Hi, I am Shia, a djinn, or a descendant of one to be precise.
I look almost like a human, except for my pointed ears and slightly translucent body.
I was born in a small village around an oasis in a relatively remote place, the scorpion lower realm.
I was born to a pair of merchants that lived in the village, who were completely humans.
It seems that my great grandfather freed a djinn from a bottle and received a boon that one of his descendants shall share his ancestry and be born as a full fledged djinn.
He also prophesied that the child born as such shall also receive the power to control one aspect of fate.
It seems I was that prophesied child.
As for how I know that I am a djinn. Lets just say that the experience wasn't that good.
One day, a ruffian tried to bully me, well, physically harm me. Out of nowhere, I suddenly wished for him to burn to death.
Just like that, his arm holding mine caught fire and he vaporised to nothingness. Terrified, I ran away from the place.
It is said that the first djinns were born from the primordial flames that existed between the heaven and the earth.
That is why, all djinns possess the ability to shapeshift, are only visible to a select few (djinns were higher beings when compared to humans) and have exceptional powers, one of them being the ability to control the primordial flames they were born from.
Knowing full well that my existence might cause problems to my parents, especially after all my powers as a djinn awoke, I left my house and ran into the desert, after burning all my belongings, except a few spare sets of clothes, a pail to drink water from and a double dagger.
I joined a caravan ready to depart from my village in an inconspicuous manner.
Ever since then, I earned my living as an escort guard, a dignified way of calling a bodyguard who would escort caravans and protect them from the dangers of the desert.
In the beginning, none believed me.
But when I saved a bunch of people by burning the horde of scorpions attacking them, my efforts were recognised and people started relying on me.
Oblivious to the state of my home and my parents, I spent my time leisurely, not detecting the looming threat.
-----------------------------------------------------------POV Shift-----------------------------------------------------------
Hi, I am Ifrit, a low tier devil.
Devils, just like humans, elves etc., were supposed to be one of the denizens of innumerable realms in the multiverse, but, due to the superior tier of high rank devils, we were proclaimed to be higher beings and seen with scorn and fear.
Any low rank devils spotted by humans would either be burned to death or persecuted and hunted until they are caught and executed.
This was done to prevent them from advancing in ranks to become high tier devils that are invincible to basically anyone below heavenly immortals.
I was about to executed as well when, out of nowhere, the sky darkened and raged, bolts of lightnings ravaged the earth, and a person, a tiny boy, floated in the air above the execution platform, haughtily looking down on all the humans.
" Hmph, a ragtag bunch of lowly humans dare to execute my kin, preposterous. " (Boy)
" A High rank devil!? " (Ifrit)
" You dare call me a lowly 'high rank devil', you slave kin (low tier devil) girl, if not for your father working as my sister's butler, I wouldn't have come here to save you at all. " (Boy)
You might be wondering why none of the humans were either attacking the boy or responding to his claim of me, a low tier devil, being his kin.
That was because they were paralysed by the terrifying aura he emitted. Fear miasma, an innate skill of all devils, the extent of fear depending on rank.
By the way, my father was the butler of the Devil duke's daughter, Lady Evelina, her father being one of the dukes of one of the kingdoms present in limbo, the plane of existence that lies between the celestial plane of existence and the divine plane of existence.
My mother is a halfling, a child of a high tier devil and an Ifrit (a malicious high tier existence), hence my name.
I was born a low tier devil, hence abandoned by my father to this intermediate realm. It wasn't disownment per se, as I could reclaim my position if I can successfully evolve into a high tier devil on my own, but it is pretty much a pipe dream, so it wasn't far off.
Also, the low tier devil kin are also called as slave kin, as we were only fit to be slaves of the high tier devils.
Rank of a devil decides his/her fate. It wasn't unchangeable per se, but climbing up in ranks is pretty difficult.
My father was a high tier devil at birth, earning him the prestigious position of being the butler to the daughter of one of the most influential dukes in the limbo.
