The Dragon & The Prince - A Moceit Story

"Traitors"

 Patton's heart sank. He looked over at Virgil with a baffled expression. Virgil's head was hanging low and his eyes were locked on the forest floor beneath him. Remus looked back and forth between the prince and the mage, figured they could use a tiny bit of space, and stepped aside for just a minute. Patton took that time to step closer to Virgil.

"Is it true?" Patton asked, leaning his head down to look Virgil in the eye. "Did... did you put the curse on Janus?"

"Patton, I-." Virgil raised his eyes to meet Patton's. He tried to speak but no words came out for the first few seconds. "I didn't know. I didn't know who he was. I didn't know he was... well, yours. I just... didn't know."

"You didn't know." Patton repeated scoffing a little. "So you just go around cursing random people who wander into a forest that takes weeks to get to from your tavern?"

"No. That's not it at all. I was paid to cast a spell. Like... like a hitman of sorts. But I really didn't know that it was Prince Janus!"

"You expect me to believe that load of lies?" Patton shouted, tears making his eyes glisten in the forest sunlight.

"Patton, it isn't a lie. Please you have to try to understand!" Virgil said in his defense. Patton tried to walk away but Virgil blocked his path desperate to explain himself.

"I was approached by this nobleman at my tavern. He presented himself as some sort of Dulcinean noble and demanded that I do what he said. He told me that he would send a carriage with a political enemy of his into the woods near my tavern. I was supposed to cast a spell to change the coachman's perception of the forest around them, get them lost deep in the woods, and transform the man in the carriage into some sort of beast. I don't know why he wanted me to do this other than maybe some sort of political squabble, but he threatened to expose my secret and turn me in to the Trueno. Do you have any idea what they would've done if that man did tell them the truth about me?"

Patton did have an idea of what they would've done. Virgil would be executed or just simply killed in the streets like a dog. But that didn't make him any less angry with him.

"Virgil." Patton said sheathing his sword. "You... I can't just forget about this and trust you. Even if you didn't know what you were doing and you had to do it to keep your secret... I just... can't."

An awful silence hung in the forest air. Patton couldn't forgive Virgil for what he'd done... but he couldn't just leave him in the forest alone. Besides, he still needed Virgil to take him to Draach.

"Let's just go." Patton said, keeping a stern expression on his face as he started walking. Virgil nodded just grateful that Patton wasn't sending him away. He followed after Patton, continuing the journey through the forest. Remus didn't notice that they'd started moving again until they'd been walking for nearly a minute.

"Hey! You two may be done with your little squabble but I'm not done here!" Remus shouted after them. Patton sighed and stopped in his tracks, closing his eyes.

"What do you want?" Patton asked with a sigh.

"Um, hello? I still want the money for the capture of Janus. You're not leaving me behind."

"Then come with us." Patton said. Virgil opened his mouth to protest, but quickly shut his mouth after Patton shot him a look. "If you help us get to Janus and change him back, I'll pay you double the bounty you're after."

"Make it triple and we've got a deal."

"Fine. Triple the original bounty."

Remus grinned nearly sadistically and nodded, following Patton and Virgil as the trip continued. Things seemed pretty much the same in regards to where they were going and why, but deep down Patton knew that nothing was really the same.