A Bottle of Dreams, pt 6
by Tal Greywolf

---

   Bright light brought Andrew out of sleep.  He opened his eyes, then
sat upright in shock at the sight of the room.  No longer was he in his
home, his bedroom.  Instead, he was laying on a very large circular bed,
in the middle of a room that could come only from a middle-eastern
fantasy.  A fountain burbled softly in one corner of the room, while
tapestries hung from every wall.  There were no windows, only a single
door in the middle of one wall away from him.

   He slipped out of the bed, finding clothes appearing on him as he
moved away.  He knew immediately that wherever he was, it most certainly
wasn't good news.

   The door opened, and a young woman entered.  She bowed low before
him, dressed in the style of an houri.  "Young lord," she said, "your
presence is requested.  Follow."

   Not having a choice, Andrew followed the young woman out into the
hallway.  The door shut itself behind him, reminding him that there was
no escape.  He walked behind the houri, forcing himself to ignore her
appearance and allure, instead his mind firmly fixed on wanting to know
what's going on.

   She turned several corners, then stopped before a double door with a
seal upon it.  Touching the knob the seal glowed and the doors parted
open.  "Please step inside, young lord.  They await you."

   He walked inside, and blinked in surprise.  A simple table stood in
the middle of the room, behind which three individuals sat.  One was
female while other two were male, all garbed in a rich blue robe.  The
female nodded in recognition, then a chair appeared in front of the
table.

   "Please be seated, Andrew Davis."  She spoke fluidly, almost singing
her words rather than merely speaking them.  Andrew took the seat after
first making certain it was real.

   Once seated, the woman continued to speak in her peculiar way.  "I
am Awafet, this is Fouad," nodding to the person on her left, "and
Rajab," nodding to her right.  "We represent the Council in the matter
of you."

   Andrew nodded slowly in greeting, then looked at Awafet directly.
"Why am I here?"

   "There are... certain matters we need to discuss and rule on," she
said, sitting back down.  "Matters that directly affect you and Aluria.
Matters that affect all Djinni.  Such things that directly concern you
and your existence."

   Andrew sat back in his chair, digesting her words.  "So you are
judges to determine if I should be allowed to remain as I am?"

   "In a matter of speaking, yes."  That came from Rajab, his grey eyes
staring intently at Andrew.  "We, meaning the Council, must know your
reasons for why you have taken the actions that occurred over the last
few days.  To that, we have brought you here to question you and your
motives."

   "My motives?  What other motives would I have?"

   "Power.  Greed.  Avarice."  Fouad shook his head slowly, earrings
janging softly in the air.  "Humans who have wished to become djinni
have always done so for these reasons.  We wish to know the truth of
your wish."

   Andrew shook his head.  "Truth?  What truth could I tell you?  I
made the wish, yes.  But not for power or wealth or anything like that,
I made it for Aluria."

   Rajab continued his penetrating gaze at Andrew.  "Why would you make
such a wish for her?  She was your property, a tool to use as we were
meant to be used."  His voice rumbled, sounding like distant thunder
about to herald a storm.  Andrew looked at him and shook his head
again.

   "She was not my property, I made that clear the first night.  She
was initially a guest, then a lover, then my fiancee.  Faster than I
would have expected, but it happened and I have no regrets over it
happening.  But never, not once was she property."

   His response caught them by surprise, and they murmured softly for a
few moments.  When they turned back to him, Awafet resumed the
questioning.  "Why would you care that she was not property?"

   Andrew answered immediately.  "Because I don't believe in the idea
of owning a person.  Sharing my life with her, yes.  I would willingly
do so.  But I make no demands on her at all, she's free to leave me
whenever she so chooses."

   "But she is bonded to you."  Fouad looked a bit startled at the
intensity of Andrew's responses.  "All djinni are bound by the rule of
Suleyman to serve when they are owned by humans."

   "Define service."  Andrew took control of the questions.  "Tell me
how she was supposed to serve someone who didn't want that from her
unless she chose it willingly.  Explain to me how I could live with
myself having total and complete control over her that way, not giving
her a choice in the matter."

   Once again, the three conversed together.  Rajab raised his head and
asked, "But you changed her form about into various shapes, did you
not?"

   "Yes.  But only when she wished me to do so.  Never once did I do it
against her will."

   They conversed again in a low voice, then Awafet nodded.  "We know
this to be true.  As human traits go, it is rare to find one who is
considerate of the djinni.

   "How did you come about of her?"  Awafet looked at him through
slitted eyes as she asked, gauging his reaction.  Andrew shrugged, and
leaned back again in his chair.

   "I was heading home, and passed a shop that hadn't been there
before. A place called Spells R Us, if I remember correctly."

