Setosolace: The Kingdom's Sorcerer-AU

Chapter 4: Encounters

Seto spun around and shut the entrance door behind him, sending a minuscule stream of magic through the knob to presumably lock it. He breathed deeply as he looked around at the forest surrounding his secluded home.

"I don't usually come out at this time of day." Seto laughed out of the nostalgia overwhelming him.

Brice glanced over at the reminiscing brunette, the orange sunlight filtering through the forestry hitting him at just the right angle for his already glistening eyes to be amplified. His slightly messy, brown hair gained a gentle appearance as its color was softened by the rays. Brice's breath hitched, and he immediately flicked his gaze to the carved pathway before them.

"S-so we take this way and that'll lead us to the main path to the kingdom, right?" Brice stuttered, looking to the ground beneath his feet.

"Right. Even though it's a pretty fast trip, we'd better hurry. Night is approaching," Seto warned, beginning to move forward. Brice followed his lead when he looked up to see the sorcerer already feet away.

Once he caught up, he hesitantly asked, breaking the somewhat comfortable silence, "So, about when you mentioned other friends earlier, what are they like?"

Seto cocked his head, both in a confused and thinking manner. "Um, I suppose they're pretty good people. Like Jerome, for instance, he's a Bacca, a very strong one at that, but his intentions are always pure. Then there's-" Seto paused abruptly, halting in his tracks and sticking his arm out to stop Brice. Brice shot him a look of alarm and question, but didn't dare speak as Seto indicated to be silent. Slowly, Seto grabbed hold of Brice's bicep and pulled him off the path, making sure to step as quietly as possible. Brice began to hear rustling on the opposite side of the trail in the overgrowth and held his breath. They lowered themselves behind a bush covered in blossoming roses.

Of course, why not roses? Brice inwardly sighed, already sustaining a prick from the many thorns.

Before they could react, a mess of movement shot straight to them, forcing a gasp from Brice when he found out what it was. Not three centimeters from his face floated a rugged dagger, being caught by Seto and his magic the last second. Seto sighed in relief, then sharply stood, glaring in the direction it came from.

"What do you want?" growled Seto, narrowing his eyes to try and see who foolishly attempted such an act. He gingerly stepped onto the center of the path. Only a few more shifting noises followed, then a low chuckle.

Brice suddenly felt muscled arms wrap around his own toned torso, a hand clamping over his mouth. Not even he could escape such a grasp, and he struggled against the cold contact. He could only watch as another person dressed in dark clothing appeared out of the bushes that Seto's venomous gaze burned through, where they heard the rustling come from before. The side of the man's face was engraved by a harsh scar, running down to his neck. Seto, having not noticed Brice's shocking situation, took a defiant stance as he watched his opponent.

"So, we can either do this the easy or the hard way," the scarred man grumbled, then folded his arms and smirked.

"Do what?" Seto demanded, running different attack spells through his mind.

His reply was simply flicking his head in Brice's direction, his stringent, black hair falling in front of his face, throwing in, "Give me your valuables and we'll be on our way. If not, well. . ."

Seto snapped his head around to see the other hidden man with Brice in his grasp. Quite noticeably was a knife held to Brice's neck, pressed tightly to the skin after the bandit spoke his threat. Brice could see the wheels turning in Seto's head as he gave a loud, irritated exhale.