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They had parked the Owl House just outside of Malmajini so as to not cause a stir. The Owl Coven and Aaliyah walked through the city, each one wearing cloaks to keep a low profile. Though Lilith and Hooty could possibly draw some attention, Hooty’s backpack kind of snagged the back of the cloak. They observed the broken and bleak state of their surroundings: vendors were trying desperately to sell their wares, family’s were living in the streets, children crying out in hunger, and guards were practically everywhere.
“Titan below,” Raine remarked, “I don’t think even the emperor was this oppressive.”
“Oh no, he just duped everyone into joining a nationwide death cult,” Eda replied sarcastically.
“Fair point,” the bard conceded.
As they trekked through the struggling city, Aaliyah noticed two guards harassing a humble fruit vendor. “You have to pay for that,” he pleaded as the ruffians played keep-away with one of his apples, “please, I have a family to feed!”
One of the guards caught the fruit and took a bite. “Oh, and what will you do if we don’t?” The guards laughed maliciously at the poor vendors plight.
Aaliyah could stomach the injustice no longer, she ran over to the guards. Zephyr reached out to stop her, but she was already out of reach. “Wait,” he cried.
Aaliyah pointed at the gluttonous guard and shot a small fireball at him. The attack only singed the guard though.
“Why you,” the guard growled, “you filthy STREETRAT!!!” The guard kicked the genie princess, knocking her down and making her hood fall off. Zephyr raced to her side.
The guards and fruit vendor gasped. “Princess Aaliyah,” the vendor whispered in shock.
The guards pulled out their scimitars and raised them against the princess. “Seize her!”
“I think it’s time to go,” Zephyr exclaimed as they ran away.
“Call for backup,” the singed guard demanded of the other. The pair then gave chase.
The vendor stepped away from his stand. “I must inform him of what I’ve seen.”
Zephyr and Aaliyah ran back to the others. “Run, everybody,” Zephyr panicked, “RUN!!!”
More guards seemed to just poof onto the scene, all armed with swords. They stampeded towards the group furiously, with intent to kill… or detain at the least.
“MOTHER TITAN,” Azura screamed in terror. The others followed the two youngsters, trying to avoid a confrontation with the law.
The coven ran from the tyrannical militia, but they were gaining. Hooty attempted to slow them down by extending his neck and laying it across they ground, trying to trip them. It was a novel concept, but ultimately flawed in execution; the guards’ legs turned into genie tails the moment they approached him.
Hooty retracted back into his mobile pack. “IT DIDN’T WORK!!!”
“You forgot we were in a land populated by genies, didn’t you,” Amity asked annoyedly.
“Here, let me try,” Luz said before pulling out an ice glyph.
She tapped the magical slip of paper before tossing it behind. The glyph landed between the group and the guards, creating a massive ice wall and stopping them. They were relieved, but that only lasted a moment, as the guards just poofed to the other side of the wall.
“Oh, come on,” Luz exclaimed, “this is just unfair!”
“Wait, if they can teleport wherever they want, then why haven’t they tried to use that to flank us,” Lilith asked.
Apparently, some guards heard her, as they poofed right in the Owl Coven’s path, making them come to a screeching halt. Everyone looked at Lilith with great annoyance. “You just had to point it out, didn’t you,” King growled at her.
“My bad,” Lilith lamented.
The guards slowly moved in on the coven, their blades drawn and malicious smiles on their faces. “We have you surronded,” the head guard ordered, “now come quietly and we shall slice you to ribbons.”
“Don’t you mean ‘or we shall slice you to ribbons,’” Azura asked fearfully.
“I know what I said!”
The guards were about ready to pounce, this looked like the end. Zephyr positioned himself in front of Aaliyah, drawing some abomination goo from a vial strapped to his waist. He couldn’t stop what was about to happen, but he was at least gonna protect her for as long as he could.
The guards leapt at the coven, but a large puff of smoke came out of nowhere and enveloped the witches. Nothing could be seen in the struggle, but the sounds of hitting, metal clanking, and swords swinging could be heard. The smoke cleared, and the only thing that could be seen was the guards piled on top of each other.
“What just happened,” one of the guards exclaimed.
“Curses! They must have been taken by the underground,” the head guard hissed, “also, if one of you thinks that for even a second that it your hand on my posterior, I would suggest that you retract it!”
“We need to inform the sultan of what we saw, sir,” another guard said. “Also, I believe that is my hand on your posterior.”
“RETRACT IT!!!”
***
Elsewhere, in a dark room, the Owl Coven appeared in a puff of smoke. “Is everyone okay,” Luz coughed, trying to fan away the smoke.
“I believe so,” Aaliyah said. She looked around the room, “Where are we?”
The group then heard footsteps approaching. They quickly got into a battle stance, ready in case they were about to be ambushed. A bearded man dressed in dark robes stepped out of the shadows.
“Do my eyes deceive me,” he said in disbelief, “Princess Aaliyah, is it really you?”
“Mustafa,” Aaliyah said as she stepped forward.
“It is you,” he said as he knelt down and hugged her, “Praise Allah!”
Aaliyah and Mustafa laughed in genuine joy as they embraced. The others were confused, but were at least relieved to see he wasn’t hostile. Zephyr stepped forward and asked the obvious question.
“Who is this, Aaliyah?”
Aaliyah turned to face the others. “This is Mustafa, my father’s captain of the guards.”
“Or at least I was,” Mustafa clarified, “I had to vacate that position many years ago.”
Aaliyah’s demeanor turned dire. “Mustafa, what has happened to the kingdom.”
The former captain sighed. “It is not a very uplifting tale, but you must hear this princess.”
