The Mark of A Cursed King

15

"It seems the Emo nightmare is holding on." A soft feminine voice lulled out with such a regal air and Virgil tensed in his dream. "One challenge down... so many to go." The Woman in that red, yellow, and green gown, to which Virgil identified as the dragon witch, slowly stepped out of the shadows with this smile on her pink lips. Her green eyes shined brightly against her tanned skin. "Are you sure you're prepared, Mark bearer?" Virgil's eyes narrowed challengingly as he glanced around trying to get an understanding of where he was only to see the black. The witch just laughed, a songful sound that almost made her seem gentle, were it not for the curse and everything.

"I'll give the king this... he knows how to find those with... spark." She smirked she held her hands out grandly gesturing out as this massive shadow behind her suddenly moved, and the ground shook. "Let's see how long that spark will last you against another of my children. You beat my pet... My sweet hellhound. Can you beat this one too?" A loud ear-splitting roar tore through Virgil's entire body as the dragon witch smiled so softly at him. The sound itself seemed to tare through everything making the air condense around him. Her red hair flurried in the wind revealing black and red scales traveling down her neck and shoulder, disappearing under her dress. Her green eyes shined brightly even as Virgil struggled just to keep his open under the force surrounding him. Virgil could almost swear those eyes looked... familiar.

Wake up! Virgil bolted up, sweat dripping down his face as he struggled just to catch his breath. He could feel that familiar ghostly touch, he knew at this point was Roman, against his cheek, as if gingerly checking him over. Breathe.

Virgil gulped down his panic as his eyes darted around noticing yet again he wasn't where he was supposed to be. Or... At least he wasn't where he had laid down before... which was in the training room all wrapped up in the clone Roman's arms, who refused to let Virgil leave if he was that upset.

The first thing Virgil did was check his wrist and sure enough... a zero was plastered in the crown. He laughed at himself as he stumbled to his feet just trying to get some sort of a bearing. He was in this field again. It was different than the last one, bigger... held no flowers just... just dead grass.

"Well, that isn't foreboding at all." Virgil teased lightly as he grimaced with anxiety. He could feel as Roman wrapped his arms around him trying to calm him down but his panic only grew. He couldn't get those eyes out of his head. She seemed so familiar but he had never seen her before. He just didn't understand it. And of course, having his mind so lost wasn't a good thing, as he failed to notice the trembles of the earth below him. That was until the earth-shattering roar shook everything to its core making Virgil's head shoot up in terror. "Shit."

"Roman? Roman, hun, it's going to be ok." Patton once again found himself sitting there holding the trembling prince as the others all sat gathered in the room. Janus held Remus close against the wall as Logan sat beside the bed dabbing a wet cloth over the prince's forehead. Roman whined in fear as he clutched Patton's shirt tightly.

"I... I thought maybe this time..." Logan started before just shaking his head. "I thought he would be a bit calmer this time around. Virgil had said he was training." Patton's eyes darkened feeling the complete terror coming off the royal in his arms and he just shook his head.

"He isn't going to calm down until Virgil is safe and back home again." Roman jerked his hands hazing pink as he let his magic flurry in him. He panted out with a cry, body going stiff, as everyone just sat there in the semi-near-silence with baited breathe. "The only thing we can do... Is just to be here for him."

"He's strong... Your stormcloud." Roman tensed as Remus's quiet and shaky voice filled the dead air. "I should know. I fought against him. He'll survive this."