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“I don’t know,” you shake your head, arms crossed over your chest. You remembered Tara was more devastated about your phone than you were.

“What about all of your pictures? All of your contacts? Everything is gone! You heard Andrew. He said that it is next to impossible to reassemble your phone, let alone salvage the memory card!”

Well, shit. She did have a point. All of your pictures with you and your fruit vendor boyfriend. The late night texts just as he was getting up for the beginning of his day while you were about to end yours. All of the tired voicemails he left for you when you were gone on your longer missions. Fuck, you were even going to lose your secret photo album that consists of pictures of a sleeping Sylus, a man who simply couldn’t be bothered to wake up since he feels so safe around you.

You had lost it all and, well, you were devastated to say the least.

You walked back to your apartment and placed the phone parts on your kitchen counter. Before that, you stopped by your cell phone carrier’s store and placed a new order. Somehow, as fate would have it, all of the cell phones in Linkon — or just at the nearby stores — were backordered. Something about the new version being released so everyone and their mother wants to have one.

You are going to be without a phone for at least a week. That honestly sounds like pure hell to you.

You stare at the ceiling after plopping down in your bed. The ceiling fan slowly turns, your eyes following the blades as they spin in their perpetual cycle. You tried to watch television earlier but none of the shows tickled your fancy. You tried doing a puzzle but that just grew too frustrating. None of the books on your shelves stuck out to you either and what turned out to be a punishment for being careless teetered into something more. Something just absolutely torturous. While left alone with the silence of your apartment, you had no way to talk to your boyfriend.

You didn’t have one of those refrigerators that could somehow find a way to make a post on social media for him to see nor did you have any kind of creativity to send some kind of smoke signal for him to spot from the N109 Zone.

You did have the creativity, though, when it comes to your imagination. You could lay in bed all day and simply imagine scenarios to pass the time by. Letting out an exasperated and dramatic sigh, you shove your windows open and drape yourself on the edge, your eyes meeting the Linkon horizon. Just in the distance sits the N109 Zone, the tall and dark skyscrapers contrasting against the bright blue sky. You extend your hand out, pretending as if you could pluck Sylus from Onychinus’ base and drag him back to your apartment. You sigh and close your eyes, allowing your imagination to take over.

Two lovers separated by an event that was out of their hands. The princess is now trapped inside of the tall castle. The castle is guarded by many knights and horses, willing to stop at nothing to keep the knight from the kingdom of Onychinus away from their princess. There are treacherous lands that separate the knight from his princess, including the old maid who lives on the first floor of the tower who aims to marry the knight to someone who isn’t the princess.

“Caw! Caw!”

The sound of fluttering wings and a familiar voice catch your attention. You open up one eye and see a black crow flying towards you. A smile spreads across your face. You straighten your back and outstretch your hand. The bird’s little feet easily catch onto your finger and he gives you a loud caw as a thank you.

“Mephisto,” you smile down at the bird, drawing him inside of your apartment. You walk towards the couch and sit down, the crow making himself at home on the very special bird perch you bought for him awhile back. “What is the purpose of your visit? Business? Or pleasure?”

“Caw!” Mephisto flaps his wings.

“Ah! Business it is!” you continue your banter with the bird and slightly narrow your eyes at his. “Let me guess, is he watching right now?”

“Caw! Caw!”

“Ah! He is!” you clap your hands together, a newfound excitement fluttering in your chest. You jump to your feet and look down at the crow, who looks very eager to come and join you. A small plan begins to form in your head, something that will help ease the princess’ pain and gives you something to do until your phone is delivered.“Please, my dear Mephie! Allow your wings some rest!” your voice has suddenly turned to the accent a princess usually would, holding a playful tone while you dramatically run to your room. “I’ll be right back! I promise!”

Sylus was amused on the other end of the live video feed. His smile is big and his red eyes are vibrant from excitement. He loves watching you and your playful spirit. The video feed from Mephisto turns away from your image and back to the rest of your apartment. Mephisto blinks a few times, his head on a swivel as Sylus leans in close to the computer screen, taking in the sight of your apartment.

