Janus groped for the handle of his katana, and Virgil struggled to his feet, but it was Patton who got to the rogue first. Gripping the bat in white-knuckled hands, he swung it hard into the rogue's skull. The skull cracked beneath the heavy blow, and blood and brains splattered across the leaves as the rogue toppled sideways, dead upon impact. Remus shoved the corpse off and sat up, taking in a shaky breath then all eyes turned to Patton.

Everybody gaped at the Heart, who stood there with a bloody bat and no remorse on his face. He held out his hand to Remus, who took it and was pulled to his feet. Patton calmly grabbed Remus's morning star and handed it to him.

"You okay, Rem?"

"What. The ever-loving. %#*&?" was all Remus could manage.

Patton smiled grimly. "Roman used to take me on adventures when he was bored and lonely after you two fought. I got over worrying about the imaginary foes a long time ago. They always come back for the next adventure. Never saw one bleed like that though. But I've never been in this half of the Imagination."

"Are you okay, Patton?" Janus asked slowly.

"Nobody messes with my family, Jan," Patton said, a fierce light in his eyes. "And if that meanie is torturing Roman, then I'll just have to put him in his place."

It was the fact that Patton called Ego a meanie instead of something harsher that told them that he was really okay. Remus grinned at Patton and hefted his morning star.

"Do you have a plan, Mr. De-Pop-ulator?" Remus asked casually.

"Probably a scout," Patton said, smiling at the rather dark nickname. "What tribe is he from? I can't remember how to tell them apart?"

"Southern," Remus replied, scanning the body. "See the blue lining?"

"Mm. They usually fight defensively, but they can strike fast when agitated." Patton worried his bottom lip and looked around. "Logan, what do you think? Do we want to try and sneak attack them or should we wait for them to come to us?"

Logan adjusted his glasses, staring at Patton as if he'd just noticed something fascinating. "Well, the trees provide ample cover, and if we can circle around the enemy and surround them, we would presumably be able to thin their numbers, which would naturally weaken their strong defense, giving us the opportunity to overpower them."

"Okay then. We'll surround them and attack. The signal is a swallow's call." Patton demonstrated, and they all nodded. "Are we ready?"

Remus looked to Virgil and Janus, who were nursing bruises already. They nodded sharply, in full agreement of the plan. The execution of the plan was a success. The attack went well, and Logan got his first taste of defeating a fighter. When his whip wrapped around the man's arm and he pressed the button, the shock was startlingly powerful, and the man was dead in less than a second. Logan stood frozen, surprised, and it was only Patton breaking an enemy fighter's knee to stop him from braining Logan that snapped him out of it. He spun to find his next target as Patton finished off the one with the shattered knee.

When the battle was over, Logan looked around at the carnage and felt a fierce satisfaction that his plan had worked. "I am starting to see why Roman likes to have adventures!" he exclaimed, his eyes dancing. "This is absolutely invigorating!"

Patton laughed. "I guess you've never done this before?"

"I never saw the point. I thought it was foolish." Logan pressed his lips together as his eyes flickered away. "I suppose I made a miscalculation."

"Fancy way of saying you were wrong, L," Virgil said softly.

Logan flushed and squirmed. "I… I dislike being wrong," he finally said, his voice small.

"Why? Everybody is wrong many times each day, not to mention throughout their lives," Janus said, wiping his blade with care.

"I…" Logan squirmed again. "Can we speak of this another time? We should be advancing in our quest."

"Certainly," Janus said. "But why, Logan?"

"I need time to formulate an answer," Logan said.

Janus did not say he was lying, and the others stared at Logan curiously. Logan was always like the one standing up in class, raising his hand and eager to give an answer. But this time, he was sitting and saying nothing.

"If you need time, Logan, I can give you that. And thank you for being honest," Janus said solemnly.

Logan gave a curt nod and straightened up. "Where do we go from here?"

"On to the bog," Remus said. "This way."

But Patton didn't follow. They turned to see him gazing at the bloody remains of the warriors, his eyes glazed. He raised up the bat and stared at the viscera on it. Remus frowned and walked over.

