Chapter Three: Wind, Sea, and Alina
Buddi's silent tears and whimpering had subsided but he still clung to Ursa as though his life was depending on it. The child had since been cradled in Ursa's lap, refusing to move. Ursa could have moved him herself but she knew when visions and life became horrifying, even Barbics needed comfort. She also knew that while Buddi was strong in both body and spirit, he was still just a child.
The horror he'd seen as well as the weakness that the cold had invaded on his body had zapped his strength. He had closed his eyes and was seemingly asleep in Ursa's arms. Occasionally she would stroke his hair in a way of comfort, of telling him that she was still there.
"I think it's safe to say that that was not a normal daydream." Ursa spoke morbidly, looking down at the cub in her arms. Gritty reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. Ursa looked up at him and he spoke,
"I know that Ursa and so do you. But the question's still the same. We don't know what brought the fear on."
"He said he didn't want see me die."
"But that's about all I heard."
"But Gritty…he's so afraid. I don't want to make him talk now if he's so terrified."
"Ursa…he's a Barbic!"
"And he's a cub."
"But if you don't make him talk how do you expect us to-"
"Hush! You'll wake him up."
"Fine, I want to know what's going on. I hate being left in the dark, you know that."
Ursa nodded and felt Buddi shift in her arms. He propped his head against her chest and curled his legs up to his chest. Ursa held his body close to hers and Gritty noted that she held him like a mother would her son. She held one arm over his upper arms and had he been facing Gritty, she would have been shielding his heart. Her other arm was draped across his temple; it would have protected his head. Gritty chuckled and Ursa looked down at how she was holding Buddi and knew that's why he was laughing. Her cheeks burned a slight pink but she didn't move her arms.
"So, what do you think we should do then, Ursa?"
"I want to know as much as you do Gritty." She shot back. "But quite frankly, I'm not sure what it is. I'm not even sure that it's a vision. What if it's an omen?"
"An omen of what?"
"Destruction."
The two turned their faces down. Buddi looked up at Ursa faintly, with empty, frightened eyes. He looked first to her and then to gritty. "Destruction," he repeated.
"What are you babbling about?" Gritty asked, his usual sternness returned but there was a slight touch of worry.
"I see her in my dreams and in these visions. She's just a faint image though."
"What are you saying, Buddi?" Ursa spoke with her usual authority that said plainly to give her a straight answer and no riddles or sarcasm.
"Black," was all the child replied with.
"Huh?"
"Black, total blackness. A complete plain of night black. That's-" Buddi paused, his eyes grew large and the tremble of fear entered his voice. "stained with the blood of the lost!"
"Buddi, stop it!" Ursa shook him, looked at him sternly, hiding her worry.
"I can feel it drawing closer."
* * *
"Sunners, Sun-Sun? Come on there, kiddo wake up."
Sunni sat up slowly, her head throbbing. She opened her eyes slowly but her vision was smeared. She blinked and it slowly cleared. She was in her bed, and a cloth had been draped over her forehead. She looked down at the hands that held her. They were sky blue. And those nicknames were familiar. She smiled as her vision cleared.
"Oh, hi Gusto."
The artist took on a relieved expression and helped her sit up a little more. She rubbed her head and said,
"Ow, that smarts."
"What happened, Sunners?"
Sunni met eyes with the artist. She remembered. Tears filled her eyes and she said softly, "The vision."
"Say what?"
"The vision. I've been getting real bad vibes lately. I didn't think much about it or I tried not to. But then tonight I got a vision. The dark form is always there. She's evil, heartless. She carries no mercy."
"Sunni…"
"She's a wave of hatred and evil. She never loses power and she will keep on going. Killing and killing, letting blood stain her hands until they bleach red!"
"Sunni Gummi!" For the first time, real sternness entered the gummi's voice. He grasped Sunni by the shoulders, gave her a good shake and said, "Stop it now! Stop it!"
"I want to! I want to! But the vision still comes. And the blood still flows. And my friends still fall, lifeless!"
She flung her arms around his neck and sobbed. Gusto looked shocked, but wrapped his arms around the yellow furred girl. She wept for some time but as her sobs subsided, Gusto spoke. He didn't know what was wrong but he knew her well enough to know that she'd need to get over the shock before she could tell him anything. He tried to think of a way to get her to calm down. Then a grin spread over his face and he spoke.
"Say, Sunners. I've been looking for a subject fro my next painting. Someone with beauty, grace and kindness. Why don't you pose for me?"
"Me?" her eyes lit up. "Really?"
Gusto smirked, "yep, in fact, let's go while my creative juices are still flowin'!"
Sunni laughed, her eyes wide with joy as she was towed from the room into the main hall where Gusto got ready to do some painting. But while she was happy, that horrid scene would never leave her eyes.
