The djinn of slumber - Gameboyred
*THERE IS A STORY BELOW THE DESCRIPTION*
The ongoing arrangement with Gameboyred continues as this time I went for a more unusual theme for the harem girl/Arabian Nights little designs mash-up we've got ongoing. For this one, I asked for a sheep girl with the only directives being that she'd need to be "thicc" and "kindly".
It is not entirely what I expected, but that is the appeal of such commissions on my part as I try to see just how the artist will depict things, how he envisions such themes and concepts to begin with. The wool, that pile of fluffy hair, her hooves, her skin and so forth makes for a pretty surprising piece and one which gave me an idea for a story, which is another reason why I keep doing this: to keep myself on my toes to get more narratives for Orientalist tales of the sort.
If you feel like you'd like to see him draw something for you, feel free to check out his prices right here: https://www.deviantart.com/gameboyr.....gain-836664696
If you like my tales and want to support me in some capacity, or just want to drop a little tip, I have a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/incredibleintruder
And now, enjoy the tale. ;)
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THE DJINN OF SLUMBER
Salim couldn't quite sleep.
He ever toiled hard, took great care of his flock as one of the many shepherds whose superior wool would go on to create the most sumptuous of dresses and coats. His was a life of labor, of constant watching as the sheep he owned were animals whose lack of survival skills made his own days hard. If one strayed, then the others would follow and even his small pack of dogs couldn't always keep up. This meant he worked hard and mostly alone for people didn't seem to really want to join him for they thought of this job as either boring or pointless. Tales of adventure, of great warriors, of mighty heroes were far more interesting than that of someone watching a bunch of animals, of course, and thus why he was ever so exhausted after each and every single days. And yet he couldn't shut his eyes and drift of toward a well-earned rest, a peaceful slumber to calm his nerves and soothe his mind.
It had been close to four days since his sleep was either very light or non-existent as it made his daily tasks even harder. Feeding the animals, grooming them, keeping them safe, taking the time to feed himself as well...There were a great many things to consider and his own head was slowly forgetting things, his own occupation to keep himself awake and focused ironically taking much of his brainpower, making him not remember some basics. He didn't quite know how he'd manage, his latest offers of employment being only met by people who were either too old or too young to be of any use, too slow or too impatient for their own good. He had enough money to pay employees well, but if no one qualified would ever come then what was the point? Why have this potential of opulence if he'd die of exhaustion before he'd even spend it? Part of him wanted to sell his flock to a butcher and be done with it, but he had spent too much time, took care of them for too long to ever do such a cruel thing. As such he sighed and worked hard, the end of the day eventually arriving like it always did. He ate in silence, porridge with some dried meat being his repast whenever he was far away from town like he was currently. Building a makeshift barrier for the time being and setting up a perimeter for his dogs, he then went to put up his tent and tried to sleep.
And of course he could do naught but stay awake.
He turned left and right on his bedroll, switching position. On his back, on his belly, on the side, removing a layer or two of fur and wool sheets...nothing would do it. It was peaceful and dark, so sound wasn't even an issue here. He just couldn't quite manage to drift away and this ate at him. Sighing, he got up and dressed himself accordingly in order to face the cold outside and got out of his tent to do one thing which people told him to do when he couldn't rest: count the sheep. It made him scoff a little as it was a trick to keep the mind busy and concentrated on something simple, something essential in order to relax but it was useless to go for a literal interpretation of this advice. Still, he did it anyway.
One...Two...Three...Up to fifteen he went, the number of sheep he had and yet he counted one more, a bizarre sixteenth sheep which wasn't supposed to be there. This confused him as he got closer to his flock and saw that indeed there was one more and it was an odd one at that. Far from his eyes, in the cover of darkness, it looked like an ordinary animal yet up close it was anything but. Instead of the white flesh and wool that all sheep possessed this one was brown-skinned and had pink fluff around it. It was a bizarre sight, most uncanny as he had never seen something like this in his life. A black sheep, certainly, but brown and pink? It was a most peculiar thing and he wondered how it got here. Was it some joke or a cruel treatment to an animal who didn't know better? A paint job to make it look like some mystical beast? Underneath it all the sheep seemed ordinary, apart from its unique colors. Perhaps tomorrow Salim would go on to look for its owner but for now he had to try very hard to get some rest, turning around back to his tent. Searching in the cover of the night would do him no good and it would cause no harm to let this pink sheep sleep it off in here. He walked back to his tent and then he heard some light footsteps behind him, causing him to look behind him only to realize that this odd beast had gotten up and was following him.
He got down on his knee, patted the sheep on its head and then made it turn around. “No sense in you losing sleep over me. You can close your eyes unlike me, so better go on and do that,” he told the sheep, finding himself silly for actually speaking to it and yet it could ever be so lonely sometimes. He returned to his tent and yet the animal was adamant about following him. “Can't sleep either, eh? Yeah, me too. Can't get in my tent, though. Tough break.”