"You okay, Pop Star?"

"It's just… a lot of blood." Patton shivered. "It's not like this in the other half. It's… clean over there. This… this is…"

He looked around then dropped the bat and hurried over to the bushes and vomited. Remus cringed and walked over to pat him on the back.

"Easy, Pat. Easy. Just let it out."

"It's so awful," Patton wheezed, wiping his mouth.

"It doesn't bother me. But I get that you don't think like this. Can you go on?"

Patton spat then straightened. "I'm not letting Ego keep Roman a moment longer than I have to."

Janus and Virgil wiped off the bat with the clothes of one of the fallen warriors. Patton turned and walked over, taking his weapon and swinging it idly.

"Okay. Let's go."

They trekked through the rest of the Wicked Wood, and when the trees thinned, they could smell the wet, earthy scent. Remus got to the edge of the bog and scanned it. The fog coiled through the air, hiding the muck and anything that lay in wait.

"Foggy Bog," Patton said. "So we are heading to the castle."

"Yep," Remus said. "Of course old Ego would be there. I bet you we'll find him sitting on the throne with Roman torn to shreds beside him."

"How do you know?" Patton asked.

A dark shadow passed over Remus's face. "He's a combination of the two of us. Me and Romy. If Thomas was different, we might never have split. And he's the result." He licked his lips. "Roman didn't become king because he and I agreed that we didn't want to rule like that. He wanted to be a prince. I wanted to be a duke. There was no king. But Ego? He's a mix between the two of us, dark and light together. And he wants to rule. So he'll be there, sitting on the throne, waiting to lock me and Romy away, separated forever. And he will be king."

"That won't happen," Virgil said.

"I don't know if it will. We might not be enough. The combined power of me and Romy against us? I don't think we can beat it."

"But if you and Roman work together, you might be able to," Janus pointed out.

"Romy won't work with me. He made that clear years ago. He doesn't work with villains."

Before any of them could argue, Remus stepped into the bog and began to make his way through. They followed closely, peering around for an enemy, but Remus finally relaxed around the center.

"It's a Riddle Master," he sighed then approached the platform.

A holographic chip activated and a sphinx stood before them. It sat down and peered at them. "Do you want my riddle?"

"Yes. If we solve it, we wish for you to lead us through the bog to dry land," Remus said.

"Agreed," the creature said. It rolled its eyes up to the sky and spoke in a strange, guttural voice. "What can be touched but can't be seen?"

Logan's mind leaped into high gear and he began to think on the riddle. Patton tapped the bat on his palm and thought hard. Janus and Remus began conferring with each other. But Virgil spoke before any of them could get very far.

"Someone's heart."

The sphinx smiled. "Correct."

With that, the sphinx disappeared and a path opened up before them. They quickly began to walk again, and Logan peered curiously at Virgil.

"I've never taken you for the type to enjoy riddles."

Virgil shrugged. "It's an easy one for me. I can't see my heart, but you've all touched it in different ways."

"Really?" Patton asked. "I should have gotten that one. It's about my function after all."

"Don't worry about it," Virgil said. He glanced at them and flashed a smile. His canines glinted in his mouth. It didn't frighten or bother them, but Virgil still seemed to be aware of it, and he quickly looked away and hid his teeth again.

"You don't have to do that, kiddo," Patton admonished gently.

Virgil shrugged. "It's embarrassing. I can't help it."

"Yeah, and Jan can't help his scales," Patton challenged. "But we love both of you anyway. And it bothers me that you don't trust us."

"I'm trying," Virgil said softly.

"I know. And I know it takes time. But we are here for you, Virgil."

Virgil nodded. "I know that. But thanks for reminding me."

They passed onto solid ground and the fog rolled back across the path. Then Remus stomped the muck off of his boots and looked around.

"This way," he said and began to walk.

They got to the next obstacle to see a knight in blue staring at them.

"Hey Blue. What is it this time?" Patton asked cheerily.

"You must beat me in a race," Blue said.

"Did Roman beat you?" Remus asked shrewdly.

