Prince of Persia 1. The legend continues

**Prince of Persia: The Crest of Time**

**Blazing Sands**

The prince gazed down upon his kingdom. After 3 years from the incident with the sands, the streets were filled with people, from children to adults even to old citizens. Market places were flourishing, people were happy, and the kingdom was peaceful. No more had it been reigned over the heartless vizier, it was now free. The prince remembered his fight with the vizier and his own self, the Dark Prince. But those were only memories, and the prince had to carry on with his life. He heard footsteps behind him. He turned his head behind. It was Farah. She smiled at him and walked towards him.

"What's bothering you prince?" she asked cheekily. The prince eyed her curiously and sighed. He gazed into her brown, beautiful eyes. Once, a companion during the fight with the vizier, now, she was his wife.

"Nothing. I was merely gazing around my kingdom," he replied. He forced a smile on his face. It didn't work.

"Oh come now," she said with an annoyance in her tone. She held up here finger right up on his face. "You overwork yourself too much. Try and relax a bit. Enjoy life."

"How can I? I have duties to carry out as the king," He waved her finger off. "Put that thing away, you could poke someone in the eye with that." He walked away from his balcony, leaving Farah behind. His robe trailed behind him, acting as a broom collecting dust from his floor. Farah looked at him from the balcony, and then she gazed into the city. A smile formed on her face.

"All your hard work has finally paid off prince," she said in a low voice. "The city is peaceful now, and the people could never have been happier." As the sun was starting to set, she then returned back into the castle.

The prince passed through the garden of his castle. He stopped to look at the flowers. How amazing the flowers were in Babylon. He plucked on of the exotic flowers, and smelled its fresh aroma. He then placed the flower beside the fountain of water, and continued on his journey into the castle. In a few moments, he eventually arrived at the throne room. The throne room was as grand as ever. Two thrones were in the center, pictures of past kings were plastered all over the walls. The huge pillars were keeping hold of the high roof from above. The prince walked up to his throne. He gave a great sigh, and fell back into his comfortable throne. Ruling a kingdom wasn't always easy. But there were time when these chairs could come in handy. Times like now were some of the examples.

The prince closed his eyes for a moment and opened them up again. Upon the altar of his father, a weapon like no other was kept. Gleaming brightly in the light, it was the dagger of time. The weapon the prince had used to aid him in his war against the vizier. Deadly as it was, it had no more use to the prince anymore. But it still could be a piece of decoration for his castle. It was now placed upon the altar of his father. The prince got out of his throne, and walked towards it. He took it from its position, and admired its engraftments and its hilt. And he admired mostly everything else about it. He then placed it back to its original position.

Suddenly, as the prince placed the dagger back upon the altar, it shone a bright and blinding light. The prince shielded his eyes and staggered a few steps behind. The light then dimmed and the prince too his hands away from his face. He was surprised to see the dagger react in such a way. "_Something must have gone wrong," _hethought. He looked around the throne room. Everything was as much the same. He heard hurried footsteps coming into the room. The doors burst open, revealing Farah panting and sweating.

"What happened?" she ask, bewildered. She was starting to regain her breathe. The prince eyes widened.

"You saw the light too?" he asked, curious. Farah took a deep breathe and spoke again.

"Yes, it was a bright and blinding light, what happened?"

"I don't know," The prince grabbed the dagger. "All I know is that the light came out from this dagger.

"Could it be a warning?" asked Farah, scared.

"I don't know, but it may could mean that..," the prince was cut short by a large quake in the castle. He fell down and so did Farah too. The quake was so sudden that the prince readied himself with the dagger as he got up. Farah stood beside him.

"Something is here," the prince whispered to Farah.

"I can see that," replied Farah sarcastically. They both circled the throne room slowly, waiting for any more sudden movements.

BOOM!

The floor was thrown apart by a huge force. The prince was sent backwards. Farah was thrown off the floor, hitting her head on a wall. She then collapsed to the floor and fainted.

"Farah!" the prince roared as he took his dagger out. The floor was crumbling and the prince had a few seconds left to save his wife. He did his wall run, and jumped off from the wall halfway, and landed in front of Farah. The floor was crumbling fast. The prince heaved Farah up.

He jumped from his position and landing across the other side of the floor which was still stable. After landing on the other side, he placed Farah carefully on one corner. He then spun behind to face whatever monstrosity that had befallen his castle. The smoke faded and the prince saw a clear image of the attacker. His mouth fell wide open.

Standing in the center of the room, a towering big, black figure and with tendrils stuck onto it, it was the Dahaka. It gave a grim smile and said "Time to die prince,".


	2. New companions

**Author's note:** As you all have read the first chapter, you might find it strange that the dagger of time is still in the prince's hand. I've taken time into changing the storyline from POP3 a bit, and I do hope for more of your reviews! Now enjoy the story!

**Chapter 2: New companions**

The Dahaka threw it's long tendrils towards the prince as he ran across the room. The tendrils flew across the room towards the prince at incredible speed. Lucky for the prince, he dodged the attack with ease. The Dahaka took back it's tendrils, and readied for another attack. The prince circled around the Dahaka, waiting for it's attack. He clenched the dagger of time tightly. Sweat was dropping from his forehead. His heart was beating madly. What was the Dahaka doing here? How did it come back? These were the thoughts revolving inside his mind.

"Come now prince! Fight me like man!" roared the Dahaka, his voice with a ghastly tone. It threw it's tendrils at the prince once again. The prince ducked beneath the tendrils just in time. The force was deadly. The tendrils had hit the wall, and the wall came crumbling towards the ground. The Dahaka tried pulling it's tendrils back, but it seemed that the tendrils were stuck onto the wall.

The prince took this opportunity to counter attack the Dahaka. Clenching the dagger tightly, he ran up the crumbling wall, jumped off from it, and landed on one of the Dahaka's tendrils. Success! The Dahaka finally unstuck it's tendrils off and the prince felt himself being pulled by the tendrils. He concentrated on one spot, the head. He braced himself, and waited as he neared the Dahaka. As the Dahaka pulled back it's tendrils, the prince sliced off the tendril he was clinging onto and leaped off from it's tendrils at the right time. The prince flew straight towards the Dahaka's head. The dagger in his hand flashed as he prepared for the kill.

"DIE!" roared the prince. The Dahaka looked surprised, but gave a grim smile as the prince flew straight towards it. Before the prince swung the dagger into the Dahaka, the Dahaka had vanished. A voice behind him startled him.

"Time is not by your side prince," said the voice. The prince turned his head behind him in midair. It was the Dahaka, and it was swung it's clawed hands towards him.

**SLASH!**

Blood gushed out from the prince's back. The wound the Dahaka created was serious. The prince fell back to the ground, clutching the blood soaked dagger in his hand. He was losing blood too quickly. He had to finish this battle fast.He glared at the Dahaka with his furious eyes. The fury inside him instantly turned to hatred at what he saw. Farah was dangling limply from one of the Dahaka's hands. The Dahaka laughed madly. Wiping off the blood from his hands, the prince shouted at the Dahaka.

"Leave her alone monster! She has nothing to do with this!" he prince roared. Fury was rising within him. The dagger in his hands was shaking madly. But he didn't care. All that meant now was slicing off that monstrosity's throat.

"Leave here alone? I think not. What authority do you have to say that too me? Look at you now!" The Dahaka continued on his laugh. "Without the sands of time you are powerless! I could kill you in one blow if I wanted too! But I'm savoring every moment of this occasion." The Dahaka licked Farah with his slimy and gross tounge.

"She tasted as delicious as I had imagined her to be,"

The prince stared at what happened. Now, all that he could hear was his own voice saying, **kill it, kill it, KILL IT! **

He ran across the wall again. This time, the Dahaka crushed the floor beneath it and went downwards into the palace. The prince grabbed a window ledge, and leaped to one of the pillars leading downwards. He slid down the pillar, not even caring about the friction with his hands and the surface of the pillar. The Dahaka took it's time waiting for the prince. Farah was still dangling limply in it's hands.

"Hurry prince, hurry and save your wife!" said the Dahaka. He smirked at the furious prince and crushed the pillar the prince was sliding down on with his hands. The pillar crumbled, and the prince was forced to jump towards another crumbling pillar while sliding down. One by one, the pillars crumbled with the force of the Dahaka on it, and the prince was forced to jump from different pillars. As he slid down the final crumbling pillar, he saw a few palace guards went flying down with the debris the Dahaka created. The prince turned his head towards his left. A curtain! Taking out his dagger, he leaped onto the curtain like an acrobat, and stabbed the curtain with the dagger. He came sliding down faster and was closer towards the Dahaka and Farah. In a few more seconds, he could have the monster's head on the platter straight away.

Leaping off the curtain and finishing it with a summersault, he landed on the back of the Dahaka. The Dahaka tried to wriggle him off, but the prince held on for dear life. As the Dahaka stopped, the prince lifted his dagger up high, and stabbed the Dahaka behind the neck. A loud roar followed and the price lost his grip. The dagger came off, and both the prince and dagger of time went falling towards the hard ground. Nothing could save him. Only anger was filled inside him as he watched the Dahaka writhe in pain at the wound of the dagger. It still held Farah tightly in it's fingers.

Suddenly, the dagger of time that was falling beside the prince glowed bright gold. The prince noticed the light and turned his body towards it, trying to grab it. "_Faster! Faste_r! _FASTER_!" he thought. He grabbed it. The dagger reverberated madly in his grip. A bright golden light came out of it and the light wrapped itself around the prince. There was a flash, a sound of explosion, and then, everything turned black.

The prince awoke in an old shabby room. He coughed and saw that he had been bandaged. He looked around the room. Everything of it was made out of wood. The air was fresh and the prince got out of his bed. Sitting on the bed, bandaged, bruise, but still alive, he remembered the incident at the palace. The Dahaka returned. The palace was falling. Destruction was everywhere. Farah was caught in the crossfire between the Dahaka and the prince. He stabbed the Dahaka, and suddenly, he felt himself falling. The dagger suddenly emited a bright light, he was blinded by it, and he could remember no more.

"What is this place?" he muttered. His head was aching. There was a jug of water beside him. He felt thirsty and took a sip from it. Suddenly, the door of the room opened. He turned his head towards the door. Standing there was a man about his age. Ashen faced, well built and severely tanned. His hair was tied in ponytail and he looked as if he hadn't slept for days.

"You finally awake?" said the man, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes, and might I ask, where am I?" replied the prince. The man gave a big yawn and sat down on a chair in front of the prince.

"You're in Babylon," said the man. The prince eyes widened. He stood upon his feet, and searched for the dagger. The man looked surprised.

"You shouldn't be walking right now. You must stay in bed," he said, gesturing towards the bed. "Your wounds are serious and you have many broken body parts."

"No, I'm alright," replied the prince vaguely. The dagger was nowhere to be seen. "I have some unfinished business to attend to." The prince walked up to the door. His back started to ache and he found himself behind heaved back into the bed by the man.

"What is the meaning of this?" the prince roared. He was infuriated at the man.

"Don't be stupid. You could never walk in this condition," the man replied, eyeing him like a hawk. "You broke your back and your wounds haven't fully healed.We found you lying on the ground outside of the city, soaked in blood. No one knew how you got here, but since you were in a terrible and serious condition, we treated you. Now rest in bed. I'll go get you some food. When I get back, I'd expect you to still be in that bed! Oh and by the way, my name is Jamal." He closed the door in the room and left the prince alone. Feeling that he should rest, the prince lay on his bed. _"What is going on? If this is Babylon, why am I not dead?"_ he thought.

Suddenly, he heard a voice calling his name. He got up, and a look of surprised was on his face. No one was in the room except him. Who could have called his name?

"Who's there?" said the prince. He searched around the room for the voice. He saw the dagger of time at the end of the room, stacked on top of a pile of swords. He walked up to it, and picked it up. Feeling more assured of safety, he searched for the voice again.

"Good you found me," said the voice. The prince was shocked. Where was the voice coming from?

"Where are you?" replied the prince.

"Look in your hand," said the voice. The prince held up the dagger towards his face.

"Nice meeting you again prince," said the dagger.


	3. A new journey begins

**Author's note: **Alright, this new chapter I did is the latest! Sorry if any guys who like this story had to wait, I've been a bit busy, but I had a little free time to do this.

No enjoy the story and please, please, please REVIEW! Hope you like it!

**Chapter 3: The New Journey Begins**

The prince dropped his dagger, and it landed with a dull 'clunk' on the wooden floor. The prince staggered back a few steps, looking at the dagger in horror. _It was talking._

"Arrggh!" said the dagger angrily. "That hurt!" Although the prince could not see the expression on the dagger, hearing the voice was good enough to show its anger.

"What are you?" replied the prince. He edged his body closer to the dagger. Hearing the dagger talking to him was shocking, if not strange.

"You don't know me? After using me to kill the vizier, you still do not know me? Very well then, a short introduction won't hurt. I am the dagger of time, and I am speaking directly inside your mind, prince," the dagger said. "Don't you recall any experience similar to this?" There was a moment's pause. The prince remembered hearing the dark prince inside of him speaking to him. He hated it very much.

"Yes, I did," replied the prince. His voice was dry and rough. "I was speaking with cursed soul inside me."

"Good. Now pick me up, there's much that I have to tell you," said the dagger. The prince approached the dagger cautiously, his mind racing. _What on earth was going on?_ he thought. He grabbed the dagger and returned to his bed. He gripped the dagger tightly.

"Now tell me," said the prince.

"Very well then," replied the dagger. It gave a sigh that only the prince heard, and continued. "For years, my power was kept hidden inside this dagger. Only a few can actually awaken me, and you are among them. Only a quarter of it was awaken. But my power was also awaken by a sudden surge of power, resonating within…." There was pause, and then the dagger said "The Dahaka." The prince stood there dumbfounded. Nothing seemed to be logical anymore. But then, after his past experiences, he began to find out that logic, had its limits.

"What? I don't understand," replied the prince. He covered his face and started to think. Nothing came up.

"Oh, come now prince, use your brain a bit," said the dagger irritably. "How did the Dahaka ever lived and attacked you in the first place? How did it live when you had destroyed it with the water sword at the Island of Time? It was because of the _sands_." The prince finally understood. He took his hand off his face. He looked at the dagger with his blue eyes and a grin spread across his face.

"Now I understand. How could I have been so stupid?" He smacked his forehead with his bandaged left hand. "The Dahaka used the sands to travel into the future, before I killed it, and came to destroy me instead. It all makes sense." He got up his feet, and started pacing around the room.

"Yes, yes, it all makes sense now," he muttered.

"Good, but you only got it _half_ correct," the dagger blurted out. The prince stopped pacing.

"Then what is it that makes the Dahaka return in the first place?" said the prince. He eyed the dagger curiously.

"That was not the Dahaka," the dagger said. "It was a combination of the vizier and the Dahaka. What you saw was merely the first stage of their combination. Did you notice that you could understand the Dahaka clearly?" The prince took a moment of silence to interpret the words the dagger of time had said.

"Yes, for the very first time, I could understand it," said the prince. He scratched his chin. "It spoke a different language when I was being chased by it at the Island of time.."

"Yes it did. It was actually the vizier. By using the sands of time he gained from Kaileena, and seeing the timeline in the future, seeing you kill him, he decided to return back in time, and meet with the Dahaka. When both of them met, he then used the sands of time to combine his power with the Dahaka. And thus, creating the being that you saw at your palace, but that was merely the vizier and the Dahaka combine together. If they finish their combination, who knows what devastation they could create." The prince's mind was racing. It all made sense now, the Dahaka returning, the vizier, the sands, everything made sense.

And suddenly, he thought about Farah. His eyes shot out, and he clenched the dagger tightly.

"What happened to Farah?" he roared. His hands were shaking. The dagger remained quiet. After a few seconds, it spoke again.

"That, I do not know," it replied. "We will have to see if she's still alive, or not."

"What do you mean? You think she's dead? You think she's going to be raped by the Dahaka-Vizier thing?"

"I do not know, but all I know is that, without the sands you are powerless." The prince gave out a sigh and sat down on his bed. He still held the dagger in his hand.

"Now can you tell me where you have brought me to?" he finally said. He felt tired and weary, and his injuries and wounds weren't helping.

"You are in Babylon, 500 years in the past," the dagger said. The prince could not believe it and asked the dagger again. The dagger replied the same thing.

"WHAT?" the prince bellowed. "What did you bring me back this far back into the past for?"

