A Bridge Between Worlds Ch. 02

"Aye," he replied.

"King Nadir, how say you?"

"Aye," he answered with a smile.

"King Salim, how say you?"

After a moments pause, he confidently 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 just 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. Essentially, 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 fully prepared to wield such power. Is this acceptable to you?"

"Absolutely!" she said, her eyes lighting up.

"Splendid!" he answered.

Mike then asked, "Obviously, with the conversation King Salim and I just had, there is the possibility that these masters do not wish to go along with the Council's plans. Is there any danger that they could become... hostile?"

"Anything is possible," King Nadir said quietly.

"Indeed," Farzan agreed. "However, Melody will be with you the entire time. With her increase in power, she will easily 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 in order 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 respectfully, smiling as they watched. She took a deep breath finally, saying, "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 quickly becoming brighter. The light soon formed a column around her, gradually rising higher until she was completely enveloped within it. Her breathing deepened, her arms fell limp at her sides, and her head tilted upward. Soon her eyes shone brilliantly with the same 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 finally 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 never wanted to meet in a dark alley. Stepping down from the table, she nodded silently in thanks to Farzan before approaching Mike.

"So, I take that it worked?" he asked with his signature smartass grin.

"Yep," she said with a smile, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. "But don't worry; none of this changes who I am. Once the job is done, I plan to go back to the way I was before."

"That alone tells me that we have chosen the right people for this task," Farzan said from behind her. "Melody, if you are ready, Selena will take you to begin your training. You will find that you have access to far stronger and more varied magic than before, and it will take time for you to fully control it."

"Can I come with her?" Mike asked.

"You, young man, will be coming with me," Ardashir said in a raspy voice. "While Melody trains, we must begin tracking down the servant genies. As the first of the five is part of the Earth Jinn, I can assist you in finding her location, as well as in gathering information about the genie's master. Such information may be vital to your efforts to convince them to accept our new laws."

After a long look at each other, Melody said to Mike, "It's ok. We both have important work to do. I'll see you when we finish."

Mike nodded in silent understanding and gripped Melody in a long, tight hug before whispering goodbye to her. The pair locked eyes and smiled lovingly at each other as Selena led Melody from the room. As the door closed behind them, Melody followed Selena through the stone hallways of the fortress before arriving in the central courtyard. Similar to the courtyard at the Palace of the Water Jinn, it contained numerous sculptures and statues of the Genies and Jinn that lost their lives in the war thousands of years ago. Each statue was adorned at the base with that individual's favorite words of wisdom.

Selena asked, "Now then, are you ready to begin?"

"I... I am," she said, still uncertain of what was to come.

"Good," she replied. "First, I'd suggest some comfortable clothes for exercise. We will be working very intensely, after all."

"Sounds good." Though she had not used her genie powers in some time, conjuring up clothes for herself was as natural to her as breathing. Instantly, Melody was dressed in a pair of blue workout shorts and a black sports bra with a pair of tennis shoes. "This work?"

"I believe so," Selena replied. "Here we go." Taking Melody's hand, Selena's eyes suddenly flashed a brilliant blue, and Melody could feel a surge of intense magical energy emitting from her. With a flash of light, the pair no longer stood in the courtyard, but out in the Rub' al Khali desert.

"What you just experienced was the power of instant teleportation," Selena began to explain. "While you have normally been able to use this power to be with your master at a moment's notice, your promotion now allows you to use this ability independently and without restriction. Additionally, I am temporarily allowing you to sense my presence and location, which is normally forbidden for safety purposes. Your first task is to combine these two abilities to find and track me through this desert." As soon as she finished, Selena disappeared in a flash of blue light.

"Wait! Selena!" Melody shouted, but she was already gone. "Ok, think Melody, think," she muttered. Closing her eyes, she concentrated and attempted to feel any inkling of Selena's presence. At first, she could feel nothing, but after quieting her mind, she felt a spiritual tug toward a location north of her position. "That must be her," she mused. "Now, how do I get there?" She first tried picturing Selena in her mind, thinking that seeing her vividly would bring her to wherever she was, but nothing happened. Sighing in frustration, Melody next focused on that spiritual tug she felt, allowing it to grab onto her and feeling it begin to pull her in that direction. Giving herself over to that feeling completely, she soon shone with a brilliant blue light and disappeared, reappearing in front of Selena.

"Very good," she said with a smile. "What did you learn?"

Breathing heavily, Melody replied, "I... tried to teleport by... picturing you in my mind... but it didn't work."

"And what did work?"

