Jamir started crying at the noise of the mother-son argument in the house. The noise woke up Khamrud's older sister Rasha, who was taking a nap on the dirt floor. She saw Khamrud's donkey ears and scratched her chin.
"What's wrong with Khamrud's ears, Mommy?"
"Take a good look, honey," her mother answered. "This is what happens when you anger a jinn. Don't do bad things to people like your brother does, sweetie. You never know who is more powerful than appearances suggest."
"I don't have to listen to this!" yelled Khamrud. "I'm going out to see what can be done about it. Tell Rasha and the others whatever you wish. I refuse to come back here looking like a donkey, only to be insulted for what I do to help feed this family."
"Yes, go," his mother said behind him. "Rasha will eat your share, so at least you will help us that way. Don't come back with soldiers running after you, if you can help it!"
Khamrud stormed down the street, fists clenched and blood boiling. The feel of his long ears swiveling to help him hear did not help his mood. It was impossible for him not to hear the comments people made about his ears in the street. Some were giggling about his part-animal appearance. Some assumed the ears were fake and assumed he was wearing them as some kind of punishment or as part of some trick that he'd fallen for. Others correctly deduced that the ears were real and that he was cursed. Some shushed each other, warning their conversation partners not to mock the man who seemed to be part animal; they had heard stories that jinn can never look completely human, and they'd heard rumors that a soldier had seen a woman with a monkey tail who didn't seem to understand human ways very well, so one can never be too careful.
Hearing a donkey braying across the street, and seeing that it had identical ears to his own, caused Khamrud to bite his lip and walk faster. He didn't know where he was going, but he'd heard that there were powerful clerics and soothsayers in this town with wisdom from beyond the mortal realm. For all he knew, he might encounter the genie again and get a chance to apologize. At least, he could get away from his family for a while, and maybe he'd even make it out of town and away from all of this gossip.
Seeing a pair of stray dogs begging for scraps--watching mongrels eat better than his family did some nights--added insult to injury, and he resisted the urge to kick the dogs, slice the throat of the fat-looking man who was wealthy enough to throw meat to dogs, and run away with whatever the man had with him. At least for now, Khamrud had something the dogs and donkeys didn't: most of his humanity, and some small shred of his dignity (no matter what his mother would say). He could easily end up a piece of livestock when all was said and done.
Khamrud's seething temper, however, was very much near the breaking point when he finally passed by an arrogant young street thug who dared to speak to him directly.
"Don't you belong in front of a cart somewhere, with ears like those?" the man snorted, to his partner in crime.
"You wanna piece of me?!" said Khamrud, shoving the man with both hands. The thug stumbled back, but went back to joking and showing off for his buddy.
"Oh, look, ass-ears thinks his pretty tough, doesn't he? I bet his mother was to fat for her saddle!"
Hearing him insult on his mother was the last straw. He kicked the man in the groin and dodged a swing from the other guy before punching him in the gut. The bully's friend ran off, and the bully himself was writhing in pain on the ground, not willing or able to say anything for the next several seconds at least. Khamrud had won this fight, but he wasn't finished with his recovering opponent yet. Indulging all the anger bottled up inside him, Khamrud pulled a dagger out from within his tunic and placed in against his fellow street thug's neck. The groaning man grimaced with revulsion.
"Gonna slit a man's throat while he's down, wuss?" said the thug between gasping breaths. "Almost thought a had ya pegged wrong for a second, when ya had the balls to fight my buddy standing up!"
"SHUT UP!" Khamrud yelled. "Give me everything YOU stole today, empty your pockets, mother****er!" The bully tried to grab the knife, but Khamrud kicked his balls again. Khamrud just went a head and ripped the other robber's tunic open, tearing out a small bracelet and a few copper coins inside. Then, instead of letting the man go, Khamrud brought the knife in closer, almost ready to pierce a couple of important arteries. He'd killed before in self-defense, but this time was going to feel different, he realized through the adrenaline haze. Before finishing the man off, though, he had something to say:
"You ain't got NO idea who yer messin' with! First that bitch in the marketplace, then my goodie-two-shoes family, and now your shit! Well guess what, I've got your stuff now, and I don't need you. You'rrrrrr-RUFF RUFF grrrrr-RUFF!"
Khamrud flattened his ears and dropped his knife. His would-be victim grabbed it and was about to retaliate, but when he saw what was happening to Khamrud, he dropped the knife as well and ran away from whatever strange force he may have witnessed.