Mustafa snapped his fingers, and the Owl Coven and Aaliyah found themselves seated on some very comfortable cushions. “Ooh, comfy,” King remarked.
“As you may recall, during your uncle’s coup many years ago, you and your mother were sent away for your safety, while your father and I stayed behind to fight off the traitors. Sadly, we found ourselves outnumbered and overwhelmed. The traitorous snake lured many of the guards over to his cause with promises of riches beyond their wildest dreams, but I remained loyal to your father until the bitter end. Soon after our capture, your uncle returned with your mother, announcing that his takeover was a success. He then produced a cursed lamp and proceeded to seal your father inside of it.”
Aaliyah gasped, she knew all too well the terror and misery of that experience, and now her father was doomed to that purgatory.
“With your father indisposed, Thueban proclaimed himself sultan and married your mother, much to her displeasure. As sultan, he taxed the citizens vigorously, hoarding a majority of the kingdom’s wealth. Years later, he found magical oil in the surrounding deserts, and he began drilling, causing many oil spills which have dyed most of the deserts black. His selfish industrialization has resulted in a thick blanket of smog covering our skies. When citizens started to show resistance to his rule, he authorized his guards free reign of the city, allowing them to do as they saw fit to the innocent civilians.”
“But what about you, how did you escape his grasp,” Aaliyah asked, “and my father, is he still in the lamp?”
Mustafa sucked his teeth. “I was imprisoned when he took control, but after many years, I managed to escape and started a resistance movement against the tyrant. However, when I broke free, I learnt something very distressing.” He sighed, he wish he didn’t have to tell her this, but she had to know. “It breaks my heart to tell you this, princess, but Theban… he killed your father.”
The Owl Coven gasped, Aaliyah stood there stunned and motionless. She slowly shook her head. “No… no…”
Mustafa tried to console her. “Princess—“
“THAT’S IMPOSSOBLE,” she screamed. “Genies are immortal, and we cannot use our magic to kill others! HOW COULD HE KILL MY FATHER?!!!”
“He did not use magic,” the former captain explained. “After trapping your father in the lamp, he had it melted in a foundry. As you may know, the only way to kill a genie is to destroy their prison while they are bound to it.”
Aaliyah couldn’t believe it. The only thing that kept her going for all these countless years of servitude was the small glimmer of hope, as faint and impossible as it may be, that she may one day be reunited with her family. But in an instant, all of that was stolen from her. Her father was dead, and her mother was married to his murderer. It was too much to bare.
Tears welled up in her eyes. The princess ran away, sobbing, Zephyr tried to run after her. “Aaliyah, wait!”
Raine stopped him. “Give her some time, she’s going through a lot.”
“It breaks my heart to see the princess in such a state,” Mustafa lamented, “hopefully soon, her broken spirit will begin to mend.”
“What do you mean,” Amity asked.
Mustafa regained his commanding and professional demeanor. “I have a plan to dethrone Thueban.” He then snapped his fingers, conjuring up a table and schematics of the castle. “If all goes accordingly, the city should be free of his reign by the next dawn.”
The members of the Owl Coven looked at each other, then Mustafa. Zephyr stepped forward. Aaliyah was just an innocent girl, and yet she was constantly being faced with tragedy after tragedy. Well he’d had enough, he swore to himself that by the end of this, she would be smiling.
“How can we help?”
***
Meanwhile, at the royal palace, the current captain of the guards approached his master, Sultan Thueban. The treacherous tyrant sat on his Ill-gotten throne, concealed by shadow. The captain knelt before his employer.
“My liege, the guards on the streets have discovered something of interest.”
Thueban growled slightly. “Speak,” he said in a low, subdued, yet still commanding voice.
“They have reported that the princess, Aaliyah, has returned.”
Thueban let out an annoyed sigh. He stood up and walked away from his throne, leaving the shadows and allowing his appearance to be revealed. He was a tall and muscular man with pale olive skin and full lips. His dark and serious eyes were blood red, his head was mostly shaved, excluding a small topknot which was tied into a black, braided ponytail. He also sported a long goatee which ended in a twisted curve.
Instead of legs, he had a long, etherial genie tail. He wore a leather belt with a golden buckle resembling a snake, and while he did not wear a shirt, he did wear a long dark cape with a hood. Despite his royal standing he wore no jewelry, the only things remotely close were the telltale brass manacles of an indentured genie.
The tyrant walked over to a nearby, overlooking his “great” kingdom. “I suppose it was foolish of me to believe that trapping her in that bottle would remove her from my tale permanently.” He then turned back to the captain of the guards. “Find her! It’s time her story came to a close.”
***
Back in the rebel base, Mustafa was explaining his plan to the Owl Coven. “For years, we have known that Thueban is still bound to his lamp, but he has kept it hidden securely, with only a select few knowing it’s exact location.”
He held up a finger. “However, one of my sources inside the palace has informed me where he has it hidden.” The rebel leader pointed to a room in the catacombs of the schematics, “In a special, highly guarded room which he leads most of his staff to believe is a treasury.”
He snapped his figures again, causing some small figurines to appear on the table. “So, a large group of our own will attack the palace from the front, creating a diversion,” he explained as he moved a group of the miniatures to the front of the palace on the schematics. “Meanwhile, another, smaller team, led by me, will sneak into the palace from behind, locate the lamp, and use it to seal Thueban away forever.”
“Great, which team are we on,” Azura asked.
“Oh no, you are staying here with your brother,” Amity objected, “this is too dangerous.”
Amity and Zephyr huffed, they didn’t want to be left out, especially Zephyr. Everything Thueban did made Aaliyah’s life worse, and he wanted to make him pay. Luz walked over to the kids.
