"Welcome back! Welcome, you two." He pointed his cane at the knight clad in warped, burning red armor. "Knight of Embers." The mind-bogglingly lavish mansion's owner was an aristocratic businessman. The room they spoke in had a series of paintings and sculptures that depicted scenes from the war with the demons—the ones who'd been driven back by an elite order of knights— two of which were now present.
The enchantments of the legendary knight made his voice sound like crackling flames. They kneeled before the man and bowed deeply. "My lord," they said respectfully.
"I'm glad you're safe," he replied, before moving his cane over to the other, blue, crystal-like armor, glassy and somehow still shining with its own light. "And Knight of Crystals."
The second knight knelt down, too, and repeated the words that had become so familiar to them both. "Thank you for your hospitality," they added.
"Yes, yes. You are most welcome here." The old man smiled warmly. "I assume you have retrieved it?"
"We did," the first knight answered. With a flick of their hands, and a small flash of fire from it, a large chest appeared on the floor between them and the aristo.
The older man nodded slowly. "Excellent. Then that concludes our business for today." The two knights stood again. "I'll have an earnest reward for you two prepared tomorrow. For tonight, I would be honored to offer you rooms to stay, as long as free use of any of my mansion's facilities is included."
The Knight of Embers shook their head immediately. "Thank you, but we cannot accept—"
"It's no trouble at all!" he interrupted quickly. "I insist. You two, after all, are heroic figures. It is the least I can do to show my gratitude."
The Knight of Embers hesitated for a moment longer before giving a short nod. "Very well then," they finally said. The Knight of Crystals seemed to be a bit surprised, but no reaction could be seen under their crystalline set that glimmered softly.
They were led to one of the many guestrooms located throughout the mansion. The room was spacious, with several beds and a table and chairs set up for dining. A pair of windows allowed sunlight to stream into the room, speckling the tapestry-covered walls with golden spots of light.
"My favorite room is the Spa. I think you will enjoy it very much," The aristo said, glinting a smile. "I cannot recommend enough how relaxing and invigorating the water can be."
"Thank you," the Knight of Embers said politely. The Knight of Crystals just nodded in return.
"I shall see you tomorrow, then."
They watched as the old man left them alone in the room. Once the door shut behind him, the Knight of Crystals spoke up.
"Embers. You accepted his offer?"
"I did," the Knight of Embers responded simply, taking a seat on one of the beds. "It is only right for him to honor us."
"Yes, which may I remind you, everyone wants to do. We're not supposed to take advantage of people's generosity. The reward is inherent."
"A night to stay is hardly 'taking advantage.' I know what you mean, but honestly, that last adventure was hell, and it was all for fetching some old books." The Knight of Embers rubbed the bottom of his molten helmet in reminiscence. "I remember when we did things like saving the world, not chasing after books."
"Yes, indeed. Those days seem like ages ago," the Knight of Crystals agreed. "Doesn't feel great, now working like mercenaries, does it?"
"Nope," the Knight of Embers replied. There was a moment of silence as the two knights stared blankly at each other.
"But we're doing this for the greater good," the Knight of Crystals continued. "We're heroes."
"Heroically saving books," the Knight of Embers said with a sigh. "If I ruminate on this any more, I'll burn down this room. Let's try that Spa."
He hopped up off the bed, and headed for the door, but Knight of Crystals grabbed their arm before they could leave.
"Wait! Do you remember that other thing we're not supposed to do, Embers?"
They slowly turned back to Crystals, the slowness adding snark. "We're not supposed to show ourselves under the armor. Not even to our allies. That's your complaint, right?"
"Wh- Yes, that's correct!" The Knight of Crystals' voice cracked slightly. They took a deep breath, trying to calm themselves down. "So when you say, 'Let's try that Spa,' You realize we'd see each other? Y'know, without the armor?"
The Knight of Embers paused for a bit longer, choosing words carefully. "Look, I'd care more for these archaic rules we follow if we were still saving the world and stuff. Besides, we already broke the rules by staying here."
The Knight of Crystals slowly let go of the Knight of Embers' arm, and followed them out the door towards the Spa.
"That's the spirit, Crystals. I mean, isn't it weird? I've never heard your true voice, seen your face, anything."
The Knight of Crystals remained silent.
"And yet," the Knight of Embers continued, "I've known you for years. We fought together countless times; saved each other's lives numerous times. How come I still don't know you?"
"What makes me different to, say, Knight of Pearls? Or anyone else in the order?"
The Knight of Embers stopped walking for a moment to explain. "We always pair up because we make a good team. Look, I'll work with Pearls, or any other knight who comes along, but most of them it's a work thing. It's not personal. But we're totally a good foil of each other, Crystals."
"You think so?" they asked quietly.
"Yeah, sure. I mean, look at us." Embers gestured to himself with his hand. "I'm red, wild, and fiery. You're blue, cool, and crystalline. We balance each other out."
"I see," the Knight of Crystals said softly.
"But," the knight added as they started walking again, "these rules keep us from being real compatriots. Fuck the rules, I say. We're going to see each other's faces and nobody will stop us. Rip off the bandage."
The Knight of Crystals liked the sound of that. "You're always so rebellious, Embers. That's what I like about you."
The two knights entered into the Spa, admiring the beautiful architecture around them. The walls were lined with tiles depicting scenes from famous battles throughout history, while the floor was made of stone and marble. A large pool filled with steaming water rested in the center of the room, surrounded by a number of benches.
And then, for the first time in their lives, the two knights began to remove their helmets in front of someone else. Embers started, revealing a head of short brown hair and a face that had been hardened by years of battle. He was as he acted—a warrior through and through, with a slightly eccentric look.
Crystals removed their helmet next, and revealed a young woman with long black hair and pale skin. Her lips curled upwards in a gentle but cautious smile as she saw Embers' face. She slowly started, "So, that's your real face..."
Embers, on the other hand, jumped backwards. He pointed directly at her, and shouted, "YOU'RE A CHICK?"
She flinched, then laughed nervously. "Well, yeah! What did you expect?"
"I expected a dude!" Embers replied, holding up his hands defensively. "I thought you were in a band! Oh my god. Okay hold on, what instrument do you play?"
"I was a harpist," Crystals responded quickly.
"Oh man, I always assumed something like a drummer," Embers said, rubbing his forehead. "Damn, this is awkward."
"I-I'm sorry," Crystals stammered. "This was a bad idea."
Embers waved off her apology. "No, no, I blame the order. You can go if you want."
Crystals stayed put, indicating she would not be going.
"Good. Let's, uh, get to it!" Embers exclaimed, throwing off more armor. They both stripped down facing away from each other, listening to the rustling of cloth and metal as they undressed. When they were done, they were both covered decently enough with white towels, but the mood had changed.