Chapter Three: In Ursalia's Core
Deep in Ursalia's core, in the very
center of the city, deep within the walls, was a small, dark chamber. It was
dark and musty and had the smell of blood and dead flesh to it. The scent of
evil was clearly present. It had been sealed long ago, hoping to seal away the
evil if it sealed away the knowledge of it.
But evil lives on.
Two bright red eyes opened and
slipped through the stonewalls and into the Ursalia's halls, silent as death
and just as dangerous.
* * *
Buddi awoke suddenly at a terrible
pain on his chest. He gasped, struggled to pull air into his lungs but it
refused to come.
He opened his eyes wider and his
face bleached to snow white. There, hovering just above him was something he'd
never seen before. It looked like a human, but smaller with pointed ears. And
no pupils. Just slits in a shadow black face, which hummed a blood red. It
grinned evilly and hissed,
"Evil comes full circle. Death draws
near."
Buddi fought to breathe, his heart
pounding. Then, the spirit smiled, and with a cackle that left fear circulating
through Buddi's blood, vanished.
The cub gasped for air and glanced
around. He'd never really feared the dark. But now those dark shadows twisted
and shifted, stretching claws and teeth, threatening him. Buddi curled into a
tight ball and tried to go back to sleep. But he was terrified. He swallowed,
trembling like a leaf. The cub scolded himself.
"You're a Barbic." He said aloud.
"You're a Barbic. Get it together,"
He realized his sheets had clammed
up, sticking to him, his cold sweat acting like glue. Sitting up, Buddi peeled
them off, heart alive in his ribs, slamming against them. He swallowed again.
Creaks made his head jerk. The window, the window he knew Ursa had
locked flew open and a cold wind blew in the room. He leapt up and slammed it
tightly, bolting it again. He stared down at his hands.
His reflection in the window was
larger, and black.
He raised his eyes.
Celina smiled at him and vanished.
Buddi could take it no more. He
screamed.
"Ursa! Gritty! Grubbi! Gum, anyone!"
No answer. The cub crawled under his
covers, looking for some comfort in their warmth but got none. He screamed
again, louder.
Still no reply.
"Gum's sake! Anybody!"
No reply, nothing.
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
"Ursa! Gritty! Grubbi! Gum anyone! Lnegai!"
Lnegai did it. It was Barbic for
please but was the desperate form. Children used it when they wanted something
and it worked here. He heard the pounding feet and then the door flung open and
light filtered onto his face. Grubbi reached him first and gathered the cub up
into his strong arms.
"Gum's sake Buddi." The Barbic
looked down at the pale and trembling child. "What in the name of Barbic Woods
is wrong?"
Buddi couldn't answer. But his head
jerked up at the female voice,
"Buddi!"
Grubbi released Buddi and the cub
flew into Ursa's outstretched arms. She was stunned but more worried than
surprised at the moment. She hugged him tightly as he cried into her chest.
"Buddi! What's wrong? Tell me!"
Buddi couldn't. His voice stalled.
He whimpered and cried again. Ursa brushed his hair with her fingers and rubbed
his back. He couldn't talk. He tried but the words couldn't flow. They refused
to flow. They would reach his tongue but went no further. He stayed still in
Ursa's arms.
Finally, Ursa turned to Grubbi. Her
eyes alone told him. He nodded and left, towards sickbay where they kept their
herbs. Gritty left and followed.
Ursa looked at Buddi, so scared and
frightened. He'd never looked so young to her. The last time he'd looked this
young was when he was about two and wobbling to her on shaky knees. She hugged
him close and started to hum softly, a tune she used to hum when he was
younger. Buddi was stunned at first but then laid his face into her chest and
tried to calm his heart.
The door creaked open and Grubbi
walked back in, followed by Gritty. Grubbi had a handful of herbs and Gritty
had a mug of steaming liquid. He handed the mug to Buddi. It was hot milk.
Grubbi handed the bulbs to the cub who swallowed without protest.
Ursa held him close to her, as she
knew that he needed it. She'd seen the fear in his eyes, the agonizing fear.
She knew Buddi was a Barbic but he was also her cub. He needed her.
The two others, their jobs done,
left.
"Baby?"
Buddi looked at her. She still did
not call him that often. She brushed his hair gently.
"What did you see, baby? Tell me."
Buddi made no reply. Just breathed
deeply and let her hold him.
But to himself, he wondered,
"What is this? Why am I seeing
this?"
* * *
"Damn it!"
Celina growled and picked up a spear,
flinging it at the wall. It killed the Ogre that it hit. She made no note and
paced.
"I knew those brats were the ones! I
knew it! But now things are getting complicated. They're beginning to realize.
They'll be the tide turners in the future but they're turning too fast."
She summoned up a barren landscape,
scarred with stumps.
"Well, it's time Celina took matters
into her own hands!"
She scowled and said aloud, "Those
ancients of Ursalia knew of me. I won't let the cubs realize who I am. What I
am. How powerful…my weaknesses. I won't. I'll divide and conquer."
She smiled and then with a look at
the trembling cub in her memory, said gently, softly,
"Barbic Woods…"
"Resurrect,"
