It’s short story tiiime. Raylinn and Finn return! Or “Faylinn” as is their official ship name.

I absolutely love that I’m at the point where people are asking for a ship name. I always feel like my story has peaked when that happens. XD

For any newcomers: Each month over on the blog I co-author, Fairy Tale Central,  we feature a specific fairy tale. To go along with it, Arielle posts a writing prompt over at her writing blog for anyone to participate in! I’ve been using the same characters for my prompts. Each story is more or less a standalone, with a fewww continuing threads.

 Here’s the first two stories:

• Deal or No Deal (a Rumpelstiltskin-inspired story, and the first introduction to these characters)
• Let Down Your Hair? (a Rapunzel-inspired prompt)

 If you don’t want to read the first stories, here’s the gist:  Raylinn is a fairy who was born without wings and visible fairy markings, a shame to the proud fairies…and punishable by death. In a panic, her mother took her away from the fairy realm into the human world, where she left baby Raylinn with a kind farming couple. After a tragic fire killed Raylinn’s adopted parents (because fairy tale protagonists aren’t allowed to have parents, you know), Prince Finnigan found her and took her to stay at his castle. Except, one day, grumpy King Olten struck his son and Raylinn became enraged and her fairy magic released unbidden, revealing her true nature. Well, it just so happens Olten hates fairies, and tried to have Raylinn executed. Finnigan quickly defended her, causing his father to disown him. Raylinn and Finn escaped from Finn’s father, and have been on the run ever since, having all sorts of adventures and searching for someone who can help Raylinn learn how to control her magic. Oh, and they got engaged somewhere along the way and are sickeningly precious, so there’s that.

And that’s all you really need to know! (Also, I wrote that in like 3 minutes running on very little sleep so, um, yeah. #qualitycontent)

I originally meant for these to be 1k or less flash fiction pieces, but they all keep ending up being 2k – 4k words. I guess I’m just going to have to accept that these are determined to be short stories and not flash fiction pieces. *le sigh* Maybe one day I’ll learn how to write condensed stories. XD

ANYWAYS.

This month’s prompt is inspired by Aladdin!

If you want to write a piece based off the prompt yourself, you can see all the details HERE!

Also, I may have changed up the prompt in my story a teeny tiny bit to fit the characters’ voices better. Creative license? *cough, cough*

IT AIN’T EASY HAVING A GENIE 

“Whew.” Finnigan fanned out his loose-fitting tunic. “I will never complain about the Talgaria summers again.”

Raylinn couldn’t agree more. She wiped the sweat and grit on her forehead and looked around the buzzing street. Talgaria’s southern neighboring kingdom certainly was different, with its beige square buildings and sand coating absolutely everything. She missed the greenery of Talgaria; though the kingdom of Mamlaki certainly had its charm. The clothes were her favorite. What the landscape lacked in color, the attire made up for it. Rich colors of purples, blues, reds, yellows, and everything in between clothed the inhabitants of the bustling city.

A tap on her arm distracted her from taking in the sights. Finn held up a water flask.

“We’re going to want to make sure to stay hydrated.”

“Thanks.” She took it and downed the, unfortunately, rather warm water. “Are you sure you’re all right with being here? I know this is a little out of our comfort zone.”

“Ha! When do we ever stay in our comfort zone?” The mischievous twinkle in his eyes softened as he grasped her shoulders and met her eye-to-eye. “Really, Raylinn, you have to stop asking me that. First of all, I’ve always wanted to visit Mamlaki. I was too young to come the last time Father met with the Sultan, and I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this ever since. Second, I will walk to the ends of the earth to help you learn how to control your magic and get peace of mind.”

Her lips quirked. “The ends of the earth? That’s a little cliché.”

His jaw dropped in mock surprise. “Well, perhaps we can find a book on non-cliché romantic phrases while we’re searching for a genie.”

Giggling, she wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you, Finn. Truly.”

Traveling to Mamlaki had never been their plan. They had spent a good amount of time in the eastern side of Talgaria, but after a rather hairy mishap, decided to head south in search of someone who could help her learn how to use her fairy magic. It was there the rumors began pouring in. Rumors of a boy in Mamlaki going from peasant to the Princess’s betrothed in a mere day. Then the rumors became even wilder. Whispers of the boy obtaining one of the mythical genies spread rampant. Knowing stranger things had happened, Raylinn and Finnigan couldn’t help but investigate.

