Chapter
10: Jinn's Disgrace
Suddenly,
Jinn was hit by a torrent of green flames. He crashed into a
building, cracking the stone facade. Slightly dazed he looked up just
as another blast came from the mouth of his father. Thrusting his
arms together he created a barrier that deflected those flames.
Stepping forward one foot at a time he pushed that endless blaze
back. His father fought with all his strength in this deluge of
power, but Jinn made it all the way to him and shoved the power right
back in his face. The green flames exploded and Lord Dragon was the
one flying back, crashing into a building.
Santa
jumped back down. His hands were filled with red magic, but he did
not strike just yet.
“So,
it comes down to you and me.” Jinn mused.
Santa
stood there, not acting yet. “You’ve done something terrible,
something to give yourself greater power.”
“And
here everyone believes it is my father who has all the wisdom. Good
for you. Yes, I am strong, stronger than all of you.”
Santa
actually smiled, “Yes. However, it was the wisdom of your father
that led us to the truth.”
“And,
what truth would that be?”
Just
then the voice of Lady Phoenix spoke behind him, “That you have
taken on your full strength in order to overthrow the nations of this
young world.”
Jinn
turned around and found Lady Phoenix standing there. “Mother.”
She
walked toward him, “My beloved son. I have fought for you your
entire life. Your strength was great, but your ambition was
corrupted. I hoped beyond hope that you would take on the mantle of
peace and justice that your father and I wished on you. Instead, you
taint yourself with greed, and lust for power.”
Jinn
softly said, “Please, mother, don’t make me harm you.”
She
came right up to him, “It has always been my greatest fear that I
should ever bring you harm.” Holding out her hand he took it, then
he fell to his knees as pain surged through his body, “But the good
of the many far outweighs a mother's desire for her son's safety.”
He
pulled his hand from her, a bright light glowing from his palm, “WHAT
HAVE YOU DONE?”
Cupid
landed next to him and held the bottle out, “What we had to.”
Cupid uncorked it and power began to flood out of Jinn.
Screams
of agony filled the plaza as Jinn was drained of his magic. The
others still living stood around him and watched as he writhed in
pain. The disguise he wore as Sultan Ahmed the second faded and he
was the Jinn. That too faded and his form returned to that which he
had when he first arrived.
Once
it was over, he lay there, cradling his hands to his chest.
“What...have you done to me?”
Lord
Dragon said, “Our only logical course of action, we have deprived
you of all power. You are now no more than these humans we protect.
Your life will be long, but your abilities will be no better than any
other citizen of this world.”
“Cruelty!
Is this your way now?” He whispered.
Lady
Phoenix knelt down to him and said, “Your life was owed in response
to all those you have taken. But, as your mother, I couldn’t allow
that. I asked for one thing, that you could never again use your
powers to harm others. This was my choice, please understand.”
Jinn
looked at his mother, “Why? I loved you, mother. I would never have
harmed you.”
“I
know that. Which is why I spent so long allowing you to become this.
I let my own motherly love blind me. Look at what you’ve become,
look what you’ve done.”
Jinn
closed his eyes, “You betrayed me. Of all people, I could not
believe it would be you.”
She
put a hand on his head, “What I have done was out of love. One day,
I hope you understand.”
“I
will never forget this.” He whispered.
Santa
said, “You know what we must do.”
Lord
Dragon nodded, “It is our only choice. Everyone stand in a circle
and prepare yourselves, this may not work.”
EB
hopped to his position as he said, “We’re all gonna die, this
just won’t work.”
“We
have to try.” Cupid said.
They
took up their positions and pushed both hands forward. All focused
their powers together, straining hard to cast this particular spell.
A ball of energy formed and then expanded out.
A
fallen wall near them rose and reformed. Then more damage repaired
itself. The moon overhead moved backward and the sun rose in the west
and headed eastward at a progressively faster pace. Soon, the
movement of the sun and moon were so fast that each was a blur.
Clouds passed quickly, rain lifted up from the ground, into the sky.
People returned to the streets, moving backward as they went about
their daily lives.
Jinn
opened his eyes as though he were just in a deep sleep. Around him
soldiers packed up tents and prepared to move.
“You!
Come!” Sultan Ahmed the Second waved at Jinn.
Jinn
came over, “What do you want?”
Ahmed
gave off a short laugh, “You do not bow to your Sultan?”
Jinn
frowned, “Not for the past two hundred years.”
“Never
mind the humor. Here, take this message to the front. Get this to
General Omar at once.” The sultan held out a paper.
Jinn
did not take it, “Do I look like a courier. What is this?”
Ahmed
grew angry, “I have about had it with your curt tongue. What is
your position in my camp? You wear no armor, so I assumed you were a
courier, or are you a servant?”
Jinn
held back his own anger, speaking through clenched teeth, “I am
neither, apparently. Just...passing through.” He left the Sultan
seething at his rudeness.
Walking
out of the war encampment, Jinn stood on a hill. He held out his
hands to transport himself away, but nothing happened. He was
powerless. Only now did he realize what truly happened. “I will
never forgive them for this.”