master rolled his eyes and sighs. "You are so stupid but I will explain why I did it. Look if they had to walk Yesenia and her friends where already here while they where only half way. Besides, if they attack them by surprise the change is higher that they will succeed in their mission."
Crystal and Yesenia returned from their bath, carrying their wet towels with them. The walk into camp again. "He is still sleeping, now may I wake him" Crystal asked her sister, while holding her wet towel above Merkal's head. "Give me one minute" she walks away from them "you may." Crystal uses her magic to let the towel float in the air right above the sleeping manes head, with her hands she makes a wrong out gesture. The towel wrings it self and a spout of water hits his black hair and slides in his neck. Feeling the cold water in his neck and sliding down his back he awake jumping into the air grabbing his sword and pointing him to Crystal. Just before he attacked her he recognizes her. "Crystal? What? What happened?" he puts his sword down. "Sorry about that, but what happened?" Yesenia walked closer by. "Calm down Merkal, you fell asleep while you where guarding us. Crystal waked you; you could doubt her method." Just when Merkal was about to say something he sees a sword flying to him. He dives to the ground. His friends where stunned for a moment. Merkal got up looking at the direction where the sword came from. "Mamluks!" he says loud, seeing a small army of 15 undead soldiers walking to him. Yesenia saw them too "Mozenrath knows that we are here. This could get ugly." Crystal scared, since it was her first encounter with Mozenrath's soldiers, hide behind her sister. "What, what are they?" she asks her sister. "I tell you later," she says while smashing a Mamluk into parts. Merkal did wait for them to come to him, he runs to three Mamluks jumped up lands between two and smashed them with his sword. One fell, the other losses a part of his arm but the third draw its sword just before hit hits Merkal it was blown away by a beam of magic coming from Yesenia. Merkal looking at his friend thanked her for her help. Merkal counted the remaining soldiers "one, two, three. six. Only six left, we are winning. He spoke to soon a soldier had sneaked behind Crystal and grabbed her wrist, dragged her in the bushes. "You go after her Yesenia, I hold the remaining soldiers off." Yesenia runs after the undead soldier and her sister. "I am coming Crystal" she tripped and fell, even before she hits the ground she already was standing. Seconds later she arrived at an open place in the middle of the bush. "Crystal hold on I am coming" but she was too late she saw how her sister was pulled into a magic circle in the air. "Yesenia help me!" was the last her older sister heard from her. The circle closes just before Yesenia could jump in it. "No!" she fell down on her knees the voice of Mozenrath is all around her "If you want your sister staying healthy come to Coronath. If you aren't there before sunset she will become one of my slaves" the voice fades away laughing. "Mozenrath, you will pay for this" Yesenia screamed of angry. Meanwhile Merkal had defeated the remaining Mamluks and was on his way to her when he heard her screaming. "I think something gone wrong there" he hurries to the direction of the scream. At the open place, he sees Yesenia on her knees with her head in her lap. He realizes what must have happened there. He walks to his friend and put his hand on her shoulder. "Yesenia?" she did not look up he sat down next to her looking at the burned grass where the magic circle had been. "We will get her back I promise you." He said still with his hand on her shoulder. He knows she was crying, he felt sad too and more angry with Mozenrath then ever before. Yesenia dried her tears gave Merkal a tiny smile. "That's my Yesenia again, now let's pack and go to Coronath to get Crystal. All right?" after a deep sigh she stood up holding her friend his arm to keep balance. "Good let's get Crystal and make Mozenrath's life a living hell"
"Why do you take me away from my sister and my friend!" Crystal demanded from Mozenrath. "Silly girl, I don't care for you, I want you sister, the last time she and I meet she and that street rat attacked me. Only because some silly girl thought that I could help save Agrabah. Ha, the idea. Saving the city I tried to destroy for years." The young sorcerer walks away from the cage where Crystal was locked up. "They will come and save me. You never seen Yesenia mad do you?" she says to back of Mozenrath. "Ah I was counting on it, as I told you before I want you sister. Mad? Now I am scared" he turned to her looking scared. "Ah she will be no match for me" Crystal smashed her fist to the bars of the cage. "If I where you I would be careful, you are forgetting someone." A blue and deathly glow of his gauntlet did her doing some steps away from the bars. "Who did I forget?" the sorcerer asked her walking back and for to the cage. "Merkal! You are forgetting him." He burst out in a great laugh he keeps laughing for minutes. After away whipping his tears of laughing, he replies "Merkal that merchant he is even worthy to kill by me." Then Xerxes flies in. "friends are on their way, Xerxes saw them" the eel flies in front of Crystals face she slapped him with her hand the eel flies trough to room to land against a statue of Yasmine. Crystal sees it "Why do you have a statue of the Princess of Coronath?" Mozenrath runs to it to check if it was not damaged. "You stupid eel. If it was damaged I" he controls himself. "Back to work, with is gauntlet he let a mirror appear on a wall at the left side of the room. "Look at them one more time, as soon as they go trough the gates of the city they are mine" he smirks.
