[Coldlight] Blood Calls to Blood [Gossamer]

[Jade Alanon]

First Cycle of Immanis, Season of Winter

Coldlight sang it's siren song to Jade, the black crystal structure calling to it's Sanguine daughter, urging her to return with the crystals that she had collected whilst she had been away. Jade had a good collection of them and she couldn't wait to return the books and scrolls to the Krevion, it was all little steps, bringing her closer to becoming whole once again. She had grown restless just sitting around Natura and had begun to travel, she killed Rhasic wherever she could and collected the crystals, but there was a resounding question deep in her soul. Why? Why was there so much bloodshed? Why was it that Jade had never chosen to question the blood curse that had been placed on the Sanguine and Rhasic alike? Perhaps it was because Jade had found a purpose in her life and she clung to it, she liked being a soldier in a continuing war against their enemy and she liked being able to take any and all frustrations out on the Rhasic she hunted so avidly.

Nymira had felt Jade's longing to understand more about the Sanguine and Rhasic, because really, she knew very little. She knew about the war, had some memories return to her, though they were few and far between. It was like watching clips of another person's life, both frustrating and saddening. She knew she would never return to the life she had once lived, but that didn't mean that she couldn't know more about it. The gold band hugged the Jade's flesh and soon she was back at Coldlight. Not having to travel all the way back to Aelyria Prime was definitely an advantage. Jade slipped the gold ring back off and hung it around her neck, she had been transported to her room, which she hadn't seen in what felt like eras. Nymira remained at her side as always, looking around the room with her dark brown eyes. The room was neat and tidy, only because no one really occupied the room, Jade would stay there as long as she needed to, perhaps a few brightenings at most. She would visit Dimah later on, but first, the mirror.

Jade had used the mirror once before and had spoken with her human sister on the other side. It had been an emotional experience that she missed greatly, but for some reason, she hadn't returned since then. Was it because she had Nymira in human form on this side as well? Not permanently yet, but she was working on it. Maybe there was a sense that Jade didn't want to know more about herself, about her past and what all had gone on in it. Would she like who she had been in her past? There was so many questions running around in Jade's mind, questions that needed to be asked and answered by one person Jade was sure could answer them. "So we are heading to the mirror then?" Nymira asked softly, getting only a nod in response, both sisters were on their way, both knowing the way by heart to the mirror.

It wasn't the same as it had been the first time she visited, the mirror wasn't calling Jade, Jade was calling the mirror. Although her staff had been left back in her room, Aganadara was carried at Jade's side, the dagger that would cut into her flesh and draw her blood, blood that would call to the one who would answer her call. The room was empty from what Jade could tell, empty and silent. The reflective silver lay in front of her, her reflection showed just how torn up she was about this. The need to know yet the fear of what she may find out, she wanted to just turn around and leave yet she couldn't allow herself to do this. With no hesitation at all, Jade brought the cold steel of Aganadara against the palm of her hand, not even wincing as the blood began to pour from the open wound in her palm. Placing the bloody hand against the smooth cool surface of the mirror, Jade uttered the phrase, "Blood calls to blood." and waited for the magic to work and for her to be taken to her sister, Nymira had a lot to answer and no damned magic would pull Jade away until her questions were answered.

[Gossamer]

As usual, the white-haired man was watching the portal disguised in silvered glass. When it flared, he gestured and a dark form went from the room at a rapid pace. There was a pair to be found, and the Virkyn sent to do it would find them. Meanwhile, Umbrosus walked to the glass, nodded his greeting and smiled gently at the woman on the other side. He recognized her, of course, for all that her ears were tapered like an elves. It never ceased to amaze him how their human blood had mingled with others over the course of time.

There was even odder combinations, if truth be told.

But as the man gazed at her wondering, the door burst open, Nymira rushed in, and her palm was cut in good order. Pressed to the glass the blood mingled with the magic, and both women found themselves face to face. Nymira was... far more familiar to Jade than a bondmate might have had a right too be, but it was nothing the Sanguine's little sister in the past would be aware of.

"Jade!" Nymira said, rushing forward and throwing her arms around Jade's neck to hug her. "How have you been? Gods you look fierce... what in the world have you been doing?"

[Jade Alanon]

Just as the one time before, Jade watched the mirror closely, waiting until the form of Umbrosus came to her. The white haired man didn't seem all that surprised when he heard Jade's call, he sent his Virkyn out of the room to go fetch her sister and offered Jade a warm smile. Jade smiled a bit back, but she wasn't in the mood for pleasentires at the moment, her mind was too focused on gaining something she did not have, a better understanding of the clan that she killed for, it was something that was greatly needed, especially if Jade was going to continue killing for them.

Nymira sat on the ground behind Jade, watching her bondmate seek out her human half, it was always an odd feeling but one that Nymira came to terms with, seeing her human form on the other side only made Nymira want her other half of her soul back all the more.

Jade set Aganadara down, turning around only when she heard the door burst open on the other side of the mirror, Nymira came rushing inside as usual, anxious to speak with her sister. She cut her hand as easily as Jade had and pressed her hand to the mirror, her hand a bit smaller then Jade's, also not as calloused. The blood called to the magic and soon both sisters were brought back together, though who knew for how long.

