If time was money, then he had been scammed. Bartley Nock had barely made a single sale that day, and no-one exciting or interesting had come into his shop in forever! For a man as obsessed with relics as him, not having an ancient helm or chalice to drool over was the perfect torture. It was getting on, and the weary trader felt that he should just close the shop for the day.
He looked around at the dusty hoard sitting behind his counter: Teleporting closets, candles that never ran out, and the heaping piles of jewelry, some of which had been there for years. He just wished that someone with bags full of gold would stride in, buy up everything, and then divulge the location of the earth's best-kept secrets. Obviously, this would never happen, especially not out here in this remote village in Western Serendipity. However, maybe something just slightly interesting could happen. Something to save this day from being completely worthless. Bartley decided to wait a little longer.
She really wished she'd stayed in Essyrn. For all it's flaws, at least it wasn't freezing.
Okay, that probably wasn't fair. Maybe she was under-dressed for the weather. But she'd never been this far north before! Her only preparation had come from books.
Grumbling under her breath, Lapis ducked into the first still open door she noticed as the wind picked up and clouds began to roll in. "Um, hello? Sorry to barge in, I, ah..." She trailed off, heavily accented Common growing quiet as she looked around the shop.
Well. This was interesting.
"Finally, a customer!"
Just as Bartley had made the decision to close up for the day, a woman of around twenty had wandered in through the open door. From his years as a slave in Essyrni, he could tell she was from there. She was certainly dressed for that kind of climate, something that she was obviously regretting. She began to speak rather unsurely, but trailed off, gazing around at the piles of old, dusty curiosities. He couldn't blame her, not many had amassed such an impressive collection of knick-knacks. Never missing the opportunity for business, he launched right into a sales pitch he'd used thousands of times before:
"Ah, so you're interested in my collection! Well, of course you are, a fine young lady such as yourself. Dangerous times out there, may I suggest something to protect yourself? No, what am I saying, someone as gorgeous as you must have a special someone protecting you anyway! So perhaps he'd like a gift, and I will tell you, my trove of wonders has everything you could think of, rings, statues, instruments, just name it!"
He rattled all this off in a matter of seconds, and just as intended, the customer looked quite disoriented. With the right pressure applied, it was time for the clincher.
"So, what can I do for you?"
The ball was in her court now.
Lapis blinked and took an automatic step back from the proprietor, eyes going wide. "You- what-"
She cleared her throat and tried to center herself, raising her hands almost defensively in front of her body. "Slow down, please," she begged. While she was fluent in Common, the speed with which he spoke had her missing a few words in the middle.
She shrank a bit under the full force of his attention and glanced longingly toward the door. But it would be just rude to leave now, or admit that she'd just been trying to get in out of the cold. "I_ I' am just browsing, thank you," she stammered finally.
"Just browsing". Those were the magic words that he needed to hear, and there they were, floating through the air and into the pointed ears of Bartley Nock. It was a phrase that was never used truthfully, but he didn't care, he was confident that he could secure a purchase anyway. As he watched the Essyrni woman pretend to browse the merchandise, uncomfortably feigning interest in boring old pots and possibly-magical sticks, he looked her up and down, thinking hard about what might grab her attention.
She was obviously of the desert, clearly an active girl, and the blue braids in her hair told him she must be a fashionable woman, at least in his experience. Deciding to work that route, the shopkeeper rummaged through the drawers of his counter in search of some form of jewelry or accessory, making sure to keep one eye on his customer in case she decided to slip out. After a few seconds of rummaging, he found an amulet with a greenish-blue gemstone. Using an enchantment-detecting spyglass, he found no curses or magical powers. "Why the hell did I even take this? Whatever, time to get it off my hands!"
"Hey, I think I might have found something for you!"
"Um. Oh." Reluctantly, Lapis took the amulet. "That's...lovely."
At first the compliment was rather forced, but the longer she looked at the piece of jewelry the more interesting it became. She brushed her fingers over the surface of it, feeling the raised divots of the runes that had been carved around the circumference. She couldn't read them- they much be incredibly old.