“I know you wanna help, but this is just as important,” Luz said, “Aaliyah is gonna need a friend or two now more then ever, and we need you to be here to support her.”
Azura let out a sigh, “Alright, I guess.”
“Okay, but punch Thueban in the face a couple times for me,” Zephyr requested.
Luz giggled. “Sure thing, mijo.”
The adults then left to enact their plan. Meanwhile, Zephyr and Azura went off to go check on Aaliyah. The followed the direction she ran off, luckily, there didn’t seem to be any twists or turns in the path, they walked up a path of stairs, and soon found the princess, sitting on a balcony, crying softly.
Azura watched as Zephyr approached the despondent royal slowly, sitting down right beside her. He was silent for a moment, not knowing what to say. What could he say though? ‘Hey, I’m sorry that your Uncle killed your dad, married your mom, took over your kingdom, and doomed you to a life of eternal servitude, but you should be happy.’ Heck no! He needed to be more tactful, considerate of her feelings.
Me stuck his hand out like he was about to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but pulled it back. “I’m so sorry,” he said, “I just… I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through.”
Aaliyah sniffled. “Throughout my years of servitude, the only thing that made it bearable was the faintest hope that I would one day be reunited with my parents.” She wiped the tears from her cheeks, “but now, those hopes have been dashed. My father is gone, and there’s nothing we can do! Even if my uncle is defeated, either I or my mother will have to assume the throne, but neither of us know anything about a running a kingdom!” She began to sob again. “I just wish he was still alive.”
That’s when Zephyr got an idea. “That’s it,” he exclaimed as he pulled out Aaliyah’s bottle. “I’ve still got two wishes left, I can just use one to bring him back to life, and he can fix everything with his magic!”
“I can’t,” Aaliyah replied, despondent, “my magic isn’t strong enough.”
“What do you mean,” Azura asked as she stepped onto the balcony. “I thought part of the whole genie gig was PHENOMENAL COSMIC POWER!!!”
“Ordinarily, yes,” Aaliyah replied as she wiped tears out of her eyes, “but I am young, my powers are not fully developed, I can only grant simple wishes.”
“So then your powers are only semi-phenomenal and nearly cosmic?”
The genie princess shook her head negatively, “Not even that.”
Zephyr sighed, that was one plan down the drain. What was he gonna do? He knew he could revive Aaliyah’s father with a genie wish since he didn’t die a natural death, but the only bound genies he knew who could grant the wish were Aaliyah and… that’s when inspiration struck.
“Aaliyah, I wish for a magic carpet!”
Azura and the princess both raised a brow at the boy, what was he thinking? Aaliyah did as he commanded and conjured up a flying magic carpet. It was red with a golden trim and tassels on each corner. Zephyr quickly leapt onto the enchanted fabric. It’s rich texture was a sight to behold, and it felt extraordinarily soft.
“Uh, Zeph,” Azura asked, “what’re ya thinking?”
“Aaliyah can’t bring her father back, but lucky for us she’s not the only bound genie around here.”
That’s when they figured out what he was planning. “Oh no,” Azura groaned, “Zephyr, you’re not gonna—“
“I’m gonna go to palace and use Thueban’s lamp to bring Aaliyah’s father back!”
Azura pinched the bridge of her nose while Aaliyah just stared. “Zephyr, that sounds like a bad idea,” Azura responded, “you could mess up the entire plan.”
“That’s why we’re gonna wait until after they get the lamp,” Zeph clarified. “What do you think, Aaliyah?”
She rubbed her chin. “I don’t know: it makes sense, but there is still great risk associated with this plan.”
“I made you promise, I said you would have a happy ending,” he said confidently, “and in my family, we always keep our promises.”
Aaliyah was in awe of his conviction. In the short time she had known this boy, he had not only brought her back to her home, reunited her with one of her oldest friends, and swore to bring her father back from the dead. Was he a cunning hero like in the tales she heard from her mother, or was he just a fool? Either way, he was her best bet.
Before he could take off, Aaliyah grabbed one corners of the carpet. “I am going with you,” she said as she climbed aboard.
Zephyr was speechless for a moment. “Glad to have you,” he smirked before turning to Azura.
The teen witch sighed. “I can’t talk either of you out of this, can I?” The youths shook their head. “Alright, make some room.”
Azura then climbed onto the carpet as well, and the trio took off. As they soared, Aaliyah looked down at her ruined kingdom below.
‘Do not worry, my subjects,’ she thought to herself, ‘this era of oppression and squalor will soon come to an end.’
***
Elsewhere, in front of the palace, two guards stood at the front gates, diligently watching for anything suspicious. It was a quiet night though, nothing was happening, it was eerily silent. They had to constantly fight their drowsiness.
“My goodness,” one of the guards yawned, “this is so frightfully dull, I hope something interesting happens soon, I don’t care what.”
Just then, Raine, Lilith, Hooty, King, and a group of armed rebels appeared in a puff of smoke. “You just had to open your big, fat mouth, didn’t you,” the other guard hissed as he pulled out his scimitar.
“We need backup,” the first guard called out. His plea was then answered by a group of guards proofing to their side.
King tapped on the tag on his collar, and in an instant, he changed drastically. He grew to be about a foot taller than Eda, not including his long horns. His frame was big and burly, his tail long and flowing, and he had large, bat-like wings sprouting out of his back.
“ATTAAAAAAACK,” the Titan roared as he led the charge.
Four guards leapt at him, but King roared at them, sending them flying. The rebels watched in amazement. Meanwhile, Rain, Lilith, and Hooty just watched King mow down guards with ease, smug smiles on their faces.
“That’s my stepson,” Raine said as they tuned their violin.
