Stepping through the door, Hazim by his side, Xing Lei glanced over the mounds of mortal wealth as if it were so much ordinary rocks and dirt, "Is this trial suppose to see if I lust for your Masters wealth? If so we can end this right now, I have no interest in such."
Hazim chuckled as he walked forward to stand at an intersection, four carpeted paths stretched out and branched off diving the treasure room into small sections that held different wealth. Sweeping his arms wide he motioned to the paths, "In truth the original trial was such, Master expected to see if his future right hand would one day strangle him for money. But considering Master is long dead let's change things a bit." Snapping his fingers an ornate hourglass emerged from the floor raising the man upwards, grains of white sand trickled into the lower half at a rapid rate.
"Instead of asking you to find a specific random token to bring back while ignoring the rest let's up the challenge. Hidden inside here is Masters most prized possession." Stomping lightly on the immense hourglass for a point, "You have until this runs dry to find it and direct my attention to it. Do this simple task and I'll consider the third trial passed. Deal?"
Xing Lei glanced around, the prompt of a deal always lured him in, gambling was something any cultivator reveled in, especially when they held an edge, "And if I fail?"
Hazim sat on the top of the hour glass and patted the glass, "You join those that failed the test of the Master and become another grain of sand in this glass."
"And what I'm suppose to find is in here correct?"
Hazim smiled, "Of course, Masters treasure was moved in here when you entered."
Xing Lei turned and rushed out amongst the mounds, ignoring the disorderly piles of coins, gems and trinkets. A personal item of value would not so casually be tossed amongst the common, rather he focused on investigating the separated treasures, the ones in their own cases and boxes, or perched on cushions atop display pedestals. His eyes glowed as they swept over the items studying their natures but not seeing anything at first that truly stood out. While there were a few diamonds amongst all the glass, he saw nothing that could qualify as a singular, most prized item.
Hazim lazed casually atop the large time keeper, a goblet of conjured wine cradled in his fingers and sipping it calmly. Glancing at the kobold running around he called out, "Little friend, you seem lost. Do you need me to shout warmer or colder as you move about?"
Xing Lei glared at the lazy figure and moved onto the next section, then another. After an hour had passed he wandered back close to the hour glass, all the running had left him a little winded, yet he still had no results. Looking to the sands he saw half the amount had bled into the base half uncovering a humanoid skeleton in the top part, still wearing the official robes it had died in. "Is that...?"
Hazim tilted his head and smirked, "Oh yes it is, while you are the second to clear the trials first two parts, no one has completed the third." Laughing to himself the friendly man sat up with a sneer of contempt. "Thieves and murders all, they'll not pass my test. Simple repayment for the Master that enslaved me and my associates. Now hurry along, only an hour left before I replace his body with yours."
Cursing Xing Lei looked around the large vault, he could well understand now this was a death trap for the old Emporers ministers, nothing in here looked out of sorts against the rest. There were certainly some interesting trinkets here and there but nothing even he would claim personally. Darting down a different path he began rapidly checking items, even the flimsy ones in the piles were checked now as he ran around each mound. His eyes burned as his vision grew hazy, he was over straining himself but there was nothing he could do but force his body forward.
Hazim conjured another bottle of wine and lifted it in salute, "No despair yet little friend? Amazingly tenacious for a grave robber, but you will break soon enough and then I can go back to sleep."
Glancing back and forth Xing Lei felt exhaustion closing in, listening to Hazim gloat he glanced back then blinked. Closing his eyes again and slowly opening them he focused and slowly smiled. Trudging back to the hour glass he looked up at Hazim.
Looking down the man cocked an eyebrow, "Eh? Giving up little friend? You should continue amusing me with your struggles, you do have time after-"
Ignoring Hazim, Xing Lei strode up and grabbed the hour glass itself, flexing his enhanced muscle he gave a shake as he roared at the man who tumbled from his perch to collapse onto the rug, a look of shock on his face as his legs vanished into a plume of red hazy smoke that gradually consumed the rest of his body before being dragged into the hour glass. The skeleton of the dead minister tumbled out breaking apart and turning to dust as Hazim now stood in the top portion, staring out with hatred upon the kobold.
Looking back at the hourglass he used his special vision to check what he saw in brief passing...
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Hazim's Magical Hourglass
Rank: Artifact
Description: Thousands of years ago a great hero deposed the great djin and infernal masters of the vast western desert reaches. The ten most powerful were bound to regular objects and banished to the four corners of the world. These bound 'genies' were tasked to serve a master for as many years as the number of people they had enslaved, tortured and slain during their rule. However fearing that any Master with an enslaved genie would grow into an overbearing tyrant, thus each master is only allowed three boons.
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Xing Lei read the description and glared at Hazim who looked back bored at the kobold he had lead around by the proverbial nose. The man no longer looked so friendly or foppish, instead his skin darkened becoming a ruddy orange, his hair a flaming red as a pair of tiny horns poked from either side of his fore head. Those once jovial eyes now looked at Xing Lei with undisguised hatred as his silk pants outfit became even more resplendent. With each breath a small puff of flame escaped his nostrils.