"To find the Crest of Time," replied the dagger calmly. "It is the only thing capable of destroying the new enemy we are going to face."

"The Crest of Time?" the prince thought it sounded ridiculous, but nonetheless, no use in complaining with the dagger to bring him back to the present. The Dahaka would probably just find him and tear his body to pieces.

"Where do we find it?"

"It is located the Temple of Time. The journey will take long, but when we arrive, we will find the Crest of Time,"

"How long does it take to get there?" The prince was curious.

"There days the most, but, there are many obstacles to past before we can actually enter the temple,"

"What kind of obstacles are you talking about?"

"The type you've faced in every of your adventures to save the city. But this time, you will have to past them without using any sands of time,"

The thoughts flickered in the prince's mind for a second. In all of his adventures, he had the sands of time always by his side, now, he had only himself, and a talking dagger with him.

"Are you up to the challenge prince?" said the dagger. Without a moment's hesitation, the prince said "Yes,"

"Well then, you'd better get some rest, I'll tell you more about.." it's voice was cut off by a creak of the door. It was the door opening. The prince quickly hid the dagger under his pillow and he heard a small, "Umph!" under the pillow. Jamal came striding into the room with a bowl of soup and a plate of fish. He laid them on top of the table in front of the prince. The aroma from the food smelled glorious in the prince's nose. How long has it been since he had eaten? Jamal then turned his head back to the prince.

"Sorry if this room isn't comfortable; nowadays are filled with war that everything else in the city looks terrible," said Jamal, rubbing his eyes. The prince heard a voice under his pillow saying, "Bring him along, we need him, trust me."

The prince pushed the pillow down harder, silencing the sound. Jamal was now at the door.

"Call me if you need anything," he said.

"I will," replied the prince. Jamal walked out of the room, and closed the door. The prince took the dagger out slowly, walked towards the table, grabbed a piece of fish, and spoke with while eating his fish.

"What do you mean by asking him to come with us?" said the prince angrily. He tore of a portion of the fish's meat and swallowed it. It tasted good. The dagger coughed. It then started talking again.

"He is your ancestor and he is a valuable asset in our journey," replied the dagger.

"Are you sure?" the prince was doubtful. "There's one in a million chance that he is my ancestor."

"You still don't believe? I purposely brought you to him," the dagger said. "He and you should make good friends, well, at least until he finds out you're his great, great, great, great, great, great grandson from the future."

"Enough of this, tell me how this Crest of Time can help me?" said the prince.

"I told you prince, my power has not yet been fully awaken," the dagger now showed a hint of arrogance in its tone. "The Crest of Time, awakens my true power and when it does, it also will boost your abilities in the process. Now eat and go back to sleep, I'll tell you more in the morning."

**Author's note**: Hope you guys liked it, please send in more reviews! Thanks!


	4. The Forsaken City

**Author's note**: Thanks for all of your reviews! I'm sorry for the long wait, but I've been busy lately, playing games, with homework, the usual school stuff. So now, enjoy this chapter for yourselves! I've put my best effort into it! And please send in more of your reviews! Thanks!

**Chapter 4: The Forsaken City**

The prince opened the door of his room slowly. The door creaked and light entered the room. The prince got out, and closed the door. His dagger was hanging from his waist, and he wore clothes. His old ones were torn, dirty and bloody, all due to the battle of the Dahaka + Vizier combination that the dagger had told him. The prince tried to talk with the dagger, but it did not respond. It remained silent as ever.He tapped it on the table, but there was still no response. He eventually gave up, and exited his room.

The place that he was living in was made up of thick walls that had cracks in them and some graffiti on the walls. Dust was everywhere and the prince to cover his mouth while he walked. After passing a few corridors with paintings of people the prince didn't know, he arrived in the shabby room of Jamal, his savior. Jamal had apparently fallen asleep while reading a book because he was found with sleeping on the floor next to a book. The prince walked up to him, and kicked him in the head.

Jamal awoke with a start. He sat bolt up right, which surprised the prince, and turned his body back towards the prince. He looked at the prince with an absent minded expression.

"Oh, it's you," said Jamal, yawning. "Why did you have to wake my up for? I was having a good dream!" He threw an angered look at the prince. The prince ignored him. The prince then took a chair from one of the tables, sat on it, and spoke.

"I'm sorry if I've woken you up, but I have a favor to ask," said the prince quickly. Jamal got up on his feet, brushed the dust off his pants and said, "What is it?"

"Jamal, have you ever heard of the Temple of Time before?" asked the prince curiously. Jamal's red eyes widened with shock. He staggered back a few steps, clutching his chest. He looked utterly bewildered.

"You know about it?" said Jamal, bewildered.

"Yes, why are you so shocked for?" the prince asked, curious. Jamal still look at him blankly. After a long pause, Jamal continued.

"Only a few know about it," he muttered with his head down. "The Temple of Time, many centuries ago, men from everywhere came to conquer it, and many have failed," He looked at the prince and said, "Unimaginable things happen inside the Temple."

"I intend to enter it," replied the prince. His face showed strong determination. "And I need your help to do it Jamal."

Jamal took a long time to process his thoughts. He paced around the room. The prince waited patiently for his answer. Jamal then stopped and he looked at the prince.

"You must be trying to find the Crest of Time aren't you?" Jamal asked curiously. His eyes twinkled.

"Yes I am," replied the prince confidently. Jamal gave him a smile. He picked up a large bag on the table and placed food, water and weapons in it.

"Funny, it seems that you and I have the same reason of going there," said Jamal while he was busy packing his things. The prince looked taken back.

"So, you're coming with me to the temple?" the prince asked hopefully.

"Yes, and we need all the man power we can have to get into that place,"

"Good, I help you with your packing," the prince said. .

Before long, as dawn was approaching, the prince and Jamal were all set and ready. Weapons were brought along and food and water were also included. As they walked out of the door, into the streets of Babylon, 500 years ago, everything seemed different to the prince. The walls were cracked, the streets were filled with nothing but dust, the shutters were broken, and the palace was no where to be seen. The prince felt Jamal tugging on his shirt.

"What is it," he asked angrily. He pushed Jamal's hand away.

"Hurry, we cannot stay in one place for too long," said Jamal. He then ran towards one of the buildings, and ran up the wall and finally he grabbed a pole that was sticking out of the building and swung himself onto the rooftops of Babylon. The prince stared at him in awe. Jamal threw down a rope for the prince.

"Grab it now, hurry!" he asked hurriedly. The prince shook his head.

"No need for that," said the prince. Before long, the prince had done exactly what Jamal had done and he was standing next to Jamal in a few seconds. Jamal looked at him in astonishment. He then pulled the rope back up and kept it back into the bag.

"Amazing, you can do what I can do," Jamal said smiling. "Alright, no, we head out, follow me!" Jamal jumped from one roof to the other and the prince followed suit. They ran across walls, jumped off buildings, held onto the ledges and finally, they were at the exit. The prince saw many strange things on their way.

One of them was he saw a little boy alone in the middle of the street. The boy was homeless and all of a sudden, when the prince had turned his head away for a second, the boy was gone. The prince stopped on one of the roof of the city. _"What is happening?"_ he thought.

Jamal called for him to hurry up and he did. Eventually, they arrived at an exit. Jamal blocked the prince's way before the prince could move ahead. Jamal shook his head. The prince was surprised but understood that there might be a trap somewhere there.

The exit was blocked by a large steel door. The steel doorhad rusted and fungus was growing on them. It looked old but strudy.Jamal pointed at one end of the door, a lever was there. They both nodded to each other.

"Be careful, this city has some unexpected things happening sometimes," said Jamal, eyeing the area like a hawk. The prince merely kept silent. He listened for any signs of movements.

"On my count," muttered Jamal. "One, two….GO!" Then, they ran towards the steel door.

The prince was already a meter from the lever. He stretched out his hands, hoping to reach it so that he could release the door. A few more steps left and Jamal was ready at the door.

**BOOM!**

A crash from an unexpected force erupted right in front of the prince before the prince could reach the lever. The prince was thrown into the air, and he hit the ground hard. Getting up quickly and withdrawing his weapon, the dagger of time, he focused his eyes to see what had caused the explosion. The smoke was everywhere and Jamal was no where to be seen. After the smoke had subsided a little, the prince saw a blurred image in front of him. His eyes widened in shock as the smoke had finally subsided.

Standing right between the prince and the lever, 25 feet tall, a ferocious looking monster in amour was there. The prince fell back a few steps, clutching the dagger tightly. He caught a glimpse of Jamal lying limply on the ground right next to a barrel. The monster glared at the prince with its menacing red eyes. The monster had the look of an ogre. In its hands was a large axe. Its nostrils flared up each time it took in breath. The prince walked slowly nearer towards Jamal, not trying to provoke the beast. But instead,he did.

The ogre like creature roared it's lunged out and was heading straight towards the prince. The prince jumped out of the way just in time to escape from the impact. The beast rammed it's large head right into one of the buildings. The building crashed, and turned into rubble. The prince readied himself. The creature shook its head and looked around the area with its beady like eyes. It saw the prince, roared and waved its axe in its hands madly. It jumped high into the air and was right on top of the prince. The prince looked in shock and his legs seemed glued to the spot.

The beast swung its axe down hard and loud thundering "BOOM!" was heard across the city. The prince had managed to evade it just in time. The beast had swung its axe to hard and the axe was now stuff into the ground. The prince took this opportunity to attack. Running behind the beast, the prince jumped onto its back, but the slippery armor on its back was preventing the prince from clinging onto it. The prince slipped and he fell towards the ground. The beast turned around and noticed the little man behind him. It gave another huge heave and the axe was free.

The prince got back up on his feet, rubbing his head. The beast swung its axe again, and this time, the prince wasn't so lucky. The force from the axe had caused an explosion on the groundin front of the prince and the dagger was thrown into the air.Rocks were flying everywhere and the prince had suffered more cuts on his body.The daggertwirled in the air for a while and stuck itself onto one of the walls of the buildings. The prince's arm was bleeding but they were only severe cuts. The prince hid behind a small crate that was nearest to him. He gasped for air and his heart was skipping beats. Sensing great danger, the prince tried to find another way out of the situation….

To be continued….


	5. The Beast Falls

**Author's note:** Sorry for not updating lately, my computer went haywire and it took sometime to send it and fix it, but now it's alright. Well then, enjoy the story!

**Disclaimer: **I don't ownubisoft and I ain't the prince of Persia.

**Chapter 5 – The Beast falls**

The prince rushed across the street that was now damaged beyond repair. Large holes were everywhere and buildings that once stood lay in rubbles. The beast roared and swung his axe madly towards the prince. The blade cut through the air, narrowly missing the prince's head by millimetres. The prince rolled back before the beast could attack him again and hid behind a building, which by now, was about to collapse. He was powerless without the dagger in his hands and his mind was filled with ways of trying to get the dagger back from the wall of that building across the street.

Before he could take his second breath, a large shadow loomed behind him and there the beast was, grinning evilly at him. The beast held its axe high once again, and this time, it jumped high into the air, somersaulted and flew down towards the prince like a drill. The prince jumped away before the blow was done and he ran across the walls. The beast crushed the ground, and drilled into it. The prince watched in shocked as the beast disappeared from the surface.

The prince felt a strange vibration beneath him. He looked down and saw cracks forming on the ground. He instantly jumped away from the spot and the ground exploded from beneath. Rocks flew in every direction and some hit the prince hard. The prince received a few more bruises and cuts from the rocks, but nonetheless, he was still able to move. The explosion caused sand and dust to swirl around the prince and the prince had to cover his eyes as this happened. Sand and dust soon covered the prince's vision and before he knew it, he was totally powerless.

The prince craned his ears to hear any movement or anything that would help him at all. He heard footsteps behind him and grabbed the figure without hesitation. He held the struggling man in the air, and recognized him instantly. He placed the man down, knowing that is was Jamal.

"Sorry Jamal, I mistook you for someone else," Said the prince hastily. He bent down and helped Jamal up.

"Well, I guess we both are in a pretty tight situation now, eh?" said Jamal looking around the area but couldn't see anything other than sand and dust. The prince felt at a lost, how was he supposed to defeat that beast? How was he ever going to reclaim back his kingdom? He escaped from his trance as Jamal pinched his shoulder rather anxiously.

"What is it now?" The prince asked irritably. He saw that Jamal's face was filled with grim concentration.

"Here it comes, get ready." Jamal took out a rope from his bag pack, tied it into a knot, and ran ahead where the beast was. The prince was bewildered and astonished but he followed Jamal anyways.

The sand and dust soon were gone and the beast could be seen clearly. The beast still had it axe in its hands and it was looking really pissed. The beast punched its chest and roared loudly. The roar pierced the silence of the night and shook buildings that were looking too weak to stand on themselves. The prince caught a small glint of light above the beast's head. He squinted to get a better look at the object and instantly felt his heart leaped. It was the dagger.

Jamal ran straight towards the beast and threw the rope around the beast's neck. The beast's seemed unaware of this and it continued on with its roar. Jamal shot a frantic look at the prince.

"Hurry prince, we don't have much time on our hands!" shouted Jamal. He tightened the rope and threw it towards the prince. The prince caught it, and instantly knew what Jamal was hoping for. He nodded to show confirmation of this plan and climbed up the rope, hoping to reach the beast's head without any other surprises.

The beast noticed the little prince that was climbing up on it while using a rope. It growl angrily and swung its body around madly. The prince saw what was happening and three horrible words entered his mind. _"I'm gonna die". _The prince flew up and down, north to south, and in every direction you could imagine, but the prince still held on the rope for dear life. As he swung dangerously from side to side, he saw the dagger gleaming brightly in the moonlight. Taking this opportunity, he released his grip on the rope, and was throne towards the dagger.

He caught the dagger's hilt and he was now hanging from the dagger with his legs on the wall. As he touched the dagger's hilt, he heard a voice in his head saying, _"Took you long_ _enough,". _He was surprised but he then whispered towards the dagger, "I still came didn't I?" The beast was still jumping around, thinking that the prince was still hanging onto the rope. As the beast neared the prince, the rope on its neck came closer towards the prince. The prince kept the dagger back on his belt, and jumped forwards and grabbed the rope.

The prince could hear Jamal screaming something from beneath him but he didn't care, all he cared was toppling down this beast. He climbed the beast's entire body, his full concentration on holding on to the rope. After a few moments, he reached the beast's head and pulled out his dagger, and climbed up the beast's nose. He faced the beast and was now at the beast's eye level. The beast seemed shocked and instantly stopped moving and the prince swung his dagger straight into the beast's eye with all his might.

The beast roared in agony. Blood gushed out from the wounded eye and the prince took the blade of the dagger out from the eye. The prince held on the nose hairs of the beast as the beast clutched its eye in pain. It roared angrily and grabbed the prince. It gave the prince a powerful and strong grip. Yelling in pain, the prince quickly stabbed the dagger into the flesh of the beast's hand. The beast let go and the prince stabbed the hand once more. He hung on the hand and after a few seconds, he threw himself up once more and caught the rope that was hanging on the beast's neck. The beast was clutching its hand in pain and its right eye seemed blinded from the wound the prince created.

The prince grabbed the rope and untied it and slid down from the beast's armour from behind. He called for Jamal to help him tie the rope at the beast's leg when he got his feet back onto the solid ground.

"Grab this rope Jamal, and help me tie this thing around its legs!" the prince roared. Jamal nodded and hurried off to tie the other end while the prince tied the other.

"This part is already tied!" roared Jamal. Sweat dropped down his forehead and he felt his entire body shake in fear. "What are planning to do?"

"Just watch," and without further ado, he tightened the rope and tied the legs of the beast.

The beast felt its legs strapped together by the rope, and was powerless to do anything else because it was now falling towards the gate that was blocking the exit.

**CRASH!**

The beast felt head first into the gate and a sickening crunch was heard. Rocks, sand, dust were swirling everywhere and buildings crumbled to the ground due to battle that was fought. The prince and Jamal stood rooted at the spot. They both looked at each out in shock, and both of them walked up to see if the beast was dead. From the look of it, the prince thought, with the steel of the gates sticking out from behind its head, it was surely dead. Jamal laughed tiredly and fell back on the ground.

"I thought we were going to be dead right just now," he said, his voice shaking with excitement. "But I now know that I was wrong."

