Shalimar’s Tale

King Ahmad was a very generous man, especially when it came to repaying a debt. It didn’t matter that his new protector was a blood-sucking monster. It mattered that he was a blood-sucking monster that could be bargained with. The king had a number of enemies and the man he had hired to weed them out asked for very little in return. He required a safe and undisturbed place to stay during daylight hours and no questions asked when certain members of the king’s household and council began disappearing.

Alexander Monroe, an English nobleman by day and blood-thirsty vampire by night, used his power of mental persuasion to interview the visitors and residents of the king’s palace to determine those guilty of conspiracy. Their punishment was swift and final. As a reward for his service, the vampire was given access to the king’s harem. One by one, a variety of women were selected for both entertainment and dinner. It was a chance for the king to rid himself of the less desirable of his many wives.

On his fourth night in the palace, the young woman who was sent to his chambers to entertain him proved to be somewhat different than her predecessors. The first had been loud and obnoxious, babbling and giggling incessantly. The second had been rather tall with a manly build. Alexander felt compelled to check her sex afterwards just to make sure that indeed she had been female. The third woman was very unattractive and less than graceful both in movement and in speech. Normally, Alexander preferred to make love or at least steal a few kisses before reducing his women to dinner, but with what had been in the offering thus far had made him only want to take their blood quickly and dispose of the body as soon as possible.

As he lounged back on the plush cushions of his bed, he had already prepared himself for the worse. He sighed deeply as he pictured an older, toothless hag with leathery skin and long breasts, hobbling through the door. He was more than a little amazed when a lissome young woman entered his chambers and lowered her veil. She was easy on the eye, with a sensual smile, exotic, cat-like eyes and flawless skin. Alexander sat up instantly, thinking that perhaps there had been some mistake. The exquisite creature before him was not possibly meant to be sacrificed.

“Are you sure you have come to the right place?” he found himself questioning her presence.

“You are Alexander, are you not?” came the reply.

“Yes. You are my entertainment for the night?”

“If entertainment is indeed what you seek, I am here to provide it.”

“You think I seek something else?”

“I know of others who have come to entertain you. They have not been seen or heard from again. I imagine they displeased you?”

“I did find their company as well as their beauty somewhat lacking.”

“I hope I do not displease you.”

“No, on the contrary, I find you quite refreshing. The others the king have sent to me were not half as enchanting as yourself.”

“Is that why you killed them?”

He was surprised by her question and wondered if she knew exactly what he was and what he had planned for her. Alexander rose from the bed and circled her slowly, eyeing her hungrily. “That was one of the reasons I killed them,” he replied honestly. “It was obvious that the king no longer desired them. Is there some reason that he no longer desires you as well?”

“Not him, but some of his other wives are jealous of me. They have banded together to have me removed from the palace one way or another. But I do not wish to die. Perhaps if I please you well, you will not kill me?”

Though he had already decided to take his time with this beauty, stretching out her death over a period of two or three nights, the thought of not killing her had not crossed his mind. He had yet to feed from someone and not kill them, so making her such a promise would not be easily kept.

“If you please me well tonight,” he made the offer, “I will spare your life tonight. But you will return tomorrow night and attempt to please me again.”

She readily accepted the challenge. She was smart enough not to do anything that would tempt him physically. She replaced her veil and kept her distance as she began to tell him of far away places filled with magic and marvel.

Her name was Shalimar and she had told him one fascinating story after another. Between the soft cadence of her voice when she spoke and the rich descriptions of her carefully crafted tales, she had kept the vampire completely entranced. He kept his word and spared her life that first night. There were several other women that had been picked to fulfill his needs and Alexander saw no harm in changing the order. Shalimar had agreed to return the following night to engage him with even more delightful tales. Alexander warned her against breaking her word. If he were forced to hunt her down, he made it very clear that he would not be kind upon finding her.

At the appointed time, the following night, she arrived just as she had before with her veil hiding her face. Again she kept her distance from him, sticking close by the door and refusing to sit. There was no way she could have known that he could reach her from anywhere in the room in less than an eye-blink, but if she imagined herself safe by keeping several feet of space between them, he would allow it. Alexander lay back against the cushions of the bed and peacefully listened as she began a new story.

“I shall now tell you about the magic box which gives its owner three wishes.”

“Did you not recite that one last night?” Alexander asked, sitting up with a frown. “Have you run out of fresh anecdotes so soon?”

“No, not at all. Last night was about Aladdin and his magic lamp. This story is quite different. Shall I continue?”

Alexander gave a slight nod and waited a few moments after her narration began before settling back down into the cushions, satisfied that this story was in fact not the same as before.