After scouring the libraries for information, they learned that genies were ancient magical beings once said to be common in Mamlaki. Their magic was the most powerful of any magical being, except for one thing: they couldn’t use any magic on their own. It only came out of them if someone wished for it. In this way, the genies became slaves to the people of Mamlaki. People abused the power of the genies so much, that the genies finally went into hiding, until their kind become nothing but a legend.

What captured Raylinn’s attention the most was a line from a particularly old book that claimed the magic of genies could be compared to that of a fairy’s, and some even believed the genies were once a group of fairies who betrayed the Fairy Queen. She then cursed them to only be able to use magic through enslavement and banished them from the fairy realm.

Upon hearing this, Raylinn knew they had to visit Mamlaki. If the Princess’s fiance really did have a genie, that could be the key to her learning how to use her magic.

Now that they were here, though, she didn’t even know where to begin.

Finnigan put the water flask back into his satchel and offered her his arm. “To the palace?”

“We’re just going to waltz up to the palace and ask if they have a genie lying around we can borrow?”

He shrugged. “It’s worth a try. Besides, maybe my banishment hasn’t reached the Sultan’s ears yet. If I can prove to him I’m the crown prince of Talgaria, he’ll welcome us with open arms. Talgaria has all sorts of trade deals with Mamlaki. We’re on good terms.”

“That’s a point. Goodness, it’s been so long since we’ve been able to just walk around freely without fear of being recognized, I almost forgot what it’s like. It’s…kind of boring.”

An impish smile played around his lips. “Don’t worry. If the Sultan has heard of my banishment, I promise a good old fashioned running-from-imminent-danger afternoon like usual. Then we can—”

A stir in the crowd snapped their attention around.

“Stop that genie!”

The cry echoed through the streets, and Raylinn and Finn shared a wide-eyed stare.

Finn’s eyes danced. “Looks like our scheduled afternoon run has arrived early.”

Raylinn’s insides tingled, and she pulled in a breath. Magic was nearby. Powerful magic.

The people parted as the strangest man Raylinn had ever seen shoved past them. He looked about her and Finn’s age, with white-blonde hair streaked with orange and swirling markings of the same fiery color all across his pale skin. Fairy markings.

“Finn!” she gasped.

“I see it!”

The young man dashed straight toward them. Finn jumped in front of him, and the man slammed into him and sent them both toppling to the ground. Something flew from the man’s hand and thumped into Raylinn’s boot. What appeared to be a brass oil lamp glinted in the sun. She reached down and, the moment she made contact, that same tingling of before thrummed from her fingertips.

“Oh no.”

She straightened to find another young man before her. This one had the normal dark hair and tanned skin of the Mamlaki people. His clothes were made of a magnificent blue material lined with gold, though his mussed hair and dirt-smudged cheeks didn’t exactly match such royal looking attire. Nor did the panic in his eyes.

“Please, madam, give that back. You’re much better off without it.”

Well, that just made her all the more curious. She turned the lamp around in her hands. Magic flowed through it like a spring of water. “What is it?”

“A glorified prison.” The fairy-marked man lithely jumped to his feet and brushed himself off. “You’re no fun at all, Aladdin. Don’t you know the saying: If you are saved from the lion, don’t be greedy and hunt it?”

The other one—Aladdin apparently—spun around to glare at him. “Don’t you know the saying: If a wind blows, ride it?”

Eyes as fiery orange as his markings flashed with a dangerous gleam. “Perhaps, but sometimes that wind can turn into a sandstorm.”

Aladdin rolled his eyes. “So I’m discovering. Which is exactly why I can’t let you loose. No telling the destruction you’ll cause.”

The lamp wasn’t the only magical thing around. Raylinn’s entire core buzzed from the power emanating from the fairy-marked man. “So you are a genie, then.”

The man raised an eyebrow, as if he just realized she and Finn were gawking at him. He looked them up and down, and his lips tilted into a smirk.

“Well, you’re both far from home, aren’t you?” Those flaming eyes honed straight onto Raylinn. “Especially you.” No doubt he sensed her magic as well. He took a step closer, and Finn wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. “And here I thought the genies were the only fairies who lived outside the fairy realm.” He stepped back and offered a flourishing bow. “Zayd, at your service.” His gaze narrowed as he eyed the lamp. “Quite literally.”

