2 comments/ 12514 views/ 0 favorites Fate's Crucible By: HanaNoir There were few certainties in life. But one of them was the fact that his brother could not be dead. And that certainty was what led to his presence here, orbiting an out of the way little dust ball of a planet. Crimson eyes with just a hint of sepia reflected back at their owner as he peered out through the small port window. Below, clouds scudded across the face of the planet, painting a deceptively tranquil picture. He felt restless and wondered if his companion felt the same way. Judging by her constant shifting, he would rather think that she did. It had been almost three hundred years since he last saw his elder brother. They had kept in contact though, exchanging communications regularly for the purposes of dealing with matters both familial and financial. He'd seen to it that his brother's portfolio was in order and well managed, making sure that his modest personal fortune continued to grow. He had become worried when his brother missed their last scheduled meeting via comlink and when no contact had been forthcoming, he had taken the unusual step of sending a representative to the ship. It had been then that, to his dismay, he had learned that his brother was presumed dead. He shook his head slightly, glancing over at his companion. Things would have been much easier if she had gotten into touch with him immediately following the loss of his brother, but it wasn't her fault. She hadn't known how or even whom to contact. Zankoku's overwhelming paranoia had assured that. Thus, two years passed while he'd gotten the appropriate paperwork and transportation arranged to meet with her. What had followed was an intergalactic game of hopscotch as they attempted to track down his brother's body. As an unidentified murder victim, it seemed that his body had been shuffled from the hospital to the morgue, and then to the disposal unit. Fortunately, the disposal unit had been severely backed up, so they sent a large cargo of bodies out to other storage facilities. Two years turned to three, then five, then ten and still they were always a step behind. Until now. Twenty years and they were finally closing in on their goal. He gave his silk sleeves a light tug, checking his cufflinks, then glanced over at the silent female beside him. "Are you sure this is the correct planet?" She turned her head slightly, one snow white brow arching. "Very. The last known transfer occurred here, which means they switched off the bodies. In which case, he would still be harbored here, pending transportation to his home planet." The corner of her mouth turned up in a slight sardonic smirk. "Which they cannot do, since no one seems to have ever heard of Suzueni, much less know where the hell it IS." She glanced over at him. "I don't even know that." "Yes, well," he said a bit smugly. "Imagine that." Then he scowled slightly as the ship began re-entry, staring down at the planet below. "And yes, Amir," she continued, just as if he hadn't interrupted her. "He's there." His eyes lidded just a bit, looking thoughtful. "We shall see, Yami." She merely shook her head , ivory hair brushing the back of her neck. She was anticipating trouble, which was why she wore the black body suit beneath her normal clothing. In her life, she'd learned that things seldom went exactly as planned, so it was best to plan for the worst. It was a way to keep from being surprised too often. The ship made its' way through the soft swirls of clouds, toward the well lit landing pad on the ground below. It touched down easily, a soft hissing sound escaping as the vents opened, sending out used air and drawing in fresh. The compound was only a few hundred feet away, a lone guard stationed at the door. As it was pretty much the last stop on the route for the unfortunates brought here, there was a minimum staff. They had also made sure that they arrived at an off period as so not to encounter too much resistance. Amir rose from his seat after releasing the straps, straightening his tailored suit so that the wrinkles would fall out of it. Then he strode for the opening hatch, leaving Yami to follow behind him. He paused at the end of the ramp as she joined him, offering her his arm. The ground below was rough and uneven and the last thing either of them needed was for her to sprain an ankle in her stiletto heels. He pulled out an ID as they approached the guard at the door, face cool and unreadable. "Amir Satsujin," he said as the guard blinked, then peered closely at the laminated holocard. "And this is my assistant, Sezuki. We're here to identify a body for court purposes." Yami waited patiently, silently assessing the guard. "I'll have to send for the clerk," the guard finally replied. "Just a moment." He turned to the call box on the wall behind him, pressing the button. Sloppy, Yami thought to herself. This fool is no challenge. I could kill him right now. The guard spoke into the microphone in his native language, then waited for a reply, eyeing the somber pair with curious eyes. He turned when the speaker crackled back on, an irritable voice issuing from it. "What's going on?" The guard pressed the send button again. "Got a couple of legal types out here, sir, looking for a body." "What's the authorization?" the clerk asked, pausing in his paperwork. "Uhm..." The guard paused, then rattled off the ID name and number. "Amir Satsujin, ID number – 654064KESH5649." A low whistle came from the speaker. "DA types out there. Damn, alright. Send them on in." The guard nodded. "Yessir." A buzzer sounded from inside and the doors unlocked. He reached over and pushed the door open, holding it. "You heard the man," he said with a grin. "Good luck." Amir gave him a slight nod. "Thank you, sir." He allowed Yami to proceed him, then followed her in, the doors closing behind them, locks closing with a metallic click. Yami smirked slightly, taking in the surroundings. She had to admit, there were times when money and prestige DID have its advantages. He glanced over at her once the doors had closed. "Do you remember exactly what the wounds were?" he asked, keeping his voice low as they quickly headed down the corridor. Yami shivered slightly as the cool tendrils of refrigerated air began to brush against them. "Oooh, don't worry, I remember," she said, lips pressing together tightly. "And if I ever see that bitch again, I'll rip out her reproductive organs and stuff them up her mate's ass." Amir regarded her with a bit of amused condescension. "So violent..." Her crimson eyes flicked toward him. "When you finally get laid, Amir, perhaps you'll feel the same," she retorted, giving him a little pat on his arm. He chuckled softly, a faint smirk turning up the corner of his mouth. "I live in anticipation, my lady." They both fell silent as they approached the desk at the end of the hall, where the clerk waited. "May I help you?" he asked, peering up at the pair through his glasses. "Ah, yes," Amir replied. "I'm looking for a body that was brought in about..." He paused, glancing down at his small handcomp. "Six years ago on Transport 6987." The clerk's eyebrow arched up. "That's kinda old, isn't it? How long's this case been going on?" Amir smiled wryly. "Quite a while, my friend. Which locker should it be stored in?" "Mmm... let me see," he muttered, flipping through his records. "Locker 665-A, near the back." He pulled a key from the drawer, offering it to them. "Good luck." He nodded, taking the key and delicately handing it to Yami. "Thank you. This shouldn't take long." He turned on his heel and headed for the swinging doors with her right behind him, wisps of fog curling up around them as they passed through. Yami looked around, quirking an eyebrow. "I see now why they call it a meat locker. Which drawer did he say it was?" "665-A," was the clipped reply as he looked around, crimson eyes skimming the numbers on one side of the room, leaving the other to her. She nodded, stepping away from him to run her fingers over the drawers. A slight frown curved her mouth at the thought of someone being in one of these things for twenty years. She shook her head lightly, then paused, running her fingers over the numbers on one of the drawers. She scraped at a bit of ice to check the number, then smirked. "Found it." He turned sharply, striding over to join her. "Indeed," he murmured, peering at the number. "Let's hope this is the right one." "Aye," she said softly, curling her fingers around the handle. He slid the key into the lock and turned it, listening to the chilled metal tumblers click. He then stepped back so that she could pull open the long drawer. They both took a deep breath at the sight of the still body, features covered with the requisite white sheet. Amir knew that by nature he was not a nervous man, but there was a slightly queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach as he reached for the top of the sheet. He paused a moment, long silver fingers curling around the top, then he pulled it down. Yami watched impassively as it moved down, revealing features familiar to both of them. She knew it. She damned well knew it. She reached over, ignoring the pallid gray skin, a bare hand resting on the side of his face, intently searching the blank features. Amir continued to pull down the sheet, checking