Lucindeya heard some kind of ruckus going on down stairs, but she couldn't concern herself enough to look away for her mortal adversary. If she did, even for a moment, he could trace up here and she would be in danger once again, for the two of them were at war more personally than her coven was at war with the vampire army full stop.

When Lucindeya heard marble crash to the floor and other fragile objects such as vases smash on the ground she decided to take a look at the ruckus going on downstairs. A Lykae and a vampire were fighting there, but not just any vampire, Sebastian Wroth one of the strongest vampires in Kristoff's army was fighting the Lykae known as Bowen, a Lykae with a lot of hate for the vampire and with nothing to lose. Rumour had it he'd lost his mate; she herself had been surprised when he had not killed himself. Lykae were rumoured to not be able to stand the loss of one's mate.

'Who could break up a fight between a Lykae and a vampire?' Someone from downstairs asked, a female it sounded like, and all eyes fell upon Kaderin. Yes she could do it, if that was what they were all thinking. Kaderin had enough hatred for all vampires to be able to do it. And there was no love lost between the Valkyrie and the Lykae. But there was something so different about Kaderin since Cindey had last seen her. But what was it? Cindey didn't know, but she could guess it had something to do with Kaderin's shocked expression earlier on. Kaderin's cold heart was beginning to melt, but why? And it wouldn't be long before other Loreans discovered the change in her and set out to use that against her; depending on the prize many of the immortal creatures standing before her today would not hesitate to use any advantage to win the Hie.

It was time for a new winner, and the oracle had predicted that Cindey would be very interested in winning the Hie. The oracle had also said something about her finding her ideal lover, but Cindey hadn't been listening too closely when she'd been speaking about that, no she'd been too curious about what the prize could be, and if the oracle spoke of the interest Cindey had for bringing her beloved back. Did the oracle know about that? Surely she did for she was in fact an oracle. An oracle that had the power to see the past as well as the future. And she saw the present as clear as Nix did so that was always a good point to pick the oracle on: lucidity.

Before Lucindeya had noticed what was happening Kaderin had dropped down to the floor below and was standing between the vampire and the Lykae. Was she crazy, why would she get involved in another's fight? Especially when Bowen had clearly been winning, why wasn't she cheering on the Lykae? After all if she was going to have emotion again then she may as well put it to good use.

But she acted as stoic as ever, probably a hard feat for her with her new emotion, but she drew her sword and pointed it at the Bowen's chest and positioned her claws at Sebastian's neck. If either lunged forward to kill the other, they would both die by her. Cindey decided to acknowledge the Valkyrie's courage and intelligence. She would never have thought to do that herself. No Cindey would have dropped down on top of the vampire's head, and twisted her legs breaking his neck and then she would have sliced it off with her lucky sword. That Kaderin didn't try to kill the vampire at once was odd. But considering the rule that death was not allowed in Riora's temple, she realised that perhaps Kaderin was trying to be cool, calm and collected, and try to remain stoic.

Kaderin had a grip on her new emotions at the moment, but it was tenuous at best and it would soon slip through her grasp and then she would be known as an emotional creature once more. She was already one with emotion and soon all would know it.

Kaderin's voice reached to Lucindeya's ears and when she looked down she saw that the Valkyrie was having a civil conversation with the vampire, and it sounded as though she was telling him to stop fighting because he would endanger the Hie, and it seemed that he disbelieved it completely. When he murmured that the goddess would not cancel the Hie for some vampire, Cindey could see the pain in Sebastian's eyes. He hadn't ever wanted to become a vampire.

When she raised her head once more, she saw that Kristoff had moved from his original place. With her heart beating in her throat Cindey grew frightened, she didn't know where he was. He could very well be behind her, his sword poised at her back, to stab her through the heart. And then he would drain her of all her blood.

'Long time no see Cindey,' his deep, powerful voice called and she realised that he stood beside her, watching the end of the fight down below, his eyes cold and calculating. As every other vampire's was, Cindey thought with a huff. God damn unfeeling vampires, they were as bad as Kaderin had ben when she had been of no emotion. These vampires didn't care who they hurt to get what they wanted, families, brothers, sisters or friends. They just wanted to get to their goal and would forsake anything, betray anyone to get to it. All but their Bride. Cindey had always thanked god that she wasn't a Bride, to be a Bride would mean having to have her blood drunk over and over again and she didn't think she could handle it. Yes she'd heard that it could be a very arousing action, but she cared not. She had too many memories she did not want seeding to any vampire; especially the one beside her.

'I told you not to call me that,' she growled back. Yes, she and the grave-walker had a lot of history together and none of it good. She'd tried killing him countless times to no avail. He had always been just too strong, even though he was king of the supposed Forbearer army of vampires. They apparently took no blood from the flesh, fearing it would drive them insane. Yet they were wrong, at least on some part, the vampire only turned insane if they drank to the very soul, taking all the memories with the blood. A prime, but strong example was Lothaire the Enemy of Old.

'Ah well, I'm daring, so what's going on down there?' He asked and she shrugged. She would not tell him the truth; she would not betray her friend to a vampire, especially not this one. He had nothing to give her, in return. He had no strength, unlike the vampire down there.