* * *
Buddi trembled slightly and Gritty increased the pressure he was applying. Of the few things that Gritty could do to comfort, massages were the best. He'd always been good at them and his strength helped immensely. Temple massages worked wonders for stress and fear, so that's what he was giving Buddi. It normally helped a great deal but right now it was just enough to keep him from babbling on about the evil he was seeing.
"But…Ursa, I mean it. That came so clear and so vivid."
"Hush." She put her finger against his lips and Gritty increased his pressure. Ursa could see that it was slowly but assuredly beginning to work. The cub's eyes were drooping. She smiled at him faintly and spoke again, "I know that it's really bugging you Buddi, but you need to cool it. You're freaking out severally."
"No I'm not. I'm just-"
"Ursa's right." Gritty spoke up and started using all of his hands to massage rather than just his pointer fingers. Buddi stopped talking and closed his eyes. He wasn't asleep but it was starting to work. Gritty mainly used the massages on Buddi when he wanted him to sleep. It had worked when he was about six and it still worked. "You're working yourself up, relax, kid."
Buddi tried to. He had just recently seen the woman in his visions. A dark haired woman, with empty merciless eyes. Her face was very pale, almost a snow white. Her lips had not been red but midnight black, an evil looking person, if there ever was one. He could see her- no wait! He wasn't imagining things. The vision came again, not as fiercely but concentrating on that mere woman. He could see her, cold and heartless.
She stood amid the field of the fallen. Her feet were bare and humanoid. But she wasn't human. He did not know what she was. Her face was oval, like a human's but her eyes were higher, her forehead smaller. Her face itself was shorter and her ears were pointed. She had sharp teeth, but not razor sharp like some wolves and beasts, just sharper than usual. And her form was far taller than the average human, about eight feet. Her hair was long and was seemingly made of black silk. She only had a single eyelash and it covered all her upper eye before sprouting backward as a single stroke of black. Her lips were pencil thin and blacker than the night. She wore a simple enough outfit. It was a dress, long enough to reach her feet, which were bare. The dress was tight, revealing her hourglass figure. The sleeves ended at her shoulders as spaghetti straps, turned translucent with speaks of silver, and stretched to her wrists. Blood rolled over her feet.
She smirked. In each of her hands, she held skin, shaved off of bears while their hearts still beat. Ursa's was in her left. Buddi felt his heart speed up. He knew it was vision but still, how could she be so cruel?
The dark haired creature towered over him, and knelt to be beside him. She locked eyes with him. Then, slowly, she lifted Ursa's limp form, right in front of his eyes. She was still alive. She looked up at him, weakly. She smiled faintly.
"Buddi…"
But Ursa never finished. The woman smiled again at Buddi and then plunged her knife through Ursa's neck. Blood splattered Buddi's face. And the woman..
She laughed.
"Ahh," Buddi snapped back into reality. He saw Gritty still trying to calm him down, Ursa still sitting in front of him. She asked the child, softly,
"Buddi, what is it?"
Gritty broke in, "Tell us, please Kid."
Buddi said nothing. Those moments, those horrid moments came rushing back. He remembered what Ursa always bragged to others about: We Barbics are tough. But Buddi didn't feel tough right now. He didn't even feel brave. He was scared. He wanted comfort, someone to tell him it would never happen. Barbics never admitted they were afraid. He met eyes with Ursa and whispered.
"I'm scared."
Ursa didn't hear him, nor did Gritty. He looked at himself; Ursa had tied the blankets so that they held. He felt terrified, not wanting to admit but just as afraid not to. He remembered the Test of Bearhood and all that training he went through. But for once, he didn't care.
Tears filled Buddi's eyes. He felt his voice choke up. Then he could stand it no longer. Tears erupted from his eyes and he leapt at Ursa, flinging his arms around her neck. His sobbing voice screamed out, "I'm scared!"
Ursa was shocked. Gritty looked at her grimly. She held the child to her tightly and slowly rose. She walked off, leaving gritty, saying something to the effect of,
"Okay, okay. It'll be okay. For now, a nice glass of hot milk and then it's an early bedtime for you."
She was shielding her worry and Gritty knew it. He rose too but as he did, glanced out the window. He pulled it shut, shivering. He met Ursa's eyes and mouthed, "There's no shimmer in the moon tonight."
Ursa nodded and headed upstairs; Buddi perched on her hip like a bird. Gritty moaned, his eyes cloudy and stern.
* * *
A small figure stepped from a cave. The cave was well hidden. Carpy Mountain was full of caves but no Carpies went near this one. The girl that emerged stood still, silent. Her long white hair blew in her ocean blue eyes. Her pupils took on an eerie glow. Her voice was cold but soft, friendly.
"The sea is restless, the wind carries the scent of destruction and ruin."