I am Jinn

Ember

    I have always regarded humans as beings of wonder. They begin by two cells combining to form a new being. That being divides until it resembles a leech, which then in turn becomes the small ball of clay that is known as an infant. Human infants take their time and carefully learn from their predecessors. The infant grows, from it's daily routine and mistakes, into a child that is ready to learn more. Humans are curious by nature and that has greatly aided their current day marvels. Their desire to learn is something that can either lead them to success or to ruin.

     We jinn go through phases much like the fetal, infant, childhood, etc. periods of human development. Since we are made from fire, our physical forms as well as mental capacity greatly changes in each form. We begin as embers, much like human fetuses, however we remember everything from the day we are born or "spark." All jinn are different when it comes to aging. My own ember state lasted for fifty years, whereas some of my siblings reached the end of their dormancy in as little as fifteen years. No one really knows why things are different for each ember, but that is how we develop. At the end of our ember phase, we go through a period known as our dormancy. In this period, we learn about the ways of our elders and the limitations put on us by The Creator.

     Our dormancy period, again, varies as well. My dormancy period lasted for twenty years. During this phase, many of our abilities begin to develop in our energy, but we are not aware of it until we reach our third and final stage of life known as our awakening. It's at this time that we begin using our abilities at full capability. This is also the time when we are considered old enough to take our own journeys in life. Our awakening period is similar to the human term "puberty." Our light grows to it's maximum intensity at this stage. The only stage to follow the "awakening" would be our extinguishment which is ultimately our deaths. I  tell you this to help you better understand our physical beings. We are made of fire, but we do have our own facial features, height, intensity, etc. 

     I am the youngest of many children. My parents are, as you may have guessed, Cronos and Rhea. I am sure you have heard many a story about them. Unfortunately, none are true. In fact, the only thing true about them is that they were Zeus's parents. The other details about them were concocted by my eldest brother, Zeus. Cronos and Rhea were very well-liked by our small community of jinn located near the summit of Mt. Olympus. We jinn like to live in areas not regularly filled with humans. Humans are wonderful, but they are far too curious and our elders were always cautious about showing our abilities to humans. 

     My father, Cronos was a brave jinni. He was elected the leader of our tribe at a very young age and had maintained the peace between rival jinn living all across what is modern day Greece. His nickname was "Cronos the Just" for he rarely made rash judgements against criminals without a trial. I'm sure you're surprised with the knowledge that we had and have criminals. As I have said before, we jinn have very similar societal structures compared with those of the human world. We have trials for criminals, healers for the sick, and leaders for different communities. My mother, Rhea, was a kind jinni who was always worried about her numerous children. She is one example of a healer in our society.

     One aspect of jinn life is that when dormant jinn awaken, they may leave to find their own place in this world. They may explore and join other communities or stay alone the rest of their lives. The amount of children a jinn family has varies from family to family. My mother had no less than twenty children, many that I have never met in my existence due to their departure before my awakening. It wasn't really required for the children to leave, but many still chose to gain independence. My mother was the first I remember meeting in my ember phase. Her smile would captivate me as she went about her daily routine. 

     The second person I remember was my father. Upon my birth, he roared with laughter at my size and whispered, 

"He's a small one, isn't he?"

My mother held me close before looking me in the eyes and saying,

"I will name you Zrous, the seal of my children. With you, we have completed our family."

At that very moment, I saw him for the very first time. He came into the room with an excited smile as he shook my mother gently and asked,

"Is it a boy or girl?" 

My mother smiled before touching his face in reassurance. She held me up and whispered, 

"His name is Zrous. He is your youngest brother, Zeus."

Zeus smiled a smile that could illuminate a thousand human villages. He held me in his arms and whispered,

"You are nothing but an ember, my brother. Yet, here I am beaming at your birth. You are hundreds of years younger than me, but I vow to protect you and guide you in the way of our people, the jinn. I am the firstborn of Cronos and you are the last. We are very special, young Zrous. Always remember that. We will do great things, we will change the world. I am Zeus and as a son of Cronos, I will do great things. So will you."

He wasn't wrong.