“Called?” Xunatar titled his head to the left to signal that he was in thought. Of course his own conclusions was that she was aspiring to do what many had found and came to regret later on- and that was to steal from his precious room. No one knew the true reason why he had collected such tainted things and gathered all sorts of negative energies to pool into one room. He had his reasons and it was good enough. “You seem as though the artifacts and the coin surrounding us can speak to you.” He humored his thought with a slight laugh as he approached her, slowly and with tender care. He didn’t know how she would respond, especially in his presence as he sought the best method to deal with her.

The lord watched and carefully stepped around his treasures. He wasn’t sure how much Layla had revealed to her, likely not much at all. Eventually she seemed to found something that caught her fancy- a necklace that had been one of his more recent ventures. It wasn’t too hard for him to recognize it. Apparently she didn’t take too kindly to its effect, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.

“That would be something I’ve gotten from Mamlak. Long ago, it belonged to the daughter of one of the city’s former kings. It was meant as a wedding gift to her from her betrothed from another city. Their marriage was arranged to unite the two kingdoms.” What he failed to mention was that one of the prince’s servants was madly in love with him and hated the princess he was to join forever. The woman had been a practitioner of hexes, in her quest to make him hers and to punish the poor girl, she had cursed the necklace while it was en route to its new owner. But she had made a mistake in her hex, and instead of delivering death to her upon touching it, it had a rather interesting effect instead.

“As far as I know, it is a royal necklace”, he struggled while pretending to not know what had spooked her. “Just like everything around it, it houses an unique story and I find comfort in learning about them so.” Pacing about, he turned his attentions away from her and eyes fell onto his other items.    

"I guess being called by treasure sounds weird. and not all of it calls me. all i know is from an early age different things at different times send a message that pulls at me and tells me to come I simply follow and that neckless used the things in this room to amplify its call. That is why I got through the maze so fast and without much trouble." she said as he watched her. He thought it was a joke.

Now that she knew the necklace was bad news she could care less about the love story and anything else in the room. Though the story was one of sweet sound she knew that something was wrong and the marriage did not happen. He was good at acting like nothing happened and bragged about his collection. She had learned that if that idome was a problem those it used to strengthen the call had a similar problem. She was not going to touch anything else in this room and completely lost interest in the collection. If he wanted her to try something else he could forget it. 

His words were like sweet nectar that lured the unsuspecting to pastures surrounded by starving wolves. Never letting his true intentions out by those without divinity in his blood, none were truly safe from his deceit, not even his own children were spared. Weakness was not allowed in his sights nor would it be stomached. In this little slice of the world, it was his playground and there were very few rules within the Cradle. One of which was that this room, this vile sanctuary, was very much cursed. Touching something, even for perhaps a moment wasn’t recommended, but because of the lack of security, physical or magical, it was encouraging to those whose greed and curiosity were greater than common sense and weariness. God or man, elf or dwarf, saint or sinner, they all had their vices deep inside and he was very good at exploiting them.

Xunatar gazed at Vinsue, still unsure as to what she was, but was certain that her morality was about the same as all others in this world. There was no good or bad people, not completely anyway. There was only the ambitious and those that weren’t. She seemed to be a bright woman, but even so there were vices that even captured those of the most noble intentions.

He merely watched on, not influencing or swaying her actions for there was no point. He hardly forced his hand upon them. In fact the god didn’t really need to do anything to let things come to pass. This place was one of many possibilities.

“Sounds like a calling indeed. Perhaps there’s been a reason for it to go through some much trouble” He lazily narrowed his eyes and rested his head onto his hand. “I myself have never heard of such a thing, but I do not doubt it. My question is why did it call on you so?”

She looked at the necklace that laid on the floor. The call was still there wich annoyed her greatly and every time she looked away it would almost scream at her. she wanted to talk to it and ask it why it called but she was not going to do so in the presence of another creature much less a demon. "I do not know why it called me. I have always thought it was because it did not like where it was at and wanted a new home. than again it might be partly because i am a dragon but who knows." she said before thinking. 

than again knelt down and casually picked it up. she was glad that it did not do the same thing it did last time and stood up. now that it was quiet she could think. than she realised what she had said and regretted it. She knew she now sounded like a thief but there was little she could do. she held the necklace up by the chain. Why. she thought mad at it for bringing it hear. and for making her look like both a thief and a fool. it did not respond so she looked at Xunatar. her face showing no emotion for that was one thing she had become good at over the years. 