"Well, we were lucky enough, if it wasn't for this dagger, we wouldn't be standing here right now," said the prince. He then kept his dagger back and helped Jamal out. "Come, we must move on, from the looks of it, maybe more of these things would be coming."

"Yes, we must hurry," said Jamal hastily. He grabbed the prince's hand for support and heaved himself up. He and the prince then walked out of the city and were now heading towards the legendary Temple of Time.

On their way out, the prince asked Jamal a question he had been longing to ask.

"Jamal, what in the world was that thing?" he asked, bandaging his arm while walking on the soothing sands of the desert.

"I'll tell you about it later," and both of them walked in the freezing night desert.

**End of Chapter**

**Author's note:** Alright, another chapter finished and another one to come! Hope you guys enjoyed the fight scene, it took sometime to write, but I eventually finished it! Please submit a review! PLEASE! I'm dying for one!


	6. In the Desert of Time

**Authors note: **I'm sorry for not updating this story for such a long time. I've been very very busy lately so there wasn't much time to finish up this chapter. But now, here it is, chapter 6. Enjoy and please submit a review!

**Chapter 6- In the Desert of Time**

The wind was cold as night came. The prince and his comrade, Jamal walked on straight towards the temple of time. Feeling the chill of the night, the prince shivered as he walked on the sands on the desert. Jamal seemed unnerved by the cold. He took out a bottle of water he brought and sipped a few drops from it. The water was refreshing.

"How long have we walked?" the prince asked through gritted his teeth while speaking, trying to fend of the cold that hit his skin. Jamal closed his bottle and placed it back into its original place.

"Half a night," said Jamal, taking out a compass. He looked at it for a few more moments before he placed his hand in a certain direction. "The Temple is to the north, if I estimated correctly, we should be there in about…" He scratched his chin. "2 more days."

"Damn, is it really that long?" the prince asked.

"We'll just have to see and find out. Come, we must press on," without further ado, Jamal walked pass the prince. The prince followed suit.

After some time, both of them arrived at an unexpected oasis. The oasis had luxurious coconut trees, standing high. The water there was clear, like crystal.

"I think we should rest here for now," said the prince, putting down his weapons and bag. "We make camp here." The prince grabbed a lonely stick on the ground, and stuck it right into the sand in front of him.

"Good idea, help me out with this tent," Jamal took out a wide cloth and the prince looked for long sticks to use as stands for the prince. The moon was shining down beautifully down at them as they finished. The prince felt a sudden awe looking at the bright moon. An image of Farah came whirling into his sub consciousness. _Farah, please_ _be safe._ Before long, Jamal and the prince went to bed in each of their tents.

The prince lay motionless on the blanket he was sleeping on. He used the leaves as a pillow, not one of his greatest ideas, but it worked. He felt at ease in his sleep, dreaming about Farah and Babylon, and how they ruled over gloriously over it. He turned his body to the side. A smile formed on his shaggy face as he dreamt about her longer still.

A sudden noise outside the tent awakened him. The prince sat bolt upright on the blanket, his mind fully awake. He reached out for the dagger of time which lay in front of him.

"So, you've finally awoken eh prince?" said the dagger. The prince was startled by the sudden voice but he still kept his composure.

"What's outside?" he asked the dagger cautiously.

"Few bandits, don't worry, you'll be able to handle them easily."

"Hmm, easy for you to say."

The prince exited his tent noiselessly, like a skilled assassin on a killing mission. He sped up and hid behind on of the tall coconut trees in the oasis. The shadow of the tree kept him out of sight. He was invisible for now. Straining his ears, he heard a few voices about 2 meters behind him. One was a man's voice, gruff and vague. The other was a woman's.

"Hold him still so I can find where his money is," said the man angrily. He was fuming. The woman struggled with Jamal's body, feeling his heavy weight overpowering her. She dropped Jamal's body to the ground breathlessly.

"Damnit, why are men always so heavy?" she said, wiping the sweat off her exceptionally large forehead. The man searched inside Jamal's pocket, finding nothing, he spat onto the ground.

"This man is broke, maybe even more broke than us!" he muttered. He took out a small but deadly looking dagger out from his waist pocket. "I'll just finish him off and deal with the other one later!"

"I think you will be dealing with him much sooner."

The bandit spun his body behind at the direction of the voice. His eyes widened with shock at the image he saw. A man came stepping out of the shadows, like a ghost.

"Who are you?" he said, staggering a few steps back. The woman beside him looked just as shocked as him. The man didn't answer. The bandit asked gain, brandishing his small dagger. The woman took out one as well.

"My name is none of your concern, leave now or you shall feel the consequences," said the prince coldly. He gazed them a stare with full of killing intent. The two bandits stood their ground, not wanting to move a single step. The prince took out his dagger. It gleamed brightly in the pale moonlight, it's blade magnifying the moon's rays.

"If that is what you wish, so be it," said the prince. He dashed right at the two bewildered bandits, disarming both of them with his dagger. He spun behind and kicked the man in the face with enormous force. The man bandit dropped to the ground. His nose was bleeding badly and it may have been broken. The woman stood rooted at the spot, feeling fear and panic clenching at her throat. She saw the merciless eyes of the man, a hand flying straight at her face for a moment and then, everything went black.

The prince stared at the two bandits who were now unconscious on the ground. One was bleeding badly, the other was knocked out. He turned his head behind and saw Jamal snoring loudly behind him. Sighing, he walked up towards Jamal and shook him up. Jamal woke up half-heartedly, groaning as he got up.

"What is it?" he asked sleepily while rubbing his eyes.

"Well, right just now, someone took you out of your tent, search in your pockets and when they found nothing, they attempted to kill you," the prince explained.

"What in God's name are you talking about?" Jamal said, puzzled. The prince held out his hands towards two lifeless bodies lying right beside Jamal. Jamal stared at them in surprise. "My God, you were telling the truth!" The prince nodded. "So, what are we going to do with those dead bodies now?"

"They aren't dead, they are knocked out." Jamal spun his head towards the prince.

"Knocked out? You should have just killed them right there for what they tried to do to me!"

"Relax; I kept them alive so we could question them in the morning. Here, help me tie those two buffoons up." The prince threw Jamal a rope. Before long, they finished tying up the two bandits. All they had to do now was sleep.

To be continued…


	7. The Bandits of Zarul

**Author's note**: Finally, my exams are done and the ordeal is over. One more thing is that I had enough time to finish another chapter for this story. Anyway, just because I've finished my test, I'm giving you readers out there a longer chapter than usual. But not that long, just a bit longer than usual. Well then, let's get on with the show!

**Chapter 7 – The Bandits of Zarul**

The prince awoke inside his tent. He felt the hot burning rays of the sun touch his skin as he sleepily walked out of his tent. As he walked up towards the water source in the oasis, he noticed Jamal was already up and running. The prince took a drink from the refreshing water in the oasis and felt in slide down his throat. He then walked between two large coconut trees and neared Jamal as he walked. Jamal heard the prince coming and gave the prince a smile as their faces met.

"So, had a good night's sleep?" asked Jamal.

"Quite," replied the prince drowsily. "How are the other two doing?" He gestured towards the two bandits, a man and a woman, who were tied up and lying on the hot surface of the sand. Jamal shrugged and walked towards the bandits. Picking up a stick, He poked the man bandit in the head until he was awake. It didn't work. Jamal threw the stick away in fury and gave the man bandit a good kick in the shins. The man roared in pain and awoke instantly, his mind fully alert.

"Where am I?" he said. His gaze avert from the prince to Jamal and then back to the prince once again. His eyes widened with shock at the image of the prince. "You!" he said in exasperation. The prince looked at him, his face totally delude of emotions. The man bandit struggled in the ropes he was tied up with. Jamal kicked him again, this time in the abdomen, and the man went still. He glared at both of them, hatred in his eyes.

"Now," said the prince after a long pause. "Tell us, what makes you come out to the desert this far?" He brandished the dagger of time that was dangling off his belt and clenched it tightly in his hands. Jamal tucked his hands up, apparently waiting for an answer. The man replied in a hoarse tone.

"I will never tell anything to the likes of you, even if it costs me my life," spat the man. The prince remained unnerved, playing with the dagger in his hands.

"Is that so? Well then, let's see if your friend here has anything else to say." The prince walked towards the woman bandit, who was sleeping soundly on the ground and shook her up. She woke up with her eyes half opened. As she opened her mouth to speak, she instantly remembered everything that happened the night before, how a hand flew straight into her face, knocking her unconscious. She gaped at the sight of the man she saw last night and fear rose inside her. She turned to her comrade who was awake and their eyes met.

"Osran, where are we?" she said, her eyes watery. He didn't reply.

"I can answer that," said the prince vaguely. Her head shot back at the prince. "You attempted to kill my friend right there," he pointed at Jamal and Jamal nodded. "And you also intended to kill me."

"Yes," said Jamal. "And we want to know, why did both of _you, _out of all people, came this far out into the desert?"

Both of them remained silent. The prince was starting o fond that he and Jamal were getting nowhere of getting information and he had to resort to the last option he could think of. He was going to use force. He walked up towards the man, pulled up his head by the hairs and placed his dagger right at the bandit's throat. The man yelled in protest, writhing around in his ropes. The prince pulled the bandit's head higher, causing pain to surge around his hair area.

"Now, either you tell me what your intention is, or I slice your throat and leave you to die here," said the prince angrily.

"NO!" the man roared against the pain in his head. "I will never tell the likes of you ANYTHING!"

"Are you sure? Wouldn't it be painful if I let this dagger cut your seemingly vulnerable throat and watch as the blood spills out from it?" The prince pushed the dagger into the man's throat a little deeper.

"I will..never," the man started to choke against the pressure of the dagger at his throat.

"So be it then." The prince released the dagger from the man's throat and held the dagger high in the air, waiting to give the final blow.

"STOP!" the woman bandit cried out. The prince refrained and placed his dagger down. "I will tell you everything you want, just let us be!" She had tears streaming down her eyes. The man beside her couldn't believe it.

"No, you mustn't tell them Saren, do you know what the consequences are if you did?" said the man breathlessly. She turned her face towards him, regret in her deep hazel eyes.

"I'm sorry Osran, but if I do not, they will murder you. And they may even murder me as well. We will have to break the rules for now, if not, we will serve a much greater fate than what we shall face in the labyrinth."

The prince has heard the word 'labyrinth' and his curiosity was starting to build up. The woman finished talking and she turned her face back to the prince. Her tears were gone, but her eyes still looked watery.

"Now what do you want to know?" she asked. She forced herself to say out those words. The prince looked at her for a moment.

"We want to know everything," replied the prince. He kept his dagger back onto his belt and waited for her response. Jamal felt that the information was going to be useful and he concentrated on everything she was about to say. She gave a deep a sigh.

"We are bandits from a group called the bandits of Zarul." She said her voice steady. "Our group lives near a temple, many know of it as the Temple of Time." The prince and Jamal's eyes twitched as they heard those words. "We kill and steal from the journeyers who were on their way to the temple. At this very oasis, we planned every attack, either we kill them silently or kill them on. We are merely bandits of the group; there are others, who have more influence and power than us. We merely received orders from our leader and carrying them out obediently. But other than that, the details are rough. All we know that there are three high ranking bandits in our group and there is our leader, Zarul."

"This is all the truth?" Jamal asked, curious. She gave him a nod and he understood it immediately. "Where can we find this so called group?"

"Our base is farther down this oasis, at a large cave somewhere there." She motioned her eyes indicating the base's direction.

"You'd better be telling us the truth, if you aren't, we'll skin you here right now."

"I am!" she said hurriedly. "This is all I know, please, spare us!"

The prince and Jamal looked at each other. They then left the two bandits, who were arguing against each other and packed their stuff.

"Think we can trust them?" asked Jamal. He packed his tent and was ready to go.

"I think we can, she seemed pretty scared at the sight of the dagger on her friend's neck."

"Well, I guess you are right, but we have another problem. What do we do with _them_?" Jamal pointed towards the two bandits.

"Nothing. We'll just leave them there. Come, we must find this base."

"Alright then." The both of them then walked away from the oasis and were now on their way to the cave mention by the woman named Sarren. Jamal was nice enough to leave them a bottle of water to drink.


	8. Captured by Bandits

**Author's Note: **Haha! The exam is finally over and I can breathe a little easier now. Come to think of it, this chapter or POP totally slipped my mind. Well then, the chapter is out and here comes the entertainment! Enjoy! Review please!

**Chapter 8-Captured by Bandits**

The Prince and Jamal walked across the blazing desert, the sun scorching them from above. Their clothes were wet with sweat and their thirst for water was building. Jamal shook the thought off, he wasn't thirsty, and he just wanted something to cool him down. That had to wait until they reached the so-called labyrinth that holds the hiding place of the bandits of Zarul. The Prince had never heard of them, not even once, not from his father, and certainly not from his fairy tales. He had to find out if they really existed.

Jamal struggled with his bag pack; its weight seemed to grow heavier with each plunging step into the burning sand. The Prince took a glance upwards. He saw a long stretch of blue sky, a few clouds, but they were no birds before he tore his face away from the blinding light of the sun. Jamal and the prince were drenched in their own sweat now. The heat was getting to a level which was barely bearable. Jamal finally broke the silence between them.

"Where in the world is this stupid labyrinth?" he said, feeling annoyed by the sand, the heat, and the sun. The Prince shrugged. He had no idea where the labyrinth was and how they were going to find it at all.

"We will just have to see whether the words spoken by those two back there," he pointed towards the direction they had left the oasis, "and hope for the best."

"Hope is something I do not have right now," growled Jamal, lifting up his bag pack another time. The Prince laughed it off and they both continued on their trudged across the desert sands.

After walking a few more hours, their water bottles finally empty, they felt the sun going down and the temperature falling. Jamal muttered something under his breath which the prince couldn't catch, but it sounded somewhat satisfied. The sun soon was gone, only to be replaced by a beautiful full moon. This time, the temperature went from blazing heat, to freezing. The Prince and Jamal quickly covered themselves with a few more clothing, hoping to keep their bodies nice and warm. The Prince wanted to sit in front of a warming bonfire more than anything now.

Suddenly, Jamal stopped dead in his tracks, which surprised the Prince very much; his eyes were locked onto something in the distance. The Prince was surprised but nonetheless, he stared straight to where Jamal was staring. At first he needed to focus his eyes so that he could see much more clearly in the night. And then he saw it. Out into the distance, four distinct figures were moving at a fast speed. The prince saw that they were riding on horses. Jamal had his face turned towards him as the prince recoiled from the image.

"You see what I see?" asked Jamal. He placed his bag pack down, took out a dagger and got into battle ready position mode. The prince did the same, but his dagger was different. This time the dagger spoke to him once more, in a more panicked and fearful voice.

"_Prince, you must not let your guard down, these men are dangerous!"_ shouted the dagger. The voice inside the prince's head resonated with fear. The prince stared at his dagger in amazement, realizing that is was the first that he ever heard the dagger panic. "_Bandits of Zarul are not to be toyed with my prince, they are elites, and you should run now! Who knows what will happen?" _

The prince kept his calm. Clenching the dagger tightly, he told it not to worry. He took another glance up towards the rampaging riders. Each and everyone one of them had covered their faces with strange masks, masks the prince couldn't understand and recognize. Jamal had his teeth clenched and blade ready.

"They must the bandits of Zarul," said the prince, not taking his eyes of the oncoming riders. Jamal nodded.

"Let's do it," he replied and both he and the prince sprinted towards the bandits. The bandits noticed them and each of them unsheathed their hidden swords, which the prince noticed was somewhere behind their cloaks. Jamal noticed that each of the rider's swords bore a different shape.

They were meters away now, the prince could feel his adrenaline pumping and with a sudden burst of speed, he launched himself up onto one of the rider's horse, causing the horse to neigh in fear and surprise. The prince fastened himself onto the back of the saddle and was now at war with the rider. The rider tried to elbow the prince in the ribs but missed by inches. The prince somersaulted over the rider and landed in the front of the rider's saddle and countered back with a blow into the rider's chin. The rider spluttered blood out of his mouth and went toppling down off his saddle and onto the desert sand. The prince jumped off the galloping horse and went to confront the man that was sprawled on the sand surface.

