A History Through Blood

It had been less than five minutes since they had unleashed the Djinn from his oil lamp and Kahina already regretted giving her support for releasing him. Unlike the other supernatural creatures she had encountered Moujik-term had no obvious motivations, malevolent or otherwise. There was no desire for power, no aura of benevolence or desperate need survival, just a constant yearning for amusement. Both Leo and herself looked to Victoria for guidance, but even she had to give pause as to how to best handle the Djinn.

"Is there a price to those wishes?" Asked Victoria as she sat down on the bedding, eyes never once leaving the Djinn. "Ah, you are worried about some no-good rapscallion taking your soul as payment?" He asked, mocking laughter punctuating his sentences. "Look, you get what ya wish for, and I get nothing except front row seats to the show. Oh, and if you want audience participation for your wishes. I am not that kind of Djinn." Moujik often punctuated his points with over-the-top gestures, such as feigning offence to non-existent allegations.

"If none of you mind..." Victoria asked, already assuming the response. "I will make the wishes on our behalf. I wish that you, as well as any being who would act as your substitute, will truthfully answer any and all questions that us three or my familiars have. They will be answered without concealing information or be answered in such a manner to obfuscate the truth behind the answer." It was not a wish that either Leo or herself would consider, claiming only information for little reward. But, given the circumstances... if the Djinn was telling the truth, it was the only way to get context they needed. "Very well." Accepted Moujik, nodding his head as he glowed dimly. "I gotta say, you are the first one who didn't immediately wish for self-enrichment. Part of me was expecting you to wish for an unending goblet of blood or immunity to sunlight."

"Shall we start at the beginning? Tell us," Victoria stated with some measure of authority. "Was the previous statement about there being a lack of price: correct?" "Oh yes." Moujik replied, "I don't need something so trivial as your little soul." Leo, noting the distinct lack of implied differential in power in the Djinn's response, asked: "Who exactly are you?" "I was once an appointed as something akin to a qadi*, or a judge as you would call it, originally called Aswat Khatib." Explained Moujik, losing some of the snark from his voice. "My knowledge and power got me a lot of begrudging respect from the others in Desert's Shade, but there were a few wet blankets who took everything too serious and banished me to this lamp. Bunch of killjoys, that is what they are. How can you not poke fun at people who see any minor infraction as a grand insult?"

"If your name was Aswat Khatib, where did Moujik come from?" Asked Kahina, allowing everyone to process the information. "Funny story." Started Moujik, regaining some of his previous energy. "There was this visiting emissary, from somewhere up north. I don't remember the name; it was several centuries ago. He didn't like the fact that a being, with the power I held, had just returned from interacting with the lower classes to greet him. He called me a simple-minded peasant. The look on his face when I adopted the name was priceless. 'We are all peasants underneath all the bravado and self-granted nobility. Filthy disgusting peasants, the lot of us. I am sick of denying that fact.' Or... something like that. I then demanded that he address me as a peasant and adopted it as my name to really rub it in. He did not like that."

His mockery, both self-deprecating and otherwise, was probably the main reason why he got imprisoned in the first place. "So, what had you confined into this lamp?" Asked Leo, picking up on the logical gap considering his former status. "The same goes to granting wishes to whoever unleashes you." "The thing is, human: everyone always wants to know what to wish for." He started, winding up for another monologue. "Never do they ask why they: even get the chance to begin with. In my case, the binding was part of my exile, and the release condition was added as a cruel joke by the those in power. I must try and grant three wishes to whoever unleashes me from the dinky little oil lamp right there. I am compelled, not by some god or driving motivation. But, by some mystical contractual clause."

"How would one break the seal?" Asked Victoria, curious as the binding was far more complex that what she could decipher. "That is a good question sweetie!" Moujik, said bouncing up from his chair. "All I need to do is grant the three wishes in a way that is fulfilled in the way intended by the person making it. However, I must try and twist the wording however I can. Honestly, it's funnier that way. Oh, you are already one for one. Keep up the good work, I might get free after two centuries of confinement."

"For confirmation..." Leo asked hesitantly. "If I were to wish for, and this is not a wish mind you, five wagons of gold. How would you twist that?" "Ooooh, this will be fun. Hypotheticals." Glee filling his voice. "This one is easy. You would receive five wagons made of pure gold, which is not a very strong metal. They would collapse under their own weight, and you would be left trying to collect several tons of gold without equipment with many potential thieves coveting the useless metal." Victoria seemed to nod, seeming to appreciate his answer.

"You seem to have thought of something," Moujik called out, directing his focus on Victoria. "Come on, tell the class Sweetie." "I was merely appreciating your sense of irony." Commented Victoria. "I am glad that you did not pick one of the more lethal options, such as summoning the gold above someone's head." Moujik's body grew noticeably smaller in mocking recoil, "That is dark... I knew Vampires liked the darkness. But that is messed up. That does give me some ideas..."

