[Coldlight] - The Zali'mau (Val, Cyrus, Jade)

[Gossamer]

TS: The First Through The Eighth of Cryxatum, Summer, Era II, XIV (pf)

They knew it was coming. For the whole of the Sanguine, they'd been feeling it for weeks. The Virkyn were restless, their tempers short, and their bondmates snappish. As seasons changed, and time passed on, it drew closer. Even Niravia couldn't quite pin down a date until her Virkyn woke enraged and snapping. The Senior Sanguine rose, frowned, and gave her black twin a lot of room as she wandered into the bathing chamber to wash the sleep out of her eyes. She stared in the mirror there, after her bath, and noticed the sheen to her eyes, and the feel of the heat inside of her. It was Nemaru's heat, of course, but that didn't mean the Sanguine felt it even less. Today, the Virkyn would gather. She ought to get prepared....

In pairs and quads they wandered in.... all of them bad tempered and all of the Virkyn growling and just on the edge of peevish. As for Coldlight, the Citadel neatly rearranged itself, setting up tiers of seating with a large black sand arena's appearing for the battles that would come. This ritual, the Zali'mau, would decide which female of the Sanguine's Virkyn would breed, and which male would mate with her. The battles would be fierce, some might even be killed... and if the balance was too tedious, the Sanguine would fight as well. They wouldn't be able to help it... emotions would run too high. So would hormones.

And each and every one of them knew it. This ritual was important. It brought them all closer together. Without what would come, without the pups in the following season of fall, there would be no more Sanguine, no more legacy, no more hope for the future and bringing the Krevion from the past to the future and realizing its potential.

[Cyrus Marius]

Pandora knew the way; she knew it because it was knowledge ingrained into the core of her being. It had been she who first felt the call of the Zali'mau, and though her bondmate felt it as well, he did not know what it was that stirred such feelings within him. Pandora had been the one to feel the desire, the rush of emotions within her that signaled it was time to particiapte in the ritual of their kind. She had become distant, detatched, and if possible, even more feral than before. Now even her bondmate recieved her pearl-white snarl if the mood struck, and she no longer sought the simple pleasure of his hand's caress. Her luminous blue eyes had always turned north, back to the home that she and her bondmate loathed to return to.

Yet, now they stood together before the entrance to the citadel, hesitating before taking that final step into the building's corridors. In a passive-aggressive display of his feelings towards the Sanguine, Cyrus had chosen to garb himself entirely in black; a sign of the mourning he still felt for the family that the secretive group had stolen from him. His blonde mane was tied back into a single, tightly woven braid that hung down his back, his silken shirt was loose and billowed slightly around his lean frame, as did his pitch-colored leggings. Black leather knee-high boots protected the soldier's feet, as black leather gloves protected his long fingers. He wore a black leather sword belt around his hips, complete with an Imperial longsword that rested in it's leather home on his side. The weapon's silver crossguard and round pommel matched well with the silver buckle on the legionnaire's belt, and his black eye-patch stood out against the bronzed alabaster of his skin for the world to see.

A part of him wanted to reach down and stroke Pandora's soft russet fur as he stared at the citadel's entrance, but his hand stopped before it touched the Virkyn's skull. She had been too untamed and unpredictable recently, and even Cyrus was keeping a respectable distance from the wild wolf creature. Never before had she displayed such ferocious independence to the legionnaire, and though he could still feel their bond as strongly as ever, it gave him new insight as to the depth of emotion that the Virkyn was capable of feeling.

Pandora suddenly took a couple steps forward, towards the citadel's entrance, when she realized that her bondmate had not joined her in proceeding. She stopped and turned her canine head back, staring at Cyrus, and the legionnaire simply stood in place, staring into the stronghold of the Sanguine. A flood of thoughts and emotions assaulted the soldier, conflicting with one another to the point where he did not know what was the right course of action. Should he proceed, or should he retreat? Should he enter as a friend, or as a foe? Should he feel hatred and loathing, where comfort and even love dared threaten?

Cyrus shook his head fiercely, snarling audibly at the thoughts that intruded upon his conciousness. It had been happening in the cycles leading up to summer, an unidentified longing for a wholeness he knew he would only find at the Coldlight Citadel. It had been a reflection of Pandora's own feelings, yet they echo'd within the legionnaire's soul just as loudly, confusing themselves with the memories left to him by his beloved Elizabeth and the strange connection he felt with the russet Pandora. The conflicting emotions within the soldier's spirit stoked the fires that lurked there, turning them into the blaze that burn both lover and enemy alike. All of the warrior's emotions could be consumed by that fire if he allowed them to, yet he struggled to maintain control of that which roared within. He could see faces flashing across his mind; the various images of the women that roamed the halls of the citadel, yet it only further stirred the tempest brewing within the soldier's heart.

