“The Temple of the Sky Titans?” the Knight asked.

“It is but ruins. And to get there, we will have to travel through both our kingdoms,” the Prince said, looking at the Knight.

“This should not be of any worry,” the Knight said. “For my rulers have seen the spark and will provide us safe passage.”

“Your kingdom,” the Witch pointed to the Prince, “will prove more treacherous, as old traditions and fears reside there.”

“We will have to be cunning because the King and Queen have eyes on every road,” the Prince added. “We will have to conceal it well, and if they catch us together, we face certain death. Can’t we just return the spark to you and be on our way?”

“This is not something that can simply be returned. It is not a trinket,” the Witch explained. “It is sacred. It is yours.”

Suddenly, a great cloud of smoke rose from the ground, and in an instant, the Witch vanished, leaving the Prince and Knight to contemplate their journey.

Together, the Prince and the Knight set off to the Temple of the Sky Titans. As they rode on horseback, they spoke of things they loved about their kingdoms, their dreams of living beyond the borders, out of the shadows of royal expectations, much as they did the first day they met. Unbeknownst to them, their sparks grew in power and size the more they laughed.

The Prince found himself growing very fond of the Knight, and their sparks glowed brightly, announcing their arrival to the Knight’s kingdom. The Knight’s watchmen trotted up on horseback, surrounding them.

“Your spark has grown,” the commander said. “And now it has a twin, belonging to a rival prince?”

“We have been tasked with traveling to the Temple of the Sky Titans,” the Knight said. “And this Prince is not a foe.”

“We shall let you pass,” the commander said. “But first, you must share with us stories of how you came to be joined.”

As day stretched into night, the Prince and the Knight regaled the ranks with tales of their spark, and the more they shared, the stronger still their sparks grew.

The next morning, as the pair rode toward the Prince’s kingdom, the Prince said, “I did not expect your kingdom to be so accommodating.”

“We are an open and friendly people,” the Knight said.

“I do not believe my mother and father will be so welcoming.” The Prince held his spark in his hand, and it danced, firing off tiny lightning bolts that made him smile.

It wasn’t long before he realized that it was not the spark that made him smile but the Knight.

On the outskirts of the Prince’s kingdom, the Prince said sternly, “We should find a way around.”

“The quickest way is through,” the Knight insisted.