What did that mean? Hope, excitement, and a little bit of fear sent her heart flying. She had so many questions. “Genies really are fairies?”

With a groan, he leaned a hand against Aladdin’s shoulder. “Are the history books still making us out to be myths?” He took off one of his sandals and shook it out. “Yes, yes. We were fairies. Until, you know, we decided it’d be a laugh to let some humans into the fairy realm. They tried to steal a few dozen sacks of magic and ol’ Queenie went berserk. She said if we were so fond of humans, we could be bonded to them forever. So she stripped us of our wings, made it where our magic only works to the whims of humans, tossed us into the desert, and banished us from the realm. We were cursed so that the first human who touched us would be our ‘masters’ and we’d be forced to use our magic to grant anything they wished for.”

“It’s not as nice as it sounds,” Aladdin murmured, trying to push him back.

“Hmph. For us either. Who wants to be enslaved to you power-hungry mortals? That’s why most of us left for a deserted island.”

“Sometimes I’m so tempted to wish you there.”

Finn massaged the back of his neck. “Why didn’t you go with the others?”

Still using Aladdin for balance, Zayd slipped his sandal back on and went for the other one. “Because who wants to live on an island with a bunch of quitters? There was so much of the world to see.”

“You mean terrorize?” Aladdin asked with a raised brow.

Zayd didn’t answer, merely smiled.

“And so you ended up being his master?” Raylinn asked Aladdin.

“Unfortunately.”

She held up the lamp, but kept a good hold on it when he looked hopeful. “What about this?”

Zayd crossed his arms and leaned back on his heels. “I made the terrible mistake of trying to work around my curse. We genies can’t use our magic for ourselves, of course, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use magical items. After my last master died, I found a cave just full of them. I swear, you can’t swing a monkey by its tale without hitting a cave full of magic treasure around here. I don’t know what’s up with this place. Anyway, I came across a gem that seeps a person’s magic away within it. I tried to use it to transfer my magic to the closest item I could find—an oil lamp—but instead it put me into the oil lamp and connected me to the thing. Now I’m as cursed as ever, except instead of a human having to touch me, they have to possess the lamp.”

She started and stared at the lamp with new eyes. No wonder if felt so powerful.

“Of course I was the lucky one to find it,” Aladdin moaned. He grumbled something under his breath. Raylinn caught a few words about a stupid fake uncle and being trapped in a cave.

“Sooo.” She cleared her throat. “You don’t like having a genie?”

His eyes snapped up. “Ha! You don’t know the half of it. I wished for some food and he gave me bread plagued with maggots.”

Zayd shrugged. “You didn’t specify what kind of food.”

“When my mother and I got word that the Princess was to marry the Vizier’s son, I made an offhanded comment that I wish I was that lucky, and next thing I know the Princess has materialized in our house! And Zayd says we won’t have to worry about the Vizier’s son ever again.”

“Hey, you said ‘I wish’.”

Now Aladdin’s eyes looked more fiery than the genie’s the way he fumed. “Yes, well, I wished the Vizier’s son back and he comes with icicles hanging from his beard claiming he was at the top of a frozen mountain! The poor man was so distraught, he called off the wedding and hasn’t been seen in the city since. Some claim they’ve witnessed him wandering the desert, mumbling incoherently to himself.”

A faint snicker came from Zayd’s direction, but when Aladdin glared over at him he stood as the picture of innocence.

“If I recall,” the genie said, raising a finger, “that turned out quite well for you.”

“Well? The Sultan and Vizier were so angry they were going to behead me!”

“Buuut?”

Aladdin sighed. “But Amira took pity on me and she talked them out of it.”

Raylinn didn’t miss the softening of his tone at the mention of that name. She smiled. “I’m guessing Amira is the Princess?”

“The fairy lady guesses right.” Zayd clasped Aladdin in the shoulder. “Laddie here and the Princess took a fancy to each other. Of course, she wasn’t allowed to marry a mere peasant, but I solved that problem.”

Aladdin shoved him off. “You did no such thing! I wished for riches to impress the Sultan and gain her hand. Well, I got a whole pile of gold and jewels. But when I offered them to the Sultan, he accused me of theft. Because apparently all of that treasure came from the royal vaults!”