"What are we, Pandora?" Cyrus asked, seemingly out of nowhere. His cryptic question was born of the tumult that raged within him at having to participate in the Sanguine's rituals as a brother; as one of the group that had once cost him so much. "Where have we come?"

The sleek russet Virkyn cocked her head slightly, fixing her cobalt gaze upon Cyrus' face.

"Home, Cyrus. We have come home."

The soldier lowered his azure gaze to meet that of his bondmate, and he nodded softly. She waited until he had approached her side, and together, the two padded softly and silently into the crystal halls of the Coldlight citadel.

[Valanthia L'Evienne]

Val was already back in Coldlight, having arrived two brightenings earlier. Even more than usual, she was agitated, and the fact that she had a fairly good understanding of why this was the case simply added to her irritation. She had been hoping against hope that something would happen to delay the ritual, or even cancel it, but when she woke up that morning -- hopelessly early, as usual -- she knew without a doubt that this was the brightening.

"Get up." The words, directed at Umbrosus, were uttered in a voice that made no attempt at all to hide her unhappiness. "It's your brightening. It's your...your ritual, the one you worked so hard to create. I came back. I've done my part. Now, you should probably be off to go do...whatever it is you're planning on doing."

She stood up, smoothing out her untidy hair with her left hand. "I'll be here. Trust me, I won't be anywhere else." Val had turned Umbrosus' hints, the ones about having what she wanted, over in her mind on multiple occasions, but had arrived at this point without having made any sense of them. As such, she was planning to sort of hide out in her rooms for the duration of the event. That she had come at all was a concession to Umbrosus' happiness; it was also as far as she was willing to go.

"Have fun," she said, the sarcasm seeping through even though she didn't really want it to. "Try not to kill anyone, if you can...can arrange it." This whole thing was Umbrosus' fault -- and not just the fact that she was here, but the fact that the ritual even existed. Because of her last experience at the mirror, she still thought of the Zali'mau primarily as a personal affront, some kind of elaborate attempt to get her in bed with someone, and as such, her resentment ran deep indeed.

If her bondmate actually left, she would sigh deeply and then push her wardrobe in front of her door. No hormone-and-ritual-crazed boys were going to come wandering into Valanthia's room looking for a good time, that was for sure. Once that was done and she was securely barracaded in her suite, she would run the water, undress, and enjoy a long, warm bath. Maybe that would help to distract her from what was going on. Maybe...

[Jade Alanon]

Even in Natura amongst the peaceful serenity and nature, Nymira could feel the pull, it fueled her within with a certain fire that spread to her bondmate, making them both restless for Coldlight. While Jade tried her best to ignore it, not understanding what it was that drew her to want to return to Coldlight, Nymira knew what it was, it was The Zali'mau. Jade grew restless and her temper shortened even more so then before, snapping easier at those who chose to cross her path. She often felt sorry after she snapped but it couldn't be helped. Nymira too grew more cranky, making more biting comments to Jade and bickering easier with her bondmate.

Jade had been brushing her hair in front of a mirror whilst Nymira paced rather impatiently behind Jade, they needed to return to Coldlight at that instant, Jade had the ring of gold and could easily take them back home, but she was dragging her feet about it. "We need to return now!" Nymira growled at her bondmate, her patience almost completely gone. Jade set the brush on the desk hard and turned to glare at the impatient Nymira, her emerald eyes showing the tension she felt and the pull herself. She was dragging her feet on returning to Coldlight because that meant leaving Austin so suddenly, she liked him a great deal and wished to know him better. However this wasn't really her choice and soon she would cave and place the gold ring upon her finger and return to the place where the Sanguine and Virkyn would all gather.

Standing to her feet slowly, she dressed herself and placed the bracers on her arms and took her staff in hand, Nymira saw that Jade was finally ready and she was relieved, though that did little to calm her temper as she came to rest her bulk against Jade's legs, waiting for Jade to remove the gold ring from the chain around her neck and put it on. Jade shared the anticipation and exhilaration as she put the gold ring on her finger, feeling the all too familiar tug, closing her eyes and clutching her staff tightly, feeling the ring take her back home.

Slowly opening her eyes as her feet settled within the grass rather then the carpet of her room, she felt the cool summer breeze blow her hair across her face and she couldn't help but smile at the familiar surroundings. Nymira felt the same feeling of familiarity though that feeling was quickly overshadowed by the scents of various other Virkyns and their bondmates, all of which feeling the same pull. Jade did not care for the other Sanguine so she did not look at them at the moment, letting them walk past her, some carrying their own weapons and some bearing the look of arcana users, Virkyns of different colors and sizes passed with their bondmates.

Jade couldn't help but glare at any who looked at her, she hated none of those around her yet she felt the burning sensation to fight them all and win, not caring if she spilled their blood. She had never felt such a rush before in her life and she knew Nymira felt the same way, Nymira's dark eyes gauging the other Virkyns carefully, gauging her competition and pondering different ways in winning. After a few moments, the two sisters moved towards the Citadel, Jade kept her eyes open for one particular Sanguine that she actually cared about, Valanthia would have to be there, it wasn't without a doubt and this would be the first time Jade saw her friend since they parted ways in the beginning of spring.