It seemed a simple disk at first, but on closer examination she could make out layers of silver and gold inlay circling the gemstone at its center. She tilted the amulet, watching the gem change from blue to green to teal and back as the light struck from different angles.
As she twisted the disk in her fingers once again, her thumbnail caught on a hairline crack on the edge of the amulet. She paused, tugged at the amulet, trying to pry it open. "This is a locket," she murmured, frowning. Honestly she almost forgot the shop owner existed at this point, captivated by the potential of a puzzle to solve.
Bartley smirked at first, watching the woman grow more and more invested in all the patterns and shapes of the amulet, but the more he watched her, the more he was drawn in to the it as well. When he checked it, it didn't seem to have any enchantments or charms on it, so the attraction was very unlikely to be magical, and yet it really shouldn't have been as captivating as it was. He had the distinct feeling that there was more to this item than a pretty design.
"This is a locket". Bartley jolted as she said this, becoming once more aware of the transaction that was to be made. "Ah, yes," he responded, noticing her struggle trying to open it, "A locket indeed! Would you like me to open it for you?"
"I- I think I can get it.." After a few more moments of fruitless wrestling with the thing, Lapis sigh and relented with an irritated frown. "Can you hold the disk still? I just need to wedge my nail into the fault here, but I can't manage it on my own."
"Anything for you!" His smile was truly genuine as he said this, knowing that the day would have at least one good deal. What he didn't know was that this transaction would contain much more than just a sale. Bartley placed both his hands on the locket and helped her pry it open, holding it still on the antique counter-top.
Click.
An explosion of golden light swamped the little shop. Lapis cried out and stumbled back, trying to shield her eyes.
Then, as suddenly as it had happened, it was gone. Blinking, vision white at the edges, Lapis looked around wildly for the cause of the light.
It didn't take her long to find it, and when she did she froze. Perched on the counter, lounging back on one arm while the other tapped against his bottom lip as he looked around curiously, was one of the most objectively beautiful creatures she'd ever seen in her life. He wore traditional Essyrni garb- very traditional actually, almost archais- and at least half his body weight in bejeweled rings, bracelets, armbands, necklaces, chains.
"Wha...wha..." Lapis just stammered, utterly stunned.
The man's eyes snapped to hers and she was suddenly pinned in place. Power rolled off this creature in waves, like nothing she'd ever felt before. "Ah. Did you open the locket then?"
"Oh crap. I remember now"
It all came back at once. He had obtained the amulet from a priest, who had told him that it had been passed down through his family for generations, but that he no longer wanted the thing. Bartley was skeptical when he told him that there was a djinn locked inside, but he wasn't going to open the locket and find out; Djinns had a tendency to be rather malignant. "I really shouldn't have just shoved that thing in a drawer!"
The fear he felt was quickly replaced with curiosity, Bartley having never seen such a creature up close before. It looked quite human, though the horns and claws gave him away. The shopkeep hadn't even had time to get angry about it leaning on the antique desk before it spoke to the customer. Knowing the risks of having a djinn free in the store, he quietly pulled out a ring of immobilization, ready for a trick or attack.
The djinn- because of course that had to be what he was, she couldn't imagine him being anything else- tilted his head and looked from Lapis to the shopkeep.
"Ah." He frowned, but only for a moment. The expression quickly smoothed into a knowing smirk as he leaned back on his hand and his eyes flickered between the two mortals. "I see. A joint summoning. Well that is rare, truly rare. Congratulations, I suppose."
Lapis glanced to the owner of the shop, then back to the djinn. "Wh- what?!"
"A joint summoning?"
"Well, I suppose I did have a hand in opening it, but..."
Bartley didn't know what to do. The thing was right in front of him, and would surely do something horrible! But it looked too human to simply kill, not that he probably could if he tried, and, quite frankly, Bartley had no idea how to get it back in the locket.