Curious eyes could not look away from images and scenes that could captivate. Those truly in the midst of watching a murder, for example, typically wouldn’t be able to tear their eyes away from the sight. It would be as if their eyes were glued to it and wouldn’t even begin to think of looking away. Curious hearts was another matter as well; those that were too obsessed or eager to desire wouldn’t be able to completely rid themselves of it. Surely they would be able to mutter such words of refusal or perhaps even think it in their heads. But actions was so much more stronger than petty words and given the right amounts and sets of pushes, the God knew that everyone could bend and break for it.

His friend here was no exception- her calling to the treasure hadn’t quite left her yet or else she would have been ready to depart from the room, perhaps the entire Cradle itself. The demon’s thoughts grew more confident when she revealed herself to be a dragon in disguise, something that did stir some shock from him. Of course it would make sense for why he didn’t know what she was- he had little encounters with her kin and far less with those that took the form of humans.

It also made more sense for her to come here with this calling of hers; dragons and treasures went hand to hand. Perhaps she had a horde of her own and wanted to expand her collection. It was merely a thought running through his head. Her words made him grow…suspicious for some reason but he masked it for now beneath a look of indifference as Vinsue picked up the necklace once more. Unlike last time, its power didn’t scare her- it seemed docile for reasons even Xunatar didn’t know. But he did know that for its full power, it had to be worn so he allowed some of his magic to weave onto the jewelry before it started to move in her grip. Quickly, its chains moved against it as it swung itself up to her neck and locking it clasp around it. Xunatar smiled deliciously as he approached her.

“Well, that’s a nice look on you after all. And with that, I’ve bestowed onto you that which answered your calling, my dear Vinsue.”

he did not seem to care if he noticed at all that she was dragon or that she came to take the necklace home. the movement of the necklace again cault her attention and again she tried to toss it away. too late. it swung around her neck and clasped shut. she immediately pulled up her powers to contradict its powers. than he said it was now hers. she was glad that he did but she was not happy it was in her neck.

"Thank…" she started to say as she was blocking its effects. she doubled over onto her knees as she clasped it, her powers falling against it. a pain formed in her chest. She tried to remove it with no luck. she kept silent as she tried to fight it. the pain was showing in her face. After a few seconds she let out a scream and with it came a light of gold and red. the light like a smoke circled her before being drawn into the locket. after the light was fully drawn into the necklace she collapsed, unconscious, to the ground.

Although she was expressing her gratitude to what appeared to be that of him gifting her the necklace, one should be weary with making deals with the Lord of Lies. Vinsue sadly had learned the hard way while Xunatar watched on as his facial features showed more of a cunning, grinning predator. His beauty did well to conceal the true monster that he could be as he watched her in pain, in agony without any sort of way to combat the curse. He was curious as to what exactly it would do to her, but he had his thoughts on the matter. The screams filled the room, delightful sounds that seemed musical to him. He no longer made an effort to keep his emotions from surfacing to her just as she was coming into unconsciousness.

Layla had heard the woman's anguish and came rushing in to investigate. Her eyes first noticed that she had the neck on her so she swiftly moved to go and retrieved.

"No."

Her god's voice made the kitsune stop dead in her tracks. "It is a gift, after all. It would wrong to take it from her now. Besides, I'd imagine that she won't be so happy when she awakens. Take her to the throne hall." He turned and abruptly left, leaving her with the unsavory job of taking Vinsue with her. Her image of a child vanished and took her true form of a woman and pouted before calling the guards to pick her up. Layla wasn't about to be cursed and they were a dime a dozen. One of them went to grab her to throw her onto his shoulder before leading her to throne hall. She was placed down with much care while Xunatar watched from his throne, leisurely awaiting for her to stir awake, no matter how long it took. 

