The Sorcerer Prince

Chapter #4

A/N
I made the magic chart ^above^ to explain a bit better

"I don't understand! Why are sorcerers trying to kill my father!?", Seto has to yell over the noise from above, running through the dungeon with the soldier leading the way.

"The magic in King Vincent's bloodline is weak. The few powerful remaining families see that as a sign to end all of you", the guard is blunt, yanking a torch off of the wall as they reach the staircase. All of the rest of the guards are gone, leaving the confused prisoners.

"Wow, that makes me feel better", Seto mumbles. Sorcerers are coming to kill him because he wasn't born with magic. Great.

"Don't worry, Seto, I'm going to get you to safety. I won't fail". The guard's burning conviction is touching. They didn't even use the prince's formal title.

"So, you know me, but what should I call you?", Seto asks.

"Phantom".

"Phantom? That's an odd name".

"Are we really going to sit here and discuss my name?".

"Fair point".

Phantom leaves the torch in the stairwell when they reach the top. It's only now that Seto realizes how strangely the guard is dressed. He's wearing the right uniform, but he has no sword or weapon. Yelling and loud shouting is the only way that Seto knows a fight is actually happening. The prince can't be too trusting. Phantom is trying to get him out of the castle, but Seto is more concerned with finding his parents and sister. 

      "Let's go this way", Seto pulls on Phantoms arm when he tries to go left.

     "But Seto, the stairs aren't over there! We need to leave", Phantom argues.

      "There's another way over here. We can't argue, come on!", Seto raises his voice a little. He won't leave without Abigail again. Again? Where did that thought come from? Phantom looks like he really wants to argue, and he opens his mouth to say something, but gives in. He won't argue with his prince.

     The two of them take the right passage and leave the dungeon stairwell behind. Seto hasn't has a lot of combat experience, but he wishes that he had some sort of weapon. The two are about to turn another corner when Phantom pulls Seto back by the hood of his cloak. He's surprisingly strong for his size. A blur flies inches in front of the prince's face. A palace guard slams into the wall and slumps to the ground. Phantom doesn't give them a second look.

      "Stay behind me", he says, widening his stance and holding his hands out in front of him.

     "I'm not defenseless, you know", Seto frowns.

     "You might as well be without your magic".

     "I've never had magic......".

Phantom reveals himself by turning the corner, losing his cover. Seto nearly yanks him right back. What's he doing? The prince peeks around the corner just in time to see a sorcerer launch a green fireball at Phantom. The sorcerer was one of the nobles that he had eaten brekfeast with. Phantom doesn't try to dodge it. Instead, he waits for it to get close. He seems to almost catch the fireball without actually touching it. It stops abruptly and swirls around his hands before Phantom hurls it back at the sorcerer. It hits them dead on and knocks them unconscious.

"Woah! I didn't know sorcerers could do that. What type of magic do you have?", Seto gawks in confusion. He's never seen anyone manipulate a sorcerer's spells like that.

"That's because it's not part of a magic type", Phantom answers without thinking. He starts running down the hall again, making Seto chase after him.

"What do you mean it doesn't have a magic type!? It has to be one of the four", The prince argues. When Phantom refuses to answer, he asks again. The guard can't help but reply.

"You know what familiars are, right? Your mother has one? Familiars have a special ability that grows with the strength of the alchemy sorcerer they're bound to. Mine just happens to be one of the strongest". Phantom's answer makes no sense. Why would he have the ability of a familiar? Before Seto can ask more questions, he spots a door. He skids to a stop and yanks on the handle. The door is locked.

"What are you doing!? That's not an exit". Phantom has to run back.

"Abigail!", Seto yells for his sister and pounds on the door, "Let me in! We have to get out of here!".

"That's why you wanted to come this way? To save her?".

"Of course I did! I can't leave her like this a second time". There it is again. Seto has no memory of something like this ever happening, but the pain is there.

"I should've know. You would have wanted me to come here first", Phantom's mumbling is too faint for Seto to here. The guard feels terrible, like he had let the prince down. The door suddenly swings open, and Seto nearly topples over from leaning against it. A little girl jumps out and clings to his legs. Abigail is crying and sniffling, but glad that Seto came for her.

"It's ok now, Abigail. Everything is going to be ok", Seto mumbles, holding her close. The moment is ruined when a pair of sorcerers turn the corner, spotting the human prince.