'Well if you want my honest opinion, I believe that your general or whatever he has, has found his Bride,' Cindey replied casually though her heart was beating ten to the dozen. She really did feel for Kaderin, with all the hate she held for the vampires it must be so hard to be one of their Brides. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be forever fated to a vampire. 'I'd kill myself first,' she muttered.

'What was that?' Kristoff asked and she wondered if he had heard her, and then she smirked. Of course he had, he was still an immortal after all. He had strong hearing so he could hear even the tiny Kobold scurrying through the logs and leaves on the ground. Of course he could hear the comments she made from beside him.

'Greetings Lore,' a woman's voice called out saving her from having to deign to reply and Cindey looked down to see a woman who had all the grace and stance of a goddess. She had a very beautiful face and it was surrounded by a full head of raven hair that fell down her back, it was all very beautiful indeed, but Kaderin had once said it hid a feral and wild appearance. 'Tonight commences the Talisman's Hie, a contest that has not changed since its inception. The rules remain the same and are tedious to repeat every…single…two hundred and fifty years. So I'll give you the lowdown.

'You go all over the world and retrieve for me the talismans, charms, amulets and jewels…' Cindey could barely keep listening to the goddess; her senses were on such a high alert with having that hated vampire standing right beside her.

'What do you want grave-walker?' She asked curiously, keeping her tone cold. She could not stand this being so the sooner she found out what he wanted the sooner she could shove him off this balcony away from her (after the goddess had finished her speech that was, it would be rude not to let her finish, it was the only reason she wasn't attempting to kill the vampire King).

'Well I want to join the Talisman Hie this year, and I spotted you standing over here, so I thought I might kill some time and come and speak to a dear old friend,' Kristoff replied and she curbed the need to slap him across his gorgeous face, digging her claw in. Yes he might have been beautiful; a sirenae couldn't not notice it if she wanted to, but he was very annoying and a murderous fiend above all of that. Yes he was known for saving dying warriors but he turned them into vampires; that just made him even more hateful.

'You? In the Hie…don't make me laugh. Who are you going to stand for?' She asked, after all, he couldn't very well stand for the Forbearers for he was their king. And you couldn't stand for yourself after all.

'I stand for you siren,' Kristoff said making the usually graceful siren choke on her own spit.

'Excuse me, but I have to agree to let you stand for me, and I deny you. We are not friends. I hate you more than anything in this plane and any other known to Lorean. I could never let you stand for me, and because of that you could never compete. You have nothing to offer me that I would ever want.'

'I know what the prize is Cindeya,' he informed her, making her gasp and turn her attention away from the goddess. Now her interest had been piqued. She had wanted to know of the prize since she'd been urged by the oracle to go.

'Tell me,' she urged, she knew he knew because he could never lie, natural vampires never could. But he merely shrugged as though he wouldn't tell her. 'Please tell me,' she felt as though she would do anything for the answer, but she didn't add that bit, who knew what this vampire, would command her do.

'I will tell you, only if…' he dropped waiting for her breath to stop and for her heart to race. What did he want from her? At least she knew he didn't want her to warm his bed. Because he couldn't, he was a fully grown vampire. His heart was dead, it did not beat. 'Only if you accompany me in this Hie,' he said and she wanted to laugh derisively. She would not help him, when she wanted to kill him.

'Tell me what the prize is first and I will decide if I need your help or not,' she said and he smiled a crooked smile.

'Oh, you'll want this don't you fret over that Cindeya,' Kristoff spoke cryptically and for a moment she wondered if he could know about the person she had lost due to her carelessness. Much depended on his answer. 'The prize is Thrane's key,' he informed her and she gasped.

'What? I didn't think such a thing truly existed.' If it did she would have been out hunting it long before now. But then again one must exist for the vampire could not lie. Or perhaps he was convinced that one existed.

'Yup, Thrane's key, the object with the ability to go back in time and change an event to the way you want it to go. Bowen wants it to save his mate, Kaderin wants it for her sisters, and you…why you want it to save your son,' he replied and she gasped. How could the forbearer king know so much when he was supposed to be completely in the dark, unless the Lore had an informative giving him information, but what did the king have to give?

'Does it really work?' she asked, hating the hope that sang in her tone as she did. If it worked she could, as the vampire said, get her son back, but how did he know of all three of their hopes, their regrets and their wishes? He hadn't drunk any of their blood, so he couldn't read their minds just by being so close to them. So how, how did he know so much? Lucindeya would make a note to find out and then she would kill him slowly and painfully, and then the informative.

'Yes and now you have agreed to partner with me during this Hie,' he said smugly and she flipped him off, wishing she could strangle him; he must have seen the death threat in her eyes because he was quick to add, 'harm me during this competition, and you will lose, you will never get to see your son again.'

'Fine, we team up, but I get the key.'

'Wouldn't have it any other way,' he told her and they shook hands, Cindey hissing at the electricity that seemed to run up from his hand to hers.

'I vow to the Lore to team up with you and never to harm you during this Hie,' they spoke as one, knowing that a vow to the Lore could never be broken, or at least it could, but only through death.