the torso for signs of injuries. There are faint scars there, indicating where there had been serious wounds, but they were long since healed. He sighed in relief at that. Since his wounds had healed, there was a very good chance that his brother was only in a profound state of torpor. "We have to get him out," he said softly. "The longer he stays here, the more his body will shut down." Yami glanced over at him, eyes lidding. "You know this is going to be messy, right?" Her lips quirked in amusement at the look on his face. "I don't care how you do it, Yami," he hissed. "Just get rid of the witnesses and deal with the records. I saw nothing." She chuckled softly, something deadly in the sound. "That's why I love you, Amir," she said with a playful wink. Then she glanced down at the still face below. "I told you I'd be back," she whispered, brushing a hand over his cheek again. She then turned on a heel, smirking as she pulled out a pair of long and wickedly sharp daggers. Ah yes, she thought to herself as she walked out of the storage room, it feels SO good to be back in business. The clerk was the first to go, but that didn't mean he that he met his end quickly. While Amir was preparing his brother's body for transport, she was busy playing. This was providing the perfect opportunity for her to work some pent up ill feelings. She hadn't been in a good mood for quite a while, so she took full advantage of the situation. She looked up with a smirk as he walked out, from where she was busily wiping out files from the system database. Amir raised an eyebrow at her handiwork, looking over the late clerk, who was laid out, spread-eagle on the tile floor. She'd carved quite the interesting design of slashes and incisions in his skin, the puddle of blood beneath the body growing ever wider as it bled out. "Tell me," he said, his tone wryly amused. "Do all your pastimes include the usage of blood?" He hefted the sheet wrapped body closer to his own, an eyebrow arching sardonically. Yami looked up from the console with a wide grin, eyes fairly glowing. "The fun ones, at any rate," she replied, pressing the enter key. Amir shook his head. "Let it be said that my brother never picks out the boring ones. Did you get the cameras?" he asked, every bit as calm as if he were reading legal briefs in his office. "Of bloody course," she replied, giving him an arch look. "And destroyed the computer and got the tapes. I'm not stupid, Amir. I even inserted a worm virus into the system to eat up all the necessary data and fuck up the prerequisite programs." "Mm, very interesting," he said, smirking as he walked calmly out through the main doors, carrying the body right past the security guard. "Yami, don't forget the other one." "Godsdammit, Amir, you nag worse than an old woman," she snapped as she followed him out, clothing covered in blood. The guard stared at the both of them, stunned. She couldn't resist a grin at the moronic look on his face. "What the...?" he stuttered, blinking. "Hello, lover," Yami purred, walking right up to him. He gave her an incredulous look, fumbling for the sidearm at his hip. "That isn't necessary," she continued, draping her arms around his shoulders. His eyes widened as he grabbed for her arms. "Who ARE you people??" he yelped, trying to get away from the obviously crazy female. "We," she smirked, "are the last things you will ever see." Her arms tightened around his shoulders so that he couldn't pull away, even as she dug her sharp talons into his flesh. The guard yelped at that, struggling against her iron grip and she took advantage of his distraction to kiss him. Her fangs captured his tongue, and then sliced right through. He began to scream and she laughed, pushing him off and spitting out the bit of flesh. She then brought her knee up, right into his crotch, smirking as he doubled over with a pained gasp. She pushed him away, stepping back to pull out a dagger, still smirking as he tried to scuttle backwards from her. She walked forward, matching his pace, her free hand coming up to wipe blood from her chin. With shaking hands, the guard managed to pull the stunner out of its holster, bringing it up toward her. She neatly sidestepped the weapon, whipping her dagger up and into his stomach, giving it a vicious sideways twist. He screamed again, dropping the weapon to grab for the dagger. She yanked it out, idly wiping it on his jacket as she ignored his attempts to keep his insides in place. She slid the weapon back into its sheath and turned, walking back toward the ship. "Ja," she tossed back casually. She smirked to herself, flicking her hair back over her shoulder as she reached the ramp. The guard would be dead shortly, what mattered to her now was already aboard the ship. The guard stared at her in disbelief, then turned, lurching for the open doorway of the storage facility. The motion caught her attention and she turned. Mm, no use in leaving loose ends, she thought to herself. She raised the projectile weapon that she had swiped from the desk inside and raised it, taking careful aim. She pressed the trigger twice and smirked as the guard's body jerked at the impacts, flopping forward to hit the ground. He twitched a few times, then stilled, blood beginning to pool on the concrete beneath him. "Finally," she grumbled, rolling her eyes as she tossed the gun to the ground. She strode up the ramp, slapping the button to close the hatch behind her. She then made her way to the cockpit, not surprised to find Amir already there. She sat down in the co-pilot's chair, fastening the straps. "Took you long enough," he said, glancing over at her. "I've already secured him for take off." He fastened his own harness, beginning to seal the ship as the engines powered up. "Oh, quit bitching," she said, tone amused. "You'd do the same if you were a psychopath or sociopath. It's fun." She leaned back in her chair, more than ready to leave. "It's messy," he snapped. "And you DID take out both of them, and get rid of any records?" "Of course, Amir," she replied, a bit of exasperation leaking into her voice. "Are you sure you weren't a female relative of mine in another life?" "Well," he said, smoothing back an errant lock of ebony hair, smirking over at her. "At least the good looks stayed." He pushed his glasses back up onto his nose, then placed his hands on the controls, lifting the ship up off the landing pad and guiding it into the gentle cradle of space. She regarded him wryly. "Mm, yes. And so did the bitchiness." A relieved sigh slipped out as they left the planet, the ochre orb receding to nothingness behind them. She leaned back in her seat, letting her mind wander for a moment, then turned her head, looking over at him. "That was rather anticlimactic, don't you think?" He shrugged, unbuckling his restraints. "Yes and I'm glad of it. That means less press, which is good for all of us." "Mm, true." She unfastened hers as well. "Did you get him set up?" He nodded, checking their course. "Mmhmm. You may go see him if you wish. He's strapped down so that he wouldn't be flung every which way during lift-off." "Right," she said, rising to her feet. "I'll go check on him, then take a shower." "As you wish, Yami," he replied, attention already on some pending legal matters as he pulled up the appropriate files on the console. He didn't even notice when she walked out. She shook her head lightly as she left, slinking down the hallway toward the small medic bay. She didn't bother to brighten the overhead lights as she entered, padding softly over to the occupied bed. She looked him over, relieved to see the color returning to his pallid face. She unbuckled the crash straps, checking the temperature on the heating blankets, then brushed a strand of hair back from his face. A grimace turned down the corners of her mouth, as she noticed that her finger left behind a smear of drying blood. She licked her finger, noticing a faint twitch as she quickly cleaned off the stain. "You're not in the morgue any more," she said softly. "I don't know if you can hear me, but you're on a ship. You'll be fine." She brushed a finger over his cheek again. "I'll be back..." She stepped back, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully, then turned and walked out of the medic bay to get her shower. Amir set the ship on auto pilot, an ear flicking slightly at the sound of running water in the bathroom. He eased out of his chair, heading to his own room to change out of his suit. He came back out dressed in a vaguely mandarin style sleeveless shirt and a pair of loose pants, cinched at the waist with a black sash. Barefoot, he padded down the hall toward the medic bay, peering from the doorway at the still figure. He finally slipped in, walking over to place a hand on the side of the bed, regarding the somnambulant body with a mixture of regret and exasperation. "How the hell do you get yourself into these messes," he murmured. "Over a woman, Zankoku. Of all things, a woman." He shook his head, sitting down in the chair beside the bed, reaching over to turn up the heat just a bit. The blanket shifted slightly as his brother's chest rose a bit and he noted this with relief. "I'm glad her faith, and mine, paid off. I would have been sorely pissed had you been seriously dead." He turned the heat up a few more clicks, not