"I felt... a strange pull in your direction. As it grew stronger... I gave in to it, and found myself standing in front of you."

"Excellent. This is the best way to transport yourself when tracking an individual," Selena explained. "As you will be helping Mike to find the missing servant genies, this ability will come in very useful. The method you first tried using, envisioning your target in your mind, will also work, but is more useful for instantly being with someone you know, rather than someone you don't. Thus, I disabled that method for now so that you can master the tracking method first. Now, let's go again." Another flash of light, and she was gone.

Concentrating once more, Melody detected Selena's presence much more quickly this time, and instantly latched onto the spiritual tug, finding herself in front of her once more. Before Melody could say a word, Selena had once more disappeared. This game of tag continued for around twenty minutes, until Melody sat on a rock, needing to recover from the extended use of her new powers. "Wow... this is... so strange," she said.

Giggling, Selena sat next to her and replied, "That is only natural, do not worry. Your body is simply not used to expending this amount of energy yet, but you will soon become accustomed to it. Here, have a drink." Waving her hand, Selena conjured up a canteen filled with cold water, which the two women shared.

"Thank you," Melody said, taking a long sip of water. "I'm getting pretty hungry too."

"Why don't you take care of that?" Selena asked with a smile.

"Can I?" Melody said in confusion.

Giggling, Selena answered, "Remember, you are no longer bound to the limitations of a servant genie. You can still grant Mike's wishes, but you are also free to use your powers without him making a wish at all."

"Interesting," Melody replied. After pondering momentarily, she conjured a plate of sandwiches for them, which the two women dug into ravenously. They giggled and joked as they ate, enjoying the scenery of the desert around them all the while. As they finished, Selena caused the plates to vanish, beginning the next part of Melody's training.

"Alright, let us practice your tracking skills again. This time, however, you will only be able to track my general area. After teleporting, you must then use your powers to sense the presence of a magical creature in the immediate area to uncover my hiding spot. Understand?"

"I think so," Melody said with a nod.

"Alright then, find me," Selena said, disappearing once more.

Concentrating, Melody could sense a presence to the west of her, but was unable to determine the specific location. Additionally, the spiritual tug was more faint this time, and did not actively pull her toward Selena. Teleporting in that general direction, she found herself at the gates of an abandoned ghost town.

"Very clever, Selena," Melody said with a smirk. "Hiding in a huge, abandoned city. This ought to be fun."

Standing high on the dune outside the city gates, Melody focused her attention on one section of the city at a time, eventually detecting a magical presence in the southwestern corner. Teleporting there, she looked around for Selena, but found nothing. Searching her mind for a solution, she soon discovered something locked away in her subconscious that would help her. Concentrating, her vision suddenly changed, so that everything around her shone with a pale blue light. As she looked around, the figure of a person was brightly illuminated ahead of her, hiding behind an empty fruit stand.

"Gotcha!" Melody shrieked as she found Selena.

"Very impressive!" Selena said. "Usually, it takes quite a long time to master the use of that skill. Ok, once more."

After watching her disappear again, Melody teleported herself back to the dune overlooking the city. Now attempting to use her new vision abilities to find her, Melody found that she could focus in on a distant location, not unlike a hawk. She was able to detect a magical presence in the tower at the center of the city, and teleported there at once. Landing on top of the tower, she entered the attic through a trap door in the wooden floor. Once inside, she could clearly detect Selena's presence, yet saw no sight of her, even with her vision. Sighing, she turned to begin to look elsewhere.

"Always expect the unexpected," she heard Selena say with a laugh. Spinning around, Melody suddenly saw Selena's head and shoulders emerge from the fire burning at the edge of the room. She was clearly unharmed by the flames, and upon further inspection appeared to be intangible, as Melody was able to see through her face to the wall behind her.

"That's why I couldn't see you! The fire was too bright!" Melody exclaimed.

"Remember, even your new powers are not without limits. This was a situation where using your sense of sight turned out to be a hindrance. If, however, you had reached out with your mind, you would have found me without issue. Understand?"

"Yep, I think so."

For the rest of the afternoon, the women used the abandoned city as their playground, continuing to expand Melody's familiarity with her new powers as she chased after Selena. At one point, Selena had shrunk herself down to the size of a cockroach, requiring Melody to do the same to find her hidden amongst a pile of old jars. Another time, Melody had to levitate into the skies over the city to track down Selena. Soon, the desert sun began to set, and Selena decided to end Melody's training for the day.

"Whew... are we heading back to the palace?" Melody asked wearily.

"No," Selena replied, shaking her head. "I am sorry, but it is important that your training remain uninterrupted until it is complete. For tonight, we will be resting here."

