A Dragon's Treasure

Chapter 19 - A Forest Together

After a long talk with Janus, and really thinking over what he needed to do, Roman had made his way into the library and was doing his best to find something that might help him take back over the kingdom. He had settled on his course of action but he had no idea how he was going to do anything. His training had been in war, not espionage. There had been a few books that had suggestions, stories that told of trained spies getting their way through the use of mystery and subterfuge, but he wasn't sure how much of it was true, and how much was fiction. Roman was woefully lost when it came to acts of aggression that involved stealth instead of a military. He was also still hesitant to ask for help. This was his war, not anyone else's.

"Brother!" Remus threw himself at Roman. "If you are going to kidnap my boyfriend I demand recompense."

"What?!" Roman asked, toppling over onto the floor, and staring up at his brother. Remus was laughing but the way his shoulders were pinched up spoke of a seriousness behind his joviality. "Logie plans on going back with you. Said something about wanting to support you through all of this or something. So, if he is going with you, so am I, but I can't leave without doing something else, so you are going to help me with that."

Roman's mouth hung open, his brain attempting to catch up with what exactly Remus was saying. What could Remus possibly want help with? He might be his brother, but he was also still an unpredictable gremlin. Also, why would Logan come back with him? He was a bit overwhelmed. "Can you... can you say all of that again, but more slowly?"

Remus rolled his eyes, holding out his hand so that he could pull Roman into a standing position. "You and I are going on a quest, then, after our quest, we are going to go take over your kingdom," Remus said all of his words very slowly. It was irritating, but Roman had a feeling that was intentional.

"Are you sure the two of you want to leave? I understand how this place is your home. I don't want to tear you from your family, nor Logan from the knowledge he has found in this place."

"Yes, but your friendship is exceedingly important to me." Logan walked through the doors of the library, eyebrow raised as he looked over his boyfriend... oh that was new too. Roman would have to address that eventually. He knew that Remus and Logan were getting close, even seeing them kissing, which was not something he wanted to repeat, but the label was new.

"I would be most appreciative to have you by my side, but I won't force you." Roman was trying to give Logan an out, trying to give him the option to back down.

Logan rolled his eyes and walked over to Roman, "I promised that I would always stand by your side and support you." The action was reminiscent of when Logan had taken his oath as an advisor. He knelt down, hand cupped around Roman's "I will always support you, my king."

He knew that, he had known that for years, and yet the idea of anyone's undying support made roman want to tear up. Unfortunately, his tears were interrupted by his brother.

"Me on the other hand," Remus interrupted, pulling Logan up and away, "Will have to earn my loyalty, so about this quest...."

[Section Break]

The three of them trudged through the forest, a lantern by their side. Virgil had been kind enough to teleport them to the forest that Remus said they needed to start at, but that didn't mean that they immediately found what they needed to find.

"Explain to me again what we are doing here? And at night of all things." Roman turned his head to look at a sound he heard off in the distance, not seeing anything didn't give him any comfort. It wasn't the shadows, he had started relating those to Virgil, but the sounds still messed the prince up.

Remus rolled his eyes. "You aren't very good at listening, are you? Are you sure you want to be a king?" Remus was going to be fun to have around when he was king. "Janus used to tell me legend of an artifact that could turn humans into dragons. It was meant as a saving grace, a way to give community to humans who had been sacrificed because dragons didn't actually want sacrifices, but the artifact was seen as too powerful. Humans were terrified that dragons would use it against them, and so to foster goodwill, the dragons hid it, Taylon, the dragon who hid the item, knew that it might one day be needed again. They left clues on how to find it, but Janus always told me I shouldn't go after it."