The Desert Rose Lamp
Chapter 1 Djinni, Genie
Djinn. Hiders. Djinni were hiders of magic. People possessing or possessed by magic in the desert. They called him a demon for something he did not choose. Even his own father has abandoned him in the desert to die. Gaara was too immature to control his magic. If demons in the desert choose to eat him, so be it. The boy did not know how to fight with magic.
Desert nights were cold. Gaara hid in the cave. In the corner at the edge of the cave, Gaara saw some prickly pear. Hopefully, it's not some rare offbreed that poisons its eater to death. Covering his hands in the pockets of his leather coat, the boy wiggled the fruit off the cactus. On to the sand it fell. Gaara took off the brooch on his fancy headdress. Using the blade of the brooch, Gaara peeled the thorny skin off. He rubbed his front teeth against the fruit to grind it for flesh. He was still hungry.
Demonic teal green eyes glowed. Gaara's demonic eyes allowed him to see in the dark without a lamp. He walked further into the cave. Maybe there would be a bunny for him to eat. Some water trapped in the rocks. Maybe a large boulder to sleep on, so he won't be bitten by scorpions.
Suddenly, he heard a clanging sound. Like someone was beating the inside of a metal pot with a spoon. His stomach growled.
He turned around and walked back towards the exit of the cave.
Let me out! Hey you! Boy with the red hair, if you let me out I'll grant you three wishes! A lady always keeps her promise. I promise!
A young female voice rang in his ears. It was so soft, so sweet…Gaara almost trusted the voice. Almost.
The boy ran away.
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Well, he was supposed to rub her lamp and let her out. But he did not. Charging her magic, Hinata let herself out. She was beginning to grow too powerful for this weak gold lamp.
BOOM!
"Boy! You come back here!...Go on, get gone then. If the other djinns eat you, I won't help you."
That did the trick. The adorable boy with red hair and glowing teal eyes walked back towards her.
Seizing her opportunity, Hinata said. "Go on, rub that lamp. I'll give you two wishes!"
He reached over and picked up the body of the lamp between two hands. Roses were carved onto th sides. The lamp glowed. The boy eyed her distrustfully. "Aren't you supposed to give three wishes? I want three wishes."
Mischievous light lilac eyes glowed in the night. Like Gaara, she also had light colored irises. She was a djinni. "Well, you had three wishes. But! Just now, you wished for three wishes. So…now you're down to two!"
Putting up to two fingers, cheekily she lied. Even in the dark, Gaara could clearly see she was a young girl. She was probably his age, thirteen, maybe. Blue curls cradled her face. She had a pleasant heart-shaped face. But her eyes were impish just like the demon she was.
"I don't do business with lying cheats!" Gaara snarled. Better to be harsh with her, before she figures out that he was a djinn who did not know how to use magic.
"Aack! Fine, I won't cheat you. You still have three wishes. I did not really use magic on your folly back there. It did not really count. I'll make you a deal. Fair and square, alright?" Her lavender eyes locked with his. She was determined to get an agreement.
Carefully, he nodded. "I'll listen to the deal first. Then, I'll tell you."
"Well, if you promise to use your last wish to free me, I'll advise you." Kindly, she spoke. "I have seen people wish for things that hurt them. So, if I advise you, you won't get hurt or cheated."
She reminded him of his mother. He missed his mother. "Okay, deal."
She clapped her hands and smiled, she sat on the sand with her legs crossed. Then, as if she was telling him a secret, she leaned in her excited face. "Think carefully. Wish big! Here's the chance to change your life for the better!"
Gaara considered asking her to strip him of his magic, forever. Perhaps his father would take him back. But deep down, he knew it was wishful thinking. Think carefully, she had told him.
"I don't feel my best right now. I'm going to sleep. If I die, you are just going to have to hope another person finds you." The threat worked. Her eyes widened in fear.
Waving him off towards the boulder, she said. "Go on, then! Go to sleep. I'll protect you!"
As the boy slept, she zapped magic at the scorpions that tried to crawl on him. She tried to use up as much magic as possible. She was getting too powerful for the lamp to hold her. If the lamp bursts, while she's still bound by contract, she dies. Hinata has spent a year inside her lamp. She slept and read the rules written on the walls inside her golden lamp.
Blanketing him with her cloak, she hopes he won't be like the others. Hopefully, he would keep his promise.
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I can change my life for the better. He remembered. As he woke up, he realized exactly what he wanted. But first, there was one thing he had to find out.
"Why were you trapped in that lamp? Did you do something bad?" Gaara asked the girl. He did not want to release a bad djinn into the world.
"No." She said sadly. "No one likes having a djinn for a daughter."
"How did you end up in there?"
"My father's human. My father hired a soothsayer. And then, he put me in the lamp."
Gaara's heart ached for her. She was just like him. She was thrown out by her kin.
"I keep my promises."
"Good." Lavender eyes glistened. Rubbing her arm, she looked like she was about to cry.
"I want you to teach me magic." Gaara said.
Hinata made a rolling hand gesture. She motioned for him to speak on. "For how long?"
"For…three years?"
"Okay, that's fair. What else?" The girl asked.
"I want a friend." He admitted shamefully. The girl placed her hand on his shoulder.
"You already have one."
"I would like that." He smiled. He was starting to trust her. Clever as she was, she did not seem evil.
"You know, you didn't actually make any wishes that required magic. Why don't you wish for something practical? Like getting us out of the middle of desert. A sack of gold would be nice, too. "
That seemed reasonable enough. Gaara closed his eyes. "I wish we were in the town of Suna."
"Alright!" Hinata clapped her palms and the whole cave glowed.
They were in an alley in Suna.
"I wish for a sack of silver coins. A hundred of them!" The boy wished excited.
Hinata made the sack of coins appear.
Carefully, Gaara asked. "What do I say to free you?"
"I wish for Hinata, the Djinni, to be free from her lamp."
Gaara repeated her words.
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