“Before you can ask,” Sylus speaks to the crow, knowing that the bird is listening to his every word, “the answer is yes: you are allowed to take the gems she has so clearly hidden for you. Go crazy.”

Mephisto excitedly caws and begins his maddening search around your apartment while you remain hidden in your bedroom. The man glances down at his phone, your text conversation with him on the screen. He has texted you at least three times since you were supposed to come back from your mission from the No Hunt Zone. Those messages were not returned and, well, Sylus was admittedly worried that something happened to you. That you somehow got hurt and needed his help. Sylus even set an alarm that woke him up earlier than usual just so he could make for sure that you came home safe.

He texted you a few times after that, trying to come up with the excuse of needing your help with one of his business deals, that it may have information that the Association would want about illegal protocores. That usually got you responding in a matter of minutes. He even placed his phone face down on his desk while pretending that he totally didn’t care about your message with the hope that it would somehow make you answer any faster. 

Sylus stands from his desk, eyes moving up as the door to his office opens up. Luke and Kieran come stumbling inside, their laughs and snickers a familiar sound that Sylus honestly welcomes. He enjoys the chaos that they bring with them. It makes Onychinus feel less…lonely when you aren’t here.

“Boss!” Luke is the first to speak up. He waves to Sylus, who simply nods his head in response. “You’re up early? Or is it late?”

“Is there something important that you need us to do?” Kieran asks after slapping Luke on the back of the head.

“No,” Sylus shakes his head, the smile remaining on his face.

He glances at the computer screen, watching as Mephisto collects rare gems that Sylus has gifted to you over the months. His heart feels warm and full at the sight. There is a lingering feeling of confusion, though, that sits in the back of his mind. The question as to why you aren’t answering his calls and texts has him worried. Did he do something wrong? Is this one of those times you are trying to…what’s the word you used with him that he simply couldn’t understand? Ragebait? Are you trying to ragebait him? Or are you so tired that you haven’t had the energy to—

“Okay, Mephie,” your voice comes from the computer’s speaker. Sylus’ attention immediately fixates on the screen, the man lowering himself back onto the chair. Luke and Kieran giggle with each other but he pays them no mind, watching as you appear on the screen with…what in the hell is that?

You hold a small white piece of paper in your hand. It is rolled into a cylinder and is tied up with the red ribbon that he gave you earlier that week. The bow is perfectly made and looks like it came straight out of a romance novel. Mephisto flies towards you, landing on the perch. You drop to your knees, the smile on your face never leaving, has you very gently attach the paper to his little leg.

“Take care of my message, Mephisto,” you reach out and gently pat the mechanical crow’s head, “make sure my knight gets my message.”

My knight?

Sylus raises an eyebrow, his heart skipping a beat. That was the first time he has ever heard you refer to him as such a name. Sure, he can be your knight, but you must know that a man of his stature is more suited towards a dragon than hero.

Sylus turns to the twins who were just about to leave the office. He clears his throat and the boys freeze, slowly turning around to look at their boss. Sylus narrows his eyes at them and the corners of his lips perks up when he gives them their very first order: “Get the castle ready.”

It was mere minutes later when Mephisto arrived with your gift. The crow flies through the open window, its wings flapping and fluttering through the quiet hallways. The bird turns the corner and glides into Sylus’ office, making himself at home on the man’s shoulder. Sylus smiles, amused by the red ribbon that hangs from the rolled up piece of paper. He plucks it from Mephisto’s leg. The bird gives Sylus a caw and flies towards his designated spot in the office, a perch up in the corner of the room.

He slowly unwinds the paper. The more and more he uncovers, the more and more the office begins to smell like you and that perfume he bought for you. The sweet smells of pomegranate, honey, and sandalwood fills his nose. His body immediately relaxes, eyes closing as he smells that you have very clearly sprayed onto the paper. A gift for him to hang onto while he slowly uncovers this plan you have come up with because with you, there is always something to be on the lookout for.