Zayd absently examined his fingernails. “I don’t have the ability to just make treasure appear out of thin air. It has to come from somewhere.”

“The Sultan was going to behead me again!” Aladdin turned wild eyes to Raylinn and held out a hand. “I’m telling you, you’re going to want to give that back. Zayd can’t touch it while it’s on his master’s person, and so he never stops stalking you and trying to get you to slip up and set it down. He’s like a leech that’s impossible to remove, sucking and sucking at your sanity.”

“Aww.” Zayd set a hand on his chest. “I had no idea you felt that way about me.”

Raylinn held tight to the lamp. Zayd definitely seemed like a bit of a headache, but this could be her only chance to have someone who could teach her magic. Would it be stealing to keep the lamp? It didn’t seem like Aladdin really even wanted to keep it. Which begged a question. She turned to him. “Why don’t you just get rid of the lamp if you’re so tired of Zayd?”

“I would love to. But how could I trust him with anyone? If his lamp fell into the wrong hands, can you imagine the havoc that would follow? Don’t you see? I have to keep the lamp for the safety of Mamlaki.”

Zayd ruffled Aladdin’s hair. “That’s Laddie for you. Not very bright, kind of lazy, but a heart of gold.”

Aladdin slapped the genie’s hand away.

“How did you escape the second beheading?” Finn asked rather loudly, no doubt trying to get the conversation back on track.

Aladdin’s shoulders dropped. “Amira and I told the Sultan that I had a genie.”

Zayd rolled his eyes. “Of course that made him suddenly just looove Aladdin.”

“And caused even more problems,” Aladdin said. “Because now the Sultan and his Vizier won’t stop trying to get their hands on the lamp as well.”

“Humans and their greed. And now I have this new one to deal with.” Zayd waved a hand at Raylinn. “Unfortunately, she looks way cleverer than you, Aladdin. It might not be so easy to work around her wishes and swipe the lamp. But maybe—” He stopped short and straightened, eyes wide. “Wait a minute. You’re not human.”

Before Raylinn could even process his meaning, he snatched the lamp from her hand.

“Ha! The curse has no effect on non-humans!” He held up the lamp in triumph.

Raylinn’s stomach clenched in horror.

Finn lunged but Zayd deftly swerved out of his reach and darted back through the crowd.

“Not again!” Aladdin moaned. He dashed after the runaway genie.

Raylinn didn’t have to say anything. As one, she and Finn followed suit.

They dodged the swarm of people, just barely able to keep an eye on the white and orange head of hair. He disappeared around a corner, but when they turned, an empty alleyway greeted them.

Laughter brought their heads up.

Zayd stood atop one of the buildings, the lamp dangling from his finger. “It was fun serving you, Laddie, but I think it’s time for me to see new sights.”

Panic squeezed at Raylinn’s heart as he turned his back to them. He couldn’t get away. This might be her only chance to ever have someone who could teach her magic.

Each day she felt it getting stronger, building up inside her, wanting to explode. It took every ounce of willpower to shove it back down. What if she hurt someone? What if she hurt Finn? The thought terrorized her day after day, torturing. She had to stop it. She had to.

Heat surge inside her and this time she couldn’t hold it back. She held up her arms, now glowing with purple markings. A burst of swirling wind erupted from her hands and crashed into Zayd. It swept him up in the air, jerked him down to the alley, and slammed him into the wall. The lamp tumbled from his hand.

Finn sprung forward and swiped it up.

The heat inside Raylinn ebbed, and she lowered her hands just as her fairy markings faded, along with the wind.

Zayd crumpled to the ground, laughing between wheezes of breath. “You are…a fairy…aren’t you?” He rubbed at his chest and coughed out a mouthful of sand.

She bit her lip, staring at her hands. “A fairy in need of a trainer.”

“Can I please have that back now?” Aladdin held desperate hands out toward the lamp. “You’ve seen the trouble he causes.”

Finn just chuckled. “That’s for sure.” He glanced up at Raylinn, and his features softened. “I may have a solution that could benefit all of us.”

Hope thrummed within her, and she held her breath, waiting.

Finn twiddled with the lid of the lamp, eyes sparking. “What if I give the lamp back, on the condition that Zayd comes with us and agrees to help Raylinn learn how to use her magic?”

Zayd scoffed. “I should have known ‘us’ didn’t include the genie.” He pushed up to a sitting position and leaned against the building behind him. “I have no intention of leaving my lamp.”