He got in his tent as normally the sheep would not dare enter this little makeshift abode, either out of a lack of interest or respect, but this fluffy little rebel seemed to be both curious and lacking in manners as it simply entered in, its little hooves clacking against the solid ground. It kept on getting closer to Salim, as if demanding something as it bleated. It did so a few times, bumping its head against Salim's thigh to gain his attention and focus.
“You're a very pushy little beast, are you?” he said half-jokingly, taken a little aback by this unorthodox behavior and yet it's not like he'd ever be violent against such peaceful animals, no matter how weird they acted. Lighting up his lantern, he finally noticed that the wool on its back and sides was especially thick and unruly, making it so this abundance was possibly very irritating for this beast. It was highly possible that it had no owner, for any shepherd worth its salt would know to shear their flock regularly not just for profit, but for the comfort of those in their care. He took out his instruments and then sat down, the sheep seemingly happy as it jumped up and down in joy before taking its rightful place. “You must have been waiting for this for a long time given your little number here. It's kinda surprising you knew to find me, though...”
It was indeed a rather surreal and rather coincidental little happenstance as Salim went on to cut and use his blades to help out this poor animal. It was almost difficult due to the sheer thickness that enveloped the sheep, showing that there was a little plumpness to this being as well. A stray sheep who knew who to get for this to be taken care of, who was a little fat yet with no owner? This made no sense, even if this one was raised for slaughter and eating as they were still sheared regularly for profit and the comfort of the animal. As he removed inches upon inches of wool, Salim could see the brown skin beneath and...gold? There seemed to be some kind of rings around her back legs and it seemed like a trick of the mind, but upon touching it the sensation was unmistakable. The shine, the solidity and the craftsmanship made it so Salim realized that this was actual gold, many rings connected to one another and as he saw that he continued to shear, now incredibly curious and invested in this very simple task. As he continued, soon the sheep seemed to grow, its dimension changing and shifting in a way that made no sense. Were those larger hips? Did she gain actual legs and arms? Everything turned to something else as the sheep stood up and tall now, revealing something incredible to Salim's own eyes.
She stood up, for it was a woman, as her back hooves elongated and were soon adorned by little golden-trimmed sandals. Her lower legs, the area close to her ankles to just above her knees were covered in the wool that had been sheared recently, crafting themselves out of thin air into little sleeves of a puffed appearance. Her legs, meanwhile, grew and elongated themselves as thick thighs made their appearance, that brown skin losing much of their beastly and rough look to instead convert into plump smoothness, a luscious and rather unexpected outcome from Salim's task. The change was not done, though, as then her hips and waist expanded, with those ringlets now adorning a rather thin and enticing piece of underwear of a dark pink variant in terms of colors. Those golden accessories adorned her hips and descended upon her thighs, adding some shine to that smoothness. Her abdomen was next, a soft-looking yet slightly pudgy belly bulging out slightly until it adjusted itself to this frame, those hips smoothing over to connect with that lower back and that stomach. It was bare, her navel expanding and getting slightly rounder now as Salim continued to observe this in stupefied silence, the transformation not yet complete but still blowing his mind anyway. Her chest and shoulders were next as she gained a far more humanoid look here with two burgeoning and rather generous breasts which popped out, bouncing in a way that was incredibly appealing to the naked eyes. As round as that bosom were her shoulders, popping out to accompany longer harms not adorned by hooves but by regular hands, fingers and palm included. Sleeves not unlike those found below were crafted in seconds to cover below her shoulder down to her wrists, ample clothing lined with wool seen there. Then, her face metamorphosed into that of a human, a very pretty woman with red lips, slightly puffy cheeks and the most fluffy hairdo possible, attached by a band made of gold and ropes. She had almost completely turned into a human, the sole things remaining of her past form being wool covering some places like her chest, those dropping ears on the side, some horns above said ears and those eyes which still remained sheep-like despite it all. It was a transcendental experience, a visual which Salim could never have been prepared for...and yet it wasn't exactly over as she spoke.
“Oh thank you, thank you! It's been eons since I was stuck in this form, kind stranger!” the woman said, twirling and looking at herself with no small amount of glee, her smile making her look positively radiant now as she got closer to him, hugging him tightly. “I was afraid no one would ever understand or come and rescue me...I cannot express my gratitude enough, really.”
Her near-contact was very pleasant, mostly due to how attractive she was despite those slight sheepish traits, yet even though he was very much happy about this little event Salim still had some questions of his own. “Am I...Am I dreaming? Did I finally manage to get some sleep?” he asked, the scenario being far too fantastical to be ever close to reality as he perceived it. Yet her warmth was very comforting and while he did want to be told that he was indeed just caught in a little fantasy caused by slumber, part of him wanted her to be real too. “If not...who are you? What are you, actually?”