"I suppose this gives me a chance to do what I do best... Negotiation!" Unfortunately, it seemed that at this point that Bartley had no holds to grip, and so he decided to wait and see what it would reveal in the coming moments. "I can stop it if it does anything harmful... I hope"
Who knew, maybe the customer could be of use. Come to think of it, he didn't even know her name! He'd have to ask her after the ordeal.
Zahir tsked and unfurled himself gracefully from the counter. "You've been awfully quiet, old man," he commented blithely. His eyes quickly snapped to the girl as she started to back toward the door.
"I wouldn't, sweetling. You summoned me, you bound me, you're stuck with me. Thems the breaks."
"Of course!", he thought, "All I have to do is convince the customer to take him away! The djinn can't really expect us to just walk around with him together!"
"So, what's your name, djinn? I'm sure a fine specimen such as you would have one, wouldn't he, my dear customer?" Turning back to the djinn, he glanced briefly at the incredible amounts of ancient jewelry around his neck. "Maybe I'll be able to snag some of that later!"
The djinn's lip curled and when he spoke again there was an echo of power in his voice that made Lapis' teeth tingle.
"Do not presume to manipulate me with flattery, old man." Then just as quickly he was back to that elegant, smirking air as he strode toward Lapis and paced around her in a circle. The girl squeaked and nearly shrank in on herself.
"Zahir. I am called Zahir. And who are you two?"
Bartley jumped when the djinn spoke, shocked by the aura around it. It was clearly aware of his tactics. "Right then, on to the next plan". It said its name was Zahir, and asked theirs. Bartley spoke first, eager to give a better second impression than his first. "My name is Bartley Nock. The girl summoned you in my shop, touching something she shouldn't have. I have nothing to do with this!" He ducked down behind his desk a little, and began discreetly rifling through his drawers for a plan C, just in case it was necessary. With that kind of power, he doubted a stun ring would help.
He hoped Zahir wouldn't catch on to his lies, and hoped even more that the Essyrni girl wouldn't murder him for this.
Lapis gaped at the old man, indigence warring with panic. "What- you-!"
Zahir sighed and rolled his eyes, leaning back against the counter again and craning his neck back slightly to stare down at Bartley. "I'm going to give you one more chance, Mr. Bartley Nock. Do not lie to me," he said pleasantly, smiling to reveal long, sharp canines.
"I know who summoned me. It is an innate sense of my kind. And you, dear, are just as responsible as the little waif over there." He gestured toward Lapis, then frowned a bit. "Ah, sorry, sweetling. What did you say your name was?"
Lapis shook her head, opened her mouth- and squeaked. Terrified, she cleared her throat and tried again quickly. "L-L-Lapis!"
Bartley glowered at the djinn, annoyed that non of his tricks were working. "Does this thing have some sort of sixth sense?" He grit his teeth, facing the fact that he would now have to be honest here, and hoped for the best. At least he could be relatively selective with what he revealed. He definitely wasn't going to say he had kept him in a drawer for a few years. "Zahir, it is true that my name is Bartley Nock. This girl, er, Lapis, and I accidentally summoned you while attempting to open a locket. Neither of us intended to summon you, nor had any idea that you were inside of the jewelry."
Bartley racked his brain, trying to think of anything that would get the thing away. Then, he realized something. "If I may ask you a question, now, what exactly is it that you want?"
"Well, what I want isn't really the point, is it?" The djinn smirked, evidently pleased that they were speaking plainly now. He spread his arms wide, and for a moment he seemed to glint copper, exposed, lean muscle rippling. Lapis felt her mouth go dry and ducked her head quickly, flushing.
"That's the beauty of a djinn, isn't it. Your wish-" He swept into an elegant bow, looking from Lapis to Bartley and back- "is my command."
"Then that makes my job a fair bit easier, doesn't it?" Bartley smirked, realizing just how easy this would be. "My- No, our wish, is for you to get back in the damned..." Before he could finish, he bit his tongue, angry at what a fool he'd almost been. "Actually, my wish is for you to tell me all about that jewelry hanging off of you! How old is it? What's it made of?"
