Chapter Three: The Ring
Calvin yanked the lamp off the pedestal. He turned it about every which-way, looking at it from every angle. There was no ornamentation, no embellishments - only some sort of writing inscribed on the base, which he couldn't make out. He tipped the spout over but nothing poured out. Taking off the lid, he found that it was indeed empty.
Just a worthless piece of junk, after all.
Calvin let himself collapse, leaning against the pedestal. And for a while he sat there - brooding. He irately drummed his fingers against the stone platform. How? How had it all come down to this?! All those traps, all those brushes with death, and for what? A dusty old LAMP?! Who would even go through so much trouble to guard something so worthless?
Unless… maybe someone had gotten there before them. Yes, that must be it! Someone else had found the cave first, cleared all the traps and taken the treasure for themselves. And then, they left the least valuable item on their person as a final insult to whoever might come in after them! Calvin paced as he thought about it. Yes, it all made perfect sense… except… if someone had gone through the entire cave, how had the traps all been reset?
Then again, this cave had lanterns that flared to life whenever someone entered a room. Perhaps whatever was responsible for that was also responsible for resetting the traps.
Well, whatever the reason, Calvin took the sack from under his sash and stuffed the lamp into it. He then began the long trek back the way he had come.
So what if the lamp was worthless? After all the grief he had gone through, Calvin was NOT leaving this cave empty handed.
Thankfully for Calvin, the trip back was mercifully uneventful. He retraced his exact steps through caverns rooms, yet the traps all lay dormant. Onward he trudged the through the hewn stone corridors with only the sounds of his footsteps for company. Calvin's thought roiled as he made his lonely trek; all that risk, all that danger… for nothing! He finally got a chance to have a real adventure… and his only reward for his trouble was this worthless piece of garbage! How was he ever going to explain this to his mother? He could just see her disappointed, 'I told you so' glower. No doubt she would talk his ear off when he showed up half dead with only a dingy old lamp to show for it.
She would probably never let him leave the house again.
As Calvin looked about his surroundings, he realized he was nearing the entrance of the cave. And that brought about a more immediate concern; how would Moe react when he found out there was no kings ransom of kings ransoms?
It would probably be best to give Moe the bad news while he was still down in the cave.
Calvin then entered a room engulfed in total darkness; and high above, was a little patch of velvety, violet light - the mouth of the cave. Calvin gaped at the little patch of color above him. It was dusk? Had he really spent only a single day wandering underground? With the sheer number of times he had faced death, it had seemed so much longer.
That posed a great question, though. Since it was so late, would Moe still be there, or would he have given up and left Calvin behind? Calvin certainly wouldn't put it past the big lummox.
Reaching the far wall, Calvin felt around but couldn't find the rope he had used to enter the cave. "HEY!" he called upward. "You still up there?... HelLOOOOO!"
To Calvin's slight relief, a stout, burly frame stepped across the opening. "Where's the lamp?!" Moe shouted.
The question made Calvin stumble back. He knew about the lamp? Something about that didn't sit right with Calvin. Blindsided by the question and fighting a swelling sense of dread, Calvin responded "Lamp?... What lamp?!"
"At the end of the cave!" Moe roared. Calvin could practically feel the fury in his words. "There should've been a big ol' pedestal with a brass oil lamp sittin' on it! Where IS IT?!"
Scrambling desperately, Calvin said "I, I mean there was a pedestal… but… it was empty!"
"WHAT? EMPTY?!" Moe fumed.
"Y, yeah!... Just a whole lotta sand - not a single lamp in sight." Calvin offered. Thinking back to when he had first found the lamp, he added "Maybe somebody got here before us and took the lamp for himself!"
Moe was deathly silent for a moment. Then all at once, he pounded his fist against the rock wall, yelling and shouting in a furious tirade. Calvin could only make out a few snippets, like 'after all this time' and 'another dead end' peppered with some of the most vile and profaned words he had ever heard.
Eventually, Moe wore himself out. He stood staring down into the cave, his breathing heavy and ragged. Finally, he said "Well, thanks for nothin' ya worthless runt!" before turning to leave.
In a sudden panic, Calvin scrambled up to the wall, calling "HEY! Aren't you forgetting something?! Throw the rope down!"
