Mahmuna, the gentle genie. (Misinterpreted Wishes)

Jervale's mind's eye swirled around the tower, looking for a particular defender. As usual, this one was tucked away in one of the decoy treasure rooms... it seemed to the butler that Mahmuna gravitated towards these places only because they were thematic for her. The genie was blue-skinned with three eyes, two brown and the third flaming pink in the center of her forehead. Her jet-black hair parted away from the Arabic facial features she'd managed to retain after being trapped here. At some point in the far past, her scant, white, silken garments, including a wrapped top, showing the underside of her breasts, and a long front and back cloth over a skimpy bottom, may have stirred the butler's loins, but that time was too far in the past for him to remember. In combination with the gold bangles circling the girl's wrists and bare ankles, they made her look the perfect image of a genie. Her youthful appearance, ample bosom, belly-dancer waist, and curving hips make her the type of defender that challengers are happy to run into.

The butler had seen far too many challengers fall to their early estimation of this friendly genie. Far too many in the sense that those failures now bored him spectacularly. After all, who would put up their defenses upon meeting a genie in a treasure vault? No one, across all of the universe, it seemed. Even the worst, most ill-natured of them thought she was some trophy to be captured, a fatal error that would quickly prove their undoing as soon as they tried to utilize her talents.

"There's Mahmuna, trying to pick out which pieces of treasure our next guests will value most as a charitable gift... You have to appreciate her optimism. I don't. But you may. This girl arrived as part of a foolhardy prince's harem; she'd been treated so poorly, along with the other wives, that when I sent them all packing, she mistook my impatience and dutiful application of my job for chivalry. She swore herself to granting my every wish. Little did she know, I already have that blessing and furthermore, it sucks more than you'd imagine it would.

Still, I imagined I saw in her some potential as a defender, or perhaps I was just amused by a dark sense of irony at the time. I've made that mistake more times than I care to admit. In my quick thinking and certainly not motivated by any racial stereotypes, I bound the woman to the tower as a djinn and bestowed upon her the Curse of Misinterpretation. I told her not to waste herself upon my wishes, for I knew not what I wanted... Instead, she should devote herself to the people of this tower. I thought that, in time, she would come to understand her role as a defender here... that she would develop the same sense of sadism that a good defender ought to have and would come to enjoy the dark comedy that grossly misinterpreted wishes ought to provide.

Alas, she has not. She will not. Watching her is infuriating. The woman thinks she is a servant of the challengers and wants to provide them with her excellent service as a genie. Therefore, she quickly introduces herself and grants them wishes. Infinite wishes, granted with abundant power... her talent is astonishing but the fulfillment is, ultimately, as accursed as the source of her power. You probably see where this is going: whatever wish Mahmuna grants backfires powerfully, leaving her wondering where she went wrong and running to me in tears. My original impulse was to hold my laughter and ensure her she was doing a great job, so she'd make fools of all of the challengers. That grew tiresome quickly and since then, I've grown cold toward her, trying to show her I have no patience for her antics. However, her own ability to misinterpret my intent seems as powerful as the twisted interpretation of those wishes she grants... I believe that, even now, she loves me and believes me to be a kind soul.

She used to spend a lot of time in my chamber. I've since taken to manipulating the lock on my door. I can see her trying to decide if she should wish it open... If she ever finally decides to do so, maybe there will be some change to her, some interesting development that makes it worth my watching her again. Or maybe the tower will simply collapse around my room, allowing her access from another direction while ending all of our suffering for good.

For now, let's look at someone else. I don't remember what my preference is, but it's not this timid good-girl routine..."