enough to burn but enough to warm him a bit faster. Then he sat back in his chair, watching as the sheet rose and fell again, this time a bit deeper. He smiled slightly at that, a mere upturning of his lips, watching as the other slowly started to come around. Almost another hour passed before Zankoku began to show signs of consciousness. His pale lips parted as a ragged cough escaped and both of his rescuers regarded him intently. Yami, dressed in a red silk robe, stood beside Amir as they watched avidly. "He's coming to, slowly," was Amir's only comment. "Good," she replied. Zankoku's lips moved and she leaned forward slightly, eyes slitted, trying to read them. On the second try, a faint sound emerged. "...mir." She looked over at the other male. "He's asking for you." He nodded, leaning forward as well. "Yes, Zankoku?" He shifted slightly, moving to where his brother could see him if he opened his eyes. Yami leaned back, arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Father..." His voice was hoarse and ragged from disuse, nothing like his normally smooth tones. "Saw th' coward... runnin' for th' back of th' lines..." He paused, coughing again. "Lost sight of him..." Amir blinked slowly at that, startled. "Did... Hsaaja find... his way back..." Another cough. "To th' stables...? Got... unseated... in th' last charge." Fate's Crucible Ch. 02 Zankoku first became aware of the new sensations as he began to wake. He was pleasantly warm and the gnawing hunger was at bay for the moment, not to mention the bed was actually comfortable, making him wonder if he'd been moved. He stretched slowly, feeling the protest of long unused muscles, but it was a good thing. His eyes opened, and he blinked, a startled look crossing his face as he realized that he was not alone in the bed. He peered curiously at the strange female; her arm was still over his back and her head was lolled back among the plush down filled pillows in their jet black silk covers. He had to admit as he reached over, it was a striking background for her long snow white hair. He ran his fingertips over her throat, checking for any marks on her skin, frowning slightly. He still wasn't quite sure how they ended up here, but he didn't think that he hurt her that badly. All he found was a few newly healed scars, and those were already fading as well. She seemed to be deep asleep, a soft rumble coming from her chest, and she didn't seem to be protesting the arrangement, so perhaps it wouldn't be bad. He watched her curiously, wondering what her reaction would be upon waking. He rather hoped that she wouldn't wake and start screaming. A few more minutes passed in silence, the only sound that of their soft breathing. He tensed slightly as she began to rouse, waiting to see what she would do. Her free hand came up to stifle a yawn and her eyes began to open, the crimson irises wide in the darkness. "Mm... there you are," Yami murmured softly, her hand stroking his back. He blinked, surprised at first, then his eyes half lidded. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly. She arched a pale eyebrow at that, somewhat bemused by his uncharacteristic concern. "M'fine. I heal quickly," she said, palm stroking over his spine. "See?" She pulled her arm away from him, using a sharp talon to slice across the palm of her hand. They both watched as it healed almost instantly. "Good." He nodded, nostrils flaring slightly at the scent of blood. She noticed that and the corner of her mouth turned up slightly. "Mm. Later. How are YOU feeling?" She tapped his bottom lip lightly with a finger and he regarded her warily. "You don't... mind this?" he asked slowly, "No. Should I?" She tilted her head up from the pillow to look at him curiously. He frowned slightly. "My newfound...appetites...aren't exactly looked upon well." His eyes were unfocused as he spoke, looking at something not in the room with either of them. He shook his head, and focused on her again. "Your name was Yami, wasn't it?" She shrugged, making the blankets ripple. "They don't bother me." She smiled slightly when he said her name, eyes practically alighting. "Yes, Zankoku, it is." He sighed softly, glad to have remembered that much, resting his head back on the pillow. "Yami Setsuya, actually." He nodded at that, then reached over, running his fingers through her hair. "Thank you, Yami." She blinked at that, rather shocked. In all the time that she had known him, never once had those words sincerely passed his lips. She recovered quickly, leaning into his hand. "For what?" "For allowing me to feed on you," he explained, eyes narrowing slightly. He hated the irrational compulsions that he was now subjected to and the fact that they overwhelmed his control. "It's so hard to control this constant hunger." "Well, you had to be fed," she said softly. "And I sort of have to do something similar." He looked over at her, interest evident in his eyes. "You do?" "I think we can fix that," she said thoughtfully. "You'll just need to feed a bit more often. I have to have foods that are high in iron and protein content, usually rare red meat. My metabolism is so high, that if I don't, I'll consume myself." He nodded slightly. "Yours sounds similar." "I...don't know," he admitting with evident annoyance, fangs baring slightly. "I have no idea what those sons of bitches did to me." "Well, you HAVE been in a locker for the past twenty or so years, Zankoku," she said wryly. "Locker...?" he looked over at her, confused. "Morgue, love, morgue," she elaborated. "You were presumed dead." He frowned at that and she ran her hair through his hair. "It's a long story." He leaned into her hand, eyes half lidding. "The condensed version is... Some chick who you once fucked up found a mate, and both of them attacked you. They tore you up pretty good and left you for dead. The authorities started moving you around, and Amir and I had been chasing you since then." He shook his head slightly. "I don't remember any of this. The last clear memory I have... is the battle at Khar'kastan. Then just bits and pieces after that." "S'not important right now," she said, yawning widely. "What's important is that you're alive. That's all I'm concerned with." He smiled faintly, still watching her. "You'll have to tell me of that, though. Amir is close mouthed about the war." He chuckled softly. "He doesn't care for messes. And in his opinion, war is just one big mess." "I noticed," she said, sitting up. "He seems rather.. prim." She leaned over, opening the drawer on the nightstand to pull out a hairbrush which she then began to run through his hair. There was an odd sort of Zen to the motion; up and down, up and down, feeling the silky ebony strands sliding over her hand. He chuckled softly. "One of the saddest sights I'd ever seen was his face just after he tripped and stumbled into a pile of kartazh droppings." "Ech," she wrinkled her nose, tone bemused. "Kartazh... are those your mounts?" She pulled the brush through his hair again as he nodded. "Large lizards," he explained, eyes half lidding as he enjoyed the attention. "We have various types." "Sounds like the Driders we have," she commented. "Minus those that are transfigured traitors." "Oh?" he asked curiously. "Mm-hm," she replied. "Our sorceresses take traitors and turn them into spider-mounts. The Driders go insane through the transfiguration." He chuckled softly at that. "Remind me to stay on your good side then." "I'm no enchantress," she said wryly, shaking her head. His eyes followed her long pale tresses as they swayed back and forth behind her. "No?" he asked softly, giving her a slight teasing smile. "Could have fooled me." "No," she replied, grinning back. "I'm just a matricidal freak." She couldn't seem to help but to find him... charming... to use a clichéd word. ~ ~ ~ ~ A beeping sound from the cockpit distracted Amir's attention from the diabetic spectacle in the next room. He had been doing a bit of paperwork when he had sensed his brother rousing and he'd thought it best to discreetly monitor the situation. Everything seemed to be well in hand now, though, and he didn't think his brother was going to do her any lasting physical harm. He rose from his makeshift desk, walking out of the room to head for the cockpit. He slid into the empty pilot's seat then reached over to click on the com, looking to see the source of the alert. It was an incoming message addressed to Yami Setsuya. He blinked slowly at that, considering. Eyo, Yami, he said mentally. You have a message. She blinked, surprised. Me? Mm-hm, to you directly, he continued. And I don't open other people's mail. Zankoku looked up at her then sat up. "Go see to your message then," he said with a slight smile. "I feel the need for a very long hot shower." She chuckled softly. "I forget you have that mental sieve crap." She gave him a light tap on the shoulder. "All right." He shrugged, turning and putting his feet on the carpeted floor. "Sometimes it comes in handy." "Apparently so," she said, sitting up. She stared down at her body and then over at him. It was a good thing that she had taken a shower last night after he had fallen asleep. She reached over, snagging her robe and pulling it over her shoulder. "Yes, let us not scandalize Amir," he chuckled as he rose to his feet. She tied the sash at her