   "Spells R Us?"  Rajab suddenly looked startled by the statement.
"Run by a rather elderly looking human, frail yet quick of eye and
hand?"

   "That was him, yes."  Andrew was curious now, wondering how they
knew of the owner.

   "I know of him.  He is a wizard, a powerful practitioner of magic on
your world.  His specialty is in transformation magic.  There was word
that he had set up a shop to spread his magic about.  Rumor has turned
into truth in this case."  Rajab mulled while glancing at Andrew,
running his fingers through his beard.  "Is this how you came across
Aluria's bottle?"

   "Yes.  I had entered the shop, merely curious.  There were a few
items that looked interesting, but when I was about to leave, he stopped
me, gave me a bottle and told me to open it at home."  Andrew closed his
eyes and sighed, then looked back at the panel.  "I did so, and that's
when I first saw Aluria."

   They conferred a bit again, then Fouad nodded to Andrew.  "Did you
realize at that time what she was?"

   "She explained it, yes.  I couldn't believe it at first, but since
then I've become used to her and what she was.  Just as I've had to
become used to what she turned me into."  The phrasing made Awafet and
Rajab look at each other, then back at Andrew.

   "You didn't know?"  Rajab blinked at the revelation, surprised at
Andrew once again.

   "Not at first, no.  It wasn't until the next day that she explained
what she did.  But I think she did it because she believed it was what I
wanted, and I did it for her sake.  Because she wanted me to."

   They looked at Andrew, then stood up as one.  "We will continue this
in an hour.  Remain here, and you will be tended to."  Together they
nodded to him, then vanished into mist.  Andrew stared at the empty
space, then sighed softly.

---

   Two other young ladies entered the room as he sat, bringing food and
drink.  He shook his head, but accepted a glass of water and some bread
from them.  He played over the conversation in his head again, wondering
why they were so surprised at what he had done.  True, djinni expected
little from humans other than treating them as tools, but still that's
no excuse for their treatment of him.  He was their prisoner right now,
and likely Aluria as well.

   A slight stirring of air announced their arrival.  They stood in the
same spots as when they left, then sat down quietly.  There was a
different feel about them, he noticed.  The expression on their faces
were more open, more revealing.

   Rajab coughed softly, catching Andrew's attention.  He smiled a bit,
still running his fingers through his beard.  "Tell me, what would you
do now that you're a djinn.  Is there anything you'd want to try?"

   "I don't understand."  Andrew shook his head, trying to grasp the
question.  "Are you asking me if I'd go crazy or something like that?
Try to rule the world or what?"

   That made the three chuckle gently.  "No, Andrew," Fouad said
gently.  "We're wondering what you would do personally."

   "Nothing much different, really.  Work, live my life with Aluria,
enjoy her company and show her my world, that's really all I've
considered.  I'm happy with the way I am now, and really don't have any
reason to change it."

   They nodded slowly, accepting his answer.  "And Aluria?" asked
Awafet.  "What about her?"

   "Love her, care for her, try to show her how much I care about her."
Andrew smiled a bit, then chuckled.  "She's quite, ah, insatiable at
times, and I've had a hard time keeping her happy."

   "Oh, I don't know," Rajab said, a glint in his eyes.  "You've done a
fairly good job so far.  Not many humans know about a djinn's ability to
take different forms, fewer still willing to try them.  You're very well
suited to her and her enjoyments."

   Andrew tilted his head to one side, then nodded.  "Ah, well, I try
to be.  She's a very loving and lovely person, and she deserves more."

   Awafet smiled at that statement, then her expression turned serious.
"Young Andrew, your situation has caused us a problem, one which we have
been empowered to deal with.

   "Normally when a human wishes to become a djinni, they are bound to
servitude for a time so that they may learn humility and understanding.
The greed and need for power is purged from within them by their being
bound to a vessel and to those who possess that vessel.  However we have
judged you to be unique.  You are not driven by lust or avarice.  You
are compassionate and caring, noble traits to us."

   They stood up, and the table and chairs vanished.  Aluria appeared
next to Andrew, his hand immediately finding hers and holding tightly.
The judges looked at the two, then warmly smiled at them.

   "It is by our command that Aluria's servitude be dissolved.  That
she is no longer bound to her bottle, and is now a free djinna."  A thin
silver bracelet appeared on her wrist, flowing Arabic script curling
around the length.  Awafet smiled warmly at her, then turned her
attention to Andrew.

   "Andrew Davis, by law and tradition, becoming a djinn would bind you
to servitude for a period of no less than 300 years."  Aluria caught her
breath, and Andrew squeezed her hand, trying to hold on.  Awafet
continued on, singing the words.