She felt no hesitation as she and Nymira came to the entrance of the Citadel, moving soundlessly through the great halls that had been so familiar to her. She had thought of it as home and had thought it would be the only place she belonged, but she couldn't help but feel a need to return to Natura after this was finished, if she and Nymira survived of course. "I do not intend to die nor do you, think not thoughts of death." Nymira knew her bondmate so well and knew she was scared, but Jade was also comforted in the fact that Nymira would protect her with all her strength.

Hackles rose as a new scent came to Nymira, teeth bared in a fierce look of anger. Jade looked down at Nymira, wondering what had stirred such angry feelings within her sister. Nymira had been passed by dozens of Virkyn and had shown not a bit of animosity, what had triggered this reaction. Following Nymira's gaze, she found the source and let out a growl of her own, anger surging through the already thin layer of patience as her emerald eyes fell upon the male Sanguine Cyrus. She hadn't seen him in a while now and yet his very sighting made Jade wanted to beat him over the head with her staff. She still recalled the implications he had set when they last spoke, his hatred showing through and yet here he was, amongst those that had killed his love and his child.

She strode forward with a sarcastic look upon her face and walked up to him, not caring what his reaction would be, she had been angry at him before all this, the anger amplified a thousand times over, the need to fight and kill fueled her movements. She was different then the woman he had first met, appearances were still the same, but she had a more confident look on her, the look she bore in her eyes was that of a predator. Nymira followed closely, glaring daggers at her Virkyn "sister" Pandora who had been touched by madness, which of course was obvious. "What brings the destroyer of the Sanguine here?" She said sarcastically as she walked over to him.

"Jade, don't start something unless you are willing to finish." Implications were clear, if she chose to start a fight with the man, she would go through with it until she beat him or he killed her, that was what they were here for after all and Jade may not have wished to really win amongst them all, she just simply wished to leave Coldlight alive and if possible, take Cyrus down a notch or two.

[Cyrus Marius]

Cyrus' blonde head turned as the willowy figure approached him, clasping a quarterstaff in her fist and a resolute look on her face that hardened her bright green gaze. Recognition flashed through the legionnaire's mind, and he recalled the last time he had seen this particular lady Sanguine; Jade, if he remembered correctly, bonded to the coal-black Nymira. His lone cobalt eye narrowed slightly as she neared, and the soldier could not help but note the subtle changes to her body language that had appeared since their first encounter. She now regulated her body's gravity and movement with a purposeful stride, and the hand that gripped the wooden staff looked calloused and strong; all hallmarks of an aspiring warrior.

The legionnaire could not help but smile slightly at the sight, memories of their last conversation comming back to him clearly now. He had challenged the seemingly innocent woman, drawn a line in the sand with the harsh realities of the experiances of his life, and he had been correct in his assessment. Though the bold girl claimed to have endured much in her years, her's was no soldier's life; a life of steel and blood, of killing and death. Still, it would seem that she had stepped upon the turbulent road of strife that Cyrus himself walked, and only the Gods knew if she would be worthy enough to walk it.

The arcane illumination within the Coldlight citadel reflected off the silver of the legionnaire's Officer's badge, pinned unobtrusively by his shirt's collar, as well as the silver of the crossguard of his longsword. His left hand rose casually to his weapon's hilt as Jade neared, a non-threatening gesture, only one of comfort and familiarity. His long fingers roamed over the curves and angles of the sword's hilt almost sensually, as if he caressed a steel lover, and he gently rested his palm on the round pommel that graced the bottom of the sword. With a roguish, wolfish smirk across his angular countence, the young legionnaire made a half bow from the waist towards the Sanguine and replied to her brusque greeting.

"Greetings, Lady Jade; As charming as the rest of your pack, I see." The soldier's demeanor was relaxed and loose, hiding the storm that lurked beneath the surface. He had been schooled in all the nuances of aristocratic bearing and social grace, and he often found it a better mask to show an enemy than his fiery and unbridled rage. "I imagine that I am here much for the same reason that you are, my dear."

Cyrus did not deign to dignify Jade's comment about the Sanguine's destruction with response. The soldier's opinion on the group was much of the source of the tumult that raged within him, as was the knowledge that the group's destiny could be ultimately decided on the edge of his blade, if he allowed it to be. The face of his son suddenly swam before his vision, the infant child he had been, as well as the spirit that had later visited him, and Cyrus took comfort from that brief moment of connection. However, that was independent of the legionnaire's plans regarding the Sanguine sisterhood; they could survive through eternity, or they could perish in smoke and fire. The hands of fate could be cruel, but not half so cruel as Cyrus Marius.

Or, perhaps, there was a third road.