Blue hesitated then removed his helmet. The missing eye made Patton gag and Logan turned away quickly. "No," he answered grimly.

"Ego did," Remus huffed. "Well, Janny, you'd better get in the saddle. You're the best rider we've got."

Janus tossed his hat to Virgil and walked over to mount the horse. The stallion was a fiery one, but Janus moved with the horse as it jerked around. Logan and Patton thought it was strange how flowing Janus's movements were, and it was almost like he was a part of the horse.

"Ready, Blue?" Janus asked once he'd reined in the stallion.

"At your mark."

The two racers got ready and then there was a flash of blue flags and off they went. Janus rode low over the saddle as the stallion flew over the racetrack. Blue's stallion was just as good, but it was very clear that Janus was a better rider. As they passed the finish line, there was a flash of yellow flags to signify that Janus won. He dismounted and waited for the others to get there. Blue slumped in his saddle, looking tired and pained.

Remus came up and patted the stallion, looking up at the knave. "Do I get to ask you a few questions?"

"Two," Blue said.

"Did Roman go into the castle?" Remus asked.

"Yes. And I was surprised to see that he was the one who chose to fight Ego. I never thought he would. It's always you."

"How much power does Ego have?" Remus asked.

"Too much," Blue said darkly. "And I shudder to think of what he's doing to Roman. He's not so bad. Arrogant sometimes, but Ego is worse." Blue dismounted and rolled his shoulders. "You'd better go."

Without speaking, he began to walk away. Remus looked grim as he turned and headed toward the castle, gesturing for the others to follow. After several minutes, Virgil made a strangled sound and turned to cough.

"Virgil?" Patton asked.

"Dragon ahead," he croaked.

"Goody," Remus said sourly.

"Is this always your attitude with adventures?" Logan asked. "Or are you acting like this because of your illness?"

Remus stopped walking so suddenly that Logan knocked into him. He turned to scan Logan's face. "What illness?"

Logan heard a hint of fear in Remus's voice. "You didn't eat breakfast this morning. And you've been off-color all day. And you barely touched your dinner. I simply assumed that you are a bit ill."

A flush rose up Remus's cheeks and he spoke before he could stop himself. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar," Janus said, unable to help himself.

Logan pressed his lips together. "Are you hiding something?"

"No," Remus said.

"Liar," Janus replied again before clapping his hands over his mouth. "Stop talking, Remus," he said, his voice muffled behind his gloved hands.

"What are you hiding?" Logan demanded.

But Remus listened to Janus, not Logan, so he turned around.

"We've got to find out what type of dragon it is," Remus said.

"Sulfur means it's a flame dragon," Virgil said quickly, cutting off Logan's attempt to continue questioning Remus.

"We still need to know the color," Patton said.

"Why does the color matter?" Logan asked, looking vexed.

"Because it's the level of the difficulty of the fight," Janus said. "A purple dragon would be on the easier side for fire dragons because it's got more blue in it. And a yellow dragon would be more difficult because the color is warmer."

"So we need to find out the color," Logan said.

"Red," Virgil suddenly whispered, his large eyes looking up behind them. "It's red."

They all turned to see a vivid red dragon staring at them over the treetops, smoke pouring from its nostrils.

"Of course it's red," Remus huffed. The dragon inhaled and opened its mouth. "Scatter!" he bellowed.

And they ran in all directions. The dragon breathed a path of flame after them, and the heat licked at their heels. Without a plan to attack and without the element of surprise, they were at a loss for what to do. But Patton kept a cool head and considered the other dragons he'd fought. He'd never faced a fully powerful dragon of any type, but fire drakes were notoriously difficult. Water was their weakness, so he hunted around for any source of water he could find. He found a small stream and conjured a bucket.

After filling it to the brim, he hefted it up and took a deep breath. He had an idea to put out the flames, but it was dangerous. He weighed the pros and cons of possibly getting full body burns then thought of Roman, chained and in pain, and his resolve hardened. So he hauled the bucket back to the battle and went into the clearing to find it empty. The dragon was hunting his friends, which made him even angrier. Setting the bucket down, he peered around and finally found what he was looking for. The dragon was female and was guarding eggs. That's why it was so aggressive.

