[ . . The Collector:  Part Three . . ]
T H E Â V O I D
    M uch like the sensation felt as one drifts off to sleep, once her surroundings had faded away, Xheja descended slowly into the feeling of nothingness. Her mind was barely coherent as the Void took her in, her thoughts jumbled and senseless. Yet she was oddly calm now, her heart having ceased its attempts to beat itself out of her chest and her breaths coming in a slow, even rhythm once more.
   Eventually, one clear thought did manage to surface. How long had she been here? Minutes, or maybe hours? Longer? Whatever inner sense of time she was in possession of, this place utterly interfered with it. Or perhaps, the concept simply didn't exist in this space..
   "I see that you've come around. Good."
   The voice suddenly reaching her ears had her eyes flying open. Truly, she hadn't even known that they were closed to begin with. Yet when they opened, her breath was taken away by the sight. Blackness. Nothingness. Only the movement of roiling aether around her. Was this..?
   "...the Void?" She managed to whisper the words aloud, her voice sounding small and distant to her own ears. A soft, melodic laugh from nearby greeted her.
   "Very good!" The voice answered. Now that she was focused upon it, Xheja could make out its properties:  undoubtedly feminine, high-pitched, and oddly cheerful. "This is the Void. Rather, it's your perception of the Void given form. Though this is rather.. bleak, don't you think?" Another soft, playful laughed followed. "Now stand up, and let's have ourselves a little chat, no?"
   Slowly, the Keeper woman pushed herself upright, first into a sitting position. Still disoriented, she shakily began to push herself to a standing position, swaying lightly on her feet before managing to steady herself and straighten her posture. Her head turned from side to side, brows furrowing as she searched for the origin of the voice.
   "Looking for me, Sweetling?" the voice all but purred out close behind her, causing her to turn sharply on her heel to face the other. Xheja's eyes widened slightly when she finally spotted her.
   She wasn't sure what exactly she had been expecting, but this certainly wasn't it. Perhaps she had expected some sort of grotesque monster, or awe-inspiring beast. Yet the woman that now stood in front of her was an utterly unimposing Midlander woman, slight of build and barely even a few ilm taller than the Keeper herself. Her own eyes were wide and bright, their color a soft lavender to match her fair complexion. Her long, blonde hair cascaded down her back in soft waves. The dress she wore was just as pristine, white and luxurious while still rather conservative in design.
   As Xheja's own features took on a look of shock and confusion, the other woman's head cocked to the side. "You don't remember me at all? Truly?" She asked, almost sounding.. hurt? The Keeper's confused look only deepened.
   The hyur woman let out a soft sigh, stepping forward gracefully until she had closed the distance between them. She lifted a pale hand to extend it towards the other. Xheja recoiled instinctively, causing the other's frown to deepen. She seemed.. sad, for some reason? The Keeper stilled herself, letting the other's hand finally reach out to gently cup her cheek. Once again, she found herself surprised by how soft and gentle the touch was.
   "Perhaps you don't remember.." The woman muttered to herself, her thumb gently stroke the miqo'te's cheek. "Given the nature of your previous visits to the Void, it is plausible."
   "I've been here before?" Xheja asked suddenly, voice skeptical.
   "You have, Sweetling," she answered. "On two occasions." At the look of blatant confusion, the hyur woman gave her cheek one last gentle pat, then withdrew. "Most recently was after your incident at Witchdrop a few years ago. You withdrew here, your body badly broken, and I held you and comforted you until you healed and left me once more."
   For a long moment, Xheja's questioning gaze remained on the other woman. Yet the other patiently allowed her the time to process the information. Gradually, Xheja gave a nod, hesitating before speaking up once again.
   "So Marcelloix was right? When I perish in the physical realm, my aether comes here?"
   For the first time, the other woman's soft and delicate expression faltered. A flash of something.. dark appeared on her features, only to disperse as quickly as it had came. A strained smile followed.
   "Yes. He is correct."
   Xheja could not help but wonder about the source of the strange look that had appeared at the mention of the other mage's name. Her mouth opened to question it, but suddenly closed once again. Somehow, she sensed that it was a subject best left unbreached for now. Instead, she redirected her questioning elsewhere.
   "If that is so.. When was the first time that I came here? To the Void?"
   "Nigh on six years ago," she answered immediately, her smile now taking on a hint of sadness. "After you perished on the fields of Carteneau, and your dear friend sought me out to make a deal on your behalf."
   Once more, the miqo'te fell into silence, her mind working hard to process all of the information. More than anything, she couldn't help but wonder why she could not even vaguely recall this place. She stared, long and hard, at the other woman's face. Yet try as she might, there was not even a single shred of familiarity to be found.
