Chapter Five: The Training

The next thing Calvin knew, Hobbes had whisked him to the roof and instructed him to sit. "Now, shut your eyes and breathe deeply." the djinni told him. "Breathe in… and breathe out. Focus only on your breathing. Let all other thoughts drift away until your mind is completely empty."

"Um, sorry, but what does this have to do with magic?" Calvin interrupted.

Hobbes turned to glare at him. Then, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, he said. "Magic is all about exerting your will over the world. But you can't do that if you don't understand how the world works! Now, the first step toward that understanding is becoming aware of the world around you.

"So, let's try that again. Breathe in, breathe out, empty your mind. Focus on your breathing, let no other thoughts cloud your mind."

"It's just, I thought there'd more hand gestures or chanting or something." Calvin said.

Hobbes looked as if he was trying very hard to restrain himself. "You have to crawl before you can walk! If you can't master even basic mindfulness, you'll never have any hope of learning actual magic… and anyway, gestures and chanting are really unnecessary. Now focus! Breathe in… breathe out…"

So there Calvin sat, breathing deeply. He tried to empty his mind of all superfluous thoughts. Okay, this should be simple. He thought to himself. Just breath in and breath out… Breath in… breath out… Don't think about that itch on your arm, just breathe in, breath out… Don't think about how hot it is outside, just breath in… breath out… Don't think about how sore you're getting from sitting too long, just breathe in… breathe out… don't think about how hungry you're getting, just breathe in… breath out… Don't think about how you need to use privy, just… Actually, I probably should think about that!

And so went the rest of the day. As night fell, Calvin retired to his bed with a groan. "Man, a whole day meditating and nothing to show for it."

"Well, you didn't honestly expect to master it in a day, did you?" Hobbes asked, floating beside the bed.

"I thought I'd at least feel something." Calvin countered. "But I don't feel any different than when I started out this morning."

Hobbes breathed a deep sigh. "Look Calvin, learning magic is no different than learning any other skill. It takes time, practice and dedication. Even with my tutelage, it'll probably take at least a year before you can actually do anything impressive."

"A YEAR?!" Calvin gawked. "Isn't there any way we could… speed up the process?"

"You can't rush these things!" Hobbes insisted. Then, taking a steadying breath, added. "I know you're eager to learn this, and believe me, I really appreciate that eagerness. Just keep practicing and eventually, you'll see improvement. So whenever you find a spare moment, just take the time to concentrate on your breathing, empty your mind and tune yourself in to the world around you.

So it went for the rest of the week. Calvin heeded the djinni's advice, meditating during every spare moment he could find. But no matter what he did, he always found stray thoughts needling into his consciousness. Hobbes had told him to tune in to the world around him, but what did that even mean? So far, all he had become aware of was the sunburn he had gotten on the back of his neck.

It happened one morning when Calvin groggily stumbled into the kitchen, yawning and rubbing his bleary eyes.

"Upon further reflection -"

"GAAAH!" Calvin jumped nearly a foot in the air at the sudden voice behind him. "Don't DO that!" he turned to shout at Hobbes.

The djinni in question crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes irately "As my master commands." he said in a flat tone.

"... Oh," Calvin breathed, realizing what he had inadvertently done. "Yeah, sorry about that. You don't have to interpret that as an… actually, NO! Y'know what, go ahead and take that as an order. Don't EVER sneak up behind me AGAIN!"

"... As you wish." Hobbes sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Right." Calvin breathed. "Well, now that that's out of the way, what were you saying?"

"Well, I've given it some thought, and… maybe there is a way speed up your learning process."

Calvin's eyes popped open at the news. "Really?! I really can learn magic faster?!"

"Possibly." Hobbes answered. "The only way to find our for sure is to actually try it."

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Calvin crowed. "Let's gooooo!"

"It would involve leaving the city." Hobbes said.

"That's fine." Calvin insisted. "C'mon, daylight's burning."

"We could be gone for quite some time."

"That's FINE! Come on, already! I'm ready to go!"

"On an empty stomach?"