With a pang of regret, Patton lifted his foot and stomped down hard on one of them. The resounding crack was like a gunshot, and he heard the fire drake roar in anger. He quickly picked up the bucket and prepared himself as the huge dragon flew like a missile toward him. It landed and the whole clearing shook. Patton had no time to think as the dragon opened its mouth to engulf him in flames. He hefted the bucket of water and waited for the sparks to light the sulfur. He would have a second to act when the throat was open or he would be badly burned.

"Patton, what the %#*& are you doing?!" Remus shrieked.

And then there was a spark. Patton threw the water down the dragon's throat, and it coughed and reared, turning to hack up water.

"Now!" Patton screamed. "She's got no fire! Kill her!"

Remus immediately charged out of hiding, and he and Patton lunged for the dragon. Without hesitation, Patton conjured a knife and drove it into one of the dragon's big yellow eyes. The dragon made a guttural noise, and Remus raised his morning star and struck fast. The dragon screeched as Janus, Logan, and Virgil burst out of the forest to gaze in astonishment at the battle. Patton bolted over and ripped the katana out of Janus's hand then ran back.

"I need a soft spot!" Patton ordered, grasping the blade's handle firmly.

Remus jumped on the dragon's back. The dragon reared and Patton held up the blade then braced himself as the dragon came down. Patton had aimed carefully, and his memory hadn't failed him on where the soft spot was. The dragon's own weight was more than enough to drive the katana up through its jaw and into its brain. The dragon stiffened briefly then dropped like a stone, falling with a great crash onto the grass. Patton dove aside to avoid being crushed, and Remus grunted as he was rattled by the fall. Then there was silence.

Patton got shakily to his feet, panting and aching from being jarred by the dragon's fall onto the sword. "Is everybody okay?" he asked, adjusting his glasses.

Remus began to laugh, throwing his head back and laying across the red scales. "Holy $&!#, Pat!" he crowed. "You've got to come on adventures with me more often! That was %#*&ing insane! You just faced down a red fire drake with a bucket of water without getting a single burn! You've got guts, and they aren't strewn about the clearing!"

Patton flushed with pleasure and grinned. "Aw, thanks. I feel bad about crushing an egg though."

Remus gaped at him then laughed again. "You destroyed an egg?! #&$%, you are insane!"

Logan, Janus, and Virgil all approached. Logan looked fascinated and Virgil slapped him on the back and flashed another smile. Janus looked awed.

"Well, well, well," he said. "You surprise me, Patton. I never expected you to be so daring."

Patton pushed his glasses up the bridge of his sweaty nose. "I've just had practice. And I want Roman to be okay." He paused. "We should have a snack. Then we'll head to the castle."

"Are we that close?" Logan asked. "I mean, there are no more obstacles?"

"That was the fourth obstacle," Virgil said. "We did the rogues, the Riddle Master, the race with Blue, and we just killed the dragon. That means it's clear until we get to the castle."

"So there are always five challenges?" Logan asked.

"For a typical adventure," Janus said. "Though you can alter the rules at the beginning if you wish. But be careful if you do that, and be specific."

Logan nodded, and Patton went back to the stream where he'd left the food, and they sat down and had a cool drink of water and a snack. Their eyes went to the castle again and again, and nobody spoke about their worries.

Finally, Patton looked up and swallowed a mouthful of granola. "I hope Roman's okay."

The others murmured in agreement, but Remus didn't respond. He didn't hope Roman was okay because he knew he wasn't. His hope was that Ego hadn't broken him completely. Because Ego was a part of both of them, he knew what to do to cause the maximum amount of pain and damage to both of them. Remus nibbled on his granola, his eyes on the turrets of the castle, and though he wouldn't admit it, he was afraid of what they would find inside. Would Roman ever be able to speak again? Would he ever smile and laugh and hug Remus and make the world okay again? Had Remus lost his chance to ever forgive his brother? The last thought was the scariest because he knew if he had lost his chance, it was all his fault.