" Girl, do you wish to be saved? " (Boy)
" If you save me, my lord, I shall serve you with my all. " (Ifrit)
<< Upon my authority as a confidant of Laplace, Archdevil of chaos and gambler of fate, the low tier low rank demon girl shall become my kin and maid >>
Chanting something in ancient devil tongue, he linked the fate of mine with his, a black chain binding our souls (astral bodies shall be henceforth referred to as souls due to the ignorance of the characters) was formed, linking me to him.
That was when I realised I messed up big time, he was an Arch devil.
My clothes transformed into a scarlet dress with a black collar and a puffy, layered mini skirt.
Black stockings with a hint of red, adorned my legs alongside a pair of stiletto heels. Droopy rabbit ears sprouted on my head as my normal, pointed ears vanished.
A pair of crimson gloves covered my dainty hands. A ball of fluff at my lower back, my bunny tail to be precise, wagged on its own.
My pupils turned crimson and I grew taller. As I was forcefully evolved into an arch devil, I was in terrible pain and agony.
Even at a low tier, an arch devil is a fearsome existence, reigning high above all other devils. That was what I was changing into, a low tier arch devil, evident from the fact that my feet were still on the ground, unlike him who was flying, not because of some innate flight ability or a spell, but due to sheer tier of his soul, his league, that was far above the tier of this realm, making it (the realm) think that it wasn't worthy of bearing his (the boy's) feet on itself, causing him to float.
The very ability to float in a realm without expending any energy being the very proof of his league being a high tier Arch devil.
As he sealed a soul level pact with me, my league was forcibly raised to the point of a low tier arch devil so that I wouldn't shame his league.
Nonetheless, the entire kingdom that was about to execute me was burned to the ground and their regrets, anguish and hate was force fed to me, transforming it into my power.
It was honestly disgusting, as if smelly, moldy, muddy sludge was forced down my throat.
It filled me up with power, yes, but filled with negativity to the brim, it felt heavy and unpleasant.
I was then trained for a period of two years before being officially hired as his maid and bodyguard.
As if someone who could unilaterally raise my tier like drinking water needed protection, much less from me.
It was just a dignified way of saying, you are hired to serve your master and then die for him if situation arises, for your master's hands should not be sullied by fighting enemies who target his life, it was beneath him, after all.
I admit, it was a sick society with no rights for the weak, me being one of them.
As if this humiliation isn't enough, I was conscripted to the Scorpion lower realm as an additional force to occupy its land and kill its denizens for no apparent reason.
I was extremely worried.
Right from my childhood, I had a special ability.
Premonition, cognition of the future, instincts, insight, you name it.
It tingled again after a long time.
It told me that if I go to the Scorpion lower realm, a terrible fate awaits me if I fail to grasp one lucky encounter there.
I am scared, but indifferent. They won't allow me to back off at this point anyway. I can do nothing but go there, death or life left in the hands of fate.
-----------------------------------------------------------POV Shift-----------------------------------------------------------
After several years, I was finally on my way back home, no longer afraid of my djinn ancestry.
I waited with bated breaths for the day I would proudly show my abilities to my parents.
I might already have a sibling by now, so, I was doubly anxious to meet them, tensed and hesitating.
Agitated, I failed to recognise the gloomy, almost lifeless atmosphere of the village, my village.
It was a big mistake, unknown to me at that time. Only in the far future would I actually know the truth behind and even get revenge.
-----------------------------------------------------------POV Shift-----------------------------------------------------------
It was a peaceful day in the desert realm, the Scorpion realm to be precise.
Huge scorpions the size of Arch devil dwellings attacked us every few hours of travel, day and night, a lovely place to travel alright!.
I know that this is just calm before storm though.
The scorpions would have used me as a chew toy if I were still a low tier devil. Now, they are just combat exercise and practice dummies even for me, the weakest soldier.