The others then joined the fight. Hooty started swinging his head around, whacking guards left and right. Lilith started throwing glyphs around like crazy, burning, freezing, blinding, and hitting opponents with plants. Raine played a tune on their violin, causing multiple guards to fight each other.
Meanwhile, Luz, Amity, Eda, and Mustafa had managed to successfully sneak into the palace through the back. “Alright, where to next,” Luz asked.
Mustafa conjured up the schematics and looked over them. “This way,” he said as he pointed down a hallway to their northwest. The group of freedom fighters followed his directions and ran down the hall. After a few twists, turns, and descending an obscenely long twisting staircase, they found themselves at the chamber of Thueban’s lamp. They peeked around the corner, the chamber was heavily guarded, there was no way they could sneak in, or was there?
Mustafa conjured up an illusion to pass himself off as Thueban, Luz, Amity, and Eda slapped invisibility glyphs on themselves. “Thueban” then strode to the chamber.
“You, peons, open the door,” he said, doing his best impression of the tyrant.
One of the guards looked at him, completely unimpressed. He snapped his fingers, causing Mustafa’s disguise to disappear.
“How could you tell it was me?”
“Simple, Sultan Thueban doesn’t even speak to us when he wants to enter the chamber,” one of the guards said, “he just hits us with lightning.”
Luz, Amity, and Eda all exhaled, causing their glyphs to deactivate. “Okay, Plan B,” Eda said as she transformed into her harpy form.
The four then attacked the guards, engaging them in an epic battle.
***
Elsewhere, Zephyr, Aaliyah, and Azura were nearing the palace. They flew at a much higher altitude to avoid detection for as long as they could.
“So what now,” Azura asked, “we’re just gonna fly around until they get the lamp?”
“Basically,” Zephyr answered.
“You didn’t think that far ahead, did ya?”
“To be honest, I do not see what could go wrong with this course of action,” Aaliyah said, completely unaware of the concept of jinxing.
Just then, a massive hand made of magic grabbed them. Zephyr looked to Aaliyah, he shut his eyes and sighed. “I can’t be mad at you.”
The hand then pulled the three into a large room in the upper levels of the palace. It was adorned with the finest silks, furnishings, and decor. This was most likely the room of the Thueban himself, given it’s opulence and luxury. The three youths looked around for a way out, they couldn’t find one. This was it for them, they shut their eyes and prepared for the worst.
“Can this really be,” a female voice said, “has my daughter finally returned after all these years?”
“Wait, what,” Aaliyah questioned as she and the others opened their eyes.
They then saw their captor. It was a beautiful woman with olive skin, long raven hair, and eyes of sapphire. She wore a white strapless tube top, a long dress skirt that reached her feet, a golden necklace, and a golden tiara atop her beautiful head.
The magic hand holding them dissipated into a puff of smoke. Aaliyah ran to the woman. “‘UMIY,” she cried out, tears falling down her cheeks.
“Aaliyah,” the woman exclaimed as she knelt down and hugged the princess.
Zephyr and Azura smiled, happy for their friend, but also relieved that they weren’t caught. Judging by what the woman said and how she and Aaliyah reacted to each other, they were able to deduce that this was Aaliyah’s mother, Zoya
Aaliyah and Zoya separated. “Oh, my darling daughter, I am overjoyed to see you again.”
Aaliyah sniffed as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “I am as well, mother. I’ve longed to see you again for countless years.” Aaliyah then remember an important detail. “But, I was told that you married Thueban. Why would you do such a thing, after all he’s done?”
“I was given no choice,” Zoya explained, “the tyrant told me that if I did not marry him, he would find your bottle and destroy it with you inside.”
“You… married him to protect me?”
“Of course,” she replied, “he may be sultan currently, but my heart will forever belong to your father.” She then noticed Azura and Zephyr. “Now if I may ask, who are your friends, and what are you doing here?”
Aaliyah raced over and grabbed the siblings, bringing them to her mother. “This is Zephyr and his sister, Azura,” she introduced, “Zephyr freed me from he bottle, and he and his family have been working to free our kingdom of Thueban’s tyranny.”
“Are they part of Mustafa’s plan,” Zoya inquired, catching the kids off guard.
“Wait, you know about the plan,” Azura asked.
“But of course,” she said with a smirk, “who do you think has been Mustafa’s spy in the palace all these years?”
***
Back with Luz, Amity, Aaliyah, and Mustafa, the group had just managed to defeat the guards, and were about to enter the chamber. “My word,” the rebel leader said as he lifted the keys off one of the guards, “you three fight like demons.”
“This isn’t exactly our first time dethroning a tyrant,” Luz said confidently as she twirled her staff. She then accidentally bonked herself on the forehead.
Mustafa unlocked and opened the chamber, revealing a cave lined with rare and priceless treasures. In the center stood a tall pedestal, one which a spiral staircase led to the top, upon which laid an obsidian lamp. Eda marveled at all the treasure, while Luz and Amity were shocked by the improbability of the cave.
“Okay, how can a cave like this exist in a palace like this,” Amity questioned.
“Genie magic,” Mustafa explained, “also the tyrant got the idea from a human world movie.”
Luz immediately knew what movie he was talking about. “I think I know how this goes, make sure to only touch the lamp, nothing else.”
Eda, who had practically been drooling over all the treasure, deflated at that last remark. “Aww, why not?”
“Because if we do, this entire place’ll come down on us!”
Eda gulped. “Got it.”