Moe's black silhouette reappeared in the opening. "HAW! You didn't honestly think you were ever gettin' outta that cave… DID YOU?"
Calvin felt all the heat swept out of his body as he realized what Moe's words meant.
Up at the opening, Moe offered Calvin an ironic salute. "So long, Twerp!" And with that, he left Calvin to his fate.
Moe hitched up the horses and rode away into the night. His face was a storm a rage as he thought back on what the runt had said. An empty pedestal. Someone else got there first. He clenched his jaw so tight, he could practically feel his teeth cracking. All those years of searching… for NOTHING! There was way for him to track whoever had stolen his treasure; no way of even telling how long it had been gone!
And on top of all that, he had lost the ring. That piece of jewelry had been the one item of any value the old scholar had possessed. Moe had intended to use the lamp to get it back. Now there were two treasures slipped from his grasp.
As he rode on, Moe had a moment of clarity. Setting his face with grim determination, he urged the horses to ride faster. He had come too far to give up now. He would find the lamp… even if he had to interrogate every last person in the kingdom!
Calvin kicked off from the floor, scrambling with all his might up the smooth rock wall. Reaching, reaching for the cave's mouth… and then,... falling. He landed on his back with a grunt. Climbing to his feet, he made another madcap dash for the tiny dot of moonlight shining down. And again, he fell back to the floor. Again and again he tried scaling the wall to freedom. But the stone was just too smooth and too slick.
After crashing down once again, Calvin let out a tremendous, frustrated roar. He took the sack containing the lamp and hurled it at the wall. He then pounded his fists against the wall and kicking it in a rage-fueled frenzy, all the while screaming at the top of his lungs.
At long last, Calvin's strength waned. His furious roars petered out into piteous sobs. With tears streaking down his face, he slumped his back against the wall and slid down into a seated position. For several minutes he just sat there, his breathing hard and ragged, with the occasional sob rocking his body.
After a time, he turned his gaze across the room. The moon was full tonight, and the sky was free of clouds. And with the ample moonlight shining down from the cave's mouth, Calvin could easily make out the dim outline of the skeleton slumped against the wall across from him. Silent and somber, its empty eye sockets seemed to be looking directly at him.
"... What are you staring at?!" Calvin grumbled with a huff. As he languidly stared at the lifeless bones, slumped against the wall, staring blankly ahead with its eyeless gaze, he wondered "Who were you, any way…? Were you another treasure hunter looking for a big score? Did your companions leave you for dead?" With a bitter grumble, he thought "Were you perhaps another stooge that Moe hired?... Or were you just some unlucky sap who stumbled into this hole and couldn't get out again?..."
Calvin could spend the whole night speculating, but that would never get him out of the cave. But then again, it didn't seem like anything could ever get him out of the cave. Resting his chin on his fist, he sighed. "Well, I suppose when I cross to the other side I could just find you ask you then." He looked over to the skeleton, who sat still and silent as ever.
With a weary sigh, Calvin tossed his head back. "Am I really taking solace from talking to a pile of bones?"
"You're a fine one to talk about solace!"
Calvin jolted, looking back toward the far wall. The skeleton slowly lifted its head from the wall, its empty eyes boring straight into him. The skull continued speaking, its jaws clacking together unnervingly. "What about your mother? Where's her solace?! First she lost her husband, and now her only child; she'll be all alone, now. No family, no kin to comfort her… and all because her selfish brat wanted to get rich quick!" the skeleton thrust an accusatory finger in Calvin's direction.
The skeleton then rose to its feet with many a rattle and clatter. To his horror, Calvin recognized the clothes that hung limply off the bony frame - they were the exact same clothes his father had worn the last time Calvin had seen him.
Calvin backed against the wall as far as he could. His breathing came in sort, heavy bursts while his heart hammered away in his chest. He looked up in terrified awe as the horrible visage loomed over him.
"But why should that matter to you?" the skeleton asked, derisively. "After all, you finally got to have the adventure you've always wanted." it then gestured a bony hand down to the floor where the lamp lay. "And just look at the fabulous prize you've won!... So now you can at least have some light… as you make your trek to the Land of the DEAD!"
