I didn't run. Not immediately, anyway. My legs twitched, ready to bolt, but my eyes stayed locked on the thing looming in front of us. If I run now… it'll just chase me down. Stand. Hold it together.
The troll, or whatever it was, took another thunderous step, its heavy heels making the earth shudder. Embers hissed as it crushed the charred rabbit underfoot, scattering sparks into the air. Instinct dragged me back a pace, and the flame in my palm flared hotter, licking against my skin. Too close. Too strong. But if I burn first, maybe it'll think twice…
"Stop right there!" Jideon barked, planting his feet and thrusting his spear forward.
The creature tilted its head slightly. The black veins in its eyes faded back to gold. Its lips pulled into a stretch, not to bare teeth, but to speak. The voice was rough, like water dragging over stone, yet perfectly clear.
"I mean you no harm."
The words echoed in the forest's hush, too clear, too deliberate.
"No harm, is that it?" I asked, keeping the flame alive in my hands.
"My intent is friendship," it said. "I brought you that rabbit. It was the best token of goodwill I could offer."
Jideon's brow furrowed. "Burning it far from us is your idea of goodwill?"
The troll moved its lips as if it had rehearsed the answer. "Heat traces scare prey. There could have been other game nearby. I didn't want to frighten it off."
"Smells like a lie," Mnex muttered, voice low and dripping with disdain. "But go on. Sometimes curiosity pays off."
"So what do you want?" I asked.
"To join you," it said without hesitation. "To walk with you on your journey. In return, I'll give protection, strength, food… All I ask is that you accept my presence."
"And why?"
Its eyes shifted. Behind the gold, another color flickered, brief, black and blue, like a spark across a night sky.
"Because I was a prisoner. For… a very long time."
Jideon shot me a short, weighted glance. He was thinking the same thing I was: What is this doing here?
"You're saying you were held captive?" I asked.
"Yes. For hundreds of years. I made an agreement… and this body became mine." It placed a hand against its chest. "The troll agreed willingly. Gave me its body. In return, I gave it… power."
"Hah," Mnex scoffed. "Such a clean word coming from such a filthy mouth…"
"And for your freedom?" I pressed.
The creature drew a slow breath, a thin wisp of soot curling from its lips. "I was sealed in a cave. Bound. This body couldn't break the seal. But if I could step outside… I could escape. You… could help me."
"Then how are you here now?"
It looked away. "Partially… that's something I'd rather not discuss. The secret of my weakness isn't given lightly." Then it looked back, voice softening. "But if I travel with you… perhaps one day I'll trust you."
"Lie," Mnex whispered. "When someone says 'one day,' they usually mean 'never.'"
Even so, with the rabbit's smoke still in the air and the sharp scents of the forest around us, the creature waited for permission to come closer.
"Then tell me," I said, flame still burning in my palm, "what are you?"
The troll's facial muscles twitched briefly. Then the words came.
"I… am a djinn."
The forest stilled again. Only the distant murmur of water remained.
"Djinn are supposed to be myths," Jideon muttered, his spear wavering slightly. He'd argued the opposite day ago, but now, face-to-face with the unknown, it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than us.
"Most myths exist to hide the truth," the creature replied. "And sometimes, the only true thing is the myth itself."
"This isn't a good sign," Mnex muttered in my head. "Djinn deal in lies and tricks. In a troll's body, that's twice the danger."
I know, I answered silently. But if it wants to follow us, we either drive it away now or keep it close and learn its intent.
"Keep it close?" Mnex's tone was skeptical. "If I'm right, that body won't care about sword or spell. That leaves you one option, use your head."
Then we'll keep it under control. Sometimes it's better to study an enemy up close than fear them from afar.
Mnex went quiet, but it didn't feel like approval, more like cautious retreat.
I turned back to the troll, twisted by a djinn. "You want to travel with us. Whatever your reason, there are rules. You move at our pace, follow my orders, and don't act on your own. That's the deal."
It dipped its head, a faint smile tugging at its lips. "I accept."
