Remembrance

Prompt 078: Betrayal

Balthazar had been having a horrible day.

Rotten was a better way of describing it actually; and when he'd expected things to get better they only grew worse. Unwilling to remember all those horrible things that had happened to him through the day he only resumed with the day's ending: Horvath had decided to attack him. They were currently fighting under the rain, using spells, weapons and fists when needed. Evenly matched and with little to loose, both masters just exchanged blows and attack spells, growling sassy remarks and witty comebacks.

The battle had been going on for hours now. Each too proud to let go and finish it already, and each too fueled with anger and hatred for the other to let it stop.

"Eat dust Balthazar!" Cried Horvath, jumping the other man and slamming Balthazar's face on the ground of the large garden. Balthazar, angrily, fought and was able to escape Horvath's grip; twisted the man's arm and gained the upper hand (forgive the pun).

"You eat the mud, old man!" And Balthazar returned the favor, pushing Horvath's face on the muddy terrain.

Magic got in the mix in several bizarre and up to some point ridiculous spells. Plasma bolts were thrown and missed, knives were lost, small magical items tear off clothes, fingers… Almost anything that might happen happened and by the time the big thunderstorm arrived they were both panting, staring murderously at each other.

"Just give me the Grimhold and its over." Warned Horvath dropped against the brick wall, too tired to move.

"Why don't you come get it?" Asked Balthazar, across from him, leaning against the thick trunk of a tree. Neither moved, just taking several deep breath and feeling their bodies.

They were both getting old.

The rain thickened and they continued to glare at each other, until Horvath tried a last trick. His cane took a dangerous glow, Balthazar narrowed his eyes and when the plasma bolt that was supposed to knock him unconscious left Horvath's hand attempted to reach him Balthazar lifted his hand and pushed it right back at the man. Horvath was pushed hard against the brick wall making it shatter and fall. Horvath moved away, clumsily and landed near Balthazar, as the wall fell. A party was revealed, and who in Merlin's name held a party in this weather, Balthazar never asked. But he took the rare opportunity and climbed over Horvath's body, his grip on the knife he always carried failing and sending it flying to the nearest fence.

He groaned, another thing gone wrong, and settled with his fists. Horvath groaned, when the first punch landed on his face, and tried to defend himself. But Balthazar just struggled with him and pushed his hands down. Another punch landed and Balthazar kept hitting him, hoping he would be brain death by the time he was done unleashing his anger against the man.

"If you!" He punctuated with a good punch, as the people of the party noticed him. "If you! Hadn't! Betrayed us! We wouldn't! Be! Here!" His words were fueled with anger, his movements hard and painful in whatever upper body part he could connect with. His punches were hard, but erratic, and Horvath if did try to defend himself Balthazar was far too gone to notice. He might have said something else, he might have sobbed or cried too, but he couldn't be sure. The men at the party hurried around them and pulled Balthazar off Horvath, saying something on their native language (Balthazar will make sure to learn Italian after this particular event) as the blue eyed sorcerer was pulled away and Horvath was nursed.

Kicking and screaming Balthazar was dragged away, staring at how Horvath just smirked through his bloody lips.

For some reason the simple smirk only made Balthazar angrier.

For now Horvath won the round, even when Balthazar had the upper hand and less blows or injuries. Balthazar spent two weeks in jail for that, and only two weeks because he escaped and returned two hundred years later, when the smoke had blow out, and found who would turn out to be the most exceptional artists of the age. None turned out to be the Prime Merlinian.

"Your face… got a pretty good… reconstructive surgery!" He growled at Horvath, having him pinned down and remembering the particular event. He'd pinned Horvath down again, rain was falling, again, and there was a party (although this time no one had noticed them) going on again. "They made your face better than it really was."

Horvath, who was holding the upper hand over Balthazar this time, just smirked and used a spell to push Balthazar off. The Merlinian fell against a wall, and the wall crumbled around him. "Unlike you I don't believe in Botox." And Horvath stood, fixing is messy clothing. Balthazar stood, ignoring the dust and messy clothes he wore, and they exchanged glares. "It's useless don't you think Balthazar? We are too evenly matched to continue this senseless fighting."

"Well, I stand by my belief…"

"Yes, yes. The whole you-betray-me-you-pay thing. Do you really believe I was the one who betrayed you?"

"No." That got Horvath to frown. "I now know you did betray us and those around you. How can anyone trust you after sucking Drake and Abigail's power?"

Horvath smirked, that little smirk Balthazar so much hated, and put on his hat. Balthazar had touched a fiber, he could read his former best friend like a book still, and probably Horvath could say the same thing. Horvath turned to leave, a silent truce having been reached and Balthazar stood up straight.

"You are alone, Horvath."

"Unlike you Balthazar, I don't need anyone to live by." And he walked into shadows, vanishing. Balthazar stood there for a few minutes, swallowing hard. He now believed many things; he believed in the power of good over evil, the power of love over hate, the power of possibility over negativity…

"You are a horrible liar Horvath."

But he also believed that he was wholly and completely guilty for what was happening to Horvath. He'd betrayed Horvath's trust, stolen his love and married her even when he'd declared nothing would separate them. He indeed was the betrayer. Lowering his eyes Balthazar asked for forgiveness one more time, and asked for some sort of redemption for Horvath, no matter how small the possibility he wanted to see Horvath out of the magic evil Morganians represented and back as a sorcerer of better caliber. Taking a deep breath he heard his companions arriving at ht small garden and smiled when Veronica made her way through the broken down wall.

"Balthazar? Are you aright?"

"Yes, fine. Fine."

"Where's Horvath?" Asked Dave, looking around as Veronica shook her head at her husband, almost as if scolding him. But Balthazar just turned away from her, not wishing to meet her eyes.

"He got away."

"You let him go." Corrected Veronica, making Balthazar smile.

"Man, you can't let him go every time! We've got to bring him down!" Said Dave, angrily, as Becky finally catch up with them panting. Balthazar gave a sad smile and looked down at his hand. He had managed to hurt Horvath, and he knew that until the other sorcerer healed no more fighting will issue.

"Calm down Dave. Is not like I like him." And with that Balthazar limped away.

In reality he didn't liked Horvath.

He just appreciated the years they shared as best friends and brothers.