waist and gave him a wry look. "He could use a bit of scandalizing." He returned her look with one of his own. "True, though I wouldn't know where to begin." "I can think of a few things," she said with a smirk. "Trust me." She gave him a light tap on his rear as she walked past him, heading out the door and toward the cockpit. He watched her walk out, the corner of his mouth turned up just a bit, then made his way into the bathroom for that shower. Yami slid into the copilot's seat, flashing a bit of leg as she sat down. "All right, Amir, what's up?" He looked over at her, shaking his head at her disheveled appearance. "Nothing, Yami," he said, the corner of his mouth turning up in a slight smirk. "Just read your letter, yes?" "Fine," she replied, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at him. "Fine." She glanced over at him. "You sure you aren't gay?" He bristled at that, giving her an annoyed look. "Quite sure. I am not gay." She smirked slightly, pleased to have ruffled his metaphorical feathers. "Yes, and I'm a celibate nun," she quipped as she opened the letter. Hello, Yami. I know that you don't know me so I'll begin by introducing myself. My name is An'ya Setsuya, and I'm one of your nieces. I've recently left our homeworld in order to avoid the same fate as the rest of my line. I learned of you through some of the family records and I was hoping that we could meet, as I have no other relatives or contacts off of our homeworld. If you would, please consider replying so that we could perhaps arrange a meeting. I hope to hear from you soon. Yami stared at the screen in patent disbelief, a thousand thoughts and emotions swirling about her as she tried to assimilate this. The last that she had heard, she had been declared an exile and her name had been removed from the family records. Who was this girl and why did she want to meet with her? Amir frowned slightly when she didn't move for several minutes. "Yami?" She turned slightly, wide crimson eyes looking at him. "I...have family," she said, still stunned. Amir considered that. "Well, this is a good thing...yes?" She shut down the file, frowning slightly. "I don't know." She stood up, hands on the console. "I have to think about this." She turned on her heel and strode out of the cockpit, heading for the living area to pour herself a glass of wine. She knew that she had to calm down and think this development through logically. She leaned against the wall, wineglass in hand, staring out the small window at the blackness beyond. Zankoku came out of the bedroom wearing a crimson robe trimmed with black fur, his ebony hair still damp from the shower. He raised an eyebrow, easily sensing Yami's agitated state. "Something amiss?" he asked, walking over to join her at the window. She shook her head. "S'just... I didn't expect to ever hear from home again." She glanced over at him. "I just found out that I have a niece. That survived." She took a sip of her wine, looking thoughtful. "Is that good or bad?" he asked candidly, half lidded crimson eyes watching her. "I... don't know," she admitted. "I...uh... sort of killed her grandmother. And... several of her mother's sisters. And her uncles." She couldn't help the slight grin, hiding it by taking another sip of her wine. "So... it's sort of a vicious cycle, really." "Ah," was his only comment. "Yeah," she said, still frowning. "Anyway. Supposedly, the clan's being wiped out. So she's left. And is trying to find me." Her talons tapped an agitated beat against the metal of the wall. "You don't believe her?" he asked curiously. "I don't know what to think," she replied. "She could be coming to me for help. And she could be coming after me in retaliation. I'm not sure what to do." He turned it over in his head for a moment or two, then looked over at her. "Well, meet her somewhere neutral and find out," was his suggestion. "Then go from there." She smiled wryly at that, turning her head to look over at him. "Logical, as usual." She thought a moment longer. "All right. That sounds... well. I'll go and reply to her message." He chuckled softly. "I think there's a planet coming up soon. Maybe she can meet us there." He nodded, reaching for a wine glass. She immediately reached as well, plucking it out of his reach. He blinked at that, looking at her curiously. She smirked, reaching for the bottle in the warmer on the counter, pouring its contents into the glass. "It's bloodwine," she explained, handing it to him. "Here you are." "Thank you," he said with a slight smile, sipping lightly. "It's your favorite vintage," she said, watching him. "Yes, it is," he remarked, eyes half lidded. It amazed him how much she knew about him, this female that he had no recollection of. And she had gone to obvious lengths to help him. He couldn't help but to find her attractive, as well. "I know a few things about you," she said with a faint smirk. He kept his face blank, but it struck him as uncanny. He had been thinking the very same thing. "So it would seem," he said, tone noncommittal, watching her over the rim of his glass as he sipped his wine. She gave him a slight personal smile. "But I'll enjoy learning more." She drank down the rest of her wine, and he lifted his own glass in a little salute to her before taking another sip. She watched him a moment more, then walked into the small galley, placing the empty wineglass in the washer. Yami turned, heading toward the cockpit to reply to the missive from her unknown relative just as Amir strode out of the cockpit, heading toward the kitchen. He gave her a nod as he passed, which she returned. He stopped a few feet from his older brother, regarding him silently. "How are you feeling, brother?" Zankoku turned, crimson eyes level. "Much better. Where are we heading?" Amir nodded at that before answering. "Home. I wasn't sure where else to head." Zankoku nodded slightly. "I thought as much. I honestly have no ideas either." Amir nodded at that, pulling a leather band from his pocket and beginning to tie back his hair, making sure it was neat and tidy. "Are you hungry?" he asked. "A bit," he admitted, watching his younger brother. It seemed that some things never changed, no matter how much time passed. Amir was always meticulous in his personal habits and now he seemed even more so. "Then I shall start breakfast," he said. "I'm sure Yami's famished. And my own stomach is starting to growl." He gave his brother a wryly amused look. "You sort of tired her out last night." "Can't have that," he replied mildly, not rising to the bait. "Indeed," was the bemused response as he padded into the kitchen. His brother watched him go with a faint smirk. Amir paused at the counter, turning to look back at him. "How much do you remember?" Zankoku finished off the wine in his glass, sliding onto on of the barstools on the opposite side of the counter. "I remember the last battle the clearest. Then bits and pieces past that." Amir frowned slightly, beginning to pull out breakfast foods. "Well, it might have to do with the fact of how long you were in that locker." He pulled a skillet from the cupboard, setting it on the rangetop. "You were in there quite a while, brother." Zankoku nodded slightly. "If we go back, I can't let them see me as weak. You know that as well as I." "Well, I'll fill you in as best I can," Amir said, turning on the burner. "We'll just have to use the sifting method, let you go through my mind and pick out important events." He glanced over at his brother and turned the conversation to more mundane manners. "D'you want your steak rare or medium?" "Medium rare," came the somewhat distracted answer as he thought over all that he had learned since waking. He still felt the edge of that initial disorientation, but he was slowly acclimating to the new situation. "Yami?" Amir raised his voice slightly to ask her preference. "Rare!!" was the immediate reply from the cockpit. She looked over the reply again, adding the coordinates for the port that they were approaching, then pressed send before she could change her mind. Amir shook his head at her answer, bemused. "I shouldn't even ask," he commented as he turned back to the rangetop. His brother chuckled softly. "Then why did you?" "Her tastes change," he explained with a shrug. "For one week, she didn't eat anything but eggs. Another week, she didn't eat at all. So, of course I ask." "Ah..." was the slowly drawled reply. The scent of the cooking meat drew Yami out of the cockpit and into the kitchen, where she helped Amir finish up the meal. Zankoku rose to walk over to the small table so that they could dine together, stopping to collect drinks before sitting down. Once the plates were on the table, there wasn't much conversation, as they were all exceedingly hungry. ~ ~ ~ ~ Amir watched his older brother from across the table, trying to get some sense of his thoughts. He wasn't as good an empath as his brother, but he did have some semblance of skill. His latent talents had not been as strong as his brother's, and he had always felt slightly guilty that he was lucky to have not been so talented. Zankoku had been his mother's golden child, which had been a source of contention between their father and his mother. He had always felt that the experimentation that his father had allowed had been carried out more for petty