The group entered the chamber cautiously, not wanting to trigger any booby traps. Luz, Amity, and Mustafa were so focused on the lamp that they ignored the treasures around them. Eda, on the other hand, was having a considerably more difficult time. She had never seen so much gold and jewels in her life, just a handful of the stuff would make her the wealthiest witch on the isles. She wanted it so badly, but she remembered what Luz said: if she touched any of it, the entire cave would come down on them. She kept her arms to her side, hoping it would be a enough to stop her wandering hands.
Mustafa took the lead and walked up the spiral staircase. He soon reached the lamp and approached it with caution. Luz, Amity, and Eda watched anxiously as he slowly reached for the obsidian prison. Eda even started to bite her nails, but something seemed off, she only counted five nails.
She looked down and gasped, one of her hands had severed itself. Eda glanced around the cave frantically, trying to spot her disembodied hand. She finally found it, but it was climbing towards the biggest ruby she’d ever seen. She tried to recall it, but the thing practically had a mind of it’s own.
After much trepidation, Mustafa grabbed the lamp. However, just as he had procured the means of Malmajini’s salvation, Eda’s hand grabbed onto the ruby. The entire cave started to rumble.
“INFIDELS,” a voice boomed throughout the chamber, “YOU HAVE TOUCHED THE FORBIDDEN TREASURE!!!”
Luz and Amity turned to look at Eda. “DON’T LOOK AT ME,” she defended herself, pointing to her thieving mitt. “The darn thing has a mind of it’s own!!!”
“NOW, YOU WILL NEVER AGAIN SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY,” the voice roared.
The rumbling grew stronger, Eda’s hand fell to it’s owner as the ruby turned into molten lava. Boulders of all sizes fell from the ceiling, and lava started to fill the room. The pedestal that once held the lamp erupted in flames, causing Mustafa to fly away.
“Quickly, we must escape!”
Eda put her hand back on and transformed into her harpy form while Luz and Amity mounted their staffs. They flew as fast as they could to the exit, but boulders were either nearly crushing them, or falling in their way. The lava continued to rise, and the falling boulders made it splash everywhere. The molten rock then coalesced into a massive tidal wave, just as the heroes were nearing the exit.
The genie and witches flew out of the chamber, but the lava wasn’t stopping. If something wasn’t done, it would’ve filled the palace. Mustafa quickly zapped a portion of the chamber’s ceiling, causing a mass of boulders to fall and block the exit. On the other side, the lava came crashing against the boulders, except for a few spurts, it was blocked completely.
The group breathed a sigh of relief, they had survived the ordeal. Mustafa looked at the lamp, they had done it, they could save the kingdom now. The heroes got back up on their feet and started to make their way out of the lower chambers.
“So, what now,” Luz asked the rebel leader as they scaled the stairs.
“Now, we need to get one of you to rub the lamp, causing Thueban to be bound to your demands,” he explained, “then you can wish him to be sucked back into the lamp. After that, we can establish the princess and the queen as the new rulers and begin healing this kingdom’s wounds.”
“Okay, but who’s gonna make the wish,” Amity asked.
“None of you shall,” they heard a voice say as they left the staircase.
The group looked ahead to see Thueban himself, backed up by a mass of guards. The genie tyrant looked down on the rebel leader with his arms crossed. He then noticed the three witches accompanying him.
“Ugh, mortals,” he groaned in disgust, “guards, seize them!”
The tyrant sat back while his henchmen charged at the heroes. Mustafa and the witches readied themselves for battle. “And here I thought it was gonna be easy from here on out,” Eda said.
***
The fighting could be heard throughout the palace, even reaching the royal chambers where Zoya and the kids were. “What is that,” Aaliyah asked.
“It sounds like the plan hit a snag,” Azura said.
“Your majesty, can you send us down there,” Zephyr pleaded of the Queen.
“What,” the royal asked.
“If you send us down there, we can get the lamp and stop Thueban,” the boy explained.
Zoya did not want to send them into danger, but she saw no other options at the moment. “Please, be careful.” She then snapped her fingers, sending the kids to the chamber where the retrieval team was. Luckily though, they were obscured behind a large pillar. They poked their heads out and watched the fighting.
Eda was scratching guards left and right with her claws, Amity matched the blades of mulitiple guards with razor-sharp abomination tendrils, Luz was flinging glyphs out left and right, while Mustafa and Thueban were engaged in an intense sword fight.
“You killed your own brother,” Mustafa grunted as their blades clashed. “He went out of his way to find you and bring you here, and you took his wife, his kingdom, and his life! WHY?!”
“Why,” Thueban repeated, “I’ll tell you why!“ He then kicked Mustafa away. “While I was trapped in a lamp, granting the infernal wishes of every greedy, depraved mortal that found me, he went on to be freed, found a kingdom, and become part of a legendary tale. He would be remembered forever, while my name would be lost to the sands of time! I could NEVER let that happen, so I decided to write my own tale, any silence anyone who got in my way!!!”
Mustafa charged at at Thueban, but the tyrant dodged and kicked him in the stomach, knocking him away causing the lamp to go flying. Zephyr saw his chance, and ran to catch the magical metal prison. Thueban saw the child, and summoned a falcon, which snatched the lamp in the air and flew out a nearby window.
“NO,” Aaliyah screamed.
Zephyr let out a beckoning whistle. “CARPET!!!” The magic carpet then flew to his side. He and Aaliyah hopped on, they looked to Azura, but she just pulled out her sword.
“Get the lamp, I’ll help out here!” She then ran to join the struggle.
Zephyr and Aaliyah flew after the falcon as it soared into the night sky. The creature swerved and turned as much as it could to shake off the youngsters tailing it, leading the chase over the market. The kids tried to speed up, but the villainous bird managed to keep a good distance between them.
