Finally, the many years I’d spent had led to this Hour of Triumph! First the search for the Cave of Wonders where the Lamp rested, then following the less-than-worthy Gazeem’s demise there, I was forced to seek out the ‘Diamond in the Rough’.

That should have been enough for me to obtain the Lamp, yet somehow within seconds of my obtaining it, the Lamp and placed into this Street Rat’s filthy hands! Believing the Lamp to be lost for good at the time, I enacted Iago’s suggestion of making Princess Jasmine (who was currently trapped inside the hourglass I placed her in, the lower half filling with sand with her in it) my Bride, thereby becoming the Sultan by way of marriage.

That too, was robbed from me, first by Prince Abubu coming to take Jasmine herself, after which he cheated Death to reveal how I’d kept that Idiot Sultan in line (which was not that difficult a task) forcing me to make a hasty retreat. Though I did claim one small victory from it, that Abubu was that Boy I’d sent to retrieve the Lamp for me, and he still carried it with him.

With the invaluable assistance of Iago, the Lamp was finally in my hands, and through it, I was now Sultan of Agrabah. I am the most powerful Sorcerer the World has ever seen! And I still have one wish left.

Still, this foolish Rat thought that he could best me, despite a lucky blow or two, he was now trapped in the coils of my Cobra body as I slowly squeezed the life out of him. After the first three attempts to kill him, I was going to make certain that this time I would succeed.

After throwing back my hooded head to cackle at his continuing attempts to defy me, I began to drive home the cold, hard reality.

“You little, fool.” I sneered as I looked down at him, enjoying the sight of his futile squirms as he desperately attempted to free himself.

I leaned in closer so that my face would take up his view. “Did you truly think that you could defeat me? The most POWERFUL BEING ON EARTH!?”

Still, he looked at me with defiance, I would have to make him learn his place as I closed in almost to the point of contact. “You’re supposed winning of the Princess, the wealth and power you had, ALL of that you obtained only because of the Genie. Without him, you’re nothing.”

“The Genie?“ He asked while he struggled, managing to twist himself enough to look at something before facing me again. “The Genie has more power than you’ll ever have!” He shouted to me, facing me directly with a confidence that hadn’t been there the moment before.

“What!?“ I demanded. What did this impudent child know.

“He gave you your power, he can take it away.” He continued to taunt me, even as he slipped out of my coils ever so slightly. I actually paused in my efforts to end his life for a moment as I pondered over what he was saying.

“Face it Jafar! You’re still, just, Second-Best!”

It was then I realised, this Boy was correct, the Genie’s power did surpass mine by a wide margin. The Genie truly was more powerful than I could be, unless…

That was when I stopped myself. I remembered the gold shackles on his wrists, the symbol of his being chained to his Lamp. A prisoner to whoever wielded it.

The realisation was quite visible on my scaled face, but this to me was just one more opportunity to humiliate this imbecile.

“You’re right. The Genie’s power does exceed my own.” I put my plan into action. “But not for long.” I slowly slithered down, wrapping myself around the Genie, who babbled on about the Boy taking a few too many hits courtesy of myself as I thought about the next one I would deliver.

“Slave! I make my third wish!” By now the Boy looked on, believing me to have fallen for his little trick. “I wish, for my first two wishes to be permanent, that no-one, no power can take from me!” The look of utter despair that etched the Boy’s face was one I would never forget, as he saw his last card fail to deliver what he desired.

“Alright, your wish is my command.” The Genie replied sullenly, perhaps he knew of his scheme, perhaps he didn’t, but whatever the case, he knew that whatever the Boy had planned, had failed with my wish.

Unlike the first two wishes which I’d experienced as a surge of power being infused into my being, this time it was more of a warm ripple that ran the from the front of my snout, to the tip of my tail. I knew, my power was secure, I would always be the Sultan, and I would always be the most powerful sorcerer the world would had ever known! I laughed once again, so hard my head was thrown back as tears came to my eyes.

Sated, I turned back to face the Street Rat who finally showed his fear of me. A little late of him to acknowledge that I was his Superior, but at least he finally understood his place.

“You sought to trick me into using my last wish to become a Genie myself, did you not?” I asked him rhetorically. “I know, Boy. Genie’s are bound to their Lamps, slaves to the ones who wield them. No matter the magnitude of the power, they must obey their Masters. Did you truly think that you could outsmart me?”

Even if he had an answer to my questions, the fact that I was slowly squeezing his chest made grunts and gasps of agony the only thing he could do. I could just put all my strength into it, shatter his body, tear it apart from the inside out. But that would be too merciful for him, I was going to make this last as long as I could, make his last minutes the most painful. With each breath he attempted to take, I squeezed him a little more, slowly, oh so slowly choking the life out of him. Within his sight, both he and I could see that the hourglass had long since filled, the Princess hidden by the sand, but that was of no concern to me, but for this child it was the final blow, I could feel the fight leaving him.