   "Perhaps this is why your perception of the Void is so barren and blank?" She began, as if sensing what the other was trying to recall. "When you were here, you were utterly incoherent. I suppose it makes sense that you wouldn't recall anything." Another sigh, albeit a rather dramatic one, passed her lips. Her hands rose, shoulders shrugging. "Alas, it cannot be helped. I suppose we should start over, from the beginning. I know you have questions. You need only speak them, and I will give you the answers you seek."
   Answers? Xheja hesitated again, caught off-guard by how easily the creature offered up the very thing she had come here to seek out. At first, she was relieved at the apparent ease of it. She had mentally prepared herself for having to dig and pry even the slightest hints of information from the other, who now seemed to be an open book sitting in front of her.
   Yet the more she really thought about it, the more skeptical she became. This woman was, without a doubt, a Void creature. No matter what pretty guise she chose to wore or how gentle she acted, nothing changed that fact. She had heard endless stories of the fell beasts acting innocent in order to get their claws into someone, to further their own goals. Not to mention, her mind kept going back to that brief flash of something across her face at Marcelloix's name.
   There was definitely something suspicious about the situation. It reeked of deceit and manipulation, and the woman inwardly scolded herself for nearly succumbing to it in a moment of weakness. Yet she had no choice but to play along with this odd game, for the fear was there that should she call the bluff, those answers she needed so desperately would be tugged away from her. She would just have to be vigilant.
   "Who are you?" Xheja asked finally, doing her best to keep her tone even. The immediate response was another soft, pretty laugh.
   "You would start with a difficult question, wouldn't you?" Those light purple eyes twinkled with delighted amusement, her nose wrinkling softly. "I've had so very many names that I fear I've forgotten what my name truly is. Though there are those of your realm that have taken to calling me the Collector.. An odd and uninspiring appellation, in my opinion. They couldn't have been more inventive?"
   She couldn't help but find herself skeptical that the other had forgotten her true name. It was highly unlikely that something so important to a creature such as herself, something that could be used to control her, would be so easily discarded. Yet she knew better than to press the matter.
   "Why do they call you such?" She asked.
   "Why do they call me the Collector?" The woman repeated, brows lifting. "I suppose it's on account of the deals I make with individuals like yourself." At Xheja's perplexed look, her smile widened. "You're not the first person with whom I've contracted, dear Xheja. Far from it. In fact, this--" She extended her arms to her side, showing off her form. "This is the form of the first person to make a deal with me. There are others that I could show you, if you're curious..?"
   Suddenly, the other's rather harmless appearance made more sense. It was a disguise. It was rather clever, too. If the creature refused to impart the knowledge of its name and its true form to her, then it could protect itself quite thoroughly. The Voidsent's cunning frustrated her, but she kept the emotion from reaching her face.
   "That isn't necessary." She shook her head, before leveling her silver-eyed gaze on the other once more. "You collect us, then? To what end?"
   "When you put it that way, it sounds so malicious.."
   "I simply want to know. Traipsing around the question serves neither of us."
   The hyur woman sighed heavily, lowering her arms to cross them over her chest. "Let me first say that I am not the one that sought out you nor the others like you. It was you - or in your case, your friend - that came to me. Such was the case in the past as well. But I suspect it is not the collection of those like you that earned myself such a moniker. It is what I asked of them." Her words were careful, measured.. As if she had been anticipating this question. Obviously, she had given her response much thought. "They came to me with a desire. I granted it. In exchange, I only asked for one simple thing."
   "And that one thing..?"
   The Collector's plush lips pulled into a wide, almost wicked smile. For the first time, the other truly seemed like the Voidsent she was. "Aether."
   With that single word, so many things seemed to click into place for her. Aether. Suddenly, the years of drawing forth the aether locked within crystals and shards made sense. The Keeper had always wondered why she was required to do such a thing to function properly, but now..
   "What need do you have of aether?" Xheja asked pointedly, her suspicious look finally making its way onto her expression. Upon seeing it, the hyur's smile shifted to a smirk.
   "You seem to be losing patience," she observed. "Then you'll want a direct answer, no?"
   The woman nodded, though something once again didn't settle right with her. Why was this Voidsent so eager to part with such information?
   "The same thing that most of those who come to me want:  Power." The blonde woman looked positively gleeful. "Let me tell you a story, dear Xheja. Many, many years ago, this woman--" She lifted those arms again, showing herself off. "--was third in line to the throne of her people. She wanted nothing more than to be Queen, to wield such power and influence. Yet she was a pitiable strategist. Every plan she hatched to dispose of her two elder sisters failed miserably."
   "In one last act of desperation, she turned to the Void. I was nothing so impressive back then, the only creature that someone of her low caliber could summon forth. But what I lacked in power, I made up in cunning." Once again, she flashed that wicked smile. "She contracted with me then. If she would provide me with the aether to grow stronger, I would see her sitting upon her much beloved throne. True to her word, she did exactly as she was bade, borrowing my cunning and charm to lure away victims and offer up their aether to me."
