"Did you tell him?" Roman asked the next morning as they got ready for the day. Roman had been asleep when Logan left Virgil's room and came back to the one he shared with Roman so this had been the first opportunity to ask.

"No," Logan replied simply as he buttoned his shirt.

"Why not?"

"It was not the right time," Logan said, and seeing as he had known Roman for years now he knew this answer would not satisfy him so he continued, "he wasn't in the healthiest mindset. His anxiety had gotten the better of him,"

"Oh," Roman spoke, he knew nothing of anxiety, "is he alright?"

Logan nodded, "yes, we spoke briefly and it seemed to have calmed him. After that, I helped him learn another spell, though he hasn't yet got a complete grasp on it. It might take a couple more days, Virgil's magical talents are honestly not at all weak, especially considering most of his magic is spent through visions. I believe the only reason he struggles so much with it now is simply that he did so as a child. And as a child, he developed the belief he was bad and could not perform magic well. After the brain hears something enough times it begins to believe it"

"So you think Ann is basically psyching himself out?"

"That is one way to put it, yes,"

"Are you gonna tell him that?"

"I've tried, however, he is set on the belief that he'll always struggle and nothing can prevent that"

Roman shrugged as he sat on the bed he had slept on, "well, he does know his magic better than you do. It is his after all"

Logan nodded but doubted what Roman said. After all, Roman didn't have magic and knew very little about it. He was even still wary about people who possessed it despite his best friend being one of those people. Logan understood why Roman's whole family and most of the kingdom felt odd about magic. The twins were more accepting of it but that was most likely only because Logan had it and having magic didn't change who he was.

People with magic had a bad reputation in the Light Realm. The stories of all the bad and evil things they had done were the only ones told. Very few stories existed of magical people saving villages from dragons or damsels from towers. People with magic were thought of as dangerous and evil. It was a miracle they weren't being killed as soon as they were discovered with so many people in the Light Realm thinking that way.

Things had gotten better over the years, as they did. Slowly becoming more accepting and beliefs evolving to think a little more logically. Not everyone with magic could be evil, could they? No, they couldn't and they weren't. It was a slow process but a process none the less.

Did you know there were forty-three magically government officials in the Light Realm? It wasn't a lot considering there were a little over a thousand government officials which technically meant any mayor, elected official, or person with a title of lady, lord, and above. There were lots of those. The Dark Realm had one hundred and twenty-four. And when Crown Prince Janus took the thrown he would be the first King to possess magical abilities.

Logan thought it wonderful how much more accepting the Dark Realm was to the Light Realm. They had seen a couple of street performers the other day, a boy and girl just a little younger than Virgil using their magic to tell a story. Illusion spells, they had stopped to watch for a moment. Roman thought the story, an old Dark Realm tale told to children, was amazing, Virgil always took any chance he could get to observe and learn magic, Patton had just been happy they could all find something they could agree to do, and Logan had just found it fascinating that children here not only felt safe enough but were actually allowed to perform magic. It wasn't exactly illegal in the Light Realm, but most guards and soldiers would force most magic-using street performers to leave.

The Dark Realm got a bad wrap, Logan had realized. The Light Realm, and several other kingdoms as well, had thought that the Dark Realm was an unkind and evil place. This was because of the kings that had come before King Harper. The past three had been evil, unkind, and ruthless. Especially Virgil's grandfather, he had been the worst of the three.

He had done terrible things not just to the Light Realm but to his own kingdom as well. He had killed his own father and brother to take the throne despite his father already having many of the same beliefs. He didn't allow King Harper to take the throne for years after it should have happened. He had nearly killed his daughter-in-law because she had magic and when he had discovered that his grandsons had magic he had nearly done another terrible thing. King Harper and his younger brother Hollis had all but forced their father off the throne, promising him that he would still have a seat at the king's advisors. When he died, very few individuals were upset about it. The Light Realm had actually thrown a party. Probably not very respectful to the dead but they couldn't respect a man like that.

After his death, the Dark Realm attempted to end the war but nothing had ever been official and small disagreements would cause battles to spontaneously occur every so often. It was both kingdom's faults this time, neither able to do much for the other but still disagreeing on so many ends. There was just too much bad blood between them, that's what Virgi's father had told him. Roman and Janus, though they had never met or spoken, both had plans to attempt and end the war once they were crowned king.

At the moment there was a truce, but nothing was set in stone between the kingdoms. Nothing was permanent. The rules hadn't been sent. No deals had been made. They had just agreed not to attack each other, that was it. Maybe after this, the war would really be over. Or maybe it wouldn't and the two princes would have better luck ending it, if they survived that was.