On the other side, Jamal was struggling furiously with his opponent that was already off his saddle. Jamal had thrown a rock straight at the rider's head and the rider fell of too. Now, they circled each other cautiously, trying to find any sudden movement to counter them. His opponent acted first, lunging straight at him like a bloodthirsty hound, with his sword swinging around the air madly. Jamal gripped his dagger tightly and waited for the precise moment. He found it. Crouching down, he missed the sword by a few inches, but because of that he was able to knock his opponent's sword out of the way. The opponent's hand flew upward and his sword went flying back. His opponent took a glance back behind him in horror as he watched his sword falling far from him. He turned his head back once more, but it was too late. Jamal's fist made contact with the man's nose, clearly breaking it. Blood splattered on Jamal's knuckles and the man went unconscious. _Three more to go_, thought Jamal.

He turned his body around and saw the prince fighting with three other bandits. The prince twisted and turned his body as three hurtling blades flew straight at him from every direction. Jamal ran up to him, wanting to give help. The prince saw a glance of Jamal running up to him and with his keen reflexes and instinct; he spun and blocked two swords at once with his dagger. The dagger of time saved him from another dangerous situation once again. Problem is, he'd forgotten to block the third bandit. He braced himself for the pain that was about to come for his side where the third bandit was going to slice him up. He didn't feel any pain.

The third bandit was being held back by Jamal. The prince felt a sudden rush of power and threw the swords he was holding onto back. Both bandits staggered behind a few steps. The prince punched the sword of the bandit that was on his left and sliced his body so fast that the other bandit on his right didn't see the leg that came into contact with his face. The prince heard the sound of crunching bone and stood there as he watched the two men fall. He heard a shout from behind and noticed that Jamal was being overpowered by the bandit he was dealing with. It was understandable though, the bandit was bigger than Jamal. The prince took a sword from the bandit that he knocked out, took aim, and flung it towards the bandit Jamal was dealing with.

Perfect hit. The blade went through the bandit's head and Jamal kicked him away as it happened. Jamal, realizing that all the bandits were dealt and finished with, couldn't help but smile at the prince. The prince smiled back.

"Well, that was a tough one," said Jamal, keeping his dagger back into place. "That last one there almost severed my head."

"At least I severed his for you," replied the prince who also kept the dagger of time back. Jamal laughed. He then wiped the blood off his dagger, hands and even his face with a small cloth he brought along. The prince remained cautious, scanning for any signs of anymore enemies. Silence.

"What are you doing there? Get your self cleaned up," said Jamal, after noticing the prince's silence. "I taught they'd be more trouble than this." Jamal pointed towards one dead, and three unconscious bandits who were all lying around them.

"Yes, it seems strange though," the prince said, scanning his surroundings again. He found nothing eventually and gave up on it.

"Yes, it does, but do you see anymore enemie-ARGGHH!" Jamal dropped to his knees, clutching his neck in pain. Blood trickled down and the prince hurried next to Jamal. The prince had the look of panic on his face, he turned, spun around but couldn't see any signs of an enemy. Jamal pulled out a dart-like needle off his neck and thrust it onto the ground.

"What in the world…," Jamal suddenly looked dizzy and he dropped unconscious in the next. The prince tried to shake Jamal up.

"Jamal! Wake up, you have to-ARGHH!" The prince felt a searing pain surged across his neck and he dropped to his knees. He tore the dart-like needle off his skin and felt the tears fill his eyes. He suddenly felt dizzy, as if a hammer had just hit his head and as he felt his body got numb and his brain shutting down, he saw a silhouette of a man in black clothing.

To be continued…

**Author's note**: Phew! That was a tough fight scene to write! Hope you guys like it!


	9. Inside the Labyrinth

**Author's Note: **Just got back from a long day trip. Man, I was itching to get back a write out this story so here am I, 5 days earlier than expected. Well, time to begin the show! Send my regards to Talyyr, a deceased homicide who just died in a car crash.

**Chapter 9-Inside the labyrinth**

Deep down inside a cave not too far away from the oasis, two grown men in cloaks threw two unconscious bodies into a dark and damp cell. The men in cloaks took the weapons they found, walked out and slammed the wooden door shut. One of the men pulled out a click and placed it into a metal lock. He turned the key and a 'click' sound was heard indicating that the door was locked. They nodded at each other and walked away while carrying the weapons they took with them in their hands.

Inside the cell, a snore startled the prince and he woke up instantly. He pushed himself up with his hands which felt like jelly and sat upright on the hard, cold and damp stone floor. It took his eyes a minute to adjust to the dark and when they did, he saw a figure laying flat on the floor next to him.

"Jamal? Is that you?" the prince asked tiredly. He felt fatigue catch up on him even after his slumber. He heard another snore and knew it was Jamal. The prince moved nearer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him up. Jamal's eyes slowly opened. He got up and yawned loudly, while the prince stood up and scanned the room with his eyes.

The room was filthy, with blood stains on the walls, cockroach droppings and to top it all up, a severed human hand lay rotting in the back of the cell. _'This must be a torture room' _the prince thought. He turned to Jamal who was by now alert and gave him a look of dread. Jamal had the same look on his face as well.

"We were captured if I'm not mistaken?" Jamal said darkly. The prince nodded and went to check the door. The pulled on the doorknob, but the shackle on the knob would not budge.

The prince didn't give up and he tried kicking it down but to no avail. His legs weren't in top condition and when he threw a blow towards the door, he felt his pain in his feet. He yelled in anger and dropped back onto the hard stone floor and rubbed his feet to ease the pain.

"Damn, we should have been more careful," the prince said angrily. Jamal sighed. The prince realized that his hand was empty and panic started to fill inside him. He turned behind, no dagger. He looked at Jamal, who was unarmed as well and knew that the bandits took their weapon. What worried the prince more was that the weapon they took was the only key in finding the Crest of Time.

"So, do you have any idea on how to get out of here?" Jamal asked. The prince looked at the door once more and shook his head in vain.

"Not in our current state right now. That dart they used on us must have had a side effect. Some kind of weakening poison maybe," the prince replied. Jamal groaned and punched the floor.

"NO! I refuse to give up so easily!" Jamal roared. "We were close, we even defeated those four bandits out there and all of a sudden, we fall into this useless cell!" He punched the floor another time. The prince moved his hand to stop him, but as we moved, the door swung open.

A broad shouldered man stood at the doorway with a face of fury on his heavily scarred face. His eyes were bloodshot but they looked deadly and the prince felt queasy looking at the small beady eyes.

The man took a step inside and that is when Hell came. He took one look at the prince a kicked him in the stomach. The prince spluttered blood out from his mouth and he cursed under his attacker under his breath. Jamal tried to push himself up and try and help the prince, but to no avail, the man had turned to Jamal and gave him a good strong blow from under the chin. Jamal fell back against the moss covered wall, clutching his chin in pain while a small trickle of blood started to flow from his gums.

The man now then moved toward the prince. The prince forced himself to look into the eyes of what he may call death, as if not to show weakness in a time like this. Weakness was death and he couldn't receive it now. He had much more to do.

"So, you, and that weakling in the corner, had just taken out 4 of my best paladins," the man hummed quietly. The prince continued on staring at him with growing hatred. "How did it feel? Good? Marvelous? Did you taste the experience of killing something, having taste the feeling of blade cutting flesh?"

The prince kept silent and Jamal coughed a little more blood out and the room was starting to get cold, with a sudden chill from the presence of the man there. The man was starting to walk back and forth from the door, muttering to himself.

"Do you know who we actually are peasant?" asked the man, talking through gritted teeth. The prince thought for a moment and replied:

"All I see are scoundrels without a proper way of life, which they only know how to kill instead of live."

The prince felt himself being thrown of the ground by a sudden force and he flew back towards the wall. Pain resurfaced in his body and he felt limp. The man was standing right above him now.

"It would be wise to keep that mouth of yours shut in case if you have nothing else but nonsense to say. We, who are the Bandits of Zarul, are the Gods of the desert! We are the one who are feared and you, my good friend…" he laughed to himself as the prince wondered what monstrosity might come after him after this conversation had finished.

"You, you shall have the honor of being the first ever outsider to battle in our arena. And your friend, the weakling over there will aid you. But I daresay that you wouldn't even last a second inside." He walked off towards the metal door laughing.

The prince managed to pull himself together and call out for the man. Jamal remained unnerved, happy that the goddamned man was leaving. But the prince had one last question for him.

"What _are_ you?" he said, fighting the pain away from his body. The man stopped in his track, turned his head to the prince and gave the prince the stare of a merciless cold blooded killer.

"I am Zarul, the one referred to my men and eared across the land as, Death Bringer." He grinned at the prince, opened the door, locked it and left the prince and Jamal inside the cell. Jamal finally poke in the last few minutes of the man's entry.

"That man…he's not from this world," Jamal said shakily. The prince understood. He felt it too. The feeling of the presence of a grim reaper.


	10. Pandemonium part 1

**Author's Note:** Ok, I got bored sitting around, doing nothing, so I decided to make one more chapter up just to kill some time. Hope you guys enjoy it, and I hope that this time my writing skills will how you say…marvel your senses, but I doubt that. Sighs Well then, enjoy and happy reading.

**Chapter 10 – Pandemonium**

**Part 1**

The prince awoke, only to realize once again that he was trapped, like a rat inside a cage. His head throbbed painfully from last night, or w it day? He didn't know, but he remembered vaguely about the broad man, the man named Zarul. Jamal was still snoozing and the prince had no intention of waking him up again. He was too confused, and somehow, he felt as if his life had just taken a turn for the worse.

Now he had more things to worry about, his burden of his throne, and the burden of saving himself and his kingdom from the abomination, the vizier and he didn't have the dagger of time with him. It could, or it _was_ the only thing that could aid him. And now, where is it? It was in some godforsaken storage room for who knows what. He thought the dagger would disappear forever from that incident during with the dark prince. But no, it had not. It suddenly returned, materialised if the prince could put it in, and he kept the dagger safe inside his throne. He hadn't even needed it. Until the day the goddamned Dahaka came.

_Farah_. Her image swirled into his mind for a fleeting second and he felt as if he could feel her, right there, right now. But when he opened his eyes, she disappeared and all that was left was the image of a darkened cell and Jamal. He pushed himself up with his hands and felt some life return to him. And then there was a knock at the metal door. The prince froze while Jamal woke up. Jamal hurriedly wiped away his drool and checked once again if that his chin was still in place. Assured that it was alright, he waited for the door to open.

There was the sound of the key turning, the turn of the knob, and the creak of the door. Two hooded men with chains in their hands came into the cell. The prince felt a sudden panic and immediately stood on his feet, which felt wobbly. He was thrown to the ground by the two men, and the men quickly wrapped the chain around the prince's arms, with the difficulty from the struggle that the prince was producing. They did quick work with the prince and moved on to Jamal. Jamal wasn't that all reluctant to be tied up in chains and he put up a fight. He punched the man that was about to grab him and kicked the other that had dived in for him in the left.

He shouted something, but he lost his footing and the two men grabbed him, and one tied him up. They finished and ordered the prince and Jamal to walk out of the cell.

"Get out. Now," said the shorter man. He pushed the prince to the front. Anger rose inside the prince but he fought it back.

"Where are we going?" the prince asked, channelling his anger into thoughts of ripping the man apart. He didn't answer but just followed behind as the taller man led the way.

They passed through a number of tunnels, each tunnel with its very own distinct feature. One tunnel showed human heads, cut off, and stuck onto poles. Jamal shuddered as he came close to one of the heads. The tunnel, however, was not the dirt and dust covered tunnels the prince had imagined. Instead, marble floors covered their ground, walls were covered with dark tiles and torches were lit across the tunnels. The prince felt eerie walking through the tunnels. Jamal felt no less the same.

They stopped suddenly at a door, which was twice the size of the man, and each of them. The prince heard, chanting which was getting increasingly louder from the door. The two hooded men nodded to each other and pushed the doors opened. They pushed the prince and Jamal into the room and they both felt to the ground, under the restraint of the chains.

They lifted their heads to the cheers, jeers and roars around the room. The only thing was that they weren't in a room. They were in a coliseum. Jamal got up his feet and whistled at the view of the grand arena. The prince struggled with his chains, forcing his hands to break them. But he could not, and so he took a look around the coliseum.

"Amazing…how did they create such a place…" said Jamal awed.

"Well, if we just stand here, like idiots, we may not be able to find out how," the prince said as his eyes scouted the arena. Around there, were rows and rows of seats, which could have accommodated at least a thousand spectators. Each spectator was shouting, their voices reverberating around the cold air. In the very middle, a large balcony was built. And low and behold, was Zarul, who was sitting on a chair made out of stone. His minions stood behind him and one minion, a beautiful lady, fed him with fruits. He took them happily and he waved his hand and the woman retreated back into the shadows. Now, Zarul got up.

"Welcome, my followers!" he said in a booming voice. Everyone went silent including the prince and Jamal. "Tonight, shall be a night of entertainment! There you see, at the door, are our two _entertainers_ tonight. They have been chosen as worthy enough, because they had killed 4 of our best guards. Namely our brothers, Armant, Grodul, Freyt, and Balim."

The crowd, gasped and after a minute a of whispers they crowd booed at the two men standing inside the ring. Zarul clapped his hand a few times and the crowd fell silent once again.

"But not to worry everyone, we made this _special _for both of them. And another surprise is that JAMAL is here with us!" He laughed and everyone brought their eyes upon Jamal. Even the prince did so, shocked.

"They know _you_…?" the prince muttered. He was too shocked to feel anything else. Jamal held his head down. He then turned to the prince with regretful eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it would have been alright for you to know," Jamal said, his spirit broken.

"Jamal was once our best scavenger, picking out the best heist and killing upon Babylon." Zarul was speaking directly to the prince now. He had to shout, but he was audible. "Very valuable asset, sadly, he left us around…4 years ago. We've never seen him since and now, he has returned and we wish to give him a heart warming welcome."

He snapped his fingers and a few men turned a lever which started to open a door that was beneath the coliseum. The prince now felt enraged at Jamal.

"What were you thinking, joining them? They're cold-blooded killers dammit!"

"That's the reason I stopped. I didn't want to kill anymore innocent people! It sickens me, but it felt good to leave. It was not easy, trying to run from the all time conquering bandits in Babylon!" Jamal was heaving now, out of breath.

The prince suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Jamal. He then felt his hands being grabbed.

"What in.." and he felt the chain clinging on his hand drop. It was the two men that had gone to get them earlier. They released Jamal and gave them both weapons. One man took out a small dagger and the prince instantly recognized it. He stretched his hand to grab it and when he felt it in his fingers, safe and sound, he felt more confident. They gave Jamal the weapon he had previously used as well. They left and as they were closing the door behind Jamal and the prince, there muttered, "May God be with you," and the door closed.

Now only the prince and Jamal was left inside the ring. The waited for what was about to come out of the door from the ground.

"Look, it looks like we are in a terrible situation. We need to work this out first before we can find anything out," the prince said, gripping the dagger tighter. Jamal nodded and got into battle ready position.

A thundering roar filled the room and a large beast climbed out of the door.

Zarul grinned, clapped his hands and said, "Let the festivities begin."

-END-

Part 2 in the process!


	11. Pandemonium part 2

**Author's Note: The end is near, and so it is the story. **

**Chapter 10**

**Pandemonium-Part 2**

The coliseum shook with the terrifying quake of menace as each of the footsteps of the unleashed beast thundered across the hard walls of the coliseum. The prince took in a deep breath and eyed the strange and unique creature that stood 20 feet above him, gazing down upon them while baring its yellow teeth. It looked hungry and Jamal was disgusted.

Fur covered most parts of the beast's body, except for arms. Both of the beast's arms were covered in scales which contrasted with its furry body. Muscles protruded from every part, making the beast look even more intimidating. Its face was shaped in a wolf like resemblance and its large red eyes, as big as the prince's fist, glared at the two men in tattered clothes. Its tail swung back and forth in a pendulum like motion.

There was silence in the coliseum, nothing so much moved except the wind that blew from the opening above, bringing in the pleasant presence of wind. The sand beneath the prince's feet blew into the air and instantaneously, the horns of war erupted from Zarul's seating Hall.

Following the beat of the horns, the beast lifted its head and gave a thundering howl which erupted from its vocal cords into the damp and dust filled air. The prince instinct took place and he immediately jumped to his left, barely avoid and blow from one of the beast's muscle bulked legs. Jamal rushed towards the prince aide, helping the prince up.

"It seems that luck is not on our side once again," muttered Jamal, picking the prince up by his shoulders. The prince nodded and pointed out at the now furious beast.

