The Mark of A Cursed King

5

A deep rumble sounded through the cave, with a low wind, that made the very earth tremble. A woman in a red, yellow, and green gown, clad in scales and firey marking, slowly glided through the dust and dirt. She hummed softly as she trailed her fingers down this large furry beast.

"Are you ready, my pet?" The beast huffed harshly sending a deathly chill through the air as she laughed softly. "You've been so patient. He took a long while, didn't he?" Her fingers brushed the darkened fur back as the beast shook itself slightly as if waking up for the first time in decades. "It's time now, my pet. Time to wake up. Time to show that... King, yes?" A low growl made the cave tremble as she laughed happily. "I know. I know." Her eyes shined wickedly as she smiled off towards the mouth of the cave. "Find the mark bearer, Pet." The beast jumped up with a loud howl that tore through the night air. It bounded out of the cave leaving the woman there smiling proudly. "Now then, mark bearer." Her eyes seemed to meet with something despite there only being air there. "Are you prepared? Time is running out... For you and your prince."

Virgil jumped up with a gasp, gripping the deep red comforter tightly, as he calmed his breathing. He groaned as he laid back down against the super soft pillow and he frowned... staring up at the bright azure blue sky.

"The fuck?" Virgil looked around as he pushed himself back up finding himself in some random clearing he didn't recognize. "How did I get here?" Virgil glanced down at the blanket covering him and his eyes only narrowed more. "And why do I..." Virgil froze as the blanket and pillow suddenly turned into glittery dust floating away in a nonexistent wind before vanishing entirely. "Princey? Wait... Hold on." Virgil carefully got to his feet taking in his surroundings as he tried not to panic. "Where am I? HELLO?!" He yelled out only getting the sound of the wind to answer back. "Seriously?!"

"What do I do now?" Virgil mumbled as he started trecking in some random location. He tapped his fingers anxiously on his leg as he tried to think of exactly where the hell he was. He checked his mark and cringed seeing the '0' that burned into him. "Fuck. Maybe I shouldn't go home. FUCK!" Virgil froze on the spot at the realization that hit him. "THAT BITCH! I don't have a fucking weapon. Damn her!" Virgil gripped his shirt as he focused on his breathing to calm himself down. He needed to think. He didn't necessarily NEED a weapon to defend himself. He was a main side after all. They all had magic and... well... They all had something. Janus can shift into a snake. Remus had his tentacles. Virgil... Well, he had something to.

"Fine..." He shrugged off his hoodie, wrapping it around his waist, as he stretched himself out. He looked around trying to focus on the terrain and everything around him. he was in a large clearing with a dense forest circling around him. There was literally NOTHING he could even use as a damn weapon. The bitch is cheating. Virgil's eyes starting glowing purple as his anger hit its mark. "I swear I'm going to rip whatever beast's head right OFF! Teleporting me into the middle of nowhere WITHOUT A WEAPON!" Virgil groaned as he plopped into the dirt, hands covering his face as he tried once again to calm down. "I guess I can thank that pathetic prince that I at least didn't freeze overnight. Fuck..." Virgil's hands dropped only for him to freeze up, eyes instantly meeting with a sword stuck in the dirt. Roman's sword. "Seriously, Princey?" Virgil laughed as he smiled softly.

"Your... Your sword." Virgil gently wrapped his fingers around it as he picked it up and just looked it over. "I never took you for the type to just... give it up. I mean... what if I break it? What if I lose it? What if..." Virgil closed his eyes as he held it close to him and let out a deep breath. "Right now I need to focus. I'm here for a reason. That dream... I had it for a reason." He twisted his wrist looking at his tattoo and just crashed. "Roman? You... Forget it." There was this howl taring through the trees making all the birds take off and Virgil froze like ice. "Shit." A massive dark dog with bright red eyes skulled out of the trees and Virgil just... laughed. "Hellhound. I was right." It took off running straight for him as Virgil quickly discarded his hoodie completely so it did trip him up. He knew he couldn't outrun him but he wanted to at least do something instead of just waiting so... He ran. "Come get me you fucking demon dog disgrace!"

"N-No..." Roman whined as he twitched in bed, sweat covering his face entirely making him look sick. "No. No no no... Please..." Patton burst into the room caring a cold cloth, carefully putting against Roman's forehead. "Don't... Don't... please."

"Shhh. Kiddo." Patton was tense as he sat himself on Roman's bed moving him till his head was in his lap. "It's going to be ok, Ro."

"No. Please..." Roman whined as Patton gently carded his fingers through the prince's hair. "Leave... L-Leave him... alone." Patton's eyes narrowed as Roman gasped and shook obviously distraught over what he was seeing. "Don't..."

"Logan?" Patton looked up to see the logical man standing in the doorway with a sad frown.

"Roman, breathe." Logan lulled as he slowly walked in and sat down in the chair beside the two. His eyes were dark and his breath shakey. "If you can hear us, you need to breathe."

"He... He needs..." Logan's eyes narrowed as Roman's hand twitched a soft pink haze enveloping it as the other to shot each other a look. "Take it. Take..." Roman gasped as Patton held him closer. He hated not being able to do anything. He didn't even know who the mark bearer even was. They search. they search all weak and found nothing. No one saw Princey at all and now... Now someone was out there clearly fighting and Roman was distressed about it. "Please? Please, don't... don't die. Don't..."

"Roman... You have to breathe, Kiddo."