Jade became less stoic once Nymira rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Jade's neck, the reunion was a bit more toned down then the first time they had met through the mirror, mostly because Jade had questions for her sister and couldn't get caught up in the joy of seeing Nymira like this again. That would waste time that she didn't have. Jade couldn't help but smile when Nymira mentioned how fierce she looked, it was true of course, Jade was a lot more feral then she had been before. She didn't see her virkyn form in toe of Nymira at the moment, though she probably would soon enough. Jade marveled at times at the russet Virkyn that she was in Nymira's time, were they as close here as they were in Jade's time?

What had she been doing? Her duty of course. She pulled back from Nymira's arms with a smile and gave a little shrug. "A bit of hunting here, some killing there, the usual." It was almost scary how nonchalant Jade could be when it came to killing. It didn't torture her as much as it used to. "Nymira, I came here for a reason, I need answers." Jade felt bad that she didn't come to the mirror that often, though it was mostly because she wanted to continue to hunt and keep from getting too addicted to the black crystal around her, that was why she stayed away from Coldlight like she did. "I've been doing all this killing for the Sanguine and I know a bit about why I do it, but not enough. I need to know more about the Sanguine and the Rhasic, more about me when I lived as a keeper. I don't know if I have that much time with you, but can you please help me Nymira." Nymira might be the only person Jade ever said please to, ever saw a different side of Jade. Jade hated looking needy, but couldn't help the fact that was in need.

Ever since she had spoken with Cyrus and he had made the comment, "Did you even question any of it at all?" Jade had felt that she had been foolish in not asking more questions. There was a sense in her that she might not want to know, maybe something from her past or maybe it was because she knew she had failed in her past life and didn't want to think on that failure any more. Hopefully Nymira would be able to help Jade, if not, then she would go to Niravia for answers.

[Gossamer]

Nymira seemed surprised at Jade's question. "What do you mean? Don't you have access to the memories we all share? I mean, I don't have yours because you lived after me, but I know everything thats happened in the past. You should know most everything thats spanned all these years, Jade." Her sister said, looking completely surprised. "How can you just do what you do without knowing the why of it, Jade? Don't you remember the Sundering... the Rhasic's near execution of our people... when all we were doing was preserving the past and protecting it for the future? It's all in ruins now... practically all of it, but its better in your time. we've done much, Jade... all you have to do is think back to remember how and why." The dark-haired girl said. She had an easy way about her and a face prone to laughter. It was easy to tell by the tiny extra lines on her face... laugh lines, despite the sadness in her eyes. All the sanguine in the past were sad. There was just no getting past it... but if Jade did not know the reasons for it, how could she function in the present? "I have no idea how much you know and how much you don't. If you want me to tell you all I know, I can Jade, but its going to take hours. Can you be more specific?" Nymira asked, suddenly confused at the questions and started by the new information.

[Jade Alanon]

Jade sighed as she saw Nymira's look of surprise at her question, she knew full well that all the Sanguine had access to the collective memory and she had used it a few times, but she didn't know how to access her own memories, she didn't know how to hone on them alone. "I do, I have access, I just don't use them enough to know how to sort them out. I mean random memories come to me every so often, but it's not enough." She hated seeing Nymira so surprised because it made Jade feel like a complete idiot that ought to know all this and yet she didn't.

"I get the gist of why I do this, but no, I don't remember the Sundering, everything is a total blank right after I was cut down fighting for the Krevion. I didn't come here to whine because I don't have all my memories Nym, I just want to remember some things that I should know." It was irritating to hear that Jade should already have her memories or at least be able to access them. "I don't know Nym, maybe I'm not trying hard enough." Jade listened as her younger sister spoke, explaining that she could just look back and remember.

It was good to be with her sister once more, the human sister that was not a killer, not the Nymira Jade knew in this lifetime. A softer gentler Nymira that played the violin and practiced her art when she could. Jade leaned forward and pressed her forehead gently against Nymira's, smiling softly as she calmed down. "I apologize for earlier Nymira, things are just getting to me I guess, I just get so confused at times and while there are the other Sanguine, I don't really have contact with them. I hunt because it is what I am told to do, but isn't there any other way to rebuild the Krevion? Any other way to retrieve the crystals then spilling so much blood?" She didn't want to sound like a traitor and she certainly didn't sympathize with the Rhasic, it was for Nymira's sake that she did this, but she saw that it was turning Nymira into such a brutal creature.

"Did anyone on either side look for another way Nym?"

"I remember Father rather clearly, don't recall a mother at all, I remember various memories of us growing up, my training, your violin training as well. I can remember the battle the Rhasic brought to use and remember my own death. But I know nothing about the Sundering other then it somehow brought me back and ripped my soul in half." Jade recalled seeing herself as a Virkyn on the other side and sighed. "What am I like...in your time Nymira, as a Virkyn?"

"While you don't seem it, the Virkyn that you are here is so desperate to be whole, her existence in the form of a Virkyn drives her insane. She and I work as one and yet she is so dangerous and sometimes I believe she is losing her human edge. I'm not sure what to do."