The young soldier shook the thoughts from his head, dismissing them from his mind for the moment. There would be time to ponder the future later. Jade still stood before him with her black bondmate, and Pandora's anger and emotions could be felt strongly by the legionnaire, so much so that he cast a quick curious glance down at the russet Virkyn. Her luminous azure eyes were fixed on the Sanguine pair before her, but she made no move to act upon her aggressive stance. She knew the laws of Coldlight, and even her brush with madness would not shake that foundation. Cyrus raised an eyebrow slightly at his bondmate's behavior, and he raised his sapphire-colored gaze to meet Jade's.

"Tell me, has Nymira been acting strangely of late? Aggressive, even perhaps disobediant? Since the beginning of Summer, Pandora's spirit has flared hotter than than the weather, and it was she who led us back to this place. Have you experianced the same thing with Nymira?"

[Jade Alanon]

To say that Jade wasn't anxious as she approached the legionnare would be false for she recalled the first time she had met him well, his threats still alive within her mind. She remembered the state she had been in when she first met Cyrus, she had been a new Sanguine on her first mission with Val, her blades never used to take the life of another, her hands free of the stain of blood. That had changed now, she killed Rhasic now without even batting an eyelash, she often wondered now if she had traded in her soul for the return of her sister Nymira and the power to destroy her enemies.

Now was not the time to reminise or think on such deep thoughts, that would be later saved for when she returned to Natura, if she survived of course. Jade had adopted a thought pattern to live each day as though that day would be the one where she breathed her last breath. Take as many lives with her as she could and never fear what she didn't know was coming but instead prepare for it. She saw recognition in his eyes and wondered if that was a good thing though really it was rather flattering, it meant that she wasn't a forgetful face, though their meeting had been rather memorable. Cyrus had been quite the drama king, speaking on how he would bring the end to the Sanguine and Jade and while he could have easily killed her that darkening, he would find it more difficult now.

Jade couldn't help but feel surprised that Cyrus smiled, though it was a slight smile that displayed no real emotion to it. She kept her face a mask of blankness, finding it easier then showing her almost need for a fight, to sink her bracer blades into someone's body and feel their heart slowly fade to a halt, their warm blood coating the blade and their breath stopping. Jade often felt as though she was doing them a favor just as any who took her life would be doing her a favor. Only the strong survived in the end and Jade made damn sure she would be one of those standing when the end came. Cyrus had only gotten stronger since their meeting, she could easily see that and yet she didn't feel the same fear she had felt at their last meeting because she too had gotten stronger.

A glint of silver caught Jade's emerald eyes, drawing them first to the badge that adorned his chest, proving that he was indeed a legionnare. Another glint brought her gaze to the longsword that hung from his belt, she had once feared it, now she wished for him to draw the blade and fight her. Nymira's gaze never left that of Pandora, anger welling inside her as well, she wanted to lunge forward and strike the Virkyn down but she knew that while Nymira was larger then the russet, Pandora was not to be taken lightly, a keen intelligence in her eyes. Both Virkyn knew all too well the rules of engagement at Coldlight and no matter how much they wanted to fight, they would honor those rules.

Jade kept a tight hold on her staff, the feel of the warm wood between her fingers was a comfortable feeling, much like the feel of cold steel against his fingers was a sign of familiarity to him. She wasn't threatened by his gesture though she was sure he had meant to call attention to his weapon in a subtle way, both Sanguine held their weapons close and while neither cared for the other, they were as civilized as one could get at the moment. Jade really had expected Cyrus to silently acknowledge her and then leave her be, but since when did Cyrus Marius do what anyone expected him to do? Her hand gripped her staff tighter and she tensed as he moved but he did not attack, he looked at her with a roguish grin and gave a sort of half bow that might taken to be gentlemanly, but Jade found it to be a mocking gesture.

While he did well to hide the burning anger within, there was a small amount of it playing in his eyes, eyes were the window to the soul and from what Jade could tell, his soul was ablaze. She said nothing as he greeted her, it was odd that he treated her not as an enemy at the moment but rather someone he could speak charmingly to. His words caused a faint smile of her own to appear, would they be trading vieled insults the whole time they were in the same Citadel or would Jade simply end it and move on as the other Sanguine were doing. Jade was disappointed that she hadn't seen Val yet, but she knew she would be there eventually, would Jade have to fight her friend? Jade could kill without feeling anymore, learning to repress any sort of feelings of guilt or empathy for her targets, but she couldn't kill Val and Umbrosus and feel nothing, that she wasn't capable of doing.

"I believe you are correct Cyrus." She wanted to tell him not to call her such things as Lady or "my dear" for she was neither. "Forgive me for not curtseying to such as a man as yourself." She chose not to toss names about, it would be childish to do so and she would not lower herself to such a level.

