Notes before reading: It seems like I update not much later after a fourth person follows my story since the latest update. First of all let me tell you: I didn't do it intentionally. I merely spotted this oddity.

Anyway, I thank you for your support, dear reader, especially to ShadowWolf62400, mynightmare33, grim assassin sherlock101 and RandomNinja1112 for following the story. I'm truly glad that mynightmare33 even marked it as a favorite and I'm surprised that other two people – though they aren't followers – namely dawn08 and xXSweet Little BumblebeeXx did so too. I'm also very grateful to the guest SoulXHunter for the critique, it inspired me a lot.

I prepared a little tidbit for you as well. I drew Naptera, so if you curious how I envisioned her then feel free to take a look; you just have to delete all the spaces between any characters and replace the word 'dot' with actual ones.

Naptera's current appearance: tana - san dot deviantart dot com / art / Magi - OC - Naptera - 621247328

…and me having too much fun with it: tana - san dot deviantart dot com / art / Naptera - s - Design - With - And - Without - Clothes - 621248837


3rd Night: Those Black Eyes

Naptera was standing in front of the full-length mirror in the hostesses' dressing room, eyeing with her reflection critically. She was clad in a dress of eggplant color with its sides ornamented with finely entwined golden laces that linked the top and the long skirt that had panels of white transparent silk at each side. At the torso part, just below her bosom, the dress had strip of cloth separating the laces and hiding her navel. She also got a delicate tiara and a matching necklace with triangles made out of gold that were equally divided into four smaller triangles. Four thin bangles (two-two on each of her wrists) adorned her wrists while one armlets on each of her arms she put on; one of them had a light shaded amethyst embedded in it. To crown the whole outfit, she winded a fine gauze of golden hue around herself. Compared to this attire, her simple dark brown dress she wore usually is surely but a mere rug.

Naptera liked the way she looked even if this view was meant for her number one source of annoyance, namely Sharrkan. But perhaps she only thought of him so badly because she didn't want to get to know him better. Who knows what kind of feelings are beneath that constant wide grin of his?

"At any rate, he definitely won't smile after I murder his king" Naptera mused somberly. "Besides, the friendship King Sinbad shares with his generals is close to brotherhood. Just how devastated they will become after my deed?" The fallen magician felt the impending doom upon her. She knew how does it feels when one loses someone they hold dear. The sensation of seeing they die before your very eyes; the knowledge that you will never ever see them again; the numbness and emptiness on the following days… Yes, she knows all of that far too well.

"This is not good" Naptera unconsciously said it out aloud. "Right before the night I execute my plan… to have second thoughts… to have my resolve waver. It's not like I have any choice anyway!" She wanted to go to the inn's owner and tell him to let her have this night off so that she would be able to sort her thoughts out and steel her determination. But life was never so tender to her – the boss came into the room and enunciated that it's time for her to come out.

"I have to act normally" she reminded herself as she left for the private chamber where the sword-maniac general waited for her. To her surprise she heard raised voices emanating from behind the elaborated wooden door. One of them was surely Sharrkan but the other was unknown to her. For a moment Naptera hesitated, but then her curiosity got the better of her so she entered.

"That's why I'm telling you, I don't care what you're doing in your leisure time as long as you just leave me out of it!" In front of Sharrkan, there stood an agitated man of average height, clad in formal robes and was in the middle of placing his green keffiyeh onto his head so Naptera caught a glimpse of his wild white hair and the pale skin of his neck as he stood with his back to the door.

"Oh, please, take it easy! You always work way too much anyway." The swordsman merely shrugged his shoulder in response of his comrade's demand then added "You will like her; after all, she has a similar attitude to yours."

"And so for that reason you decided to drag me throughout Sindria so hurriedly that my even head-gear fell off?" asked Ja'far caustically. "Seriously, if I wouldn't know that this is your free time then I would drive you back to do your work." This comment made the young woman blink while Sharrkan simply laughed merrily.