The smirk returned, although it was quickly replaced by embarrassment as he noticed the sort of smirking contest he was entering with the Djinn. "Never try to outsmirk a djinn, it's their resting face". He was sure he's heard that from somewhere.
Zahir's smirk turned to a snarl as the little man started making that wish. He had a few contingency plans, but they certainly didn't make his life a whole lot easier.
The snarl morphed back into a smirk and he tilted his head. "Is that an official wish, then? You have to use my name." He cleared his throat and pitched his voice in a mocking copy of Bartley's. "Zahir, I wish for... bla bla bla."
Lapis, shaking slightly, glanced toward the door again. If she could just...edge...back.
"Easy, darling." Zahir's hand shot out and the door slammed closed, lock sliding into place. Lapis squeaked and froze, eyes wide.
Now that the thing was definitely confirmed to be subservient, Bartley's confidence soared, as did his brashness. His only concern now was for the safety of the customer. "If someone dies here, no-one will buy anything ever again!" He glanced over at a shelf, and located a small piece of charcoal with a white tag attached to it. He reached over to the shelf, grabbing it, before lifting his foot up to the counter and inserting it into a gap between the front and sole of his shoe. He read the message on the tag and smiled, briefly reliving fond memories of times when the charcoal had come in handy.
"You don't like to make things simple, do you?", he taunted. Stepping out from behind his desk, he paced around the room. As he did so, he nervously dragged his charcoaled foot in a circle around Lapis, knowing she'd probably still be annoyed that he tried to lie about her earlier. "Zahir, I wish for you to tell me about the jewelry you're wearing!"
As he completed his stroll around the shop, the smugness drained from his face completely, replaced with the face of someone who just realized their one key mistake, something he had completely taken for granted. "Shit!"
"I- I get more than one wish, right?", he stuttered nervously.
Zahir watched all his antics, bored, then sighed in a long suffering sort of manner.
"Yes," he replied with a roll of his eyes. "You get more than one wish."
The compulsion from that first one was already tugging at him. Well, if he wanted the history of the jewelry, he'd get it. With another sigh, the djinn raised on arm and touched the bracelet on his wrist. "This is from the first dynasty of Essyrn, a gift from a younger daughter of the Shah of the time." He pointed at a ring. "This is from..."
As he droned on, Lapis shot the shopkeeper a sour look, eyebrows raised. What the hell are you doing?
Bartley hung on to every word, fascinated by the stories. "Such a rich history would be incredible for my collection!" He couldn't help but lean in closer as he drowned out everything but the words of Zahir, who weaved the tales of ancient gold like a bard. At least that's how it felt to Bartley. Eventually, he found the presence of mind to check on Lapis. She certainly didn't seem happy with this. "I suppose I did drag her into this..."
Deciding to do her a small favor, he raised a hand. "Zahir, I wish for you to stop talking." He then shot a smile at Lapis, hoping he'd receive some kind of approval. It was painful, ceasing the beautiful history lesson, but the thought of actually receiving the riches gave him gold fever. "Zahir, I wish for your jewelry."
Lapis tolled her eyes, and the djinn tilted his head with a small frown. He couldn't respond. He had been wished into speechless.
Luckily, the scholar seemed to realize what was happening. Voice shaking slightly, she murmured, "Zahir, I wish for you to speak as you like."
His shoulders relaxed slightly and he nodded to her, polite. "Thank you, Lapis Lazuli." He returned his attention to Bartley as the girl gaped at him. "You wish for my jewelry to do what, exactly?"
"Oh, you're one of
those djinns", he said dryly. Clearly, this was going to be difficult. Sighing, he spoke again. "Zahir, we could go back and forth all day, but I believe it may be in the best interests of my customer if we wrap this up with due speed. Actually... Zahir, I wish for you to let Lapis go, and name me as your sole master." Without even waiting for a response, Bartley approached Lapis and attempted to usher her out the door. However, it seemed that she would not budge. pushing his hand out, he realized she was stuck against a solid surface. He looked around, and saw that this invisible barrier was from the charcoal he'd laid earlier, but he was sure it wasn't supposed to work like that. Then he recalled the text on the label:
QuoteShielding Charcoal: Draw circle clockwise to shield all within. Draw counterclockwise to trap all that enters
Well, crap.
