The Curse of Thir

Naveen sat forward, she wished to yell out and demand Lemoine to stop. Her fear of losing Xylee magnified with each passing second. She had never felt such fear, even when that crazed man ploughed through countless soldiers before her eyes could not be compared to the fear she felt at that moment.

Xylee stood with her head bent waiting, uncertain.

Then Master Lemoine began to chant loudly in a sing song voice, in a language that mad the few attending spectators cringe. Words began and ended with no pause or definition; they merely soaked into each other and washed about in Xylees ear drums through the haze that formed the dome. A humming noise slowly rose and began to make a presence all about her; louder and louder till she could no longer stand it. Her ears curled inwardly but did nothing to dull the sounds. A millennia worth of noises pierced her ear drums and ached her head.

Her body curled up but was forced back into standing position by the sheer force of time.

Watching her cringe as she heard something none of the others could here brought a well of tears to Naveens eyes. But she did not release them. She focused all her will on to Xylee in an attempt to sooth her. She hadn’t realised she had began to get up till Clanece put his hand on her shoulder to prevent her from walking towards and into the dome.

“No my love. If you enter there I believe you would die, yes?” Naveen looked back at him her eyes full of contempt and rage. But he was right; she would die if she attempted to enter that shimmering rounded vault Xylee was now trapped in. Her very core shook with that knowledge and ached as she saw Xylee writhe in pain. The image of her body moving in and out of sight would not easily be forgotten.

“..Something’s wrong!...” Xylee screamed this but nobody heard her, the sound evaporated as soon as it left her mouth.

She heard it, she felt it. The cold of her lost memories, her guilt for killing those two boys, the power she held within and the cold darkness belonging to something living inside her. There was anger as she realised she had been playing host to a demon. Keeping him safely within her, allowing him to see and feel what she had been experiencing. But the fact that he had dulled her to be less than what she was infuriated her. Her own magic began to seep about her body attempting to rid herself of this leech. But her control and knowledge of what she possessed was less than nil.

That bastard Boni, this was his doing. She remembered his face as he forced her to drink two blue vials; she remembered how tired she had been and how sore her neck had been because of the rope. Aaraos face floated smugly before her eyes, his intentions clear. She truly had been stupid and blind, believing her life would be different from any other women to ever come into contact with the Dreag, regardless of species.

Her anger and frustration amused this demon within her. He chortled deeply the sound somehow echoed by her mouth.

“You are truly delightful Xylee! I haven’t had this much fun since, since.... we ruled Thir... HAHAHAHA.”

She fought to control her vocal chords, but he gained more control of her every passing second.

“Why haven’t they noticed...?” Xylee looked outward their faces all frozen in time. She screeched as muscle and sinew stretched with her bones; she had begun to age and it crippled her with pain.

“Oh that must hurt... but don’t worry my little pet. Soon you won’t feel a thing.”

As the necklace weakened, she felt the presence of the demon in her body. No longer able to think comprehensibly, between the pain of aging rapidly and the cold loss of control in her own body, she reached in attempting to force her power into working, certain that it would help with her predicament.

Outside nobody was aware of this struggle and continued to watch with fascination as Xylees body became nothing but a blur. Approximately only one minute had passed since Xylee had begun to realise what was happening.

“How long do you think this will take Mister Clanece?” Francis stared wide eyed yet satisfied at the possibility of Xylee being in immense pain.

“Ah, I don’t know but hopefully not too long. I wouldn’t wish to miss my own engagement party, yes?” He laughed quietly as Francis joined in.

Black tendrils fought their way out of her body but where quickly dispersed by the passing of the centuries. Her mind cracked with the pressure of growth and time but she refused to be taken over. Sharper than sharp horns shot quickly out of her skull her hands contorted as black nails extended outwards. Her ears felt heavy and her eyes began to view a spectrum of colour she never knew existed. The necklace was limp around her neck, and it was all too late when she realised that her power fed this cold creature.

Her mind was lost within his and a tail, as black as night with coarse fur worked its way from underneath her clothes. It let out a howl that pierced the barrier of time, forcing Lemoine to break concentration and stumble back.

The Dome shattered with a piercing howl, closely followed by laughter that sent chills up Naveens spine.

Before her, stood Xylee, she thought nothing of her extended horns and claws although she was taken aback by the presence of a sleek furry tail. Naveen stood up and rushed towards Xylee, forgetting quickly about laughter that had come from her lips.

“Hello princess.” Xylee smiled menacingly and swiped out at her, grazing her arms and leaving four neat rips on the sleeve of her new dress.

“...Xylee?” Naveen backed up slowly.

