Three Wishes

Not long ago in a mountainous eastern part of the world, legends spoke of a cave opening its grand mouth to travelers and myth-seekers every time earthquakes rattled the lands below. The entrance would remain open for one day before caving back into itself.

Afterward, whatever or whoever was inside would be buried and lost until the next occurrence. Unfortunately, there was just no telling when that would be and by then anything trapped inside would be lost to time.

The locals all shared the same explanation for this phenomenon. It was said the cave walls themselves were imbued with fierce magic drawn by the blood of an ancient Djinn.

A Djinn that spent centuries granting wishes to the ones brave enough to meet him at the top of the mountain where the cave appeared...

The trek to the top of the mountain was treacherous on its own and the preceding earthquakes made things more difficult. Dirt and rock slid downward creating new obstacles each time.

This meant that years of work made by intrepid cartographers was rendered useless. Maps and journals showing safe trails to reach higher points of the mountain safely had to be discarded by the time another earthquake shook the ground.

Even more intriguing, despite parts of the mountain falling apart, new stones would form through the cracks harnessing a deep red glow. Some believed this to be the blood of the Djinn running through them. This strange red substance held the stones together to the face of the mountain before ultimately bonding them together.

It was nearly impossible for the rest of the world to prove these tales to be true. Scientists were not quick enough to run samples of the stone to determine what was infused within. Yet, they were always quick enough to dismiss this as hearsay.

The only people with truth to speak were those who made it to the summit, trudging past dirt, stone, and winds. Those who defied an almost guaranteed death at every turn of the new trails they had to create. These journeymen were very difficult to find. Once their wish was granted, they would often just vanish. Perhaps the right thing do after gaining such a blessing despite coming from a questionable source.

Others weren’t as optimistic, saying that the promise of a wish is bait for the Djinn to consume their flesh. Hence the deep-colored rock wasn’t flowing with the Djinn’s blood, but that of its greedy and most unfortunate visitors.

The only way to the top was from the bottom. A ring of thick clouds obscured the way for any aircraft to safely drop anyone off. Not to mention the violent turbulence would surely destroy anything that didn't make the journey upwards.

“It’s a test laid out by the Djinn.” said some of the locals. “The treasures at the top are worth the climb and the challenge… That’s why the path is dangerous. The greater the risk, the greater the reward.”

“Falsehood!” said others. “If you believe in that nonsense is because your soul is in grave danger and you must repent! This is death disguised as gold!”

These stories echoed across the villages for centuries. Although taken with a grain of salt, they were still popular enough for gossipy lips and curious ears.

And as everyone knows, some are more curious than most…

Act I: The Curious Trio

One of these curious ones was a traveling merchant. After suffering one too many losses in his business, he decided to trade his wares for climbing gear to see what fate had in store for him at the top of the mountain.

He had nothing else to lose besides his pride at best or his life at worst.

He didn’t know much about mountains or their dangers, but he was a knowledgeable man and a quick learner. It took him no time to begin learning from the mistakes others made in the past and use them to his advantage.

The other was a swindler who made a living taking advantage of poor unsuspecting folk and their good intentions. Through his exploits and his conniving nature, his luck was unfairly overleveraged. He was so skilled that none of his victims ever realized he was the source of their ongoing woes.

His decision to climb the mountain and claim its hidden treasure was more of a thrill. In his greedy nature, he wanted to trick the Djinn and earn more of what was promised…

The last of the bunch was a known thief; mainly responsible for petty crimes and living in the shadow of the people he took from. Most felt pity for the poor bastard who seemed to have no life skills other than grabbing what he could before dashing away.

The wiser man, however, would argue that perspective.

It seemed that in his desperation to get away, the thief gained an unusually exceptional ability to scurry away better than any roach or rat. There wasn’t a wall high enough, hole small enough, or terrain rough enough for his body to persevere through.

The thief, already aware of this, set off for the mountain. Not so much for personal gain, but to spitefully keep whatever treasures it held for himself before anyone else could get their hands on it.

While the majority of people shielded their roofs and made sure to hide their fragile belongings in preparation for a possible earthquake, all three men longed for the ground to shake sooner rather than later.

Thankfully for them and unfortunately for others, the earth trembled three moons after their choices were made. Djinn’s Peak, as it was named by the fearful locals, begun to shed rocks and dirt, revealing the entrance to its mysterious cave...

The men all set off on their own path. The ground still rumbled slightly as they commenced their great ascent.