"YEAH, I… oh…. Alright, we'll have breakfast and then we'll go!"

So after a big, hearty breakfast, Calvin bid his mother goodbye as he and Hobbes set out to attempt this new idea the djinni had concocted. They had scarcely stepped out of the house when Calvin turned to ask Hobbes where they were going. And when Calvin turned around, he saw Hobbes explode into a vast cloud of billowing red smoke and glittering crimson sand that surged toward him.

Calvin shut his eyes in panic. He was aware of nothing, save for the hot dry wing blowing all around him… and an odd feeling of weightlessness. Tentatively, Calvin cracked an eye open; and what he saw gave him quite the start. Down, down, far below, the desert sand was sweeping past in a rapid blur. Down beneath him, Calvin saw a tiny dark spot sweeping over the dunes, keeping pace with him. In a moment Calvin realized - it was a shadow, his shadow. How high up would he have to be for his shadow to appear so small? Looking to the left and right, he saw red billowing clouds - the cloud that he knew to be Hobbes - swirling and cascading around him, holding him aloft. And up above him was the clear blue sky, stretching out in all directions.

He was flying…. He was FLYING!

Calvin crowed out an jubilant cheer as he watched the landscape rush beneath him. He laughed and whooped as he raced through the sky, laughing until tears spilled out, only to be swept away by the wind. Calvin held his arms out to the sides. With his eyes closed, he could imagine that he was truly flying under his own power - that he truly was a bird on the wing, soaring over creation. Going wherever he pleased, or allowing the wind to carry him wherever it wished.

After a time, the sandy dunes below gave way to rocky terrain. The ground then began to rise, forming tall, ragged mountains. Off in the distance, Calvin could make out one especially tall mountain and noticed that Hobbes appeared to be carrying him directly toward it. As they approached the peak, the great swirling cloud slowed and gently deposited Calvin on the rocky summit. The cloud then condensed into itself, reforming into the striped figure Calvin had grown accustomed to.

Calvin looked at Hobbes, his breathing heavy. "That… was… AMAZING!" he cheered "What a thrill! Soaring through the sky, wind rippling through my hair!... So many times I've imagined what it would be like to fly, but to think I would actually get to experience it… just… wow."

"Well, glad you enjoyed it." Hobbes said with a satisfied grin.

"Enjoyed it?! I can easily say that was the best sensation I've ever experienced!" Calvin plopped himself down on the rocky peak and stared up into the brilliant blue sky, thinking what he would give to be able to travel like that all the time.

"Say," he sat up, turning toward Hobbes. "D'you think there'd be any djinn who'd be interested in flying people around like that on a regular basis?" Hobbes cocked a disapproving eyebrow at him and Calvin quickly added "Now, now, I don't mean enslavement or anything! I mean, we could come up with some kind of payment for the service."

Hobbes looked at him for a moment, then said "Well, there's a slight problem with that idea. See, most djinn can't fly."

"They can't?" Calvin asked in perplexion.

"Nope. Most djinn can only hover a foot or so off the ground. Some of the mid-ranged djinn can hover over water, but only the most powerful djinn are capable of actual flight!"

"... Djinn like you?" Calvin said with a smirk.

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything." Hobbes placed a hand over his heart with false modesty.

Calvin sighed. "Okay, so that's a bust. Still, there's gotta be some way to fly!... like, maybe we get a flock of birds and fit them with harnesses then rope them to -"

Hobbes gave a sudden scoff. "I don't think you appreciate just how many birds it would take just to lift one full grown human off the ground - let alone FLY!"

Calvin had to think for a moment. "W,well… there are some birds that get pretty big!"

"Even still, it would take a whole LOT of them to carry a single person." Hobbes refuted. "Honestly, it would take a roc to pull off what you're suggesting."

Calvin gawked at the djinni after hearing that. "Uh yeah,... Last time I checked, rocks weren't really known for their flying capabilities."

"Not rock, ROC!" Hobbes clarified. "It's an enormous bird. It's beak alone is as tall as a man. If twenty five men stretched out their arms from fingertip to fingertip, it would equal the length of the rocs wingspan. Their talons can rip straight through the thick hides of elephants!"