Lapis yelped as she found herself coming up against an invisible surface that she was sure hadn't been there before. "Ow- ow!" She scowled at Bartley. "What the hells is going on?"
As she spoke, Zahir was rolling his eyes. "It doesn't work like that. If I could choose my master, I wouldn't have any," the djinn snapped. He paused, watching the two humans struggle, and his lip curled in a smirk that was more of a snarl.
"Idiots," he hissed, and snapped his fingers. Lapis, who had been shoving against the invisible wall, cried out as she suddenly tumbled toward the ground.
Strong, lean arms caught her, lifting her easily and bracing her against a solid, mostly bare chest. She raised her eyes slowly and blushed. "Um...th-thanks."
"Don't thank me," the djinn replied stiffly. He was glaring at Bartley. "If it weren't for the laws that bound me, more powerful than any petty magics you my cling to, old man, you would be dead," he said coolly. Any trace of the playfulness had gone from his eyes. His voice vibrated with power, skin giving off a soft golden light. "Let me say this one. Last. Time."
His voice rose, echoing off the walls unnaturally, though the volume didn't seem to actually change. Bartley's goods rattled in their places, the door shuddered as though in a gale. Pressed against the djinn, Lapis gasped as raw power wracked her body in waves. She stared at the shop owner, lips parted in a soundless cry.
"You cannot trick me, you cannot trap me, you cannot slay me, and you cannot bind me beyond the bonds that already enchain me," Zahir proclaimed in that whispered-thunder voice. "As much as you are my master, I am your curse, and I swear to you if you do not change your methods very quickly, I will become your personal poltergeist."
"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap. crap!" Bartley almost soiled himself as Zahir revealed just how powerful he could be. Now he had a choice: Risk going for the gold again, or get this over and done with before things turned bad. He'd always been hungry for ancient artifacts, and seeing so many in front of him, worn by such a deadly creature, was almost torture to his greed. Eventually, he gave in. "Zahir..." He drew a long, shaky breath. "I wish for you to hand over your adornments to me".
He stepped back, almost shielding his eyes. Of course, he didn't think Zahir would actually kill him, but the power radiating from his body was enough to plant a very large seed of doubt in Bartley's mind. Then he realized something: He'd been taking charge the entire time, but Lapis was Zahir's master just as much as Bartley himself, and if things got difficult, he always had her vote to consider. Turning to her, he spoke quietly, but still loud enough for the djinn to know he wasn't attempting to hide the conversation. "Lapis, what do we do after this? There must be some way to seal this thing back up, right?"
"What-?" Lapis started, still held against the djinn's chest, and just gaped at Bartley. Was he really this stupid? Or was it just greed?
Zahir's eyes were like thunderclouds as he began stripping off bracelets and rings, shoving the girl away from him to do so. Glaring at the shopkeeper, Lapis snapped out, "Zahir, I wish for you to keep your adornments, and to do so as long as you see fit."
The djinn stopped. His eyes widened slightly as he blinked at her. Slowly, he began putting the jewelry back on.
Lapis turned to Bartley, hands on her hips and mouth drawn in a tight line. "Now you listen here, both of you," she snapped, glaring between the two men. She honestly wasn't sure where the sudden boldness came from- probably just frustration. " I have had just about enough of this. If we're all going to be stuck together, there will be no- no squabbling! You."
She rounded on Bartley, eyes flashing. "Do you really think a djinn won't find a way to make every wish that leaves your lips turn sour if you aren't careful? Are you just that greedy that your life means nothing? That's all well and good if you'd like to get yourself killed, but I'm dragged into this too, and I won't have any part in that, no sir. And you!"