“Ah, yes, yes, of course. You must be very confused,” the sheep-turned-woman said, herself a little embarrassed as she broke off the embrace, shyly looking at Salim. “I am Ghaanami, the djinn of slumber, one cursed for a terrible mistake that I did about...give or take four or five hundred years ago...Oh, by the way, you are not dreaming. I would know if you were. It is my area of expertise.”
So it was supposed to be real...or at least was very convincing as Salim took a look at her and tried to go along with it, if only because it was a very pleasant little narrative at the very least, one easy to get invested into due to its fantastical premise. “What was that mistake you've actually done that turned you into a sheep...And who could actually have managed such a feat, given what I know of djinns?”
“Oh, I'm a weak djinn, one related only to slumber and dreams. I don't do that wish business more that I...let us say travel and watch the stories within your mind as if they were theater,” Ghaanami explained, a little embarrassed at this reveal that she wasn't exactly on par with some of the other djinns from famous tales and legends. “As to how it happened...well...Demi-gods don't take it kindly when someone invade their rest and I was cursed in this form for the longest of time, restrained to those hills until someone could find me and break the spell. But thankfully you did and so now I'm free...But I do wish to repay you for your kindness, sir...?”
“Salim Arh'Khanam. I'm a shepherd and if it hadn't been to your sheep form I probably never would have seen or saved you,” he admitted, introducing himself as he couldn't help but ogle at her a bit. She was striking and it seemed as if some mysterious force had made them meet somehow, a twist of fate in a way.
“Well then, Salim, I can see in your eyes that you're extremely deprived of sleep and that you're about to collapse...So let me help out with that, okay?” Ghaanami said with a little smile, moving his hand to his chest in a way that felt a little invasive but also sultry as she pushed him down carefully on his bedroll. Part of him didn't quite know what to expect, though another entirely certainly wished for a certain outcome as he began to feel slightly warm now, a little shy and struck silent by this action of hers. As she stood above him, looking down she then giggled a little, her behavior much too cute for him to really stay passive about as she then went on to bump her hips. “Just watch my hips and I'll lead you to the peace and quiet you so desire~”
And so he did, though he just might have done so even without her demanding so as it was hard not to get drawn toward them. They were wide, balancing those thighs and that slightly plump belly with a certain panache, yet not in a way that was devoid of finesse. She bumped those hips up, then dropped them down in a way that felt big, yet relaxing too. There was a very slight wobble on her flesh, that brown skin drinking in the feeble light of the lantern as those rings collided softly against those hips and each other, resulting in the most melodious and gentle sound as each little cycle of up and down was accompanied by the little tune of that soft and slow performance.
“Yes, just count them and listen to the little jingles of my rings. Just gaze deeply and feel relaxed...so relaxed...happy and content to just continue watching~” Ghaanami began to say, her voice a faint whisper that could almost be drowned out by those rings of hers, yet which was crystal clear despite it all. She rose one hip and then brought it down in a method that was slow and calculated, yet with just enough force to actually make those rings accompany the sound of her own voice. “One...Two...Three...Count in your head and feel your tension simply vanishing away with each number you slowly utter...”
Four...He was yawning now, indeed feeling his muscles going slightly slack as he felt himself vaulting to the front, inescapably moving toward that dance as those hips, that waist and that belly just kept on trembling a little. It was so easy to focus on those motions, the repetition and the calm behavior of the performer, combined with her loveliness made for a pretty amazing sight.
Five...Time was slowing to a crawl now as he could just see every little variants of those bumps and drops, the moment when her skin stretched a little, how her flesh was pushed up and then brought down. It was a tantalizing and arousing sight, but those two qualities were superseded in how much peace it brought to his mind.
Six...One more yawn, though a longer one. He struggled to keep his eyes open, yet he feels conflicted as to whether or not he wanted to drift away. One moment he was tired beyond recognition and he wished to slumber so badly, yet now he felt that perhaps he wanted to keep watching still as the djinn in front of him was ever so lovely.
“Your eyelids are getting heavier and heavier, you struggle to keep them open but it's okay...My hips and my belly are in your mind, imprinted there and even when you'll close your eyes you'll see them go up and down...up and down...up and down...” Ghaanami continues, her voice so far away, acting like a faint breeze brushing off against Salim's skin and brain. Her simple gesture was kept ongoing as she never went slower or faster, keeping things steady no matter what as the rings produced their sounds still, all of it echoing in a faint but peaceful manner. “Eventually I will snap my fingers and you'll go fast asleep, falling under my power and fading into pleasant dreams, thinking of my dance in a restful slumber of the purest bliss...But for now, keep on counting~”
Salim had unfortunately stopped counting when she spoke as he tried very hard to concentrate on the numbers when it was so much easier to look at those hips and to listen to what she had to say...So instead he just went for an approximation as he still felt like doing what she said...Seventeen...His eyelids were indeed as heavy as anvils, requiring all of his might and sheer willpower to keep them open and yet it was a losing battle. Salim didn't quite feel the need to win it, though, Ghaanami being so nice to look at and so pleasant anyway that he felt safe.
