Chapter 19: Too Late

Nathan closed his eyes and was deeply overcome with fatigue. As a man on a mission, he fought it. Now wasn’t the time to sleep. He had to find her. He searched through magic to find something that would be helpful.1

Then he remembered an upsetting conversation with Moranna. The princess had said something about Zoreon had trapped Larissa in a crystal. At the time he had thought it wasn’t possible and that the girl was just trying to play him. But now Larissa’s life was at steak, and he couldn’t shake Moranna’s words. He was willing to try anything to get Larissa back.2

He closed his eyes again and asked for Zoreon’s staff that Nathan had seen a few days ago. Ten seconds later he felt something in his hard in his had like a really large stick. Nathan opened his eyes and saw that a staff had placed itself in Nathan’s hand. It had a crystal on the top. He recognized it as the one from before.3

It worked!4

“Now how does it work?” he asked himself out loud. Once again he found himself searching through Zoreon’s endless supply of magic trying to find some sort of a spell or some way to get inside the crystal.5

No, I have to get her out. Not trap myself in it too. He argued with himself. But how was still the question that bothered him.6

As if on cue, an instinct came to his mind. Some sort of power made its way to the front of his mind, pushing past the question that held on.7

Not knowing what he was doing, Nathan stood the staff on the ground and let go so it stood upright without help. He waited a few seconds before he held a hand over the crystal. He closed her eyes and started to chant in a language that was foreign to the mage. It must have been a dark spell Zoreon must have learned on his own.8

Nathan didn’t really care now. All he cared about was freeing Larissa from her prison. He kept chanting not knowing what he was saying. Then all of a sudden he heard a crash. He opened his eyes to find that little shards of glass littered the ground and Larissa was laying at his feet.9

Relieved, the mage ignored his tired body and knelt by the girl, cradling her head. For a few minutes he rubbed his face against the Larissa’s brown hair. Finally he was able to call out to her, but in Larissa’s mind she couldn’t respond.10

“Larissa!” The voice sounded closer, but she still couldn’t remember whose it was. “Larissa!” her eyes were so clouded that she couldn’t see that someone was kneeling beside her failing body.11

“Oh thank heavens she’s still alive. Larissa, it’s Nathan, can you hear me?”12

“Nathan,” she gasped. She was having a hard time responding. Nathan watched as Larissa tried to use any part of her body, but failed. Her head rolled around, as she blinked continually, trying to clear her vision. She started to talk to him, but her voice didn’t make any sense.13

She’s delusional. His mind gasped as he got to his feet. It was an effort since his own strength began to slowly fall from himself. I have to get her to Tasan. He used the staff to support himself for a little bit before he was able to lift her, ignoring his body’s and Larissa’s protests.14

He disappeared only to reappear the infirmary where Tasan was rubbing a healing ointment on one of her patient’s leg. He set Larissa on one of the empty beds and waited for Tasan with impatience. When she saw him, she quickly finished what she was doing and rushed over to aid her next patient.15

“What happened?” she kept asking as she hurried back and forth getting supplies as quickly as possible.16

“She was trapped in a crystal,” Nathan replied, “Please help her, she’s dying!”17

Tasan shook her head, “she needs a super strength re-growth potion to regain the amount of strength she has lost. Which I can’t make because I don’t have the right ingredients and it will take about four to five days to make if I did have the right ingredients.”18

“Tasan, she could be dead in that amount of time!” he said nervously.19

“Nathan, I’m sorry,” Tasan said sympathizing with the mage, “If I could I would do all I can to help her.”20

“There must be something you could do,” he said his eyes pleading.21

Tasan shook her head again, sadly.22

“Nathan,” the small voice came from Larissa.23

He came to her bed side, “Yes, I’m here.”24

“Nathan,” His name was a mere whisper which made him lean his ear right up to her mouth, “The Crystal…” she gasped for air but it came out as a gurgle. “No one… can save me now.”25

“Don’t talk like that,” he tried to snap at her but he didn’t have the heart, “you’re going to be all right.”26

“I don’t…even have…the…stt…strength …anymore,” she gasped closing her eyes briefly before she opened them slowly.27

A tear escaped from his eye. He wanted to pour out all his love for her, but the words choked up inside. So he improvised, “I won’t let you die.”28

“Nathan,” she could barely lift her arm to touch his face and was grateful that he held it to his face. “I am…too weak to…” She coughed then continued slowly, “be saved.”29

“No, Larissa,” He said with tears in his eyes and the thought of loosing her was devastating. “I’m here to save you. I need you!”30

“You can’t…save me,” she said again.31

He wanted to argue with her, but he just couldn’t bring himself to the idea of scolding her when she was so close to death.32

He put a hand under her head and stroked her hair, “Please just stay with me.”33

Larissa shook her head a little bit making her dizzy, “the crystal…” she whispered.34

“Shh, I know,” Nathan cooed caressing her face as she blinked slowly trying to welcome the darkness that was now surrounding her. Then her eyes closed and didn’t open for a while which frightened Nathan, “Larissa! Can you hear me?” she opened her eyes again, but didn’t say anything. “Stay with me,” Nathan pleaded.35

She said something, but her breath was too shallow and faint to hear. Larissa closed her eyes and they did not open again.36

“Larissa? Larissa!” she didn’t respond but fell limp in his arms and then at that moment he knew she was gone.37

He couldn’t help him self as the tears started to flow down his cheeks. He gathered the girl in his arms and buried his face in her hair, breathing in its fragrance. Tasan left him alone with his grief.38

Nathan clung to the girl for quite some time before he was able to let go. He took a deep breath looking down at the still young body. Looking at her made him feel helpless. His worst fear had come true, he didn’t want to admit it, but it was true.39

Without a care in the world, he took out the potion that would stripe Zoreon’s magic from him. Nathan took a deep breath and drank it. Immediately whatever strength he had, vanished from his body.40

The mage fell to his knees. His knees shook before collapsing so he fell face first on the floor. Before he had hit the ground, his reflexes caught him. He held the last vile in his hand. With some effort, he had managed to get the vile to his lips and drank just enough to get him back on his knees.41

On his knees he drank a little bit more, gaining his strength back a little bit more in every sip until there was about a tablespoon of the potion left. He didn’t bother with the rest as he tossed the almost empty vile to the side. It landed with a crash and in came Tasan running in with a look of concern on her face. Nathan didn’t look at her. Instead he looked back at the girl on the bed.42

Just looking at her made him realize that he could have given her the extra strength potion, but instead he had drank it. Nathan sighed then wiped the corners of his mouth and staggered out of the infirmary on strength that protested his weight.