"A-ha-ha-ha! You two are really alike; she–" At that moment the tanned general realized her standing in the door. First he wanted to greet her but then he noticed the way she was dolled up and whistled admiringly which caused Ja'far to turn around.

"Well, aren't you more beautiful than ever" remarked Sharrkan, flatteringly. Although the advisor didn't utter a word he agreed with his comrade in the aspect of this woman being an especially exotic beauty.

Ja'far had his share of women's beauty since he always saw them swarming around Sinbad, almost literally. However there was deeply rooted unbelief, sorrow and resentment that was mirrored from her exquisite eyes; something that told him she was near to be utterly broken.

"A vaguely similar sight" he realized. When and where exactly from, Ja'far himself didn't know, but then it suddenly clicked and he remembered. The way this woman looked like is exactly the way how he used to be – he saw this look in the eyes of his young self's reflection whenever he lokked into a mirror. Before he joined Sinbad, he always had that expression when finally was left alone. Why would a simple hostess having that mien on her visage though, Ja'far had yet to know.

"My, Naptera you look awfully pale" Sharrkan commented as he walked closer to the young woman.

"With all due respect, sir, I always had a light complexion such as this" Naptera replied. Her voice nearly shook from the tears she choked back. "How come that this man, who only knows me for three days, observed me so well that he can descry it at first glance when I'm not feeling well?"

"That's true but right now your face is… how should I put it? Ah, yes; it's unhealthily pale! Also your eyes usually have this grumpy glint in them."

"You're clearly screwing around with me" Naptera decided, nonetheless, loudly she simply told him "They have not.

"Oh~?" Sharrkan was really amused by the brazenness of this woman, but he was also glad that he managed to somewhat cheer her up so he had no reasons to cease his teasing, had he? "But of course they have! Just like right now."

"Please let me repeat myself for your sake, sir; they have not." The magician felt her shakiness melting into the familiar annoyance; the one she regularly feels when being around the tanned general. Sharrkan merely laughed at her riposte – again. Then, much to her surprise, he put one of his hand onto the top of her head and smiled amiably.

"Now, you feel a bit better, right?" the swordsman inquired and, at that, Naptera's eyes widened.

"So he too noticed" Ja'far summed up the interlude. Also, in way Sharrkan was right; although he didn't know whether he liked her or not, but she undeniably picked his interest. She was like a riddle; one he wanted to solve. Now the question was: should he indulge his newfound interest or not? But to meet someone who intrigued him so much with him only taking one mere glance of her – it was a rare occurrence after all. On the other hand his duties will probably increase as those accursed documents that need revising are practically never ending.

His silent dilemma was solved by Sharrkan who, during the advisor's quiet musings, closed the door, dragged Naptera to the couch and set her down then committed the same with Ja'far, though he merely tossed him beside the woman. After his accomplishment Sharrkan took the remaining free side of Naptera and threw himself to the divan and asked her to pour some wine for them. The magician in incognito, begrudgingly though, complied his wish and handed out the wine-filled goblets. The king's advisor frowned at the cup in his hand then put it back onto the table.

"Aw~, don't be such a killjoy Ja'far" the other general chided. "Do you want our dear Naptera's effort to go waste? If not then drink up!"

"You know that I prefer to not drink alcohol" reminded his junior the ex-assassin.

"Come on, once in a while won't do any harm." Ja'far only tsked at him then grabbed the goblet and gulped down its whole content. He wiped his lips with his left hand as Sharrkan just gaped at him.

"I hope he realizes that wine is a potent one" wondered the young woman. "Although I think it's otherwise" she added when the advisor shut his eyes for a moment only to reveal a strange glint in them.

"Are you satisfied now?" His inquiry was voiced in a rude way that caught the other general off-guard.

"H-hey, are you even aware of how strong that stuff is?" Sharrkan found himself a bit dumbstruck where his senior's behavior was concerned. He didn't expect the other to get drunk that easily and while was amused, the sudden change also scared him.

