Chapter 2: Transformation
Ottoman Emirate: Near Bursa:
A
young man hollered and swatted a sheep with the end of a staff. It
bawled at him and then dashed to join the others on the hillside. The
boy, satisfied with his effort to contain his flock, joined them at
the top of the hill so he could keep watch. Contented with the
grazing going smoothly, he pulled out a scroll and unrolled it.
“Greetings.”
A voice startled the boy.
In
a swift motion, the boy stood up and swung his staff at the intruder.
The
man flicked his hand to the side, and the staff froze in place. “Now,
now. Let us not be rude. I am not here to harm you or your….animals.”
The man, the same one restrained by his kin in Antarctica, said.
The
boy’s eyes bugged, and he stumbled back, his staff released from
the power that held it. “What are you?”
“I...don’t
know yet.”
“Are
you a jinn?”
The
man smiled, “Perhaps. Is this some kind of powerful being to your
kind?”
“Yes.
And one not to be trusted.”
The
man’s smile faded, “Oh, pity. I do not wish any harm. I am lost,
you might say. I need help.”
The
boy pointed the staff toward the west, “Bursa is three day's
journey that way if you have a camel or horse.”
The
man watched a sheep come closer to graze on the green grasses, “Is
this a camel or horse?”
It
stunned the boy at first and then he laughed, “You must be drunk to
think so strange of thoughts.”
“I
am new to your world. I have fallen from mine. Perhaps you can tell
me more.”
“Are
you from heaven? Are you...an angel?”
“Perhaps.
I don’t know. Tell me your myths, your tales, that I may remember
who I am.”
The
boy cautiously looked around, still worried. Finally, he led the man
back to the top of the hill and picked up the scroll he had dropped.
“This is a tale of the jinn. Perhaps it will bring you insight.”
“By
all means, tell me this story.” He sat down with the boy.
The
boy impressed him with a story about a boy and a magic lamp. It was
intriguing to learn this myth of magical beings that serve people and
are thought of as both desirable and fearful.
Once
it was over, the man asked, “Do you believe these jinns exist?”
“Oh,
yes. There are good ones and bad ones. They are tricky.”
“Tricky,
fascinating. Do many people here believe in them?”
“Oh,
yes. To be given favor by one is a great desire, but we must be
careful of their wrath if they grow weary of us.” The boy lost his
fear of this man as he got lost in talking about this subject.
The
man laughed, “I like this myth. It is intriguing, and I like your
story. What if I told you I am a Jinn?”
The
boy gulped and cleared his throat, “Oh, uh, are you good or bad?”
“So
blunt a question. If I were bad, then I would say I am good to trick
you. If I am good, then I would say so. How could you trust my
answer?”
The
boy was a little perplexed by that. “I...uh...don’t know.”
“Here,
let me prove my power and that I mean no harm to you. Make a wish.”
The
boy almost answered, but then looked down at the scroll, “I must be
wise about my wish.”
“That
is a commendable attitude from one I assume is young among your kind.
However, I will tell you I was once wicked, which is why I am here
now. I wish to be good, to be kind to people. Whatever you wish, I
will grant it without malice or evil. Just be careful of what you
wish for, not every blessing turns out so good.”
The
boy smiled at him, “I believe you. Now, I have my wish. I fight off
beasts who wish to make a meal of my sheep. I am meek and fear I will
become the next meal. Make me a great fighter.”
The
Jinn stood up and held out his hand, “Give me your staff.” It was
placed in his hand. He held it tight, and it glowed, then it turned
solid black. He handed it back. “There. I have not given you the
blessing, but I have given it to the staff. While you hold this, it
will defeat any beast you fight. Do not use it on other people of
your kind, it won’t work the same. I do this so you do not use this
staff for evil, but for the purpose you wished.”
The
boy held the black staff and smiled, “Truly?”
“Here.”
The Jinn snapped his fingers and a wolf-like creature appeared out of
the leaves and grasses and attacked. The boy dexterously swung the
staff around and dispatched the creature in two blows.
“WOW!
TRULY AMAZING!”
“Yes,
thank you.”
The
boy looked out and said, “It is growing late. Come, you can meet my
family.”