   "In time, I had grown strong enough to put plans into action. Through this woman, I pulled strings from the Void, and her desires came to pass. Her sisters met their end, and it was her who became Queen. Yet there were those who questioned her ascension, they knew better than to question her aloud. I had fulfilled my end of the bargain."
   Xheja quirked a brow. "And then?"
   The blonde's look soured again, though the Keeper wasn't entirely sure if it was at her pressuring, the story itself, or perhaps a mixture of both. Regardless, the Collector continued on.
   "This poor woman believed that the bargain was done when her own wish was fulfilled. She ceased her offerings to me, believing that she had grown so powerful that I was no longer needed. Yet she failed to realize that it was my strength she drew from, not her own. Everything she had become, it was a result of my designs. So naturally, when she decided that she would spurn me, I took matters into my own hands.. I took her aether."
   "So you--" Xheja began, only to be cut off sharply. Apparently, it was the pressuring before that had annoyed her.
   "--'possessed' her, as your kind are wont to call it? Indeed. I had grown strong enough by that time to be able to materialize in the physical realm, and she provided the perfect host for which to give myself a suitably discreet form." The Voidsent suddenly gave a small spin, setting the ruffles of her dress to a flutter. "I wore her appearance just as surely as she wore this exquisite gown."
   A sick feeling began in the pit of Xheja's stomach. Whatever innocent, almost matronly mask the creature had worn upon her arrival in the Void had been utterly discarded. Now, she could very much see the beast's true, power-thirsty nature and utter disregard for mortal life. As the other came to a stop again, her head canted to the side, giving Xheja a wide-eyed, curious look.
   "Does this bother you?" She asked, that sweet tone making a reappearance.
   "Of course it bothers me." Xheja's answer was quiet, her gaze shifting elsewhere. She couldn't stand to look at her at the moment. "But I want to know what manner of monster I am dealing with. Tell me, what happened? Something must have went wrong, for you to be here now and to have went through so many others, as you claim."
   "Monster? You wound me." Her hurt tone was just as convincing as the performance of one of the third-class mummers she had often seen about Ul'dah. The loud sigh that accompanied it was even worse. "But you're very keen, as always. Yes. Something went terribly wrong."
   "I enjoyed the power of ruling immensely.. The wealth, the influence, and the adorations and affections of my many followers. I was able to win a great many of their hearts. Those who opposed me? I destroyed and devoured them, often publically. Alas, such impulsivity and.. pomp eventually garnered the attention of Void hunters. I was still too young to understand how such hubris would inevitably be punished."
   This time, it was Xheja's turn to smirk. Naturally, she found the turn of events satisfying. It satisfied her even further to see the rather annoyed look her reaction had brought about on the other's face. Her lips set into a hard scowl, but she didn't dignify it with a response.
   "They descended upon me with a fury and with a set of skills I had never before witnessed. I fought them, of course. In the end, I'm ashamed to admit that they prevailed." Her expression turned into a deep snarl of a sneer, her disgust evident. "Yet more than simply returning me to the Void, they sealed me here."
   The dark-haired Keeper examined the Voidsent for a long moment, weighing the information. Her mind tried to fit the pieces together, to make sense of it all. Yet there seemed to be something missing.
   "So you're sealed to the Void. That explains why we were unable to summon you, correct?"
   "Indeed." The Collector nodded. "No matter what method of summoning ritual you had tried, I fear you wouldn't have been able to succeed. Such is the manner of the bindings they forced upon me."
   "Then if you are bound here, what is the point of continuing to collect aether? Why would you continue making deals to gather something that is useless to you here?" She demanded, shaking her head. "Are you simply that petty?"
   Eventually, one clear thought did manage to surface. How long had she been here? Minutes, or maybe hours? Longer? Whatever inner sense of time she was in possession of, this place utterly interfered with it. Or perhaps, the concept simply didn't exist in this space..
   "I see that you've come around. Good."
   The voice suddenly reaching her ears had her eyes flying open. Truly, she hadn't even known that they were closed to begin with. Yet when they opened, her breath was taken away by the sight. Blackness. Nothingness. Only the movement of roiling aether around her. Was this..?
   "...the Void?" She managed to whisper the words aloud, her voice sounding small and distant to her own ears. A soft, melodic laugh from nearby greeted her.
   "Very good!" The voice answered. Now that she was focused upon it, Xheja could make out its properties:  undoubtedly feminine, high-pitched, and oddly cheerful. "This is the Void. Rather, it's your perception of the Void given form. Though this is rather.. bleak, don't you think?" Another soft, playful laughed followed. "Now stand up, and let's have ourselves a little chat, no?"