All the way to Coronath Yesenia was very quiet. Merkal did say much either. After a long hot ride of several hours they stopped on a dune. "Coronath" Yesenia says. The city was covered in a black fog. "I still don't get it why he attacks Coronath." Merkal wonders to himself. "That will I find out." You mean we find out" Merkal corrected her. "Yes we find out" they rode to the gates of the city. Merkal holds still before them, while Yesenia was about to enter them. "Wait!" she turns her head to him gave him a questionably look. "Why? I want to get Crystal out of here." Merkal gets of his horse. "I think it is a better idea to fly, is your magic strong enough to fly?" Merkal asks his best friend. "Yes of course it is strong enough. But you knew that already did you?" the merchant gazes at her for a moment thinking of an alternative plan of attack (as Malcho would say J.)
When he looks up again to Yesenia she was gone. Surprised that he didn't hear her horse he looked around for her. Then hear her from above "I am here, look I am floating" he looks up backs away a little scared for the flying girl. "Don't be scared, come up here" she giggles. "Come up there? How by Allah must I do that?" he asks her. "Well like this" she points her hand at him and gestures it up. Merkal feels that his feet aren't touching the ground anymore soon he floats next to Yesenia. "Wow this is cool," he says floating around in the air. He goes higher and higher into the air, he feels that is losing speed and begins to drop. In a split second, he looks at his friend below. She was lying on the ground seeming unconscious. He is falling faster and fast now seining the ground coming closer every second. He screams at her to wake her again but it doesn't help. "I must slow down before I fall to my death" he says to himself. He falls and falls only a few meters above the ground he closes is eyes and thinks of his mother. "Farewell mother, hello father see you in heaven" he feels the ground and nothing no pain. "Wow that was quick and painless," he says to himself still with his eyes closed. "Merkal open your eyes everything is fine" he hears the voice of his friend in the distance. "Is she dead too?" he was thinking. He opens his eyes and sees the face of Yesenia above him with the blue sky and white drifting clouds behind her. "What happened?" he was ask her while standing up with her help. "I am not sure but I passed out I think. Why I am not sure, possibly that the magic demanded too much from my body. Anyway, I recovered again a few minutes later. Saw you falling down and catches you with my weak powers.
"Darn, he survived it." was all Mozenrath could say gazing in the mirror seeing his plan fail. "I warned you not to mess with my friends" Crystal throws at Mozenrath. "Be quiet," he yells at her hitting her with his magic so that she fell and weakened stays down on the floor of the cage. "I have to do this different, but how?" he thought looking at the statue of his former love. His sidekick flew trough the room irritating his master without knowing it. "Hold still" he says, without looking around he sends a beam if magic to him. The eel froze. "That is better. Well there are more imported things then destroying those too." He said while defrosting his sidekick again. "Xerxes, you guard her with some Mamluks. I am in the cellar searching for the entrance too the land of the death." The eel nodes seeing his master leaving the room. Meanwhile Crystal awoke again. Blinking a few times, she realizes that she is still prisoner of Mozenrath. "Xerxes how are you?" trying to me nice under the circumstances and thinking of a plan to escape her prison. He didn't answer her question but flies through the room. "Now that Mozenrath is gone I have a chance to escape and warn the others" she thinks. "But how must I escape?"