Calvin awoke in a cold sweat. He jolted to his feet, his eye immediately darted to the far wall. The skeleton still lay there, slumped against the wall. Its head was tilted back, its legs spread out beneath it, arms splayed out to the sides - the very same position it had been in the night before. Warily, Calvin stepped over to where the skeleton lay. He took a close look at the skeleton's garment. It was hard to tell, but Calvin was fairly certain they were different from what he had seen in that terrible nightmare.
With a groan, Calvin turned and stomped away. As he went, his foot kicked against something. Looking down, he saw it was that infernal lamp. He picked it up, glowering at it for a time. Then with an irate growl, shoved it into his coat pocket.
He looked up toward the cave's mouth. The light shining through had a dim yellow tint to it. So it was morning, then. He had spent the whole night in this cave.
His mother would surly be beside herself with worry, now.
His mother.
Calvin's head fell into his hands weary groan. The skeleton's words from that horrible vision came back to haunt him. It was his fault. It was all his fault. He could rationalize all he liked; how he needed to protect his mother from Moe, but when all was said and done, it was his own greed that had motivated him the most.
Calvin could just see his mother now, languishing away in poverty and despair. No one would be there to take care of her in her old age. How many times had his mother told him that he should find a wife and start a family of his own? If he had, then his mother would at least have someone to look after her.
A wife. That thought brought Susie to mind. That girl was one of the few people who seemed to take a genuine interest in Calvin and his unorthodox ideas. They had really hit it off when they first met and Calvin had been interested to see if they could develop into something more. But now, it was too late.
Calvin's trembling hands tightened into fists. Cursing his circumstances, cursing Moe, cursing this cave, but above all else, cursing himself, Calvin's sadness, anxiety and anger all mixed together - growing, swelling and boiling over. Finally, when he couldn't hold his emotions in check any further, he swung his fist back and threw it with all his fury into the stone wall.
There was a brief moment as Calvin fully registered what he had just done.
"YeeeOOOWCH! GAH, Sonova -" Calvin started rubbing his hand when all thoughts of pain suddenly evaporated from his mind.
The ring. The ring that Moe had given him - a strange, green light was emanating from the stone set into its crown. And then smoke, green and vibrant as jade, came wafting off of the stone. It poured out, more and more, coalescing into a cloud as big as Calvin himself. And then the cloud started to spin. Faster and faster it whirled around until it formed a tight funnel - a swirling dust-devil of green smoke interspersed with glittering jade sand.
Then the dust-devil suddenly vanished. And from within its center, there appeared a figure unlike anything Calvin had seen. It had a rather… feline appearance, with a muzzle and big, rounded ears. It was covered hear to toe in tawny fur with big paws at the end of its arms and legs. From out of its back grew a long tail that ended in a tuft of black fur. The figure stood on two feet with its arms crossed. It gazed at Calvin through luminous green eyes.
Calvin found himself backing away in fright. "WHA, w-what in the world are you?!" he blurted out the first think that came to mind.
The figure gave Calvin a soft smile and made a very elaborate bow, with much twirling of its paw. It then spoke in an impossibly melodic, feminine voice, saying "The djinni of the ring… at your service, master."
Bewildered, Calvin's eyes darted back and forth. "M, me?!... I'm your master?..."
The djinni turned her head, looking to the right then the left before saying "You are the only other being present… master."
"Right, right." Calvin said, taking a few steadying breaths. Looking the djinni up and down, he continued. "So,... if I'm your master… then you have to do what I say,... right?"
The djinni nodded "So long as it is within my power to do so."
"Okaaay,..." Calvin turned his gaze toward the cave's mouth. "Would it be within your power to, say, get me outta this cave?"
"Certainly." the djinni answered. And before Calvin could so much as blink, she closed the distance between them and hoisted Calvin into her arms. Her legs then dissolved into a swirling trail of jade smoke; and suddenly, they were moving, traveling up the smooth stone walls. Faster and faster they sped coming ever closer to the soft golden light above. At last, they shot out of the cave's mouth, flying up into the air like an arrow. And when they reached as high as they could go, to Calvin's surprise, they began gently floating down - as if they were a mere feather on the breeze.
"Well, master." the djinni said. "Now that we are out of the cave, where shall I drop you off?"
Calvin, still mesmerized by just how high up they were, jolted at the question. "OH! Uh,... there's a city… about, uh, due east from here! You can take me there!"
