Sanria knew something was definitely wrong when Colin didn't accompany her to bed that night. She wasn't sure where he had gone and while it worried her a little, she also understood that he may very well be taking care of other things. She stayed up, reading with Leandra nearby until the man slogged into the room. "Colin... where were you?"
"I ah... was training."
"Training? You haven't trained in... a long time."
"Yeah."
Something was definitely wrong here. "Please, what is it?"
"I had a long talk with Velentham." And there it was. Sanria sighed and shook her head, closing her book.
"What did he say?"
"A lot, actually. I really think he should leave. He threatened me, well, I guess I threatened him back but still..."
"What happened?"
Colin repeated the things Velentham had told him and the blood drained from Sanria's face. "It isn't true, is it?" he asked her when discussing Thasmudyan.
"Well... I..." Sanria knew she couldn't hide it. "Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked. "You said you didn't feel anything."
"Because it didn't matter, Colin. No matter what I felt, I chose you."
"Yeah."
The look of pain on Colin's face tore Sanria's heart to pieces. She wanted to make it go away, but he continued asking her, and she continued to confirm what Velentham had said. "Do you think about them when you're with me?" he asked, looking down. The breath caught in Sanria's throat. How could she deny that many a time she had wanted the man at her side to not be Colin, but someone else?
"Sometimes..." she whispered. She looked over at the pain on Colin's face and turned him to face her. "I don't think you should ask me any other questions."
"Why?"
"Because they don't matter."
Sanria waited, hoping that the message would sink in. Hoping Colin would under- stand that she was here, with him, and not the others. At long last, he did. "You're right, damn it. We're together and all that matters is us."
"That's right," Sanria replied, pulling him into an embrace. "I'll have a talk with Velentham - he needs to be set straight."
"Do you think that's wise? I mean, he's proven he'll say anything. He means to take you away."
"Take me away?" Sanria shook her head. "I think it will be fine. If he said that, he'll not do anything to me. He needs to hear it again, I'm with you."
Discussions (1-3)
Velentham arrived back at the cavern and walked into the kitchen the following morning. He searched the kitchen until he landed upon a bottle of alcohol and sat at the table with it and a glass. No matter how much he drank, it didn't get him drunk. It tasted awful, but he drank it anyway. No matter how much he drank, he couldn't wash down the bitterness that sat in his chest and kept choking him.
He had been sitting there for several minutes when Colin walked in wrapped in a cotton robe, as though he owned the world. Velentham wanted to slay him on the spot. "How is Sanria," he asked.
"Well enough, I suppose. I think she's still taking it all in," Colin answered, putting a kettle on the stove for tea. "So, did you plan on returning her memories all along?"
"I suppose I did."
"Then why the deception?"
"I came to win her back. Not really something you admit to the... husband."
"You are only here for a very few reasons. You returned her memories and spared her the pain, you are Gilean's cousin and we owe him much, and Sanria doesn't want me to throw you out."
"Right. Because if you wanted to, you could get me out of here?"
"It would be my pleasure. You know... as the husband."
"I'd love to see you try. You know... as the lover."
Colin scowled and in Velentham's vision something crept in. As Velentham grew more upset, his vision clouded, and in that vision, he saw Colin's body growing dark. There was something in him, something throughout his entire body that caused him to show up the same way demons and devils of the hells showed up. "Do you know what's odd, friend? What really seems, interesting, to me, to... mine eyes?"
"Do tell," Colin said, still fixing his tea.
"I can see an aura around you... in you. You've done something bad... are... something bad. I really hate evil things, you know? Gets in my blood, makes it boil."
"Funny how good and evil can be so... subjective. Don't you think."
The men tossed a few insults between one another and Velentham's soul grew darker as Colin spoke, "Velentham, you may think you love Sanria - but I don't think you even understand what love is."
"I was in her head, my friend," Velentham said with a laugh. "I know everything you've ever done with her. I've seen it through her eyes. I've seen your pitiful excuse for love - following after her like a dog even when she doesn't want you. You had to lie to even get her back here."
"You think you love her. You who has spent, what, a few weeks with her?"
"Would you like to know a secret? She doesn't want you. Even though she says she does, it's not you she's thinking of."
Velentham knew he had struck a chord as Colin leaned back, fighting to contain himself. The darkness within the man grew darker as Velentham watched, and it heightened his cruelty. "I recall when she discovered she was pregnant with your first spawn, the one that had a twin that she lost... how she wished it was Throm's child? I. saw. it."
"No... no..."
"Maybe this last time she slept with her ex husband, Thasmudyan? How she felt her soul merge with his, saw her life in his eyes... she liked it. A lot."
"You... you would say anything."
"She wouldn't mind doing it again, you know that? Apparently the guy is a really good lay."
"Funny, isn't it. That through all of that, and all of your pursuits, it's me she's married to. It's me she has children with. It's me who loves with her here in this house. Not Throm, not Thasmudyan, and most certainly not you."
"Not for long."
Velentham polished off the last of the alcohol that did nothing for him, barely able to contain the desire to slay Colin and the darkness within him. "I know what you're trying to do," Colin said, "and it's not going to work."
"Does she tell you that she dreams of him? That Throm fellow? The way he touched her, the way he loved her?"
"Does she tell you that? How does that make you feel my friend?"
"I was in her mind, Colin. And how does it make me feel? Nothing a little time in Elysium can't cure."
"Is that so?"
"She had forgotten you completely when she was with me last."
"Then why not take her there now? Why go through all this?"
The insinuation drove Velentham to madness. He couldn't take her there right now even if he had wanted to. He couldn't traverse the planes. He couldn't get back home. The only thing he had were the amulets around his neck, but even those wouldn't keep him from losing his mind in time. "I want her to choose me of her own accord. I could force her easily."