"Get ready, it comes once more!" the prince roared, pushing Jamal to the side. Rushing to the beast's left side, the prince ducked to avoid its tail that swung over him. Cursing, he took the chance to slice the tail with his dagger. Twisting his body in a spiral movement, he swung his hair to the beast's tail that was parallel to him and sliced tail. Blood splattered his clothes and an agonizing howl filled the coliseum. Afraid to lose his momentum, the prince landed on his feet rather haphazardly but he regain balanced and rolled under the beast through its legs.

Jamal ran towards a wall and in that instant, jumped and kicked it and he went flying into the air, hurtling himself towards the roaring monster. Jamal took out his weapon in mid air, ready to cling onto a part of the beast. The beast ears twitched and it turned and hit Jamal with its right arm. Jamal sputtered out a bit of blood from his mouth and as he was still in mid air, he was thrown straight into the wall with sickening force.

The crowd cheered at the sight. The prince was shocked to see what had happened and he ran to Jamal. All was in vain for the beast jumped over him, landing between Jamal and the prince. It turned its wolf like head towards the prince and lunged at him with its mouth wide opened. The beast was now on it arms and legs, lunging at the prince. The prince side-stepped the attack and plunged his bloody dagger into the cheek of the beast, missing its right eye by inches. Another sickening roar, followed by boos from the crowds in the coliseum seat filled the air once again.

Hoping to extract the dagger from the wound that he had created on the cheek of the beast, he pulled with tremendous effort, heaving breathlessly as the blade of the dagger did not budge. Sweat had made his clothes wet and fatigue was slowly starting to envelope him. The beast however, did not seem to falter and with one swing of its head, it threw the prince into the air. It caught him with its scaly fingers and brought the prince to his face.

The prince tried to pry his way out but to no avail, the beast's grip was too overwhelming. Bringing his dark and brown eyes upon the beast's own, he glared at it with unrelenting hatred, boring deep into the depths of the beast's own eyes.

He suddenly caught a glimpse of a man running toward them from behind the towering creature that held the prince in its firm grip. The beast suddenly tightened upon his grip and the prince felt the air in his lungs abandon him. His eye lingered upon the figure of Jamal which was by now was running up a wall. _Hurry Jamal!_

Jamal pushed his legs, muscles straining from the jump and hurled himself at the now oblivious beast. Jamal grabbed the fur on the back of the towering beast and held onto it with all his might, determined not to fall. He held his sword in between his jaw, climbing the body of the beast slowly. The beast had by now noticed him and was busy trying to grab him from the back with its other arm but Jamal was out of arms reach.

As Jamal neared the beast's neck, he took out his sword and stabbed the beast in the neck, hoping to damage its spinal cord in the process. The beast roared again, throwing Jamal of its back and letting go of the prince. The dagger which was still intact with the beast's cheek stood motionless in its position.

The prince dropped to the ground with the swiftness of a cat and ran to Jamal's side. The beast was busy howling in anger to notice them and the crowds were soon getting restless. Jamal lay motionless on the dust covered ground, groaning in pain. The prince kneeled down before him and inspected his wounds. Blood trickled from Jamal's head and there were small cuts from his forearms.

"Jamal, get up now!" said the prince, shaking Jamal. Jamal groaned even more loudly and surprisingly, bolted up on his feet. Brushing off the dust from his tunic, he took a glance at the now pained beast.

"Well, seems like we may have found our trump card," said Jamal, extracting another dagger from his waist belt. The prince nodded and they both rushed toward the beast, their pace swift and untarnished by their fatigue.

The prince noticed the swinging tail of the beast that was now in the air and with one tremendous effort from his legs; he jumped from the ground and onto the tail. He held on as the beast swung its tail even more fiercely than before, causing the prince's stomach to turned in many various ways.

Jamal ran to the front, distracting the beast with a flurry of blows from his sword to its legs. The prince maintained his grip and he soon pulled his way up to the beast's neck. Jamal was busily distracting the beast and now the prince grabbed the long and furry ears of the beast with his arms. The dagger was but a few feet away from his. Taking a long breath, the prince jumped over the ear and met with the dagger which was on the beast's cheek. He clung onto the snout and the beast, being more infuriated that it already has, threw itself up into the air, startling the prince and Jamal.

It was a good high distance from the ground and when the force of gravity reacted, the prince felt the inside of his body being hurled up towards his throat. He gasped fro air and suddenly, he felt the cool material of the dagger brush against his fingertips. He grabbed it immediately, wrenching the dagger out from the flesh. Blood gushed out and the beast roared in agony, losing balance and toppled to the ground with a sickening crash, dust billowing everywhere and with the sounds of crunching bone.

In the midst of the struggle, the prince stood up, the Dagger of Time in his palm and a triumphant feeling of slaying the now motionless beast. From the prince's point of view, the beast had died of several broken ribs and from plummeting into the ground from that incredulous height would only cause death.

The ground was cracked and deepened and the prince stepped of the now dead body of the slain beast. He turned his sight n order to find Jamal, heaving as his strength left him tired and weak.

Jamal was being held as a hostage to 3 men, who placed their swords upon Jamal's neck. Anger and frustration welled up in the prince as he started to move towards the 3 men, dagger in hand. One of the men pushed the sword a little deeper and Jamal winced in pain. A small trickle of blood ran down from his neck to his torso and with that, the prince gave up the idea of slaughtering the 3 men in order to save Jamal.

"Good, now you two," one of them, possibly an officer with higher authority, gestured at the two other men. "Tie him up and knock these two out. Zarul has more to do with these scums."

The prince felt something hard crash against his skull from the behind and he felt to the ground, unconscious.


	12. The essence of Time

**Author's Note: I will prove my worthwhile ness, and this story will be the first step in. Enjoy people. When I'm done with this, I'm going do a fanfic on Eragon! **

**Chapter 11**

**The essence of Time**

Darkness surrounded the prince and nothing seemed alive, everything blank and dark, even the prince himself thought he was dead. He floated aimlessly in the black void, his mind in a trance like state. And suddenly, he felt a different consciousness tugging at his own with a calming and powerful aura.

_Awake prince_. The voice resounded through the prince's head as if a candle was being lit. The voice had a familiar ring to it, but the prince could not place who it was exactly. Escaping from his trance like state, his eyes met a glimmering figure, whose facial features could not be seen due to the light that was emanating from it. The prince squinted as his eyes met the creature in front of him.

_What are you?_ The prince thought vaguely, harnessing all his energy in order to understand what had occurred. _And where am I?_ The figure was silent for a moment and soon, he held out its hand, in a way of hoping to each out for something.

_I will tell you in a moment's time._

The prince stared at its posture, confused.

A swirl of white light suddenly burst into view and the prince marveled at the spectacle that was before him. The light twisted and turn, the glowing tendrils slowly coming to a stop in the palm of the glimmering figure. From the prince's point of view, the figure looked almost like that of a woman, if not for its shape. The light that spiraled from her palm soon disappeared into wisps of smoke and the prince's eyes widened in amazement.

In the palm of the glimmering woman's hand, stood the Dagger of Time, its blade gleaming cheerfully amidst the darkness among them. The prince turned his gaze upon the face of the woman, although there were no facial features on them and inspected her, hoping to find an answer to this occurrence.

_What is this?_ The prince thought, sending his mind waves to hers. He was partially confused and partially amazed and even he did not seem to understand what he felt. All he needed now was answers. _I have been brought to some unforeseen place and what am I to be here?_

_Your presence here, _replied the woman,_ may either bring down the empire that you once sought to built, or it may return you to your rightful throne in Babylon. _The prince senses soon sharpened and he brought his entire attention upon each of the words uttered by the shimmering figure in front of him.

_How is my presence affected by the fate of my empire, Babylon_? asked the prince _I have lost it to the damned Vizier once again and now, Farah is in danger because of my ridiculous actions._ His fist trembled as he uttered the words out soundlessly through his mind, feeling the guilt seep into him knowing that it was he that had created such trouble. The voice on the other end responded, voice soft and calming.

_There is still hope my prince, for you are not alone. _She held the dagger in his direction, her white and perfect skin viewed clearly by the prince. He had never seen such a wondrous moment. _Hold this dagger in your hand with pride and use it help in your quest to change fate and time. Only this weapon is able to slay the newly strengthened Vizier and only one such as yourself can only wield this weapon. What say you prince? Do you take the burden to shoulder the fate of the entire nation of Babylon in your grasp?_

The voice ended with a dramatic finality, leaving the prince silent, head bowed and unmoving for he let the words sink deep into him, helping him clear his worried mind. _The vizier, _he thought. _The vizier has taken everything valuable from me. My wife, my kingdom and my honor, all gone to that wretched beast. This…cannot go unpunished._

Bringing up his gaze, he looked straight at the gleaming dagger, eyes hardened with determination of a king. He felt something burning inside him, a feeling that was waiting to be erupted out, a sudden force of incredible power. Extending his muscular arms, he reach out for her mind, telling her, _By my blood, I swear that with this dagger, I will return the Kingdom of Babylon into its rightful fate!_

And with the end of those dignified words, the Dagger of Time floated out of the figure's hand and slowly placed itself upon the prince's left hand. He heard a faint whisper in his ear and recognized it instantly. It was the dagger speaking to him.

_Glad to see you once again prince_, the dagger chuckled in amusement. The prince gazed at it, his expression calm. He was happy that it was once again by his side. He then turned his gaze upon the shimmering figure and felt his heart race once more.

Standing amidst the darkness was not the person the prince had encountered earlier, but it was a maiden with long and silky black hair which fell to her shoulders. She was fitted into a white robe with gold patterns sewn together with her fabric. An amulet lay dangling across her neck and she marvelous emerald eyes. The prince knew those eyes very well indeed.

Those eyes belonged to Kaileena.

The prince opened his eyes as he awoke. He heaved as dust filled air rushed into his lungs and escape once he exhaled. He heard voices, many voices and soon he realized that he had returned to coliseum and sure enough, he heard Zarul's voice thundering across the chatter filed room. The chatter soon died away and the coliseum area was silent again. The prince decided to lay motionless, face down, in order not to attract any attention. He could he Jamal nearby, protesting furiously on something until the guards knocked him out.

Zarul, stepped towards the edge of his balcony and cleared his throat and spoke, his voice hoarse.

"Bandits of Zarul, what a sight we have seen tonight! Slaying the beast Fravmort, was no easy task. But these two…_gladiators, _surprised us all by surviving and thus slaying the wretched beast as well. So I ask you now, shall we have another show?"

The crowd roared in unison, agreeing that they should have another battle to behold before them. The shouts soon came too an uncontrollable level, to which Zarul had to ask one of his archers to fire a few arrows into the air. The crowd gasped and ducked, missing the arrow heads by mere centimeters. The coliseum soon turned silent again and Zarul continued on.

"Now then, judging from your _behavior_ right just now, I must conclude that these two gladiators here will soon be preparing for another glorious battle. That if to say, they are not killed in cold blood." He laughed maliciously and his voice echoed across the silence.

The prince shuddered at the sound of it. To him, Zarul sounded no more like a human, but something even monstrous than death it self.

"The entertainment is over, get back to your daily work routines before I find and skin you alive," he said, voice full of menace and anger. He then turned and stepped into the darkness of another tunnel, accompanied by 2 of his guards. The prince soon heard the footsteps of thousand stepping out into the abyss that he himself did not know what was. The coliseum was alive with the sound of shuffling feet but the sound soon slowed and then, it was only the prince, Jamal, and the 5 guards that kept watch on them that was left.

The prince felt that there was no dagger in his hands, and worried seeped into him. _How am I to fight without a weapon?_ He heard the 5 guards talking to themselves in a tongue which he was not accustomed to and he knew that they were coming.

He then he a soft whisper at the deepest depths of hi mind, calling him to accept its invitation. Curios, he accepted it and was relieved to hear the dagger's voice calling him.

"Seems that you have placed yourself in a big mess young prince," said the dagger, its voice filled with the essence of sarcasm. The prince frowned.

"This is not the time to ponder upon unreliable thoughts," said the prince, heart pounding faster by the second. He could hear one of the guard's footsteps coming closer towards him. "Hurry, tell me where you are!"

He was cut off with the mental connection when suddenly as one of the guards lifted him up by his shoulders. Reacting on instinct, the prince caught the man on his right arm, twisted to face the man, and sent him flying into the air with his kick. He was shocked to see that he inflicted more damage that he had intended to, for the men he had sent flying lay dead on the dust covered floor. His fellow companions noticed what had happened and unsheathed their swords, circling the prince like a pack of jackals just waiting to strike.

The prince eyed each one of his foes, finding their movement terribly slower than usual. He saw one of the guards lunged at him from his left. He saw the movement instantly turned his body sideways, avoiding the outstretched blade of his attacker. He caught the guard's hand with such speed that astounded him, speed that he had never imagined having and threw the guard to one of the other guard who was lunging from his back. The guards crashed into each other in a struggled of bodies and they skittered across the ground.

Now there were only 2 left. The two remaining guards eyed him cautiously and the prince saw a flicker of emotion spread across their faces. It was fear and the prince was happy that he had caused such emotion to well up into them. And then, something gleaming under the waist of the guard to his left caught his eye. It was the Dagger of Time, dangling from the guard's belt. The prince eyes widened at the sight and he cast an angered face towards the guard keeping it.

The guard, uncertain of what to do, jumped at the prince, swinging his blade madly, as if to hurt himself as well. The prince saw his movements clearly and with the swiftness of his legs, he jumped over the guard, kicked the guard's head down as he soared into the air and landed in front of the now motionless guard who had his face stuck into the dirt.

The prince knelt down and yanked the dagger out from waist belt of the unconscious fellow and turned to face his last opponent. He found him a few feet away, his hand gripping a blade he held the now awake Jamal as hostage.

The look of utter fear was etched on his sweating face while the hand that he held his blade with shook tremendously. The prince took a step towards the guard, making sure that the guard does not try to pull off anything crazy upon Jamal. He took another cautious step towards them, and that was when the guard shouted.

"Don't come any closer bastard!" he yelled, fear in his voice. The prince stopped in his tracks thinking of a way to help Jamal.

"You must do something prince!" roared Jamal irritably. "I've had enough of being held captive!"

_Perhaps I may be of service to you? _Said the dagger. The prince did not avert his eyes from the guard and Jamal but merely spoke to the dagger through his mind.

_How? _He asked, desperate.

_Like so my prince. _The dagger muttered a few words too quietly for the words to be heard by the prince and everything suddenly slowed. He could see how the movement of the guard and Jamal perfectly, how slow the blade being held by the guard was reaching towards Jamal's neck. He could not believe it. He could control time, once again.

_Go now my prince! _roared the dagger and soon, the prince felt himself sprinting towards the two. He sliced the guard's hand of before it reached anywhere close to Jamal and sliced the guard's neck in one swift and graceful motion. And then, everything returned to normal.

The guard lay dead, having been sliced in the neck and having his arm cut off without him even knowing it. Jamal stared at the prince, astonished.

"How..did you..manage to…" he gaped at the guard, pointing at the body while looking at the prince. The prince merely shook his head.

"Now is not the time, hurry, we must escape!" said the prince, tucking the dagger back into his own waist belt. And he, Jamal, and the dagger ran out of the metal doors of their entrance, silenty, leaving 3 unconscious guards and 2 dead ones.

To be continued…

**Author's Note: **Whew! This is possibly my longest chapter ever! I just hope that it comes to your standards of entertainment. Well the, I have to study for an exam now and I wish you all the best! Read and Review please!


	13. Among Mazes and Obstacles

**Chapter 12**

**Among Mazes and Puzzles**

The air was surprisingly cool inside the dark marble corridor as it passed through the prince, caressing his body giving the prince extra comfort. The corridor was dark and the only sources of light were the torches that hung onto the cracked walls. Jamal touched the prince's shoulder, alerting the prince. He pointed to one end and they both nodded to each other, not one of them daring to speak in the midst of their enemies' lair.

Moving their feet without so much of a sound, they reached at the end of the corridor. To their dismay, instead of an escape route, they came across a door, larger than any they had ever seen in their presence of Zarul's lair. The door was made entirely out of metal and the solid substance made the door even more intimidating to those who dared open it. The prince turned his back to Jamal.

"If my knowledge deceives me, you, who were a member of these so-called bandits, should know what lies before this door," said the prince, his tone grave. Jamal remained silent, as if nothing in the world mattered to him. The skin on his face tightened and he looked back at the prince with the fierceness of a hardened warrior.

