Chapter 2

Melody awoke first the next morning, finding herself spooned in Mike’s arms. She kissed his hands and wiggled her ass against his crotch, feeling his morning wood pressing against her. Becoming extremely horny from his poking, she slid her ass up and began to slide herself onto his cock. He did not awaken, but his breathing deepened in pleasure. Smiling to herself, Melody began to ride her pussy along his cock, milking him for all he was worth. Feeling that he was close to waking, she increased the ferocity of her fucking, bringing him to orgasm right as he came to consciousness.

“Huh ... oh wow ... good morning,” he yawned.

Giggling, she retorted, “It certainly is.”

After an intimate breakfast of fruit and milk, the pair relaxed under the small waterfall in their quarters, cleaning up and making out at every opportunity before beginning their work for the day. Melody purred in contentment as Mike washed her back, among other areas; she returned the favor with a soapy handjob. As they finished their shower and dried each other off, they made their way over to the closet in the corner.

After perusing their options, the couple dressed themselves for the day, Mike in a black suit with a white open-collar dress shirt and Melody in a black pencil skirt and fitted white button-up blouse. Linking her arm in his, the couple exited their room and made their way out to the main courtyard. Once there, Selena greeted them, leading them to the central tower. Stepping onto a circular, brass platform, they were elevated almost to the top of the tower, stepping out onto an observation platform. There, King Farzan greeted them.

“Good morning my friends! I trust that you slept well?”

“Very,” Melody replied, laying her head on Mike’s shoulder.

“You and your tribe have been extremely welcoming. Thank you very much for your hospitality,” Mike agreed.

“Splendid! It is our genuine pleasure. Now then, if you are ready, we shall depart for the meeting of the Council of Four.”

As Farzan stood aside, he revealed his personal transport: a large chariot made of the same brass material as the castle. Two white horses were hitched to the front of the chariot, ready and eager to begin their travels.

“Impressive,” Mike marveled. “But, there’s not exactly any road in front of us? How will a chariot help us in the desert?”

Chuckling, Farzan replied, “You underestimate us, my friend. Please, climb aboard; we have taken care of everything.”

The couple nodded, realizing that he needed them to trust him, and sat on the cushioned seats of the large carriage. As Selena and Farzan joined them, he sat on the other side of the carriage, facing Mike and Melody, while Selena stepped to the front and took the reigns. Ahead of them, a long, straight runway extended out from the observation platform.

Looking over her shoulder, Selena winked and said, “Hold tight.”

With a crack of the reigns, the horses took off, bounding down the platform as they accelerated to their top speed. Mike and Melody gripped each other as they reached the end of the runway, but were surprised when they did not fall off the edge as they had anticipated; rather, the horses continued to run in midair, with the chariot flying behind them. The Braxtons laughed and looked around, exhilarated at their method of travel.

“Do you now see?” Farzan asked with a smile. “You should have more trust in me, my friends.”

As they enjoyed the picturesque scenery of the Rub’ al Khali, Mike asked, “So, where is the meeting taking place?”

Nodding, Farzan replied, “In the fortress of the Earth Jinn, to the north of here.”

“The King of the Earth Jinn is the eldest and most respected of the Council of Four. He is often viewed as a leader and mediator whenever disputes arise,” Selena chimed in.

“Do you think we will be well received by the Council?” Melody asked.

“I believe so, yes,” Farzan answered. “The Earth and Wind Kings were both enthusiastic about my idea to try and enlist your assistance. The Fire King was a bit less so, though he has always been quite cautious, particularly in matters pertaining to the future security of the four tribes. Apprehension at the introduction of human opinions into Jinn affairs is only natural.”

“That makes sense,” Melody agreed.

After about an hour, Selena landed the chariot on top of a dune in an empty section of the desert. Ahead of them stood a rock, about the size of a car, which seemed a bit out of place among the sea of sand. Halting the horses at the rock, Farzan stood and announced their presence.

“This is King Farzan of the Water Jinn. We come in peace.”

