Chapter 12

"BRIANNA!" screamed Aric. "BRIANNA! PLEASE BE OK! BRIANNA! HOLD ON!"

As Aric race for Brianna he heard the Dragon laugh again.

"I MISSED, BUT WHAT'S ONE MORE WORM THAT HAS TO DIE NOW! EVERYONE WILL BE DEAD BEFORE MORNING!" roared the Dragon

But as Aric raced for Brianna he could definitely see her dying.

Her breathing was ragged and she was laboring hard. He could see bones here and there through the blackened and blistered skin, and some of the blisters were weeping a clear fluid. The entire lower left side of her body and leg was severely burned. She was obviously in agony as she lay there.

Just as the Dragon started for Aric again, something in him broke as he saw Brianna lying on the ground in pain in front of him.

Without turning around he waved his hand behind him in a circle and absent mindedly said enflame blockade and suddenly there was a huge two story high flame wall encircling him, blocking him off from the Dragon.

The wall was giving off so much heat it felt like an oven to anyone close to it.

"LITTLE MAGE YOU THINK THIS WILL STOP ME!" roared the Dragon as it started forward to walk through the fire.

But as it put one of its paws in the flame, thinking to just walk through it, the Dragon suddenly screamed out. It couldn't believe it! It was actually hurt by the flames. The pain was too intense for it to stand and it was now thrashing and flailing about in the city square.

Every once in a while it was screaming in pain it would lash out and use its fire breath on the wall, but it never made it through. The wall stopped all its attacks.

But Aric didn't even notice. He was too busy looking at Brianna.

"Bri why did you do it? Why?" Aric asked as he knelt down by her pulling her close to him.

"I couldn't let you get hit, you didn't see the blast coming," said Brianna lying limply with her face a mask of pain.

"But now you're hurt. I can't believe I failed you again. Hold on. Wait a minute and I'll heal you," said Aric with tears in his eyes.

"Aric, its ok. Remember that you did the best you could. You always looked out for me and this was my time to look out for you. I don't believe even you can heal me from this. Its ok, it's ok. But never let your fears of the curse rule your life. It's your life to live not the curses. Do some good with your life," said Brianna softly.

"Bri, I don't want you to go," said Aric softly

"But you can't stop it this time my love. There is nothing you or anyone can do. It is just my time now. Remember I have always felt I loved you more than any one person could ever love another, and you will always have my heart no matter where you are," said Brianna softly as she closed her eyes.

As Brianna closed her eyes Aric could feel her pulse getting weaker and weaker.

Aric's heart started to physically hurt as he realized that he was now losing her now forever.

He found it hard to breathe himself and tears kept burning his eyes. But he couldn't let her die. He couldn't! He just had to do something!

In desperation he closed his eyes and used his magic to keep her heart beating as he quickly attempted to repair the physical damage even though he realized it was futile.

He was so scared to lose her he was trying repairing the burn damage far faster than should have been possible. He wasn't checking his work or making sure that all the damaged cells were being repaired properly.

But as he was nearing completion he started to feel her body rejecting what he had done! It was as if the body was ready for death and Aric was keeping it from reaching that final destination!

Aric was frantic. He couldn't figure out what to do. No matter which way he tried to repair Brianna's body, it kept trying to revert back to the way it was after she was burned! Her heartbeat was once again was becoming irregular and it felt like she was going into shock!

As he kept his eyes close he felt himself losing Brianna. She was slowly now slipping away. Every function of her body felt like it was starting to shut down.

As Aric felt the frustration and desperation start to build up, all he kept thinking about during this was the time they first met in Gemma tavern and how beautiful she looked always in her mixture of shyness and anger. No matter how she looked on the outside this was always the way he saw her because it was at that point he knew he loved her

Still in desperation when he felt her body start to falter once again, Aric forcibly injected his magic directly into her body, trying to flood the cells as much as possible with his magic, hoping against hope that by to using his magic to bond the changes to her body that her body would accept them.

At first it didn't work, but then Brianna's body slowly stopped trying to revert back, and then her body started to accept what he was doing to her. But while Aric was happy, he kept frantically working until he felt everything was as it should be. He was going to save her!

He felt her heart start to grow stronger. He felt her start to breathe deeply on her own.

As he opened his eyes once he was finished he was shocked! Brianna looked as she did on the first day he met her! What happened? This wasn't what he was trying to do! How was this possible?

Gone was her silvery hair, it had returned back to the fiery red it was from seasons past. She physically had retuned completely back to the way she used to be.

Brianna's beautiful green eyes fluttered open and darted wildly around.

"What happened? I feel different. What did you do to me?" asked Brianna in shock. She was expecting the unbearable agony she was she was feeling just a moment ago. But now she felt nothing.

And as she quickly took stock of her body she didn't even see any burned or damaged skin! Just that her clothes were the only things burned and damaged. Otherwise she felt fine. No, she felt better than she had in seasons!

"Oh thank god! Thank god!" said Aric shedding a few tears as he quickly pulled her close.

"But what did you do?" asked Brianna again in wide eyed wonder from his embrace. Suddenly she really wanted to know what Aric was truly capable of.

But before Aric could answer, the Dragon roared "LITTLE MAGE, I'VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF YOU! QUIT HIDING AND COME OUT TO DIE!"

Brianna saw Aric's eyes set.

The beast that harmed Brianna and almost killed her was still here and he was going to deal with it finally once and for all.