"What occurred in the past does not concern you," snarled Jamal, eyes glinting in the darkness. "I am not quite fond of what I did back then, but it was the only way to survive in these times of great peril. As of for this door, I have no idea of what lies beyond it. Zarul must have created it in my absence here. And another thing, if we had used the path opposite of what we had used, we would have to faced hordes and hordes of Zarul's minions."

Jamal moved closer to the door, moving his hands up to touch the metal surface. The prince kept his tongue from prying more history of Jamal's life and focused on the matter at hand. He examined the door, trying to find whether it was accessible by pushing it open. That option was soon forgotten for the door did not budge and inch after Jamal had pushed it. Jamal kicked the door in frustration and walked away from it.

"Seems that force is not the key to opening this door," muttered the prince. He suddenly felt a familiar presence tugging at his mind again. He glanced down to his waist belt and noticed that his dagger was glowing faintly in the near darkness. Jamal did not seem to notice. The prince let the dagger enter through the barriers of space and into his mind, flinching as the sudden force stabbed a part of his consciousness.

_You of all people should have known how to open doors such as that_, said the dagger in a mocking tone. The prince thought nothing of it; instead he asked the dagger if there was a way, hoping that it had an answer.

_Do you have an answer then?_ asked the prince. He was pacing now, feeling that the more they stalled, the less time that they had. The dagger sighed and the prince waited impatiently for an answer. It came.

_Kindly place your attention to your left prince_, said the dagger and thus, their mental link was cut. The prince, who felt strange after the mental cut, staggered a few steps back and moved his right arm to the hug metal door, to support him.

"Are you alright?" asked Jamal, eyeing the prince worriedly. The prince nodded and pushed himself back to his full height. Without replying Jamal, the prince focused his gaze to his left. He was surprised to see a large object hanging from the walls and it took him few more minutes for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Jamal seemed to notice and he too stared at the hanging object.

It was a lever.

A smile escaped the prince's lips and he soon started towards the lever. Gathering his strength, he jumped forward, running up the rough walls and grabbing the lever. The lever slowly started to descend from its original position and a loud sound, created from the grinding of metal on metal, filled the air. Soon the door opened fully and a ray of hope entered the prince's and Jamal's heart.

"Hurry, go through the door," ordered the prince. Jamal hid no inclination to disobey but merely ran through.

"Make sure you catch up," said Jamal and he was gone. The prince released his grip on the lever and he landed on the ground, his limbs shaking from the impact. The shaking subsided and the prince ran through the slowly closing metal doors, dagger gleaming in the darkness.

The sight that lay before them was astonishing. Instead of the endless amounts of tunnels that the prince had expected, a maze of obstacles lay before them. They were standing on no more than a platform before the extravagant area and the prince felt as if he had returned to his rightful place. Jamal stared at his surroundings, noting the poles, ledges, cracks and ropes they could use to traverse the terrain there.

The platform that they were standing on now was facing a large pillar, with ledges that both of them could land on to. On the far distance of the area, a huge door was placed. To get there though, was the problem. Platforms, pillars, walls, levers, traps and everything else was there as an obstacle to the prince and Jamal.

"Where does that door lead to?" asked the prince curiously. Jamal shrugged and said, " I am not quite sure but it may be the only way to escape

"This is not what I had imagined it to be," said Jamal, moving closer towards the edge of the ledge. He kicked a peace of broken rock off the ledge and watched as it plummeted to the ground beneath it. "A fall from this height could prove fatal." He kept his taken out weapon back onto his waist belt and returned to his normal posture. "Shall we then?"

"It would be rude not to," said the prince, keeping the Dagger of Time as well. Jamal was the first to jump. He grabbed the ledge with his powerful fingers, and pulled himself up, now standing, body flat against the side of the pillar. Motioning to the prince with his head, he moved to the other side of the pillar, body flat and stable against it.

The prince wasted no time and immediately jumped to the pillar. He grabbed the ledge, perfectly, and heaved himself up with his strong arms. Jamal was already on another platform higher above, waiting for him. He moved quickly and soon, he came to the other side of the pillar.

"Seems like Zarul had been very busy indeed with his _excavation_," said Jamal. The prince grabbed the rope, climbed it until he reached the top and now stood on another platform. There were walls on each side of the prince's side, but at the end, there was a large opening.

Jamal was at the end of the platform, gazing down upon the vast amount of abyss before them. The prince brushed off a bit of dirt that had dirtied his shoulders and moved to Jamal's side. Examining his surroundings, he found it possibly, but difficult, to propel himself around the terrain while dodging arrows in the process. Jamal sighed, frustrated by the sight.

"It seems possible to reach that door," said the prince moving towards the edge of the platform. In front of him was a pole, hanging limply from the wall. "But it won't be easy."

"I know," said Jamal, folding his arms. The prince shook his head.

"We're wasting more time, we must hurry. Or would you rather have yourself captured again by Zarul's men?" This seemed to convince Jamal. The prince was pleased.

"I shall go first," replied Jamal, moving his hand towards the pole. The prince did not object, but merely bowed.

"As you wish." Jamal snorted in response and the moment he was about to jump and grabbed the pole, a tremendous earthquake sent tremors towards the entire area. The platform that they were on vibrated from the force and the prince and Jamal feared that it might snap and break and fall.

Fortunately, it did not break. Beads of sweat had now accumulated upon the prince's forehead. He turned to Jamal, who looked as pale as the snow and they both said nothing. All they could hear were the loose rocks falling from their last positions.

And then a roar. The prince's hair tingled from the sound of it, for he knew that roar very well. Jamal grabbed the prince's shoulder, turning the prince to his fearful eyes.

"What is that?" asked Jamal, startled. The prince dared not breathe. _It has come_. The entire area shook and suddenly, at the other end of the platform, a black hand grabbed at the edge.

"Run!"

To be continued….

Author's note: Whew, the tests are finally over and I now have time for writing this fanfic. Haha, reviews aren't that much, but I'm happy for them. Thanks everyone!


	14. Encounter

**Chapter 13**

**Encounter**

The walls shook with frightening force across the area as the prince and Jamal raced for the closest exit. The prince took a quick glance of the Dahaka as Jamal swung himself from the pole to another platform. The prince's heart rate quickened as he met eyes with the hideous being. The Dahaka pulled itself to its full height, now standing at one end of the platform while the prince stared at it with growing fear.

_I cannot fight it now, it would be futile! _The Dahaka roared and the sound that had been created from the vibrations shook the platform with impending force. The prince staggered a few steps, and he felt the platform slowing breaking off from its position.

He turned his head toward the now advancing Dahaka and ducked at the very last moment for the Dahaka had thrown one of its tendrils towards his head. Debris flew around as the tendril collided with a wall and soon it was stuck.

Reacting on instinct, the prince took his dagger out and sliced the Dahaka's tendril off. The Dahake roared in agony, stepping back a few steps as its severed tendril returned to its side.

Taking no option to stay back and fight the invincible foe, the prince jumped off from the platform and reached out for the pole that was hanging from the now crumbling walls. The prince grabbed the pole with the precision of a skilled acrobat and swung himself in a somersault type action onto the platform that Jamal was on. He landed right next to Jamal and took a look back at the Dahaka.

The last platform they were once on was collapsing with bits and pieces of it falling toward the ground. The Dahaka smashed the wall in frustration with its hands and roared. The platform now groaned under the weight of the Dahaka.

"Should we run?" asked Jamal, dagger in his left hand and sword in his right. He was ready to fight the monstrous beast.

"Do we have a choice?" said the prince, grabbing Jamal's shoulder. They both ran through a corridor, both sides of the wall free for running. They heard a sudden crash behind them and a few angered roars from the Dahaka as it brought upon its onslaught before the two men. It was getting closer. They quickened their pace while dodging the many blows from the Dahaka.

The prince turned to his left as he felt a sudden burst of air behind him as did Jamal when a tendril almost grabbed his left leg. Sweat flew off their foreheads as they rushed passed the air like horses escaping a raging storm. They both encountered holes with spikes underneath it while running from the raging Dahaka and an idea came to Jamal.

Jamal jumped over the hole with ease and while in mid-air, threw one of his daggers at the Dahaka. The dagger caught the Dahaka in the middle of its chest but it bounced off like a ball.

Jamal landed on the other side of the floor and stared disbelievingly at the sight. The prince sped passed him, and pulled Jamal away from his rooted position as a fleet of debris thrown by the Dahaka flew towards their direction. The debris crashed into the left wall of the passage, barely missing Jamal and the prince as they raced off to the other side, panting and sweating alternately.

The passage soon came to an end and what lay in front of the prince and Jamal was a vast abyss of darkness beneath. In front of the passage was a rope. The rope looked old, as if it had not been used for weeks, but the material that it was made up of still looked formidable. The prince and Jamal threw themselves toward the rope.

And then, out of nowhere, shadows enshrouded them from above. The Dahaka flew above them like a hunter finally finding its prey, and with own swoop from its enormous hands, it grabbed the prince. Jamal was unwanted by the Dahaka and so, the beast kicked Jamal and Jamal went flying into the wall of the platform in front of them. He crashed into the wall with sickening force and went limp as he fell to the ground, head first.

"No!" roared the prince. He reached for The Dagger of Time and stabbed the Dahaka's large black fingers with every feeling of hatred, anguish and remorse embedded into his attack. The blade of the dagger struck the Dahaka, and for a fleeting moment, the prince felt a renewed sense of hope as the blade dug into the Dahaka's flesh.

But his hope was short lived for the dagger had not cut into the flesh of the Dahaka as it had once done with the Dahaka's tendrils and instead, it rebounded from the Dahaka's skin as if it were no more that a stick. The Dahaka placed itself onto platform beside to the now limp Jamal and gazed at his captive, the Prince of Persia.

"Well now prince, I expected better from you," said the Dahaka, in a voice that resembled the man that the prince had loathed ever since. "A chase like that and still the Dahaka suffered the defeat to you? I find it hard to believe." The Dahaka laughed maliciously. A memory flashed in his troubled mind, and a picture of the dagger telling him of the Dahaka's true nature. _The vizier managed to combine himself with the Dahaka that had pursued him with the Sands of Time he required from killing Kaileena. _The words echoed throughout his mind like a beacon. His sense of hopelessness was soon washed away as a tide of anger took over him.

"You," muttered the prince, grinding his teeth forcefully. His hands now shook uncontrollably as every particle in his body registered to one action, which was ripping the vizier's heart out. The mask of the Dahaka's face dissolved slowly, revealing the features of a man in his older days.

The vizier gazed down upon the prince, grinning as his yellow teeth filled the prince's sight. His body was that of the Dahaka, but his face was not. He looked absurd, even for a man with his kind of power.

"I see that you are not shocked to see me here, standing here before you," said the vizier. He tightened his grip on the prince and the prince felt the air rush out of him. He panted, clearly tired and moved his head towards the vizier.

"A sight so hideous that I am accustomed to shall not surprise me as you should think," replied the prince through gritted teeth. The vizier's eyes turned from gleeful victor, into raged anger. The prince was happy that he had enraged the old man.

"I've had enough of your impudence, and once I have dealt with you, you would wish death more than ever in your godforsaken life." A maniacal laughed escaped the vizier's lips which sent shivers down the prince's sweaty skin.

_Think! There must be a way to escape this position! _Another voice entered his mind in a sudden which startled the prince. It was the Dagger.

_Unfortunately prince, there is none. I have used up most of my time energy while cutting the Dahaka's tendrils and I fear that I do not have enough to even give the Dahaka a scratch_.

All sense of hope off escaped from the princeas the vizier turned his head toward the prince. The prince could only hope for the worst of what was to happen to himself and Jamal.

"And now, I-" The vizier roared in pain as a dagger struck him on the arm that held the prince in his grip. He released the prince and the prince dropped from the vizier's tight grip, thankful for the air that had entered his lungs. Blood trickled down from where the dagger had struck.

And the prince heard Jamal shouting.

"Attack him now prince!" he roared, limping on his front foot while holding onto the wall for support. Jamal had apparently thrown a dagger at the vizier while the vizier was distracted.

The prince took no time in wasting his opportunity and sliced the vizier's now vulnerable body. Another howl of pain echoed across the walls as the vizier turned and twisted while trying to locate the prince. His eyes flashed with angers as he and the prince made eye contact.

The prince went under between the vizier's legs and slashed a tendril off. The tendril fell off from the vizier' back and blood gushed out from the wound. The prince manoeuvred himself around and under the vizier as the vizier thrashed around like a raging bull. He stabbed the vizier's left leg and the vizier halted in his rampage, yelping as he bent down. The prince took the opportunity and grabbed one of the tendrils. He pulled himself up until he reached the vizier's neck and the vizier turned his bloodshot eyes to the prince. There was no more anger or the ruthlessness that the vizier had possessed once before in the eyes of the vizier. All that was left was fear.

"What are you doing!" he roared. The prince held the Dagger of Time upright with his hand and said:

"Saving my nation from the likes of you," and with that, he plunged the dagger down into the vizier's neck. The dagger met with the vizier's flesh and a ray of light erupted from the dagger. The prince flew back from the force but he managed to land before his body slammed with the ground. His knees buckled as exhaustion took over him.

The vizier' body was soon covered by vast amount of sands that twirled around him in a spiral. The light danced around the vizier and wrapped him in a bundle of glowing sand. There was an explosion and the prince and Jamal flew back from the force. The knocked their heads on a wall and went unconscious.

The vizier had disappeared and all that was left was a crumbling area of debris and two unconscious men on a platform.

To be continued…

**Author's Note:** Sorry if they are any mistakes, my keyboard isn't working very well nowadays. Well, then, enjoy the story and I would like to thank all your reviews. I don't care how much I get but I'm definitely going to finish this fanfic! Till then, rock on!!!


	15. The Path of Time opens

**Chapter 14**

**The Path of Time Opens**

The air was cold and damp as the prince pushed himself to his feet from the dust covered floor. A sudden stab of pain surged through his body, causing him to fall back onto the ground. He was sprawled on the ground, pain coursing through him, and reduced to nothing more than a crippled man.

The pain soon subsided and the prince relaxed a little. He inhaled and exhaled in a tired manner and he turned to his side. Thankfully, there was no pain when he did so and he peered at his right arm which had pained him before. A large cut was on his hand the cut was bleeding. The blood stained the ground and the prince soon grew worried.

That must be where the vizier had cut him from before, he thought. The prince struggled to rip off a piece of cloth from his now tattered clothes while not trying to activate his pains. Tearing off a piece of cloth he wrapped it around his arm wound to stop the bleeding. It did and the prince pulled himself toward the nearest wall and slumped against it. A slight tingling sensation prodded his subconscious and he knew it was the dagger's doing.

_Everything alright prince? _The prince sighed.

_Seems to be_. _It was lucky that the vizier had a weak point for if not, we'd been dead by now, _said the prince.

_You would be, but I won't. Instead, I would be used against my will and in that period, the world might never see the light of day ever again, _replied the dagger, rather fearfully.

_Yes well, the world will live to see another day still, doesn't it?_

The dagger snorted and their mental link was cut-off. He picked the dagger which was now at his heels and stuffed in back and tidy into his waist belt.

And then he heard a groan. He tilted his head to his left and saw Jamal lying on his back next to a crumbled wall. The prince head ached but he ignore the pain.

"Are you alright?" asked the prince, trying to support himself up by using the wall. There was a long pause and the prince felt awkward standing there unheeded by his friend.

"Seems like it," muttered Jamal finally. He turned his face to the prince and look at him straight in the eye. "Besides the broken leg, and arm, I think I'll be alright." He grinned.

The prince couldn't help it, he laughed. He hadn't done so in a long and tiring time and it felt good to be able to laugh once more.

"Oi! What are you doing there laughing like some crazed Neanderthal? Help me up, it hurts just to try and turn my body to the left." The prince wiped off tears of laughter from his eyes and apologized to a now sullen Jamal.

Limping on his way to help Jamal, the prince noticed the destruction caused by the vizier encounter. _How long has it been since we were unconscious?_ The prince wondered curiously. Jamal groan as he tried to lift his fingers. It pained him so.

In their midst was rubbles, broken platforms and decapitated walls. Fortunately, the hard floor that they were on leaded towards the large door before and with a few more steps, they would be free from this underground pit.