As he finished speaking, a fissure split from the ground underneath the rock, extending out in front of them. Soon, the sand gave way to an enormous hole in the ground, from out of which rose a mountain-like structure. As the ground continued to quake, the structure eventually revealed itself as the fortress of the Earth Jinn, evidenced by the green flags scattered around the grounds, each with a symbol resembling twin peaks. Before them, a stone gate opened and a group of ten soldiers marched out to greet them. Arriving at Farzan’s chariot, the solders split to form a tunnel with their ranks. Finally, a woman walked between them, arriving at the chariot with a smile on her face. Her light brown hair was tied up in a ponytail, accentuating her warm, pretty face.

“Honorable King Farzan, welcome to our home,” she said with a graceful bow, her green robes blowing in the desert wind.

“Thank you, my dear,” he replied.

“King Ardashir is waiting for you. If you will permit me aboard, I will guide you to our stables.”

“Of course, please.”

As the woman entered the chariot, Selena greeted her with a warm hug. “Nadia, it is wonderful to see you again,” she said.

“You as well, Selena.”

Riding through the tunnel of soldiers, the group entered through the gate surrounding the structure and soon arrived at the stables. After parking the chariot, Nadia took custody of the horses, ensuring they received food and water. In the meantime, Farzan, Selena, Mike, and Melody entered a doorway into the fortress proper, winding down a few hallways towards the conference chambers, escorted by a pair of guards the whole way. Entering through a wooden door, they arrived in a room similar to the room in which Mike and Melody had first met Farzan. But instead of a coffee table with cushions, a large, stone, circular table sat in the center of the room with four chairs surrounding it. As soon as they entered, an older man rose to greet them.

“Farzan, my friend!” he said, rushing forward to hug the man.

“Ardashir, thank you for your generous hospitality,” Farzan replied.

King Ardashir appeared quite a bit older than Farzan, having more of a wrinkled face and moving somewhat more slowly than his younger counterpart. A long, black beard and moustache extended from his chin, complemented by the long hair growing from his head, which was black with small streaks of grey. He had on a long, hunter green robe and brown sandals, but wore no jewelry other than a gold medallion around his neck bearing the symbol of the Earth Jinn. As the two men finished their greetings, they walked towards the table, at which sat two other individuals.

“Those men are King Nadir of the Wind Jinn and King Salim of the Fire Jinn,” Selena explained. “They will attend to their affairs first, and will call us forward only when they have need of us.”

“Not a problem,” Mike replied. He had expected that they would be ignored until the conversation became relevant to them.

King Nadir was a tall man, though not as muscular as Farzan, appearing very lean and composed. He was easily the most handsome of the four. His face was clean-shaven, but he had a long mane of black hair, which he kept in a ponytail, tied at the base of his neck. The clothes he wore were a sandy yellow color, and consisted of a simple pair of pants and a sash that crossed his chest diagonally. The sash extended into a cape draped over his back and down to his waist, which bore a spiral-like symbol that Mike surmised was the symbol of the Wind Jinn.

King Salim, being the youngest of the council, appeared to be no more than thirty years old or so, though he was in reality only a thousand years younger than the eldest of the four. His head was bald, like Farzan’s, but he kept a small tuft of black facial hair on his chin. Though he wore only a pair of simple gold earrings for jewelry, his bare chest was decorated with a large dragon tattoo, which wrapped around his chest three times. His only clothes were pair of red pants and armored red gauntlets on his hands and wrists, the latter of which were adorned with the flame emblem of the Fire Jinn.

As the four men took their seats at the stone table, they recited their traditional words of opening.

“For the good of our people, for the good of our world, we four come together today as equals, so that we remain worthy of the trust of our people.”

“Welcome gentlemen,” Ardashir began. “As you know, we come together here to continue our discussions of the potential changes we might make in regards to the laws governing all Jinn and Genies. To that end, King Farzan has brought a special pair of guests today.”