“Oh how you wish.” Its voice doubled with an echo of ice and its pupils and irises narrowed length wise, adding to the fear rising within Naveen.

Tiny blue cracks, much like those she had seen on that crazed guards face began to form on the corners of Xylees eyes.

“Lemoine! What did you do to her?” Naveen shouted this to him but he did not respond. His assistance knelt beside him, he appeared to be unconscious.

“Gelnane explain this.” King Tyres stood up, confused at what had just happened. He found Gelnane to be unresponsive so he repeated himself. “Gelnane! Explain the meaning of this!” Their eyes met, the Kings fierce and questioning yet Gelnanes remained passive and unresponsive. He shrugged, dismissing the kings’ demands.

Naveen clutched her arm, thin strips of blood trickled lightly out. Why was this happening?

The creature who appeared to be Xylee stretched, her previously baggy clothes now fitted perfectly. A black vine wrapped around its arm and examined it, then without warning the vine shot outwards towards one of the assistance kneeling beside Lemoine. This single vine split into smoky vapours and poured itself into his nose choking him, then draining his body of colour till he collapsed, dead.

“This power, it’s.... intoxicating!” The smoky tendrils slowly made their way back into Xylees grinning body.

“Xylee... What have you done?” King Tyres stared at the lifeless body. “I have no choice now. Guards kill her!” Naveen twisted away from this creature pretending to be Xylee and demanded her father to stop. He shook his head as the first guardsmen ran forward and grasped the king in a firm grip.

“What do you think you are doing guardsman?” He struggled but was unable to free himself, Clanece was already on his knees with a sword hovering at his throat.

Ruiters men scuffled with the few guardsman still loyal to the king, easily taking them down. All their eyes held a familiar glint of blue.

Duke Ruiter strode forward alongside his son. His daughter stood in shock beside the pillar, as confused as Naveen at the turn of events.

He stopped before Xylee and bowed beside his son.

“Everything has run according to your plans Lord Nico. The guests will be turned away when they arrive.”

“Good good. Where you aware of how much power there ia contained in this body?’

“No Lord Nico.”

“Father? Garret? What on Thir are you doing?” Delvessa walked forward eager to stop the lunacy of this situation. Xylee glared at her and bared her teeth in a threatening manner. She stopped and backed away looking around for help or an explanation.

Gelnane and Anakal stood to the side making no attempt to escape or fight.

“Ruiter you have betrayed us-” Vines of smoke entered the kings mouth stopping him from declaring an obvious truth.

“Shut it human.” Xylees body drew back the smoke and allowed it to form a seat beneath her. “Enough fun. Tyres, you needn’t worry about yourself nor your men, well, most of them. You will continue your reign as king of the human land until such is the time that you give up your throne to the Duke here.”

“I will do no such thing demon!”

“Your statement stings me deeply.” It smiled and pointed at Naveen. “This is where the lovely Naveen comes in. Do as I say and your daughter will be spared, then both of you may watch the fall of humanity.” King Tyres growled in defiance but it was soon lost as a vine of smoke emerged from Xylees finger tips and edged its way towards his daughter.

“I trusted you with her! Now you threaten her demon? I should have had you killed the moment I set eyes on you!”

“Yes perhaps you should have. But I doubt it would have led to the outcome you desire. You, your daughter and the general populace of the castle would have been dead, and that thing over there,” it waved at Gelnane, “would have proved worthless to you. If you haven’t noticed, your so called loyal right hand has become less and less responsive.” It smiled at Gelnane. “I knew you knew Gelnane, that’s the only reason you intervened. But your interest is lacking isn’t it? You’ve become more tree than man, an observer who couldn’t care less about the outcome of Thir as long as your kind is left alone.” Xylee sat back and sighed, shrugging. “Oh well, no matter. A case of ‘too little too late’ maybe?” It shifted uncomfortably as the blue lines spread through her face.

“Ugh, really?” She rubbed her face in frustration. “It does not seem like her body can withstand being drained at this rate. I don’t have a lot of time Ruiter.” Ruiter stood up, taking a small blade from his son Garret, he cut deep in to his sons neck allowing the blood to spurt and gurgle forth. Delvessa gasped and attempted to run forward to stop the bleeding but she was grabbed and held back by another blue eyed man.

Xylee stood and grabbed as much of the deep red liquid in her hands as she could. Her eyes closed and her voice echoed multiple times throughout her mouth. The blood turned into a black powder which she blew from her hands, the powder missed Naveen, Delvessa and the king but enveloped those who were being held back by the demons helpers, some of it slipped under the cracks of the halls main doors to find more to infect.