Those wandering thoughts, going on without control, left him again without too much of a chance to keep track of the numbers, so he made one on the spot...Fifty...Or perhaps it was more like seventy? It felt like everything went either very fast or very slow, things turning hazy as his eyes were droopy. He saw everything in double or in triple, it was hard to tell. Everything superposed to one another, occasionally divided and then brought back together save for that delightful belly button which stayed centered at all times. The sound of her voice and the rings were one and the same as Salim wasn't quite sure if she was talking or not, though it didn't matter much.
And then numbers weren't important anymore. So long as he kept watching he just felt on the verge of collapsing, of surrendering himself to his weariness and the watch of the djinn of slumber and her mesmerizing dance. The brown and pink she possessed, with the light touch of gold seemed to encompass everything, giving him a case of pleasurable vertigo and dizziness as even though he was laying down he still felt as if he could fall...Yet he knew that she'd catch him...And then...
SNAP!
He did remember what would happen when she'd snap her fingers and right there he felt his eyes close and darkness flowing in, letting him drift into pleasantness. However, there was no shadow that weren't illuminated by something else that Ghaanami promised and that was the continued dance. It was there to soothe him over and over, the sound of gold rings, of her voice, the allure of her body and he just drank it all as she was everywhere. She was large and small, copied and multiplied as this dream was hers and she took charge of things. He felt waves on his back as he was resting on her belly which she rolled specifically to rock him to further sleep and he felt himself going deeper into slumber than ever before...
And then he counted again, an impulse which he obeyed with no hesitation as he could hear himself talk, yet not feel his lips move...
“Seven hundred and two...”
Was he up to that number? He couldn't quite tell. Time was meaningless now as he was held toward warmth and softness, fluffiness and peace as everything felt smooth and enticing. He was accompanied by Ghaanami, her undulations and curves bringing him so deep into tranquility and relaxation that he felt he might never wake ever again...And he'd be okay with that.
“Two thousand and fifty four...”
Had he skipped a bunch of number? His voice resonated and still he couldn't quite believe where he was at...Yet his skin, his muscles, his spirit themselves had melted into a puddle, no sensation save bliss accompanying him into this journey as his hearing and his sight were stimulated by what Ghaanami did...and those were dancing and smiling.
“Twelve thousand and eighty-nine...”
Up and down...up and down...up and down...Those were the motions of those undulations and of those hips being brought up and down. They were one and the same and yet different. It was difficult to separate the two and thus Salim simply didn't. He just accepted it all and felt as if he had reached nirvana, the greatest accomplishment in terms of spirituality...until...
“Bork! Bork! Bork!”
One of his dog barked close to him, acting like it should as sheep always woke up really early for some reason. He felt groggy at first, but it took only seconds to feel himself freshened up and ready to go. He had never felt so full of energy as all the tiredness had simply vanished from his body, removed entirely as if it had never been there. He felt warmth as he removed the layers of fur and wool, the sheets...and saw that Ghaanami was spooning him, herself sleeping soundly with a smile on her face. This prompted him to realize that it had been no dream and she had made him fall asleep, manipulating his dreams into very pleasant ones. As he tried to stir gently to not wake her up, he unfortunately did so and the only result was her getting up, stretching and greeting him with a groggy expression and a tiny smile.
“Good morning...Or is it morning? I can't always tell...” she said, definitely not a morning person by any means as she dusted herself off with her magic and then looked around, petting the dog who was as easily charmed by her as Salim was.
“It is morning, yes,” Salim said before making himself presentable as quickly as possible, some light brush of his hand in his hair and on his vestments and then he bowed before her. “You've helped me a great deal, Ghaanami. I am in your debt.”
“Just one night is not enough to pay you back for the amount of time I was stuck as a simple sheep...Let's just say I'll stick for a while until I think I've repaid you, yes?” she said, going out of the tent to stretch her legs as Salim couldn't quite believe what had happened. It was surreal, a true blessing coming from seemingly nowhere and yet he wouldn't question it as he went outside to prepare breakfast and feed the sheep as well.
Ghaanami was not exactly very good at handling animals despite how much they liked her. Manual labor did not agree with her so well and she was ever ready to doze off for a quick nap here and there. In these aspects she was not much help, but in others she shined. Her company, her attitude and her candor more than made up for her shortcomings as Salim and her spent a lifetime together. The shepherd and the djinn, two souls seemingly meeting each other in their time of need and getting very close because of it. She was helpful in so many ways that Salim couldn't quite picture life without her anymore.
And he'd never suffer from a bad night of sleep ever again.