She instantly teleported them out into the dunes of the desert, where they found a large tent waiting for them. Stepping inside, Melody found it to be far more spacious than it appeared on the outside, containing a small table, two twin beds, and a small, makeshift shower. After a dinner of fruit and ham, the pair adjourned to the beds to relax and unwind from their long day of work. Sitting up and pondering everything that had happened that day, Melody sighed in quiet longing.

"You ok?" Selena asked from her bed.

"Yeah, it's just... this is the first time I haven't slept in the same bed as Mike in my entire life," Melody replied. "I know, that's kinda crazy, but..."

"I completely understand," Selena said with a smile. "The connection the two of you have is unlike any I've ever seen. It's only natural that being apart from him like this would be... uncomfortable."

"You're sure it's necessary?"

"If you wish to be of the greatest help to him? Yes."

Sighing, Melody replied, "Ok."

After a few moments of silence, Selena tentatively said, "Melody, may I confess something to you?"

"Of course," she said, sitting up to face Selena.

"I... I am very envious of you. I have always known power and title, being such an important member of the Water Jinn, and yet it was through your role as a servant genie that you found such incredible love and happiness. Even though I know it would not be possible... I would gladly give it all up for what you have."

"Selena, surely you've been in love at some point, right?"

As tears began welling up in her eyes, Selena replied, "Once, long ago. He... he was one of the generals in our army. Ahmad was his name." Wiping her eyes, she continued, "He was brave, kind, and a fierce warrior."

"Blah, blah, blah, enough of that. How was he in the sack?" Melody asked, giggling all the while.

Momentarily snapping out of her sad state of remembrance, Selena laughed, answering, "He was... a very passionate and thorough lover."

"Ooh, the best kind..."

"He was a good man... better than most..."

"What happened to him?" Melody asked.

Taking a deep breath, Selena said, "He died in the war against the sorcerers. His unit was being overrun and was attempting to retreat. They would never have made it out... if he hadn't single-handedly held off the enemy long enough for them to make their escape. He was a hero; the soldiers he saved had wives, children. I... miss him. Very much."

Moving over to Selena's bed, Melody sat next to her and gently stroked her arm, saying, "Thank you for sharing that with me. I'm so sorry."

"It's ok. I'm very happy to have known him, to have loved him."

"As you should be. But still, none of that means that you can't find love again. I believe you can, and you deserve it. It's what Ahmad would want, after all."

Shaking her head, Selena replied, "Where am I supposed to look?"

"Anywhere," Melody said simply. "You don't have to work that hard, just keep your eyes, and your heart, open. You'll find what you're looking for, maybe when you least expect it."

Taking Melody in her arms for a long hug, Selena whispered, "Thank you."

*****

Mike and Farzan arrived back at the home of the Water Jinn, Mike carrying a stack of papers containing information on the first genie servant. They had worked hard all day with King Ardashir, tracking down the location of said genie and working to formulate a strategy for when Mike began his task. After dropping the papers off in his quarters, Farzan invited him out to the main courtyard to relax for the evening.

"You have worked hard today, my friend, and I am very grateful that you have agreed to assist us in these matters," Farzan said. "I have learned over the years that the best way for an individual to do their finest work is to be kept happy and content during the hours that they do not work." With a grin, he clapped his hands twice, summoning a group of ten women, ranging in ages from their early twenties to around thirty or so. All were stunningly beautiful and clad scantily in satin bikini tops and wraps around their waists.

"What is this?" Mike asked, eyeing Farzan with a smirk.

"My personal attendants," he explained. "You are my honored guest, and I wish you to choose any of them to keep you company tonight. Melody will not be able to return until her training is complete, so I want to accommodate you as best I can until she does."

Glancing down the line of gorgeous women momentarily, Mike replied, "You are extremely kind, but that's not my style. I'm a happily married man; Melody's the only girl for me."

Cocking his eyebrow, Farzan asked, "You are quite sure?"

"Very. Thank you, though. Your kindness is greatly appreciated."

Shrugging, he said, "Very well. Still, please feel free to relax in the rejuvenation pools. They are very beneficial to both the body and mind."

"That sounds great. Thank you very much"

Shaking hands as they parted, Farzan walked up to the line of women and stroked the shoulders of two raven-haired beauties before dismissing the rest. As they made their way over to the other side of the large pool, Mike stripped off his suit and slipped into the water next to him. The cool, clear water instantly began working his magic, relaxing his muscles and quieting his mind, and its temperature was perfect in the warm desert air that evening.