Time. That's all he needed. Velentham had subdued Sanria's mind, now all he needed was time with her to go into her mind and bend it to what he wanted. He had tried to do things the right way, but all of that had fallen apart. Now, he would influence her until so much time had passed that what he placed into her brain would be her reality, and that meant she would be with him forever. He just hadn't counted on the little boy being the thorn in his side that he was turning out to be.
"Papa, papa... don't let him take Mama and Leendra. I don't want him in our house." Orn had found his way into Colin's arms, and Velentham was pissed.
"That's enough, Orn."
"Papa? I'm your... You think I'm your Papa?"
"Yes. Yes Papa. I don't want him to be my Papa."
Try as he might, Velentham couldn't manage to keep Sanria's mind in as much of a fog and work on the boy's mind. "He's confused. That was part of our disagreement, you see. He fell down and hit his head, my wife let him outside without supervision."
"You know, you've been doing a lot of talking here buddy."
"That's because this is my family, friend," Velentham tried to walk over to put his hands on Orn. If he could just send some of his radiance into the child, he might be able to silence the boy. Colin pulled him away.
"How about you let the lady and kid talk for themselves, ok? And maybe you should keep your hands to yourself for a little bit," Colin said.
"How about you put my son down," Velentham replied, growing irate.
"Do you want me to put you down," Colin asked the boy, and Orn shook his head and buried it in Colin's neck.
Velentham had had enough. He turned and walked into the house, leaving Colin and Orn ouside with the parting words, "If you want the boy you can take him." Within the house he found Sanria and walked over to her, still holding Leandra in his arms. He had time enough to put a hand on her shoulder and begin the process of turning her mind before Colin burst in the door. The man was fast becoming a nuisance. "Can we help you?"
"I don't think you're helping anyone here. Now why don't you just step away from the lady."
"I'm... I'm fine," Sanria replied.
"I'm sorry, but you don't look too fine. Why were you crying out there?"
"I... don't really remember. I must have just been sad."
Then the little voice, the voice that was Velentham's bane. "Papa, help mama. Make the tall man go away. Please. I don't like the tall man."
Hostile Takeover
Sanria released the roots and rushed to Colin's side. She shook him, begging him to wake up. "Papa! What did you do to papa?!" Orn burst outside, pointing his stick at Velentham.
"Cute kid," Velentham said.
Sanria finally took notice and grabbed Orn to her before anything could happen to him. She didn't see Orn call for the little squirrel that suddenly burst from the tree to attack Velentham, but she watched as the Celestial stomped the little rodent into nothing. "That was good, kid."
"You go! You go away!" Orn yelled.
Velentham turned toward the cavern and Sanria knew he was headed for Leandra. "NO!" she shouted and turned to Colin, shaking him furiously. "Colin, please hurry. He's going to get Leandra."
"What? Where?" he said, waking as though from a deep sleep.
"He's in the house."
"What's going on?" Colin asked, looking up at Sanria. "Who?"
The look on Colin's face confirmed Sanria's worst nightmares and she stared at Colin. Velentham came from the house, holding Leandra. "He's awake. Hello."
"No..." Sanria began. "No no... you fix this. You fix this now."
"Welcome to our home," Velentham said, holding his hand out to Colin. The act made Sanria sick to her stomach. How could he possibly expect this to work?
"Colin... please tell me you remember... oh Gods..."
Sanria watched as Colin struggled. He could see something wasn't right and even through his imposed fog, he wanted to protect them. "Are you ok? Do you need help?" he asked her, and Sanria let out a sob. At Velentham's sudden grip on her arm, Sanria's mind began the familiar submersion. It was growing harder for her to say anything, harder for her to focus on Colin's questions. She was losing the ability to defend herself against anything, and she gave an inward scream before her mind settled down into a peaceful quiet.
"Cute kid," Velentham said.
Sanria finally took notice and grabbed Orn to her before anything could happen to him. She didn't see Orn call for the little squirrel that suddenly burst from the tree to attack Velentham, but she watched as the Celestial stomped the little rodent into nothing. "That was good, kid."
"You go! You go away!" Orn yelled.
Velentham turned toward the cavern and Sanria knew he was headed for Leandra. "NO!" she shouted and turned to Colin, shaking him furiously. "Colin, please hurry. He's going to get Leandra."
"What? Where?" he said, waking as though from a deep sleep.
"He's in the house."
"What's going on?" Colin asked, looking up at Sanria. "Who?"
The look on Colin's face confirmed Sanria's worst nightmares and she stared at Colin. Velentham came from the house, holding Leandra. "He's awake. Hello."
"No..." Sanria began. "No no... you fix this. You fix this now."
"Welcome to our home," Velentham said, holding his hand out to Colin. The act made Sanria sick to her stomach. How could he possibly expect this to work?
"Colin... please tell me you remember... oh Gods..."
Sanria watched as Colin struggled. He could see something wasn't right and even through his imposed fog, he wanted to protect them. "Are you ok? Do you need help?" he asked her, and Sanria let out a sob. At Velentham's sudden grip on her arm, Sanria's mind began the familiar submersion. It was growing harder for her to say anything, harder for her to focus on Colin's questions. She was losing the ability to defend herself against anything, and she gave an inward scream before her mind settled down into a peaceful quiet.
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