   Slowly, the Keeper woman pushed herself upright, first into a sitting position. Still disoriented, she shakily began to push herself to a standing position, swaying lightly on her feet before managing to steady herself and straighten her posture. Her head turned from side to side, brows furrowing as she searched for the origin of the voice.
   "Looking for me, Sweetling?" the voice all but purred out close behind her, causing her to turn sharply on her heel to face the other. Xheja's eyes widened slightly when she finally spotted her.
   She wasn't sure what exactly she had been expecting, but this certainly wasn't it. Perhaps she had expected some sort of grotesque monster, or awe-inspiring beast. Yet the woman that now stood in front of her was an utterly unimposing Midlander woman, slight of build and barely even a few ilm taller than the Keeper herself. Her own eyes were wide and bright, their color a soft lavender to match her fair complexion. Her long, blonde hair cascaded down her back in soft waves. The dress she wore was just as pristine, white and luxurious while still rather conservative in design.
   As Xheja's own features took on a look of shock and confusion, the other woman's head cocked to the side. "You don't remember me at all? Truly?" She asked, almost sounding.. hurt? The Keeper's confused look only deepened.
   The hyur woman let out a soft sigh, stepping forward gracefully until she had closed the distance between them. She lifted a pale hand to extend it towards the other. Xheja recoiled instinctively, causing the other's frown to deepen. She seemed.. sad, for some reason? The Keeper stilled herself, letting the other's hand finally reach out to gently cup her cheek. Once again, she found herself surprised by how soft and gentle the touch was.
   "Perhaps you don't remember.." The woman muttered to herself, her thumb gently stroke the miqo'te's cheek. "Given the nature of your previous visits to the Void, it is plausible."
   "I've been here before?" Xheja asked suddenly, voice skeptical.
   "You have, Sweetling," she answered. "On two occasions." At the look of blatant confusion, the hyur woman gave her cheek one last gentle pat, then withdrew. "Most recently was after your incident at Witchdrop a few years ago. You withdrew here, your body badly broken, and I held you and comforted you until you healed and left me once more."
   For a long moment, Xheja's questioning gaze remained on the other woman. Yet the other patiently allowed her the time to process the information. Gradually, Xheja gave a nod, hesitating before speaking up once again.
   "So Marcelloix was right? When I perish in the physical realm, my aether comes here?"
   For the first time, the other woman's soft and delicate expression faltered. A flash of something.. dark appeared on her features, only to disperse as quickly as it had came. A strained smile followed.
   "Yes. He is correct."
   Xheja could not help but wonder about the source of the strange look that had appeared at the mention of the other mage's name. Her mouth opened to question it, but suddenly closed once again. Somehow, she sensed that it was a subject best left unbreached for now. Instead, she redirected her questioning elsewhere.
   "If that is so.. When was the first time that I came here? To the Void?"
   "Nigh on six years ago," she answered immediately, her smile now taking on a hint of sadness. "After you perished on the fields of Carteneau, and your dear friend sought me out to make a deal on your behalf."
   Once more, the miqo'te fell into silence, her mind working hard to process all of the information. More than anything, she couldn't help but wonder why she could not even vaguely recall this place. She stared, long and hard, at the other woman's face. Yet try as she might, there was not even a single shred of familiarity to be found.
   "Perhaps this is why your perception of the Void is so barren and blank?" She began, as if sensing what the other was trying to recall. "When you were here, you were utterly incoherent. I suppose it makes sense that you wouldn't recall anything." Another sigh, albeit a rather dramatic one, passed her lips. Her hands rose, shoulders shrugging. "Alas, it cannot be helped. I suppose we should start over, from the beginning. I know you have questions. You need only speak them, and I will give you the answers you seek."
   Answers? Xheja hesitated again, caught off-guard by how easily the creature offered up the very thing she had come here to seek out. At first, she was relieved at the apparent ease of it. She had mentally prepared herself for having to dig and pry even the slightest hints of information from the other, who now seemed to be an open book sitting in front of her.
   Yet the more she really thought about it, the more skeptical she became. This woman was, without a doubt, a Void creature. No matter what pretty guise she chose to wore or how gentle she acted, nothing changed that fact. She had heard endless stories of the fell beasts acting innocent in order to get their claws into someone, to further their own goals. Not to mention, her mind kept going back to that brief flash of something across her face at Marcelloix's name.
   There was definitely something suspicious about the situation. It reeked of deceit and manipulation, and the woman inwardly scolded herself for nearly succumbing to it in a moment of weakness. Yet she had no choice but to play along with this odd game, for the fear was there that should she call the bluff, those answers she needed so desperately would be tugged away from her. She would just have to be vigilant.
   "Who are you?" Xheja asked finally, doing her best to keep her tone even. The immediate response was another soft, pretty laugh.
