Oops! I Caught a Genie!

Chapter 28

"What?!" I yelped, skittering back onto the cot.

"Huh?" Shullat asked.

The purple smoke snapped into existence directly in front of me. Where empty darkness had been a moment before stood a worried looking djinn.

"Mango!" I Chirped.

"Call me that again and see what happens," He grumbled, "Where's Fritz?"

"I don't know exactly..." I mumbled.

"Would your 'ally' know? Where are they exactly?"

"Next cell over, say something Shullat."

"I assume this is your 'friend'?"

"Do. Not. Start." I growled at him.

"You wound me." Shullat said.

"I like him so far," Mangoo quipped, "Now, out of this box."

"There are guards in the hall." Shullat informed him.

"They do not expect a marid, or any type of djinn for that matter. They don't have this place djinn-proofed. Shown by the fact that I was able to get in the way I did."

As soon as he had stopped speaking, the lock in the door clicked. It happened in the blink of an eye. The door swung open and a blinding flash of light illuminated the room. When my vision returned, I saw Mangoo standing over the prone figure of a guard in the doorway.

"Did you kill him?" I gasped.

"I'm not a barbarian. He just won't wake up for a day."

Mangoo opened Shullat's door as well and broke the bolts fastening the chains. He said that those bolts were made of a different metal, which was why he has able to break them. Djinn and binder magic apparently don't work on iron at all.

"Lets blow this joint," Mangoo said, grinning like a madman.

"Note to self, djinn speak modern slang." I said sarcastically.

"Just because Fritz was trapped for twenty years doesn't mean we all were!"

We snuck past the guard's office and ran to the deck above the cells. Shullat led the way, he knew most of the crew's habits and what areas were most closely guarded. I can see why he would be a threat to the ship. I still don't see why he's helping us. He's already proved himself capable of betrayal, but he turned on them for us so I shouldn't complain.

It occurred to me that Shullat would be coming with us when we escaped. I remembered the reason Mangoo had come along with us on our adventure in the first place.

"How are we going to escape?" I hissed.

"What do you mean?" Mangoo said.

"Two of us can't teleport or whatever you guys do, Fritz said he couldn't take people!"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Shullat said.

We had just entered the corridor where Fritz's cell was when a loud blaring stereotypical movie alarm went off. I assumed it was broadcasted to all decks, the captain's voice yelled over the alarm.

"The traitors have escaped!"

Mangoo muttered a few choice words and put on an extra burst of speed. Shullat was better than me at keeping pace, but we both fell behind. I was mentally kicking myself for being so out of shape. The thing about being in shape was, as long as you're thin you don't see the point in exercise. This is the trap I fell into.

We came to a halt at the door and Mangoo, keeping up the stream of language, blasted the door with some type of energy thing. I really need to ask more about these abilities.

Once the door was open and we were in the observation room, Shullat found a spare set of keys. One of them appeared to go to the door, it is now obsolete.

We burst through the second door into the actual cell, Fritz's head shot up.

"Mangoo? How'd ya find us?"

"Tell you later, we need to go."

Shullat fumbled with the keys until he found one that fit the locks tethering Fritz to the chair. Once Fritz was up, he seemed to notice what I had earlier.

"There are four of us..."

"I don't have enough juice to make two trips," Mangoo said with a grimace.

"Take Shullat, they'll probably kill him if they catch him. Get back to Liana and focus on keeping them safe. Did you find a new safe place?"

"I found a place in America to hide. The human is there now."

"Ok, take Shullat there, be safe."

Shullat looked like he was about to protest, but Mangoo grabbed a hold of his arm and torso and they disappeared in the purple smoke.

"What now?" I asked.

"I was thinking we could make a run for any lifeboats that may be available."

"Sounds great, they can shoot us like floating ducks."

"I don't see you coming up with any suggestions."

"Couldn't we get the help of other djinn?"

"No!" Fritz yelped, "That would result in genocide on both sides! The only reason they're not fighting now is that they are both in hiding! Lets not be the reason they find eachother?"

"Okay, okay. Are you able to magically aid the crazy lifeboat plan?"

"Yes."

"Well... Lets go," I said.

—-