Calvin's eyes widened and his jaw fell slack as he heard the fantastic description Hobbes spun. "Wow,... to think a creature like that could exist… HEY, maybe we could -"

Before he could say more, Calvin found Hobbes' finger pressed tightly over his lips. "Before you go getting any crazy ideas," the djinni said "You should know that rocs are sacred to my people. If any djinni were to so much as hear a human even suggest harming a roc in any way, they would take it upon themselves to kill the offending human!... And most djinn would make sure that the death was neither quick nor painless… Understand?"

"Okay, so rocs are a no-go." Calvin spoke from behind his lips. Hobbes smiled and removed his finger. Calvin let out a slow and heavy sigh. Hobbes hadn't raised his voice, but his words had carried an almost palpable sense of danger. Hobbes had told Calvin that his enslavement meant he could do him no harm; but in that moment, Calvin was sure that if he really wanted to, Hobbes could find a way around that restriction. All in all, Calvin had felt an immense relief when Hobbes had stepped away.

Pacing over the coarse terrain, Calvin asked "So what's so special about this mountain that would help in my magic training, anyway?"

"Ah, yes." Hobbes said as he floated over in front of Calvin. "Tell me,... what do you know of leylines?"

Calvin blinked at the djinni. "What are leylines?" he asked.

"... I see." Hobbes muttered. "Well, the simplest way I can think to describe it is, leylines are lines of… well, energy of a sort. They traverse all across the world, criss-crossing all over. Now, when two or more leylines intersect, it creates what's called a nexus; and this peak is a particularly potent nexus.

"So basically, what you're going to do, is you're going to do your meditation as usual. And perhaps, just perhaps, doing it in this nexus fed by so many leylines will give you a sort of boost to your progress."

Deciding there was nothing for it but to try, Calvin seated himself on the coarse ground and settled into his usual meditative routine. Breathe in… breathe out… breathe in… Breathe out… At first, it felt no different than all the other times he had done it - the same old air flew into his nostrils and the same old air flew back out.

But…

Calvin couldn't be sure when he had first noticed, but the air up on the peak seemed… different somehow… and not just because the mountain air was noticeably colder than the hot desert air he was used to. But it almost… smelled different, for some reason. Could it be because the plant life in the mountains was different? Was it the temperature? Or was the air itself just completely different?

But, just as Calvin had started pondering on it, the sensation had faded.

Calvin mentally cursed. 'Empty your mind' Hobbes had said. Instead, Calvin immediately let his curiosity take the reins. Calvin took a deep breath Let's try this again. he thought. This time, DON'T THINK! Just focus on your breathing! Breathe in… Breath out…

Breathe in… breathe out… breathe in… breath - HUH?! Calvin jerked his head to look at Hobbes, who had just jostled his shoulder.

"You've done very well," the djinni said. "But I think it's time we started heading home." He gestured toward the western horizon. Calvin followed his arm and noticed with a shock how low the sun was.

"What the - How'd it get so late?!" Calvin cried in alarm.

"Simple passage of time." Hobbes replied.

"Yeah, but… it,... it feels like I only barely got started!"

Hobbes offered him a broad smile. "Well, that can only be a good sign. If you got so invested in your meditation that you became completely unaware of the passage of time."

"Yeah." Calvin mused as he rose to his feet. He suddenly placed a hand on his stomach with a groan. "You know what else I became unaware of? My hunger."

"Here." Hobbes held his hand out to Calvin with a big, plump apple sitting right in his palm. Calvin accepted the proffered fruit and rapidly devoured it. With the apple eaten, Hobbes turned to Calvin, saying "Shall we go?"

With Calvin's silent nod, Hobbes once again became a great red cloud that scooped the young man up and flew off into the sky.