   "You would start with a difficult question, wouldn't you?" Those light purple eyes twinkled with delighted amusement, her nose wrinkling softly. "I've had so very many names that I fear I've forgotten what my name truly is. Though there are those of your realm that have taken to calling me the Collector.. An odd and uninspiring appellation, in my opinion. They couldn't have been more inventive?"
   She couldn't help but find herself skeptical that the other had forgotten her true name. It was highly unlikely that something so important to a creature such as herself, something that could be used to control her, would be so easily discarded. Yet she knew better than to press the matter.
   "Why do they call you such?" She asked.
   "Why do they call me the Collector?" The woman repeated, brows lifting. "I suppose it's on account of the deals I make with individuals like yourself." At Xheja's perplexed look, her smile widened. "You're not the first person with whom I've contracted, dear Xheja. Far from it. In fact, this--" She extended her arms to her side, showing off her form. "This is the form of the first person to make a deal with me. There are others that I could show you, if you're curious..?"
   Suddenly, the other's rather harmless appearance made more sense. It was a disguise. It was rather clever, too. If the creature refused to impart the knowledge of its name and its true form to her, then it could protect itself quite thoroughly. The Voidsent's cunning frustrated her, but she kept the emotion from reaching her face.
   "That isn't necessary." She shook her head, before leveling her silver-eyed gaze on the other once more. "You collect us, then? To what end?"
   "When you put it that way, it sounds so malicious.."
   "I simply want to know. Traipsing around the question serves neither of us."
   The hyur woman sighed heavily, lowering her arms to cross them over her chest. "Let me first say that I am not the one that sought out you nor the others like you. It was you - or in your case, your friend - that came to me. Such was the case in the past as well. But I suspect it is not the collection of those like you that earned myself such a moniker. It is what I asked of them." Her words were careful, measured.. As if she had been anticipating this question. Obviously, she had given her response much thought. "They came to me with a desire. I granted it. In exchange, I only asked for one simple thing."
   "And that one thing..?"
   The Collector's plush lips pulled into a wide, almost wicked smile. For the first time, the other truly seemed like the Voidsent she was. "Aether."
   With that single word, so many things seemed to click into place for her. Aether. Suddenly, the years of drawing forth the aether locked within crystals and shards made sense. The Keeper had always wondered why she was required to do such a thing to function properly, but now..
   "What need do you have of aether?" Xheja asked pointedly, her suspicious look finally making its way onto her expression. Upon seeing it, the hyur's smile shifted to a smirk.
   "You seem to be losing patience," she observed. "Then you'll want a direct answer, no?"
   The woman nodded, though something once again didn't settle right with her. Why was this Voidsent so eager to part with such information?
   "The same thing that most of those who come to me want:  Power." The blonde woman looked positively gleeful. "Let me tell you a story, dear Xheja. Many, many years ago, this woman--" She lifted those arms again, showing herself off. "--was third in line to the throne of her people. She wanted nothing more than to be Queen, to wield such power and influence. Yet she was a pitiable strategist. Every plan she hatched to dispose of her two elder sisters failed miserably."
   "In one last act of desperation, she turned to the Void. I was nothing so impressive back then, the only creature that someone of her low caliber could summon forth. But what I lacked in power, I made up in cunning." Once again, she flashed that wicked smile. "She contracted with me then. If she would provide me with the aether to grow stronger, I would see her sitting upon her much beloved throne. True to her word, she did exactly as she was bade, borrowing my cunning and charm to lure away victims and offer up their aether to me."
   "In time, I had grown strong enough to put plans into action. Through this woman, I pulled strings from the Void, and her desires came to pass. Her sisters met their end, and it was her who became Queen. Yet there were those who questioned her ascension, they knew better than to question her aloud. I had fulfilled my end of the bargain."
   Xheja quirked a brow. "And then?"
   The blonde's look soured again, though the Keeper wasn't entirely sure if it was at her pressuring, the story itself, or perhaps a mixture of both. Regardless, the Collector continued on.
   "This poor woman believed that the bargain was done when her own wish was fulfilled. She ceased her offerings to me, believing that she had grown so powerful that I was no longer needed. Yet she failed to realize that it was my strength she drew from, not her own. Everything she had become, it was a result of my designs. So naturally, when she decided that she would spurn me, I took matters into my own hands.. I took her aether."
   "So you--" Xheja began, only to be cut off sharply. Apparently, it was the pressuring before that had annoyed her.
   "--'possessed' her, as your kind are wont to call it? Indeed. I had grown strong enough by that time to be able to materialize in the physical realm, and she provided the perfect host for which to give myself a suitably discreet form." The Voidsent suddenly gave a small spin, setting the ruffles of her dress to a flutter. "I wore her appearance just as surely as she wore this exquisite gown."
