Fate

[Thorin]

Thorin returned to the sanctuary, but it changed with his presence. Without protection, the sanctuary would become like a living tomb for the scorned prince. Like in the apothecary, Caela would find that most plant life wilted from his mere essence. The blood curse was quickly becoming something greater.

It was out of Thorin's control.

When he had transferred his energy with Igraine, some part of him left his very being. He walked like an empty shell, as if something else controlled his movements. His eyes wouldn't carry the same light, but a darker hue that possessed a strangely luminescent surge.

Even his body changed. His skin tone was no longer grayed, but mapped with a twisting miasma, that spoiled his very veins. While he gained the chaos sword, it had also taken some part of him. His thoughts were clouded, jaded, with surreal promises that would never see their end.

Some part of him tried to recollect Igraine, but he was only reminded of his current act. Thorin had tried to save her, but in doing so, he had damned the both of them. From sharing his dark energy he had torn himself from her presence. It should have been a simple process- yet he had felt his energy try to overtake her-rather than heal her injured body.

If the baby was lost, there was little he could do to comfort Igraine. In his crazed mind, he considered them broken. His memory, should be nothing more than a shattered dream and completely forgotten- it would be best for her.

The new sword continued to create the blackened miasma poisoning his veins. By the time Caela arrived, the sword's power would have already rooted itself in his very soul. Thorin would be changed, overwhelmed by his own guilt and the intoxication of power- although Caela may try to convince him otherwise.

He didn't call out to his sister, but he had a feeling she would be hunting him. Thorin knew he had threatened her life and jeopardized Igraine's. He wouldn't be surprised if others joined her. Gripping the sword, he simply had no choice but to wait in her home. Recalling the events with Trydian, he found it ironic that he was back where he had started.

The shadows enveloped the small room, as if they were an entity on their own. Some shadows formed as physical webs, interlacing their mass, to create a cocoon for its master. Since his journey, his energy had been depleted- but not dramatically.

He remembered feeding here, but now he only saw the remains of rotted food. The rotted remains had been the cause of his sister's temperament. Thorin wondered if he had caused his own fall. He would need to find nourishment and take command of his current residence. Without Caela, very little would survive, but he was sure he could manage.

The darkness fed him enough ego and energy, so thoughts of helplessness quickly left his mind. Leaving his sister's small home, he moved toward the Vuri lake where he had felt calmness before. It was daunting being near the lake, considering it created a fear instead of comfort.

Something called to him, asking Thorin to unsheath the Vuri blade. It was as if some force pushed him forward with the action- something with a greater will. His blood would be Vuri, but it would hold a poison in the venous depths of his body.

Without hesitation, he sliced his right arm and let the blood flow into the lake. The lake didn't react at all at first, but he noticed slight changes in the water. The lakes surface had once possessed a brilliant blue, but it now churned into a blackened crimson. The body of the lake became a livid torrent of energy, quickly creating a calm over the lakes surface.

Thorin watched in amazement, his attention turning back to the wound on his arm. He felt it heal, slowly, but it mended regardless. This would be his world now, his father would have no place here. If the current change of atmosphere wasn't a big enough threat, than the change of the lake, would be immediately felt by the other Vuri.

The lake was now connected to Thorin. His poisonous blood quickly became the new life force of the sanctuary. Thorin didn't fully understand what was taking him over, but he knew that he didn't have any reason to fight against it.

.

[Trydian]

Trydian had to detach himself from his emotions, if he were to successfully complete his personal mission. If he had to suddenly betray Queen Igraine, or anyone from the family, he would have to prepare himself physically and mentally. In any other circumstance, he would have never dreamed of harming them, but right now he didn't know what the future held.

When he entered the path leading to the sanctuary, he immediately smelled his Uncle's blood. The ground appeared scorched, blackened from Thorin's very footsteps. Thorin's figure was just up ahead, by the familiar Vuri lake. The lake had been meant to purify and cleanse current Vuri, but Trydian wouldn't be familiar with any of those rituals. The stench of blood overwhelmed him, his demonic nature demanding attention.

