Zanzibar The Magician - Uncovered

11 || PRISON

"MAY I speak with you, Zanzibar?" Cloudy asked, his echoey lilt drifting over to the group of heroes.

Still disgruntled by Davy's revelation, Zanzibar's eyes remained fixed, hopeless, on the cooking pot and its bubbling stew. She dragged up a reply from the depths of despair. "By all means speak, although at this moment I doubt you can say anything to lift my spirits."

"Your spirit seems the least affected by the Sorceress' charm, however, perhaps not all is lost."

The magician looked up, her eyes daring a flash of amber. "I would hardly call my predicament charming, but let's hear what you have to say." Her voice was laden with bitterness.

The nimbus huffed then his form fluctuated once more as he moved towards the entrance. "Come," he said.

Zanzibar stood, and with her friends' eyes watching her intently, she followed the nubilous being outside. Shielded from the winds by the overhanging canopy, Cloudy's form crystallized, taking on a more human shape. "I have not been entirely truthful with the boy," he said.

Zanzibar cocked an eyebrow, instantly intrigued.

Cloudy continued. "The magical properties of this place are indeed powerful; so much so they can even function as a shield, warding off evil or at least, dampening it."

"Yes, I know - so what is your point?"

"That shield can also serve as a prison."

Evaluating the nimbus' words, Zanzibar quickly understood the implication. Her eyes widened. "Here? You banished her to the most sacred of mystical locations?"

"Close by, yes. It was the only place I could ensure the Sorceress was incapacitated. But, I fear it is only temporary, for she is a most efficacious adversary."

"So the likelihood is she cannot revert me to my former self, but she is gathering momentum from the surrounding sources to escape?"

"Most likely," Cloudy confirmed. "Hailing from the Fourth Dimension myself, I am familiar with some of the Sorceress' abilities. She has been immobilised, yes, but she is nevertheless resourceful and I'm convinced before long she will break free and start to plot her next heinous attack. You and your colleagues' arrival has been most fortuitous."

"I do not think it wise for us to try and keep her here; she may drain or corrupt the magic from this place."

Cloudy laughed. "She is not interested in the mystical elements of this world, they prove only a mild irritation, keeping her shackled on solid ground. Her city in the clouds fuels her power. To reclaim her dominance, she must return to Zoom."

The nimbus indicated the number of yuls stretching back along the pilgrims' path. Davy, Cloudy and their generous hosts were not the only ones sleeping under Tibetan tents. "That does not mean she will not leave considerable carnage behind." Cloudy turned his unearthly gaze upon Zanzibar.

"Then we must destroy her city and throne, so she has no power at her disposal."

"If only it were that simple, my friend." The cloud's form rippled again as he shifted to face the swastika mountain. "She has stringent defences in place since a man of science once made such an attempt. He devised a cooling machine and installed it in one of your aeroplanes. His plan - to condense the city - make the vapour turn to rain. It almost worked, but the Sorceress escaped on her winged throne, and the city survived."

Zanzibar recalled the failed attempt to destroy the city of Zoom. "Science may still be the key, but for now, we must stop her from laying waste to the mountain and the people.  We have to combine our powers. We must find a way to suppress her magic." The magician looked up at the mountain. Deep down, she now knew her hopes of being reverted to a man again were futile. The threat from the Sorceress, however, remained superlative. "We must let the others know," she said with a deep sigh.

Cloudy agreed. 

"You, however, can explain to Davy the real reason for you coming to Tibet," Zanzibar said.

The nimbus surrendered its humanoid form and became the aphotic storm cloud of its natural realm. Its voice was equally dark. "Hmm, I thought you would say that."