Whispers of Fire Ch10 bit – Envy

~ crossovercreativechaos

He’d been worried sick about Aladdin for months, he’d had no chance to talk to Amon before he’d wound up with a Djinn in his knife, and he’d been fighting for Balbadd for months against Judar’s fellow dark magicians and never knew….

If I get the chance, you’re going down.

If. First he had to survive the Imperial silk waterspout.

“What did you call me?”

Oops.

Alibaba has a Djinn, Cassim thought, blood pounding in his veins as… things… leapt off the scorched flying carpet. Alibaba conquered a Dungeon.

Though somehow even that wasn’t as much of a betrayal as Alibaba saluting that damn enemy princess in the middle of a fight. When he should have been running, or killing her.

Not one of us. Never one of us.

And now Alibaba was mocking her, taunting her; dodging razor-lashes of water instead of moving in and just getting it over with.

Weak. Coward. Doesn’t have the strength to take her head-on. What kind of prince does he think he is, if he can’t even face Balbadd’s enemies?

“Heh. Not quite as dumb as he looks, is he?” Judar was floating low, almost in grabbing range, watching the fight with an excited grin. “If he can’t even use a partial Equip, his best chance is to try and wear her out; make her throw power at him until she runs out of magoi.” A jingling shrug. “It’s a lousy chance. The hag’s pretty strong! But I suppose it’s the best he can do.” Red eyes fixed on Cassim. “I wonder. Could you do better?”

31 thoughts on “Whispers of Fire Ch10 bit – Envy”

  2. Time to find a bunker and some popcorn…

    Cassim + Zagan = giggling bunnies
    Cassim + Belial = cackling bunnies

    I’m glad at this point intime that Zepar is taken b/c that combination makes the bunnies wanna hide on the other side of The Great Rift.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  3. >>Weak. Coward. Doesn’t have the strength to take her head-on. What kind of prince does he think he is, if he can’t even face Balbadd’s enemies?

    Ah, the usual macho “direct strength is the only ‘true’ strength” BS. Can someone please drop a mountain on Cassim’s head? Huh, that’s Judar doing it? Eh, okay, here’s your cookie.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  4. Judar is the one pointing out the smart logic in Alibaba’s actions? Well hopefully Cassim sees that associating with Judar would be bad for his people’s continued survival.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      3. If that is a ‘both’…

        I guess the thing that pokes me the most is: What kind of hope does Cassim inspire?

        Like

  6. Oh boy . . . well, maybe going through all the danger of a dungeon would be good for Cassim. Realize that anyone who conquers one was not handed their Djinn or survival.

    Also, I wish someone could ask him just how much he thinks rather just moves in a fight. And ask if he has never, ever taunted someone while fighting them. Too bad that dialogue was internal.

    I know, I know, irrational about Alibaba and we need to find the correct size cluehammer – it is still getting tiresome.

    Maybe Belial would a big enough cluehammer. If anyone can get reality pounded into someone’s skull, it ought to be the Djinn of Truth and Conviction.

    Why do I have the feeling that Judar is feeling pretty happy right now? For him. After all, there is fighting, chaos, disorder, and he’s meeting some new people who look like they might be just as fun to play with as Sinbad, Kougyouko, and Hakuryuu. Definitely not boring.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  8. Noooo! Don’t let poor Belial get stuck with Cassim! That’s too cruel to the poor bishie! O.o Although, I guess using him as a cluehammer would work if Cassim and Alibaba went into the Dungeon together and Cassim got the revelation while Alibaba gets Belial…Something to think about. 🙂 Judar is a troll. He needs to get his hair singed, LOL. Best of luck on your writing!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      1. Yeah it would be messy. Aladdin respects that and wouldn’t do it (not that he knows how in the first place). The other two likewise plus they aren’t here.

        Judar understands but probably thinks making this already messy situation even messier would be all in great fun.

        And okay, maybe the bunnies like the idea of Judar just by being Judar inadvertently helps the heroes completely stop Al-Thamen’s plans. They think it would be nicely ironic, poetic justice.

        Liked by 2 people

  9. I dunno, Judar praising Alibaba’s fighting style to Cassim reads as a bit much, to me. Just the other snippet, Alibaba was cursing the fact that his old dueling instincts were going to get him in trouble, Cassim is thinking much the same thing… which of course is his bias, but also kinda right? But then Judar pops in and is all ‘Man that Alibaba kid sure is clever. Eh? Eh Cassim?’

    I’m hoping Judar is just doing this to get under Cassim’s skin to get him to Fall properly (or whatever Judar’s plan is here, I don’t actually remember this section of canon real well) rather than actually believing the Alibaba hype.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Ah, but there’s actually two different mindsets on “fight” conflicting right here. Alibaba and Cassim are thinking life-or-death, someone’s going to be dead at the end of this.

      Judar and Kougyoku are thinking about noble duels. And/or Djinn Warrior dueling, take your pick. At least half the time those fights tend to not end with someone dead, just exhausted and possibly a prisoner.

      Thing is, Alibaba can’t afford to be taken as a prisoner, and he knows it.

      And actually neither side here is entirely right. Judar’s correct in that given Alibaba can’t overpower her, he needs to outlast her. And Cassim’s right in that Alibaba ought to go straight in or run like hell.

      And Alibaba probably would – if he didn’t have Aladdin to worry about.

      Aladdin’s a magi. Judar’s a magi working with Al-Thamen. Alibaba can’t let Judar’s attention stray off him to find Aladdin.

      …Not to mention there’s a whole lot of monsters loose, and running is much less of an option….

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. Will Cassim understand Alibaba staying to fight and dancing around rather than going straight in when/if he explains that he couldn’t risk having Judar find and take their potential magician?

        Liked by 2 people

Leave a comment