Finn shrugged. “Why not? Wasn’t that your original plan? Put all your magic into the lamp and hide it somewhere? Well, it should be quite clear to you now that Aladdin is going to take every measure imaginable to assure no one but he has your lamp. He’s a great hiding place.”

“That may be so, but what makes you think I’ll come with you and be your teacher?”

Excitement rippled through Raylinn as she grasped onto Finn’s plan. “Because we’re really good at finding strange things and magical beings. If you agree to come with us and help me, then what if we agree to search the world over for a way to break you from your curse.”

Something shifted in his eyes. The smugness faded, replaced with a hint of light. Hope.

She stepped over to him and offered a hand. “I know what it’s like to have others want you only for your magic. No one deserves to be anyone’s slave.”

His eyes narrowed, still hesitant.

She smiled. “Like Aladdin said, if the wind blows, ride it.”

This time, he returned the smile and reached for her proffered hand.

When they touched, that electric rush of magic surged through her palm. The touch of a fairy, her kin. At last, she found someone like her.

Grinning, she pulled him to his feet.

“Wait, wait, wait. Do I get any say in this?”

All three turned to Aladdin, who ducked under the sudden attention.

“That is to say, you want me to just let this powerful genie out into the world?”

Finn held up the lamp. “He’s only powerful through the mouth of whoever possesses this. If you have a use for him, you could just wish him back. But I think it’d be in your best interest, as well as everyone else’s, to swear off wishing altogether.” He turned and winked at Raylinn. “If you are saved from the lion, don’t be greedy and hunt it.”

Aladdin’s facial features lifted as understanding seemed to dawn. “So I’d get to keep the lamp safe, while also never having to deal with Zayd again?”

“Mhmm. That sums it up.”

Zayd harrumphed. “I’m feeling the love.”

“I’ll do it on one more condition.” Aladdin continued as if he hadn’t even heard Zayd. “I want all three of you to leave Mamlaki. Forever. I’ve had enough of magic. I just want to live a peaceful life with Amari and never have to deal with another magical being ’til the day I die.”

The comment probably should have struck a nerve but, honestly, Raylinn couldn’t blame him a bit. “I think we can honor that deal.”

“As long as Zayd holds up his end of the bargain,” Finn added, eyeing the genie. “If he starts to cause trouble, we’ll come back and get you to wish for him to behave. Got it, Zayd?”

“Oh, fiiine. Besides”—he grinned at Raylinn—“I can live vicariously through the other fairy here. Helping her learn to use all that power inside her could be fun.”

Finn frowned. “You sure you want to do this, Raylinn?”

She eyed the strange man with orange fairy markings. “Well, he’s not exactly the teacher I imagined having, but he’s all we’ve got. And maybe we can be a good influence on him. He can learn a thing or two from us as well.”

“Are none of you aware that I do have ears and feelings?”

No one chose to comment on this as Finn handed over the lamp. Aladdin snatched it up and immediately headed out of the alley.

“He’s your problem now!” he called over his shoulder.

Zayd tsked as they watched him go. “Not even a goodbye. So.” He clasped his hands together and turned to Raylinn and Finn. “What’s next?”

“Ah, Zayd, Zayd, Zayd.” Finn clasped him on the shoulder. “What’s the fun in knowing what comes next?”

Raylinn sidled over to the other side of the genie and looped her arm through his, unable to hold back her grin. After so long, she had found another fairy. Maybe, finally, she wouldn’t have to fear her own abilities. “Let’s go find some more adventures.”

Zayd looked from one to the other, and a hint of a smile appeared at the edge of his lips. “Huh. Maybe you two won’t be as insufferable as I feared.”

Guess which character came out of nowhere and decided to stick around? Yepppp. Zayd just showed up and demanded to be a permanent part of this short story series. I had NO intentions of adding a new character to the Faylinn team, but I apparently don’t have any say in the matter??? So I hope you guys like him! (Okay, I totally love him and am super excited but don’t you dare tell him that.)

I have such a grand time writing these silly little stories. I do hope you guys enjoy them as well. ^_^

LET’S TALK!

Have you joined in this prompt??? (We have so much fun doing these!) Did you enjoy this latest Faylinn story? And what do you think of Zayd? He’s already proving to be something…