The merchant met many great obstacles but was able to use his wise nature to overcome most of them through logic and reason. He assessed danger accordingly and adjusted his course carefully. He didn’t rest for long knowing well that time would run out before collecting the magnificent reward held by the cave.

The swindler was quick to find the easiest path he found… Although, he wasn’t as wise as he thought he was. Though he was able to trick common men, his constant backtracking and exhaustion proved that mother nature was much wiser. Nevertheless, his grit kept him pushing, looking for new path after path. It was a mystery as to how he didn’t run into the other travelers after so many attempts.

Surprisingly, the thief had the easiest trek of them all. He was able to scale rock and debris with such ease that he wasn’t tired at all. His only concern was hunger, for that was something he didn’t really have the luxury to combat along this trek… He had to use his energy and what little rations he stole wisely to make the most of his trip and make it back in one piece. Once he noticed he was very close to the top, he found a place to rest his belly pains and recover. By doing this, he unknowingly gave the others a chance to catch up.

Eventually, the thief woke up from his short slumber feeling rejuvenated and was ready to claim his prize at the summit. Just as he lifted his body over the last boulder in front of him, he noticed the swindler coming around one of the corners of the rough mountain path. They locked eyes, and tried to process their confusion.

Just then, the merchant spotted them staring at one another and shared in their displeasure. One of them in particular brought him more rage than the presence of the other…

“You!” Shouted the merchant at the thief as he held his finger out violently. “You stole one of my most prized items from my bag…”

The thief just shrugged his shoulders, almost smugly and carelessly. “Hey, I have to eat and survive too..."

The merchant rambled on: “Do you realize what you did to my business? That was all I had to hold me over. You ruined me!”

The swindler began to get a tad nervous. Being in the middle of an argument was bad enough, more so atop a mountain that had just survived another earthquake.

“Psh! Shut up. That worthless piece of junk hardly afforded me a sandwich. You know, as a matter of fact…” said the thief adjusting his stance to face the swindler: “You’re the guy who bought it, aren’t you? I remember a face when I see one… How much was that thing really worth?”

“I don’t know what you mean. I gave you what we agreed upon and that’s it. A deal is a deal.” said the swindler defending his actions.

“Wait” said the merchant. “So, YOU hired that THIEF to take MY valuables so you could… what, sell it yourself and keep the profit? What a charlatan. You should’ve come and stole it yourself, coward!”

The thief agreed, siding with the merchant: “Yeah, you didn’t give me my fair share of the deal. You took us for fools. Well, we have you now…”

“W-Wait a minute!” screamed the swindler nervously. “You didn’t HAVE to steal from the man! If you didn’t like the deal, you didn’t have to take it. You got what you asked for.”

”You’re not off the hook either, thief! Both of you owe dearly for my losses.” Said the merchant as the shouting match continued.

“I don’t have it.” Said the swindler. “I… Lost it.”

The thief asked: “You lost it? How?”

“I tried to do away with it on a small boat and… I ended up dropping it in the ocean. It’s sunken now with the old ships.”

”You’re a liar! You tried to lie to a thief, why should I believe you?” said the merchant getting more and more agitated.

“Well, aren’t you clever..." Replied the swindler. "Do you honestly think I would be climbing this stupid mountain to look for treasure if I still had the opportunity to make a small fortune off that one item?”

“He’s got a point… That’s why I’m here also.” Said the thief.

“What? That’s why I’m here… To make up for my losses, because of what you two did to me. If anything, I should get the biggest share!” screamed the merchant.

“I don’t think so. Maybe you and I can split the winnings. I’m not giving anything to that thief.” Replied the swindler trying to plot and plan through his teeth.

“If anything, I should push both of you off this mountain and make away with all of it. How does that sound?” said the able-bodied thief who still had plenty of energy to go given his physique.

The other men, still weary from the climb, realized that he made the best point but didn’t give that answer away too easily.

“I have a better idea…” Rumbled a deep, ominous voice from within the cave walls. The three men quivered at the mere power behind its tone, without even having seen its source.

“The legend is true… A demon does dwell in the stone.” said the merchant nervously.

“Demon? I’m no such thing. Step closer and see…” said the Djinn.

The men walked closer to the entrance of the cave and just before the everblack consumed them, the Djinn made his appearance. A seemingly harmless man-like creature but the faint red glow emanating from behind its eyes told of an ironically unseen danger.

“Relax, you’re not prey.” said the Djinn addressing them as he floated just inches from the ground. “You see, I’m a friend. And as a friend, I’m here to tell you that you’ve achieved great success in reaching this point! For that, I show you my respect.”