   "Because of the compassion and love that you have shown Aluria, we
cannot in true faith do so.  Such would be a punishment upon you both, a
punishment that would not be fair in the eyes of Allah.  Thus we have
decided.

   "Andrew Davis, to be known amongst us as Andra, is as of this day a
free djinn, given all rights and powers granted to us by Allah in his
wisdom and mercy.  That you will as a free djinn use those abilities
as Allah sees fit."  There was a glow around Andrew, and he let out a
soft sigh as he felt the magic flow into him.  Aluria was stunned at the
sight, then hugged him tightly around the neck.

   A soft tapping made them break the hug and turn back to look.
Awafet smiled again at the two, while Rajab looked positively amused.
"One final decree," Awafet announced.  "By command of the Council,
Aluria and Andra are to be declared married in the eyes of Allah, bound
to each other until the end of time.  To you both the Council gives
their blessings and their wishes for a long and happy life together.

   "This is now adjourned."

---

   Andra and Aluria sat quietly in the room that he had woken up in,
still dazed by what had occurred.  The sudden changes made Andra feel
disoriented, and together they decided not to leave until he felt
comfortable enough to.

   There was a soft knock at the door, then it opened to reveal Rajab
standing there.  "I wanted to come and say a few things in private," he
admitted.  "Things I felt were better said afterwards."

   Aluria stood up and went to bring him over.  "I was worried there
for a moment," she admitted.  "Afraid that you would have gone ahead and
bound him to servitude."

   "There was a real discussion about that," he acknowledged.  He sat
on the edge of the bed, and smiled at the two.  "But in the end, your
love made all the difference.  We couldn't in honestly sentence Andra
and you both to that long apart."

   Andra smiled and nodded.  "We both appreciate that.  I don't know if
we would have managed, but we would have tried to."

   "I realize that, and so do the rest.  That's the mark of true love,
being willing to suffer for the other person.  You both are willing to
sacrifice for the other, a very welcomed sight to us djinni."  Rajab
coughed softly then grinned at the two.

   "One thing I did want to mention, and that's your magic," he said to
Andra.  "It will take some time to adjust to the power, so for now do
not try anything in the way of spells.  Let Aluria teach you how to use
what's within you first, then how to use the magic of the world."

   Andra nodded.  "I wasn't planning to try anything for a long while,
actually.  Felt like I was run over by a truck, then backed up and ran
over again."

   Rajab and Aluria chuckled.  "A very apt comparison," Rajab said.
"There is something you could teach to many of us, and that's in
transformations.  You seem to have a very strong ability in that
respect, from what I've seen."

   Aluria blushed a bit, making Andra chuckle.  "You've been looking in
on us, haven't you?" he asked, making Rajab laugh.

   "A bit, yes," he admitted.  "I must admit I hadn't seen anything
like that in many a century."

   "Remind me to double the privacy," Andra replied, making Aluria
blush even harder.  Rajab laughed again, and shook his head.

   "Don't worry about that, your privacy is now guaranteed.  Only when
we truly need to will we look in on you two."  He stood up, bowing low
before them both.  "Take care, children.  We shall meet again, under
much more cordial circumstances."  He left the room, and Aluria looked
at Andra.

   "So what are we going to do now?"

   Andra kissed her gently.  "First, we go home.  Then, I'll show you."

---

   The night was just beginning to settle when Aluria and Andrew
materialized in the apartment once again.  Andrew groaned softly, and
plopped down in a nearby chair, shivering from the sudden change.
"That's the last time I'm doing that," he commented.  "Next time, we're
flying."

   Aluria giggled.  "By plane or by wing?"

   "Yes."  He grinned and reached out, snagging her and pulling her
into his lap.  She let herself be pulled, wrapping her arms around his
neck and kissing him warmly, then laying her head on his shoulder.

   "Home," she said simply.  He nodded gently, nuzzling the top of her
head.

   "Home."  They both knew it felt right.  This was their home now.

   She smiled and looked at him, a glint in her eyes.  "So, love, care
to show me a good time in the Big Easy?"  She slowly shifted her form so
that there was a sexy-looking vixen in his lap, licking her muzzle and
peering at him with a hungry expression.

   He giggled at her, reaching up to lightly tweak one of her nipples.
She yipped softly, then slipped out of the chair, walking slowly towards
the bedroom, tail swishing behind her seductively.  His own form blurred
into a male fox, and leapt after her.  She avoided his leap, then
giggled as he snagged her ankle and flipped her onto the bed, jumping up
on top of her.  For a long moment they stared into each other's eyes,
then snuggled up against each other in a warm embrace.

   Anyone passing under the window might have been puzzled at the
sounds coming from within, odd yappings and murrings that continued
through the night.

---

copyright 1996, 2015
by Tal Greywolf
all rights reserved