Forgotten Magic

Chapter 21

"Never give up, Ruddiger," I inform my raccoon before picking up a vial and looking at the contents as I held it up to eye level.

The ringtail chittered almost reproachfully.

"So the last formula didn't deliver the reaction we hoped. So what?" I shrugged. "The good thing is we got a reaction..." I bent over the rocks, narrowing my eyes as I focused on the liquid.

"Varian, son, I-" my dad burst into the room.

"Oh! Dad, I..." I turned on the spot, accidentally drizzling a good amount of serum on the black rock.

My father scowled as he approached me. "Varian, I thought I told you to stay away from those rocks."

"Yeah, yeah, Dad, I know what you said but, Dad-" I start to explain.

"Then there should be no misunderstandings!" my father raged. "Now listen to me when I'm-"

"No!" I pushed my father away defiantly. "No! You listen to me, dad! Our village is dying!" I gestured out the window at a raging storm. "You think running away is going to fix the problem? No, these rocks aren't going away!"

"I know, Varian, but there is more to them than you could possibly imagine!" He turns away.

"Then tell me! I-I deserve to know."

"I'm sorry son. You are not ready." The farmer turns back and shouts in alarm "VARIAN, WATCH OUT!" In a blur, he pushes me away from the growing neon crystal, pushing his own arm deep into the matter instead. As he struggles to escape, my eyes widen in shock and fear as I run up to the my father in a panic.

"U-Uh don't worry Dad! I-I'll get you out!" I insist, nervously flitting around the amber.

"No! Stay back!" my dad warns, holding a hand out. He looks down in defeat, taking in what I feared could be one of his last breaths.

"I-I'm gonna go get help!" I announce, and I start booking it out the door.

"No son! Don't!" the village leader shouts after me, but it's too late. I hurriedly slip into a cloak, grab my bag, and run out into an approaching blizzard.

Through fields, forests, plains, I had to travel. Down cliffs and through a cave. Over a dangerous gorge and up the side of a mountain. Through this journey, I had plenty of time to think. To think about all the mistakes I'd made. All the messes I'd caused. And how that if-no, when-my father made his way out, I, Varian, would make sure that he was proud of his son! I wanted my father to be proud! To see the best in me! And how he would see me rising at last!

~ ~ ~

Bad moment...I know. But...this is important. I apologized so many times for making Varian relive all this. I made sure he didn't get a chance to think about more.

~ ~ ~

I watched the storm from my bedroom. The village had been deserted. Few had decided to stay after Sarah's death. I think most fled to the island. Others may have left the kingdom. Only a few had decided to stay. Surprisingly, Parker was amongst them.

I wrote all this in my journal, trying my best to remember the people's faces when they left. Some looked angry. Others: sad. And what they said too. Most of them had said nothing. But the ones who had spoken had said interesting things.

Shadows pawed at my hand. I looked down.

"What is it?" I asked. Ever since she'd found a place at home, the white cat had taken to warning me whenever Varian had spent too much time in his lab. Or when he was crying. But... "Is it Varian?"

She started for the door.

"What is it?"

Shadows ran out. I took after her.

I burst into Varian's lab, expecting to find the alchemist sleeping next to one of his experiments or about to catch his hair on fire like he did that one time, but that wasn't what met my eyes.

There was Quirin, one arm and two legs trapped in a rapidly growing crystal. A crystal that was growing...from the rocks.

"Quirin!" I cried. "What-what happened?! Where's Varian?!"

The farmer gritted his teeth, trying to pull free. He sighed heavily. "Varian was experimenting on the rocks. He went for help."

"I-I can get you out," I panicked, approaching the amber. "I-"

"No!" He held out a hand. "Stay back. It's not worth it." He looked back at the rapidly growing amber. "Listen, Savannah, I...When you came to us-Varian and I-I thought I recognized you. I...I knew your mother."

Time stopped. Time stopped as I processed this. But I didn't have the time to.

"You...you knew my..."

"Yes. Isabel Eclipse. Now...now listen. I...in the top drawer of my desk is a stack of letters. A stack of letters from your mom. They...they'll provide you with what you need...to find her."

I couldn't believe it. Quirin was speaking like he wasn't going to be there. To help me find my parents. "No! No, you're not going to be stuck here! Please. Tell me you'll be fine! Please."

The village leader sighed, shaking his head. "Oh, alright. When I get free, I wnt to see you ready to find your mother. Alright?"

I smiled, wiping tears from my eyes. "Okay."

"Now go."

I turned and walked away, looking back one last time before closing the door.

The last of my family was going to disappear again.

. . .

I hesitated before entering Quirin's bedroom. It was a very tidy room, with few things aside from a bed and desk. I noticed an open chest underneath a picture. But that wasn't what caught my attention. The picture...was.

It was a lovely portrait of three people. There was Quirin. And then there was a woman. Her hair was orange and tied up in a bun. She wore a pink and white dress with a white apron. They were both holding a laughing baby. A baby that I soon realized was Varian. He was laughing, and I noticed a gap between his teeth. As well as the streak in his hair.

I moved to the desk-a blank table with nothing on it except for a pot of ink. I took a deep breath and pulled open the first drawer.