“Tell me more about Queen Almidahl,” I said to Zaneem.
“When we Ifrits first came to this plane, she was First Guardian of the Red Dragons. It was she who led the Dragons against us when we first sought to make a home here.
“At first they hurt us grievously. We lived as furtive beings on the edges of the realm and many of our kind did flee elsewhere, as the Dragons wished. But with time those of us who stayed became stronger and adapted to this realm, so that we not only became immune to Dragon breath but came to enjoy it! Ah … I may not be able to experience the joys of the heart that you and the Queen discussed, but you cannot experience the joys of being bathed from head to toe in Dragon flame.
“After that change came about, we Ifrits found ourselves seeking Dragons out. They could still hurt us if we were not careful, but we would bait them to breathe on us, then scamper away. Those who now live in the city went one step further: They captured young Reds and trained them to be pets. There are now many in the city.
“Queen Almidahl would have none of this and left for the Prime Material in disgust. I suspect that her real fear about raising her young on this plane is that they might end up as pets.”
“Who does she seek for a mate, I wonder?” I said.
“That is easy: Qin Non-won.”
Now there’s serendipity for you! “How do you know that? And who is he?”
“I know because Queen Almidahl has sought him for hundreds of years. Qin Non-won has spurned her time and time again, but it seems she is still trying to snare him. Their myth is a part of Ifrit culture.”
She is a mythological creature? I asked myself. Well, when you’re dealing with near-immortals, it’s not surprising that the legends of long ago are still alive.
“Hmm …,” I said aloud. “Would he help us to move her lair?”
“I do not know. But in his case, it’s not so much opening iron gates as locating them! The stories of Almidahl and Qin Non-won are mostly about her quest to find him. When she does, she expects to seduce him easily enough.”
“Ah! So that’s where this Essence of Femininity comes in.”
“Indeed. You, my Baron, seem poised to become part of a legend. Do you feel excited? Humbled?”
“Like I’m part of the wrong story!” I snorted.
“How delightful. A tale of stories contending against each other, then!
“I think I have done my part, regardless of which story this turns out to be,” the Ifrit went on. “In your land, I would say ‘I wish you luck’ at this point. But here, in the Plane of Fire, that has a different, far more tangible, meaning. Instead I will say, ‘I wish that the story you are in turns out to be the story you want to be in, my Baron.’”
“And may the Storyteller think well of you, Ifrit Zaneem, in whatever stories you become part of.”
“Now that is a pleasant thought, my Baron. Please do find me again if you have needs on the Plane of Fire.”
“I will do that, Ifrit Zaneem.”
I returned to the Prime Material Plane without incident.