Nymira growled softly at the pair in front of her, she had to get away from them soon or she would go insane, this need to fight had been brewing within her for brightenings now and she had to sate that thirst for it. Cyrus spoke again, quite the talker he was that brightening, not that Jade much cared really, if he spoke, she would dignify his questions with an answer, though he would surely understand her temper being so short if she happened to snap. "Nymira acting strange?" "No stranger then usual." She said quietly to her bondmate who looked up at her and growled in response, telling Jade in a way that now was not the time to be picking at her.

"She is always disobediant though as of late it has been a lot worse, her temper has been shorter and she has had an insatiable need to fight." So Pandora too had felt the drawn to this place and her temper had been worse as well. "Has Pandora told you anything about what this is all about?" She wasn't going to pretend that she knew what this was all about because she didn't and while Cyrus was being civil, she too would be. "I too have felt a change, a shorter temper and need to fight, have you felt such things as well."

[Cyrus Marius]

The legionnaire made a small, dismissive gesture with his right hand as Jade declined to curtsey, a motion saying both 'do not worry' and 'I expect no different'. The soldier expected little in the way of courtesy from those who killed the the weak and the young, the sleeping and the helpless.

Cyrus hid this behind a mask of stoicism however, feining a countence with all the warmth and emotion of a marble statue in order to carry him through the encounter. The young soldier listened as Jade replied to his questions, and his azure orb flicked over to the pitch-black Nymira as the emerald eye'd Elf woman spoke of the Virkyn's disobediance and restless nature; information that Cyrus stored away in his mind for later reference. He quickly returned his gaze to Jade's however, and he shook his blonde head slightly before responding to the Sanguine.

"No. She has been uncharacteristically silent, even for her. I noticed the change comming upon her slowly, a growing aggitation and restlessness, until finally she woke me early before the rising of the suns and led me back to this citadel. How she knew the way or where she got the motivation to drive us both so fiercely I do not know, however we are here, and I imagine that the answers we seek will be found within these crystal halls."

Cyrus did not respond to the second of Jade's questions; if the changes in Pandora's behavior had been shared by him as well. The legionnaire was always a fierce man, defined by the boldness of his spirit even in times of peace, yet in recent days, he had indeed been struck with a restlessness that matched his Virkyn's. He often felt anxious and irritable, and only time spent drilling on the training field had helped satiate his need for battle. There were other feelings as well, other longings that kept him awake and tossing in his bunk at night, but the soldier chose not to insult Jade this time by mentioning the specifics. He also did not want to give her anything which she could use against him later, for though he did not know why, there was a foreboding sense of something significant behind the Sanguine's gathering, and Cyrus wanted to be as prepared as he could be for whatever lay before him.

At his side, Pandora stood like a russet statue, staring at her sister with those brilliant bright blue eyes of hers. The Virkyn was calm, tranquil even, yet menace and ferocity eminated from the creature like an almost palpable aura of heat. She did not stir, did not blink, barely even breathed as she looked at the coal-colored Nymira. Her thoughts were veiled even from her bondmate, and when he felt the rage burning within the wolf, he gently rested the palm of his hand on her soft, russet head. Pandora broke eye contact with Nymira and looked up at her bondmate's face, and without a word or thought passed between them, the dark russet Virkyn silently turned and began loping down the halls that led deeper into the citadel.

Cyrus watched her depart, his angular visage contemplative and introspective. His hand returned to rest upon the polished steel pommel of his longsword, and he turned his sapphire-colored gaze again to Jade's face.

"I'm sure this won't be the last that we see of each other, my dear. Until then."

The young legionnaire made another small, half-bow from his waist, and flashed another small, charming smile. His lean face and angular features added to the allure of his demeanor, however his lone cobalt eye maintained the glittering sapphire light that bespoke of the fire burning within him. No matter what transpired in the brightenings to come, he would never forget who the Sanguine were and what they had cost him, and the promises he had made to those who now slept for eternity.

Without another word, Cyrus turned on his heel and strode off in the direction Pandora had taken.

[Jade Alanon]

The blonde Legionnaire's dimissive gesture only caused Jade to smirk, leave it to him to believe himself so high and mighty when he was as much of a killer as she was. Who was the real monster, the one who accepted what she was and did what she did best or the fool who hid behind his anger, his need for vengence and his supposed principles while he cut others down, it was denial pure and simple, at least from what she could see and that was all that mattered to her. She felt no need to show any sort of respect to this man, he may have bonded and become a Sanguine but she didn't regard him as such, he was the enemy to her.

Jade wore a mask of nuetrality, she was almost as good as he was, both attempting to cover their emotions from the other, both hiding a raging fire within, though both fires were fueled by different reasons. Cyrus' hatred for the Sanguine despite the fact that he too was one and Jade's hatred and anger at Jerack who, despite his absence, was a lingering presence in her mind. Letting that bastard get to her was letting him win and she could allow it, so she forced Jerack from her thoughts in time to catch what Cyrus was saying.