The ongoing arrangement with Gameboyred continues as this time I went for a more unusual theme for the harem girl/Arabian Nights little designs mash-up we've got ongoing. For this one, I asked for a sheep girl with the only directives being that she'd need to be "thicc" and "kindly".
It is not entirely what I expected, but that is the appeal of such commissions on my part as I try to see just how the artist will depict things, how he envisions such themes and concepts to begin with. The wool, that pile of fluffy hair, her hooves, her skin and so forth makes for a pretty surprising piece and one which gave me an idea for a story, which is another reason why I keep doing this: to keep myself on my toes to get more narratives for Orientalist tales of the sort.
If you feel like you'd like to see him draw something for you, feel free to check out his prices right here: https://www.deviantart.com/gameboyr.....gain-836664696
If you like my tales and want to support me in some capacity, or just want to drop a little tip, I have a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/incredibleintruder
And now, enjoy the tale. ;)
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THE DJINN OF SLUMBER
Salim couldn't quite sleep.
He ever toiled hard, took great care of his flock as one of the many shepherds whose superior wool would go on to create the most sumptuous of dresses and coats. His was a life of labor, of constant watching as the sheep he owned were animals whose lack of survival skills made his own days hard. If one strayed, then the others would follow and even his small pack of dogs couldn't always keep up. This meant he worked hard and mostly alone for people didn't seem to really want to join him for they thought of this job as either boring or pointless. Tales of adventure, of great warriors, of mighty heroes were far more interesting than that of someone watching a bunch of animals, of course, and thus why he was ever so exhausted after each and every single days. And yet he couldn't shut his eyes and drift of toward a well-earned rest, a peaceful slumber to calm his nerves and soothe his mind.
It had been close to four days since his sleep was either very light or non-existent as it made his daily tasks even harder. Feeding the animals, grooming them, keeping them safe, taking the time to feed himself as well...There were a great many things to consider and his own head was slowly forgetting things, his own occupation to keep himself awake and focused ironically taking much of his brainpower, making him not remember some basics. He didn't quite know how he'd manage, his latest offers of employment being only met by people who were either too old or too young to be of any use, too slow or too impatient for their own good. He had enough money to pay employees well, but if no one qualified would ever come then what was the point? Why have this potential of opulence if he'd die of exhaustion before he'd even spend it? Part of him wanted to sell his flock to a butcher and be done with it, but he had spent too much time, took care of them for too long to ever do such a cruel thing. As such he sighed and worked hard, the end of the day eventually arriving like it always did. He ate in silence, porridge with some dried meat being his repast whenever he was far away from town like he was currently. Building a makeshift barrier for the time being and setting up a perimeter for his dogs, he then went to put up his tent and tried to sleep.
And of course he could do naught but stay awake.
He turned left and right on his bedroll, switching position. On his back, on his belly, on the side, removing a layer or two of fur and wool sheets...nothing would do it. It was peaceful and dark, so sound wasn't even an issue here. He just couldn't quite manage to drift away and this ate at him. Sighing, he got up and dressed himself accordingly in order to face the cold outside and got out of his tent to do one thing which people told him to do when he couldn't rest: count the sheep. It made him scoff a little as it was a trick to keep the mind busy and concentrated on something simple, something essential in order to relax but it was useless to go for a literal interpretation of this advice. Still, he did it anyway.
One...Two...Three...Up to fifteen he went, the number of sheep he had and yet he counted one more, a bizarre sixteenth sheep which wasn't supposed to be there. This confused him as he got closer to his flock and saw that indeed there was one more and it was an odd one at that. Far from his eyes, in the cover of darkness, it looked like an ordinary animal yet up close it was anything but. Instead of the white flesh and wool that all sheep possessed this one was brown-skinned and had pink fluff around it. It was a bizarre sight, most uncanny as he had never seen something like this in his life. A black sheep, certainly, but brown and pink? It was a most peculiar thing and he wondered how it got here. Was it some joke or a cruel treatment to an animal who didn't know better? A paint job to make it look like some mystical beast? Underneath it all the sheep seemed ordinary, apart from its unique colors. Perhaps tomorrow Salim would go on to look for its owner but for now he had to try very hard to get some rest, turning around back to his tent. Searching in the cover of the night would do him no good and it would cause no harm to let this pink sheep sleep it off in here. He walked back to his tent and then he heard some light footsteps behind him, causing him to look behind him only to realize that this odd beast had gotten up and was following him.
He got down on his knee, patted the sheep on its head and then made it turn around. “No sense in you losing sleep over me. You can close your eyes unlike me, so better go on and do that,” he told the sheep, finding himself silly for actually speaking to it and yet it could ever be so lonely sometimes. He returned to his tent and yet the animal was adamant about following him. “Can't sleep either, eh? Yeah, me too. Can't get in my tent, though. Tough break.”