Calvin turned to look back at the setting sun, burning red as it sunk toward the horizon. To think he had really spent the entire day in meditation. He could have sworn he had only been at it for a few minutes - maybe an hour at most. He hummed thoughtfully as Hobbes carried him through the air. It seemed that Hobbes was correct in his speculation. So then, if he kept coming to practice in this… nexus, then surely he would be able to do magic in no time at all! He idly wondered how much magic he would need to learn in order to break the spell binding Hobbes to the lamp. It seemed to him that it wouldn't take very much; then again, he was a total novice at this whole magic thing, so what did he know? Still, even with this scant amount of practice, he had surely done more for Hobbes than any of his previous masters had…

His previous masters…

A sudden idea struck Calvin, and it would not let go. "Hey Hobbes."

"Yes?" the roiling red cloud replied. It unnerved Calvin that the voice seemed to come from every direction at once.

"Before we head home, let's take a little detour. There's… something I think you should see."

So they flew along, over the vast sea of dunes. Calvin guided Hobbes as they flew, until they finally arrived back at the cave where Calvin had first found the lamp.

And now they stood down on the floor of the first room. Calvin looked over at Hobbes, wondering what was going through his mind. The djinni simply stood there, a little ball of fire dancing over his outstretched hand. He stood still as a statue; even his tail sat motionless. His expression was inscrutable as he stared down at the far wall - where the skeleton still lay.

After a long time in uncomfortable silence, just as Calvin was about to say something, Hobbes finally spoke. "Yep… That's him, alright."

"Your last master?" Calvin asked.

Hobbes nodded with a grunt. "Like I said, he seemed to realize he was dying when he had me dig out this cave… I can just imagine him stopping to catch his breath,... and never waking up."

Hobbes then raised his free hand in a sweeping arc. As he did, a large, rectangular patch of the floor rose into the air. He then pointed to the skeleton, lifting it up an positioning it over the hole he had created. With a twiddle of the djinni's fingers, the skeleton's posture shifted, moving into a pose like a body at rest - head reclined, legs straight, hands clasped over the chest. Hobbes then gently lowered the old bones into the hole before lowering the great slab of earth back down.

Calvin watched the grim spectacle in solemn silence. When the deed was done, he walked over to Hobbes; feeling like he should say something, but not sure what. He settled for a feeble "I'm sorry."

Hobbes gave a simple shrug. "Eh, he died as he lived - in total obscurity." Casting his eyes about the chamber, he added. "Still,... to think the cave he had made to hide the lamp would end up also serving as his tomb." he made a sad little smirk "I suppose it's kind of poetic in a way."

When they climbed out of the cave, Calvin looked up at the sky in alarm. "Oh man! Look how dark it's gotten!" Indeed, the sun had slipped down below the horizon - only the last vestiges of light remained. With a resigned sigh, Calvin said "Looks like we'll have to camp out over night."

So the two of them found a crevice of rock to shelter them from the night wind. With a wave of his hand, Hobbes cleared the area of any small rocks, leaving a flat, smooth surface to sleep on. With a second quick gesture, a bunch of palm fronds appeared in the air and fell to the ground in a neat little pile. Turning his attention outward, the djinni flicked his wrist and a group of rocks rolled over, arraying themselves in a circle. With another wave, a little stack of sticks appeared within the circle. Then with a final snap of the djinni's fingers, the kindling was set alight.

His task complete, Hobbes drifted over, seating himself upon the pile of leaves. Calvin quickly went and sat as well. "Will I ever be able to do that?" he asked.

Hobbes glanced at the young man. "Do what?"

"Y'know, conjure things out of nowhere!" Calvin said.

Hobbes gave a derisive snort. "Of course not! You can't make something out of nothing; not even with magic!" Calvin started to argue, but Hobbes continued. "But, if you know where an object is, then you can summon it to your location - which, of course, gives the impression that it was conjured out of nowhere."

Calvin thought back to when he had first met Hobbes. As he recalled, Hobbes had to first search for the gold before bringing it to them. He gazed into the flickering flames, considering what the djinni had said. As he ran his fingers over the fronds beneath him, a thought occurred to him. "So, how did you know where these were?" he asked, patting the leaf pile. "I mean, I sure didn't see any palm trees on the way over."

Hobbes screwed up his face in contemplation. After a moment, he said. "Well, think of it like this; it's sort of like I… send my mind out to scout around while my body stays behind."

