Cairo  

XXXV  

I don’t know how Jasmine did it.  

Honestly, I don’t really want to know how. I’m just glad to have her back.  

She pulls away from the hug first, and grabs my hand, beginning to drag me to the cell door.  

“Ro, we have to get out of here. You probably already know that Calipso is already looking for backup.”  

I nod. We begin to sprint out of the room together.  

“Wait!” Jasmine abruptly halts, and I almost knock her over with my momentum.  

“What is it, princess?” God, how I missed calling her these nicknames.  

For the first time, she actually doesn’t roll her eyes at the nickname and points back to the cell.  

“We should probably get weapons, Cairo. I bet the guards still have some on them. I’ll stay here with the frying pan, and you go back and get them. I’ll fend off any guards if they come.”  

“...No...” I reply. “I can’t let you be in danger again, Jasmine.”  

She raises one eyebrow. “Brave now, are we?” Despite this, she hands me the frying pan with a knowing look in her eyes.  

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon!” she exclaims, as she runs back to the cell. “Be careful!”  

As she runs away, I whisper back.  

“I hope so...”  

Jasmine  

XXXVI  

The run to the cell was uneventful. I reach the inside, and begin rummaging through the guards’ ‘clothes.’ Truly, they were just poorly-scraped-together rags that they wore.  

Finally, I find a good weapon on Tashe. A sword, it’s golden handle beaming, even in the shadows of the cell.  

I make a move to begin running away, but as I remove my hand from Tashe’s clothes, I feel him move.  

Oh no.