The three men were fearful but more confused than anything. This surreal experience put their personal problems on a brief pause. None of them really dared to speak until the Djinn was done with his message.

“Alas, as a friend I must tell you that there is no ‘treasure’ in this cave, only I.”

“I knew it.” scorned the thief. “What a waste of time.”

“Ah, no friend. No waste here. See, I want to reward each one of you for your bravery! Three wishes!” said the Djinn, smiling very brightly from pointed ear to pointed ear.

The men looked at one another, still confused, but a bit more at ease now that there was at least something to obtain from the dreadful climb.

The Djinn lowered himself to ground level and walked over to them. He stood nearly 7 feet tall which was deceptive of his initial appearance from further away. The men wanted to step back a little, but they were too close to the edge of the mountain. Neither feeling was too pleasant.

“Sit.” ordered the Djinn. The men obliged almost automatically.

“You see, friends, I normally reward each lone adventurer with three wishes. Having you three here, all at once? What a delight! It gets very lonely in my realm…”

Vanishing into a cloud of dust and shaping back to his original position by the entrance, he continued on: “I must admit though, your little quarrel piqued my interest… So! I will grant you the wishes; one wish to each of you. And unlike before, there will be rules this time.”

He smiled again as the men remained on the ground. “Friends! You can have anything, be anywhere, or become anyone! However, you won’t be able to summon this wish until you spend one moon in absolute silence… So that you feel what it’s like to be me.”

The Djinn laughed thunderously nearly making the men fall over on their backs. Though nervous, they paid close attention to the Djinn as he finished his set of rules.

“Once you have felt my loneliness and you had time to think about your silly little human disputes in true silence, you may then speak your wish into the very air you breathe and it shall come true immediately!”

The men began to stand up slowly, looking at one another in a more calm manner. They nodded in a somber silent agreement, putting themselves to the test before it even really began.

The Djinn slowly floated back into the darkness of the cave leaving the men to ponder on the situation a bit more. None of them dared to move their tongues before the Djinn retreated completely.

“You’ll soon be asleep and wake up at the bottom of the mountain. The moon will be shining above the clouds signaling the strike of midnight and the start of your challenge.”

The Djinn was slowly draped by theshadows until only the faint, red glow of his eyes was visible. Besides the great heights, trails of mud, and bones the men traversed, the Djinn’s parting words made them tremble with a fear unlike anything they had encountered so far.

“Oh. One last thing, friends… There is a grave punishment if you choose to use your wishes maliciously or circumvent the rules. Should one of you break silence before the day is over, you all forfeit your wishes."

The Djinn's voice echoed and grew slightly deeper in tone. "You’ll each return to the earthly life you had prior to this climb and it will all just seem like a fleeting dream… As your saying goes, keep your enemies closer… Farewell!”

Act II: Silence Is... Rotten

The Djinn vanished from the men’s sight just as they too vanished out of consciousness, simulteneously waking at the bottom of the mountain as the Djinn had promised.

They took a brief second to catch their breath and let the thought of total silence sink in. It certainly proved to be more challenging than climbing to the top of Djinn’s Peak.

Upon this realization, the swindler was the first of the three to almost scream out of frustration just before the merchant and the thief rushed in to stop him. If this was going to work, they quickly figured out they had to stick close and find a new way to communicate to keep each other safe… And in check.

The first idea, which seemed like the simplest one, was pen and paper. Nodding in agreement, they set off back towards the village to find some.

The swindler, although reluctant at first, brought them to his home to look for one. The merchant and the thief scanned the quarters in disgust at how well-off this man was living doing the things he was doing. You could cut the judgment and tension in the room with a knife.

As the swindler frantically looked for something to write with, the merchant and the thief noticed the vast collection of books this man had. Hundreds of them lined the walls, neatly stacked and some even color-coded…

The merchant perused a few of the covers and could see how this man was able to trick so many people. Though he misused his gift of knowledge, one couldn’t deny he was a dangerously experienced man nonetheless.

The swindler was able to find a few pieces of paper right after snatching back one of his prized books from the thief’s sticky fingers. Ironically, for a place housing so much paper not a single pen was found. So the search continued.

Next, they tried to search the merchant’s humble hut. Unfortunately, it acted as more of a storage unit than a real home. Since the loss of his most prized possession, he had nothing more than the climbing gear he used to get to Djinn’s Peak, and even that was gone too.

The only other option left was to ask the locals since the thief didn’t really have a place to call home. The only problem was actually asking the question...