Unsheathing his one blade, he planned to threaten his Uncle's life for the Chaos blade. The Chaos blade could at least be safe with Igraine, while he was serving King Pendaran. Even though the King spoke a warning about betrayal, he was not necessarily betraying him for retrieving the sword. King Pendaran didn't even know the sword had existed.

Launching himself toward his uncle, he used careful footing. He could surprise his uncle, since Thorin had lost so much blood, he wouldn't be able to defend himself properly. The Chaos sword's essence called to him, almost beckoning. His eyes dilated into a soft crimson, the sign that he was drawing forth his demonic aura in full.

While he carried only a simple blade, it was the force behind it that would make it into a formidable weapon. Swinging the blade into a careful arc, he made sure the blade rested against Thorin's neck. His blade was so close, that it barely brushed across the surface of the skin. If Thorin moved, it would inevitably sink into his neck.

“I don't care what you've done to the sanctuary...that isn't my business, but the blade is. You know the one I speak of.” Trydian watched him, his uncle didn't show any fear, which was admirable, but surprising at the same time.

He watched Thorin's startled reaction, but it was the stoic expression afterward that caught Trydian off guard. Sensing the corruption in Thorin, he knew that the man had already been lost to the blade and his own Vuri powers. His soul would never be the same.

But that was neither here, or there. Trydian was here for one thing: The Chaos blade. He pushed the blade closer, resting it against Thorin's pulse. “I will not hesitate to kill you. After everything, you deserve death.” Trydian saw the emotion in his Uncle's eyes. There was some, but not enough to warrant a reaction from him. “You shouldn't even be allowed to carry our father's name. The sword...”

Trydian watched Thorin gingerly remove the Chaos blade. From a bystander's point of view, he could have just taken it, but the sword had to be handed over by the Master. If Trydian had reached for the sword, he would have felt nothing but pain.

Returning the Chaos blade to its original scabbard, Trydian smirked. His Uncle had made the mistake of valuing his life over the sword. Most men would have gladly died, rather than hand such a blade over.

“Take it. I've no use for it, now that the person I'm fighting for is gone.” Thorin said, backing away from Trydian. Thorin was still corrupted, the blade having done its damage to an already broken man. If Igraine was in fact dead, there was no reason to possess such power. Since he had given her his energy, he had lost all connection with her. Thorin feared that he had possibly killed her in the process. He only wanted Trydian to leave him with his thoughts. He didn't care what his nephew did with the blade- he just wanted to be left out of the mess entirely.

“Pathetic...” Trydian replied, turning his back on his Uncle. He walked away from the grounds, only wondering what his Uncle had been talking about. As far as he knew, Queen Igraine was still alive and well. Maybe Thorin had finally lost his senses completely. It was then that Trydian was convinced that he was the better Xanathi son.

He travelled to Queen Igraine's kingdom swiftly, leaving behind the spoiled Sanctuary that he had once called home. Trydian couldn't waste time on his task- especially if he was to convince Queen Igraine to see the King. He hoped that his sister had taken his advice and requested the gift once more. It would give them an upperhand.

[Igraine]

As the sun set in Xexoria, the Bocan realized she wasn't going to get anywhere with the pretty little travelling man named Cambria -- at least not while Aerillia was with him. So, knowing through the proverbial grape-vine that Thorin was back in town...the Bocan hurried along to see what she could see.

Once she came to the Vuri stronghold she stopped right on the edge, just outside the barrier that would see her writhing in agony if she crossed over. It was then that the Bocan decided to have a little fun with Thorin before she reported back to King Pendaran.