"As you wish." the djinni nodded.
When they reached the ground, the djinni shot off at tremendous speed, leaving a great cloud of dust in their wake. Calvin winced as they sped through the desert, faster than any horse could ever gallop. The wind whipped his hair back and the hot, dry air stung his eyes. Still, Calvin did his best to keep his eyes open, fearful that the djinni might drop him. Still, for as fast as they were traveling, her grip on him never faltered.
They made their course traveling east in a straight line. Whenever an obstacle would impede their path, the djinni would simply fly over it. And when the ground dropped out beneath them, they would float back down to the ground. And that is how they proceeded through their journey.
Calvin looked up in astonishment. When he and Moe had gone to the cave, it had taken them the whole morning. Yet now, after only a couple of hours, he could see the walls of the city in the distance - and they were getting closer real quick.
It was then that Calvin realized something. "HOLD IT!" he yelled.
The djinni then slid to a stop, kicking up dust all around them. Setting Calvin down, she asked "Whatever is the matter, master?"
"It's just,... well, my clothes got pretty messed up in that cave. I was wondering if you could maybe do something about that?"
"Of course, master." the djinni answered.
The djinni then snapped her fingers. Calvin was intrigued by the motion. He hadn't really noticed before, but while most cats had only stumpy little nubs on the inside of their paws, this djinni did appear to have actual, functioning thumbs. So caught up was he that he didn't notice any change until the djinni said "Is that satisfactory?"
Looking around at his clothing, Calvin saw that all the rips, tears and burns sustained from all those traps had been mended - as if they had never been there in the first place. And not only that, but all the sweat, blood and grime Calvin had accumulated in the cave had vanished as well. "Wow! Yeah, that's great!" he cheered. "Thanks a lot!"
The djinni gawked at him after that last part. She blinked her jade eyes at him, seemingly confused "Er,... you're… welcome…" After looking about, unsure of what to do next, she asked "Have you any further need of me, master?"
Calvin turned to look at the city walls. He stoked his chin in contemplation. "Well,... if you went with me into the city, it would probably draw a lot of unwanted attention. So, for now, you should probably just go."
The djinni then bowed her head. "Very well, master. Should you ever have need of my services again, simply rub the ring and Ursula will attend." She then exploded into a cloud of green smoke which swirled and flowed in a great torrent back into the emerald embedded in Calvin's ring.
Calvin marveled at the ring as he walked the remaining distance to the west gate. To think that such a mundane little thing could have hidden such a powerful secret. Had Moe known the ring had a djinni in it?... No, surely not. Surely, he would have never parted with it had he known.
It was well into mid morning when Calvin crossed the the city gate. The usual crowds were already filling the streets. The air was filled with the calls of street venders barking out their wares, the scents of cumin, paprika and sizzling meats wafted on the breeze. Here and there a few street performers were putting on shows for some coin. Calvin closed his eyes and stood there for a moment. He thought for certain he would die in that cave, yet here he was, back in civilization, safe and sound.
After taking a moment to let the sensations soak in, Calvin strode off with a firm determination. His mother needed to know he was alive.
"Mom!" Calvin called as he entered his house. "Mom, I'm back!" He looked around to see an empty living room. Apprehensively, he made his way to the kitchen. And there he found her, seated at the table, head in her hands. He could hear her soft sobs even from the doorway.
Quietly, Calvin crept over to the table and placed a hand on his mother's shoulder. The woman jostled at the sudden touch. She looked up through tear-filled eyes at him. "C-Calvin?..." she breathed out.
"Hey mom." he said with a guilty smile.
"... Oh, Calvin!" In an instant, Calvin's mother was out of her chair and pulled her son into a tight embrace. "Thank goodness you're safe!" she sniffed, tears trailing down her face.
For quite a while the two just stood there - the mother relishing her son's safe return, the son relishing being home once more. At length, Calvin's mother pulled aside, turning his face all about so as to look at him from every angle. "What happened on the job? Are you hurt? Have you eaten?"
"Uh, yeah. I mean, I took some rations with me." Calvin managed to choke out.