"Sassy junior" Ja'far growled. As the other two's quarrel continued she felt her mouth's ends curving up and the night passed more pleasantly that she initially anticipated.


Later that very same night when she finally retreated to her room and lied on her bed, Naptera had her opportunity to think through the events that happened to her. Standing in the door she clearly remembered the unbelief she felt back then. Despite the fact that they were wrangling the strong bond the two men shared was evident and she was appalled by that. And then when the white-haired man turned toward her and she caught sight of those black eyes. Black as a starless night, black as the darkness of an endless cave… And that enchanting pair of eyes watched her so intently as if it knew what was written into her very essence of existing, on the other hand – what frightened her more – it mirrored profound understanding. She felt naked and vulnerable but the only after for a fleeting moment of comfort. It was puzzling to say the least even if it was gone as quickly as it came. What she felt afterwards, however, was pure resentment for she resented them the friendship they shared, for the friendship she will never share with anyone.

That should've been the end of the case but Sharrkan, similarly how he did at their first meeting, surprised her. He deliberately teased her so she would forget about her current feeling of being lost and for her own foolishness of showing weakness she cursed herself harshly afterwards.

"I'm a horrible person" Naptera thought. "I'll repay their kindness with malice." She felt as Asirit crawled onto her to console her, nevertheless she gently grabbed the cobra with both of her hands and put Asirit down to the ground. This time she didn't want to find solace. No, she didn't deserve it.

She truly hated herself for what she planned to do.

"Tomorrow night… every façade will drop off."


Extra:

It had become quite late and King Sinbad was quite exasperated as he walked the endless corridors of his palace and didn't found his advisor. Something like this never happened before.

"Now that I think about it" mused Sinbad. "Sharrkan isn't here either though that's nothing surprising… Could it be that they went out together?" For a second he weighed that possibility only to dismiss it with a shake of his head.

"Ja'far is too serious and workaholic to go visiting places of nighttime business. But then… just where is he?" The king of Sindria sighed and decided he will be sure to debrief the ex-assassin tomorrow morning. He tiredly elbowed onto the nearest window sill and watched the moonlit garden when he noticed two familiar figures. They came through the main gate of the palace and the guards bowed before them.

"What the heck?!" Sinbad cussed in thought as he couldn't really believe his own eyes. Nonetheless he pulled himself together and hurried down to catch up to his generals so that he could interrogate them personally. Soon he almost reached them and only a corner separated him from them when he heard them talking. His curiosity got the better of him so he remained in the shadows and silently followed them from behind.

"Did you see that little smile she gave me? I think she likes me" It was Sharrkan's voice.

"Idiot" snorted Ja'far. "She smiled because she was masking her irritation towards you."

"Did I hear it right that he just swore?" thought the king, shocked. "He never swears when he's sober… Is he drunk?!"

"You drank too much, that's why you're so rude." mumbled the swordsman sullenly.

"It was some really good stuff." noted the advisor and the tan-skinned man hummed, agreeing.

"And Naptera was exceptionally pretty too in that outfit."

"Whom are they talking about?" Sinbad was seriously vexed that he didn't know what they were talking about, but he did understand one very important thing. "Ja'far went out and dumped all his work onto me. You traitor!" Although dumping his work onto others… Well, it was usually the high king's doing.


Afterword: Please don't worry! In the next chapter there will finally be some real action! For those who are wondering why there is a rather silly extra at the end, well, I personally thought it's important to lighten up the tension a bit and – let's say it out loud – it isn't unimaginable in the Magi universe for something like this to happen. Also Ja'far may be out of character a little but according to MagiWiki, Ja'far is a bad drunk as he doesn't remembers anything afterwards. It isn't noted how he acts therefore I made my own guess about it; sorry if it isn't match yours. So until the next chapter, goodbye!