Maazi the Beaten
You consider the options – of which there are quite a few, admittedly – on how to handle this, or if you even want to at all, before you decide you want to maybe start this whole thing off as pleasantly as you can. While you’re leery of the djinn, of course, given your own experience with you, you don’t really have a lot in this whole ordeal beyond helping out Moirine and the selkies since they’ve been kind in helping you.
“What’s your name?” you ask the djinn, as it’s something you’re curious about since you don’t want to keep referring to him just as a djinn or a genie in your own thoughts.
The djinn frowns. “What difference does knowing my name make, mortal?”
“The difference is in what happens to you, djinn,” Moirine replies. “If you actually bother to help us, then we may be able to do our part in ensuring your punishment is more… lenient.” She shakes her head. “The main reason we’re here in the first place is because you’ve been breaking such an integral rule in our realm. We want to know why.”
The djinn doesn’t answer at first; he merely stares. His expression is difficult for you to read, both because his yellow eyes are simply so different from what you’re used to, and because his facial features have hardened beyond the obvious annoyance.
Eventually, however, he seems to relent.
“My name is not something a human could comprehend,” the djinn replies. “I have no way of properly speaking it in this tongue, I’m afraid.” He sighs, his hardened stare dissipating shortly after. “The closest I can think of that would actually make sense to you, human, is Maazi. And so if you MUST refer to me as something, Maazi will do.”
“Maazi,” you say, nodding to yourself. “Okay.”
“Wait a second,” Moirine says, and she frowns. “Maazialaa Ha’amii en-Idaa’ni?”
You make a face and gawk at the selkie, wondering what the heck she just said.
Maazi scoffs. “Well now. I didn’t expect one of your kind to recognize my name.”
Wait, that’s his full name? you think in genuine astonishment.
“That’s closer to his full name, aye,” Moirine replies vocally. She cracks a brief smile at you, then looks back to Maazi. “You might not think highly of us selkie, djinn, but aye, I’ve heard your name before. The Seamother has told us about many of your kind, and among the names she’s spoken to us over the centuries, yours was one of them.”
“Feh,” Maazi replies. “I suppose I should be honored.”
“Don’t bother,” Moirine says. “I know damn well a number of the atrocities you’ve caused in the past with your previous masters.” Her eyebrows come down into a severe stare. “You’re a cruel bastard, Maazi – you’re one of the worst representations of your species with how petty and spiteful you’ve been with the humans in the past.”
Maazi smirks. “You say that as if I’m meant to be insulted by your words, selkie.”
You’re a little confused, but, you get the sense this djinn is… infamous.
“This djinn is a callous, uncaring, and petulant one,” Moirine says to you, and she shakes her head with disgust in her eyes. “He’s the worst type that will gleefully find a loophole in any wish given to him simply to entertain himself. If you want an example of why so few trust the djinn, look no further than Maazi.” She spits to the side. “I’m less inclined to be merciful to you knowing your name, Maazi. Not with your history.”
Maazi rolls his eyes. “Oh spare me the moral high ground, seal-witch.” He grits his teeth and jabs an accusing finger at her. “You are in no position to bark threats at me. You’re lucky I’m even humoring this conversation in the first place after you deceived me.”
“You must not be very bright, then,” you say simply. “Not if you were fooled that easily.”
Maazi fixes his eyes on you. “You would dare belittle me a second time, human? You’ve seen a sample of my power…” His eyes start to glow. “Shall I demonstrate more?”
“Don’t you fucking dare threaten the human, you bloody piece of shit!” Moirine snaps.
The ferocity (and the sheer loudness) in her tone is so sudden and powerful, the floor beneath your feet shakes. You flinch to the side in shock at the rage now emanating from Moirine, and even the djinn is startled for a beat. Moirine promptly closes the distance between herself and Maazi until she’s standing directly in front of him.
“You hold no power here, foisgudal,” Moirine says, spitting her words out with a tranquil, seething venom that leaves you speechless. “Cease your arrogance and accept your fate, and the Seamother may yet be kind to you. But if you continue this stupidity, and by the very oceans themselves, I’ll ensure you are erased from existence, Maazi.”
Your jaw falls open as you watch on. Holy shit…
Maazi stares at her as her words hang in the air.
He cocks his head to one side, then chuckles. “My my… I can’t recall the last time a selkie showed they could grow a proverbial spine in my presence.” He folds his arms and tuts. “I don’t fear you, seal-witch. And I certainly don’t fear your Seamother, whatever that is.” He waves a hand at her. “But I’ll play nice, I suppose, if only because your ability to surprise me has earned… mm, some shred of interest, I’ll call it.”
“Whatever makes you feel like less of a waste of existence, genie,” Moirine says.
Maazi glowers at her. You get the sense he doesn’t like the term ‘genie’ being used.
“Feh,” Maazi mutters, and his otherwise massive form suddenly shrinks down in size – you blink, and Maazi is now closer to your and Moirine’s heights, and the wispy trail of smoke that looked like a tail has morphed into actual legs now. “Remove yourself from my personal space, seal-witch, and I might consider humoring you two for a bit longer.”
Moirine takes a slow few steps back to rejoin where you’re standing.
“Ask your questions and be done with this nonsense already,” Maazi says. “And don’t waste my time with filler details, either.” He shoots you a frown. “I’m not entirely sure how you managed to regain your mortal form so quickly, nor do I understand how you were able to appear here. My magics are not capable of working when I’m given a wish by someone that isn’t my Master, as this thing,” he indicates Moirine, “has said. I’ve half a mind to demand answers in exchange for answers… and I may still do so, in fact.”
What a pain in the ass, Moirine says, and you can hear the utter malice in her internal voice. Seamother forgive me, but I’m coming dangerously close to losing my temper with this stinking bastard. He’s beyond bloody fortunate that I have more reasons than just the Seamother for keeping my composure, though, given the yaksha…
Part of you wishes you could console Moirine somehow; it feels wrong to see and hear her this angry after what you’ve been through with her thus far. But you don’t have a way of doing that, and you recognize that this vitriol goes deeper than you understand.
“Are you going to stand there or do you intend to speak?” Maazi demands.
You can be the one to ask him, pup, Moirine says. To borrow one of your human phrases, you play the good cop here. There’s no sodding way I’m going to be able to stomach being nice to this djinn, not anymore. She grunts. Ask what you wish, pup; just remember what we’re here for in the long run. The sooner we find out what the hell is going on with his master, the sooner we can get the hell outta this stinking Shard.
Alright, you say, and you take in a quiet breath, then exhale.
Maazi watches the two of you impatiently, but otherwise says nothing.
You know you’ve got some choices, but you also know what’s most important in this moment: you need to find out who Maazi’s master is and you need to find out what’s going on; you may not fully understand this whole ordeal, but if you can help, then you’re resolved to do what you can. So what would you like to ask Maazi the djinn?
Written by Hollowpages on 16 February 2022