The images from the prince's sight brought him reeling back into his past memories, the time he was on the Island of Time and the real Dahaka. Now he truly remembered and knew what the Dahaka was capable of doing.

"Be careful there!" said Jamal, worried. The prince heaved Jamal up, which proved to be quite challenging due to his injuries but he managed to do so without too much problems. There was a sigh of relief from Jamal and the prince regained balance while supporting Jamal with his shoulder. This was no easy task.

"Well, I guess that I shall not be able to move quite as much from before," said Jamal. The prince understood well. "But there is one thing I want to ask from you my friend." Silence. All that could be heard was the rhythmic footsteps of the prince and Jamal which echoed across the passage.

"What is it?" asked the prince. He knew what Jamal was about to ask and it was inevitable. He had seen everything. A slight moment of pause ensued between them.

"What in God's name was that thing? It seems that I am not the only one who has a past untold," said Jamal finally, voice firm. "Tell me; what in the world have you been actually doing?"

The prince did not hesitated but instead, he told everything about his past, the Dahaka, everything. He kept the secret of Jamal as his ancestor a secret to himself though.

At the end of his presumably incredulous story, Jamal was shaken.

"So this thing here, chased you around so that it may consume you and end your life once and for all?" said Jamal dumbfounded. The prince nodded.

"It seems that only I, with my dagger," he patted it with his free hand, "pose a threat to this monstrous being." They passed a series of pillars, each of the pillars having been engraved with ancient runes the prince did not understand.

"What an amazing story…" Jamal turned silent after that, clearly blown away by the tale told by the prince. In the midst of their silence, the prince noticed a small buzzing sound that remained inside his ears like a beacon. He shrugged it off and continued on with his journey.

As the two men approached the heavily steel plated door, the buzzing became more and more evident than before and the prince looked at Jamal with worried eyes.

"What do you think is behind these doors?" asked the prince, praying that they do not meet the vizier again. Jamal shook his head.

"I don't know…but this is the only way we can venture on. Behind us lies a path of utterly unmanageable in our current condition. I say we press on."

The prince did not object and they both nodded to each other in agreement. Pushing on the handle of the large doors, the sounds of metal grinding onto each other filled their eyes. The doors were heavy and the prince and Jamal struggled while trying to open them. With one last mighty push, they managed and a sight of magic entranced them.

The cool and fresh air entered their lungs like a sensation none could describe after having been in a tunnel with the air unhealthy and dust filled. Birds and animals flew around the sky in a harmonic manner and it made the prince's heart lift.

Light from the sun shone down upon them like a warming ray, heating their limp and tired bodies to the maximum extent. They both loved it.

"Amazing…"whispered the prince. He turned to Jamal whose expression was no more different than his. "Do you know of this place?"

Jamal shook his head, but the prince did not intend to press on Jamal further. He was savouring every little bit of the sight that lay before them.

They were out of the underground tunnels and into the world of nature once more. This time, there was no desert, only lush grasslands. Among them, beautiful flowers filled the empty spaces of land, giving it a tranquil feeling. On the western side of the land, lay a waterfall, its waters thrumming against the rocks from below it. A lake was in front of them, far away in the distance but manageable.

And in the middle of a lake, lay a temple so grand it could have been mistaken for a king's palace. And sudden jolt of excitement rushed through the prince for he knew that the monument before him held something powerful in it.

"Jamal…please tell me…" the prince was cut off by Jamal's own mutterings.

"We actually made it…we actually made it…." The prince smiled as he laid his sight back upon the newly found temple. The Temple of Time was found and his quest to return order to the timeline was soon to be fulfilled.

**Author's Note: **I have finished this chapter and I think it's kinda ok. Hope you guys like it, and thank you so much for the reviews! More prince of Persia and Jamal to come in the next chapter!


	16. The Enchantress

**Chapter 15**

**The Enchantress**

The breeze that swept across the valley gave it a refreshing sense of mental fitness that suited the two men. The prince noted the bright shining sun from above them which gave them warmth and light and to places man could only dream of. It took them a while for them to their sights off from the temple to realize that they were standing on the edge of a very steep cliff.

Taking up a rock, the prince let it fall towards the ground beneath him. There was no sound of the rock falling into the ground.

"A fall of no return," whispered Jamal. He shook his head in dismay and decided to rest his aching legs by sitting on a large boulder at one side of the large door. The prince gazed far out towards the temple while a sudden feeling of hope entered him.

_Just a little more and we'll make it. _He turned to Jamal who was busy examining his arm. A large cut was still on it.

"Are you well enough to move?" he asked, slowly pacing the ground, not lifting his eyes from Jamal's wound. Jamal shrugged and moved his shoulders slowly then his legs and lastly his arms.

"I think I should be of use when the time is right. For now, I think we should rest. My body hurts still." He grinned at the prince. "But tell me one thing first."

The prince moved towards Jamal's s right sat upon a boulder not too different in size and proportion than Jamal's. He drew in his breath and exhaled.

"What now? You want to know why the earth's is flat?" asked the prince, joking slightly. Jamal laughed and shook his head.

"No, not on that particular piece of information. I've already learnt about that a long time ago. I just wondered…" he paused which left a gap of silence between them.

"What is it?" asked the prince finally, breaking the silence. The sun's warmth was soon beginning to leave as dusk arrived. It gaze Jamal a hollowed kind of look as the shadows covered his face.

"How in the world do you think Zarul managed to find this place?" said Jamal, his face stern.

The very words that escaped Jamal's lips struck the prince like a fiery arrow flying through the air at breakneck speed.

_Yes, how did he find the temple? _He thought, scratching his unshaved chin. He turned to Jamal. A sudden cooling breeze slapped against their skin which made them shiver.

"You don't think that…"

"Yes I do," said Jamal, folding his arms, nostrils flaring. "And I might just be right as well." He threw his spit on the ground and returned his gaze with a serious look on his face. "Zarul might be somewhere inside the temple, doing who knows what with the crest. We don't know what sorts of traps or warriors he has there but it could be fatal to just storm into the temple with a proper plan. And besides, how else could he have created a path leading to this place if he had not found the temple first?"

"You have a good point there," said the prince, getting up from his seating position. "This will cause a problem. And with the Dahaka gnawing on our heels, it doesn't help in our now serious condition."

Jamal nodded in agreement. The prince knew that night was soon to be and so he decided to find some food and refreshments in the lush green forest that lay beneath them. He decided to bring the extra water skins he still had to be refilled.

"Be careful! You never know what could be out there!" shouted Jamal from a gradually far distance. The prince shook his head.

_What an interesting fellow your ancestor there,_ said the dagger suddenly. The prince took it out from his waist belt and marched on into the wilderness.

_Yes well, he's quite a lively fellow, _replied the prince sarcasticallyThere was a chuckle from the dagger.

_Be careful out here prince, danger lies in every corner_. And their link was cut-off. The prince tensed himself from action, ready for any wild beast that would stampede at him. Fortunately, none did.

He entered a vine covered path, filled with plants, insects, trees, and flowers. Everything was vividly green and the prince almost thought he could see no other colour than that. An animal in the shape and likeness of a cat whipped passed him in the darkness, surprising him. It jumped from one branch and stopped at one. Turning his oddly shaped head around, the prince saw 3 glittering blue eyes than stared at him. The creature soon departed and the prince was left alone in the forest once more.

_What is this place?_

Passing a few more rows of pine trees, the prince eventually came upon one tree that bore fruits edible enough for a human. After putting a few strange looking apples and banana's into a sack, he ventured further into the heart of the now lively jungle.

He could hear the songs of the crickets in the air, the birds singing and the sounds of harmony all around him. It made his sense calm and peaceful, free from the stress and burdens from the outer world.

He shook his head to regain his alertness and continued on. And then he heard a rush of water not too far away from his position. A renewed vigour replaced his fatigue and he rushed towards the sound, ignoring the pain burning in his legs. He cut a few vines and branches blocking his way and he felt the sensation inside his body grow.

_Its getting closer! I can feel it!_

He jumped over a toppled tree and through the curtain of leaves and he was there. He was standing before a stream of crystal clear water. The rays from the moon and the strange glow from his surroundings gave the moving water a sapphire look, illuminating it beautifully.

The prince dropped his sack down next to the bank and walked into the water. It was cold and clear and the prince could see his distorted reflection in the sapphire blue water. It amazed him how nature could create things so amazing such as this. Lowering his hands into the cool and refreshing water, he took up a small amount of it and drank the remaining amounts still left in his hand.

The liquid felt cool as it ran down his dry throat and the prince savoured the taste. Water has been the most valuable gift God could give him right now. Remembering his task, he grabbed the water skins from his waist belt and lowered it into the water. Water slowly entered and when the prince was finished and satisfied and his water skins filled, he walked the bank and grabbed his sack of fruits, ready to return.

As he lifted his sack by his shoulders, a melodious voice entered the air and penetrated his senses, making them keener than ever before. The voice was sweet, harmonic and alluring. The prince could not help it, he turned and headed straight towards it. A burning sensation was left in his heart and all he could do was do what his heart told him to.

_What am I doing?_

The voice was spellbinding, drawing the prince toward him. He needed to find the person with this enchanting voice, he must. He walked through the stream, half his body covered underwater and then he saw it.

At the end of the river sat a bunch of flat blue coloured rocks. Amongst the rocks were stalactites and other strange looking shapes. Animals of all kinds gather around her, each one of them singing the tune of the song in their own way and tongue. It amazed the prince at how tame these creatures were. But what matter to him more was the person in the middle of the circle of animals; her eyes closed singing the wondrous tune that drew the prince towards her.

Her hair was as blue as the water, flying vibrantly in the windy air. Her skin looked pale to the prince and her lips were blue. Something about her gave her a terrible sense of beauty but she seemed rather dangerous as well. But the prince did not seem to notice for he was caught in her spell, face in a screwed up in a twisted manner. Clothed in a white satin robe, she twirled and danced with the grace of feline as she twisted through the rocks, singing. Her slender body moved around as that of a snake, each of the movements fast and deadly.

The prince felt his body move on its own, legs inattentive to their master. His mind was astray, the sound of the tune making him giddy. His vision began to daze and soon, he could barely keep his balance. But he pressed on, fighting off his sudden tiredness. And then his knees buckled, driving him into the blue-sapphire coloured water. His eyes were still open under the flowing water and the last thing he saw was a pair of gems staring back at him. And then he saw nothing but darkness.

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for our review guys! I hope you all like the chapter! I did extra work trying to create a plotline that was WAY different that anything and I know you'll want to have more after this chapter. Heehee, other than that, carry on with fanfiction!!!! So long and Goodnight! **


	17. The Enchantress' Home

**Prince of Persia**

**Chapter 16**

**The Enchantress' home**

The air was cool as the prince felt the familiar tinge of it coursing into his lungs. He lay motionless on the comfortable material he had been laid on, savouring the experience of it. He enjoyed the experience for it had been so long that he had been able to sleep so well. And then, the memories from before came rushing back to him like a tide of water.

His eyes blazed open and he found himself lying on a soft linen bed, his clothes drawn. Fortunately, he still had his undergarments tucked neatly up his thighs. He pulled off the sheet from the bed and stepped onto the marble floor. He felt the cool material brush against his feet and he got up, surveying his new and unfamiliar surroundings.

He found himself in a room, grander than ever, with the ceiling being lined and crafted with beautiful gold stars that made the illusion of night when stared up ahead. There was a balcony at one end of the circular room and a few pots of flowers made the room look fresh and subtle. The windows were covered with fine silk curtain but at the moment, they were left open for the light to enter.

The Prince moved to the balcony, slowly, fearful of what might lay ahead. And he stepped out of the room, welcoming the warm light of the sun that shone brightly from above. The prince blinked and covered his head with his hand, shielding his eyes from the blinding light. It took him a few more seconds before he could picture the landscapes he saw under the light.

He was surprised to see a vast amount of trees everywhere on the horizon. The trees stretched across the land to the far distance until it joined with the blue sky at a certain point. He turned to the north east and saw the temple, its glory untouched and its beauty undefined. He made a note to find a way to get there. To his west, he saw the large metal door he and Jamal and escaped through, and a sudden pang of shock hit him.

_Jamal!_

He spun behind, intending to find Jamal, but instead, he came face to face with the woman from the night before. He was surprised and nearly yelled but he kept his composure.

They locked eyes and the prince froze at her beauty. She seemed more beautifully when he looked closer, his mind freed from the voice that made his sense weak. Her piercing blue eyes bore into him like a drill, but he fought back. She moved closer towards him and the prince step back a few steps, careful not to trip and fall over the balcony. They looked at each other in silence, the tension slowly starting to increase as the seconds passed by.

After a few long seconds, the mysterious woman spoke, her sweet and melodious voice filling the prince's ear.

"Going so soon? I thought that you might have wanted to stay here a little longer," she said, moving back into the room. The prince, particularly relieved by her actions, regained his courage to speak.

"I have some business to attend to for the time being. What is this place and why did you bring me here?" he asked, following her into the room. She turned to face him.

"Would you like it better if I let you drown in the water you dropped into?" she said, shooting him an angered look. The prince was taken back.

"Ahh..yes..about that," he stammered, scratching his head. He shook his head, and focused back. "What did you do to me? The moment I heard you voice, everything went giddy and then, all I could remember was being in this room hear." He spread out his arms, eagle like.

"You here, my friend, have been enchanted by the magic of life, a powerful healing enchantment. Each 4 years, where the trees and animals are weak, I come and sing to them, to give them revival of their strength and power. But, it was most unfortunate you came, for it has a very powerful sleep inducing spell. Luckily, I noticed you floating along the stream on my way back. Using magic, I brought you back here and here you are now."

She finished and folded her arms, waiting for him to answer. The prince stood rooted to his spot, his mind slowly putting the pieces together. Her words actually made sense. Looking into her eyes he said:

"Well…I guess I have to thank you for this. But how did you find me? I was at a very far distance from you for all that I could remember." She giggled which surprised the prince.

"Is there something amiss?" he said, eyeing her. She nodded and stood up.

"Actually there is," she replied. She opened her fingers and a swirl of light played on her palm until it faded, leaving the Dagger of Time in its place.

The prince eyes widened and he gaped at it. She smiled and gestured for him to take it. He took it and felt the cold hilt and welcomed its return. He could not afford to lose it for it was his sole key to the Crest.

"You should thank it," she said, moving to the closed door. "It told me where to find you, if not; you would be rotting in the depths of the waterfall by now."

The prince stared at her, dumfounded.

"You can communicate with it? How?" he sputtered holding the dagger out. And a small voice in his head spoke to him.

_It is my choice to communicate with anyone I intend to. And because the circumstances back there gave me no other choice, I had to call her out for help_.

The prince stared at it, speechless.

_So you can talk to others then?_

_Only if I must. All you alright by the way? You look a little shaken. _ The prince ignored it. He then turned his gazed back onto the enchantress and knew that she had been told everything.

"So you know my purpose of coming here then?" he asked. She nodded and opened the door with a snap of her fingers. The door opened and a burst of fresh air entered the room.

"If you intend to save your friend as well as finding the Crest, you will need my help. For the time being, you may either explore my home here or you can just sit here and relax. Food will be served soon and I will call one of my servants to fetch you? Is that alright with you?"

"I suppose," said the prince flatly. She smiled and turned to leave. She stopped in her steps halfway and turned to the prince once more.

"Try not to hurt yourself again prince, it was so much trouble trying to drag you here so please be careful." She turned once again to leave when the prince suddenly blurted out:

"Wait! May I know you name?" he asked. She looked at him quizzically and pursed her lips.

"Elena" and with that, she exited the room and the door slammed shut behind her.

The prince paced around the room, wondering what he had gotten himself into.

**To be continued….**

**Author's Note: **It's been such a long time since I updated but I least I did it. I thank all my reviewers for your immense support and I will do my best in the following chapters. I would also like to dedicate this chapter to my cat, Bubble, who had passed away yesterday. Sob…you will always forever be in my heart Bubble. Always.


	18. Farah's Story

**Author's Note: **This is going to be Farah's experience while the prince is busy with the Crest. I felt that it would help in knowing the happening around the whole story here and I hope you guys enjoy it. Again, thank you for your reviews!

