Street Snake Chapter 1 (Patreon)

Aladdin parody: Tier 1

Street Snake

Agrabah wasn’t the only kingdom in the land. After Aladdin is caught he’s sold off to a strange lord to pay for his crimes. He becomes caught up in a game of magic and destiny. This lord teaches Aladdin about magic and grants him a home. Using what he’s learned he returns to Agrabah as a prince.

Chapter 1 Serpent’s Coils

The Seven Deserts is a vast and dangerous realm of perils, magic and mystery. It is said this land is as vast as the Seven Seas, and hold as many mysteries. Within the deserts lay many nations which have ties to one another, despite the strength of the countries there were also lawless areas and unaffiliated realms such as the Land of the Black Sand.

Currently the Land of the Black Sand was ruled by Destante a powerful and dark sorcerer, who’s magic threatened many of the kingdoms. He worked on building an army for the conquest of all the deserts, uniting them under one rule...his!

Many kingdoms feared his power and his army of the undead.  If not for another magically inclined kingdom he would have made his move. In the Kingdom of Azaspa there existed a powerful lord. One willing to work with the other Rulers, Lords, and Sultans if they needed magical support. His army was just as powerful as Destane’s.

Why would the two not join forces? Well, Destane tried to kill this Lord and take his power once, and once was enough to burn that bridge. He had made an enemy for life, Lord Mamba, went out of his way to ruin his plans.

One on one, the two were equally matched. ‘What I need is an apprentice someone who can help me best that serpent!’ So Destante began searching for the perfect pupil, little did he know he was bringing his own death into his home.

-x-

In Agrabah there was a boy living on the street, with his friend and partner Abu. He stole to survive, and despite his harsh living he had a good heart. The young man yearned for a better life, one where he wasn’t living a life of crime. Aladdin didn’t know much about his family or where he came from, all he knew was that he had to survive.

Mamba was called to Agrabah as the queen had fallen ill, this would be the second time he’s come to this land. The first was when Prince Jaz was born, he came to pay the Sultan respect and give a gift.

Sultan Hamed Bobolonius the Second was scared of Mamba, but knew to show him respect. Destante was a far crueler individual. It was better to have Mamba on your side. Hamed made sure to treat Mamba with care hoping that in the future he could gain a favor of the magical lord. Now was that time, his wife was dying. No healer could help her so he was willing to turn to magic to save her life.

When Mamba arrived in town there was no grand celebration like when other lords visited, but there were guards giving him direct access to the palace. Most people feared Mamba, having heard rumors of what happened to those that crossed him. Most people didn’t dare even look at him out of fear of turning to stone.

Aladdin was curious and he snuck around to get a peek at Lord Mamba. ‘That’s him?’ He was dressed in dark robes and wore a white mask, on his hands were large gloves. ‘He’s not as dressed as the other lords that have come here.’

The mysterious man showed up alone...not even a horse or camel was with him. One of the guards asked him how he got here. “Simple, I walked.”

Some children ran out into his walking path, making him stop. “You fools don’t get in Lord Mamba’s way!” The guard moved to strike the children.

“Such noise…” The guard began to sweat bullets.

“I’m sorry Lord Mamba, I’ll punish these children for crossing into your path!”

“I do believe these children were merely playing and brought no harm to me, why should they be punished?” The guard gulped.

“Well they…” He was used to crueler royal visitors, the kind that would crack the whip if someone stepped out of line.

“Did nothing wrong.”

“Did nothing wrong…” The guard repeated and relaxed.

“Run along children, do be careful.” They bowed and ran off.

Aladdin was surprised. Lord Mamba carried on with the hypnotized guard in tow. Abu convinced Aladdin to go steal their breakfast for the day. He thought they’d be distracted enough to make it easy.

When he arrived at the palace he was greeted by the Sultan and Jafar. The two bowed in respect, but Jafar took interest in the hypnotized guard.

He was led to the bed chamber. Jaz was sitting with his mother. “Ah!” He jumped at the sight of Mamba.

“Jaz, why don’t you go to your room?”

“Father who is this?” Jaz was nervous but curious.

“This...is Lord Mamba, I’ve called him here, he’s here to help your mother.” He tried to usher his son out.

“I will try…” Mamba said.

“Please help her!” Jaz begged.

“Little prince, I shall see what I can do.” He bowed and left the room.

“Please help, my wife...she...she’s always been such a gentle soul. Like a desert flower that the sands wished to wither.”  Mamba approached her.

“I see…” He waved a hand over her and she groaned.

“Nnnhhhh ahh!” An hour glass appeared out of her chest.

“What are you doing?” The Sultan gasped.

“This is your wife’s hourglass of life, every mortal has one, and potentially even some immortal’s do.” The sands at the top of hers were low. “She perhaps only has a few days left.”