Merkal and Yesenia had entered the city by foot. The black fog had become thicker and no living soul was on the streets. Walking pass houses, they saw a glimpse of the people of Coronath. Yesenia was sad "Why did he do this, the people of Coronath never did anything to him. Better yet our princess had fall in love with him. I just don't understand why." she looks aside to Merkal walking right next to her looking at the ground in deep thoughts. "I gave trying understand Mozenrath up long ago." He begins his story. "In the year you and Crystal where gone Mozenrath attacked Agrabah 3 times. His second time was successful; he defeated Aladdin and locked Jasmine and her Father in the dungeons of the Palace. Iago and Abu where put in a coma and Genie was locked in chains of magic." He looks up Yesenia could see the sadness in his eyes. "What terrible" she said. "How did it end?" Merkal stops he looks up to a building it was the headquarters of Mozenrath. "We are here, how it ends? Jasmine escaped somehow and freed Genie. Together they defended the magic of Mozenrath. It was one of the biggest battles between them. Everything was restored to normal. Now let's find Crystal and kick Mozenrath out of here" They entered the huge palace. "Master, master" Xerxes called for his master, flying trough the palace. "I ordered you to stay with Crystal and make sure she didn't escape." The sorcerer said to Xerxes while he was flying into the room where Mozenrath was studying a book. "I found the key to the Land of the Death, now I only have unlock the entrance and the power of the death is mine." His evil laugh echoes trough the room. "But Master they are here." Mozenrath looks up his eyes lighted up anger. "What?! They are here already. I must have lost track of time. Good then it stops here." He makes a crack in the sky and steps in. Somewhere in the palace, the two friends where wondering through the chambers and hallways searching for Mozenrath. "We will never find her." Yesenia sighs and sat down in a chair. Merkal looks around the room where they stopped; it was half-dark in the room so I could not see everything very clear. "This must be a former dinning room. "He said putting his hands in his pockets. He walks to the windows to shove the curtains away. It didn't help much since it was very foggy outside. "Say Yesenia can my let furniture talk too?" she turns around walking to her. She looks up and thought a few seconds she shakes her head "I don't know why?" she asked him. "Because they may help us with finding Mozenrath and Crystal" her face clears up. "A great idea Merkal I try". Then a wind cold as ice blows trough the room, the sky opens and trough the crack Mozenrath steps into the room. "Yes great idea Merkal" he said making fun of the young merchant. "Only you didn't know it was your last idea too" his gauntlet lightens up again he smashed at Merkal who tries to avoid the gauntlet but was just too slow and was hit by it. He screams of pain and fell to the ground lying still for a few moments. "So thus far the street boy. Who is next?" Turing his gaze to Yesenia, who had watched the battle in horror. "Mozenrath you will pay for this" she whispers her hand loading up with power to strike at the sorcerer. The wounded Merkal crawling up again. He draws his sword and with a loud scream attacks his enemy. At the same moment, Yesenia sends her magic away to him. Mozenrath blocks the attack of Merkal but was hit by the strong beam of Yesenia. The sorcerer fell down. Yesenia goes to her friend who had sat down on a chair to rest. "Are you okay?" she looks at the wound on Merkal's left side. "I will survive now let's get out of here" he stands up but falls down from pain. "Stubborn, here let me help you." Supported by Yesenia he stands up and they walk out of the room. "He will be up in no time you know. The only au way to defeat him is to take away his gauntlet. I saw Aladdin done that a couple of times. " Yesenia suddenly stops. "Wait! I have magic so way not use it." Merkal stumbles to a wall finding something to keep him standing. "What do you mean?" She didn't say anything but focus her mind. Merkal sees how her body begins to shine it shines for only a few seconds then returns to normal. "I heal your wound" totally stunned that his best friend had healing power he stares at her. "Well not real healing it but make the pain go away and stabilize it. When we are back it must be checked by a doctor." Her hand she touches his wound he feels how energy is floating into his body, it gives him strength. He feels the pain go away. "Wow" was the only thing he could say. "Good that is taking care of now find Crystal."