He got in his tent as normally the sheep would not dare enter this little makeshift abode, either out of a lack of interest or respect, but this fluffy little rebel seemed to be both curious and lacking in manners as it simply entered in, its little hooves clacking against the solid ground. It kept on getting closer to Salim, as if demanding something as it bleated. It did so a few times, bumping its head against Salim's thigh to gain his attention and focus.
“You're a very pushy little beast, are you?” he said half-jokingly, taken a little aback by this unorthodox behavior and yet it's not like he'd ever be violent against such peaceful animals, no matter how weird they acted. Lighting up his lantern, he finally noticed that the wool on its back and sides was especially thick and unruly, making it so this abundance was possibly very irritating for this beast. It was highly possible that it had no owner, for any shepherd worth its salt would know to shear their flock regularly not just for profit, but for the comfort of those in their care. He took out his instruments and then sat down, the sheep seemingly happy as it jumped up and down in joy before taking its rightful place. “You must have been waiting for this for a long time given your little number here. It's kinda surprising you knew to find me, though...”
It was indeed a rather surreal and rather coincidental little happenstance as Salim went on to cut and use his blades to help out this poor animal. It was almost difficult due to the sheer thickness that enveloped the sheep, showing that there was a little plumpness to this being as well. A stray sheep who knew who to get for this to be taken care of, who was a little fat yet with no owner? This made no sense, even if this one was raised for slaughter and eating as they were still sheared regularly for profit and the comfort of the animal. As he removed inches upon inches of wool, Salim could see the brown skin beneath and...gold? There seemed to be some kind of rings around her back legs and it seemed like a trick of the mind, but upon touching it the sensation was unmistakable. The shine, the solidity and the craftsmanship made it so Salim realized that this was actual gold, many rings connected to one another and as he saw that he continued to shear, now incredibly curious and invested in this very simple task. As he continued, soon the sheep seemed to grow, its dimension changing and shifting in a way that made no sense. Were those larger hips? Did she gain actual legs and arms? Everything turned to something else as the sheep stood up and tall now, revealing something incredible to Salim's own eyes.
She stood up, for it was a woman, as her back hooves elongated and were soon adorned by little golden-trimmed sandals. Her lower legs, the area close to her ankles to just above her knees were covered in the wool that had been sheared recently, crafting themselves out of thin air into little sleeves of a puffed appearance. Her legs, meanwhile, grew and elongated themselves as thick thighs made their appearance, that brown skin losing much of their beastly and rough look to instead convert into plump smoothness, a luscious and rather unexpected outcome from Salim's task. The change was not done, though, as then her hips and waist expanded, with those ringlets now adorning a rather thin and enticing piece of underwear of a dark pink variant in terms of colors. Those golden accessories adorned her hips and descended upon her thighs, adding some shine to that smoothness. Her abdomen was next, a soft-looking yet slightly pudgy belly bulging out slightly until it adjusted itself to this frame, those hips smoothing over to connect with that lower back and that stomach. It was bare, her navel expanding and getting slightly rounder now as Salim continued to observe this in stupefied silence, the transformation not yet complete but still blowing his mind anyway. Her chest and shoulders were next as she gained a far more humanoid look here with two burgeoning and rather generous breasts which popped out, bouncing in a way that was incredibly appealing to the naked eyes. As round as that bosom were her shoulders, popping out to accompany longer harms not adorned by hooves but by regular hands, fingers and palm included. Sleeves not unlike those found below were crafted in seconds to cover below her shoulder down to her wrists, ample clothing lined with wool seen there. Then, her face metamorphosed into that of a human, a very pretty woman with red lips, slightly puffy cheeks and the most fluffy hairdo possible, attached by a band made of gold and ropes. She had almost completely turned into a human, the sole things remaining of her past form being wool covering some places like her chest, those dropping ears on the side, some horns above said ears and those eyes which still remained sheep-like despite it all. It was a transcendental experience, a visual which Salim could never have been prepared for...and yet it wasn't exactly over as she spoke.
“Oh thank you, thank you! It's been eons since I was stuck in this form, kind stranger!” the woman said, twirling and looking at herself with no small amount of glee, her smile making her look positively radiant now as she got closer to him, hugging him tightly. “I was afraid no one would ever understand or come and rescue me...I cannot express my gratitude enough, really.”
Her near-contact was very pleasant, mostly due to how attractive she was despite those slight sheepish traits, yet even though he was very much happy about this little event Salim still had some questions of his own. “Am I...Am I dreaming? Did I finally manage to get some sleep?” he asked, the scenario being far too fantastical to be ever close to reality as he perceived it. Yet her warmth was very comforting and while he did want to be told that he was indeed just caught in a little fantasy caused by slumber, part of him wanted her to be real too. “If not...who are you? What are you, actually?”