With the ease of centuries, the Bocan shifted her body to resemble Igraine. There would be a few differences that a discerning eye would notice if they were given the chance. The emerald green eyes were a few shades darker, the body was slightly more angular around the hips, and the hair was a shade or two off of the true color. Thorin would be hard pressed to notice these details at all given that he thought Igraine was dead. The creature standing outside the Vuri Sanctuary looked similar enough to Igraine that he might not notice anything was wrong. The Bocan had no idea that Thorin felt he had killed Igraine, but she wanted to see this creature of power as close as possible -- so she did what any woman would do.

She called to him, using Igraine's voice of course.

"Thorin. Thorin? Thorin my love, where are you? I can't come any closer..." Thorin would be in for a treat, because the would be Igraine appeared quite naked, though she was sheltered by the shrubbery and all Thorin would see would be a naked hip and a naked shoulder.

The Bocan intended to give him a good chase, and if he caught her and had his way with her -- well that would be something to be fascinated by. A female Bocan could only reproduce one offspring once in her life. Thorin could be theirs if he got her pregnant -- how enticingly delicious. Tied to the Unseelie with a little glamour. The Bocan didn't know that Igraine was already pregnant with Thorin's child and that he would default to her even if The Bocan was pregnant, Thorin had no sense of chivalry and pride when it came to getting another woman pregnant.

Granted he might want to shave his skin off if he ever found out about The Bocan.

[Thorin]

Thorin heard the familiar voice, but his mind didn't want to grasp the logic behind it. He was practically going mad from hearing Igraine again. Since his nephew left with the blade, he had been by himself near the lake. The act of power in the sanctuary didn't hold much influence over him. Thorin pondered simply wandering by himself and leaving the place. What did he have to fight for anyway? With the sword gone and Igraine dead, there was little he could do.

That was when he heard the voice of Igraine again. This time, he knew he wasn't dreaming it, or going into some state of shock. Thorin thought he had killed her, but when he stood up, he could see her as well as anyone. He felt as though he were between worlds of asleep and awake. Silently, he walked to her, thinking of her to be injured, but he didn't smell any blood on her. Yet, she was standing naked, as though some catastrophe had befallen her.

He took off his cloak and merely covered her, bringing her forward in an embrace. Maybe he was dead and his nephew had killed him, but he could still feel his pulse and hers. It was an odd sensation having her in his arms again. The taint must have change little parts of her, since her eyes were a notably different shade and her hair. They were little things that he could ignore- as long as she was alive, he didn't care about the rest of her appearance.

“I thought I lost you...” Thorin was almost too overwhelmed to react, but he did kiss her passionately. Her lips felt the same. He couldn't gather her scent, but it might have been the taint that drove it away. Thorin hadn't expected her to come back for him- not after the incident at the apothecary. He thought he had killed her and the baby...yet, she was in his arms.

“Stay with me...” Thorin said, making sure that it sounded like a demand. Right now his body wanted her more than anything. She was appearing during his weakest moment. His eyes would be glazed to any normal witness, but he would be clueless to the works of the bocan's glamour. To him, it was as if his Igraine were truly in his arms.

[Igraine]

The Bocan that was Igraine had hoped for a response like this. She didn't know what Thorin was talking about but she eagerly kissed him back, letting the length of the Igraine-like body press hard against him. Thorin would be incredibly dense if he didn't get the meaning of THAT gesture. The Bocan broke free of his grasp, stumbling slightly, her head spinning with the deep scent of Thorin. The Bocan could see why Igraine liked this man so much. He was powerful and he would make fine children.

The Igraine body double laughed a throaty, sultry laugh and skipped into the woods. Thorin would have to chase her and as excited as he was getting at the very edge of the woods...well the chase would end in a very charged and electrified way.

As the Bocan ran, Thorin would only see glimpses of her hair, a soft flash of a leg, and always a beautiful laugh -- if slightly higher pitched than normal. It could be attributed to running and excitement. The Bocan stopped at the edge of a clearing. A wonderfully exotic place to concieve a child, if she could with Thorin -- it wasn't an exact science but she was certain that it would be a fascinating twist in his life. Maybe the real Igraine would never take him back. Perhaps he would feel obligated to come to their side to see his child grow. The possibilities were getting her far more excited about the future than the prospect of sex with a Vuri man.