“No!” He cried. “There must be something you can do?”

“All things end.” No medicine in this world could cure what ailed her.

“Please...someone with all your power...take...take my life in exchange.”

“Do you believe your life equals another?”

“I’ll give you anything, money, jewels, just please…” The Sultan pleaded. “Jaz needs his mother.”

“A child is a wonderful thing, the bond between parent and child is powerful but even that must end.” The man cried. He was an older man when he met his wife, and he wasn’t getting any younger. “You were willing to give anything?”

“Yes!” He wailed.

“Very well…” Mamba removed his glove revealing a scaled hand. With his bare hand he opens the wife’s hourglass, this stopped her sand from moving. From a small bag he poured some glowing sand into the glass.”

“What have you done?”

“I’ve given your wife some of the sands of time. Her life span has increased three years.” The Sultan was stunned. “You owe me a debt mortal, one that will be collected some day.” He put his glove back on and put the hourglass of life back into the sultan’s wife.

In an instant color returned to her cheeks. “Oh thank you, thank you!” Having witnessed a miracle, he had questions, ones he dared not ask.

“Make sure you treasure the time you have in this world.” His words held a silent warning, that this process couldn’t be repeated.

“What do you want in exchange?” He spoke a twitch of fear in his voice. Magic came with a price, this was a common rule, sometimes the price was one’s very soul. If not for his desperation he’d never have turned to the arts.

“One day my heir will call upon this kingdom, your fates will be in his hands. Whatever he asks for, you will give to him.” The statement shook the Sultan to his core, what had he done, what would he ask for? He practically sold the future of his kingdom, in a modern world he had done something as crazy as giving a blank check to a stranger. In the grand scheme of things it made sense, when one faced their mortality even one more day with their loved ones was something priceless.

His wife had been given three years, three years to be together, three years to be with her family, three years of life. In an instant he had placed the lives of his people into this serpent’s coils. “I trust you will honor this deal.” His wife stirred and the Sultan rushed to her. All his fear and concern washed away as he gazed upon his wife’s smile.

Mamba left the room and was approached by Jafar. “You are a sorcerer!”

“Something like that, I dabble in the mystic arts.” His gaze fell on Jafar. “What do you want?”

The advisor to the sultan gulped. “Power, the power to one day be sultan and rule this land.” If Mamba was not who he was he’d have rolled his eyes. As soon as he had laid his eyes on Jafar he knew who he was, he knew what kind of man he was.

This was not a man who would be satisfied with power given to him, but one who lacked the patience to obtain power the right way. “You wish for my power to make you sultan?”

“Can it be done?”

“Perhaps…” Mamba made deals. Jafar knew this, his “gifts” came with a price that varied based on the trade. There was no set time table for his trades either, sometimes he came for his debts years if not decades later. He rarely used his magic for free. No one knew what gift he gave to prince Jaz. “What would you trade for this?”

“Anything but my life my lord!”

“Then you’re future then?” The words shocked Jafar. What did he mean? His current future held no benefit for him, servitude to a Sultan? Sure he had wealth and status, even power from his position, but he wanted more. The future he saw before him was tradeable.

“Yes!” Jafar believed he knew what he wanted, the Lord could see it in his eyes. The fascination of the control he had over the guard. Mamba plucked a scale from his body and in his hands it formed a snake staff.

“This will help you gain the power you seek.” The staff had the power of hypnotism. Jafar took it and could feel the magic in the staff. He knew of the mystic arts but didn’t practice enough to be a true sorcerer, if anything he was at best a magician. “Now about my end of the deal.”

Jafar was surprised. “What can I do for you my lord?”

“There is a boy in this kingdom a...street rat…” He called in his favor, Jafar was to command the guards and track the boy down to his nest. He was to be captured and sentenced to be sold. Many thieves were sold off to pay for their crime, these were the lucky ones some vendors took a hand for theft.

It was an odd request, and what did this have to do with his future? Mamba’s requests were sometimes odd, but if one boy was the price he had to pay for power it was a small price. Jafar used his position and commanded the guards.

Aladdin thought he had gotten away with his thieving only to have his den surrounded by guards. Despite his best efforts he was caught and locked up. His time in jail was short as he was to be sold for his crimes of theft. ‘This is it, my life is over.’ He had heard what happened to people who were sold off, many worked themselves to death or ended up as the plaything of some Lord.

Abu was missing.

To his surprise he was purchased rather quickly, by none other than Lord Mamba. As he gazed upon the mysterious lord, he couldn’t help but feel he was caught by something dangerous. In the past he had been found by a deadly serpent, it’s deadly gaze...oh yes it reminded him of Mamba’s gaze. Like a beast waiting to strike, looking for an opening or a sign of weakness.

He didn’t know it, but he had been pulled into a game of magic and destiny.

To be continued