   A sick feeling began in the pit of Xheja's stomach. Whatever innocent, almost matronly mask the creature had worn upon her arrival in the Void had been utterly discarded. Now, she could very much see the beast's true, power-thirsty nature and utter disregard for mortal life. As the other came to a stop again, her head canted to the side, giving Xheja a wide-eyed, curious look.
   "Does this bother you?" She asked, that sweet tone making a reappearance.
   "Of course it bothers me." Xheja's answer was quiet, her gaze shifting elsewhere. She couldn't stand to look at her at the moment. "But I want to know what manner of monster I am dealing with. Tell me, what happened? Something must have went wrong, for you to be here now and to have went through so many others, as you claim."
   "Monster? You wound me." Her hurt tone was just as convincing as the performance of one of the third-class mummers she had often seen about Ul'dah. The loud sigh that accompanied it was even worse. "But you're very keen, as always. Yes. Something went terribly wrong."
   "I enjoyed the power of ruling immensely.. The wealth, the influence, and the adorations and affections of my many followers. I was able to win a great many of their hearts. Those who opposed me? I destroyed and devoured them, often publically. Alas, such impulsivity and.. pomp eventually garnered the attention of Void hunters. I was still too young to understand how such hubris would inevitably be punished."
   This time, it was Xheja's turn to smirk. Naturally, she found the turn of events satisfying. It satisfied her even further to see the rather annoyed look her reaction had brought about on the other's face. Her lips set into a hard scowl, but she didn't dignify it with a response.
   "They descended upon me with a fury and with a set of skills I had never before witnessed. I fought them, of course. In the end, I'm ashamed to admit that they prevailed." Her expression turned into a deep snarl of a sneer, her disgust evident. "Yet more than simply returning me to the Void, they sealed me here."
   The dark-haired Keeper examined the Voidsent for a long moment, weighing the information. Her mind tried to fit the pieces together, to make sense of it all. Yet there seemed to be something missing.
   "So you're sealed to the Void. That explains why we were unable to summon you, correct?"
   "Indeed." The Collector nodded. "No matter what method of summoning ritual you had tried, I fear you wouldn't have been able to succeed. Such is the manner of the bindings they forced upon me."
   "Then if you are bound here, what is the point of continuing to collect aether? Why would you continue making deals to gather something that is useless to you here?" She demanded, shaking her head. "Are you simply that petty?"
   "You'll take care to watch your tongue," the hyur snapped suddenly with eyes narrowed, catching Xheja completely off-guard. Her words were like ice -- cold, jagged, and piercing to the core. "I do so like you, Xheja, but I grow exceedingly weary of your criticisms of matters you mistakenly think you understand."
   For the first time since their conversation began, the miqo'te could feel that sense of fear returning. With the other's anger flared and exposed, she could practically feel how powerful she was. Bound to the Void or not, there was no denying that the Voidsent in front of her was capable. Very capable.
   "With enough aether - with enough power - any binding can be undone. Such is what I believe. That is the reason I continue making deals with those like yourself. I use you as pawns, granting your petty wishes in exchange for gathering the aether that I am now unable to collect for myself."
   "Why are you even telling me this?" She finally blurted out, shaking her head. "It makes no sense. Are you not fearful that I'll return to my world and use this knowledge against you? What if I refuse to collect aether for you?"
   She expected the Voidsent to grow angry with her. However, the comment seemed to have the opposite effect. Once more, she let loose that terribly feminine, gently laugh. She even lifted a dainty hand, covering her smiling lips to stifle the noise.
   "You truly overestimate yourself, don't you? Even if you were not the one to make a contract with me directly, it is still your aether that belongs to me." Those lavender eyes were alight with wicked amusement. "You may protest as you wish, but you will do as I bid."
   "And if I don't?" She challenged, despite the hard, fast beating of her heart. Be brave, she recalled Marcelloix's words.
   Her bravery faltered, however, as the elegant woman slowly stepped forward. Xheja held her ground, though it seemed to take an eternity before the woman actually reached her. When she did, she lifted out a hand. Instinctively, the miqo'te flinched, eyes shutting tight.. only to open again when she felt the gentle touch of that pale hand lying flat against her chest. Her look was questioning.
   "Dear, sweet Xheja. Do we truly have to be at such odds?" The woman sighed, giving her a warm smile. "You know my pain, do you not? To be bound to a place in which you do not belong? To want nothing but to be released?"
   Surprisingly, the words struck her more deeply than she had thought possible. No, she thought to herself. Don't let yourself be manipulated. Yet even though she knew that it was a trick meant to toy with her emotions, the creature had hit far too close to home.
   "You are a very intelligent, driven woman. In the time I've been with you, watching you, I've come to adore that about you. And truly, I feel remorse to have to hold you in a position so similar to my own. Yet this was the deal that your ally unfortunately thrust upon the both of us.."