“There exists a magical box, small enough to fit in your opened palm, made of finest jade and thin layers of white marble. The box is actually a puzzle. Different sections can be turned one way but not the other. The sides have small panels that pull outward and push inward at specific points. To solve the puzzle, you must maneuver the sections until a picture of a dragon appears, its entire body spanning across all six sides of the box. And once the dragon is completely uncovered, the box will open to reveal a crystal sphere. Inside the crystal, blue smokes swirls all about until forming the words, ‘Make a Wish’. If your wish is to be granted — and not all are — the blue smokes swirls again until it forms the words, ‘As you wish.’ At that point, the puzzle box closes and the dragon goes into hiding until the puzzle is solved once again.”

“Why would the magic box grant some wishes and not others?” asked Alexander.

“Because not all wishes can be granted.”

“But if the magic is truly powerful–“

“Yes, the magic is indeed powerful, but even magic knows its limits. If a man wished to rule the entire world, the magic would have to face far too many forces in order to make such a thing possible. It would have to change the hearts and minds of all the people of the earth to make them want to follow only one leader and one line of thought. I believe you have seen much of the world. Do you think such a thing is possible?”

In the last thirty years alone, Alexander had seen more than his share of would-be kings hell-bent on ruling the world. He shook his head in response to her question. “No, I don’t believe that such a thing is possible. And if one were to wish for an end to all wars, the same problem would exist, would it not?”

“Yes. One could, however, wish to become a powerful leader. That is within the realm of the magic box; as well as great wealth, long life and many other wonderful things. If your wish is within reason, then it will be granted. Now that I have explained about the magic wish box, I shall tell you the story that goes along with it.”

“Wouldn’t you like to make yourself more comfortable first?” asked Alexander, as he patted the empty spot next to him on the bed.

“I am most comfortable as I am,” stated Shalimar, intent on keeping a safe distance from the vampire.

Alexander chuckled lightly, then tucked his hands behind his head as he leaned back against the soft pillows. “Then, by all means, continue with the tale,” he bid her.

“Many years ago, near the land of the pharaohs, lived the simple people of a small village. One day, the village was invaded by an army of soldiers who plundered and burned the homes to the ground. The villagers they did not kill, they encased in chains and took them to be sold as slaves. Out into the desert, they marched the slaves, giving them no food and very little water. Many faltered along the way and were left behind to perish in the barren wasteland. As the sun was going down on the fifth day of their trek, they came upon a caravan of merchants headed to market. The camels were loaded down with many fine and wonderful things, including wine and food. The soldiers used their weapons and great might to take what they wanted. They pulled items from the packs, and if it were not to their liking, they tossed it to the ground.

“Now, among the new slaves was Demarcus, not quite a man, but no longer a boy. As he lay resting on the ground with the other slaves, one of the soldiers, more interested in finding another jug of wine than anything else, tossed items from one of the camel’s packs over his shoulder, not caring where they landed. One discarded item landed beside Demarcus. There was enough give in his chains for him to reach the item. It was too dark for him to see clearly what it was, though he could tell it was a box of some sort. He thought it might be something of value which he could use to buy his freedom later, so he hid it away by burying it in the sand beneath him.

“Later that night, when all was quiet and everyone asleep, Demarcus pulled the little box from the sand. He still could not see what it was he held in the darkness, but he ran his hands all over it seeking a way to open it. His fingers pulled and pushed at the box, and twisted it in directions it seemed to want to go, when all of a sudden, the box began to click. He felt it moving about by itself in his hands. It soon opened, revealing a crystal sphere which he would not have been able to see had it not begin to glow in the darkness. Demarcus was quick to cover it with his hands so that the glowing would not attract attention. He glanced around and saw that no one else was awake, so he parted his hands slightly to look upon the crystal. He saw a swirling of blue smoke which began to form symbols he was unfamiliar with. He thought how pretty the crystal was and couldn’t help but whisper the word aloud. And as he spoke it, the symbols in the sphere changed to those of his own language. He understood then that he was to make a wish. Can you imagine what he wished for?” Shalimar paused in her storytelling to quiz her audience.

“If he had at least half a brain, he would wish for his freedom,” replied Alexander with the only answer that made sense to him.

“Is that what you would have wished for if you were in his place?”

“Of course. No man wants to be a slave.”

Shalimar nodded her head in agreement. “But what of the rest of his people? Should he not wish for their freedom as well?”

Alexander frowned at the question, realizing that indeed it was the right thing to do, and he felt a sliver of shame that he had not thought of that himself. “Yes, he should wish freedom for them all.”