spite than for any real scientific reasons. He himself had been the son of their father's second wife, and she had died shortly after his birth. Zankoku's mother had cared for him as if he were her own, and he had never felt any jealousy or antagonism toward his eldest sibling. In fact they had been unusually close while growing up. Zankoku had watched out for him and he had to admit that he had pretty much worshipped his older brother. Zankoku had always been more than he - more intelligent, more skilled, more fit. And that had never bothered him. When they had attended military school at the Kel'hamesh Academy, his nickname had been Zankoku Rus'kaidoh, or Zankoku's Shadow. He was his brother's right hand, and it was a position that he was comfortable with. He had no use for the limelight; that was what nearly killed his brother after all. He was quite content to work behind the scenes, to be what his brother needed him to be. He couldn't help but to wonder if this turn of events might prove fortuitous for Zankoku. Wiped clean of his earlier psychosis, he might very well be able to assume their father's position as head of their family. A slow wicked smirk curled his lips, baring the tips of his fangs. This could very well be the chance that he'd been waiting for all these years. All he had to do was put the question to his brother and see what he thought. ~ ~ ~ ~ A week later found the brothers immersed in paperwork, as Amir reacquainted Zankoku with their family's current financial and political situation. Zankoku knew his brother's reasons for this and he had no current objections to the idea. He rather found the idea of going home appealing. As much as he disliked the place, he had to admit, if only to himself, that there were things he missed. So it behooved him to come up to speed on all aspects of family business, and quickly. "All right," Amir's voice broke into his thoughts and he looked over at his younger brother. "I've found a few documents that will support your claims, especially to the Muh'sa province." Zankoku nodded and he continued. "Considering that you conquered it late in the war, the property of course goes to you." He slid the documents across the table. "Along with all the back taxes forthwith." Fate's Crucible Ch. 02 "I'd rather thought so," he murmured, crimson eyes narrowed slightly as he skimmed the document. "Father's been milking it dry," Amir said, lip curling up slightly. "So my advice is to make friends with the local peasants." Zankoku nodded thoughtfully. "There's a rather large estate house there, is there not? I seem to remember using it as a headquarters." "Indeed," Amir replied. "There is, along with a large network of tunnels which are currently unused. The manor itself still has the same caretaker you left after pulling out." "Make arrangements to have the house repaired and refurbished," he said, giving his brother a nod. "We'll stay there, rather than in the guest rooms at the main house. And make sure to hire locals to do the work. They'll appreciate the consideration." "As you wish," he said, making notes on his hand comp. "Good idea, that. No doubt they'll appreciate the income as well." He looked up from the comp, frowning slightly. "There is one thing I should tell you now." He took a deep breath. "Noira has been exiled." Zankoku's eyes narrowed slightly and he nodded. "I rather expected he'd find some way to do it." Amir glanced over at him. "Should I tell her of your imminent return?" His brother nodded and he continued. "I thought so. There's been a lot going on since you left, unfortunately. After she figured out what had happened, she raised a rather big stink about the genetic modification experiments. She managed to get two of the labs shut down, but she couldn't get the proper papers on Father's personal lab. He tried to have her committed, citing grief and hysterics. She countered with evidence of abuse." He glanced at his brother again, knowing this next part wouldn't go over well. "So... he had her formally accused of adultery. It was all I could do to keep her from being put to death." Zankoku listened to this, his face a pleasant mask, but inwardly he was seething with impotent rage. "One more thing to make the old bastard suffer for." "I don't disagree," Amir murmured, shifting through his papers more for something to do with his hands than for any real need. "I'd challenge him to the Ha'tashi'ai, if I thought he had any sense of personal honor. As it is, he'd probably just turn and run," Zankoku growled softly. "Again. No... an honor duel is far too good for him." "Besides," Amir said, smirking wickedly. "He'd probably collapse of exhaustion." Zan glanced over at his brother. "Gotten lazy, has he?" "A bit," came the wry reply. "The only thing he seems to have any stamina for is sex. He's on his sixth wife. They keep dying." His eyes slitted in recollection, his papers rustling as he started shuffling them again. "And always under circumstances that leave his hands clean, I'll wager," Zankoku said thoughtfully. "How many little bastards does he have running about?" "That he acknowledges?" Amir pulled out a set of papers for his brother to sign. "Two, besides you and me. And one that he doesn't. These are yours as well," he added in an aside, passing the papers over. "I kept them for you when you left." He took them with a nod. "I remember Sorcha and Dushir. Worthless flesh lumps." Amir snorted. "Father's little brownnosers." Zankoku's pen tapped lightly on the tabletop. "I'm sure they've been leeching off of the coffers." He smirked, slow and wicked. "We'll deal with them." He signed the papers and slid them back over to his brother. "What of the other one?" Amir took a breath. "Nah'lae." Zan's eyebrow rose at that. "A daughter?" He chuckled wickedly. "Bet he loved that. Who's her mother?" Amir hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "Noira." The pen stilled at that. "What...?" He met his brother's eyes. "When did this happen?" Amir looked away, then back. "She was born shortly after your mother was exiled." He watched his brother warily. He knew that Zankoku would never hurt him, but he'd seen his brother's temper in action in the past and he had no great desire to see it now so he hurried to further explain. "Since she was born after that, he had no legal claim to her." "Where are they now?" he asked, voice clipped. "Mother gave the baby to our uncle and his wife," Amir said. "They adopted her and have been raising her." Zankoku inhaled then exhaled slowly, calming himself. "And Mother? Where is she?" Amir shrugged slightly. "I'm not exactly sure. The only one who might know is Renketsu." "Mm," he nodded slightly. "That would make sense. Uncle would be the only one Mother would trust." Then he glanced over at his brother with a wry smile. "Not saying she doesn't trust you, little brother, but she'd want to protect you." Amir nodded, relaxing now that it seemed Zankoku had his temper under control. They sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sound the soft tap-tap-tap of Zankoku's pen on the tabletop. "So," he said finally, breaking the silence. "I want you to put the Muh'sa province back under my control. Especially the funds it generates. I want them cut off." Amir's eyes lidded and he nodded, stylus quickly pecking at the small screen. "Already doing so." He pushed his glasses back up once, eyes narrowing to slits as he stared at the screen. Zankoku watched his brother work, silently marveling at his loyalty. "Someday I'm going to have to come up with a way to suitably reward you, little brother," he mused, giving him a faint smirk. His lips quirked. "I'm quite happy being just being your lawyer. And let's not forget the side benefit of seeing Father brought down." "True," Zankoku said, regarding him curiously. "But there must be something else you want." Amir waved a slim hand. "I get to ruin lives every day, Zankoku. I can walk into my office and break a spirit." He smirked slightly. "Trust me, I get my pleasure from business." He chuckled softly. "Some have called me a sand-shark. I quite like the imagery." Zan leaned back in his seat, looking amused. "Yes, well, just as long as you don't forget there are other means of pleasure. You're eventually going to realize that your dick is for more than pissing from." Amir looking over at him, lips pressing together. "I'm NOT a virgin, brother, much as you might think otherwise. I have gotten laid." "Well, that's a relief," Zankoku grinned, enjoying teasing his so-serious younger brother. "I was starting to wonder." Amir gave him an annoyed look. "What do you think I am, queer? There was a girl I was briefly interested in." His older brother raised an eyebrow, curious. "And she was interested in my bank account." "Aaaah," he drawled, shaking his head. "One of those." "Yes." He smirked faintly. "They're quite fun to set up." Zankoku chuckled, sitting up. "It figures. You find ways to combine both of your pleasures. So glad to see you learned at least ONE thing from me." Amir gave him a wry look. "Purr, my brother. Purr." Zankoku laughed at that, signing a last document before leaning back in his seat again. Amir's lip quirked slightly, watching him. A slight change in the engine vibration made him blink, and he glanced over at his younger brother. "Are we stopping