“Yes indeed,” Farzan said. “Today, I welcome my guests and personal friends, Mike and Melody Braxton. They, as you know, are a pair that we have watched for the entirety of their natural lives together. Their actions and decisions were the genesis of our thoughts on amending our laws, and I feel that their unique perspective might assist us in some of the difficulties we may face in applying these amendments. I ask that they be welcomed to our table.”

After a quick glance between the remaining three, they replied in unison, “We welcome them to our table.”

Two chairs appeared on either side of King Farzan. At his beckoning, Mike sat on his right, and Melody to his left.

“Welcome to the Council,” Farzan said to them. “Allow me to introduce King Salim of the Fire Tribe, King Nadir of the Wind Tribe, and King Ardashir of the Earth Tribe.”

“Your Excellences, we are honored to be here today. Thank you for your desire to include us in your discussions,” Mike replied.

“You are most welcome,” Ardashir responded. “I trust that King Farzan has appraised you of the status of our discussions?”

“He has,” Melody said. “We know that you are working to amend the laws so that no servant genie would be able to interfere with another sentient being’s free will. We also know that, in regards to the five servant genies currently in existence, these changes would not have any impact on them. Is all this correct?”

“It is,” Nadir replied. “We are all in agreement to enact the amendments as of this day. The purpose of this meeting is to formulate a plan as to the five genie servants you mentioned.”

Salim continued, “In regards to those servants, the amendments can apply to them, but only if their masters agree to it. If their masters do not agree, nothing we can do will change that. A genie servant belongs to their master, and the moment of their release constitutes a binding magical contract, the terms of which can only be altered if all parties agree to do so.”

“That makes sense,” Mike said. “Are there any circumstances under which the contract could be dissolved? For example, any actions deemed illegal by the laws at the time of the genie servant’s release?”

Shaking his head, Ardashir replied, “No. The laws are written in such a way that, if a master were to wish for something in conflict with them, the servant would be unable to grant the wish. They are as incapable of disobeying the laws as they are of disobeying their master in any other situation.”

“Precisely,” Farzan agreed. “This is why I have an idea that I wish to propose to the council. I believe that, if anyone would be capable of convincing the masters of these genies to willingly accept these new limitations, it would be Mike and Melody. Therefore, I wish to send them to meet with these individuals in person and explain the situation to them, asking them to agree to the new laws.”

“You realize what you’re asking, right?” Mike asked. “You’re asking a person to choose to give up a portion of almost unlimited power. That’s a huge request.”

“I realize this,” Farzan replied. “However, I feel that we are duty-bound to at least make an attempt, otherwise our actions in changing the laws will be rather hollow.”

“King Farzan, I feel that something must be said,” Salim said. “Understand that I do agree with amending the laws, and I even went along with you bringing into these chambers a ... human. However, I must draw the line at injecting a human so intimately into Jinn affairs. These genie servants are under our jurisdiction, not his.”

“Now see here!” Farzan began, but soon found himself quieted by Mike’s hand on his shoulder.

“King Farzan, I appreciate your passion, but King Salim’s concerns are valid, and deserve to be heard,” Mike said. Turning to Salim, he asked, “Your Excellency, what are your worries?”

Standing at his chair, Salim said, “My primary concern is that ... I do not trust you, human. Your kind have wrought pain and destruction over this world for millennia, always failing to learn from your past mistakes. It was human ambition and lust for power that almost destroyed these four tribes four thousand years ago. Even in the time since then, this region has been in a constant state of war due to humans, often in the name of the God you yourself serve. Even with your decisions in life, what reason do I have to trust that you are any different, if you are, in fact, still human?”

Nodding, Mike stood and replied, “You have touched on the most difficult to grasp paradox of human nature. All humans have in them the simultaneous capacity for the greatest good and the darkest evil. The balance between those things and the internal battle that each human fights during their entire life illuminates the obvious: we are not perfect. Nobody is. You are correct that some of the most evil people in human history made the choices they did out of a misguided belief that they were in fact doing good. Why should you believe that I’m any different?