“Indeed, he should have, but alas, he did not. His first thoughts were of himself and how he wished not to become a slave. The glow of the sphere died down and the box closed itself up. Demarcus heard a noise and thought someone might be coming, so he pushed the box into the sand and laid his head down. Soon, he fell asleep. When next, he opened his eyes, it was midday and as he stood, he saw that his chains were gone. However, so was everyone and everything else. He was all alone in the desert. He realized that the soldiers had probably tried to wake him, but he slept so heavily that they thought he was dead or near death and decided to leave him behind as they had done some of the others. You see, his wish had come true. Demarcus now had his freedom…but nothing else.”

“He still had the magic box, did he not?”

“He had hidden the magic box in the sand. When he dug where he thought it should be, he did not find it, because when the soldiers removed his chains, they had placed him in a different position than when he first fell asleep. The box may have been found and taken away by the soldiers or it could still be buried somewhere beneath the surface of the sand. Demarcus had the choice of crawling around the hot dunes beneath a blistering sun, seeking that which might never be found or he could begin walking towards the city, still two days away and possibly his only chance for survival.”

Shalimar had paused in her storytelling to sip from a cup of water. As she was about to continue, the distant gaze on her sole listener’s face caught her eye.

“Does my tale disturb you?”

Alexander jerked his head up at the question. “What?”

“I asked if my tale disturbed you.”

“Why would you think it did?”

“Your eyes had a far off look to them. Is it my story? Do you wish me to stop?”

“No. The tale is fine. It just made me think of something. Of how you can want something so badly, but when you get it, things aren’t quite how you imagined.”

“You have had a similar experience? Is that how you became a demon?”

“Demon?” Offended by the word, Alexander rose from his lounging position and moved to stand menacingly in front of his potential next victim. “Because I cheated death, you believe me a devil? I am immortal,” he informed her as he traced his finger along the vein in her neck. “I will live to see entire civilizations emerge and blossom, then falter and perish. And through it all, I will never grow old and never know sickness. I will enjoy an eternity of perfect health and unlike you, I will never, ever die.”

There was a glint of gold in his dark eyes and Alexander could feel the vampire within ready to spring forth. He could also feel Shalimar’s pulse racing frantically beneath his fingertips. She was terrified of him, yet she hid her fear well.

“You are very fortunate indeed if that is your heart’s desire,” said Shalimar. “As for Demarcus, even though he had received the freedom that he wished for, it was not as he had expected. He was left alone in the middle of the desert with no food or water, and he would surely perish if he could not find the magic box and make another wish.”

Alexander was no fool. He could see clearly what the young vixen was up to. She was trying to distract him from killing her by enticing him with more of her mythical tale. He admitted to himself that he was interested in learning the outcome. Besides, he had given her his word that he would let her live as long as he found her entertaining. If he disliked the ending of the story, he could always kill her later. He backed away from her a few inches, still keeping his hand lightly resting on her throat.

“Are you saying that he found the magic box again and wished himself out of the desert?”

“It’s not quite as simple as that. Do you wish to make yourself comfortable before I continue?” Shalimar gestured towards the bed, hoping to generate some distance between herself and the demon. Alexander finally conceded and drifted back over to the bed where he ensconced himself among the satiny pillows and directed her to continue. Breathing a relieved sigh, Shalimar unconsciously covered her exposed throat with one hand as she picked up the lost thread of her story.

“Demarcus decided to search the sand around where he had been lying, and yes, he did find the magic puzzle again. But when he tried to solve it, he found that it was not as simple as it had been the first time. You see, that is one of the secrets of the puzzle. It gives itself freely the first time one seeks to solve it. However, the second time does not come as easily. One has to work harder and longer to uncover the dragon. Demarcus did not know this and he became frustrated that it did not work as quickly as it had before. He thought perhaps it would not work at all, so he started walking, following the trail of the caravan headed towards the city. As he walked, to occupy his mind with thoughts other than of his own possible doom, he began to work the puzzle. And he thought about what he would ask for if the puzzle would take pity on him and grant him another wish. There was much for him to consider; how to save himself and of course, how to rescue his people from slavery.

“Demarcus walked for miles in the desert. The lack of water and the heat of the blistering sun robbed him of his strength until, at last, he could no longer go on. It was nearly sunset when he collapsed to the ground, exhausted and near death. All the while, he had been praying to his god for deliverance, and without forethought, his hands had worked to solve the puzzle. He still had hope that the box would open for him again and grant him another wish. The noble idea that he had earlier of saving his people from slavery had been pushed to the back of his mind. The thought that consumed him now was the desire to live.

