A Figment

"What's happening?" Fier fought the darkness surrounding him. There was a nothingness that he couldn't quite comprehend.. so empty that he struggled with his sense of self...some how it would be so easy to fade into this dark for good.

"Do not worry, you are not dead."

Fier recognized the echo that had answered him, the deep, warning tone. No sooner had he heard it that he could see Parsimum's withered face, just as he remembered, and those kind, blue eyes.

"Parsimum," he said. "I'm dreaming..."

"No, not dreaming," the old man urged him. He wasn't illuminated from a light shining on him.. rather, he seemed lit from within. For some reason what he was wearing was very difficult for Fier to see. One moment the old man seemed swathed in robes and the next robed in light. It changed like ripples in a pond. "Heed my warning Fier... the realm is in great danger."

"No, it isn't," Fier stated, flatly. "This is the problem with being dead, you really don't keep up with the times. Graves is dead, the stone is safe and just for your information I'm not who you should be speaking to. I seem to recall some evil sorcerer calling me a decoy for your real great great grandson. You're not forgiven so... just float off and leave me be."

Parsimum didn't float off. A sadness went fleeting across his features and then faded into more of the same glum, seriousness it had appeared to him in.

"You were not the decoy, Fier,"

"Of course I was- you managed it poorly though. Would have been more convincing to find a fake great great grandson that actually had magic," Fier scoffed. "Or didn't you realize that your real descendant was still alive? He was an inkling- my real father took care of him. It's all very confusing. I prefer not to think of it, now be gone and let me wake up already. I have a bear to impress."

"There are many kinds of magic," Parsimum said.

"Sure," Fier might have rolled his eyes, but he wasn't even certain that he had a body at the moment. "Do you know what I think? I think you're a figment."

"A figment?" the old man asked, finally looking a little less grim as a smile played on his face.

"Of my imagination," Fier explained. "I was delirious the last time I had this illusion and now I'm probably unconscious because of that strange crystal. Speaking of which- if you were real you would have a lot of explaining to do about that painting I saw in the library!"

"There is much I should have explained," Parsimum admitted, gravely. "But there isn't enough time now... you must find the stone and keep it safe."

"Or not," Fier shot it down. "Because Fritz- your real great great grandson- is in charge of that now. I don't even know where it is and I don't want to. I'm well and rid of it. Look, there was a prophecy, it was fulfilled. Graves is dead. He can't reign evil over the land anymore so rest in peace."

"..he was not the only one who wanted the stone," Parsimum said. "..I am not proud that I must ask this of you... you were every bit family to me, Fier.. I raised you like a son and I loved you as one. It is my own mistake that has brought this upon the land.. the consequences of which will be the realm's ruin.. unless the stone is kept from him."

"From who?" Fier asked, finally intrigued. Perhaps 'figment' had been a strong word for this apparition.

"From him.." Parsimum said. "From Fritz."

"Fritz?" Well this sounded strange indeed! Fier squinted, Parsimum was going in and out of focus now.. and he could feel a tug on his shoulder. "What do I do?"

"..you must leave.. you must find the stone...do anything in your power to make certain he does not get it."

"But why?"

"I will come to you again- I will find you-"

Fier was jostled from the darkness by a pair of rough hands shaking him by the shoulders. His eyes flew open and he was looking at Soot. The servant shook him again and then smiled in relief and said, "There Bellanine.. didn't I say he wasn't dead?"

Fier sat up and found that they were no longer in the library but back in the bear plundered chambers of Princess Bellanine. The large white beast was standing by her fireplace, her big head tilted curiously.

"Hey, calm down," Soot exclaimed as Fier scrambled to his feet. "We don't know what happened, I swear it... that crystal's never done that to us!"

"What?" Fier snapped. "I thought you had never touched it before!"

"We were only having a little fun," the servant explained. "We do that to all of Bellanine's suitors- the crystal just sings when we touch it- but you! You scared yourself into hysterics, I think."

"I'm not hysterical!" Fier yelled. He looked down at his clothes and grimaced as he spotted a stain running down the collar of his jacket. "Is that blood?"

"Yeah, you're a mess-" Soot said. "We thought you might be dying."

Fier could only manage a glare. Words seemed beyond him at this point. He could have been killed by a servant's practical joke. He put a hand on the back of his head and hissed at the spreading pain. When he brought his hand back the palm was sticky with drying blood.

He had half a mind to hit the lousy servant, but he had never been much for violence and he could feel Parsimum's warning echo through his throbbing skull. "I have to get out of here."

He stepped towards the door but Soot ran ahead and blocked him.

"Wait! You can't- if the King and Queen find out I'll lose my head!"

"Well there's no point in keeping something you don't use," Fier scowled. The bear grumbled and he softened his tone a little. "I'm not going to tell them anything- I just- something has come up. I'll just speak to the King and Queen and tell them to find someone else- I mean, let's face it. This isn't going to work anyways."

"But they won't let you.." Soot said.

Fier tried to walk past him but the servant stepped ahead of him again.

"I mean it," he said. "They won't let you go...if you try they'll just send Earnhoff after you."

"What?" Fier asked, doubtfully. "Why? They could just get another suitor for her. I'm really not feeling a connection-"

"...and they will find someone else for her," Soot agreed, a new paleness leaking into his concerned frown. "But they won't let you leave, Fier... they don't let anybody leave. If it got out that Princess Bellanine was a bear they feel they would be ruined... they won't risk it."

"You mean.." Fier lost his words as Soot nodded, warily and pulled a finger across his throat in example. "So... even if I did break the curse...they would still..."

Soot sighed. The answer was obvious.

"So.." Fier stepped back. "How many... have there been?"

Soot opened his mouth but was interrupted by a loud chime. His head turned sharply to look at the clock that was hung over the fireplace. The bear looked as well.

"Oh.. look at the time..." Soot was suddenly unbolting the door. "Funny how it just flies by.. you must be tired."

Fier glanced at the clock and narrowed his eyes to make sure he was reading it right. The short hand was nearing the 12... the long hand was still a little behind.

"That's odd," Fier said. "Is that clock broken? It's chiming five minutes before twelve."

"Ah, yes, that must be it," Soot said. The servant grabbed Fier by the arm as he opened the door and shoved him through it, into the hall. "I'll look into it, nothing seems to work around here. You look exhausted.. you ought to get to bed, immediately-"

"But I just woke up," Fier argued.

"Then go for a walk!" Soot said, with a brief, irritated smile. "Or read a book. I'll bet a prancing little man like you enjoys poetry-"

"But-"

The door slammed and Fier could hear the rattling and clanks as the locks were secured on the other side. He turned himself around only to find Earnhoff's ominous figure towering over him with a torch in hand.

"One moment I can't leave and the next I can't stay," Fier grumbled. "You know, Earnhoff, it would be nice to get a straight answer around here once in a while. I feel like I'm surrounded by riddles."

"What happened to your head?" Earnhoff asked, gruffly.

Fier offered a smile and said, "Oh.. you know how women are, am I right?"

He was relieved when Earnhoff didn't push the subject. After all, with recent information taken into account, he didn't feel that Earnhoff was going to be a trustworthy friend of his anytime soon.