She whirled to face Zahir- who actually jumped a bit, eyes rather wide and lips slightly parted in speechlessness. No one had ever addressed him that way. "I'm sure you're not exactly happy with the situation, but neither am I! There's no call to go throwing tantrums that could bring down hurricanes, so just bloody relax."
Panting gently, the scholar fell silent, still glaring at the two men. "Now." In a softer voice, she hissed, "I have no godsdamned idea what to do from here on out, but I do know that a djinn cannot be sealed once he has been invoked. Not without some very specific components. So I believe we are all just going to have to learn to live with this, for the moment."
Bartley fell silent. He tried to think of something to say, anything, but words failed him. The outburst had truly been phenomenal. After a while, he rather timidly spoke up. "So, are you suggesting we just... Keep him like a pet until we find what we need to reseal him?"
Sighing, he realized it was pointless to argue with the plan, and it was best to just let her cool down.
Zahir snarled. "I am no pet-"
"What did I just say?!"
The djinn fell silent, eyes wide as he actually shrank back from Lapis. She glared at him. "No. More. Bloody. Tantrums."
With a huff, the young scholar turned back to Bartley. "And look. You've gotta stop talking about him like he's some sort of artifact or spell or something. He's a person, the least we can do is treat him like one."
Lapis was scary. Very scary. "I suppose he is fairly close to human", Bartley thought as he stepped to the side, not wanting to move directly backwards as if he was a coward, but definitely wanting to get further away. "You have a point. Zahir, I'm sorry for all the trouble. Let's just put all this behind us, right? Enjoy each others' company for a bit?" He wasn't exactly expecting rainbows and friendship, but at least maybe he could rest without fear of being stabbed by the two.
Choosing his next words rather carefully, he spoke in a tentative manner. "Now, although I would like us to all be friends here, I am afraid that I cannot quite handle the... Responsibility of having a permanent djinn companion. Assuming that Lapis cannot practically take you in either, as is most likely the case, we may need to figure out how to... Make you portable again at some point. Lapis, would you agree?"
Both djinn and girl seemed to relax slightly, if for different reasons. Zahir was all smiles again, and he nodded before Lapis would answer.
"Of course, that I completely understand. Although if it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd like to stay out a bit longer," he said with a shrugged. "I think it's been at least a century since I was summoned."
Lapis's eyes widened. A hundred years in that tiny locket?! "Well..." She chewed at her bottom lip. "For the moment, at least, I suppose he could come with me?" she offered. "I could find a library, try to do some research...we could return when we find something?"
"Well, that turned out well". Bartley sighed with relief, his mind filled with thoughts of all the sleep he would get once they left. "You know what? That sounds like a fine idea". He smiled and extended a hand. "And... Sorry for earlier". That was the hard part. Apologizing. And though that one may have been half-assed, it was there, and Bartley was more or less content with that for now.
Zahir inclined his head once, briefly. The he turned to the young scholar. "Well then. Lead the way."
Lapis swallowed. She had no idea what she'd just gotten herself into. She glanced toward Bartely. "I...suppose we'll see you soon, then."
More than content to let the two leave him in peace, Bartley nodded his head, exhausted. "See me when you've found something". Yawning, he stretched his hands in the air, and stood up, ready to close the shop the instant they left. The issue wasn't resolved yet, but at least it wouldn't be staring him right in the face anymore.
Lapis resisted the urge to say something rude, cast Zahir another nervous glance, then led the djinn from the shop.
As he left, Zahir muttered something under her breath and sent a small zap of electricity to sting the back of the shopkeeper's neck. He smirked.
"Ow!"
Once the strange pair were out of sight, he closed up shop, 'Tidied' things, and went upstairs to sleep. "Hope they find something soonish", he thought as he drifted off. It had been a long day.
Lapis and the djinn were gone most of the day. By the time they made it back to the shop, the young scholar was obviously exhausted, and though Zahir showed no outward signs of strain, his eyes were a little duller than they had been.
Bartley was awoken by a knock at the door of the shop. Groggily, he got up and came downstairs and opened the door to his company. "Damn. For a moment I forgot I had to deal with them!" He gestured into the building. "Come in, come in." Sitting down at the counter, he cleared his throat. "So, what did you find?"