"Rations?!" his mother repeated. "Oh, that won't do at all! Here, have some dates while I fix you some porridge!" She pulled a bowl over and set bustling about through the kitchen, a noticeable spring in her step. Calvin smiled as he fell into her vacated chair. He reached into the bowl and pulled out one of the wrinkly fruits within. He absently munched as he watched his mother go about her task.
After a few minutes, Calvin's mother set a bowl full of steaming porridge before him. And Calvin dug in with a ravenous appetite he hadn't even noticed before now.
"So,... how did this job work out?" Calvin's mother asked.
Calvin paused for a moment, swallowing the mush in his mouth. "Yeah, the uh, job… Kinda fell through."
After a pregnant pause, his mother replied "Oh,... I see." she kept her expression perfectly neutral, but Calvin suspected she was feeling highly vindicated. "So, what exactly happened?"
Setting his spoon in the bowl, Calvin answered "Well, I went through this cave, right? I was expecting to find mounds upon mounds of riches; but I go through the entire cave and when I got to the end, the only thing there… was this!" and with that, he reached into his coat pocket and placed the lamp on the table.
His mother leaned over, looking at it through squinting eyes. "It's… a lamp."
"... Yep."
"Who in the world hides a lamp in the back of a cave?" she wondered aloud.
"Someone with a sick sense of humor." Calvin replied. He then took a closer look at the lamp. "... Huh."
"Something wrong?" his mother asked.
Calvin's eyes roamed all over the lamp, curiously. "It's just… in a bout of frustration, I threw this thing against the wall. Yet, it doesn't seem to have taken any damage. No dents, no scratches, not even so much as a scuff mark - AH!" As he spoke, Calvin ran his finger along the lamps side - then yanked his hand away as if he had suddenly touched a hot iron.
"What's wrong?" his mother asked in concern.
"The, the lamp! It, it… shuddered!" Calvin stared at the lamp in bewilderment. Tentatively, he reached his hand out, then drew it back again. He desperately wanted to know what would happen - but at the same time, was afraid to find out. So haltingly, nervously, he reached out his hand… and rubbed his fingers along the dull, brass surface.
There was a clattering as the lamp shuddered under his touch. And then, a roaring fountain of flame burst out of the lamp's spout, scorching the kitchen ceiling. Mother and son both fell from their seats and backed away, cowering at the terrible sight. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the flame was suddenly snuffed out. And then, thick, crimson smoke came billowing out of the spout; onward and outward it came flowing - more and more, filling the room. And as the smoke poured out of the lamp, the air in the kitchen was filled with the sounds of crackling fires and the rumbling of distant thunder. Soon, a huge cloud of smoke had filled the room. From within the cloud came flashes of bright light - as though an angry, red stormcloud had filled the small kitchen.
The two humans clung tightly to each other, cowering in the farthest corner. They looked in horrified awe, unable to pry their eyes away from the terrifying spectacle. Calvin's mother prayed fervently to whatever god might hear her for deliverance. Calvin, on the other hand, knew what was coming, but this was a far more frightening sight than the spectacle he had witnessed that morning.
The great cloud then began to spin. It built up speed as it twirled, faster and faster. Soon, the angry, red stormcloud had become an angry, red whirlwind. And as it spun, it began to shrink. Smaller and smaller, it condensed into itself. From as tall as the ceiling, to roughly human sized it shrank down. Then, with one last thunderclap, the cyclone vanished. And in its place, a new figure stood.
The figure stood with its arms crossed, gazing down at the humans with an almost haughty glare. Much like Ursula, this figure had a feline appearance, though taller and more heavily built. It had the same sort of muzzle, the same rounded ears, the same long, lashing tail. The biggest difference was the coloration. Ursula had been completely covered in tawny fur; while this apparition was coated in ruddy, orange fur. Its face, chest and paws were white and its whole body was marked head to tail with black stripes.
The two humans gaped at the figure in astonishment. Both their hearts racing, they tried to steady their breathing. Just as they were feeling they could attempt speaking, the imposing figure fixed onto them with its smoldering red eyes. And then, the visage spoke, in a loud, sonorous voice that rattled the entire house "BEHOLD, the djinni of the lamp!"
Note:Ursula is an original character who first appeared in my fanfic, The Best Seven Years. The story is here, on if you feel inclined to look it up. That being said, PLEASE don't look it up!