It started as a dim pinprick of light. A slow realization of her existence, and a painful rise unto a weak feeling of self-awareness.

Her name was the first thing that came to her – Scypha.

She wondered who had given her that name. Her mother, a devout priestess of Vifafey, probably wouldn’t have. It was not connected to any of their patron god’s chosen disciples or prophets.

The dim light started getting brighter, and memories stirred in Scypha’s mind. She saw a black stain in the back of her mind, like an opening where her soul had chipped away. Perhaps it was the reason she was cursed as she was, or, if she was truly damned, the reason Vifafey refused to save her.

She wept.

Under her mother’s tutelage, she had trained her whole life to become a priestess of the god Vifafey, an acolyte in his service … but he’d never acknowledged her. Not even once.

She could only wonder why he’d always left her every prayer unanswered. Perhaps due to the circumstances of her birth – after all, nobody liked a bastard. Why should a god concern himself with one?

Gradually, the light disappeared. She began to feel an icy chill at the back of her neck, the trembling of her frosted hands, and she saw the real world reveal itself around her. Behind the metal bars of her cage was a shimmering landscape blanketed in glistening snow, where every branch and blade of grass sparkled like diamonds under the pale winter sun. She smelled the morning dewdrops on top of the snow.

She coughed violently, shuddering, and her senses suddenly sharpened. She was fully present and painfully self-aware.

Niss and her twin brother were staring at her from the other side of the cart. She shook her head and pinched her cheeks, making sure she was fully conscious, then looked around elsewhere.

She sat with her back to the corner of the cage, as the creaky cart continued to roll across the rough road. Under the dirty floorboards she sat on, the wheels shook and groaned.

She had moved, during her … sleep. The floorboards in front of her were splintered, as if someone had dug at them with their fingernails. The wood was stained with a beautiful shade of dark red.

She felt a sharp pain in her fingers, lifted them to her face, and saw them bloody.

It had been her.

She opened and closed her hands into fists a few times, trying to get rid of the pain and the numbness created by the cold. At least there wasn’t any frostbite, yet. She was probably very lucky in that regard.

All of a sudden, she felt tingly all over, and her vision clouded. As soon as she could see clearly again, she lurched backward, shocked, and hit her head on the metal bars of the cage behind her. Just before she'd blinked, there had been no one there, but now a giant, plate-armor-covered man was standing right in front of her.

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He stood tall, young, and strikingly handsome, with strong features and light hair. Though without a helmet, he was wearing gilded armor that reflected the morning sunlight. It cast a warm, golden glow that highlighted intricate engravings etched into his pauldrons. His eyes were an impossibly deep blue. He was gazing straight at Scypha, smiling.

“Hello,” he said calmly. “I’m sorry I startled you. Don’t be afraid, Scypha.”

“Who … what are you?” she gasped, starting to tremble.

With his head, the young knight motioned towards the goblins and two half-goblins behind him. Behind the man, Niss was staring at Scypha, looking concerned, while her brother glared at her suspiciously.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t speak aloud. They will think you’re crazy.”

“They … they already do,” she said. “But what’s going on? How did you …? What are you …? Are you the curse?”

He shook his head. “No. That’s not me. I’m a friend.”

“But…”

Scypha shuddered and blinked a few times, seeing if the man would go away, and trying to get over the shock of his sudden appearance. She hesitated, looking at the goblins on the other side of the carriage. They were all staring at her, but not one of them even spared a glance for the human … or rather, the knight in shining armor, standing right in front of her.

“I am flattered that you see me that way,” the knight said. “And the answer to the question forming in your mind is ‘yes’. Your suspicions are correct, Scypha. I’m not really here.”

“Then how are you—?”

“Have you heard of astral projection? I’m doing something similar. Sort of.”

“A sorcerer, then? That’s vile magic, what do you want with me? Who are you?”

The knight knelt down in front of Scypha, dropping to her level, and extended a gauntleted hand towards her. “I’m someone a lot like you,” he said, smiling. “We are, um … distantly related. Very distantly, actually – never mind that. I’m sorry, my name is a strange one, so I’d rather not tell it to you. You can call me whatever you like. I’m here to help, I promise—”

“Stay away!” Scypha shrieked as he moved closer. “Please. I’m sorry.”

The knight waited a few moments, completely still, with his hand extended towards her. “You don’t have to worry about hurting me, Scypha. That thing in your head … you don’t understand it. You don’t even know what it is … But if you want, I can weaken its hold on you. I already have, to a degree.”

“You already have?” Scypha asked.

“There’s a reason you haven’t killed anyone. Trust me, you would have, if I hadn’t been interfering.”

Scypha started, but then the memory of the ravaged little bird flashed before her eyes. “You’ve … I … thank you.”

The knight nodded. “I can help you fight those urges of yours, Scypha … but only to a degree, and not so well while you are stuck in this cage.”

“But I’m trapped. I can’t get out of here.”

“I will help you escape. Soon, I just need to do some scouting and build up my strength first ... but I’m sorry. I can set you free, but I will need something in return.”

“What is it?” Scypha asked. Her voice was starting to shake. “I’ll give you anything, please, just save me from … this. I don’t want to be like this.”

The knight’s smile faltered. “You know nothing of what you’re asking of me, Scypha. I will confide in you later. For now, just … know that you are not alone. There is a literal god up there in the sky, one that you have never known … one that you are not ready to know. But he knows you, and he has a plan.”

“What are you talking about?”

“There’s more to you than you know; that’s all I can say. For now … befriend those around you, Scypha. The goblins, and those two twins over there. They are more capable than they seem, and they might prove useful. They plan to use you for their own ends, but for now, at least, those ends align with ours. And don’t worry, I won’t let you hurt them.”

“They want to use me? How? But … no. You said a god watches over me? That can’t be true. Vifafey has never answered even a single one of my prayers. How can you … can I trust you?”

The knight shrugged. “You can trust me, Scypha. Believe it or not, I need you far more than you need me. There is a whole people out there, subjugated and living under unholy tyranny – and you are our only hope. So I must beg of you … please don’t let us down.”