"Wait, really?!" Calvin asked in total shock

Hobbes shrugged. "I mean, that's not exactly what happens, but that's the simplest way I can think to describe it."

"I see,..." Calvin hummed. "So, what's the furthest distance you can detect an object?"

"I dunno, never bothered measuring." Hobbes replied.

"Best guess?" Calvin probed.

The djinni hummed thoughtfully. "Oh, probably somewhere between ten and fifteen miles."

"MILES?!" Calvin repeated, agog. It wasn't really the distance that had shocked him, but rather the casual way he had said it; as if such a feat were a simple parlor trick to him. The more Calvin learned about Hobbes, the more he wondered how such a powerful being such as him could have been bound in the first place. "So,... do you think I could ever learn to do stuff like that?"

"Possibly,... if you keep practicing long enough."

Calvin nodded with a hum. He gazed back into the crackling fire. He held his hand up so that it looked as though the flames were sprouting out of his own palm. As he gazed into the golden glow, his mind slipped away into fanciful imaginings. He saw himself as the world's greatest sorcerer, winning the awe and adoration of all who saw him. He saw himself confronting entire bands of robbers and with a snap of his fingers, causing their own weapons to turn on them. He saw himself bedazzling crowds of astonished onlookers, first by conjuring glittering sparks of light and showers of flower petals, then by raising his hands, causing several audience members to float into the air for a time, and then by summoning vicious beasts and with a simple gesture, causing them to become as docile as lambs. Finally, he saw himself alone with Susie; and with a wave of his hand, the most magnificent necklace made of the most intricate metalwork and embedded with the most resplendent jewels weaved itself together before her astonished eyes. With another gesture, the necklace clasped itself around her neck and she joyously fell into him in a loving embrace.

Coming back to the present, Calvin leaned back onto their leafy bed. "Well, we should get to sleep. We'll need to get going real early in the morning… I'm sure mom's beside herself with worry by now. Goodnight, Hobbes."

"Goodnight, Calvin." Hobbes replied. And the two of them lay down and drifted off to sleep.

Calvin jostled from his sleep. Cracking a weary eye open, he saw, to his consternation, that it was still dark out. With an irritated groan, he rolled over, attempting to return to that blissful deep slumber from which he had been roused.

"Why do you oppose us? We're trying to help you!" came a voice from outside the crevice.

"I don't NEED your help!" Hobbes' annoyed voice answered.

Calvin's eyes popped open, any desire for sleep vanishing. He crawled over to the opening of the crevice and peered out. The flames from the campfire, though lower than before, still burned brightly. And in the light it cast, he could make out the figure of Hobbes, standing straight, arms crossed. His tail swept back and forth as he glared ahead, eyes narrowed.

Standing across form Hobbes were three figures, all glaring back at him. Calvin surmised that they must be more djinn. The closest one was covered in block-like scales. He had a long, thick tail with triangular scales running down his back. His snout was long and narrow and was filled with pointed teeth. He spoke in a voice that sounded like shifting gravel. "Why should you care if any harm should come to this human? He is the one enslaving you, is he not?"

Calvin gulped. It wasn't hard for him to piece together what these three djinn had come for.

"It is true that he is my current master," Hobbes said. "However, he has promised to set me free."

The second djinni barked out a derisive laugh. She was covered with pale fur patterned with dark stripes. Her head resembled that of a dog with long, pointed ears. A shaggy mane trailed down the back of her neck. "Set you free?!" her coarse voice cried in a mocking tone. "That whelp is barley past the age humans consider adulthood! How could he possibly set you free?!"

Hobbes was silent for a moment, perhaps considering the best thing to say. He then said "He is in the process of learning sorcery."

The three djinn all stumbled back, making audible gasps. After recovering, the first djinni growled "All the more reason to kill him now!"

The second djinni snarled "You would stand by and allow this wretched human to learn magic?!"

"If it means my freedom, then YES!" Hobbes retorted.