They each tried to sign to the locals what they were looking for. Unfortunately, once they recognized the thief among the group, they were quick to tell them to scram.

The frustrated merchant tried to shoo the thief away, but the swindler waved his arms frantically trying to make him understand they needed him close to make sure he didn’t speak and ruin their chance at their wishes.

Suddenly, a light bulb moment emerged in their desperation. The merchant and the swindler signaled to the thief to simply do what he does best: snatch a pen without being seen.

He had no issue with this, the only problem is that they too would have to run away if something went wrong. The merchant and the swindler knew very well they weren’t as athletic as the thief, but they were willing to follow as close as possible.

The thief used his gift to find the nearest stall and snatched a pen almost too easily. So easily, in fact, it probably would’ve been the better choice right from the start.

Now that they were able to communicate with others and among themselves more easily, the day progressed much quicker. What started as a journey together out of mistrust slowly grew into one of compassion.

Through a basic exchange of notes, they began to understand each other's daily struggles. They peeled the layers behind the tough shells they saw in one another atop the Djinn’s cave.

The merchant was a simple man who just wanted to come back to his family after earning an honest living in this distant land.

The thief simply landed in a bad place after being separated from his daughter. She could easily prove he had a heart of gold in any other case.

The swindler also had his issues and used his intellect as a way to shield himself from a deeply seeded fear within him.

After sitting down and going through many pieces of paper and stories later, the hours seemed to just flow right by. Before they knew it, the lights of the village begin to shut off, shops closed and another moon peeked behind the clouds illuminating patches of the ground beneath.

Midnight approached and the men were grateful that they soon would have what they desired most… That is, given that Djinn was telling the truth.

The men stood from their circle and walked over to the village to catch a glimpse of the remaining time. Only ten more minutes left until they would be able to finally speak their wishes and everything else they’d been holding onto.

Act III: ...Or Forever Hold Your Peace

“There! That’s him!” shouted an elderly man. His scream cut through the crisp air, startling the three men and everyone in the village. A group of armored guards pointed the three men out and set off in their direction.

The swindler ran off nearly without a warning as the merchant and the thief struggled to keep up to make sure he didn’t speak.

Unsure of where to go or what to do, they ended up near a dock. They were cornered by the halberds of the guards donning strange, blackened armor and leather padding. The thief and the merchant also got caught up in the fray, as they were all forcefully pinned to the ground.

A distinctly taller figure emerged through the small crowd now gathering to see all the commotion. His presence made the swindler increasingly nervous. The tall man knelt next to him, lifted his helmet, and spoke directly to him as the merchant and the thief listened.

“So, we meet again.” spoke the leader of the guards. He turned back to the elderly man, paid him with a small bag of coins, and turned his attention back to the swindler as he shook on the ground.

“The Crown has agreed to now have you back dead or alive.” Said the leader. “Quite frankly, the bounty for being dead would work just fine for us at this point. Where is it?”

The swindler closed his eyes and trembled beneath the moon waiting for the strike of the midnight bell. The merchant and the thief watched in silent horror as the leader of the guards grew intensely frustrated with the swindler's silence.

“So you can’t talk now? That's not the man I remember.” Pulling out a blade from his ankle, he stabbed the swindler’s right hand through to the dirt. A muffled, pained grunt could be heard, but not a single word escaped from the swindler’s mouth.

“Oh? You really can’t talk, can you? Fine, have it your way. I’m not playing this game again.”

The leader stood once more, taking his blade back and wiping it across the swindler’s face. There must’ve been less than a couple of minutes prior to midnight and the merchant and thief watched nervously as the swindler wanted to break.

“Kill him.” Ordered the leader to one of his guards. “Take his insignia as proof to collect our reward from the Crown and toss his body in the ocean.”

The swindler looked back at his new friends as they writhed in horror but reassured them of his vow to silence.

Just then, the deep sound of the midnight bell rang across the village, echoing through the shops, the huts, and even the waves of the ocean…

Deafening the sounds of the birds and creatures of the night, along with the whistling blade of the halberd cutting through the wind before crushing the swindler’s torso… One of the men then reached inside his breast pocket and ripped a strange coin, now drenched in the swindler's blood.

The guards who held the other men to the ground as the swindler bled out then asked their leader: “What about these two, sir?”

The leader looked them dead in the eyes. With the air as cold as his stare, they felt their end could be near as well, yet their tongues were still bitten.

“Release them. We got what we needed and they serve us in no way.” He said to his guards. Turning his attention to the men once more, he added: “Consider this a gift from me… And a warning from the Crown.”

