It was nearly midnight. The stars twinkled in the sky above, illuminating the desert sand of Neberin. At night, everything looked so peaceful. For once, life was worth living. Kontar sat on a windowsill, looking out at the dark expanse of the island. He had lived here for nearly one thousand years, with almost half of that spent cramped within a lamp, waiting to be found. And when he was, he was used for his magic before being locked away and lost once more.

That all changed when he was found by the Templar of Light. Kontar had never been treated like a real living person before. But they changed it all. He had fallen so deeply in love with them, swearing to follow them for the rest of all time. Even though his love was never realized, he stayed faithful. On their deathbed, he swore he would protect their ancestors until the end. He’d held up his end of the deal so far, the past five hundred years and counting.

He sighed, closing his dark gold eyes. Kontar shifted, lounging back on the daybed. The djinn relaxed, letting his body go limp on the plush silk pillows. Tomorrow, the Templar of Fire was scheduled to have a brief parade around the central city of Neberin. It would be busy. Kontar would have to utilize a lot of his illusion magic to keep them safe.

Kontar opened his eyes, suddenly hearing a soft crunch from outside. He opened one eye, immediately getting on edge. Was someone attempting to break into the castle? It wouldn’t be the first time he’d had to deal with it, though it would be one of the more annoying times.

With a single flick of his hand, he summoned the being climbing up the walls of the castle. A form was thrown through the window, causing a breeze to blow over him, the chains wrapped around him jingling softly. Kontar sat up, crossing his legs. The nearly sheer cloth he wore around his waist bunched a bit, barely hiding anything. He leaned on his palm, smirking down at the figure as they shakily sat up.

“Hello there, darling. What brings you into this sacred, private abode, love?”