"And what about OUR freedom?!" demanded the third djinni. He was covered with pale feathers that stuck out at odd angles, the longest ones resembling long knives. His arms ended in long, spindly fingers capped with sharp claws. His face was long and yellow, ending in a hooked beak. "What about the freedom of all other djinn?! One more sorcerer means one more human able to enslave us!"

Calvin began to sweat as the conversation carried on. He worried that Hobbes might start to take heed to the words of these djinn. As he debated whether or not he should speak up, Hobbes replied "He wouldn't do that!"

"And how would you know?" the second djinni sneered. "Once he has the power and knowledge, what's to stop him from enslaving more djinn?!"

"That's right, he poses too great a risk!" the first djinni roared. "Stand aside; let us at him!"

Hobbes uncrossed his arms, revealing his claws. "I won't let you." he snarled.

The third djinni stepped forward, his hands stretched out, placatingly. "I understand your predicament. No doubt he has ordered you to protect him."

Calvin gulped, his eyes going wide - he had never given Hobbes any such order.

The third djinni continued his spiel. "But surely there's something that could… for lack of a better word, distract you for a moment. That's all it would take, you know, a single moment and it'll all be over."

Hobbes scoffed, a sardonic smirk on his muzzle. "There's one little detail you've overlooked." he said. The three djinn looked at him with piqued curiosity. "The object that binds me, where is it?"

The three djinn looked about, but didn't see any such object.

"I'll tell you where it is," Hobbes continued. "He left it at home… with his mother.

"So, suppose you do manage to kill him; even if I were to cut an' run, it would only be a matter of time before she summoned me, demanding answers. And then she would become my master… and I can just imagine that her first order would be to bring her son's murderers to justice." The three djinn started exchanging nervous glances at each other. After a moment, Hobbes finished by saying "So, for all of our sakes, it would be best if you three just go away."

For a moment, it looked as if the three might actually take his advice. But then the second djinni spoke "Or,... we could track his mother down… and KILL her as well!" her eyes came alight with a fiendish orange glow as she made her suggestion.

The third djinni made an ominous, dark chuckle as a violet glow appeared in his eyes. "An excellent idea! After all, what does it matter if there's one less human in the world?"

"YEEES," The first djinni agreed, his own eyes glowing with an azure light. "Any human complacent with enslaving djinn deserves to die!"

Calvin was on the verge of panic now. His breathing came in rapid, shallow bursts. His heart was pounding in his chest. Every instinct within him was shouting at him to run for his life.

But then, Hobbes' eyes flared with blazing crimson light. A deep, rumbling growl issued forth from the enraged djinni. The three djinn were instantly cowed, the lights in their eyes went out as they took a stumbling step backwards. Still the growl rumbled onward, ringing through the air and pulsing through the ground, causing the surrounding rocks to tremble. Calvin could feel his very bones vibrating.

At last the growl went silent. Then Hobbes spoke. "I've tried being reasonable, but my patience has just run out! Now listen; maybe this boy keeps his word, maybe he doesn't. Either way, he still represents my best chance at freedom! So ANY djinn who wants to take him out… Will have to get past ME, first!"

The three djinn looked at Hobbes in shocked silence. They cast nervous toward each other; then, glaring at Hobbes with looks of scorn, they began to step back. With every step they took, their forms became less distinct, like dispersing smoke. Until at last, they completely faded from view.

Hobbes stood there a moment longer, staring out into the darkness. At length, the red glow faded from his eyes and he turned back toward their camp.

Calvin immediately dropped to the floor and made as though he were asleep. He lay perfectly still, not moving a single muscle, until he felt Hobbes settle on the leaf pile beside him. He opened a tentative eye to see the djinni laying on his back with his hands under his head. Calvin's heart was still throbbing after what he had witnessed that night. He found he couldn't draw his gaze away from Hobbes as he contemplated all the horrible scenarios that might have played out.

After a long moment, Hobbes breathed out a weary sigh. "So you heard all that, did you?"

Calvin gulped. "Uh, y-yeah." he said as Hobbes cracked an eye open to look at him. "That was, uh, pretty intense. I was afraid a fight might break out, or something."