"With a partner such as him, I would be silent as well." Despite the tense situation, Nymira still found it in her to make snide remarks to her bondmate. Though Nymira spoke to Jade, her dark eyes remained on her russet sister, a low growl in the back of her throat while the russet remained quiet. "This is her home, of course she would know how to return." This was common knowledge to Nymira and Jade as well, but now wasn't the time for Jade to speak such a thing and Nymira didn't believe Cyrus worthy to hear her speak.

Jade didn't show much care that he chose not to answer her second question, it mattered little to her what the man was feeling or if he felt anything at all. She would most likely find out later that brightening or sometime that cycle when they faced each other, unless of course he was killed first, she hoped not, she wanted to be the one to kill him, he had made her to look like a fool last time she had met him. Though perhaps she should offer him her thanks as well for he gave her the incentive to reach out of her comfort zone in her training and strain to be stronger and she did just that, she was stronger and on the path of a warrior, much like she had been in her Sanguine past. She wondered now if she knew Cyrus' past life, she couldn't help but be curious about him.

It was a stand off between the two Virkyn, both wanting to fight but both holding back, though Nymira was more vocal of her struggle then Pandora was. Nymira pressed herself against Jade protectively, not because Nymira felt that Jade was in danger at the moment, but to give Jade a sense of closeness and show that while the two had their spats, especially at this time, they were still as close as ever. Nymira watched as Pandora broke eye contact with her looked up at Cyrus, then turned to walk down the halls, of course she knew her way around, all Virkyn knew their way around the Citadel. "I hope Cyrus gets lost now."

Jade rolled her eyes at her silly sister's snide remarks and turned her attention back to Cyrus who's hand returned to the pommel of his sword, she hadn't even noticed his hand had left the weapon. So he had decided to depart as well, well that was perfectly fine with her, he was right, they would see each other again soon enough. Another bow and yet another charming smile, had this been a different situation, a different lifetime, she might have enjoyed that charming smile and enjoyed being called "my dear" but it wasn't a different lifetime and she didn't want him calling her that. "I'm not your dear." She growled at his receding form. Nymira looked up at Jade and sighed. "Pleasent fellow isn't he?" She jested before turning to follow where Pandora had disappeared too, knowing she had to join the others.

Jade didn't like that Nymira had gone, she felt so odd without her sister at her side, but it was something Nymira had to do. Instead of wandering to where the other Sanguine had most likely gathered, Jade instead headed towards Val's room, perhaps Val was there. It took her a bit but she reached Val's room and knocked on the door gently. "Val, are you there. It's me, Jade." She would give her a few moments, if Val didn't answer then Jade would return to her own chambers.

[Gossamer]

ooc: okay, Im getting off my rear in this one and posting rapid fire to get through it. We have until the end of the month to finish properly. I'm sorry, Val, I've been stalling your fluid time.

The newly joined perhaps might not have ever experienced something like the Zali'mau before, but for the older Sanguine, the ritual was as ingrained in their psyche's as any other. Once the trio had reached their separate chambers, they'd find laid out on their beds (unless they already had them on) a full set of sanguine armor. It wasn't plate, or even spiked leather. Instead it was toughened leather layered with black crystal veining it. Even if it was in their packs, they'd find their armor laid out. Two other things would be found beside the armor. A long torch, taller than they were also found lay gleaming beside whatever was laid out. The torches had an unusual end on them... a separate length of metal arched out with a bell like snuffer on the end. It looked like each torch was designed to be lit and snuffed by the same device. The third thing was a thick crystal-reinforced leather collar. While insulting at first, if fitted around a Virkyn's neck, it suddenly became clear the purpose. No other Virkyn, in the zealousness of a fight, could rip the throat out of another... in accident or passion. Interesting...

Regardless of what the three were doing, below in the vast bowels of Coldlight, the stage was set. Pairs gathered, two by two... one four legged, one two legged entering at one end. There was a massive dais on the far end, and three concentric rings open to the floor around. Torches lined the walls, glowing their ethereal violet. A massive bale fire burned at the entrance, and everyone coming through lit their own personal torches as they proceeded past. Though it seemed... chaotic, there was an organization and deep profound order to it all.

Cyrus, hopefully having donned his armor, would be among the first of the three to enter due to the fact that Jade was looking for Val, and Val was within her chambers. Pandora was beside him. If he followed the rest, he could light his torch and take his seat among the dais with his Virkyn by his side. In the rings, matches were already underway... and it was obvious they were being preformed by some of the younger sanguine. For rituals sake, the doves were fighting... youth not yet old enough or with enough prowess to truly participate as the adults did, even though some of them had fully mature Virkyn.

