"I don't get it." Roman commented. Pat looked up.
"What don't you get, Dada?" He asked. Roman shrugged.
"A lot of things." Remus supplied helpfully. Roman glared at him.
"Just this thing." Roman said.
"What's the thing?"
"You know the kids you saw a few weeks ago?" Roman asked. Pat nodded. He remembered the two people very vividly. "Well, Papa says they're royalty."
"What, like kings and queens?" Pat asked, eyes growing wide.
"Kind of. More... princes. From Aristal." Roman explained. "We're kinda curious about why they were out so far in the forest."
Pat shrugged and went back to playing with the little felt dragon Virgil had got him, flapping its wings. "They said they were out riding. And they were on horsies so..." He shrugged again. "Why's that important?"
"It's not." Remus said quickly. "We're just curious, that's all."
"Look, Pat," Virgil said from where he was leaning against the wall, "sometimes grown-ups comment on and think about things that don't involve them. Especially your Dada."
Roman let out an offended scoff and shoved Virgil lightly. Pat giggled as Virgil tried to hide his smile.
"But we don't need to." Virgil continued with a pointed stare at Roman. "The princes of Aristal aren't really important. They're strangers."
"And we don't talk to strangers!" Pat chimed in excitedly. Virgil grinned at him.
"Exactly."
Pat went back to making his dragon fly about the table, littered with wood chippings. Something was still playing on his mind, however.
"Papa?" He asked.
"Mhm?"
"When can I go out alone?" He asked. "Only, one of the princes was six, like me. And he was out alone."
Pat didn't see the scared look Virgil sent Remus and Roman. He was focused on Smoke, his dragon, and waiting patiently for an answer.
"Look, Pat... that's different." Virgil said eventually.
"Why?" Pat asked.
"Cause he was with his brother." Remus said quickly.
"Oh..." Pat's brow furrowed a bit. "Do I need a brother to go out alone?"
"No... It's just safer that way."
"Why?"
"Because then there'll be two of you."
"Why's that safer?" Pat asked, looking up at his parents. Roman and Virgil glanced at each other.
"Because... there are some people in the world who... want to hurt people- children." Roman said slowly. Pat felt his heart hurt a little.
"Why?" He asked, his voice sadder - almost heart-broken.
"No one knows, kid." Remus said gently. "They're just mean."
"But that's not fair." Pat said quietly. His face set and he waved Smoke in the air. "I'm gonna make Smoke real so that she can eat all the people who are mean! And... and she's gonna be the hero and people are gonna pay her gifts and no one's ever, ever, ever gonna dare slay her!"
Virgil smiled at him. "You're sure?"
"Yes!" Pat said. Virgil knelt down beside him.
"Well, Smoke'll need a trainer, then. How's she gonna know which people to eat?" He asked. Pat sat down heavily, thinking hard.
"I will!" He declared eventually. "I'll tell her which people to eat and I'll have a big list of all the meanies in the world! There's got to be a list, right? A big list of all the mean people. And... and we'll go after all of them and save the world!"
Virgil grinned. "Great plan, Pat."
"In fact," Pat jumped up, "I'm gonna go start getting the list together right now!" With that, he ran off and capered up the stairs. Virgil looked up at Roman and Remus.
"Oh, what?" He asked, getting up.
"Nothing." Remus said.
"Just... you sure that's the best idea, Vee?" Roman asked.
"What's the best idea?"
"It's just... he's young and-"
"And humans need to learn this stuff." Virgil interrupted. "It's not going to do him any harm to know. Look, if you want, teach him some self-defence. But I'm not letting him go out there alone. Sure, Janus hasn't done anything yet but..." He shook his head. "I'm not letting Pat get hurt."
"For once, I'm on Virgil's side." Remus said before Roman could say anything. "Pat's in danger, whether you like to think about it or not. I'm protecting him for as long as I can."
Holy shit, I hate this chapter. I need to age this kid up real fast so we can get to the damn pining.
Bye,
Blaize