“In the end, that’s a question I’m incapable of answering. I don’t know what I could say or do that would convince you that I am different from other humans, that I am trustworthy. I could highlight my service to God and the favor that I’ve gained in His eyes, but I sense that would ring hollow with you, since you mentioned the wars in these lands waged in the name of God. I could mention the numerous opportunities I had in life to control other people yet chose not to, as King Farzan has mentioned, but this alone has not convinced you to this point, and I doubt would do any more good now. I guess that begs the question, what in particular are you afraid that I will do?”

Collecting his thoughts Salim responded, “I am afraid of two things. First, there is a saying that you humans have. ‘If something seems to good to be true, then it probably is’. You seem far too good to be true. No human is as honest as you are portrayed to be. That, combined with all the knowledge we have of human history, makes me quite skeptical of you, regardless of the God you now represent.”

“That is a fair point,” Mike answered. “Remember, I did say that humans are far from perfect. That statement includes me. I didn’t make it into Heaven because of my perfection; rather I made it in because of my willingness to admit my imperfection. I’m not too good to be true, and I’m not too bad to be true. I do the best I can each day, but sometimes I do fail.”

“And this brings me to my second fear,” Salim said. “What if you do fail? If you are unable to convince these masters to agree to our new laws, what will happen then? Regardless of their reasons, they cannot be forced to alter their binding magical contract if they do not wish to, and we are forbidden from separating a master and servant. The only situation in which we could do so is if they were to pose an active threat to the four tribes’ safety. My fear is that, should you be unable to convince them, you would then attempt to force them to agree. You are, as you say, not a representative of this Council, so you are under no restrictions from doing so. What assurances do we have that you will not go too far in your attempts?”

Smiling, Mike replied, “While your fear is understandable, it’s also not going to happen. The thing I value more than most anything else is free will; it’s God’s most precious gift to mankind. If I were to try to force one of these masters to agree, that would be as much a violation of their free will as one of their wishes would be to someone else. You have my vow that there will be no forcible coercion in our attempts to convince them; it will not happen.”

“So you would allow them to continue violating the free will of other innocents rather than violate theirs to save those innocents?” Salim asked forcefully. He smiled, feeling pleased that he had caught Mike in a contradiction.

“Not at all,” Mike replied with a grin. “If they don’t agree, I will advise them that, while I cannot force them to go along with this, I can and will do all within my power to protect others from being harmed by their wishes. Trust me when I say that Melody and I are prepared to take an active role in this undertaking, whatever that may mean. If that means becoming guardians to any potential victims of these wishes, if that means constant watch duty, if that means traveling the world to ensure that others are safe from those wishes, so be it. We’re in.”

As he finished his passionate defense, Mike looked at Melody, who smiled and nodded her approval. Salim, staring at him with an expressionless stare, slowly walked around the table to stand face-to-face with Mike. He gazed into his eyes, seeming to peer into his very soul.

“You do realize what you are saying, don’t you?” he asked quietly. “If you agree to travel down this path, it may well be fraught with hardship and pain. That is far from the eternal paradise you Christians believe in. Are you sure you can handle it?”

Staring right back at Salim, Mike replied, “This is no game, not to me. These are real people’s lives we’re talking about. If I have the unique ability and opportunity to help them, then I have the responsibility to help them. Melody feels the same way. We realize that this is a monumental undertaking. We accept that. We’re going into this with our eyes wide open.”

The rest of the table sat in stunned silence, taking in the intense exchange between the two men. After what felt like ages, Salim’s eyes began to soften as his lips curled into a tiny smile.

“You are strange, Mike. I like that. Provided that the rest of the Council is agreeable, I will support you. If what you have said about your willingness to protect potential victims of any uncooperative masters is true, then I believe you to be honorable, and that your values and goals align with ours.” Extending his arm, the two men firmly shook hands, smiling the whole time as the rest of the room applauded their efforts.

As the two men returned to their seats, Ardashir cleared his throat, saying, “Now that all objections to the involvement of Mike and Melody are settled, we shall take an official vote to the aforementioned amendments to our laws. The vote must be unanimous to pass. King Farzan, how say you?”