In the meantime, he clapped his hands and from a portal beside him came a hydra, a favorite monstrosity of his. Its heads lingered onto the image of his visitor and were snapping at one another at which would be able to savor her in its maw first. "Now, now, my beast. We are to be respectful hosts to our guest. At least wait until she wakes up first." 

At what he was planning next, it was anyone's guess.

an hour had past before she stirred. she rolled over and slowly sat up with a yawn. than recent events flooded her memory. she was quickly aware of her surroundings. she got to her feet and looked at the hydra than at Xunatar. She was mad at him for putting the necklace on her. everything seemed different. her senses were not as sharp  as they had been in the past. the hydra snapped at her and she hissed back. 

It advanced towards her and she immediately held her hands in front of her a few inches apart then flung her hands forward in a manner that had always produced flame. Nothing came and it shocked her. she dodged the head and than looked at her hands and tried to simply make a flame ball. nothing.

She again jumped out of the way of a snapping jaw than tryed to produce her electric element. nothing. "wux vucata nomeno ornla shinalt. pok wux f'ing lincesa." she yelled in her native tongue. the beast understood and looked amongst itselves obviously confused how she knew that language. "you knew this would happen didn't you." yelled at him.

Time was irrelevant to his sort, at least for now. While the God could wait as long as it took, his pet had a different mindset and could be rather volatile. It didn't feel as though too much time passed by as he lingered about his throne before his guest awoken from the shocking events previously. In face he looked on with a looming face as she cast her sights onto him as if he was the one who did wrong in this scenario. Honestly such thinking would have caused him to burst into laughter but no; a seldom look remained. Xunatar's hydra, on the other hand, finally moved against her, hoping that she would be an easy snack. As it advance, its heads still fought among themselves over her. Apparently there was still some fight in the girl, though he assumed that she didn't quite learn of just how much she was cursed until she tried to defend herself. 

The beast stopped in its ceaseless hunt when she spoke to it, meanwhile its master looked on. "Perhaps, but then again I did go onto to explain the story, if not at least half of it." With a wave of his hand, he recalled the beast to come back to his side. "Now my tale was true, the necklace didn't usher the princess' death. But it did render her useless in the magical sense. Talents and all that relied on it were locked away as long as she wore the jewelry. It was the blunder of the witch that also caused it to be difficult to be removed from the wearer. There is an easy way though, but I have a sneaking suspicion you won't like what I have to tell you." Etched on his face was a sick little smile, "The princess never had the piece removed until death. It wouldn't be until centuries later and other victims that there would be other ways, though not as easily obtained as how hers was."

"Your calling had been the instrument of your undoing, dear Vinsue. I am not one of the deities known for coddling others, but one that wishes to test the boundaries of mortal strength and resolve. Can you undo the curse? That is a fairly decent question" The way he spoke, it sounded like an opportunity rather than a warning. As if he was a businessman making a causal offering.

She was a bit surprised that he called his pet back rather than telling it to keep going but she did not show her surprise. she stood tall and crossed her arms as he talked. "You said that the necklace was a gift from a lover you never mentioned a witch, the curse or the blunder." she stated. than she stopped. "I Knew not to put it on though." she almost whispered. than she realised he said that it rendered all her magic useless. she tried to turn back to her true form but that did not happen. his smile only angered her more. he was finding to much pressure in this situation. Than he said that death was the easiest way to remove it.

Stuck as a useless human tell death was not an appalling thought especially knowing that about every pirate and bounty hunter was out for her head. she had yet to lose a fight with them but that was do to her powers and she had not tried one without using her powers or a weapon of sorts. 

She only heard part of his last statement as she thought of what awaited if she made it out of this place. "The calling is not something i liked to begin with. it always sent me near danger to get something i was not quite aware of." the necklace was something that was not worth the trouble it had with it. and she did not want to try and bargain with the devil who put it on her either. she was curious but cautious. "And I'm almost willing to bet you know how it could be removed with minimal damage and max undoing." She said She figured if the price was too high she did now a deity that was a friend and owed her for past encounters. that and both would willing to help her if her magic yielding friends could not.