Sylus opens his eyes and looks down at the piece of paper. Your handwriting is cute, much more legible compared to his cursive style. His red eyes scan over the letters, not reading the words quite yet, but rather savoring this piece of yourself that you put on the paper in front of him.

My Knight Sylus,

Oh, how I miss your handsome face. Those ruby eyes. You are everything that I dream of and more. I yearn to be by your side and bask in the glory of your kingdom but alas, a vast abyss must keep us separated during times like these.

I have found myself in a rather tricky situation, my knight, one that I must inform you through this letter. My usual mode of communication has been obliterated into bits and pieces. So, I thought that my knight and I could communicate like they do in fairy tales. The ones where a princess and her love have been separated.

I am so lonely in this tower and with each passing second, I miss you more and more. I wish to return to my knight’s side, but I am trapped in this tower with no escape. Perhaps, my knight will come save me one of these days?

With much love and adoration,

Your Princess

P.S., my patience only lasts so long. I may run off with a prince if you keep me waiting!

Sylus has never smiled bigger. He gently places the piece of paper onto the wooden desk in front of him. His cheeks are warm from a light blush, the idea of you as a princess waiting for him to show up. Will you toss him down your hair? Or must be fight an ogre in order to get inside of your apartment building? He clears his throat and grabs a nearby piece of paper. He slips a knife free from the desk drawer and slices it in half, grabbing a nearby pen to begin his letter for you.

Mephisto watches from the metal tree Sylus crafted for him. The crow prefers the comfortable one in your apartment but alas, he cannot complain. He turns away from Sylus and looks out the window. The sun has begun to go down and the once light blues have been replaced with dark oranges and purples as nighttime takes over the sky.

“Mephisto,” Sylus says after rolling the piece of paper up. He grabbed a small vial of his cologne from the desk, always having it on him just in case he needed to freshen up before a meeting or before you came to visit from the N109 Zone. The bird flies towards the white haired man and lands on his shoulder. Sylus silently attaches the letter to Mephisto’s neck, using ruby bracelet as something to hold it in place. “Deliver this to her. What until she sends something back.”

“Caw! Caw Caw!”

Mephisto departs from the window in Sylus’ office, his wings flapping up and down in its usual rhythm while heading back towards Linkon city. The bird is weighed down by the ruby bracelet but he keeps up his speed, suing the wind to carry in for most of the distance. His beady little black eyes make contact with the sight of your apartment building. There is light coming from your bedroom.

You are laying in bed, a small smile on your face since you know your letter is in good hands. A fuzzy blanket is draped across your body and you are wearing one of Sylus’ old shirts, one that he tried to throw away but you snuck it into your bag before you left his home. You bring the collar of the shirt to your nose, slowly inhaling the leftover scent of Sylus’ detergent. You close your eyes. The ache in your body begins to subside, the tension leaving your body with each passing second.

There’s a tap at your window. Your eyes open once again, one eyebrow perked up. Mephisto catches your eye, his chirps and caws muffled through the window. You immediately get out of bed and rush towards the window, opening it up so the bird can come inside. You catch him on your hand, his tiny little feet clinging onto your fingers.

“What are you doing here?” you ask with a smile on your face. You look at a tiny piece of paper that is attached to the bracelet. A quiet gasp leaves your mouth. You slip them from Mephisto’s body and watch as he flies to his favorite place in your apartment, making himself at home. “Ah, so that’s what you’re doing here.”

You rush back to your desk, plopping into the chair. You turn on your lamp, the warm and golden tones from the lightbulb illuminating the immediate area. You slowly unravel the piece of paper, Sylus’ cologne filling your nose. You let out a sigh of content. You do not wait or bask in the moment, though, ready to devour the words he has written to you.