“I
would like to find this city, Bursa, and continue my journey.”
“I
will lead you there with my father. We leave tomorrow to bring some
of our flock to market.”
“Then,
you have granted my wish. I will join you.” The Jinn followed the
boy and his animals back toward the farm.
The
sun rose high above the green lands. Morning mists swept out from
before the travelers. A man and his son rode on camels with a third
man riding alongside the father. They led a small selection of sheep
gently toward a bustling metropolis.
The
father held his hand out, “Master Jinn, may I present Bursa, the
capital of our Empire.”
“How...lovely,”
Jinn answered.
“Yes,
it is.” The boy eagerly said, “We are a young empire, but our
city is greater than any other in the world!”
“Now,
son. Boasting is for generals and Beyliks. Be humble. I’m sure our
illustrious guest has seen many great cities.” The father answered.
Jinn
laughed, “I assure you, what I have seen is beyond anything you
will experience in this life. But, nonetheless, this city is
marvelous on its own.”
“Come!
Market is already busy!” The father guided his camel and the sheep
along the way.
Jinn
followed behind, gaining as much wisdom about this new place as he
could. The father and mother of this child did not believe the
fantastic stories their son told. So, the boy decided it was a secret
between them. Jinn promised him one more wish if he kept the secret,
so the boy asked for wealth. They will find their sheep go for a high
price today, and this amused Jinn.
No
sooner had they entered this sprawling city did Jinn find himself in
crowded streets filled with loud people. Primitive barter was carried
out at every corner and doorway. Stands filled with fruits, and
vegetables were next to shops selling carpets, fabrics, and pottery.
Once the farmer and his son found their buyers, it was time for them
to part company.
“It
was a pleasure meeting you, Master Jinn.” The father said.
Jinn
bowed to him, “I offer my gratitude and thanks for all of your
help. I pray your animals bring you much wealth.”
The
man leaned in and whispered, “I’ve already had five offers, and I
was just walking down the street. I have underestimated the value of
my flock.”
“I’m
sure you have.” Jinn knelt down to the boy, “Be good and keep our
secret. Thank you for giving me an identity.”
The
boy hugged him, “Thank you for the wishes.”
“Good
luck.” Jinn bid his final farewell and moved through the busy
market.
Jinn
walked through the market, passing a slave auction, and then came to
special shops for the richer clientele. Brass and bronze objects were
displayed along with jewels and other precious metals. Wealthy men of
this area purchased trinkets for their brides or daughters...or
camels. Unlike the lively market he left, this was more calm.
Something
caught his eye. He stood before a shop that had delicate items made
of glass and other fragile elements. This was one of the most ornate
shops he had seen. However, it wasn’t the golden jewelry or
gem-encrusted mirrors that piqued his interest. A tall, black bottle
sat on a shelf. The bottom of the bottle was twisted while the neck
stretched high. He lifted it and found it much heavier than he
expected.
“Oh,
you like the black bottle?” A craggy old woman said.
He
held the bottle up, letting a little sunlight shine through it. “This
is impressive.”
“It
is also one of a kind. That is no ordinary glass, it is pure
obsidian. It was traded to my husband by Captain Omar, who discovered
among treasures from a captured pirate ship. We do not know where it
comes from, but it is in excellent condition. Sorry to say, it
contains no fine wine.”
He
pulled the black stopper off the top and peered down into the empty
body, “This is perfect, absolutely perfect. I have never seen
anything like this.”
“And
you shall never again. Make me an offer, stranger.”
Jinn,
still enamored with the bottle, said, “I am afraid I do not know
the value of your currency, so I don’t know where to begin. Give me
a price and I will pay it.”
“No,
that is not how it works. We bargain. You give me a price and I
counter. This is how we make deals here in Bursa.” She smiled at
him, her golden jewelry glinting in the sunlight.
He
smiled at her, “I like you. Here is what I offer. I am a Jinn. I
can offer you a wish, in exchange for this unique item.”
She
laughed, “That is a new one. I have never heard such foolishness
from one who seems to be in his right mind. Do not play games with
me, I deal in gold, silver, or barter for valuable items. Now, make
me a deal.”
