Tolly: I know it took, like, forever, but school can be so annoying when it gets in the way of the more important things in life, you know?
Disclaimer: See 1st chapter. I don't feel like repeating myself. Oh, wait: I don't own the Cave of Wonders or anything else that may be mentioned in this chapter, but don't you want to know how it got there?
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And, thusly, three thousand years passed, with variations. For instance, I served his royal lowness, the prince (or should I say Sultan), at one point. That was when the no killing rule got kind of annoying. It was also when I learned of Sabirah's death…
Anyway, you might say I traveled the world a bit in those days, passed from master to master. But it's not like I actually got to see anything. A few times, I was locked up for centuries at a time. That wasn't too fun. After one such extended dormancy, I found myself in the hands of a young woman, who, like me, had been a servant in the palace, and whose parents had been killed by the current sultan. She intended to use me to bring him down. My story picks up again just before her plan is going to be executed. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Master was pacing back and forth on the sand. "I need some kind of trap. Something that he won't be able to resist, the greedy…" (Here she let off a stream of colorful curses, which I shall not repeat) "But what?"
I sat, bored, next to my lamp. She hadn't even made one wish yet. "Hate to break it to you, but I can't make a death trap." I said, yawning widely.
"Yes, I'm aware of that…restriction." said Master. "But if you make a trap and he enters it completely of his own free will, does that count?"
"Well, no, actually." I said, after some thought. "Do you have something in mind?"
"Absolutely. Genie, for my first wish, I wish for a mystical cave, filled with unimaginable riches…with a curse upon it."
I was all ready to create this cave when she added this last bit. "Er…what kind of curse, exactly?" I had never done this sort of thing.
"That only a worthy soul may enter, one who will not be tempted by the fabulous wealth. A diamond in the rough." She laughed a little at her pun. "You know, wealth, diamonds…oh never mind. Anyway, that is my wish."
"That counts as two, I think. Cave, curse," I said, counting off on my fingers. "Yeah, that will be two wishes."
"Oh fine! Just do it!"
"Okay then, here we go." I rose into the air and drifted a short distance away. I shot magic into the ground, which immediately started writhing and roiling, shaping itself into a…a, um…well, to this day, I'm not really sure what it was. It was kind of catlike, in a way. Whatever it was, it was missing something. In this case, it needed glowing eyes to complete the overall effect. So I went back to my master and made her give me this beetle pendent she was wearing (I probably could've made something myself, but I felt like she had to give up something. Besides, it was a big ugly thing anyway) and cracked it in half, putting one part in each empty eye. Then, it came to life, literally. Its huge mouth opened wide, revealing the entrance to the cave.
I went inside, quickly filling it with gold, jewels, etc., and came back out. "Alright then," I said to the cave. "Listen up. I hereby dub you the Cave of Wonders," I conjured up a massive sword and laid it on each of its shoulders (that is, where they'd be if it had shoulders). "You are to let no one in but a diamond in the rough…"
"Genie," Master sighed, annoyed.
"Hey, it was your idea." I said to her, and turned back to the cave. "As I was saying, only someone who is worthy may go in. Otherwise, you can eat them…or something…got it?"
"Yes, O mighty Genie." the cave said in a deep, rumbling voice.
"Was that really necessary?" asked Master, getting more irritated.
"No, but it's a nice touch, don't you think? Anyway, one wish left. What'll it be, Master?"
"I wish for the sultan's most prized possession to be put into the deepest cavern of the Cave of Wonders." she said simply.
"Your wish is my command. Would you like me to get him to come too? I promise it won't count as an extra wish." I grinned cheekily at her.
"Yes, Genie." she said, gritting her teeth.
I rose into the air until I could see the city. "By the way," I said, taking aim at the palace. "What is the sultan's most prized possession, anyway?" I fired my magic towards the city.
"A golden lamp." said Master.
"A WHAT?" I yelled, falling out of the sky, and landing, rather heavily, in human form. It had been three thousand years since I had last seen Najib, three thousand years since our transformation, and here he was, right in the city. "The sultan has a genie? And you didn't tell me?"
"Well, being a genie yourself, I thought you knew. I mean, look at the sultan's flying carpet. How do you think he got that? And…"
"I don't care about a stinkin' carpet!" I shouted, growing larger and larger. "I care about the genie I'm putting into the stinkin' cave!"
"I'm sorry if you feel bad about doing that to one of your own kind, but that's not for you to decide, is it?" Master yelled back up at me. "I'm the master, I've made my wish, and you've granted it! And look, here he comes now!"
With a puff of blue smoke, I was back to my regular form, staring at the procession that was now streaking our way. Najib's lamp was moving steadily towards the cave, followed by the sultan on his magic carpet, one arm outstretched, reaching for the lamp. I shot towards them as they entered the cave, intending to follow, but my shackles held me back as though I was chained to my lamp. I felt myself being tugged back into it and I fought with all I had, my eyes on the cave as it swallowed Najib and his master. The cave, having obtained its most valuable treasure, started to disintegrate.
"Cave of Wonders!" I cried, still resisting the pull of the lamp. The cave seemed to hear me, despite the fact that it was nearly gone. "The worthy one, the one who can enter, he can get only the lamp! You got it? Only the lamp!"
With that, the cave disappeared, leaving behind only the two halves of its beetle pendant eyes. And me? I was back inside my lamp, with only my grief for company.