"Well then, enjoy the wait."
"Don't be shocked if things happen during the wait. I have convincing to do, after all."
Colin leaned across the table pointing a finger in to Velentham's face. Velentham barely held in check the desire to end him. The darkness that swirled within Colin stood out in stark contrast to the brightness that was swiftly blinding Velentham to all else. "You better watch yourself," the big man said. "You think it's fun to try to push me. You might not like what you find if you succeed."
Velentham grabbed Colin's extended finger, sending a shocking jolt of energy into him. He grinned as the large man recoiled, shoving him as he did so. "Just a taste my friend."
"Your time is very limited," Colin said, holding a fist.
"Come on... throw that punch. I dare you."
"No... now's not the time. I have Sanria... I have my family. And you better hope that that doesn't change."
"You couldn't do a damned thing even if you wanted to. I'd have your mind in a glob on the floor before you got within a ten foot distance."
Colin shoved the table in Velentham's direction and the Celestial smiled. "I'm done. And you will be soon." Colin walked out, leaving behind an untouched mug of tea. Velentham reached over, taking the mug in hand, smiling at the prospect of owning the world.
He had been sitting there for several minutes when Colin walked in wrapped in a cotton robe, as though he owned the world. Velentham wanted to slay him on the spot. "How is Sanria," he asked.
"Well enough, I suppose. I think she's still taking it all in," Colin answered, putting a kettle on the stove for tea. "So, did you plan on returning her memories all along?"
"I suppose I did."
"Then why the deception?"
"I came to win her back. Not really something you admit to the... husband."
"You are only here for a very few reasons. You returned her memories and spared her the pain, you are Gilean's cousin and we owe him much, and Sanria doesn't want me to throw you out."
"Right. Because if you wanted to, you could get me out of here?"
"It would be my pleasure. You know... as the husband."
"I'd love to see you try. You know... as the lover."
Colin scowled and in Velentham's vision something crept in. As Velentham grew more upset, his vision clouded, and in that vision, he saw Colin's body growing dark. There was something in him, something throughout his entire body that caused him to show up the same way demons and devils of the hells showed up. "Do you know what's odd, friend? What really seems, interesting, to me, to... mine eyes?"
"Do tell," Colin said, still fixing his tea.
"I can see an aura around you... in you. You've done something bad... are... something bad. I really hate evil things, you know? Gets in my blood, makes it boil."
"Funny how good and evil can be so... subjective. Don't you think."
The men tossed a few insults between one another and Velentham's soul grew darker as Colin spoke, "Velentham, you may think you love Sanria - but I don't think you even understand what love is."
"I was in her head, my friend," Velentham said with a laugh. "I know everything you've ever done with her. I've seen it through her eyes. I've seen your pitiful excuse for love - following after her like a dog even when she doesn't want you. You had to lie to even get her back here."
"You think you love her. You who has spent, what, a few weeks with her?"
"Would you like to know a secret? She doesn't want you. Even though she says she does, it's not you she's thinking of."
Velentham knew he had struck a chord as Colin leaned back, fighting to contain himself. The darkness within the man grew darker as Velentham watched, and it heightened his cruelty. "I recall when she discovered she was pregnant with your first spawn, the one that had a twin that she lost... how she wished it was Throm's child? I. saw. it."
"No... no..."
"Maybe this last time she slept with her ex husband, Thasmudyan? How she felt her soul merge with his, saw her life in his eyes... she liked it. A lot."
"You... you would say anything."
"She wouldn't mind doing it again, you know that? Apparently the guy is a really good lay."
"Funny, isn't it. That through all of that, and all of your pursuits, it's me she's married to. It's me she has children with. It's me who loves with her here in this house. Not Throm, not Thasmudyan, and most certainly not you."
"Not for long."
Velentham polished off the last of the alcohol that did nothing for him, barely able to contain the desire to slay Colin and the darkness within him. "I know what you're trying to do," Colin said, "and it's not going to work."
"Does she tell you that she dreams of him? That Throm fellow? The way he touched her, the way he loved her?"
"Does she tell you that? How does that make you feel my friend?"
"I was in her mind, Colin. And how does it make me feel? Nothing a little time in Elysium can't cure."
"Is that so?"
"She had forgotten you completely when she was with me last."
"Then why not take her there now? Why go through all this?"
The insinuation drove Velentham to madness. He couldn't take her there right now even if he had wanted to. He couldn't traverse the planes. He couldn't get back home. The only thing he had were the amulets around his neck, but even those wouldn't keep him from losing his mind in time. "I want her to choose me of her own accord. I could force her easily."
"Well then, enjoy the wait."
"Don't be shocked if things happen during the wait. I have convincing to do, after all."
Colin leaned across the table pointing a finger in to Velentham's face. Velentham barely held in check the desire to end him. The darkness that swirled within Colin stood out in stark contrast to the brightness that was swiftly blinding Velentham to all else. "You better watch yourself," the big man said. "You think it's fun to try to push me. You might not like what you find if you succeed."
Velentham grabbed Colin's extended finger, sending a shocking jolt of energy into him. He grinned as the large man recoiled, shoving him as he did so. "Just a taste my friend."
"Your time is very limited," Colin said, holding a fist.
"Come on... throw that punch. I dare you."
"No... now's not the time. I have Sanria... I have my family. And you better hope that that doesn't change."
"You couldn't do a damned thing even if you wanted to. I'd have your mind in a glob on the floor before you got within a ten foot distance."
Colin shoved the table in Velentham's direction and the Celestial smiled. "I'm done. And you will be soon." Colin walked out, leaving behind an untouched mug of tea. Velentham reached over, taking the mug in hand, smiling at the prospect of owning the world.
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