A Knight's Duty

Saphira knelt in the shallow pool, the cold water making her shiver and her flesh ripple with goosebumps. She bowed her head, hands clasped, to the last standing statue of her goddess. Its arms had crumbled into the freezing water, the once flowing hair was now an icicle laden and overgrown mess of stone tangles. It was a sad state… but it was all she had left.

Saphira prayed in the sacred pool, its stillness somehow untouched by the frost, and once again she received no answer. She was shaking terribly as she finally stood and stepped out of the pool. The chains on her head jingled as she stepped out of the water, her pristine white dress dry despite the time in the pool. Her circlet was silver and sapphire, the small chains connected her antenna adornments to her chokers on her long, thin neck. She had her head down, quiet with dejection at her goddess’s silence.

Joining her side was a much taller T’vahren, Cyrus. A single horn curled from his forehead and a large eye occupied his face, dark hair cascading down his head into a wild forest on the back of his neck. Saphira looked up at him, his solid marble body stoic against the cold winds despite the silk sashes that made up his clothing barely covering much of his body.

“No answer again,” Saphira muttered. Cyrus gave her a sympathetic look, his very expressive eye forming the emotion that his hidden mouth couldn’t show. He had no idea why the goddess would abandon her few remaining children. It caused a growing rift between him and his faith, wanting answers that she refused to give them. If anything, it made him resent her for causing the one he swore to protect so much pain.

They trekked through the winter, the harsh winds becoming a snowstorm in the little time it took for them to leave the goddess’s sanctuary. Saphira wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm, but her act was futile. She slowly changed, her form turning plump and furry to protect against the biting cold. Her adornments changed as well to remain on her in her new shape. Cyrus wasn’t bothered by the weather, glancing down at her and giving a faint smirk at her new form. He wasn’t sure if it was on purpose or if it was simply how she worked, but she looked… well very cute in every shape she chose.

“It’s always snowing… why couldn’t the shrine be in the valley? Or closer to our forest?” Saphira huffed in annoyance. Cyrus nodded in agreement and heaved a short sigh. He normally kept quiet. Having been taught since he was young that he would not speak unless spoken to, that he was just the muscle that accompanied and nothing more.

He was more than that to her, but it’s hard to beat programming.

“Are you cold, Cyrus?” she asked, looking up at him. His navy blue iris turned down on her.

“I’m fine, my lady,” he responded, his tone solid but quiet. Sure of himself but knowing his place. Saphira looked down at her hands. They were always nervously fiddling with all the things in her mind to worry about. She was hoping that he would be more talkative at this point. It has been only the two of them for years now. But the best she could get was formal small talk. It didn’t help that she wasn’t too versed in casual conversation herself.

“I’m still cold, haha. I don’t know why temperature regulation is so difficult for me,” Saphira rambled. Cyrus blinked down at her and glanced aside to think of something.

“Would… you like some help with that?” he asked.

“Hm, sure. If you know of something that could help.”

Cyrus nodded. Seldomly did he ever shape change like she did. His base form was powerful and he rarely needed anything --nor was there much that could-- outclass him. He transformed. Large, thick-furred, wolf-like. Despite the aggressive appearance, he had nothing dangerous in mind. He swept Saphira up in his arms and held her to his chest. She squeaked and clung to his arms, her much smaller frame easily wrapped up in the powerful limbs.

“Uh-I er…”

“Is everything alright?” Cyrus’s chest rumbled with his voice, the deep vibrations nearly rattling Saphira apart.

“I uh…” Saphira was having a hard time putting her thoughts together. She didn’t usually have an issue with words, but she always found herself faltering when Cyrus did thoughtful things like this. She hid her face in her lop ears and prayed that he couldn’t see how red she must’ve been. At least they would get back home a bit faster this way. Cyrus carried her down the mountain, silent and focused as usual. Saphira was certainly no longer cold, but it was hard to say if it was because of his help or her rushing blood.

He got her back home. Deep in the forest to the remains of a temple they maintained and shared in the faint hopes that more T’vahren would eventually show up. That hope was feeling more and more futile as the days went on. Cyrus put Saphira down once the temple doors closed behind them, his form melting away and his cyclops, marble shape returning. Saphira did the same and her dark blue insectoid appearance once again wrung its hands. In the dark of the stone walls, their markings shone slightly, illuminating the pair. Saphira only had the cyan crest on her chest and the webbing of her cape-like wings, but Cyrus’s electric yellow marks stretched over his whole body, even through the dragonfly wings on his back. It seemed Saphira’s cyan was brighter than usual today.