Jinn
laughed at her, “So, you don’t believe me. I suppose the myth of
the Jinn is merely a legend to your people. That works well for me, I
don’t want too much attention. So, I will play your game...in my
way. Here.” He looked around for a moment and then saw a young
woman come over and look at a small bauble hanging from one stand
this old lady owned. The woman’s husband, an old, wealthy-looking
man, came over and shook his head. He didn’t approve of such cheap
jewelry for his young bride. Jinn made sure the old woman was
watching, then waved his hand in front of the man’s face.
The
man became dazed, picked up the bauble, and then came over and paid
ten times its value, and then left.
The
woman gasped, “By Allah! How...why...who are you?”
Jinn
said, “I am what I said, a Jinn. You want currency to make you
happy, then you have it. Is that enough for this bottle?”
“More
than enough. But...”
“Thank
you.” He bowed his head to her and then walked away with his prize.
Jinn
walked out of the markets and into a narrow alley where laundry
strung between buildings. Large rugs and other clothing danced in the
afternoon breezes. He looked around to make sure he was alone.
“It’s
about time for me to obey the decree.” He said to himself.
Jinn
had confirmed in his mind that he would be more obedient now, more
honorable. His ways had gained a little respect back home, and he was
lucky to have survived Legion’s decimation of his world. He would
obey the order to split his power between himself and a talisman, an
object. The object had to be foreign, he couldn’t manifest it with
his own power, otherwise, it really wouldn’t work. Besides, he
liked this Obsidian bottle.
Holding
it close to his chest, he closed his eyes. He would not only divide
himself into two parts, he would recreate his image so he appeared as
the myth of the Jinn. When he spoke to the boy, his parents, and that
woman, and told them he was a Jinn, he took from their mind the image
they expected when thinking of this mythical figure. Even those who
did not believe him had some idea of what a Jinn would look like. It
was slightly different each time, but some elements were the same. He
would adapt the image to his own design, to make it unique.
With
this in mind, he concentrated on the bottle and began to split his
soul. It was no easy task, and the pain was unbelievable. A blue
smoke exploded around him and swirled, sending the nearby fabric
billowing in all directions. He couldn’t contain the scream of
agony as he did this act of division. Power poured into the object.
It was taking longer than he expected and the strength of this act
tore parts of the buildings off. Jinn was not interested in
destroying this place, so he opened his arms and let the power
explode upward. He flew into the sky, dragging some fabric with him.
Flying
up into the clouds, his body transformed. From the waist up he lost
all clothing and gained an impressive physique. From the waist down,
he lost all form, and it turned to smoke connected to the bottle.
This was part of the image that those people had believed in. Yelling
as he transformed the cyclone in the heavens parted the clouds.
Finally, he was sucked into the bottle, and it plummeted back to the
ground.
Citizens
came looking for the commotion and were investigating the alley. Some
were in the windows checking the destruction to their laundry.
Suddenly a black bottle hit the ground so hard it sent a wave of
sandy, hot wind in all directions.
After
the winds died down, and the dust settled, one brave man approached
the bottle. Before he could reach it, a billowing cloud of blue smoke
puffed out of it and a man formed from the smoke. He was wearing
sirwal pants with a large blue sash, and nothing else.
Picking
up his bottle, Jinn bowed, “Pardon the mess. I didn’t mean to
cause such a stir.”
“DJINN!”
A woman yelled and people ran away.
“Oh,
great. Just what I didn’t want to cause: fear.” Jinn looked
around, “Please, don’t scream. I...hey, come back.”
Just
then a royal guard came down the street, “What is this?”
Jinn
smiled, “Ah, an official-looking man. Please, I wish to be taken to
your palace. I want to meet the leader of these lands.”
The
guard sneered at him, “What is this? I should take you in for
speaking to me so rudely.”
Jinn
snapped his fingers, and the man lifted off the ground and was
helplessly hovering in the air, “I am trying to be nice, I don’t
mean any harm. But I will not be treated like some common criminal.
Now, I asked to be shown to the leader of these lands.”
The
man sputtered for a moment and then said, “Oh, yes, of course, Lord
Jinn, I will do as you wish, please put me down.”
“My
pleasure.” He lowered the man and then strutted out of the alley
with the guard now reverently directing him.
