Later that night, Danerik found himself in the middle of a huge desert plateau atop a restless mare. Vladimir ordered him to dismount, then handed the boy some strange, metal objects. Danerik considered using them as weapons, but realized a journey back on foot would probably kill him. Vladimir then also dismounted and pointed out where each object was to be placed. When everything met his approval, he got back on his jet-black horse and, elevated above the plain, he shouted to Danerik, "Do not touch anything! Only flip the switch you are standing by, remain by it, and await further instructions."

Danerik obeyed while continuing to formulate an escape. No human inhabitants for miles. No food. No water. The horse already hates me. Escape appears out of the question. As he stepped into a large metal ring and prepared to flip the switch, he resigned himself to a life of slavery.

The instant the switch hit the metal, Danerik felt a wracking pain course through his body. Through a green haze, he saw Vladimir galloping away in fear. Coward, he thought, before blacking out.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

He woke in a strange, dark place as a strange green mist swirled around him. He shivered, his rags unable to protect him from the piercing cold, and as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he found himself in a deep, rocky pit. Standing up, Danerik felt the air grow colder around him. Instinctively, he shouted, "Who's there?"

A slight greenish mist condensed in front of him, forming a floating, turquoise-clothed woman who stared at him peevishly. Dressed like the noble women of the market, her raven-black hair cascaded down her back and covered one half of her face. She floated close and whispered cautiously, "Hello, child."

"Hey, who are you to call me child? You're just a weird…floating thingy."

"Djinni."

"A djinn?"

"No, one djinni. You would have two djinni."

"There's another one?"

"No, no…I mean…." She put her head in her hands. "Never mind."

"So why are you here?"

"Well, that's for me to know and you to find out."

"Really?"

"No. I'm here to tell you…oh, love the white hair!"

"What?" He tried to pull his bangs down in front of his eyes, but couldn't quite get them down that far. The djinni rolled her eyes and pulled a mirror from behind her back.

"Here."

Staring in disbelief, Danerik looked at his new self reflected in the mirror. "I have…green eyes?"

"Yes. You see, we are actually in another dimension."

"Dimensions?"

"Ummm,…Basically, because of whatever you did on the other side, you are now a…"

"A Djinn? Or djinni?"

"Djinni. I mean, I don't quite know what you are."

"Oh."

"As things stand currently, you're not in the best of places. You are trapped here, alone, confused, and untrained."

"But-"Realizing his predicament, Danerik felt himself being backed against the stone walls as the djinni crept closer.

"I have you completely in my power." Her green eyes flashed and she seemed to grow twice her size. Fizzing, glowing green energy appeared around her hands, and a malicious grin grew across her face. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, she reverted back to her original form and examined her long black nails calmly. "However, I have decided to spare you. I like you. You're…interesting."

"So what do I do now?"

"You stay with me. I am incredibly powerful, and you could learn a few things hanging around me."

Grinning, Danerik spoke again. "Really? I don't think you're that powerful, I mean, I doubt you could get me back home." He shrugged and rolled his eyes upward.

"You dare challenge me? Few in the Ghost…in this…few djinn have ever done such a thing, and never a young pup such as you. But the powerful Desiree could easily perform such a task." Enlarging with power again, she focused her hands at a random point opposite Danerik. A small rip, a perfect circular hole appeared, growing big enough

"For a person to fit through." Danerik whispered. Finally, to escape all these lunatics. He watched as Desiree squeezed her eyes shut and shrank again, all her energy poured into the portal. She sank to her knees (or where her knees should be), and Danerik ran for the portal, leaping through onto the packed desert sand. Weak as she was, Desiree followed and collapsed on the ground next to him.

Danerik quickly stood, but was overcome with dizziness and fell back to the ground. Weak, he saw the portal shrinking and slowly closing. He saw one final burst of light, then faded into oblivion.

Yeah, had to add some humorous dialogue. Thanks for the reviews!