**Chapter 17**

**Trapped **

Farah felt as if all life had been drained from her as she lay limp and motionless while slumped against the dark and rough wall. How long had she been her and how did this happen? She did not know what had happened to her love for he had disappeared long before, leaving nothing behind. And the only conclusion she could muster was that he was dead. She found herself weeping for days in the claustrophobic type cell and how she had felt when the thought came to her mind. It felt terrible and it still did.

She remembered how she was being tortured by one of the vizier's minions, two sometimes, and chained to the wall like a wild animal. She was whipped time and time again. She remembered how terrible it had felt having the vizier's cold and putrid breath breathing down upon her like some kind of beast, ready to tear her body to up into pieces. Apparently, she finally realised why her husband, the prince, had loathed the vizier so much in the past. It did not, in fact, help her in her situation.

She opened her eyes slowly, feeling weak and tired and drained. Multiple bruises and cuts were scattered across her arms and legs and her clothes were now worn and filthy. But she was lucky for she still had her body parts attached to her. Some victims were not blessed with luck, and with that, they lost more than one of their own precious body parts to the vizier's merciless minions.

The dungeon around her was a place she could not bear to witness. Wails, cries of anguish and screams of death revolved all around her and soon, she thought she might go insane herself. The people of Babylon, enslaved by the wretched sand monsters the vizier had brought forth, were rapidly decreasing in numbers. Each of the victims, man, women and children were either turned into slaves or they were just brutally slaughtered, in front of their friends and family and Farah herself.

Blood still stained the walls of the dungeon, giving the place an atmosphere of death and hopelessness. Farah felt the chills run down her neck at the thought of the many men, women and children, who were all slaughtered in her cell. The stench was so overpowering; one could smell the rotting bodies from miles away.

Suddenly, the familiar creak from the main dungeon doors that Farah had grown accustomed to, echoed across the walls and she felt her heart skip a beat. Sweat formed on her forehead and her heart rate immediately rose to a frightening level.

_He has come again._

The door closed and soon, hurried footsteps replaced the sounds from the other cells, silencing them as it passed by. Farah raised her head, and came face to face with the vizier who was standing outside her cell.

He stared down at her with his small beady eyes as if she was no more than a dog and she stared back, the sudden apprehension of fear fastening its grip upon her. He had looked more shaken and angered for a reason she did not know but knew that it was soon to be released upon her.

"Open this cell now you fool," hissed the vizier, glaring at a slacking guard who had fallen asleep on his shift. The vizier's voice was enough to awaken the sleeping guard and the guard toppled off his seat in shock. He picked up his helmet and saluted in a sloppy manner at the vizier and said:

"Sir! We didn't expect you to be here so soon-" he was cut off as the vizier threw him a look that could kill a hundred men. His mouth twitched angrily and Farah could see a vein throbbing beautifully in rhythm with the guard's breathing on his neck.

"Hurry up and open this cell before I kill you," said the vizier. He stepped back and allowed the guard, who was by now fumbling with the keys, to open the cell door. He had managed to do so and the vizier stepped in, his cape sweeping the floor as he did.

Farah could now feel the vizier's cold breath right above her. The feeling of loathing and despise had returned and it tugged at her throat, making her want to vomit. She held it back and the vizier stepped back, an action which she thanked the Gods for.

"You know, you could escape all this torment, this torture and everything else in her in one simple process. Become my bride and we shall rule Babylon and we will live forever for I control the Sand of Time! Do you not see the goodness in this Farah?"

The vizier grabbed Farah by her neck and brought her face close to his. She looked into his eyes, the deepest of loathing etched into her facial expression. The vizier merely smiled at her. "What do you think? Shall I get the wedding ceremony ready? Or should we get engaged first?"

"I would rather die than become your wife. The man I loved was a far better man than you and you will never take his place!" she spat. The chains binding her jingled with sound as her hands move in a futile attempt of trying to choke the vizier. The vizier smiled a grim and knowing smile that she distasted.

"You are merely blinding yourself with thoughts of unjust and it pains me so to see you this way." He laughed, and it sent shivers down her back. She had always hated the man's way of laughter. "Come now…be my bride and you can escape this torture and-"

She kicked him in the stomach, and sent him rolling on the ground. It took most of her strength to even lift her legs and by now she was heaving heavy breaths. She, although tired, smiled at the sight before her and relished the fact of seeing it.

The vizier, not amused by the blow to his stomach, stood up and grabbed her by the neck. He tightened his grip on her and she could feel the air slowly dissipating inside her lungs.

"How dare you do this to me…" said the vizier, his voice and hands trembling with anger. Farah now started to choke and she felt tears coming to her eyes.

"I gave you a choice and you choose not to take it." He punched her with his free hand on her stomach and blood spurted out from her mouth. He chuckled evilly. "An eye fro an eye, isn't it? How did you like it? Was it enjoyable?" He released his grip on her and she felt the air rushed into her lungs as she took big gulps of it.

The vizier called out for his guards and soon, 4 men, covered in black armour, arrived at her cell.

"Bring her to the palace. I have some business I intend to do with her," said the vizier. The guards nodded in affirmation and entered, unhooking the chains from the walls. Farah could only think one thing that the vizier had intended to do with her and she knew what it was.

_Murder._

As they released her, she scratched, bit and fought against the guards, but to no avail. She was too weak and the guards too many and too strong. They carried her out and soon they were following the vizier who was walking to the dungeon entrance. She screamed but he arms and legs had been immobilized by the strong set of arms that gripped her.

The vizier suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Farah, his eyes glinting evilly in the glow of the torches that hung on the walls of the dungeon.

"You know, your prince there gave me quite a problem to do with when I found him somewhere in the past."

She stopped in her helpless attempt in escaping as she heard those words.

"He's alive then?" she said hysterically. The vizier nodded and smiled. Farah felt tears of relief and joy well up in her eyes as she heard the news. The vizier however, had not finished with his story.

"And because he gave me such a wonderful gift back there, I shall give him one too." He walked up the stairs as two guards opened the doors for him. Farah screamed a the men brought her out of the dungeon and as the dungeon door shut behind them, she knew that she was heading to her doom and it wasn't with her loved one.

**To be continued….**


	19. The Truth Unknown

**Author's Note: **Sorry if the update had taken too long, was really busy with the holidays actually.

**Disclaimer:** Well then, I don't own POP, never will, and we move on with the story, now reverting back to the prince. Enjoy and more reviews please!

**Prince of Persia**

**Chapter 18**

**The Truth Unknown **

The prince picked up the set of clothes that Elena had given him from the strangely shape cupboard. He stared at them while holding them out and felt the fine silk with his fingers. The cloth was smooth and was sewed together by amazing hands obviously. At the collar, it was created in a "v" shape, with gold strings embroidered upon it while everything, till its long sleeves, were white in colour. The pants however, were a more remarkable sight to behold. The waist area was covered with silver linen and at the knees, spirals of gold and red threads were sewn. The prince liked that.

Putting the clothes on, he was surprised how soft and smooth it was as it touched his skin. Nevertheless, he felt comfortable and warm in them and smiled as he looked at himself in the mirror. But there was a feeling of unease in him as he remembered Jamal and Farah, both of them which their fate he did not know. And that was the most frightening part; you won't know what happens to them.

He would ask this mysterious women, whom had helped him but had actually caused him to drown, to help him find Jamal and Farah and end this madness once and for all.

_That looks really good on you, my prince, _said a voice in his head. He turned to the bed and saw the dagger, shining on its own and clearly speaking to him.

_It really does but sadly, it won't last long. Our quest for the Crest has yet to be done and something tells me terrible things are about to happen_, replied the prince, reaching for the dagger.

_Terrible things have happened, my prince._

The prince grabbed the dagger, his eyes solemn and sad. He looked at it for a while and tucked it neatly into his waist belt of leather. Then, a knock on the door alerted him.

He turned and saw a boy, no more than in his teens, dressed in robes of blue. His hair was black, shaggy and uncombed_. Mustn't had enough time to do it_, thought the prince amusingly.

He seemed to be tired but carried an air of determination around him as he walked. The prince thought he could have mistaken the determination for over confidence but he quickly shook that off his mind.

"Yes?" the prince asked as he closed the door on his cupboard.

"The enchantress would like to see you now, prince," said the boy, bowing his head. The prince nodded and let him continue. The boy now raised his head and looked directly at the prince. "If you are ready, I would escort you down to meet with her prince. Dinner will be served as well and I can promise you, the food served is incredible."

The prince walked closer towards the door and gestured to the boy.

"Shall we go then?" he said, simply. The boy, smiling now, nodded and they were off.

The prince still could not imagine what wonder the home of this enchantress, could captivated him again. The boy led him past a series of stairs, through enormous doors until finally arriving at the dining hall. And what a divine hall it was.

The boy gestured the prince in and when the prince entered, the boy closed the door and was gone. The prince gazed at the wondrous splendour that was before him. The ceiling was glass covered; pieces of the glass bore different colours which gave the room various kinds of colour. Pillars spiral up in glorious fashion, its marble and shape matching with the personality of the room perfectly. Pictures of all sorts of creatures layered the walls and the prince could only guess what they were as he walked past.

But that was not what the prince was here for, he was not here for the architecture of the palace but he was here for the woman sitting silently at the large dinner table in front of him.

She smiled at him as he took his seat. The prince, uneasy as he was, remained silent. The table remained empty, except for the glasses placed upon it. Curious, the prince asked Elena, "Where's the food?"

"Is impatient a strong factor in you?" said Elena, cross. The prince was taken back but he defended his dignity well.

"I was merely assuming, since it was dinner and all," replied the prince, twiddling a fork in his hands. Elena laughed and it made the prince even more surprised at her than he already is.

"Very well then, shall we dine now?" said Elena. She clapped here hands once and suddenly, a swarm of servants came bustling in through the two large wooden doors situated besides Elena. They carried plates, full of food and fruits and some carried wine in their measly fingers.

Soon, the table was filled with gourmets of food from all sorts, ranging from a tasty gravy boar to fruits in a basket. The prince started his course of with bread.

"Now then," said the prince, tearing up the bread with his hands. "What purpose did you bring me here for? Just for dinner?" Elena took a sip t her glass and put it down in a slow motion.

"Actually there are some things that you must know. I don't intend to show you as of now but circumstances have changed and I think it may be for the worse," she said. Her eyes were suddenly serious and the prince, feeling the dramatic effect of the situation, stiffened in his seat.

"What is it?" he finally said, after taking a silent bite of his chicken. Elena folded her arms and looked at the prince, rather worriedly.

"Do you really want to hear it now prince?" she said. The prince shrugged but deep inside, he felt uneasy, as if he knew something was to happen.

"I've heard all sorts of news before and I don't think this one could get any worse," said the prince, lifting his head so he could meet hers.

"Oh it has, prince, it has," she said gravely. The prince shifted uneasily in his seat.

"Tell me now," he said simply. "Before I found out myself,"

"Very well then. Are you done with your food?" The prince nodded and with a wave of her hand, the food disappeared. Now they sat in silence as Elena tried to find a start to her tale.

"Do you remember the dream you had last while you were still inside the labyrinth?" she said finally. The prince searched through his memories and remembered seeing Kaileena inside those dreams.

"Yes, I do but what does it has to do with the news you are about to tell me?" he said, putting down his now empty glass of wine.

"Everything," she said, refilling his cup with magic. "This may sound absurd to you but it's true. After everything I've tried, every bit of magic I've used, I finally came to a startling conclusion."

She remained silent for a while. The prince got increasingly uneasy as the seconds passed but he didn't have to wait long. She would soon tell him.

"Prince," she said, eyes flashing. "Kaileena is alive."

**To be continued…**

**Author's Note: **Yay! Another chapter done! I've been Ggetting some strange inspirations lately but then, after summing them all up, I've found the perfect storyline! Anyways, please read and review and hope you liked it!


	20. The End is Back

**Author's Note: **I haven't been writing in a while and well I'm very sorry for the _**IMMENSE** _time of absence for this story. Hope you all will forgive me and in the mean time, here's the continuation.

**Prince of Persia**

**Chapter 19**

**The End is Back**

Silence filled the dinner hall as the prince stared at Elena disbelievingly before her words.

"What did you say?" he asked, his eyes running wild. He was standing now but the very thought of it left him as he waited for an explanation from Elena's lips. She simply shook her head in dismay.

"I cannot explain the very cause of this matter," she said. "But I can conclude that time itself is dissolving into absolute destruction with the Vizier's hand groping inside it. All the aspects of time, since the very early days of the years and to your days and the future will all collide together in one massive space and maybe Kaileena has a role in this as well." She stood up and with a few magic words, the cutlery on the table vanished. "I will show you how it is to be."

An image formed between them now and the swirls of life reflected off the coloured windows in the hall. Wind blew out suddenly and the air around them was filled with a cold presence. The prince gazed into the twisting tornado in front of him as Elena finished the final words of her incantation. It came to a halt and the lights faded leaving them with the ball of an image as a dim source of light. An orb of light it was.

The images slowly turned to a halt as it show three different worlds, each one of them a vibrant and lively colour. The prince saw people in them with their joy and happiness as they carried out there lives. If only they had known the end was soon to be wrought upon them. He turned his sight back to Elena.

"What is it then are you going to show me?" he said grasping the dagger cautiously. A grim smile was on her face.

"The orb here shows the three worlds of which time is on the verge of breaking down," she explained. "One of them is your world and time." The image in the center glowed brightly indicating Babylon. The prince stared at it sacredly with his mind raging with thoughts. Looking at his expression, Elena continued, "The one on the left is where you are at now and is safest from harm for the time being."

She touched the orb again and the image of where the prince and Jamal had met the Vizier in his Dahaka formed upon it. She had a disgusted look on her face as the image disappeared. The prince knew why. "Stained now is this world with that monstrosity's hand. And finally, the future."

This world was the strangest of all to the prince for it held wonders he could never have had imagine in his haggard lifestyle. Buildings of many shapes and colours which touched the sky filled the world and strange wagons carried people at an abnormal rate.

"This is the future?" the prince asked in wonder. Elena nodded silently as the prince looked at her. "I never knew how amazing this could be."

"Well you do now," she said. She touched the orb again and the images turned into a blurred haze of dust. "But all will come to an end if no action is taken. Watch as the worlds of time are crushed." The prince stiffened in his place and his hands gripped the edges of the table till it was white to the bone. Elena took no time in delaying the moment and with one touch on the swirling orb, the image started to redefine itself once more.

"And now, oblivion," she replied, watching the orb. The prince sat silently as the worlds started to change from their peaceful demeanor into a situation of chaos and catastrophe.

First was Babylon. The walls of the great city shook with such a force that it fell crumbling towards the ground and the cries of his people could be heard echoing inside the prince's ears. Buildings collapsed as though they were old and dry as the pieces of wood found in gravel and the ground cracked and writhed beneath the frightened feet of elders and children like a snake.

And suddenly, everything that the prince had seen throughout dinner had started to make absolute nonsense as buildings of old and new emerged through the grounds and skies like wildfire. The world was colliding together and the skies were red with the savage fires of death. Wails and cries of children filled the entire hall and it made the prince wince. Elena remained still and silent as she watched the orb. The prince was now shaking at the sight and the grip on the table hardened as the wails started to grow steadily stronger.

And in the center of the destruction there stood the image of the prince, kneeling in defeat whilst the Vizier was above him with a sword of gold on the pedestal of a great building. Kaileena was there but she was dead and defeated. The Sands of Time swirled around them both and with one swing of the great blade from the vizier, the prince was brought down. The Sands erupted and all was sucked into a hole of blackness.

Then all was silent as the orb vanished into a sparkle of light. The hall soon turned back to its usual state but the prince felt a sudden terror slowly creeping upon him. He let go of the table and slumped back into the chair with his head bowed.

Elena folded her arms and walked to the prince.

"Is this the fate I am thrown into?" he said getting up. He looked at her with the eyes of a king on the verge of defeat. "Tell me now Elena."

She gave him a hard look.

"I cannot tell what might happen in time but all what you have seen is what might happen if you fail," she said. "And as for Kaileena, I know naught for now."

The prince clenched his fist into balls of anger. He was shaking.

"How long do I have until this destruction comes?"

"I cannot say. It all depends on you and your dagger there."

"So it seems." The prince proceeded towards the door. Elena looked at him worriedly.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked.

The prince stopped just as his right hand opened the door. The dagger gleamed under his belt as the sunlight entered through the windows.

"To do what is right, and to find Kaileena," he said and with that, he left Elena in the dining hall alone with the shards of lights as her only company.

**To be continued….**


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