The fake Igraine turned with her back to a large oak tree. If Thorin was nearby as she looked at him he might see the silver flash of the Bocan's eyes beneath the off green eyes of the Igraine skin. He might, in his lust, attribute it to the last rays of the sun descending beneath the treeline casting everything in a shadowy dusk. The Bocan didn't care, she was ready for him.

[Thorin]

Thorin ran after her, only calling out her name in confusion. He was still weak, but not weak enough to not enjoy himself with her. With his natural speed, it wouldn't be difficult keeping up, but she had never done this sort of teasing with him before. Something felt odd, but the thought was only momentarily, not something permanently lingering in his mind.

Stopping just in front of her, he remembered her body pressing against his own. He knew what she wanted, the moment seeming too surreal. That was when Thorin caught the flash of silver in her eyes, but he blamed the light tricks. Using his strength to pull her close, he was almost too rough with his touch. He hadn't been with her in so long, that he almost forgot how enticing she could be.

Thorin forced her to the Earth, not at all wasting time with his intentions. He didn't like being teased and maybe it showed in how he treated her then. Igraine could always be a beautiful lethal predator, yet she never seemed close enough to him. She was the same woman who could break him, or create a dangerous lustful drive.

His hands trailed up her bare arms, savoring the cool silk of her skin. Thorin was lost in a sensual haze, her gaze as intoxication as the rest of her body. While he forced himself on her, he didn't feel her struggle against, or gasp out in surprise- it was as if she had been expecting his actions. His hands locked against her wrists, making it impossible for her to suddenly break free from him.

Thorin kissed a hungry path down her throat to her collarbone. He was normally gentle and passionate, but something about her demanded more. His hips slowly pulled back, before pulling forward with a blissful force.

If she wanted him, then he would be the one to finish it.

[Igraine]

The Bocan left Thorin lying on the ground covered in his own cloak. He was left in such a way that would make him question his sanity. He wouldnt question it for long though as the Bocan that appeared to be Igraine came back to him every night for seven nights, which for normal human time would only be two days. Every night she lay with Thorin and worked him up into a frenzy. He was paying penance for something, what she didn't know, but something bugged him as he lay with her.

The Bocan knew she was pregnant from the moment that Thorin lay with her the first time. She knew that she would have a son and it was becoming difficult to hide her thickening waist from Thorin. She had no idea that Igraine herself was pregnant already and dealing with similar problems. The Bocan would have her babe long before Igraine had hers, and she smiled secretly at the thought as she came to Thorin on the eighth day. She stood at the edge of the clearing as she had for the seven days before, knowing that he had come to her with the knowledge that she couldn't cross over into his sanctuary. She hadn't appeared undressed to him again since the first night, so tonight she wore a pretty blue gown that played off of the fake Igraine's skin-tone. She smiled when she saw him in the distance. She would be so hard to ignore.

"Thorin. Thorin, my love." She waved to him with a smile on her face. No matter how hard she tried to hide it the thickening of her waist to a softer more rounded shape was sifting through all of her glamours. Soon she wouldn't even be able to shift into a glamour without looking heavily pregnant. Thorin would probably just read it as the baby growing inside his true love, the wife he should have, and think nothing of it. As it was she was starting to show along the front, with a gentle protrusion of her belly. She was too far along for only eight days, but she was Unseelie and time ran differently there.

The boy would be born on the full moon in the human world as the gestation period for a Bocan wasn't long. It was painful, but it wasn't long. It was a boon for being capable of only having a single child in their lifetime. The Bocan had only to wait two months in the Unseelie Court. That would translate to hardly a month in the human world.