Seeing no other choice, Aaliyah tried to shoot it down with some fire balls. The accursed bird managed to dodge each attack. Nothing they did worked, the falcon was too fast. Just as it seemed they were out if options, Zephyr remembered the abomination goo around his waist. He quickly conjured up a tendril and grabbed the fiendish fowl’s leg.
The falcon struggled to break free, but it was no use. Zephyr reeled the bird in, but in his haste, he neglected to look where they were flying. Aaliyah looked ahead and grew panicked by their current trajectory.
She tugged at the boy’s hoodie. “Zephyr! Look out!”
Zephyr looked ahead and gasped, they were headed straight for one of the stands in the bazaar. Just as he had managed to grab the bird, they crashed into the stall, causing it’s contents to scatter around the ground. Zephyr and Aaliyah picked themselves up, but soon grew panicked: where was the lamp?
They looked around, but that wasn’t of much help, apparently the stand they crashed into sold oil lamps. After some searching, they finally located the obsidian lamp amongst all the varying ones and snatched it.
“We got it,” Zephyr exclaimed, “it’s all over now.”
“You are right, peasant,” they heard Thueban’s voice chuckle.
They looked around and saw the falcon, only now it’s eyes were glowing. The evil genie was speaking through it. Aaliyah approached the bird. “You are defeated, uncle! We have your lamp!”
“Yes, you have my lamp,” Thueban said through the bird, “but I have something of yours.”
The falcon turned it’s head to the sky and opened it’s mouth, projecting a vision of Luz, Amity, Eda, Azura, and Mustafa, all restrained by guards and with scimitars held against their necks. The two children gasped as Thueban chuckled.
“I shall make you a deal: bring my lamp to the throne room within the next three minutes, and I shall spare them. If you fail, I shall have them executed.” The evil bird then flew up. “Oh, and if you even think about rubbing it, their lives are forfeit.”
The falcon disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the boy and girl with few choices. “What are we going to do,” Aaliyah panicked, “we cannot give my uncle back his lamp, but if we do not, your family is doomed.”
Zephyr then looked around, there had to be something the could do. They couldn’t let Thueban win. That’s when it hit him. He picked up one of the lamps on the ground.
“I’ve got an idea.”
***
Thueban sat on his throne, impatiently tapping his fingers on the armrest. Luz, Amity, Eda, Azura, and Mustafa stood nearby, each restrained by a guard. They were waiting for Zephyr and Aaliyah to arrive with the lamp, but the tyrant’s patience was starting to grow thin.
“If those brats do not show up within the next ten seconds, kill the prisoners,” he told the guards.
Just then Zephyr and Aaliyah flew into the throne room, hopping off the magic carpet. Thueban smiled devilishly, getting up to greet the pair.
“Ah, good, I was not sure a peasant like yourself could understand simple instructions,” he said as he floated over to them, “now, give me the lamp.”
Zephyr pulled the lamp out of his hoodie pocket. “First, let my family and Mustafa go!”
Thueban growled. “You are in no position to make demands, boy!”
Zephyr moved his hand closer to the lamp, as if he were about to rub it. “Funny, neither are you.”
Zephyr and Thueban glared at each other. They were locked in a battle of wills, neither one willing to concede. Zephyr’s hand seemed to slowly inch closer and closer to the lamp, until Thueban finally conceded.
“Alright, fine,” he groaned. “Release the riffraff.”
The guards did as instructed and let Zephyr’s family and Mustafa go. Zephyr upheld his end of the bargain as well, and tossed the lamp to Thueban.
“Excellent,” he said as he started to float back to his throne. “Guards, take them to the dungeon. Their public executions are to be carried out first thing tomorrow morning.”
The guards surrounded the Noceda-Blights, Eda, Aaliyah, and Mustafa. Thueban chuckled as he held his lamp, but something seemed off. The lamp felt different to him. He then heard Zephyr let out a whistle. He turned around to see the boy holding what looked like his lamp.
That couldn’t be, he was holding his lamp, wasn’t he? Thueban then took another look at his lamp, and in a puff of smoke, it turned into an ordinary brass lamp. The tyrant gasped, he had been tricked.
“NNNOOOOOOOOO,” he exclaimed as he rocketed over to the boy, but he was too late, Zephyr started to rub the lamp.
The genie was instantly frozen in his tracks. The manacles around his wrists started to glow, and he was pulled to the ground, stuck in a bowing position.
“Don’t just stand there, you fools,” he sneered at the guards, “TAKE IT FROM HIM!!!”
The guards reached for Zephyr, but he held up a hand, stopping them. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he threatened, “if I say the words, your ‘almighty sultan’ over there’ll turn you all into maggots.”
The guards gasped, he was right, there was nothing they could do. “I believe this is the part where you all run away,” Aaliyah said with a smirk.
The guards dropped their weapons and ran out of the throne room. Eda chuckled at their cowardice. “Good help is so hard to find these days.”
“COWARDS,” Thueban roared.
Zephyr and Aaliyah made their way to the throne. “Now, if I’m not mistaken, the genie of the lamp is supposed to grant three wishes,” Zephyr asked facetiously, “am I right?”
“Oh, you most certainly are,” Aaliyah answered.
Thueban growled as the boy sat on his throne. “I will NEVER grant any wish from the likes of you!!!”
He could not believe it. This mortal peasant had not only dared to defy him, but he had the gall to mock him and demand wishes. In the end though, it did not really matter, he could easily twist the boys words and punish him with his wishes. He smirked as he though of ways to torment the boy.
Zephyr took notice of the tyrant’s sudden change in attitude and held the lamp up to Aaliyah. “If you would, please.”
“Most certainly,” Aaliyah answered. She snapped her fingers, creating a small flame. She then held the flame to the lamp’s spout, lighting it.