somewhere?" "Mm-hm," Amir replied, checking over a few last documents. "Ah, Yami's meeting," he said, remembering. Amir glanced over at him again. "Aye, this is where Yami will be meeting her niece." Then he smirked faintly. "Took you a minute, dear sibling. You're not going senile on me, are you?" he asked with mock concern, eyes wide and innocent. Zankoku snorted. "Hardly." He lobbed a wad of paper at his younger brother. "Ship travel makes it easy to lose track of time, that's all." Then he shook his head. "Acting innocent does NOT suit you." Amir laughed at that, catching the paper and tossing it into the trash. Zan tilted his head slightly, regarding his brother for a moment. "Age has improved you, little brother." He smiled at that, pleased by the subtle compliment. "Well, I had to do something other than jack off, hm?" He then winked at his brother and sat down his PDA, rising to go to the cockpit and pilot the ship in. Zankoku chuckled, watching him go, then he sat up and stretched, enjoying the feel of his muscles pulling. Yami stalked out of their room shortly thereafter, her hair piled atop her head in a loose bun. It was held in place by a spidersilk coiffure net seeded with dark glimmering pearls. Her body was encased in crimson leather with bits of silver accents here and there. She had even added red highlights to her eyelids, thus accenting her blood hued eyes. The curved scimitars strapped to her back were traditional, as were the sets of daggers on her thighs. She had decided to dress traditionally for the meeting, thinking the more formal appearance might give her an advantage. Zankoku raised an eyebrow at her appearance, looking her over as she walked in. "Interesting," he commented with a slow smirk as she paused to tug on her gloves. She glanced over at him. "Thank you," she replied curtly, taking a seat and strapping in. She was more nervous about this meeting than she would care to admit, fingers drumming on the side of the chair. Zankoku noticed this, also picking up on her inadvertent mental pacing. He figured that he could at least offer her a distraction. "Tell me, are the swords for show or can you actually use them?" Her lip quirked at that as she looked over at him. "I'm a full Blooded Daughter of the Setsuya clan. They're for use only. No weapons are for decoration." He nodded at that. "No offence meant, my dear." He smiled slowly. "Perhaps you'd indulge me with a bit of a bout later?" She inclined her head slightly, crimson eyes glittering as she regarded him. "If you think you can handle me, then I might be interested." The smile widened into a smirk. "We can but find out," he purred. Amir shook his head as he guided the ship down to the planetside dock. And he's hooked, he thought with amusement. "Indeed," Yami replied, eyes lidding in anticipation before turning her head to look out the viewport. "Already here," she said softly, taking a slow breath to calm her nerves. "Mm-hm," he said, looking as well. Then he glanced over at her. "Do you wish an escort?" She looked over at him, blinking, then smiled slightly. "I would appreciate it." He nodded, smirking faintly. "How intimidating an escort do you wish?" "Depends, my dear," she said with a low chuckle and a wink. "In our culture, you are our pets." "That's rather bemusing," Amir said, turning in his chair to look at the both of them. "Well, I'm afraid we're rather the opposite," Zankoku said, giving his brother an amused look. "Indeed," Amir added, grinning back at him. "Which is what I was about to say." Yami eyed the both of them. "You two start that finishing each others' sentence shit and I'm gonna freak." Zankoku waved a hand to dismiss that notion. "We haven't done that in quite some time." She looked at them indulgently. "Oh, I don't know. You're doing well enough now." Amir leaned back in his seat, an arm behind his head. "You're thinking armed escort, brother?" "Mm-hm," he said. "Though I think full armor would be a bit much." "Indeed," Yami agreed. "I'd like to impress the girl, not threaten her. She might retaliate if she feels that we mean her harm." Zankoku nodded. "I left all my armor behind anyway." Yami glanced over at him. "Actually," she said quietly. "You didn't leave it ALL behind. There's a breastplate and leg greaves in our room along with your collection of weapons. Including your sword." "Mm-hm. I saw it," he replied. "I was referring to the full suit." "I'm sure we can look intimidating enough without armor," Amir commented, eyeing his older brother as he spoke. "Though I'm no so muscular as you." "Of course, those glasses might ruin your efforts to appear intimidating," Zan said, giving him a light smirk for his affectation. "Yes, well, they serve a purpose," Amir informed him. "And I rather like the way they look." He pulled off the glasses, crimson eyes lidding as he tucked them into a breast pocket. Zankoku chuckled softly. The resemblance between the brothers was even more pronounced when Amir reached back and pulled out the tie holding his ebony hair back from his face. They could almost pass for twins, the only difference being their build. Zankoku shrugged. "Wear them if you wish then." Yami tilted her head, considering first one male then the other. "Actually, it's a bit more eerie without them. At a distance, I can't tell the difference. That could be useful at some point." "We played quite a few pranks in our younger days," Zankoku admitted with a wry grin, giving his brother a conspiratorial smirk. "He doesn't look it but he's quite devious." "Who, me?" Amir feigned shock, blinking. "Nonsense. I'm as innocent as the day I was born." Yami couldn't help but to laugh at that. "I'm sure," she said dryly. "Wielding a briefcase and a subpoena." Zankoku snorted softly. "There's no such thing as innocent in our family." Amir considered that for a moment. "I don't know," he finally said. "You're pretty much as close to it as we come, Zankoku." He raised an eyebrow at that, watching his brother dock the ship. "I fail to see how," he drawled wryly as he unfastened his restraints. His brother regarded him, bemused. "You were always too honest for your own good." He unfastened himself and rose from the pilot's chair, going to his room to change. Zankoku shrugged slightly. "Sometime the truth is much more cutting than a lie." Then he walked toward his room as well. Yami remained seated, watching the viewport for a few more minutes with her hand over the belt release. Then she shook her head, clicking it open and followed after Zankoku, her stiletto heels tapping lightly on the flooring. He was changing clothing as she entered the bedroom, so she leaned against the doorway to silently watch him. He was slipping into a crimson mandarin style tunic with black edging, legs already encased in black leggings and she gave him a soft wolf-whistle as she slipped in, closing the door behind herself. Zankoku chuckled softly, glancing over at her as he reached for the katana on the wall. "What?" she asked him, amused. "It looks good." Her hand rested on one of the mahogany bedposts, slim fingers wrapping around the wood. He smirked faintly, slinging the sword across his back. His head tilted slightly as he adjusted the strap, having to let it out a little. Evidently, he had broadened through the chest since he had last worn the weapon. He shifted the black leather strap, settling it over the crimson tunic, then glanced over at her again. Yami couldn't help the faint rumble that escaped her as she looked him over. She had never seen him wear the sword before, or that particular outfit. It suited his noble bearing and she found it quite attractive. "I take it you like?" he asked softly, pulling his hair back and securing it with a carved ebony clasp. He picked up a pair of daggers in forearm sheaths, then put them aside, debating instead on something different. "Without a doubt," she replied honestly, watching him go over his collection of weapons. She couldn't help but to notice that the leggings had the added advantage of providing easy access, the thought making her shiver lightly. He paused a moment, crimson eyes thoughtfully considering the myriad assortment of weapons that he had collected over the decades. "Hm..." He reached up onto the wall, pulling down a pair of slim harpies, looking them over. He strapped them on, then gave his wrist an experimental flick, the slender razor honed blade instantly shooting out. Yami watched this, remembering. She knew those blades well, her fingers rubbing over faint patterns carved into her skin. "I'm going to have to get out of here," she said, shaking her head. He glanced over at her, the blade retracting. "Oh?" "You're going to make my leather chafe," she admitted wryly. He chuckled softly. "Perhaps we can remedy that later then." She smirked slowly. "Only if you promise to get out the whip." Then she pushed off of the post that she had been reclining against, striding for the door with a definite sway to her hips. He watched her go with evident amusement, then secreted a few more weapons on his person before walking out to join her. "Where are we meeting your niece at then?" he asked as he closed the bedroom door behind him. "At the edge of the city actually, in one of the tea houses," she answered, waiting on Amir to join them. "I figured you two would be comfortable enough there