My lovely princess,

I miss you as well. Your beauty simply knows no bounds and I cannot wait for my eyes to lay on your face once again. Please accept this bracelet as a gift to make up for my absence.

Must I ask about what happened with your old form of communication? Please know that your dragon may provide a replacement for you if your heart desires. I prefer seeing you work so hard to talk to me, though. I must admit that a part of me loves to see my princess lay her soul bare in her previous letter.

Also, I would not consider myself a prince. You know me. I am merely a fiend that wishes to keep his princess happy. A dragon that wishes to keep his most precious treasure locked away from those who can hurt her. I will save you from the tower you condemn but know that my armor comes with wings and an everlasting bond.

I wish to see you soon. As your dragon knight, I must inform my princess that my arrival will be sooner than you think. I have to deal with some previous arrangements but I will be there to slay the ogres and villains that keep you trapped at home.

You have my heart, please know that,

Your Dragon Knight

P.S., would you prefer a horse drawn carriage or to fly away with me once I save you from that wretched tower?

A squeal leaves your lips. This serious man that Sylus portrays is all a facade, a persona to keep his enemies afraid of him. If only they knew of the man who immediately gave into your antics and played along with your imagination. Sylus has always been the first to indulge in your desires but this? This is just perfection.

He said that he would be here sooner than you expected! What could that mean? Will he be here in a matter of hours or days? Do you need to pack anything for this bold escape that he has planned?

Never mind that! You have a letter to write!

Sylus has busied himself with preparations of your escape from the tower. He has remained on the phone with Luke and Kieran, informing them of your destination to his castle and the duration of the visit. The twins are already stocking the fridge full of food and ingredients. The twins are also cleaning the home, freeing it of dust and cleaning all of the sheets. Hell, the twins were also delighted to place candles all over the place to fit the “medieval” vibe that their boss described to them.

While they were doing that, Sylus was quietly ordering you a whole new wardrobe to be delivered to the castle. The last time the two of you were at the castle, you were on a job while he just so happened to cross your path. He took you to the dragon bones in the valley, one of the few places on the planet where he feels a special connection with. A connection apart from you, of course.

The smile has yet to fall from his face. It doesn’t falter when the twins inform him that they accidentally broke an ancient vase that came with the castle when he bought it.

He glances to the as soon as Mephisto flies in. He takes the piece of paper from the crow and carefully rolls it out. The scent is different this time. A new perfume, perhaps? Something to keep him on his toes, that’s for sure.

My Dragon Knight,

Please accept my humblest apologies for the lack of “dragon” in my previous letter. I was not aware that you wished to join in on the fun. Since you get to be a dragon knight, then I wish to be Sorceress!

And this Sorceress would love to fly away with you. Who needs a carriage when I have my fearsome Dragon to take care of me?

When do I get to see you? I am eagerly awaiting your response, my love. My heart aches knowing that this much distance has been put between us.

I must catch up on my rest though, my good Dragon. I hope to receive a letter from you soon.

Until I see you again,

Your Sorceress

P.S., I would like to humbly request that you provide your sorceress with a new shirt for her to steal…thank you!

Sylus’ heart flutters. He tries to contain his smile, to force himself back into the cold persona he usually wears round the base but it is simply of no use. The man places your letter beside the other one in his desk drawer, delicately placing it inside. He closes it and looks up at the mechanical bird that sits on his desk. Mephisto blinks his eyes at Sylus as if he is awaiting a reward.

“Did she say that I would give you something?” Sylus asks, amused.

“Caw!” Mephisto replies. Sylus laughs and shakes his head, unable to contain his amusement.

“Alright, alright,” Sylus calms himself down. He gestures to the open door. “You can pick out two jewels from my collection. Then we’re even for delivering the letters, yes?”

“Caw! Caw!” Mephisto cries out with a happy flap of his wings. He flies away and leaves Sylus behind.

Sylus sits down at his desk. He clears his throat and grabs the extra piece of long paper, grabbing his pen and writing a simple message on it.