The witches were confused by this gesture, but Mustafa was pleasantly surprised. Thueban, however, was filled with dread.
***
Moments earlier…
***
As Zephyr and Aaliyah flew to the palace, they went over their plan one last time.
“Okay, so I’ll use an illusion spell to disguise this lamp as Thueban’s, and I’ll threaten to rub it if he doesn’t release my family,” Zephyr said, “then when he lets them go, I’ll rub it and he’ll be at our mercy.”
Aaliyah nodded, “Exactly.”
Zephyr cast an illusion spell, turning one of the brass lamps from the market into an exact replica of Thueban’s. “This is great and all, but what’s gonna stop him from messing with my wishes. You did say he had a tendency of doing that.”
“There is a way to make even the most disobedient of genies do a mortal’s bidding,” she explained. “All we must do is light a fire on the tip of the spout, then he will have no choice but to grant your wishes as you intend them.”
Zephyr nodded. They were getting closer to the palace, it was almost time to put their plan into action, but he had one more thing to take care of. He reached into his pocket and grabbed Aaliyah’s bottle, handing it to her. “Here, I want you to hold onto this.”
“My bottle,” she said in surprise, “why?”
“It’s just in case something goes wrong. It may not be real freedom, but at least you can be your own master, right?“
The princess was stunned. She had never had a master so thoughtful and generous before. “Thank you, Zephyr.” She then took the bottle, “You are unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”
The pair soon arrived at the palace, ready to put their plan into action.
***
“No,” Thueban shuddered, “how could you possibly know?!”
Zephyr looked over at Aaliyah with a smirk. “I have my ways.”
Aaliyah chuckled at the boy’s comment and blushed.
Zephyr then turned his attention back to the tyrant. “Now, for my first wish: bring Aaliyah’s father back to life.”
The lamp then shot out a blast of magic, one that flew across the room and struck Thueban in the chest, knocking him back. Sparks of electricity covered his body, forcing him to move against his will. He screamed in agony as his hand was raised into the air and snapped his fingers.
In a flash of light, a big, burly man appeared in the throne room. He had bluish purple hair like Aaliyah’s, olive skin, and a thick beard. He wore a red sash around his waist, puffy white pants, golden boots that curled at the tips, and a long, white, sleeveless jacket. On his hands he wore a ring on each finger, and on his head, a white turban with a ruby and a blue feather.
Aaliyah gasped and tears of joy welled up in her eyes. After all these years, her father had been revived.
Thueban groaned, the pain had subsided, but it was far from over. He stood up and looked at Zephyr in fear. The fiend tried to run away, but Zephyr spoke faster than he could run.
“For my second wish: restore Malmajini to the way it was before you took over!”
Another bolt of magic shot out of the lamp, striking Thueban in the chest. Static overtook his body again, forcing him to grant another wish against his will. “I. Can’t. STOP IT,” he screamed as he raised his hand into the air and snapped his fingers again.
Outside, magic flooded the streets of Malmajini, repairing the kingdom’s many issues. Decaying buildings were repaired, citizen’s dirty and ragged clothes were cleaned and mended, their pockets filled with money, and the many unnecessary additions made to the palace were removed. Additionally, the oil refineries scattered throughout the desert and the dark clouds they produced were erased from existence, clearing the skies and turning the sands back to their original bright hue. The kingdom was restored to its former glory.
Thueban fell to his knees, exhausted. He hoped it was all over, but Zephyr still had one wish left, and he was going to hate this one most of all.
“And for my third wish: Thueban, you will spend the rest of eternity trapped in your lamp, unable to escape,” Zephyr proclaimed loudly “not even if it’s rubbed or destroyed, it’ll be your prison and your tomb!”
Thueban gasped in terror as the lamp fired one last blast of magic, striking his chest yet again. The tyrant was reduced to a cowering mess. “No, this cannot be,” he screamed, “I am Thueban, author of my own tale! This is not how my story ends! I CANNOT BE DENIED BY SOME FILTHY PEASANT CHILD!!!”
Harsh winds started to surround him in a vortex. He then glared at Zephyr. “I WILL NOT FORGET THIS CHILD,” he roared. “I WILL ESCAPE! AND WHEN I DO, I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!!!”
Zephyr was unamused by the genie’s posturing, he made a hand puppet gesture to mock the tyrant’s bluster, which made Aaliyah chuckle even more. The boy then opened the top of the lamp, releasing a whirlwind which surrounded the fiend.
“DO YOU HEAR ME, BOY,” Thueban roared as he was pulled towards the lamp, “I! WILL HAVE! REVEEEEEEEEEENNGE!!!”
The evil genie was sucked into the lamp, Zephyr closed the lid. “You wish,” he said before blowing out the spout’s flame.
Luz, Amity, Azura, and Eda rushed over to the boy. “Okay, little bro,” Azura said, “that may have been the coolest thing you’ve ever done.”
Eda scruffed up the boy’s hair. “Zephyr, you little genius, you.”
Luz scooped up the boy and hugged him tightly. “That’s my brilliant boy!” She and Amity then peppered his cheeks with kisses, much to his annoyance.
“Oh, come on, moms!”
As the witches praised their youngest, Aaliyah and Mustafa tended to the recently revived sultan, Omar. “Your majesty,” Mustafa addressed his ruler, “are you alright?”
The genie monarch groaned as he rubbed his aching head. “Baba,” Aaliyah said questioningly.
Omar opened his eyes, seeing his daughter for the first time in years. He smiled, “Oh, my child.”
Aaliyah became overjoyed. “BABA,” she exclaimed as she leapt into his arms. “Oh, baba, I have missed you so much these many years.”