“It’s starting to feel pointless,” Saphira sighed finally, her voice echoing against the stone walls and breaking their silence. Cyrus stiffened. He’d be lying if he said he weren’t thinking similarly, but to hear his princess say that felt so bleak. If she was beginning to lose faith, what were they going to do?

“The goddess will soon answer us. We haven’t been abandoned,” Cyrus said, placing a hand on her shoulder in some attempt to comfort her. She felt much warmer now, his body heat must have rubbed off on her.

“I haven’t dreamt of her in months…” Saphira admitted, lowering her head and folding her arms, shrugging his hand off her shoulder. “I just… I want to be alone.” Such a cold gesture was unlike her, but he understood her frustration and let her trudge off to her room. To be without the goddess’s mere visage for so long must’ve been wearing her down for ages. Why didn’t she tell him sooner? It was his job to carry her burdens and he considered that one for his shoulders. Cyrus stood outside her door, hesitating with his hand hovering over the knob.

This was too out of line for him to deny her request, but perhaps he could just let her know he was there as more than her protector. He cleared his throat and pulled his hand away.

“Princess…? I’m… I’m here if you need someone to talk to, you know,” he told her through the door. It was quiet on the other side. Without her permission, he couldn’t bring himself to step in to check on her.

Saphira wasn’t going to let him in.

She was having an embarrassing problem. She had never told him about it before, because she didn’t know what it was before. She had asked the heavens repeatedly for an answer to her predicament and never got one, so she would just hide away until it stopped. Luckily Cyrus always respected her wishes so she never had to show him this sorry state.

She felt as if she were on fire (why couldn’t that part have happened earlier?) Her cyan marks were so bright she could be her own moon, and all she could think of was Cyrus’s kind gestures. Every time he comforted her. Every time he listened to her troubles. Held her close. Made her laugh. She could swear she was glowing brighter now. She whined and pulled her blankets up around her neck, rolling onto her side with her back to the door.

“I know, Cyrus… Thank you,” she muttered, probably too low for him to hear.

“Princess?” he asked, tapping on the door.

“I know, thank you,” she spoke up so he could hear her this time. It went quiet once more. Then the door knob turned and slowly opened. He had never entered without permission before. Saphira pulled her blankets over her head and whined. Cyrus sat beside her, their backs to each other, his head down and his eye on the floor. He sighs softly, his hand hesitating over her form before folding with the other in his lap.

“You shouldn’t isolate yourself. You don’t have to lock yourself away to hide your sadness from me. You and I are all we have. You’ve been all alone since everyone left a-”

“They didn’t leave,” Saphira grumbled, interrupting him.

“Since everyone died,” Cyrus nodded slightly, “you’ve already been told to bottle everything up for so long. It’s just us now. You don’t have to keep it from me. I’m here for you. To help you with any of your troubles… Anything.”

Saphira’s antennae twitched slightly and she raised her head to look over her shoulder at him. He cracked a smile at her, his sharp teeth grinning sweetly as their eyes met. If there was anyone she could trust with her embarrassment, it would have to be him. Even though she is still so self conscious. Cyrus’s brow furrowed slightly and his eye flickered across her before reaching her eyes again.

“Are you alright?”

“Huh? Oh… I,” Saphira pulled her blankets tight around her neck again. She didn’t realize that it had slipped and she was practically blinding him with her neon. Her face turned terribly blue with blush, “I just… it happens every time you and I travel together. Or… whenever you are… whenever you’re, ya know, nice to me.”

Cyrus chuckled at that. She was never told what that shine meant, it seemed. He would have to take care of that himself. It was only a matter of time before the pair realized that they were feeling rather close to each other. After all, she wasn’t alone. He must simply have better control over it.

“That is the T’vahren way to show attraction,” Cyrus answered simply.

“Ah! Wh-!”

“Don’t be embarrassed. I shine for you too,” Cyrus admitted, hoping that knowing she wasn’t the only one would make her feel better. It did seem to help. She was no longer stammering and she seemed to calm down. It was a moment before she sat upright and dropped her blankets, her dress a bit messed up from being under covers. She wasn’t bothering to hide herself anymore. Instead, she hugged him and nestled her head into his shoulder. He pulled her into his lap and embraced her as well. Their warmth was comforting and their shine illuminated the whole room.