Back at the throne room Crystal use her magic to open the lock she climbs out of the cage and ran as fast as she could out of the room. Seconds after she had left Mozenrath steps out of the crack in the sky. "That girl was stronger then I thought. never mind, I need to open that entrance to the Land of Death now before it is to late" without looking at the cage he hurries to the room where he had been reading. Minutes later he arrives "Where is that stupid book?" she searches the whole room for it. "Are you looking for this?" he looks up Crystal was standing at the entrance holding the book up. "You! Give it to me and you will not be hurt." He loads he gauntlet again ready to fire anytime. Crystal looks around sees a torch hanging on the wall. She moved with her finger and it lid. "You aren't going to do what I think you do I hope?" Mozenrath asks very polite with a small smile on his lips. "No I don't" she throws the book at him. He catches it and looks at her. "Why did I lid it? Just to make sure I didn't miss. Bye" with a wave of her hand the room darkens. Mozenrath snapped with his fingers all the torches in the room lid but Crystal was gone. Angry he started read the book. "Ah here is it. The map to the entrance to the Land of the Death. Now nothing can stop me."
Merkal and Yesenia where on their way to the throne room when they bumped into Crystal. "Crystal. You are alive!" Yesenia yelled being so happy to see her sister again. She holds her sister tight to her body she didn't want to let go. "Easy sis. I am fine. Mozenrath didn't hurt me." Yesenia let he sister go half-crying of happiness. "Glad to see you again Crystal. We where going to get you out you know" Merkal said happy that she was okay. "Thank you" then she sees the bandage on his side. "Merkal what happened with you side?" Merkal puts a hand on his side totally forgotten about the wound. He looks at Yesenia then over again to Crystal. "I had a conflict with Mozenrath. Yesenia took the pain away so I am fine for now." Crystal looks worried at her sister knowing that she took over the pain and hoping that she could manage it although she knew that it had weaken much. "I trust your word on it. I have great news; I know the entrance to the Land of the Death. It is three floors below in the deepest part of this palace. Now we must hurry before Mozenrath is there." The two others agreed and they ran through the long hallways of the palace go down stairs without stopping. "Here left and the next right then the third door left and we are there" Crystal said trying to get her breath the other two where right behind her but Yesenia slowed a little. Merkal slowed until he runs next to her. With a worried look on his face, he asks "Everything all right?" Yesenia nods they ran for a couple of minutes. Then Yesenia accelerated again. A minute later they all fell an ice cool wind blowing trough the hallway. "We are close now" Merkal whispered. They turned around a corner the wind was so cold now that is was hard not to walk out of the stream. Mozenrath was standing in the middle of a large room full with magic artifacts and bookcases full of books about magic. "Welcome, you are the first to see how history is written. But you won't stay long enough to tell it to anyone" he held an artifact what looks like a sphere about his head and says something Merkal didn't understand. Yesenia steps in closer and listens. "He is says something in a accent language. I don't know what but it has something to do with death." There opens a hole in one of walls. "It won't be long now till I can control the death," he says laughing. "Friends" Merkal looks at them. "We have to stop him. Any ideas?" Yesenia nods. "I have an idea!" Crystal says. The older ones are looking surprised at each other that she youngest had an idea. "Let's hear it" Yesenia says. "We lock him up in the land of the death. How I am not sure we have to push him in the hole. "Yesenia thought for a moment then looks at her sister. "I think I know what you mean, but we have to use all our magic powers at the same time. It is too dangerous for us to push him by hand. But then something has to distract him." Merkal draws his sword and salutes to her. "I will do that. He won't know what hit him" he smiles. He hugs his friends "Here we go" he ran at Mozenrath hits him with his sword but the sorcerer has formed a shield around him and the sword melts in Merkal's hand. Quickly he drops it. "Hmm bad idea." He says to himself. The sorcerer is extracting the energy out of the death. Merkal looks in the whole and sees a river.. a river of the death. His stomach turns. Mozenrath didn't even noticed that the merchant was standing next to him. He grows stronger every minute. Then