   It's a trick, she inwardly repeated, looking away and squeezing her eyes shut, trying her best to ignore the other. Don't listen to her.
   "Yet, if you were to gather aether for me and see that I'm released from this prison.. Our deal would be fulfilled, and I would be obligated to release you from your own." The Collector paused, her other hand moving to Xheja's chin to gently take it in her fingers, turning her head back so that their eyes met. She could feel her resolve crumbling. "This is what you want most, is it not?"
   This was what Marcelloix had wanted to test - her willpower. When he had sent her forth to meet the maddened mage in Coerthas, he had wanted to be sure that her will was strong enough to withstand such treacherous, manipulative offers. And she had lied to him and let him believe that she had, when truly, she had done nothing but be weak.
   Perhaps this was her punishment for betraying the man's trust?
   "Fine.. I'll continue collecting aether from crystals.."
   "Oh no, dear." The woman clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "That would take far, far too long. Yet if you were to acquire aether from living creatures, especially from your fellow man.."
   "No... No! I won't do such a thing. I--" Her defiance was cut off with a sharp hiss as the grip on her chin tightened, nails biting into her skin.
   "You need not kill, stubborn girl. You're very intelligent, even if you're not thinking clearly in this moment. You will find ways - subtle ways - to do this for me." The grip she had on Xheja's chin loosened again, "Though.. There is one person in particular who I am afraid must die."
   Perhaps it was a moment of weakness, or just an oddly morbid sense of curiosity. Despite knowing that she should immediately refuse and fight, entirely different words came to her lips.
   "Who?"
   The Collector's response did not come immediately. Instead, she watched the miqo'te for a long moment, studying her with an unsettling intensity. At length, after what felt to Xheja to be like excruciatingly long hours under scrutiny, the woman smirked.
   "Thieroux."
   Horrified at the proposal, Xheja made to jerk away from the woman's touch. Before she could even so much as take a single step back, a sharp pain radiated from her chest, ripping the air from her lungs. Stunned, her eyes fell downwards. The hand that had been previously resting gently, tenderly resting against her chest had shifted position. Those long, delicate fingers of hers had extended into horrifying, wicked claws - claws that were buried deep in her chest.
   A loud, pained shriek tore itself from her throat, the pain bringing her to her knees. Her hands went up to desperately try to pull the woman's hand away, but was unable to so much as budge her in the slightest. Even if she looked delicate, the Collector was deceitfully strong.
   "Shame you failed my test as well, just as you failed his," she sighed, cruelly twisting those embedded claws, pulling another ragged scream from the woman. "Marcelloix Thieroux is descended from those Void hunters who imprisoned me here. It is only right that he should die, and that his aether should become mine. If you had accepted my task and seen to his execution obediently, I would've let you return home and do as you pleased. But it seems to me that you'll need my help after all.."
   For the first time since their conversation began, the miqo'te could feel that sense of fear returning. With the other's anger flared and exposed, she could practically feel how powerful she was. Bound to the Void or not, there was no denying that the Voidsent in front of her was capable. Very capable.
   "With enough aether - with enough power - any binding can be undone. Such is what I believe. That is the reason I continue making deals with those like yourself. I use you as pawns, granting your petty wishes in exchange for gathering the aether that I am now unable to collect for myself."
   "Why are you even telling me this?" She finally blurted out, shaking her head. "It makes no sense. Are you not fearful that I'll return to my world and use this knowledge against you? What if I refuse to collect aether for you?"
   She expected the Voidsent to grow angry with her. However, the comment seemed to have the opposite effect. Once more, she let loose that terribly feminine, gently laugh. She even lifted a dainty hand, covering her smiling lips to stifle the noise.
   "You truly overestimate yourself, don't you? Even if you were not the one to make a contract with me directly, it is still your aether that belongs to me." Those lavender eyes were alight with wicked amusement. "You may protest as you wish, but you will do as I bid."
   "And if I don't?" She challenged, despite the hard, fast beating of her heart. Be brave, she recalled Marcelloix's words.
   Her bravery faltered, however, as the elegant woman slowly stepped forward. Xheja held her ground, though it seemed to take an eternity before the woman actually reached her. When she did, she lifted out a hand. Instinctively, the miqo'te flinched, eyes shutting tight.. only to open again when she felt the gentle touch of that pale hand lying flat against her chest. Her look was questioning.
   "Dear, sweet Xheja. Do we truly have to be at such odds?" The woman sighed, giving her a warm smile. "You know my pain, do you not? To be bound to a place in which you do not belong? To want nothing but to be released?"
   Surprisingly, the words struck her more deeply than she had thought possible. No, she thought to herself. Don't let yourself be manipulated. Yet even though she knew that it was a trick meant to toy with her emotions, the creature had hit far too close to home.