One more tightening of my coils and he could breathe no more, moments later consciousness left him. I remained like that for several long minutes, there would be no chances this time. Finally, I saw his body begin to cool, the blood no longer flowing through his dead body.

Only now did I unravel myself, his carcass dropping like a stone the moment I released him. I gazed on his limp form, the Street Rat was finally dead.

With his life ended, I used my tail to swipe against the hourglass which shattered under the force of my blow as the sand poured out from the new opening, the form of Princess Jasmine sliding out and coming to a halt with her head facing the ceiling. Her breaths coming in deep and slow once I cleared her mouth.

I allowed her to remain where she lay for a few moments more, taking in the sight of her firm legs where the leggings rested on them, hmm, perhaps I would make them semi-transparent later, to give myself a better view of them. The rest of her lithe frame well in sight for me though, as she finally began to open her eyes.

Naturally she recoiled in fear at the sight of myself, but that only brought her attention to the corpse of her lover. “Aladdin!” She cried as she raced to his side, desperately seeking some form of life within him.

“It is useless.” I chuckled darkly as a slithered over to her, tears of grief streaming down her face. “Your precious Aladdin has been dead for a while now.” I ran my long forked tongue along her silk-smooth frame, her shudder of revulsion sending a tingling pleasure through mine.

“Had I truly wished your death, my Desert Bloom.” I used the compliment knowing she would despise it. “I would have done so. The fool couldn’t decide whether to try and defeat me first, or supposedly save you.” Another cruel chuckle left me.

“And now, to rid myself of this pest for good.” I took the Boy into my mouth, setting him headfirst within it before clamping it shut, and swallowing him in one go, keeping just the right distance from the Princess as I did so to make certain she was witness to this.

Her scream was music to my ears, had I still had them, as the Street Rat was worked down my gullet, settling in my carnivorous stomach.

I could see her attempt to run from me, but one command from me halted her wasted effort. “No Princess, you are still chained to the throne. Remember?” A collar appeared around her lovely neck, ruby-studded to keep it aesthetically pleasing to me, with a chain attaching it, and thus her firmly to the throne, a chain that shortened as she was dragged back to it, where I would keep her.

Now I slithered around, some of me in front of the throne, some behind with my head held high over it as I drank in the sight of her body, one that I owned. “And to think, I was willing to make you Queen.” I stated with false regret. “Had you simply chosen more wisely, you would not be a Slave to me.”

I could see her pathetic whimpers, and the Genie turning away from the sight with tears of his own. “Agrabah is mine, all in it are mine.” I declared to her, her understanding that I was including her clear in her bleary eyes. “This, is the Reign of Jafar.”

[x]

Some years later and Agrabah was far from the City it once was. Under my rule, its influence had spread far and wide, with the wealth and power centred within this City. I spent most of my time within the Palace walls, though I would venture out when I needed to impose myself and my Rule.

Within the first few months following my establishing myself as the undisputed Ruler of all of Agrabah, I had worked on remaking the Kingdom to my liking. Within the centre of the City that my Palace looked down on, a statue of myself made to my precise likeness stood tall, cobra-headed staff in the right hand and looking down on my subjects with a cold smile. A little something to both indulge myself in and remind all as to who was in charge. One other statue of a Hooded Cobra rested within the throne room itself, directly behind where I sat.

Beside myself, the Princess Jasmine. The years since that day would have taken their toll, had I not been there to remove them as I saw fit, but at least she had finally learned to be a proper woman, following my every command without question.

Iago was not here, after my predecessor had choked on some of his own musty crackers, I had allowed him to seek out a replacement for his entertainment.

The throne room was filled with the riches of the Cave of Wonders, which I had relieved it of, before returning the Lamp to its resting place, its purpose to me served, and now safe where no other could take it.

As for me? I leaned back a bit and raised a foot to look at the wicked red claws that my long toes ended with, the red, black, and golden scales of my handsome self that covered my arms, legs, body, tail and hooded head, every single one of which could be seen. The familiar cobra-headed staff held in my hand. True, the Palace required another round of redecoration to accommodate my 14-foot tall form, but it was worth it for a body that commanded fear and respect in equal measure.

Some did try to usurp my Reign in the early days, but they had long since been dealt with in the correct manner. And I had seen fit to take on personal protection that aided me in my own security. Of course, they knew full well what would happen to themselves, and their loved ones should they ever attempt to betray me, but the reward for their loyalty was enough to keep them in line, being amongst the wealthiest in the Kingdom - apart from myself, naturally.

As I rested, sipping on a delicate wine that I was told came from lands further to the North, I found myself asking: