The Mobius Tower

"Report, my king."

Noa was looking over the various maps from the governor's manor he now occupied in Cairo. Without turning around he responded, "Proceed."

"Your majesty, reports say the wizard's floating lair was spotted briefly above the desert a couple of days ago. The area is still quite dangerous with the two genies at battle, however, and..."

"Thank you." Noa cut him off looking back over his soldier at the man. "You are dismissed."

A bald man sitting in the corner smiled widely, his gleaming silver armor decorated with the faces of monstrous animals and his pauldrons adorned with human skulls. He looked to Noa, "That it then, King? Your way into the mobius tower?"

"The march south was halted thanks to the djinn and efreet, but I can't be concerned with that if this tower is this close to being in my grasp." Noa looked the man in the eye and cocked his head slightly. "You certain you can keep the efreet at bay should this take more time than is planned?"

"Aye. My lord told me I gotta return "that which was stolen in the days of the soft rocks." Gave me the power needed to make that happen. I think I've proven that enough, haven't I?"

It was true Noa had witnessed what this man, if that is what he indeed was, could do. He was faster than anyone he had ever seen, and could seemingly avoid any attack that hoped to find him. Maybe it was true that the devil had opened his eyes in ways normal humans could not, not even himself.

"This may be pointless to ask...but your lord does not seek to ring the bell, does he?"

"Only that big red retard would do something so dumb, king." He reached down and took a large swig of the distilled spirits he kept by him at all times. "Whoo. Some things even a devil would want locked away."