Merkal sees the stream of energy that is streaming to Mozenrath. He looks around for something to brake the stream. He sees a mirror, in it he sees a young man that is very worried and tired. He black hair is messed up he sweets even when it is so cold in the room. He looks over to the girls that are preparing to use the borders of their powers. He knows that it is their last chance to stop him. He swallowed and put the mirror between the hole and the young sorcerer the energy reflects back to the hole but chances direction and hits a bookcase it burned up in seconds the power was so great. A few more remains of the stream flies around the room hitting the walls, floor and everything between it. Large holes of molted stone fall to the floor. Mozenrath awakes from his trance. "What!" a heavy voice comes out of the mouth of Mozenrath. "This is the last time you bugged me!" he shoots and hits Merkal who flies through the room lands against a wall. Knocked out he stays down. Mozenrath walks over to him preparing to kill him. "Mozenrath!" he turns around. "Leave him alone Mozenrath!" Yesenia screams at him she shoots at him hitting him on his chest. At the same time he his hit on his back by Crystal's magic. They kept shooting at him confusing him and bringing him right in front of the hole. One powerful shot at Crystal did her fall but before he could attack Yesenia she send a beam of all her powers to him he trips over a chair but staid on his feet. With their all their strength, the sisters hit Mozenrath with their magic he falls into the hole. "Nooooo!" he screams while falling into the river of death. The hole closed and the temperature raises. Quickly Yesenia and Crystal ran to their friend. Yesenia bends over him and shakes him by his shoulders "Merkal are you okay?" Crystal walks over him made some water appear above his and let it drop on him. It helped he came by. "Are you okay?" Yesenia asked very worried. "I think I am okay only some pain in my back. Now let get out of here." They slowly walk outside, the sun was shinning and it was busy in the streets. Everybody acted like it never happened. They go to a doctor Yesenia and Crystal knew when they had lived there. He check them, the wound of Merkal wasn't so worse, the other too had nothing. They rested a day then head home.
They traveled to the oasis fast, they where sooner then on their way to Coronath. They setup camp, rested, and enjoyed their company. Early the next day they continued their way back to Agrabah. They arrived there at the begin of the evening. "Shall we first go to see your mother?" Crystal asked. Merkal nodded. "No I promised your father that I would bring you both back save and sound. So let's go and see your parents first." They smiled and all of them walked to the house of Yesenia and Crystal. Merkal opens to door " Ladies first" he smiles. "Thank you" they both said at the same time. "Yesenia, Crystal! You are back!" their said her voice full of excitement and happiness. Her daughters flew around their neck. They all cried, "What is happening" Yesenia sees her father looking around the corner together with Merkal's mother. "Yesenia? You are back. Come here." She let go of her mother and runs to her father hugging him. "Hey leave a spot open for me." Crystal said while running over to her father and hugging him. Merkal had been standing in a corner of the room he didn't noticed his mother. "Hey Merkal don't' you say at least hi to you own mother?" he looks where the voice of his mother came from. Then he sees her he walks over to her and hugs. "Sorry mom, I missed you. I missed you too my boy." Aisha hugged him too. "Thank you Merkal for bringing my girls back home." After she he let go Abdul stepped to him shaking hands he said. "Good work, I am proud of you and I know you father would be too" Merkal and his mother staid for dinner after that they had to tell their parents what happened. The hours past and the three adults where listing to Crystal who had a great way to tell stories. Merkal stepped outside to relax and think. He climbed on the roof of the house and said down starring at the night sky the moon and stars where clear as never before. "Thanks dad. I know you was with me all the time" he said. "Yes he was with us" he looks up and sees Yesenia standing. She smiled at him and sat down next to him. "Thank you my friend. Without you we would never come back." She said him holding his hand. He gently squeezes hers. Without saying another word they sat on the roof a warm breeze blowing at them. Looking at the sky they where lost in their thoughts about the last days
They are friends, friends forever. :)
The end.
Until another Arabian night
Marco
Copyright M. Merkelijn 1999