“Aye,” he replied.

“King Nadir, how say you?”

“Aye,” he answered with a smile.

“King Salim, how say you?”

After a moment’s pause, he spoke, “Aye.”

Nodding, Ardashir said, “And I vote Aye as well. The decision is unanimous, the amendments are passed.”

The four kings then extended their hands towards the center of the table, conjuring up a point of white light. The light soon became an intense beam that shot up through the ceiling with an ethereal flash. Opening their eyes, the four men smiled at each other, the looks on their faces confirming that the laws had indeed been amended.

Farzan then said, “Now, the matter becomes formulating a plan as to how best to go about convincing the five masters unaffected by the changes we have enacted. Mike, Melody, what concerns or questions do you have in regards to this?”

Melody asked, “Assuming that a master is agreeable to the changes, how would we go about applying the changes to them?”

Farzan replied, “It would require the action of a Genie as powerful as Selena to apply those changes. While she could accompany you in this task, I believe a better solution would be ... you, Melody.”

“Me?”

“Indeed. I wish to promote you, increasing your power to be on par with that of my Grand Vizier’s. Would you be open to that?”

Confused, she asked, “But ... I was only a genie servant in life, right? My understanding was that I could never rise to the level of a pure Genie.”

Nodding, Farzan responded, “Normally, this is true. However, this is a unique circumstance, as you have died and returned to Earth, not as a mortal, but as a citizen of Heaven. In essence, the human half of your soul resides in Heaven, as best I can surmise, while you still possess the genie half of your soul while here on Earth. This distinction would allow us to increase the power of your genie side. Bear in mind, however, that even with the increase in your power, you must still go through a strenuous training regiment before you will be prepared to wield such power. Are you agreeable to this?”

“Of course!” she said, her eyes lighting up.

“Splendid!” he answered.

Mike then asked, “Obviously, with the conversation between King Salim and myself, there is the possibility that these masters will refuse to go along with the Council’s plans. Is there any danger that they could become ... hostile?”

“Anything is possible,” King Nadir said.

“Indeed,” Farzan agreed. “However, Melody will be with you the entire time. With her increase in power, she will be able to counter anything a servant genie could attempt in resistance; they will be no match for her, so you have nothing to fear.”

“Thank you, and don’t worry. We aren’t afraid, rather, we just want to be prepared for all possible situations,” Mike replied.

“Of course,” Farzan said. “Now then, Mike, if you will step back with Selena, it is time to endow Melody with the power and title she will need to assist you in these tasks. Melody, please stand on the table.”

She silently stood and, taking Farzan’s hand, stepped first onto her chair and then onto the table. Turning around, she faced Farzan, who stood in front of his chair while the other kings sat in quiet respect, smiling as they watched.

“I’m ready.”

Nodding, Farzan said, “Melody, you have proven yourself a capable and trustworthy member of the Water Jinn. As King, I now see fit to grant you greater power than you have ever known. From this day forward, your power will only be exceeded among our tribe by Selena and myself. I, King Farzan the Wise, ruler of the Water Jinn, do now bestow upon you the rank of Major Genie, along with all powers, rights, and responsibilities therein.”

As he finished speaking, a circle of blue light appeared around Melody’s feet, glowing faintly at first before becoming brighter. The light soon formed a column around her, gradually rising higher until she was engulfed within it. Her breathing deepened, her arms fell limp at her sides, and her head tilted upward. Soon her eyes shone with the same brilliant blue light that encircled her, signifying her new powers taking hold within her.

Holy crap, Mike thought with a chuckle. She’s about to go Super Saiyan on us!

With a blinding flash, the light extinguished itself, and Melody stood on the table in silence, still grasping everything that had happened that morning. At first, Mike thought that she looked no different than before, but as she opened her eyes and looked around the room, he could see a quiet confidence in her expression. She now looked as though she was someone that you’d never wanted to meet in a dark alley. Stepping down from the table, she nodded in thanks to Farzan before approaching Mike.