as well." He nodded, walking toward the hatch, placing a hand over the release button. Amir padded out of his room as the hatch began to open, still tying his hair back. He was wearing a tunic in the same style as his older brother, but his was black with red draconic designs sewn into the material. The black leggings were the same, but rather than a sword he carried a spear with a wickedly barbed head. Crimson ribbons were wrapped beneath the metal end, the ends fluttering around the polished wooden shaft. Zankoku nodded in approval as his brother joined him by the hatch and Yami regarded the pair of them wryly. "Godsdamn, you two are enough to give a girl palpitations." She slipped past them, starting down the ramp. "Why, thank you my dear," Zankoku said with a faint smirk. "We do aim to please." She laughed softly at that. "Then again, it could be just me. I tend to like the dangerous ones." Amir nodded as he joined them, making sure the hatch locked behind them. "Yes, I've noticed." He gave his brother a wry smirk, which was returned. "Good thing we're related," he retorted. "Who knows what she might attempt if we weren't." Yami thought about that for a moment, then smirked to herself. Amir gave a low laugh. "Indeed. Though I must admit, those little bloody habits of her are interesting to watch." The two males fell into step with her as they left, slightly behind her. "Oh?" Zan asked curiously. "Mm-hm," his brother replied. "To get information from one of our sources, she tortured him for almost thirty-six hours. She cut off an inch of skin at a time, starting with his genitalia." Zankoku's eyes widened slightly at this and he regarded Yami with new interest. She merely shrugged, leading them down the sidewalks away from the port. "He was a dick," she said, tone bemused. "Are you bragging on me, Amir?" He chuckled at that. "Of course, Yami." They walked out of the landing bay area, into the main section of the port and Zankoku froze, his head turning slowly. The sights, sounds, and more importantly, the scents of the docks slamming into his senses like a physical blow. Travelers, port employees, dockhands, cargo loaders; of all different races and species and all moving about busily. He growled softly in annoyance as the stimulation triggered the ever-present hunger, feeling it begin to faintly gnaw at him. Amir watched him closely, crimson eyes slitting as he reached over to lightly touch his brother's arm. Zan took a deep breath, then let it out slowly before glancing over at him. "I'm fine." He nodded. "I know. As soon as we're done, you can return and feed, yes?" He glanced over at Yami, who nodded. "No complaints here," she agreed, a faint smirk turning up the corner of her mouth. Zankoku nodded as well, the red glow in his eyes fading a bit as he ruthlessly controlled his instinctive urges. She watched him, head tilted slightly, though she knew better than to touch him and distract him. "Let's go then," he said, and she nodded. He fell into step behind her again as they left, his eyes still slightly narrowed. Amir followed suit, his eyes half lidding as he took in their surroundings. He found it rather amusing that his brother had bound his hair back with a carved wooden clip that had been a gift from their mother Noira. Little things like that were what bound him to his brother. He wasn't sure how to explain it, nor did he know exactly what it was that made him remain so loyal to him. For him, it wasn't so much the major things, but the little seemingly insignificant details. Unconscious actions were what attracted him, for those were the true measure of a person. He shook his head, pulling out of his thoughts. He didn't want to lose track of his surroundings, for that sort of carelessness was what led to problems. Fate's Crucible Ch. 02 They left the docks behind along with its noise and bustle, passing into the quieter main area of the city. Yami led the way, heels clicking on the cobblestones, an unconscious sway in her step. The two brothers followed her silently, mentally and physically on their guard. The tea house that she had selected was the very last one in the cul-de-sac, discrete and unassuming, the attendant sitting quietly on the little porch with a bit of embroidery in her hands. Yami continued on up the steps to speak to the attendant, her 'guards' waiting below for her. She nodded quietly as the woman murmured the room number to her, then she gestured for the brothers to follow her inside. She found the appropriate room, pausing to remove her boots and her weapons, leaving them at the unobtrusive stand by the door. She then opened the sliding door, padding inside toward the low slung table. The two males could make out a cloaked and hooded figure on the other side of the table as they remained next to the door, so they retained their weapons. Amir looked around the room, rather liking the décor, then he turned his attention to the shrouded figure. Yami walked over to the table, kneeling gracefully and sitting back on her heels to regard the person with faint amusement. "You have called me, niece of mine?" Slender ebony hands emerged from the cloak, coming up to grasp the edges of the hood and pulling it back to reveal features very similar to that of the other female. She was younger, face slimmer, but the resemblance was pronounced. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Aunt." Her voice was just above a whisper, low and pleasant. Yami nodded, taking in her features with wary curiosity. The girl's eyes were the main difference between them. Whereas Yami's were a jewel bright pure crimson, the girl's were a deep liquid lavender with a few flecks of gold near the pupil. She wore her snow hair cropped short on the sides, but long in the back with jet and amethyst beads woven into it. Yami's lip quirked in amusement as she reached over to lightly touch the beads. "A bit of intermingling with the Zeuti part of the clan, hm?" She leaned back slightly as she continued to regard the girl, hands resting on the table before her. She nodded slightly, eyes flicking to the two silent males. "You seem to be doing well for yourself out here, Aunt," she murmured with a faint smile. Yami shrugged, reaching for the delicate teapot. "As well that can be," she admitted negligently, pouring two cups of tea. She slid one over to the girl, then picked up her own. "Now. Tell me what has brought you to me? And why you wish to join me?" The girl accepted the cup, taking a sip from it before lowering it to look over at her aunt. "I believe in cutting to the chase, niece," she said with a shrug. The younger female nodded in understanding. Amir watched from beside the door, knowing that his brother was on his guard too. He had to admit there was quite the family resemblance between the two females, but he couldn't be entirely sure the girl was unarmed. The folds in the cloak were all too perfect for concealment. He glanced over at his brother again, noting that his eyes were focused on her hands, waiting for any hint of a threat. They both tensed when she reached up, then relaxed slightly as she only unfastened her cloak, letting it fall to the floor around her. Yami inclined her head, watching as well. Her lips quirked in amusement as she took in the girl's outfit. It was much like her own leather outfit, though in white rather than red. She found it interesting that the girl was still a full virgin at her age. She took another sip of tea, then spoke again, eyes on her aunt. "I contacted you because you're the only relative I have out here," she softly admitted. Amir listened to this, managing to keep his face blank even as he looked for any signs of weaponry. She wasn't as full figured as her aunt, but she was still pleasantly endowed. She gave her aunt a faint wry smile as she finished the last of her tea. "Have things really gotten that bad back home?" Yami asked, pouring another cup for them both. She frowned slightly, cradling the warm cup. "You could say that," she said. "Things are changing. And not for the better, I think. Before I left, I did some research in the family archives and came across mention of you. I didn't even know you had existed, as you were never spoken of." Yami bit back a soft chuckle. "Yes, well. Committing matricide doesn't exactly look good on the family crest." She added a dollop of honey to her tea. "What's going on? Houses shifting?" The girl nodded and she continued. "They tend to do that. It was only a matter of time before Setsuya fell." "That's true," she conceded, scowling slightly. "But rather than coming out and challenging us, they're resorting to rather devious tricks. Cowards." Yami arched a brow at that. "Admittedly so, but it does get the job done." "Perhaps," she said with a shrug. "But it just doesn't sit right with me." "If there's one thing I've learned out here," Yami said, amused. "It's that open combat is not the only recourse." She peered at a covered tray, then sat the cover aside, choosing one of the tiny pasties. "True," the girl said, lavender eyes thoughtful. "An assassination here or there doesn't go amiss, Aunt, but when they're wiping out entire bloodlines with convenient accident and swooping in like carrion feeders..." Her voice trailed off as she shrugged slightly. "Perhaps that's because you have a sense of honor, niece," Yami said, still