   "You are a very intelligent, driven woman. In the time I've been with you, watching you, I've come to adore that about you. And truly, I feel remorse to have to hold you in a position so similar to my own. Yet this was the deal that your ally unfortunately thrust upon the both of us.."
   It's a trick, she inwardly repeated, looking away and squeezing her eyes shut, trying her best to ignore the other. Don't listen to her.
   "Yet, if you were to gather aether for me and see that I'm released from this prison.. Our deal would be fulfilled, and I would be obligated to release you from your own." The Collector paused, her other hand moving to Xheja's chin to gently take it in her fingers, turning her head back so that their eyes met. She could feel her resolve crumbling. "This is what you want most, is it not?"
   This was what Marcelloix had wanted to test - her willpower. When he had sent her forth to meet the maddened mage in Coerthas, he had wanted to be sure that her will was strong enough to withstand such treacherous, manipulative offers. And she had lied to him and let him believe that she had, when truly, she had done nothing but be weak.
   Perhaps this was her punishment for betraying the man's trust?
   "Fine.. I'll continue collecting aether from crystals.."
   "Oh no, dear." The woman clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "That would take far, far too long. Yet if you were to acquire aether from living creatures, especially from your fellow man.."
   "No... No! I won't do such a thing. I--" Her defiance was cut off with a sharp hiss as the grip on her chin tightened, nails biting into her skin.
   "You need not kill, stubborn girl. You're very intelligent, even if you're not thinking clearly in this moment. You will find ways - subtle ways - to do this for me." The grip she had on Xheja's chin loosened again, "Though.. There is one person in particular who I am afraid must die."
   Perhaps it was a moment of weakness, or just an oddly morbid sense of curiosity. Despite knowing that she should immediately refuse and fight, entirely different words came to her lips.
   "Who?"
   The Collector's response did not come immediately. Instead, she watched the miqo'te for a long moment, studying her with an unsettling intensity. At length, after what felt to Xheja to be like excruciatingly long hours under scrutiny, the woman smirked.
   "Thieroux."
   Horrified at the proposal, Xheja made to jerk away from the woman's touch. Before she could even so much as take a single step back, a sharp pain radiated from her chest, ripping the air from her lungs. Stunned, her eyes fell downwards. The hand that had been previously resting gently, tenderly resting against her chest had shifted position. Those long, delicate fingers of hers had extended into horrifying, wicked claws - claws that were buried deep in her chest.
   A loud, pained shriek tore itself from her throat, the pain bringing her to her knees. Her hands went up to desperately try to pull the woman's hand away, but was unable to so much as budge her in the slightest. Even if she looked delicate, the Collector was deceitfully strong.
   "Shame you failed my test as well, just as you failed his," she sighed, cruelly twisting those embedded claws, pulling another ragged scream from the woman. "Marcelloix Thieroux is descended from those Void hunters who imprisoned me here. It is only right that he should die, and that his aether should become mine. If you had accepted my task and seen to his execution obediently, I would've let you return home and do as you pleased. But it seems to me that you'll need my help after all.."
   Slowly, the aether began to flicker as it flowed down the beast's thin arm, gradually making its way from her shoulder all the way down to her hand. Xheja tried desperately to pull away, yet those claws were buried so deep that there was no escaping them. She let out another pained groan turned sob as she felt the other's aether enter her, weakly clawing at the woman's wrist in one last effort.
   Yet the aether continued to flow, the corruption spreading even as the blinding pain saw her struggling to cling to consciousness. At length, the blonde woman roughly pulled her hand back, carelessly wiping those sickening claws on her dress, leaving trails of deep red in their wake. Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at Xheja, seeming almost to glow.
   "I'll remain true to my promise, if only because I have so much pity for you. Gather aether and see me released from the Void, and I will release your own aether from its prison. That is my gift to you." Already, the woman's words were seeming to grow distant, quiet as Xheja's vision blackened again. "Now go."
   She wanted to fight, to claw and scream until the Voidsent released its grip on her. Yet sitting there, crumbled to the ground with her hands pressed to the wound in her chest, she couldn't even move, much less protest. All she could do was sob quietly as her willpower to resist faded away along with her vision.
   And once more, there was nothing.
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|| . . . OOC Notes . . . ||
So much dialogue oh my god make it stop why. But really, though. Glad to finally have this part finished. Explains a lot of the reasoning behind what really changed Xheja, as well as more about the Collector and its motivation. \o/ And kind of gives some insight into why Xheja's mannerisms are what they are now - being that the Collector has completely and utterly corrupted her.Â
I also took some liberties on the Void and such, considering that there isn't a comprehensive collection of lore to really work off of there. Tried to keep it simple, though, for fear the retcon hammer and minimal headcannon conflict. x: -crosses fingers-