And The Drums Rolled On (SetoSolace)

---SEVENTEEN---

"Brice?" Seto called out.

There was no answer.

Seto ran around the halls of the castle. The sorcerer jumped over ruble of the fallen walls. He stepped over the corpses of humans and sorcerers alike.

The prince swiveled his head back and forth, searching for his companion. No, he was more than that. Much more, Seto realized this.

But he had realized it too late.

The sorcerer turned another corner, looking for the blonde. He saw the library door was open and Seto walked through it. 

Nobody had gone this way, there were no bodies. Everything seemed still and peaceful in the library.

"Brice?" Seto called out, worried. Was he too late? He had to find Brice.

Seto looked down another row of book shelves and saw him.

Time seemed to slow as Seto's blazing eyes widened, looking at the body of his friend. Brice was laying in a pool of red liquid.

"Brice!" Seto ran over to the blonde and picked him up. Seto examined Brice's condition. His chest was burnt and red. Fireball.

The sorcerer felt his eyes dim as he gazed at his friend. He put on ear up to the blonde's mouth. He was breathing, but slightly.

"Seto?" the blonde muttered, fluttering his eyes open.

The sorcerer gazed at the human. "Yes? I-I'm here," he stuttered out, looking at the human with watery eyes.

Brice coughed into his black sleeve, leaving a damp, red spot. "It's gonna be okay."

"No it's not!" Seto finally lost his cool and hugged Brice close. "Brice, you're gonna die! I don't want you to die!"

"Seto, please calm down. You're gonna attract someone."

"I don't care, Brice! I don't care anymore!" 

Seto sobbed into the wounded human's shoulder. "I just want you to live, Brice."

Brice weakly pulled away from the embrace and looked Seto in the eye, smiling. Blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth. "But Seto, that's what I want for you. You have to get out of here, please."

Seto shook his head, looking at Brice. "I-I'll heal you." Seto lit up his hands slightly and reached out to Brice, to which Brice grabbed his hand, shaking his head.

"It's gonna be too late Seto," Brice said smiling still. "Please just escape for me."

"Why?" Seto said, not even trying to hold back the sadness in his voice. "Why do you want me to survive so badly?"

"Because I love you," Brice answered simply, pulling the sorcerer into a kiss. Seto kissed him back, not minding the metallic taste.

They pulled away and looked into each other's eyes. The two prince's smiled at each other. Then Seto realized Brice's icy blue eyes were dimming. The human closed his eyes and fell into Seto's arms.

"Brice?" Seto squeaked out. 

No response.

The sorcerer let out a wail and hugged the lifeless body in his arms.

I need to go, he told himself.

But couldn't.

He sat there on the sold tile for a while, then put the corpse. The sorcerer stood up, wiping tears from his eyes. 

He summoned a bouquet of marigolds to land in his hands. Gently, he placed the bouquet on the corpse. Those had always been Brice's favorite flowers, he had told him two months ago when they explored the garden outside the castle.

Memories flooded Seto's mind, all the good expirence's he had had with the human while he was a prisoner. The final memory of them falling asleep on each other in this very library where Brice lay dead.

Seto left the library, no longer having any will to live. How sad. 

The prince took his gold and amethyst crown off and looked at it for a second. How silly that thing was. Seto threw it out one of the newly opened windows in the hallway.

He walked through the hallways, looking for some human to just come and kill him. Surely Ty could take over and lead. Or maybe his brother Tyler.

As he thought about these things, he came across the soldier with the hat. He had a tear stained face, just like Seto's. Oh yeah, Seto had killed his friend. Maybe the soldier, Jerome was his name, would take revenge on him.

He did.

The soldier looked at the sorcerer with angry eyes and ran towards him wielding an axe. Seto didn't even take a defensive stance. He just let it happen.

He blade cut through Seto's armored side with ease, and all Seto did was flinch. Then he fell over, armor clanking as he hit the floor. Purple liquid spilled out of his side, causing Seto to grimace. He  cast a spell on himself, causing him to not feel pain.

As he lay there the lights seemed to dim.

Then all he could see was black.

---

I'm not done yet