Rajah's Curse

Chapter 31: The Scroll

The princess and I continued to go to the magician's study. Jasmine even went with me as Rajah during lunchtime to sneak in some more reading time. We had no new ideas about the mystery of Jafar's flight, but we did start to understand Jafar and the study more.

Over the course of a few weeks, we found out the orb and hourglass upstairs were used for fortune telling and that Jafar's clothes were probably made of something called fidelis strands which increase the appearance of trustworthiness. Jafar's staff had been capable of mind control. Even the ink he used had probably been enchanted with persuasion.

Yesterday we had made our most important discovery yet. We finally figured out how the study was organized. Apparently, this study used an ancient Ghamese system. Jasmine had practically squealed at the discovery because it meant we did not have to search around haphazardly anymore. Jasmine was able to locate more scrolls on the Cave of Wonders and I found some scrolls on lapis lazuli and the Durgara faith.

I was currently sitting at the small desk in the upper study and reading a scroll that described lapis lazuli and a few other blue gemstones. Unfortunately, the section on lapis lazuli had nothing of note.

I sighed. This was the sixth scroll I had read tonight. Neither the Durgara texts nor the scrolls on gemstones had yielded anything useful so far.

For the sake of thoroughness, I quickly began to skim through the rest of the scroll. Then I stopped skimming and slowly reread the passage I had just read.

The scroll began to shake as my hands gripped the wood handles. I knew I should read it again, but I couldn't see it anymore. I couldn't see anything or sense anything beyond my rage. My whole body shook with it.

All I wanted to do was: Find Jasmine. Take her hair. Rip out all those damn ribbons. And shred them with my bare hands, like some sort of monster.

I couldn't do that so I didn't move. I sat in my chair, trying to hold myself together like I so often had to do as a tiger. I felt like a tiger now. Snarling with fangs and claws, ready to hurt someone. I didn't want to listen to reason. Reason said I needed to calm down. It said that getting angry would help no one and that I needed to go inform Jasmine about the scroll.

Each rational argument was like a rain drop trying to douse an inferno. The fact I knew I was being illogical and idiotic only made me angrier. I clenched my hands around the wood handles of the scroll, gritted my teeth, and planted my feet more firmly on the ground as if I could crush my fury into submission.

It did not work. My anger just burned hotter as I sat there like a bomb waiting to go off.

I was still sitting at the small desk when Jasmine came upstairs. Above the sound of my own anger, I heard her say, "Ren, it's getting late, I think..." she trailed off and suddenly said, "Rajah? Ren, is Rajah in here?"

No.

Yes.

It did not matter. I wanted her gone. Instead, she started buzzing around the study.

"Ren? Ren? Are you there?" she called out coming closer to me. "Come on Ren. Say something. It's hard enough not being able to see you. I can't deal with this silence too. Ren?"

The logical part of my mind told me to answer her and that with a few simple words I could get her to leave. But I had passed the point of talking.

I felt a hand on my head. "Found you!" Jasmine cried triumphantly.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Don't move.

Jasmine patted my head. "Why didn't you say anything?" She ruffled my hair. "You have nice hair, Ren. Very full."