“Ah, yes, yes, of course. You must be very confused,” the sheep-turned-woman said, herself a little embarrassed as she broke off the embrace, shyly looking at Salim. “I am Ghaanami, the djinn of slumber, one cursed for a terrible mistake that I did about...give or take four or five hundred years ago...Oh, by the way, you are not dreaming. I would know if you were. It is my area of expertise.”
So it was supposed to be real...or at least was very convincing as Salim took a look at her and tried to go along with it, if only because it was a very pleasant little narrative at the very least, one easy to get invested into due to its fantastical premise. “What was that mistake you've actually done that turned you into a sheep...And who could actually have managed such a feat, given what I know of djinns?”
“Oh, I'm a weak djinn, one related only to slumber and dreams. I don't do that wish business more that I...let us say travel and watch the stories within your mind as if they were theater,” Ghaanami explained, a little embarrassed at this reveal that she wasn't exactly on par with some of the other djinns from famous tales and legends. “As to how it happened...well...Demi-gods don't take it kindly when someone invade their rest and I was cursed in this form for the longest of time, restrained to those hills until someone could find me and break the spell. But thankfully you did and so now I'm free...But I do wish to repay you for your kindness, sir...?”
“Salim Arh'Khanam. I'm a shepherd and if it hadn't been to your sheep form I probably never would have seen or saved you,” he admitted, introducing himself as he couldn't help but ogle at her a bit. She was striking and it seemed as if some mysterious force had made them meet somehow, a twist of fate in a way.
“Well then, Salim, I can see in your eyes that you're extremely deprived of sleep and that you're about to collapse...So let me help out with that, okay?” Ghaanami said with a little smile, moving his hand to his chest in a way that felt a little invasive but also sultry as she pushed him down carefully on his bedroll. Part of him didn't quite know what to expect, though another entirely certainly wished for a certain outcome as he began to feel slightly warm now, a little shy and struck silent by this action of hers. As she stood above him, looking down she then giggled a little, her behavior much too cute for him to really stay passive about as she then went on to bump her hips. “Just watch my hips and I'll lead you to the peace and quiet you so desire~”
And so he did, though he just might have done so even without her demanding so as it was hard not to get drawn toward them. They were wide, balancing those thighs and that slightly plump belly with a certain panache, yet not in a way that was devoid of finesse. She bumped those hips up, then dropped them down in a way that felt big, yet relaxing too. There was a very slight wobble on her flesh, that brown skin drinking in the feeble light of the lantern as those rings collided softly against those hips and each other, resulting in the most melodious and gentle sound as each little cycle of up and down was accompanied by the little tune of that soft and slow performance.
“Yes, just count them and listen to the little jingles of my rings. Just gaze deeply and feel relaxed...so relaxed...happy and content to just continue watching~” Ghaanami began to say, her voice a faint whisper that could almost be drowned out by those rings of hers, yet which was crystal clear despite it all. She rose one hip and then brought it down in a method that was slow and calculated, yet with just enough force to actually make those rings accompany the sound of her own voice. “One...Two...Three...Count in your head and feel your tension simply vanishing away with each number you slowly utter...”
Four...He was yawning now, indeed feeling his muscles going slightly slack as he felt himself vaulting to the front, inescapably moving toward that dance as those hips, that waist and that belly just kept on trembling a little. It was so easy to focus on those motions, the repetition and the calm behavior of the performer, combined with her loveliness made for a pretty amazing sight.
Five...Time was slowing to a crawl now as he could just see every little variants of those bumps and drops, the moment when her skin stretched a little, how her flesh was pushed up and then brought down. It was a tantalizing and arousing sight, but those two qualities were superseded in how much peace it brought to his mind.
Six...One more yawn, though a longer one. He struggled to keep his eyes open, yet he feels conflicted as to whether or not he wanted to drift away. One moment he was tired beyond recognition and he wished to slumber so badly, yet now he felt that perhaps he wanted to keep watching still as the djinn in front of him was ever so lovely.
“Your eyelids are getting heavier and heavier, you struggle to keep them open but it's okay...My hips and my belly are in your mind, imprinted there and even when you'll close your eyes you'll see them go up and down...up and down...up and down...” Ghaanami continues, her voice so far away, acting like a faint breeze brushing off against Salim's skin and brain. Her simple gesture was kept ongoing as she never went slower or faster, keeping things steady no matter what as the rings produced their sounds still, all of it echoing in a faint but peaceful manner. “Eventually I will snap my fingers and you'll go fast asleep, falling under my power and fading into pleasant dreams, thinking of my dance in a restful slumber of the purest bliss...But for now, keep on counting~”
Salim had unfortunately stopped counting when she spoke as he tried very hard to concentrate on the numbers when it was so much easier to look at those hips and to listen to what she had to say...So instead he just went for an approximation as he still felt like doing what she said...Seventeen...His eyelids were indeed as heavy as anvils, requiring all of his might and sheer willpower to keep them open and yet it was a losing battle. Salim didn't quite feel the need to win it, though, Ghaanami being so nice to look at and so pleasant anyway that he felt safe.