The group had found a clearing and were taking a break before starting to set up camp. It had been a long day and they were tired, a break was well deserved. Roman and Patton were talking joyfully near where they would set up a fire while Logan read a book and Virgil napped against a smooth rock slightly farther from the group. The sounds of nature were all that surrounded them besides the foliage around the clearing, this was a peaceful setting, one that a person could easily find themselves relaxing in.

They hadn't been resting long when leaves crunched loudly beneath a person's feet, except none of them were walking or even standing. The three Light Realm citizens all paused to listen while the sleeping prince remained unaware of his friend's suspicions and worries. The three were about to return to their earlier tasks but right before they could a red triangle shot out of the trees and flew towards Virgil. It hit the prince hard and woke him in an instant, a scream of pain echoing through the no longer peaceful trees as he grabbed at the right of his chest where he had been hit. A moment later a figure in black robes sprinted out of the trees and headed towards the previously sleeping boy.

Roman was up first, sword already in hand as he moved to block the figure's path. The other two had not even stood up yet, still in shock to what had happened but beginning to recover now. Roman was not able to hold off the attacker for long, clearly, they had enhanced their speed as they moved so fast a blur followed behind them. Roman was nowhere near fast enough for them and the figure knew that. A green flame lit up in their hand, the figure had barely touched Roman before he was sent flying backward.

By now Logan stood ready to use his own powers on the attacker while Patton had acquired his bow and quiver of arrows. They had brought the weapon along just in case, he was gifted in archery nearly as much as they were in cooking, but he had been happy that he had not yet had to use the weapon. Now they had, and he was far from pleased about it.

Logan seemed to be having more luck fighting off the attacker, and yelled for Patton to check on Virgil and Roman but Patton paused when they heard Roman call out loudly. "There's two!" Roman yelled as he struggled to stand and find his sword, "There's two!"

As if to prove his point a second red triangle shot out from the trees and once again hit the Dark Realm prince. Virgil screamed again as he fell to his back when a third triangle hit him he stopped moving and only screamed. Patton lifted his bow and notched an arrow pulling back on the string. Their hands, which previously shook, stilled and released. The arrow flew forward and pinned the second attacker to the tree by their black robes.

Patton notched another arrow as the attacker pulled at the one trapping them when the second arrow was released it grazed their skin and caused them to curse in pain. A third arrow was being notched and the figure decided to abandon the robe, slipping out of it and revealing a previously hidden black mask with a red fox painted on the forehead. The second attacker threw a blue spell towards Roman making him stumble back, Patton released the string but missed as they went towards Virgil again. The boy was struggling and failing to get off the ground, sparks of spells formed and died in his hand in a fruitless effort to protect himself against the attackers.

Patton was frozen for a moment, unsure whether who he should help. Logan was still fighting off the first figure and beginning to lose. Roman was injured, but Virgil was hurt worse and struggling against the second attacker as they tried to pin him down. He might not succeed if he helped Virgil and if they got away and took him too then all three of them were going to need to race after them. He was frozen for too long, before he could decide what to do the second attacker had succeeded in knocking Virgil unconscious and was picking them off the ground, "Camon Luther, stop playing with the guy!" they said in a voice one would not expect to be so high or feminine.

The other in front of Logan smirked before using the same spell he used on Roman, on Logan and caused the less experienced wizard to be thrown to the side and crash to the ground a few feet from where Roman now stood. The first figure ran after the second, Virgil bouncing slightly in their arms. Patton panicked to notch another arrow but it flew between the two and landed in a tree. "Ann!" Patton screamed loudly, tears in his eyes as they got farther and farther. Their speed spells had begun to wear off but it was still fast to chase after the attackers on foot, they'd need their horses.

"Patton!" Roman yelled, "Logan's hurt"

Patton turned towards Logan who was pushing Roman away, "I'm fine Roman, we need to go after Virgil"

"Arms aren't supposed to look like that," Roman argued.

"It's just dislocated, we'll find Virgil and I a healer and I'll be fine" Logan grabbed onto Roman to help him stand before beginning towards the horses, they seemed startled and Logan was thankful they had thought to tie their reigns to a sturdy tree branch.

"Logan we need to get you help," Roman insisted

"We don't know where they're taking him, Roman!" Logan yelled, "It's an hour till dark and for all, we know they'll make a portal to get away. If we don't go now, he could end up with his brother sooner than we hoped and not in the way we wanted." There was silence for a moment as Logan struggled to climb on Poe with an injured arm, "The Dark Realm needs a king, we have to be sure they have one"

Roman looked to Patton to see what he thought, he was sure Patton would agree that Logan needed help but Patton simply shook his head at him, "Ann needs to come first here kiddo, you know that" Roman sighed but nodded and got on his horse and gave into his friends' choice. Patton led the way as Roman took Lucy's reigns, the three moved quickly.