A cheer rose up as a blonde girl pinned a boy flat on his back with her staff. Similarly, her Virkyn pinned his, and her name was taken up in a chant. "Kalana! Kalana!" She bowed, helped the boy up, and snuffed his torch. Her Virkyn wagged her tail, proudly circling their ring, waiting for the next challenge. Evidently, she was running out of doves to fight, because her opponents grew older and older. In other rings, other doves fought.. but the winners seemed to cycle through Kalana's ring, until the junior most adult pair met her. The battle was fierce between them, and though both pairs were smeared with blood, Kalana finally pinned that woman as well. Nemaru howeled, and in between her howls, Niravia stood up from her seat on the dias and shouted... "The dove has flown. Kalana, you are now a full Sanguine with full Sanguine rights! Congratulations." The crowd surged, cheering, and the tension rose significantly. It seemed the doves were done fighting, and now the real battles would begin. They would start with the pups of course, and somehow or another Pandora knew this. She rose, giving Cyrus a long look, and lead him down into the ring. It was his turn to fight the girl and her Virkyn.

Meanwhile, up in Val's room, Umbrosus had begun to pace. When the knock at the door sounded, he growled and when Jade and Nymira appeared, the two virkyn sized each other up like each of each was either being served or was served up on a plater. The tension was high, and all of it was pure sexual energy. The male to female Virkyn combination wasn't good. Umbrosus' thoughts were clear. He wanted to fight Nymira. He wanted to pin her beneath him and make her yield to his superior strength. It wasn't necessarily a mating he wanted. She wasn't old enough or good enough for that. Only a prime strong female well proven by many Zali'mau's would due for that. But he wanted her neck bared or her belly displayed beneath him....submissive. Val felt it too... acutely... almost as if it were her own. Such thoughts infused her.. and when Jade walked through the door... it was almost as if Val wanted the same thing.

Nymira felt it as well. She eyed Umbrosus... though large, she dwarfed him. The Virkyn curled her lip with contempt at the male. He wasn't an alpha yet... wans't anything more than a pup. And while he might mature bigger than her, for now he was nothing....[i]Pissed on snow[i], she decided suddenly... and mentally sent out that image to him... taunting him. Jade felt it too... saw Val... and had the strongest urge to pin her as well, to test her own strength. The Zali'mau was really good about giving bravato to its participants.... infusing them with aggression. It was not something they could ignore. While Jade and Val might be friends, here and now they were rivals. While Val might not want to be forced to have sex with another male.... which was clearly her idea of what this was about... she could not avoid the urge to beat the living tar out of Jade... the very strong urge.

But, facing each other... they did understand something acutely. This wasn't entirely about propagating the species or passing on the bloodline, though that aspect certainly was there for whomever ultimately won. It was, far more importantly, about testing their prowess, knowing each others strengths and weaknesses, and knowing their own internal demons. Neither girl, in the end, would avoid fighting... not really. The battlefield was just the variable. Was it in their own mind... was it the actual Zali'mau Grounds set in the bowels of Coldlight.

Jade and Val both knew if they decided not to fight, their Virkyns would anyhow. Their instinct forced it. And in that drive and because they were horribly outmatched without being part of a pair, they would be subjected over and over and over again to the mind numbing soul killing humiliation of being pinned and forced to submit to someone else's dominance. It would be spiritual devastation...

Back in the bowels of the Citadel, Cyrus faced a blonde teen with blue eyes and her bloody Virkyn. She was far too young for him, but her back was straight and pride filled her eyes. She'd battled her way out of the doves and into the ranks of the adults. Pandora and her Virkyn were of equal size, but her's was older and wiser. Plus, Kalana herself was born of Niravia and grew to adulthood among the Sanguine. It'd be a good test, though already Cyrus could feel the need.. the bestial need within him, to pin the girl with all her lanky awkward supple flesh to the ground beneath him and hold her there until she yielded to his dominance and gave him the respect he would momentarily earn. She would be part of his pack, under his protection soon. The feeling, though alien, was soothing, seductive... and as he glanced around, he suddenly realized he wanted them all as part of his pact, submissive, dependant... he wanted to own and then protect every last one of them.. male female... young and old. It was, perhaps, the first moment of clarity and the first sensation of being clear he'd experienced thus far. The sensation caused his muscles to ripple, and his mouth to slightly salivate. In that instant, Cyrus went from being a thinking calculating killing machine, to a ladder climbing packmate.... wholly part of all the activity around him.

On the dais, Niravia smiled.

Kalana raised her staff, bowed to Cyrus, and then the battle was on. The two enormous furred creatures launched at each other, and Kalana gripped her staff, swinging it hard trying to connect with the side of Cyrus's head.

[Cyrus Marius]

OOC: Sorry in advance, this is gonna be a long post. Ye be warned, ye be.