Those wandering thoughts, going on without control, left him again without too much of a chance to keep track of the numbers, so he made one on the spot...Fifty...Or perhaps it was more like seventy? It felt like everything went either very fast or very slow, things turning hazy as his eyes were droopy. He saw everything in double or in triple, it was hard to tell. Everything superposed to one another, occasionally divided and then brought back together save for that delightful belly button which stayed centered at all times. The sound of her voice and the rings were one and the same as Salim wasn't quite sure if she was talking or not, though it didn't matter much.
And then numbers weren't important anymore. So long as he kept watching he just felt on the verge of collapsing, of surrendering himself to his weariness and the watch of the djinn of slumber and her mesmerizing dance. The brown and pink she possessed, with the light touch of gold seemed to encompass everything, giving him a case of pleasurable vertigo and dizziness as even though he was laying down he still felt as if he could fall...Yet he knew that she'd catch him...And then...
SNAP!
He did remember what would happen when she'd snap her fingers and right there he felt his eyes close and darkness flowing in, letting him drift into pleasantness. However, there was no shadow that weren't illuminated by something else that Ghaanami promised and that was the continued dance. It was there to soothe him over and over, the sound of gold rings, of her voice, the allure of her body and he just drank it all as she was everywhere. She was large and small, copied and multiplied as this dream was hers and she took charge of things. He felt waves on his back as he was resting on her belly which she rolled specifically to rock him to further sleep and he felt himself going deeper into slumber than ever before...
And then he counted again, an impulse which he obeyed with no hesitation as he could hear himself talk, yet not feel his lips move...
“Seven hundred and two...”
Was he up to that number? He couldn't quite tell. Time was meaningless now as he was held toward warmth and softness, fluffiness and peace as everything felt smooth and enticing. He was accompanied by Ghaanami, her undulations and curves bringing him so deep into tranquility and relaxation that he felt he might never wake ever again...And he'd be okay with that.
“Two thousand and fifty four...”
Had he skipped a bunch of number? His voice resonated and still he couldn't quite believe where he was at...Yet his skin, his muscles, his spirit themselves had melted into a puddle, no sensation save bliss accompanying him into this journey as his hearing and his sight were stimulated by what Ghaanami did...and those were dancing and smiling.
“Twelve thousand and eighty-nine...”
Up and down...up and down...up and down...Those were the motions of those undulations and of those hips being brought up and down. They were one and the same and yet different. It was difficult to separate the two and thus Salim simply didn't. He just accepted it all and felt as if he had reached nirvana, the greatest accomplishment in terms of spirituality...until...
“Bork! Bork! Bork!”
One of his dog barked close to him, acting like it should as sheep always woke up really early for some reason. He felt groggy at first, but it took only seconds to feel himself freshened up and ready to go. He had never felt so full of energy as all the tiredness had simply vanished from his body, removed entirely as if it had never been there. He felt warmth as he removed the layers of fur and wool, the sheets...and saw that Ghaanami was spooning him, herself sleeping soundly with a smile on her face. This prompted him to realize that it had been no dream and she had made him fall asleep, manipulating his dreams into very pleasant ones. As he tried to stir gently to not wake her up, he unfortunately did so and the only result was her getting up, stretching and greeting him with a groggy expression and a tiny smile.
“Good morning...Or is it morning? I can't always tell...” she said, definitely not a morning person by any means as she dusted herself off with her magic and then looked around, petting the dog who was as easily charmed by her as Salim was.
“It is morning, yes,” Salim said before making himself presentable as quickly as possible, some light brush of his hand in his hair and on his vestments and then he bowed before her. “You've helped me a great deal, Ghaanami. I am in your debt.”
“Just one night is not enough to pay you back for the amount of time I was stuck as a simple sheep...Let's just say I'll stick for a while until I think I've repaid you, yes?” she said, going out of the tent to stretch her legs as Salim couldn't quite believe what had happened. It was surreal, a true blessing coming from seemingly nowhere and yet he wouldn't question it as he went outside to prepare breakfast and feed the sheep as well.
Ghaanami was not exactly very good at handling animals despite how much they liked her. Manual labor did not agree with her so well and she was ever ready to doze off for a quick nap here and there. In these aspects she was not much help, but in others she shined. Her company, her attitude and her candor more than made up for her shortcomings as Salim and her spent a lifetime together. The shepherd and the djinn, two souls seemingly meeting each other in their time of need and getting very close because of it. She was helpful in so many ways that Salim couldn't quite picture life without her anymore.
And he'd never suffer from a bad night of sleep ever again.
Category Artwork (Digital) / Fantasy
Species Goat
Gender Female
Size 744 x 1074px
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