“And just at the moment he was about to give up, he saw the image of a dragon appear on the magic box. Then there were clicking noises like he had heard the night before. The crystal sphere inside showed itself. Demarcus was too weak to speak the words aloud. He could only think them. ‘Please, I do not wish to die,’ is what he told the magic crystal. He saw the smoke form the words, ‘As you wish,’ then the crystal went into hiding once again. A moment later, Demarcus fell unconscious.”

Alexander waited impatiently for Shalimar to continue. She had paused for a moment to sip from her cup of water. He didn’t believe that she was actually thirsty, but rather stretching out the suspense. He had to admit that she was an excellent storyteller. He idly wondered if he drank her blood, if he would be able to capture all the tales she knew. Drinking the blood of the very talented, although momentarily very satisfying, wasn’t quite the same as experiencing those talents first hand. It was possible that he could know a small sampling of her stories through her blood alone, but he knew he wouldn’t have the richness and detail that only she could deliver personally.

“Do you plan to finish this tale some time this century?” he finally asked, his voice filled with impatience.

“Of course,” she replied calmly, knowing she had him in the palm of her hands, at least for the moment. “Where was I?”

“Demarcus was unconscious.”

“Oh, yes. After making his wish, Demarcus fell into a state of unconsciousness. He lay there for several hours. The sun had gone down and the moon was high. A lone traveler happened upon the young man dying in the desert. Demarcus was faintly aware of hands holding him and a voice talking to him, asking him if he wanted to live. He could only offer a hint of a nod, then he felt a sharp pain in his throat. He wanted to scream out, but too quickly the pain turned pleasant and he wanted it to continue. Soon, the touch at his throat disappeared and the flesh of another was pressed against his lips. He was encouraged to drink the moisture he found there.”

“He was bitten by a vampire,” Alexander concluded. “A demon,” he added, using her term for it.

“Yes. And so his wish not to die, had been fulfilled. The one who rescued Demarcus from death, was a two-hundred year old vampire named Yoshi. He was of Japanese descent, a teacher during his time as a mortal. His studies and travels throughout strange lands, brought him in contact with the magic box, and like Demarcus, during a moment of crisis, he had made a wish not to die. At the time, he did not fully understand the workings of the curious puzzle. But over the centuries, he was able to track it from place to place and study the lives of those it touched. He learned much of how and when it performed its miracles. He knew that the puzzle itself picked who it wanted to give itself to. Not everyone could solve it. Once the puzzle had chosen, it gave that person one full cycle of the moon in which to unravel its secrets three times and make requests. The first time, the puzzle is solved very quickly, almost on its own. The second time, takes a bit longer — perhaps a full day — and the third, can take many days and nights.

“Hearing all this, Demarcus realized that he still had one wish coming to him and he had already decided that he would use it to help free his enslaved people. Still, he wasn’t quite sure how to go about it. After all, he had wished freedom for himself and looked what happened. Yoshi explained to Demarcus about his new life, how powerful he was now and how the two of them working together could rescue the slaves without the use of magic. He offered to help Demarcus free his people if he agreed to use his last wish as Yoshi asked. You see, although Yoshi treasured certain aspects of his immortality, he missed some of the joys he once experienced in life. He wished to be able to walk in the light of day again, and he wanted to be able to eat real food instead of existing only on the blood of others.” Shalimar paused in her storytelling and looked at her audience thoughtfully. “Would you wish for such a thing if it were possible, or are you satisfied the way you are?”

“What does it matter?” Alexander coldly retorted. “I accept what I’ve become. Wishing won’t make it go away. Besides, it’s only a story. There is no such magic box.”

“I admit that I have not seen it for myself, but that does not mean it does not exist.”

“Then it’s too bad you don’t have it. You could wish for me to spare your life.”

“You said that as long as my story entertained you, I would not be harmed. Do you find the tale boring? Would you like me to tell another? Or perhaps a song would please you more.”

The vampire was beginning to get hungry, but he decided that he could wait a little while longer. He hoped she wasn’t that far from the end. “Finish the story,” he growled impatiently. “And don’t take all night.”

Shalimar nodded politely and continued. “As I have stated, Yoshi wanted Demarcus to make a wish on his behalf so that he could become a bit more… human. From experience, he knew that he would not be allowed to make any more wishes of his own again. He would have to depend on someone else making a wish for him. Yet, in all his years of following the trail of the magic box, this was the first time he was in a position to take full advantage of someone else’s opportunity. But first, he had to fulfill his side of the bargain. He explained to Demarcus how to make use of his new powers. The fledgling vampire now had the strength of five men, the speed of the fastest Arabian horses and the ability to see in the dark. Other new gifts would make themselves known and increase with time, but for now, Demarcus had what he needed to rescue his people.