Hobbes gave a dismissive grunt. "Aw, they were all a buncha small fries! If a fight had broken out, I could've smoked 'em all easily!"

"Good to know." Calvin said. He stared at the rocky ceiling for a moment. "Hobbes?"

"Yes?"

"I just want you to know, I would never dream of enslaving another djinn. Why, I'd even be prepared to swear a solemn vow to it!"

The djinni gave him a soft smile. "It's alright, Calvin… I believe you."

The sun had just crested the eastern horizon when Calvin and Hobbes finally returned to the city. Calvin had scarcely taken two steps inside his house when his mother grabbed him and pulled him into a suffocating hug. After a long, long moment pressing her son tightly in her arms, she held him at arms length, looking at him with a hard glare. "Where. Have you. BEEN?!" she demanded. "You told me you were going out to do some sort of training, only to gone the whole day?! And then all NIGHT too?!"

Calvin bashfully looked down, shuffling his foot. "Sorry, Mom. I really did go out to train. And we were going to come right back! We just… got a little sidetracked, is all."

Hobbes then stepped up. "There's no need to worry, madam. You son was perfectly -"

"Not a word out of YOU!" Calvin's mother snarled. And Hobbes, that great djinni who had frightened off three opponents with a single growl, that mighty djinni whose mere voice had shaken that very house… actually flinched at the rebuke.

Calvin's mother then grilled him hard. She demanded to know exactly where he had gone and what had prevented him from coming home in a timely manner. And so Calvin rehearsed to her all the things that had happened throughout the day - the places he had gone and the things ha had done. She listened intently, her expression remaining stern and disapproving all the while. When the explanation was finished, she made her son promise that wherever Hobbes may take him in the future, he would always be back before sunset. Only after Calvin gave a guilt-ridden promise did she dismiss him.

"You're mom sure is a bit of a worrier, isn't she?" Hobbes observed once they had returned to Calvin's room.

"Yeah." Calvin grumbled as he stared out his window. "... She's just worried that I'll end up like Dad."

"Oh." Hobbes hummed. He waited a couple of moments, to see if he would elaborate. When he continued to sit in morose silence, the djinni prodded "Y'know, in all the weeks I've known you, I think this is the first time I've heard anyone even mention your father."

Calvin turned to look at him. By and large, his father was not a topic Calvin enjoyed discussing. He debated with himself whether or not to say anything. But looking at Hobbes, Calvin eventually decided he may as well. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he said "My Dad was a merchant - fairly successful one, too. He sold clothing, furnishings, jewelry, perfumes, spices… all sorts of things.

"One day when I was six, Dad came home and told us he had been offered this huge opportunity. Some partnership or something… I was never clear on the details; but the thing was, he would have to sail away to some far off land. Now, Mom had all sorts of misgivings about the idea, but Dad assured her that everything would be fine. So a couple days later, he set out on a ship." Calvin took a moment to swallow a lump in his throat before continuing. "He assured us the trip would only take a couple months at most. So we waited… and waited… But the ship never came back."

"Oh!" Hobbes said, agog. He drifted over to Calvin and sat beside him "I… I'm sorry."

Calvin heaved a heavy sigh. "Mom took it real hard. She puts on a brave face, but even all these years later, she still has this perpetual air of melancholy around her." Turning back toward the window, he added. "I think… there might be a part of her - deep down - that's holding out hope that he might still be alive… out there… somewhere."

"And what about you?" Hobbes asked.

Calvin turned around to look at him, his face taking on a cold, hard expression. "I had to step into the role of the man of the house when I was six years old! My Dad left me to take on that role with no preparation whatsoever! For twelve years I've had to figure out how to be a man all on my own. Twelve years I've had to pick up the slack! TWELVE YEARS I've had to watch my Mom grieve without knowing how to POSSIBLY console her!

"All I have to say on the matter is; after being gone fore twelve years… He BETTER be dead!"

A/N: So, there was no real way to organically mention this in the story; but the three djinn that Hobbes confronts in the night are based off a desert crocodile, a striped hyena and an egyptian vulture.