You fell asleep in a matter of minutes. As soon as you let Mephisto go, watching him disappear into the night sky, you got back into bed and made yourself at home under the covers and blankets. Sylus’ shirt hugged you despite it being loose on your body. It brought you through comfort that you needed to, well, pass the fuck out.

The sun is bright in the morning. You forgot to close the curtain after Mephisto’s departure but the sight of a bright and Sunday day in Linkon is enough to accept your fate of waking up early. You sit up in bed and stretch out your arms and legs. A quiet groan falls from your lips and you let out an extra huff of air, a smile forming on your face.

You hop out of bed and open up the window, allowing the fresh morning air to greet you like an old friend. You close your eyes and keep your head poked out of the window, listening to the nearby ambiance of the city. Today is going to be a good day. You can feel it in your bones. It is just too bad that Sylus is probably asleep right now and isn’t on his way to come get you.

Alas, the Sorceress must wait until her Dragon arrives.

Something just out of the corner of your eye catches your attention. A black box with a red ribbon on top, the same one that you wrapped the first note in. Mephisto caws from the side of you. You smile at him, your heartbeat quickening. You reach for it and slowly pull the top of the box off. Inside sits a brand new phone. On top of the sleek screen is a small rolled up piece of paper. You grab it and slowly unravel the note, your heart skipping a beat.

My Beautiful Sorceress,

You look so beautiful. Even when you’re asleep, you are the most beautiful woman to ever exist. I am so lucky to have you in my life.

I decided to solve your communication problem. I took the old parts of your device and recovered all of your messages and memories. They await you in your new phone.

I wait for you too. I wish to see my love, my heart…the woman I live to serve.

Forever waiting for you,

Your Fierce Dragon Knight

P.S., I know it isn’t a horse drawn carriage nor is it a flight among the clouds, but…

The sound of a motorcycle engine catches your attention. You gasp, holding the letter close to your chest. You rush towards the window with the new phone in your hand.

Sylus swings his leg off of the motorcycle. He wears black pants and a white shirt. A smile sits on his face as he looks up at you, waving his phone in the air. He brings it to his ear and his eyes never leave yours.

The device in your hand begins to vibrate. The screen lights up, an image of you and Sylus at an auction appearing as the wallpaper. His name sits on the top of the screen with a red heart and dragon emoji next to his name. Your eyes move back down to the picture, knowing that it’s what he chose as his new contact photo.

It is Sylus’ favorite photo of you two, the one he always looks to when he wishes to see your face. The two of you are sitting side by side. Sylus’ arm is draped around your waist, his hand resting on your stomach. You lean into him with a bright smile on your face, staring at the camera while he looks down at you. Your hand rests on his chest and a big, diamond ring sits on your finger. He has never looked prouder than he does in the photo with you showing off his new gift.

You click the green button and slowly bring the phone to your ear, looking down at the man who waits for you down below.

“Good morning, sorceress,” Sylus’ voice is deep and husky. It shocks your body back to life, a ball of heat igniting in your chest. “I have slain all of our enemies. The ogres didn’t stand a chance and all that’s left are the faeries who aided me in my battle to rescue you.”

“What are you doing here?” you ask, your tone gentle and filled with love and adoration. “I thought it was going to be a few days before I could see you.”

“I live to surprise my sorceress,” Sylus says, his voice smug and cocky. “I did say that I would come sooner than you expected. Did you not read the letter I sent?”

“Sylus,” you shake your head as laughter falls from your lips, “what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you,” he sighs into the phone, expression softening. “I hoped to steal you back to my castle for the weekend. I thought we could have time for the two of us. I even bought you an outfit for the occasion. After all, I did vanquish all of your enemies. The sorceress is free to leave the confines of her tower with her dragon if she so wishes.”

“I love you, Sylus,” you breathe into the phone, already ready to embark on this adventure with him.

“I love you too. Now come on, your Dragon wishes to show his Sorceress all of his treasures.”