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"Let's try another one. I always liked improvisation. How would you grant: I want to find my truest love?" Asked Moujik, thoroughly enjoying the exchange and giving him new ideas. "They never said it had to be human." Answered Leo, who seemed to become similarly interested in the exchange. "A fat sow might be too much. It isn't kosher. A lovely Heifer on the other hand..." "You could go the more morbid route, pick someone who has days to live or delay granting it until their own final day draws close." Commented Victoria, her mind going to more pessimistic places. "If you want one more in line with your sense of humor, they never said that the object of their affection had to hold reciprocal feelings. Alternatively, you could also select someone that they would be unable to enter a relationship with. Many places frown on love between men, adultery or relations between classes." "I need to make some notes. You guys are too good at this." Moujik's sense of enjoyment grew with each answer, finding a treasure trove of ironic answers he had not considered.

"Last one, last one. I know you got more questions, but this is fun." As the Djinn said this, he paced back and forth as to find another good hypothetical. He was not a threat to them, as he was far more concerned about amusing himself than furthering any grandiose plans for revenge. While Kahina would never admit it publicly, she was enjoying the good-natured intellectual debate between her mentor and the stranger. Although... it was far from morally pure.

"How would you grant a wish for immortality?" He asked, leaning in close to Victoria's face. His body contorting in a strange attempt to provoke some response. "While it is my personal belief that immortality is a curse onto itself, there are ways to expedite the effects." The question, although targeted, did not phase her. It merely served as a source of some expertise. "The more direct method is that they are now immortal, but their body is not. In fifty years, they would be a senile old man, unable to die and trapped in a living prison. Even that assumes they don't live on as a decapitated head for centuries. Other ways include: killing them and converting their soul into an immortal ghost unable to enjoy his life or trapping his body in an indestructible vessel that is only able to watch what goes on around him."

"Returning to the original topic..." Kahina lead, already expecting what kind of information they would want. "If you were free from your binding. What actions would you take in the following decades?" The question gave him pause for a second, his body quickly moving across to where she was standing. "Look, if you are wondering if I will go on some grand murderous rampage... Then I will have to disappoint you their buddy."

As he gave his answer, laced with sarcasm and dramatic sadness, Moujik changed his attire to one resembling a military uniform donned during special occasions. "Could I go in there, sword drawn and challenging the entire city to an epic battle that would be told for ages? Sure, but that isn't my style. I've been gone far too long and, honestly, I don't care about Desert's Shade. If they even kept that name. No... What I want to do, mortal, is claim my few meagre possessions and move somewhere far cooler. Gonna set myself up and spend some quality time among the mortals. Maybe, I could become a tailor and watch puppet shows on my days of rest."

"If we do release you, can you leave us out of whatever mischief you get into?" Asked Victoria, looking to her companions for agreement. Kahina and Leo both returned her gaze, neither wishing to associate with the Djinn any longer than needed. "I cannot guarantee it, but I will owe you a favor." Moujik simply shrugged, throwing his hands up in the air. "This world is a crazy place; the only guarantee is pain and suffering."

"In that case," Victoria stated, raising her hand towards the table in front of her. "I wish for three certified gold dinar coins that can be used as legal tender the nation that we are currently in, created either from thin air or taken from an untraceable location. The coins will appear onto this table before me with-in the next minute." With a click of his fingers, the clink of metal on metal sounded as the coins manifested on the table. "Done, they are a bit scuffed. But perfectly legal tender." Moujik said proudly. Victoria still got what she wanted, even if it was noticeably damaged. Victoria had apparently decided that he held no more useful information and was unlikely to be a hindrance in the immediate future. Choosing to release the Djinn without much fuss.

"For the final wish," stated Victoria. "I shall wish that: once you leave this room you will actively avoid contact with any humans who are currently staying with-in the settlement, with the exception of myself, Kahina and Leo, for a period of fifty summers. This period of non-contact will extend to any proxies, agents acting under your instructions and mystical objects, animate or otherwise, left behind." With a shrug and click, Moujik granted the final wish as a series of stars appeared on his forehead that likely bound him to his word.

"I must say, I never thought I'd get out of that lamp for at least a few millennia." Moujik mused, summoning a change of foreign clothing onto his form. "Thanks for your considerate wishes, sweetie. Time to see the world. I might go east, I hear the humans have created something called dumplings there and they sound delectable. I will save you a seat at the table." With a tip of his hat, the Djinn disappeared off to who knows where in a puff of smoke. While many would been confused and horrified by the thought of untold riches or power being turned down for a relatively modest fee. None of them thought that it was any form of a loss. Each one received a valuable gold coin and ensured that someone did not irrecoverably destroy the countryside due to hubris. It most certainly was a positive outcome, at least Kahina thought so.

-

* Islamic Judge who interprets and applies Sharia law.