“And I you, my dear,” the happy ruler said as he hugged his daughter. “I am just glad to see you are safe.”
Mustafa knelt before his sultan. “Your majesty,” he said.
Omar looked over at the former captain. “Mustafa, my oldest friend, do I have you to thank for this miracle?”
“No, sire,” he shook his head, “most of the credit for the events of today go to that young man over there.” He then motioned over to Zephyr.
“Baba, I must introduce you to my friend,” the princess said as she grabbed his hand and dragged her over to the witch family.
After kissing his cheek for most likely the hundredth time, Luz put her son down. He noticed Aaliyah and her father approaching. Wanting to make himself look more presentable, he rubbed the kiss marks off his cheeks and fixed his hair. He then approached the princess and sultan.
“Baba, this is Zephyr,” Aaliyah introduced, “if it were not for him, I would still be trapped within my bottle.”
Omar looked down at the boy, and smiled. “Young man, you have saved my kingdom, my daughter, and myself,” he said, “to thank you for your bravery and heroism, I shall grant you any three wishes you desire.”
Zephyr smiled, “Thank you, sir, but I can only think of one wish I need to make right now.” He then looked over to Aaliyah, she knew what he meant.
Aaliyah pulled out her bottle and handed it to the boy. This was the moment they were both waiting for, his final wish, the wish to set her free. Aaliyah’s nightmare was almost over, yet for some reason, they didn’t seem as happy as they should have been.
“So, I guess this is the end of our adventure together,” Zephyr said, trying to feign happiness.
“It would appear so,” she replied, mirroring his tone and cadence. “I… I am going to miss you.”
“Me too,” he agreed, looking down at the bottle. “I just… I wish I didn’t have to say goodbye.”
Zephyr gasped and covered his mouth, he didn’t realize what he said until it was too late. Everyone else gasped as well, except for Eda and Azura, they facepalmed simultaneously.
“Wait! I didn’t mean that!” He tried to take it back, but it was too late.
A bright light surrounded Zephyr and Aaliyah. Everyone shielded their eyes, but they heard the sound of metal clanking. The light then disappeared, and everyone opened there eyes. At first glance nothing seemed different.
Zephyr and Aaliyah noticed something about their wrists. They looked down and were shocked. The manacle on Aaliyah’s left wrist was removed and was now placed on Zephyr’s right wrist.
“Huh, well this is an interesting development,” Eda said with her hand on her chin.
Omar pinched the bridge of his nose, he was not happy with the boy wasting his wish. “Young man, what have you done?”
“I’m so sorry,” Zephyr apologized, “I didn’t mean to, I just— I—“
Aaliyah interrupted him. “Father, it is alright.” She then grabbed the boy’s hand. “I would have wanted to still see him even if he had not made the wish.”
Zephyr blushed bright red like a tomato in response. After a moment, the princess blushed as well. The sultan observed the kids’ behavior and chuckled softly, he knew what was going on here.
“Oh well, I suppose it cannot be helped,” the sultan shrugged, “we can discuss the details of this later. Right now, we have a grand celebration to put together, in honor of this momentous occasion.”
Just then, the doors of the throne room flew open, and the distraction team leapt in, all ready to fight. King, Raine, Lilith, and Hooty all looked around, expecting enemies, but they found none. The group dropped their guards and looked over to the others.
“Uh, did we miss something,” King asked.
***
Later that evening, Omar threw a grand celebration in honor of the brave heroes who saved the kingdom. There was beautiful music, dancing, and delicious, exotic foods no member of the Owl Coven had ever even heard of before. Everyone had a good time; Lilith took extensive notes on the kingdom’s architecture, King and Hooty gorged themselves on food, Raine learned to play some of their instruments, Azura looked into buying some scimitars, and Eda managed to talk Omar into giving her some treasure as a reward.
While everyone else partied, Luz, Amity, Zephyr, Omar, Zoya, and Aaliyah discussed more important matters, namely the nature of Zephyr’s last wish. Apparently, they were bound to each other, but that did not mean that they had to spend every moment together, it just meant that their destinies were intertwined. Aaliyah was technically free from her bottle and no longer had to grant wishes, but she would still keep it as a memento of their adventure together. Additionally, it was clear the two kids still wanted to be around each other, for reasons neither cared to elaborate on, so Omar decided to have an embassy established in Bonesborough. Aaliyah even expressed interest in attending the same school as Zephyr, thank goodness genies can instantly teleport anywhere. The two would be seeing a lot of each other from then on, but there was one thing left for Zephyr to ponder: how was he gonna shower with the manacle on?
***
The time had come for the Owl Coven to leave. They returned to the Owl House with the royal family accompanying them to bid a fond farewell. The witches all boarded the house, except for Luz and Zephyr, they had some more things to discuss with the royals.
“Thank you again for sending us back to the Boiling Isles, Sultan Omar,” Luz said to the monarch.
“It is the least that I can do,” Omar responded.
Luz headed into the house, but Zephyr still had to say goodbye to Aaliyah.
“I’ll see you real soon,” Zephyr promised as the pair hugged each other.
“I look forward to it,” Aaliyah replied.
The two separated, and Zephyr went back into the Owl House. Before he closed the door though, he took one last look at Aaliyah. She stood with her family, smiling. Zephyr had fulfilled his promise, Aaliyah got the happy ending she deserved. The boy then closed the door, and with a snap of his fingers, Omar sent the house and everyone inside back to the Boiling Isles.
The sultan smiled. “I like that boy.”
“Me too, Baba,” Aaliyah agreed.
“He will make a fine son-in-law one day.”
“BABA!!!”