“Yoshi and Demarcus spent the day sleeping, buried deep beneath the sand to avoid the deadly rays of the sun. That night, they caught up with the caravan, and one by one, attacked the thieving soldiers who had sought to enslave others. Most were asleep, while only two stood guard. Yoshi demonstrated to his new pupil how to approach in silence, sink his fangs into unguarded flesh and drink his fill, then snap his victim’s neck in two. Demarcus had never killed another human being before. But his newfound thirst for blood made it easy for him to take a life without mercy. As he and Yoshi went through the camp and sought out all the soldiers, one of the enslaved women awoke and screamed out in alarm when she saw a monster attacking one of the men.

“Soon, everyone was awake. Demarcus came forward to let his people know that their captors were dead and that now everyone was free to go. But instead of being grateful and happy to see him as he had envisioned, the people were terrified of him. They cowered from his approach and cried out in fear when he ventured too close. They knew him to be dead, but now he stood before them, his skin smooth and pale, not burnt by the sun as they had last seen him. He tried to speak to them, to tell them not to be afraid. But even the girl who had been betrothed to him since birth, was too afraid to be near him. She accused him of being a devil and begged him to return to the underworld where he belonged.

“Yoshi knew it was useless to try to convince the people that no harm would come to them. He pulled Demarcus away before the crowd decided to drive the demons off with fire. At that point, Demarcus understood that he could never go home again, that he was no longer considered human, so he went quietly with Yoshi. He still owed the vampire a debt, and in the nights that followed, he worked diligently to solve the puzzle and grant Yoshi his request. When at last, the puzzle opened and it was time to make a wish, Demarcus had all intentions of speaking the words that the vampire had instructed him to. But deep in his heart, all he could think about was how he hated what his life had now become. He wished desperately that his village had never been raided by the soldiers in the first place, and that none of the other terrible things had come to pass. He never uttered the words aloud. He merely wished them with his heart and mind. Then, as he was about to say what Yoshi had wanted him to, the smoke in the crystal spear swirled about to form the words, ‘As you wish.’

“The next instant, the puzzle disappeared from his hands, and Demarcus looked up to see that he was no longer sitting in the middle of the desert. He was in his own home, sitting up in bed. He thought perhaps that it had all been a dream, but it had seemed so real. When morning came, he told others of his experience, but no one believed such a strange tale. However, the elder in their village gave it more thought. He felt that perhaps what Demarcus described had been a sort of premonition of things to come if they did not take precautions. He had heard of people in distant villages being taken from their homes and made into slaves. He decided that it would be wise for them to prepare against such attacks. As for the rest of the dream, it was blamed on the effects of eating a bad date before bed. Demarcus knew better than to insist that his dream had been reality. It was enough to simply have his life back to normal, and his people safe once again.”

“But what of Yoshi?” asked Alexander when he realized that Shalimar had come to the conclusion of her tale. “Did he not get his wish?”

“No, he did not. Even though Demarcus had not put his own wish into words, the magic puzzle heard his thoughts and acted upon them. And though he was pleased with the way things had turned out for himself, he felt regret that Yoshi had kept his part of the bargain but was left unrewarded for his troubles. As for Yoshi, his search still continues, and perhaps someday he will find someone to make that wish for him. He has all of eternity in which to look.”

Alexander rose from the bed and walked over to her. “I can think of better ways to spend eternity than searching for a silly puzzle box,” he said, as his hand reached beneath her veil to caress her throat. He was very hungry now, and the young beauty before him was oh so appetizing.

“Did you not find the story pleasing?” Shalimar asked, her voice trembling as her heart beat rapidly in fear. “Shall I come back again tomorrow night?”

Alexander started to remove her veil so that he could steal a kiss, but he knew that if he did, he would be tempted to do much more than that. He had made a bargain with her, and decided to honor it before it was too late. “No,” he said as he drew his hand away slowly and stepped back. “There is no need for you to return. I shall find further entertainment elsewhere.”

The dark, brown eyes which had been wide with dread, now gleamed with suppressed joy. “Thank you, my lord,” she breathed in relief. After offering a quick bow, she turned to leave, but stopped when she heard her name called out softly. She canted her head to show that she was listening. The words that reached her ears, carried a warm and gentle tone.

“I shall inform the king of what a great prize he has in his harem and impress upon him that he should take care and treasure you always. You possess a wonderful talent for storytelling. Thank you for sharing your gift with me.”

Shalimar glanced back at him in surprise. Even with her face covered by the veil, Alexander could easily see the timid smile that formed beneath. The girl offered a simple nod of acknowledgment, then quickly and silently departed.

end