Jideon didn't lower his spear. Leaning close to me, he said under his breath, "Nothing good will come of this."
Maybe he was right. But sometimes the only way to know a prisoner's intent is to loosen the chains a little.
No one spoke as we left the forest and headed for the river. The only sounds were our steps and the occasional crack of a branch. The troll, under the djinn's control, matched our pace perfectly, never lagging, never pulling ahead. Even so, its presence felt like a cold shadow across my back.
When the camp came into view, Gareth was sitting by the fire, rummaging through his pack. The moment he saw us, his expression froze. His gaze locked on the troll's hulking frame, his face draining of color.
"What… what is that, young lord?" he asked, his voice cracking.
"Our new traveling companion," I said, keeping my tone as casual as possible. "It'll be joining us."
"Joining us?!" Gareth shot to his feet but didn't move closer. His eyes swept the troll as if ready to bolt at the slightest twitch.
The troll inclined its head in a strangely polite smile. "A pleasure. You may call me… Djinn."
Gareth frowned. "Djinn, huh? Never seen… anything like this. A troll claiming to be a djinn, that's… odd. Really odd."
"My kind is rare," the djinn said. "But rarity doesn't mean danger."
"Danger is a flexible word," Mnex murmured in my mind.
Gareth didn't back away, but he wasn't about to relax either. "So which is it? Djinn or troll? And why are you with us?"
The djinn turned its gaze to me. "A little of both. I'd like to know what drives you. Where are you headed?"
After a pause, I gave the short version. "We're following a route along the river, aiming for a specific point. We're looking for the widest branch."
The djinn nodded, a faint light glinting in its eyes. "I believe I know it. Not far from here. If you follow me, I can take you there."
"And why offer that kindness?" Jideon asked immediately.
"Because I've joined you. Earning trust sometimes means showing the way."
"Or leading them where you want them," Mnex said, voice thick with suspicion.
I was just as cautious, but the logic wasn't terrible. "Fine," I said. "You lead."
We set off, troll in front, the rest of us behind. We held the horses by the reins; they were far too skittish to ride. Each step brought the scent of river-soaked soil. The trees began to open, glimmers of the river flashing through. The djinn kept a steady pace, like it knew exactly where to go. Gareth made sure to keep me and Jideon between himself and it at all times, a survival instinct I could respect.
An hour later, the trees gave way completely. Ahead, a broad flow of water gathered the river's other branches. It stretched wide across the land, dotted with tiny islands. The current foamed in places, though much of its strength seemed diffused by its sheer breadth.
The djinn looked back over its shoulder. "Here… the widest branch of the river."
I stepped closer to the bank, grass damp under my boots, the roar of the water deeper up close. My eyes scanned the surface; the current was fast, but the breadth turned it from a threat into sheer power.
I knelt, pressing my hands to the ground and closing my eyes. A pulse of mana swept under the water, brushing along the riverbed. Mnex's voice surfaced in my mind.
"Yes… the width is enough. Depth too. This place will serve well for a dam."
I opened my eyes, glancing at the small islands in the middle. Ideal?
"Ideal."
Silence stretched. Then I took a deep breath. We can't take this thing into the city.
Mnex's voice dropped, as if running calculations. "For now, make camp. I'll assess our options."
A short distance away, the djinn knelt at the shore, hands dipping into the water as if savoring it. It had the air of someone rediscovering a long-lost joy.
Attack outright? The thought felt like it was aimed at myself.
"99% chance of failure."
The number settled in my gut like a stone.
"We'll have to be smart. A temporary pact could work, long enough to learn its intent and its weakness. But don't take your eyes off it. A djinn in a troll's body… one wrong move, and we're all buried."
The river's rumble seemed louder, more threatening after that.
I stepped back. "Fine," I said. "We make camp here."
When I looked over my shoulder, the djinn's eyes were still on me. Behind the gold, I caught that flicker of black again.
And in that moment, it felt like even the river's voice had turned to a whisper: This is only the beginning.