The heavy stench of fire and brimstone permeated the room. Right in front of Ishaq, a humanoid dark figure had just materialized, a creature that looked like it was sculpted blazing charcoal.
"Salam, stranger. May you tell me why have you disturbed my slumber?" - said the hellish figure with a deep reverberating voice.
The archaeologist couldn't believe in what he was seeing right in front of him. "It is a Jinn! Such creatures do not exist! The oil lamp must have spilled and caused a fire which led to all that smoke and now I am hallucinating." - echoed his thoughts in his head.
"Hey, brother. Are you still there? If you have nothing to do with me, then let me go back to my sleep". - said the mythical creature while grabbing Ishaq's shoulders with its strong and warm hands.
The warm touch of the Jinn brought Al-Zahiri back from his trance. Without thinking too much, the man's hand quickly found its way to the creature's face, gently stroking its cheeks.
"You are REALLY real"
"OF COURSE I AM! AND YOU ARE SPENDING MY TIME HERE" - screamed the mythical being.
"Oh, sorry. It is just that you are the very first supernatural creature that I've met in my life. I thought creatures like you were just tales told by old folk to explain things that they don't understand."
"Well, I am real and have been like this for the last five thousand years, brother. I am a Jinn, a being born when the breath of life meets the smokeless fires of change. You and I were created by..."
"Will you grant me three wishes?" - said Ishaq, in a very excited tone and interrupting the Jinn.
"BY THE FIRES OF CHANGE, NOT THIS AGAIN!" - its voice echoed like thunders - "This is a Hollywood thing, my kind does not grant wishes to..."
"Oh, come on. Don't tell me that you, an all-powerful creature, made from the combination of fire and life, who was just sleeping inside an oil lamp, can't grant me three small wishes." - said the archaeologist while interrupting the supernatural being again.
Hearing Ishaq's words, the Jinn's face turned red like the brightest lava from an active volcano, while flames came out of its nose. For some moments, Al-Zahiri cowered in fear, realizing that he just made a living flame mad with him. Suddenly, the Jinn came back to its normal self and said:
"Fine, I will do it. IF you beat me in a match from the Royal Game of Ur" - said it in a gentle tone. "Now, if you lose, I will take your most treasured possession"
"You will steal my dick?
"WHAT?"
"What? Anyway, I accept your challenge. My name is Ishaq Al-Zahiri, by the way."
The Jinn snapped its finger and a complete set of the Royal Game of Ur just materialized on the floor, next to the cushions.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, human. I am Dawud, the Marid."
They both shook hands and started playing the game.