"Thorin, come to me. I would like to walk a little with you." Tonight was the night that she would bring him to her world. Bring him right to the Unseelie King. The Bocan had to hide a deeper more sinister smile as she brightened herself at the sight of Thorin. To her, he was just a means to an end. She didn't love him or his rough sex or his troubled countenance. The Bocan would love her child, only in as much as the child was capable of being loved by a murderess.

The Bocan didn't even give a thought to the fact that she might not survive long enough to raise the son she would have by this whelp of a man.

[Thorin]

Thorin heard the voice, that could take away all of his worry: Igraine. Her image was just as sweet and inviting. He would gladly give up everything, just to keep having these nights with her. His eyes would appear glazed over, as if he were in his own delusional world. What would appear as his beloved, would actually be something twisted and dark underneath the guise.

With his heart being weak from desire, Thorin would have ventured anywhere with her. Maybe she had given up her title and would be with him. The delusional thoughts continued to create a maelstrom inside of his head.

“Our daughter will be beautiful and strong...we can live here in peace. Have you left your kingdom for me?” Thorin began to think it was unusual for her to be so attentive, but maybe he had created his own spark in her- perhaps she did love him after all. His question sounded foolish out loud, but he still had the dreamy look on his face. There was little anyone could do to disrupt his world of happiness.

Walking with her, the scene would not be what he actually viewed. Everything was coated with glamour, but a Vuri didn't have the ability to see through that kind of mask. “I told you. I'm here to protect you. I'll go anywhere with you...” Thorin wondered why she asked, he would have followed her anyway.

“What do you want to talk about?” Thorin asked, wanting to do more than talking, but he could be patient for a little while longer.

[Igraine]

The Bocan hid her boredom with a smile. She masked a yawn by brushing her fingertips across her lips. She was adept at masking many things but for the love of everything unholy, Thorin was boring when he was in love! The creature pretending to be Igraine was almost tempted to reveal herself then and there -- but she thought better of it as they neared the rift between the worlds. It was how the Unseelie were getting out these days, the stronger ones were capable of moving around well before the "midnight" hours.

The Bocan reached her hand out and took Thorins as they neared the veil between worlds. Thorin wouldn't notice a difference. He might notice that it was cooler outside suddenly by a few degrees, and he might offer the fake Igraine a cloak -- but otherwise it would look no different. It wasn't hard to trick his love addled brain into seeing what he wanted to see.

"I think that you are a perfect protector. You're so strong, cunning, and handsome. Our...daughter will grow up to be as strong and capable as you, I just know it." So the bastard had already gotten the real Igraine pregnant? Well that botched things up a bit. It would really be hard to hold him down once they were reunited, even if the Bocan showed him the son she produced. In reality, the creature would just as soon gut the stupid Vuri than deal with him. She knew, though, that Pendaran would praise her highly for her tricks. He might even give her a better position within his court, though he wouldn't give her the best considering the height of her cunning.

The Bocan, who's name was known only to King Pendaran as Lydia, was smiling genuinely after a short time. Her eyes, the fake Igraine eyes, settled on the castle in the distance. To Thorin it would seem like the castle in Rivenfelde City that he had grown up in with Isabella. It glowed from within with lights and a smile brightened the fake Igraine's face. She looked at Thorin and squeezed his hand in what could be considered a loving fashion, when in reality she was tightening her grip on him so he couldn't get away. He would physically have to unhinge his arm in order to get free of her now.

"I hear there is a banquet inside. I'm famished, let's go inside." The Bocan tugged on Thorin with a girlish giggle that spoke volumes of love -- fake as it was. Poor Thorin was so ensnared in her web that he wouldn't even question her now. He was so happy to see Igraine alive and in love with him that he couldn't see past the end of his nose. They passed burly guards that, to Thorin, looked like regally dressed men. It would seem like the Rivenfelde of old, when Isabella ruled and everyone was orderly and the realm was prosperous.

"Isn't it just wonderful?" The Bocan said with a high tinkling laugh as she stepped foot inside the castle. King Pendaran would know of their arrival.