"Number three, and this is a very important one, Master. I can not grant any wishes that would harm, maim, or kill anyone, destroy anything, or bring anyone back to life. Mostly because it"s a violation of rule number 2, but secondly, because our powers are so restrained so as not to upset the delicate balance of the world. Plus, you really wouldn"t want anyone brought back from the dead. Trust me on that one.""No harming or killing, got it," replied Stephen, watching rule number three appear on the board. "That should be an easy one, as I don"t really dislike anyone enough to harm them."
"That can be a hard rule to adjust to, especially coming from my time," she answered, thoughtfully. "Anyway, ready for rule number four?"
"Hit me," he smiled.
"For rule number four, I am bound to you for as long as you wish it so. The only way, and I mean the only way, I can no longer be bound to you is for you to wish for my freedom," she said, ending with a little shudder.
Stephen looked confused, "Wait, I"m confused. Wouldn"t you want to be free and not serving a master?"
She looked at him and shook her head, "Not at all, Master. This is my purpose in life. To be bound in service to you. Plus no one really knows what happens if freedom is granted. So, it"s a scary subject. Best to be avoided."
He thought that was a bit odd, but shelved it for the time being, seeing how uncomfortable it made her. "Okay, no problem. Well, I guess we are on rule number five, right?"
"Yes, we are!" She practically squealed in excitement. "Drum roll, please?"
Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.
Stephen laughed and playfully banged his hands on the surface of his desk.
"Rule number five is that as a rule of thumb, genies will try to limit wish-making as much as possible, as a protection for us against the likes of Wardens."
"Wardens? What are Wardens?" Stephen asked, looking confused.
"Evil people, a particularly nasty sort," shuttered the genie again. "They believed that magical beings had no place in this world, and they were endowed with the power to destroy magical vessels, such as genies. Very scary people in my time."
"How would they even find you though?"
"Wardens can detect the presence of magic. It draws them in like a beacon. For that reason, we try to limit wishes as much as possible to protect us. Otherwise a Warden might find us and then something particularly nasty happens," she shuddered again.
"Hmm," said Stephen, placing his hand under his chin, "Wait a moment, you said "were". Are they still around? Do wardens still exist?"
She simply shrugged her shoulders, "I don"t know. We can"t easily detect them as they can us. Although, its been twenty five hundred years, much longer of a time than I was originally intended for. Do you know if there are still other genies around? Have you ever heard of them before me?"
"Only in fiction and old stories," answered Stephen, honestly.
"Then it may be that Wardens no longer exist either. But still, it"s rule number five for a reason. Just know it"s something to keep aware of," she said, as the pink writing appeared for number five on his whiteboard.
"Note to self, stay away from Wardens," Stephen repeated back, earning a giggle for the genie.