As soon as he spoke these words, he ordered his men to march off and they returned down the village road. The merchant and the thief were left on the dirt watching the swindler’s lifeless body floating off to the deep sea.

The thief wasted no time in jumping into the water, pulling the swindler’s body back to land.

“What are you doing?!” asked the merchant frantically as he hesitated a bit to help the thief reposition the bloodied man on his back.

“I wish for this man to come back to life.” spoke the thief into the wind, taking the merchant by complete surprise.

“You…”

“I know what you’re thinking, merchant. I may be a thief, but I’m not a murderer. I don’t know what this man may have done in the past to those guards...” When we were in his home, of course I dug around when you two weren’t looking. I saw notes hidden inside his books… Profound secrets and wisdom.”

The merchant stared in shock while the thief continued.

“This man knew many things not meant for many and yes, I’m sure that’s why he was being chased. Regardless, I have a hunch that he must be saved.”

“You used your one wish to have anything in life on a man you disliked a day ago. Why?” Asked the merchant.

The thief shook the swindler’s motionless body to see if something would happen. “I felt I had to. It’s hard to explain. If there's one thing I've learned is that one should never second-guess a gut feeling.”

Suddenly, the swindler grunted and woke as if he had the worst nightmare of his life. Turns out the Djinn was honest after all.

“Where… Why am I here? Why am I not in bed?” said the swindler in-between coughs.

“You… Fainted.” said the merchant. “We were running from these people and you suddenly collapsed.”

“Did we get away? ...Why am I all wet? Is this blood?” Asked the swindler, now sitting up and regaining his alertness.

The thief jumped in: “I think now it’s not the time to-”

“Wait… The wish. The wish! We get a wish right?” Exclaimed the swindler, perking up and nearly slipping on the pool of his own blood. “...Whoa, I just got really lightheaded for some reason. I swear, I feel like I just came back from the dead or something.”

“Look.” said the merchant: “We should all just get some rest. I think we can agree it has been a long night…”

The men all agreed and walked over to the swindler’s home. He welcomed them to stay and help themselves to food and his amenities while he got some much-needed rest to fully recover.

The merchant took up a small space in the living room to settle in, while the thief quietly read up on the books the swindler kept until he, too, fell fast asleep on the softest surface he had slept on in quite some time.

The next morning, the thief’s eyes were pleasantly open by the rays of the sun peering through the window. His belly was still full from the night before so there was no need to eat breakfast. Not soon after rising to his feet, he noticed the merchant was gone. In place of him, an envelope sat on top of the neatly folded blankets.

“Where is he?” asked the swindler walking out of the room; nearly causing the thief to jump in fear.

“No idea, I just woke up. Look.” He replied, handing the envelope over to the swindler. He opened the seal and read aloud the contents.

“Friends, I called upon my wish and it has been granted.

I’ll be back with my family in another part of the world. Thief, head on to my hut; it’s yours now, along with everything you find in it. Someone special will be waiting for you there. Swindler, your books hold marvelous secrets indeed. The coordinates you kept hidden have been adjusted to lead you in the right direction. Use your wish well.

P.S. Be sure to evenly split the bag of coins on the bookcase among yourselves. It’s a small portion of the earnings I would’ve earned from the artifact I lost to the sea. Be well and until we meet again.”

Both men were shocked, to say the least. The thief was quick to find the bag of coins, and it was definitely was plentiful; even after splitting it in half.

The thief wasted no time in taking his share, bid farewell to the swindler and set off to find the merchant’s hut. Once he got there, he walked into a fully furnished home. The thief's joy only grew more when he found his long-lost daughter sleeping on a comfortable bed. He couldn’t help but wake her and let her see him for the first time in several years.

Meanwhile, the swindler opened the book which hid his secret coordinates; the same ones that quite literally cost him his life the night prior. Sure enough, they had been adjusted by a few digits. Just by looking at the new destination, he knew he was bound to find what he was searching for.

As for the Djinn, of course, he knew a little more than he let on initially.

He could’ve easily just granted their desires the same day or let the men tear each other apart atop his mountain… He also knew that the men didn’t really have to keep silent to retain their wish. That was just a test to get them to collaborate under the premise of a shared reward

Ultimately, the three wishes he granted the merchant, the thief, and the swindler were just as beneficial to him as they were to them.

Not because he took pleasure in watching them struggle, but because the Djinn’s Peak gets lonely at times… It's always refreshing watching mere men finding the real treasure within them and not tucked away in some cave with some "demon".

After all, those are all just local tales and legends of old, right?