The Mark of A Cursed King

16

Patton sighed as he carefully set the bowl of cold water on the nightstand. With Logan watching Virgil round the clock to make sure the antidote was working, Patton was left to tend to Roman, who although spiritually had never left Virgil's side once just laying there with him in the bed to make sure nothing happened... physically was no better in his own sickly state. Roman's fear and nerves were worked up to the point where he had made himself sick in his sleep. It was sad to see but... Roman's never been able to handle his panic.

"Roman? Can you hear me?" Patton always asked the same question when he walks into the room. But just as always, he didn't get a response. He knew. Roman was completely and totally with Virgil. He isn't focusing on anything but him. "Okie Dokie, then. Let's see if we can cool you down." Patton smiled sadly as he rang out the washcloth back into the icy bowl. He gently dabbed Roman's sweat-slicked brow making the sleeping side suck in a sudden breath. "You with me now?"

"P-Pat?" Roman whimpered as he twitched, flinching every time the cloth touched his skin. You could almost hear the sizzle from the water as it dripped. "Cold."

"I'm sorry, Kiddo. You're overheating." Roman whined as his fingers gripped the blanket underneath him making Patton pause a bit with a worried look. "He's going to be ok." Roman didn't respond again the rest of the time falling back into his restless sleep. Patton tried not to let his worry drown him. He knew Logan would take care of Virgil. Just as he knew Virgil was far too strong and stubborn to ever let some monster take him down. The problem right now was with Roman so worried and sick... his magic was taking over and burning everything up. Patton's eyes met with the black and red scales on Roman's neck and shoulder that he usually had hidden by his prince attire. It looked to be molten against his skin creating veins of glowing heat branching off of it and distorted air to rise off the prince. "We really need to cool you down, Kiddo."

"Ah, I see you're still alive." Virgil flinched in his sleep hearing that familiar voice of the dragon witch. "Your King chose well in you it appears." The words hazed and spun until he found himself standing in this arena, A giant stone golem-like thing standing rigid in the center. "Why don't we change it up a bit. You're so determined to fight for a traitorous royal... then you can come find your next challenger on your own."

"Traitorous." Virgil spun around trying to pinpoint where the voice was coming from. "Is this because he killed your love?"

"A man who knows not of what he speaks should hold his tongue!" The witch suddenly screeched appearing before him with rage in her glowing green eyes. She growled angrily making Virgil's face pale at the sound. "Killing my Love was but the FINAL act of atrocity. The King was a vain and shallow man, turning his back that which he created." Virgil's eyes only darkened as the Witch stalked closer. "The traitorous crown will fall at his own hand. I can assure you of that. As my name is Prima... First of all his creations... He WILL meet his end."

"Not if I can stop you." Virgil glared her down as she just laughed and held her arms out gesturing to what was around him.

"I'd like to see you try, Hot Topic." Virgil's face fell at the nickname noticing that shine in her eyes. "You hardly even survived against the last of my babies that I sent to you. How are you so sure you'll even defeat this one."

"I have someone to fight for." Virgil hissed back yet she never lost her smile.

"You mean a King, whose only accomplishments were that which his creation brought him? How pathetic." Virgil flared as he furiously shook his head.

"ROMAN'S DIFFERENT!" Her eyes flashed as she growled in response. "He's changed. You're still seeing the King. You're blind to the man he's become. He's not the King anymore. He's the prince!" Fire burned in her eyes as she grabbed him by the shirt with a hiss.

"He's still a lying traitor. And you're still just a pathetic darker who knows nothing." Virgil tensed up as she blew smoke in his face with every word she said. "You have until the timer runs out to find and defeat the giant behind us... before the trial is forfeit. Break a leg." He was suddenly shoved back into the blackness, only to jump up in his bed with a pant. He winced at the pain in his head, his hand reaching up to find the bandages wrapped around his eyes. Oh... right. The beast basically took it on him. And now he has to fight a giant... how the hell was he supposed to do this. He... He couldn't...

Virgil jumped up without the slightest hesitation ignoring the ache in his beaten body, as he grabbed a bag and started to pack it. He jumped the second he heard something fall, only to look over to see a book open on the ground, the words 'don't go' in bold ink. He felt himself tearing up, but he had no choice.

"I'm sorry." Virgil ignored the whispered in his mind of Roman begging him to stay, the way his phantom touch would try to hold him back. He stopped only as his eyes met with the training room key. He sighed as he grabbed them and shoved them in the bag before bolting off despite the yelling he could hear from Roman's room. He got to the door just in time to see a plank materialize to block it and he groaned in annoyance. "Knock it off, Princey."

"Virgil?" Virgil's blood felt like ice as he slowly turned around to see Logan there with a sad look in his eyes. The older took one look at the bag and coat and sighed. Virgil jumped suddenly catching whatever Logan had tossed at him only to see a bottle of pills in his hands. "Just in case. I gave you the antidote for the venom but... You're going to be in pain. I don't want you to get sick out there. That should help."

"Thank you, Logan."

"Don't thank me. Roman's not going to be happy." Logan let out a half-laugh as he quickly caught a ball that was about to get thrown at him. "See." It disappeared in a thing of glitter as Virgil crashed. "Just be careful. Make sure you come back... preferably without missing any more... parts." Virgil flinched as he gently touched the wrapping over his eye and just nodded.

"Please take care of him." Logan didn't respond. He didn't have to. Virgil knew no one would let anything happen to the prince. He wasted no more time running out of the mind palace ignore any and every single flash of Roman in his mind begging him to turn around. Eventually, Virgil couldn't take it anymore and turned invisible making Roman freeze where he was unable to track him. Tears fell from the prince's eyes in both his spiritual form and physical. Virgil left...

How was he supposed to protect him now?