"That...is sort of a complicated question," Lapis sighed as the door opened, running a hand distractedly through her hair.
Zahir snorted and rolled his eyes. "Just let us in. The girl is exhausted, get her a chair or something."
"Can't you just magic up a chair or something?" He sighed. It really shouldn't have been a complicated question, and Bartley knew that what came next would be a complicated answer. "Oh, right. Zahir, I wish for you to summon a chair for Lapis."
The shopkeep could only hope they'd found something in the time they'd been gone. Well, something good, that is. "Gotta be careful what I wish for!" He snorted to himself.
Zahir glowered, but flicked his hand and a chair appeared. Bare wood covered in wicked iron spikes.
Lapis sighed, already getting used to the djinn's ornery nature, and stepped easily around the torture tool.
"You should sit," she told Bartley calmly. At this point she didn't much care what chair he picked.
Scowling, Bartley grabbed the chair from behind the counter and pulled it out into the storefront, motioning for Lapis to sit down. He then went into the back of the store to search for some more. After much digging through piles of old junk, he found an old wooden chair, and an ornate throne he'd claimed from a lost civilization six years ago. With some difficulty, he moved both over to form a circle with the other one, and sat in the throne.
"Right, now that everyone is happy, let's get down to business. What did you find?"
"We found a way to break one of our bonds with Zahir," Lapis sighed, rubbing at her temples. "But...only one."
"Shit!" This had to be the worst scenario possible! Bartley had been dreading that there might be a problem, but actually having to decide who would be stuck with this thing for who knows how long? Surely there could have been some kind of mistake made, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that it was probably true.
"I suppose djinns aren't exactly usually shared between two people." Still, he would have thought that there would be a contingency in the case of this. Deciding it was best to stall the inevitable discussion until he at least had a plan, Bartley decided to get some background on their search. "Right, so how exactly did you come across this information? Just so that I can understand what's going on."
Lapis shrugged a little desolately. "Honestly I just sorta pieced it together." She glanced sidelong at Zahir. "He helped a little, but apparently even he doesn't understand all of...this."
She sighed again and rubbed at her temple. "There isn't a lot of documentation about djinn, and almost nothing about a bond being created between two masters. I'm mostly going off of old stories more than anything else."
"Ugh. Alright then, well..." Bartley was not happy with this at all, and it was definitely showing. "So we really can't just do the thing twice? I mean, what is it that we need to do anyway?" He could only assume it was something all too complex and difficult. That was just the way things were going recently. "Probably something involving a rare gemstone that only works once and is found in the deepest jungles of Thanatos, or something like that!" Now that he thought about it, a rare gemstone did seem like a nice break from all this. Not so much the jungles though. "Maybe I'll be lucky and we can just do this thing now. Well, if we can decide who's sticking with this guy".
Lapis shook her head. "No. This is...all I could find. One of us is stuck with a djinn." She glanced sidelong at Zahir, who seemed entirely unconcerned with the whole situation. "Now we just...have to decide who."
Bartley looked tentatively over at Lapis. It seemed they'd arrived at the all-important question sooner than he'd hoped. Sighing, he stood, figuring he'd just wing it from here, and said to Lapis "So, how are we going to do that? A coin toss? Duel? Cards? Let's me be serious here and say that there is no possible way to resolve this and end up with one happy person. Either way, one of us is stuck with the djinn forever, and the other is stuck with the fall-consuming guilt."
Bartley had decided that his new approach would be to make not having Zahir seem like the worse option. It was a long shot, but if he could just find a way to make it work...
Warren Umami is an ex-cobbler's apprentice who has turned to adventure. Using his life's savings, he has purchased nought but an iron helm, wooden shield, and an old but sturdy short sword. He has traveled from his home town to seek his fortune in fame and glory in this land, and is weary from his long trek. "Damn! It's hard walking so far!" He slumps up against a tree, wiping sweat from his brow. "I wonder where all the adventure is."