It did not take long for the legionnaire to catch up with his Virkyn, and he followed swiftly as she knifed like a russet shadow through the number of other Sanguine pairs that roamed the halls and led him directly to the chambers that had been prepared for his arrival. At first, the sheer scope of the crystal citadel was almost overwhelming to the soldier, having only been inside the magnificent structure once before. His lone sapphire-colored eye roamed from wall to ceiling in undisguised wonder, and he exhaled deeply in response to what he beheld. Cyrus could feel Pandora's cobalt eyes on him however, and the strange, aggressive seeming energy that eminated from Virkyn could be felt even stronger than before. The young soldier returned the stare with a pointed look of his own, and under the azure gaze, Pandora turned and entered their chambers, trusting that Cyrus would follow soon after.

When he entered the room, his eye immediately flew to the set of armor that had been laid out for him. A small frown flashed across his features as he strode up to the armor, for if he required armor, then it meant he would be required to fight in the near future. The thought, while always something of an inspiration to the fierce soldier, now took on an even more savage facet in his mind. He wanted true combat, longed for the fever pitch of it to run riot through his veins and free him as he was only freed on the field of battle. He had assumed it was connected with his proximity to the group that he believed he loathed so entirely, however the aggression that was building within him had no name or no face, only an ever growing chorus of passion that was like a siren's song to the soldier.

His fingers roamed across the surface of the leather, and he could feel the crystaline structure contained within the fibers of the material that would ward against blows. Though he would never trust leather to withstand punishment such as his plate armor could, he had already experianced what the strange, dark-colored crystal was capable of. His left hand unconciously returned to his weapon's pommel, and glancing down at the non-discript weapon, Cyrus decided it was time to end the charade.

Taking a swath of rawhide from within his belt, the young legionnaire dismissed the other items for a moment and sat on the bed, then pulled the longsword free of it's leather home and laid the bare weapon across his lap. Immediately, a subtle incandescent light filled the room, alternating slowly in intensity as it dimmed and brightened. The illumination came from within the long, wicked-sharp blade that lay exposed across Cryus' lap; from the strange, almost crystaline steel, smokey dark in color, yet containing an infinate myriad of colors and light within the prism-like blade. The soldier began scrubbing at the crossguard, and within moments, the silver began smearing and scrapping off the weapon, revealing a gleaming gemstone underneath that was set into the weapon's ardentium guard. He had covered certain sections of the hilt with powdered silver, so that the weapon would not be recognized by the Sanguine until he wanted it to be so. Cyrus continued the process on the sword's hilt and pommel, until the flawless ivory of the hilt and the impressive gleam of ardentium could be seen by all.

Karvaaka, the legionnaire's blade. Gifted to him by the spirits of Elizabeth and Benjamin Winters, in the isolated reaches of the Khardran Mountains on his Rharghrnd vision quest. The soft gleam from inside the blade seemed to strengthen as Cyrus' long fingers curled around the weapon's soft leather grip, and he could not help but feel the presence of his lost family stronger now than ever before, here surrounded by those that had taken them from him. He brought the gleaming sword before his face and gently kissed the gemstone in the crossguard, his lone eye closing for a moment as memories and emotions added themselves to the already turbluent and tumultuous whirlwind that roared within his mortal flesh.

"You will have justice today, my love, and we will have our vengence."

Sliding Karvaaka into her black leather home, Cyrus stood from the bed and began stripping the loose-fitting black clothing from his body. He could feel Pandora's eyes roaming over his physique, and the legionnaire saw himself as through her eyes; sinewy and lean, with hard-packed muscles so visible beneath Rhaghrnd-white flesh that he seemed a statue sculpted from marble, only slightly bronzed by Telath's suns. Cyrus slipped the leather breastplate over his torso, and he marvelled at the perfect fit of the armor, as if it's creator had been intimately familiar with every curve and angle of the legionnaire's body. He slid the remainder of the armor on and secured Karvaaka around his waist, then turned to appraise the remaining items on the bed. The first, a strange bell-topped torch, he lifted and inspected for a moment before leaning it against the wall behind him. The final item was much like the armor that he now wore, however it looked like no piece of armor that the soldier was familiar with, and he quickly realized it was meant for Pandora. He called to her and she came quickly to his side, and Cyrus knelt before her to secure the collar around her long, lean neck.

Pandora seemed to have an instinctual understanding of the object's purpose, and she did not move as the young soldier secured the glittering gorget in place. It to was made to fit Pandora perfectly, and the color of the leather was well complimented by the deep russet coloring of her coat. Cyrus made sure that the armor was properly protecting her throat with a soldier's critical eye, and once assured that he and his bondmate were as protected as their hosts intended them to be, the young legionnaire reached out and grabbed the long torch-like object and, finding nothing else of interest in his chambers, he strode towards the door and back out into the labyrinthine corridors. He and Pandora soon fell in with the other Sanguine pairs, and though the soldier spoke to no one, he allowed himself to be led by them to the lower sections of the citadel where the ritual that had called them all here was playing out.

Cyrus watched as the Sanguine paused before a great roaring fire, an unnatural blaze that was violet in color, and they thust their torches into the swirling flames until they had