Lief skittered and slid down the path, worrying not about his numerous scratches and bruises, but about Jasmine's life.
As he made his way down, he opened his backpack, and pulled out a towel. Soaking it in water, he put it over his nose and mouth. He, at least, was safe from the deadly flowers and their poisonous fumes. 'So that was what I forgot about the flowers of Reality Valley!' he realized, berating himself mentally. 'I should have looked after. Her mind was fogged by recent events and look what that got us into,' he thought to himself, panicking slightly.
Lief finally got down to Jasmine's level, and ran, stumbling slightly, to where she lay, with her arm at an odd angle.
"It's plain luck she only broke her arm," someone muttered seductively behind him.
"Really? And who are you to be here without an air-tank?" he asked back, to realize:
It was the Spirit of Life.
She was plainly dressed in a flowing white gown, with fair hair and almost-white skin. She padded barefoot on the flowers, and one almost immediately noted that the flowers did not bend under her weight.
One could say she was beautiful – in a twisted sense.
"So, who are you and where are you from, young man?" she asked.
"It's to be none of your business," he muttered, checking Jasmine's body for any more damage externally.
"That's fine, Lief of Del, because I already know your name. You are King of Deltora, are you not?" she asked with a malevolent gleam in her eyes that was almost transparent.
"Yes. It is an honour you know it." Changing the topic, he added, "Do you think I could heal her here?"
"No. She has gone too far already. All this time she has been breathing in the deadly fumes of these flowers," – the Spirit gestured around her with an expression of pleasure – "which makes her as good as dead. You might as well stay here with me." She added the last part with a dazzling smile.
Lief felt himself being drawn towards her, and willed, with all his mind, to break out of her grip. "No. I love Jasmine, and that's it. No others." He finally broke out, and pulled a spare towel from his backpack.
"That will not help Jasmine. She is already gone."
"What? What do you mean, Jasmine's gone? Can't you heal her in some way?" Lief asked desperately.
"I could, but why should I? She is, after all, the girl that's standing between you and me." She asked.
Back in Deltora
"…So, what do you want me to do?" Barda asked, when he had gotten back to the palace in Deltora.
"Huh?" Doom asked, absorbed in his thoughts. He regained his composure, and sat up. "Oh yes. I called you back because of Jasmine."
Barda's senses got him ready for a surprise, although he subconsciously knew what Doom was going to say.
"I want you to help me."
"Help you for what?"
"Help me to persuade the people of Del. Is it not clear that these people are concerned for Lief's well-being, yet hating Jasmine?" he asked.
"Oh…" he realized the direction the conversation was going.
Valley
"Because…" Lief found himself searching himself desperately for answers. "Because… I love her, and you wouldn't want me staying here with you if I moped around all day."
"Yes. I suppose that will be the case." Coming forward so that she was just in front of him, she sighed dramatically, she added, "Get me a sprig of the atracaccia you want so much."
Lief was impressed. "How do you know so much about me?" he asked.
The Spirit of Life held up a shimmering ball of pure light. "This is the key. Now, go and get it."
"I'll have to know where it is," countered Lief, "Or I'll die of the fumes soon."
"No, you will not die of the fumes anytime soon, for you have the Belt of Deltora. Am I mistaken?"
"No," Lief admitted.
"I'll tell you anyway. Do you see that grove of trees there?" The 'grove' could hardly be described as a grove, for there were only three trees, and young, weak ones at that.
But Lief still nodded.
"Well, you go into the midst of the three trees and you'll find them under your feet."
"All right then." He ran the way there, praying with all his heart that Jasmine would live again.
Behind him, the Spirit sighed, and touched both Jasmines' eyelids.
"What in the name of the Belt am I doing here?" she asked, groaning as she tried to sit up. She registered the unearthly being in front of her and stopped.
"I'll be willing to give back a lot in exchange of Lief," she said.
"What do you mean, a lot? And in exchange of Lief? How?" Jasmine asked fiercely.
"Oh, the life of a loved companion…" she trailed off as Lief came running with the fragrant herb in his hand.
"Jasmine!" He sighed in relief that the Spirit had kept her promise.
He rushed to give the Spirit the leaf of atracaccia, and by mistake, touched her hand.
She held onto it for three seconds, and when she let go, Lief was a transformed person.
"I'm sorry Jasmine," he said, turning to crouch down to Jasmine's level. "I've found someone that is more valuable to me than you." The Spirit of Life came forward, to rest her hand on Lief's shoulder.
He touched it lovingly.
At the same time, Jasmine yelled, "No!" with such force, that, in spite of all her self-control, the Spirit went reeling backwards.
"Jasmine! Don't you want me to lead a happy life?" demanded Lief, standing up.
"I do!" she cried desperately. "She has you under a spell!"
"What spell? I know you're just jealous, Jasmine. Can't you for once let go of the things that are out of your control? Lief is going to stay here, with me." Turning to Lief, she asked him. "Aren't you, Lief?"
By way of response, he walked back to her and kissed the nape of her neck.
"You disgust me," muttered Jasmine. Then, she found a bright idea.
"Lief, please, do one more thing for me." She asked, as a final request.
"What?" Lief asked. "I want to know before doing it."
"Please kiss me, one more time?" she requested. It had a dizzying effect on Jasmine, and she swayed slightly, in her sitting position.
He looked at the Spirit, who said, "Only on the cheek."
He came over to Jasmine, and helped her up.
He kissed her very lightly on her brown cheek, and as his lips made contact with her face, she pressed her hand, attached to the broken arm, to the Topaz, praying her plan would work.
"No!" The Spirit of Life cried helplessly, rushing over to push Jasmine away from her beloved, when Lief blocked her way, making her reel back. The spell on him had been broken by Jasmine's love and the power of the Topaz.
"Oh Lief," she cried. "You know I can't touch you with the power in you, don't you?"
"I do, and thankfully, I have no intention at all of letting go of it," replied Lief coldly.
Meanwhile, Jasmine reeled back with the force the Topaz had sent out to her. She landed on her broken arm, giving a sickening thud.
"Jasmine!" she heard, before, with all the pain and dizziness, she blacked out.
All right, Jasmine made her broken arm worse… what's going to happen now?