"Greetings to you my Master, I am Hazim Al-Duress, Prince Consort of the Western Empire. Third in line for the throne and now your... humble... servant." Spoke the infernal within the glass sweeping into a mocking subservient bow. "What three wishes does Master want?"
Settling back to rest Xing Lei ignored Hazim's words, his body too weak and his nerves frayed to the very extremes of his consciousness. Most of all he cursed his own foolishness, it's not like he had never seen artifact or tool spirits before in his last life. While the concept of a genie was still obscure the description of the hourglass told enough of a tale. This Hazim was one of the ten overlords in the desert and bound to grant three boons, but considering its hostility it would do everything in its power to trick or kill its Master.
Likely the Emporer wished for a fool proof method of testing his advisers taking his genie with the job, little did he know the genie was likely killing the qualified ministers and releasing those that would harm his Master. Shaking his head as he rested he watched Hazim fuming inside his hourglass, "What are the rules Hazim?"
"Rules Master? There are no rules, whatever do you mean?" sweat appeared on Hazims forehead as he shook his shaggy mane, "Just wish and I grant."
"Are you speaking the truth? Answer me with nothing but the truth sworn upon that which you hold most sacred!"
Hazim snarled slamming his fists against the glass of his prison, an aura of fire erupted around his body as he raged, "I swear by my father Emporer Yulize, there are in fact rules Master must follow when wishing."
"By Yulize's name speak the truth of these rules."
Hazim glared, his eyes a vicious scarlet as he raged in his glass box, finally settling he spoke through raspy breaths that expelled even more fire, "No wish can alter deaths mandate. No wish may infringe on loves choice. No wish can alter histories grave. No bound infernal nor djin can kill through wish desired. No bound infernal nor djin can ignore the command of truth of their Master."
Xing Lei leaned back lifting his hand with one finger, "What is deaths mandate?"
Hazim glared at the kobold and flopped back on the sand in his prison, "You cannot wish someone from Deaths embrace, in short if your loved one dies I cant change that fate."
"Love's Choice?"
Waving his hand Hazim grunted, "Can't wish to own someone's heart, they love you or they don't, a wish can't change their mind."
"History's grave?"
Rubbing his face Hazim glared at the chatty kobold, "Fine, if it'll get this over with. No wish can altar history directly. The next is related to the first, while we can't resurrect people we can't just zap them dead either. Lastly, while under the order of truth I can't lie to you. Happy? Now wish and leave me be."
Xing Lei sat in silence mulling over Hazim's words, "But if you can't kill with a wish how did..."
"How'd I kill off all those ministers? Emporer forgot a detail. While we can't zap you dead I can put you in a situation where you'd die of natural causes. Not my fault those wimps couldn't break out of my hourglass."
Sneering down at the kobold Hazim tapped the glass, "So wish and leave me be."
Xing Lei looked up and smiled, "I wish all those bound by you, your power or prior Masters through you to be freed."
Hazim frowned his dark eyes narrowing on the kobold, this wish left him without allies. Over the countless years he'd dumped Masters into enslaving other worldly beings through his power, building himself a force to help reclaim the western reach, but this one wish undid generations of planning and enslavement. Even the four questioners were cast free of his enslavement, appearing at the cross section of the vault before Xing Lei, while the celestial maiden and the demoness looked thrilled, the alien monstrosity and the mimicry monster both looked eager to snack on the kobold. Thankfully this little trick of Hazim solved itself.
As the octopus head lunged forward a red fist burst through its squishy purple blue head, while opposite the angelic maiden practically twisted the head right off the mimic monster. While the two glared at each other they gave a half smile to their rescuer. Turning to Hazim, Xing Lei prepared his second wish, "This world is too mundane, using my memories I wish this world was more akin to the realm I came from."
Hazim stared blankly at the kobold then focused his magic casting it skyward, both the demoness and the angel shivered and looked in shock at this strange kobold, even Hazim trembled a bit as he felt his magic contesting with the fabric of this reality, new beasts were born across the lands, new jobs and classes sprung into existence, the entire world throbbed with a new energy that made the three planar beings quake. Szzelarena looked with horror at Xing Lei, "Just what did you wish for little one?"
Xing Lei smiled at her and shrugged, lifting the hourglass he looked at Hazim, "My third wish, I wish this hourglass was a normal spatial ring, bound to me."
Hazim watched the kobold curiously, most Masters knowing the rules figured out after the third wish he'd be let back out, so saved the third wish to bind his loyalty, yet this kobold seemed to have forgotten his hostile nature? Sneering he snapped his fingers and the hourglass shrunk, shifting form into a ring upon the kobolds hand, Hazim was about to laugh when he felt his magic turning on him next, "You! What have you done?!"
Xing Lei smiled and held up his ring adorned hand, "Spatial rings don't contain genies. Good bye Hazim Al-Duress."
Eyes widened the infernal tried to escape the ring before the magic tore him apart but he found himself again bound and torn at by his own spell. His screech of agony echoed from the ring as the very wish he granted tore his existence apart to power the ring he himself had granted his destroyer. The two planar ladies both swallowed watching their former captor erased from existence by essentially the weakest of the weak, looking to each other both silently agreed to extend this cease fire till they were away from this scary mortal....