Akatsuki: The Second Act (Magi Ja'far X Fem Reader)

The Problem With Birds

(Y/n)

Masrur and I stare at Irie, our adopted bird, who has grown healthier and more energetic, just shy of becoming an adult. "And that, my friends, is what she is!" exclaims Pisti, ending her explanation with a flourish. Still dazed from her long-winded lecture, we just kept gawping.

Three months ago, when Al Thamen attacked Sindria, Irie somehow managed to break out of her cage, knock a weapon out of an enemy's hand, then break an entire stone wall just by crashing into it. As she grew larger, she broke things, such as trees and furniture, more often...just by hitting them with her beak. Since we realised that Irie was no ordinary bird, Masrur and I turned to Pisti for answers.

Although our local animal expert's lecture was so long and fast that my brain feels like it had to run a marathon to keep up, I managed to catch some information. Apparently, Irie is a papagoras bird, an exceptionally powerful and intelligent species that lives in flocks and can take down large opponents. Their strong beaks can be used to break branches, roofs or even boulders. These birds can also choose the strongest one in the flock to become the leader. In some very rare cases, flocks submit to another stronger animal and go under its protection.

"A papagoras bird, huh?" drawls Sharrkan, joining us for our lunch break after helping to finish the last repairs on the palace. "You know, those birds usually keep to themselves in the forests. We're lucky! They taste great when gri-" He stopped mid-sentence as a fork went whizzing past his ear, a hair's breadth away from grazing him. "Don't. Even. Think. About. It," I say, my face stolid while Masrur proceeds to shoot him a withering glare.

Sweating and apologising, Sharrkan manoeuvers the conversation to another subject. "Anyway, how are you feeling, (y/n)?" he asks. Besides Irie's newly discovered abilities, my condition is another pressing issue that came up recently. While we were clearing away rubble, we found the remains of Al Thamen's puppets. They didn't seem to be moving but just to be safe, I decided to use some of my magoi to clear away any remaining dark magic in them. Except once I did that, blood spurted out of my mouth, nose and eyes. The others immediately rushed me to Yamuraiha for help.

"You used up too much magoi during the fight. Perhaps you should take the rest of the day off," suggested Masrur, his eyes tinged with concern. Smiling, I remind him," I still have a life sentence of servitude to carry out. After all, I did blow up the palace twice."

"I agree with Masrur, (y/n)," King Sinbad's voice cuts into our conversation. "An overworked girl with internal bleeding would not be able to serve Sindria that well. Go get some rest today. Tomorrow, we'll deal with you." Sinbad strides towards us with Yamuraiha at his side. I gave him a quizzical look. What did he mean by that?

"You've never used magoi in a fight before Al Thamen attacked, right? So Yamuraiha and I will teach you how to master your newfound abilities," he said, picking up a pear from a basket and taking a bite. "Sharrkan here," he continues with a full mouth, gesturing to the white-haired swordsman, who has already started bickering with Yamuraiha literally five seconds after her arrival. "will help you with swordsmanship. You'll need to keep your skills sharp and your body strong enough to handle the strain of using magoi."

Finally, you'll need someone to train with for all the other things. Knife-throwing, hand-to-hand combat, the techniques you use the most when fighting. Both of you will have to rearrange your schedules...though I think it's a great chance to get him away from his precious paperwork more often." King Sinbad finishes his pear and throws away the core.

There was no need for him to tell me who I'll be training with. "Hai," I say to the king, getting up from the table. Time to go meet Ja'far.