amused. "If so, you're one of the few." She tapped her talons on the polished wood lightly. "I'm surprised that you didn't join the Clergy." "I've lost two elder sisters and my mother just barely escaped the last attempt on her life. I didn't feel like sitting around and being a target." She smiled winsomely. "And I do admit that I have a yen for travel. Besides, I had no interest in the Clergy." Yami's grin widened at that. "Too much hypocrisy for you?" She considered that a moment, then nodded. "Partly. And... I think, but I can't be certain, they might be the ones prodding the other clans into assassinations." "Eh, I wouldn't doubt it," Yami said, leaning back slightly with a disgusted snort. "Your other aunts were part of the hierarchy." The girl nodded at that, sipping her tea. "The only thing I want to be sure of, girl, is that this is not an express mission of assassination. I have no qualms about killing my own kin if it spares my own life." She shook her head, beads clacking softly. "They didn't even know I was leaving," she admitted with a sheepish grin. Yami arched a brow at that. "That old hag Quenya didn't even know?" Her niece shook her head again and she laughed evilly. "No," she replied, grinning mischievously. "Though...I did raid her purse for funds." Yami's eyes glinted maliciously as she leaned forward again. "I'm starting to like you, An'ya." The girl smiled slightly when her aunt used her name for the first time, knowing that she had passed the first tests. "All right. I just require one oath of you," she continued, tugging off a glove. She chuckled slightly as the girl raised an eyebrow in question. "Blood-tie, girl. You know that." She nodded slightly as her aunt pulled out a small silver dagger, removing her own glove. Yami cut a small slit in her wrist, just under her hand, ignoring the blood that welled up to run down her dark skin. She flipped the knife, holding it by the tip as she passed it over to the younger girl. An'ya took it from her, making a corresponding cut in her own skin, not even flinching. She passed the knife back to Yami, then held out her arm toward her aunt. Yami accepted her wrist, offering her own in a token gesture of vulnerability as they shared blood with each other. Zankoku twitched faintly as the scent of their blood reached him and his brother's eyes slid to him. Amir touched him mentally, sending calming thoughts. Zankoku glanced over at him, speaking mentally. I'm all right. Amir watched the little ceremony with half lidded eyes as he replied. I know, but I'm not adverse to helping my brother, no? His lip quirked with amusement and his brother echoed the sentiment. As you've repeatedly proven, little brother. An'ya kept her eyes on her aunt as she licked the prerequisite few drops of blood needed to seal their agreement. Yami ran her tongue over the cut to seal it. The sharing of blood would tie them together mentally, strengthening the telepathic bond already there. And it would also tell her if the girl was lying or not. She was pleased to find that she wasn't and it relaxed her as they released each other. "I had rather thought I would have to worry about repercussion," she admitted, "with everything that went on." The girl shook her head, then glanced at the two silent males again. "They're friends," Yami said with amusement. "I don't adhere to that matriarchal bullshit from back home. It's an easy way to get killed out here." An'ya gave her a faint smirk. "They're very pretty, Aunt." "Aren't they just," Yami asked rhetorically. "The one of the left is mine. You can have free rein with the one on the right." The younger girl nodded at that. Zankoku raised an eyebrow at that, then smirked at his brother's startled reaction. An'ya laughed softly, watching them. "I don't think he liked that idea, Auntie." Yami turned slightly, smirking as well. "Yes, well, he IS an insufferable stick in the mud. Comes with being a lawyer, I think." The girl looked Amir over again, then shook her head. "Pity. He's cute." She winked playfully, then sipped her tea. Yami chuckled at that, then addressed the two males. "You two can relax. She's honest." She looked at Amir again, then grinned. "Well, when he's not scowling." Zankoku chuckled as well, stepping away from the wall. "I am NOT scowling," Amir said, looking at them with evident irritation. "You are, brother." Zankoku said, amused. "You look like you've sucked on a sour fruit." He couldn't resist teasing his younger sibling a bit. "I most certainly am not," Amir retorted, crossing his arms. "And let's not say what YOU'VE sucked on recently." An'ya chuckled at that, pouring her aunt another cup of tea. "I can think of a few things," Yami said with a wink before taking a sip of her tea. Zankoku smirked as he knelt next to Yami, sitting back on his heels. "It was much sweeter than anything you've had in YOUR mouth lately, I'm sure." Amir gave his brother a look. "I have no inhibitions about hitting you," he replied as he walked around to the opposite side of the table. "I hope you know that." He knelt next to the other girl, lean body folding down. Yami merely laughed at that, pouring both of them a cup of tea, returning Amir's nod of thanks. Zankoku chuckled again. "Careful, brother, Yami might get ideas if you tease her. And I think she'd be too much for you." He winked as he picked up his cup. An'ya listened silently as they bantered companionably, lavender eyes moving from one to the other. Amir shook his head, leaning back to sip his tea. "You can most certainly have her. I don't mind the athletic ones, but by the same token not all my fighting is done on the sparring mat." Yami smirked over at him. "Neither is mine, but that's beside the point." An'ya chuckled softly. "Spoken like a true paper pusher." Yami fell silent at that, scenting a challenge, and leaned back to watch. "Yes, well," Amir said lightly. "I'm also a shark. I don't spend all of my time behind a desk." He took a sip of his tea. "Just the necessary time." "Really," she said in that soft thoughtful voice. "Like serving your own subpoenas, do you?" Amir turned his head slightly to regard the young girl. "What's the point of paying someone else to cause misery when I can do just fine myself?" She chuckled softly. "Besides, I do like to sight see a bit. Some sights are visually stimulating, little one." "Ahhh... I bow to your greater age then," she replied with a faint smirk. Yami glanced over at Zankoku, amused. This could get interesting. He hid a smirk behind his teacup as he replied. Indeed... "Quite," he said serenely. "Much like fine wine, youngling. Better that than impulsive, I suppose." "Well, that that doesn't spoil and turn to sour vinegar," was her reply. He chuckled at that. "Be careful how you use that sharp tongue girl, lest it be used to stab your own back." She chuckled as well, glancing at him through thick white lashes. "Oh, I can think of far better ways to use it, dlan." Yami hid a grin when she called him grandsire in their own language, wondering if Amir would even notice. He arched a brow at that, bemused. "Is that so? Well, let us hope you do not choke on it by mistake, child." He found that he was actually enjoying their banter, watching her with slitted eyes. "Time will tell," she said calmly, reaching for the teapot to refill her cup. "Indeed," he murmured, still watching her as she turns to offer it to him. He took it with a nod of thanks, topping off his own cup. He squinted in annoyance as a bang or two fell over his face, brushing the hair back behind his ear. An'ya watched this with faint amusement, then she looked across the table at Yami. "So, where to now, Auntie?" "Well," Yami thought for a moment. "Zankoku and Amir have business to deal with back on their home planet, so we're going their. After we refuel and restock, of course." The younger girl nodded. "Is there anything I can help with?" Yami's eyes lidded a bit as she considered the offer. "What are your aptitudes?" She thought about that for a moment, then smiled wryly. "I've learned a bit of navigational skills, but my main training back home was as an assassin. I'm quite skilled at poisons and traps, ironically enough." Zankoku glanced over at his brother, who nodded back at him. He personally had nothing against a few well timed assassinations and he could think of certain individuals they could use her skills on. "I could have use for a partner," Amir said casually. "If you have any skills with legal matters. There's a tangle of things back home that must be dealt with and I could use someone that I can trust." An'ya considered that for a moment. "I don't know much," she admitted. "But I'm a fast learner." He nodded. "I can teach you," he said. "And that way, you will know how I prefer things done." She nodded as well. "All right then." He regarded her with faint amusement. "The simple fact of the matter is that we're going home to wrest control of our family from our father." He shrugged slightly. "He's been squandering it for the past...thousand or so years and it's time for him to go." She grinned slowly. "Hm... sounds interesting." Amir glanced over at his brother, who nodded slightly. "Zankoku will have Yami to watch his back, so that I can be free to do other things." "Well then," she glanced over at her aunt, "my skills are at your disposal. She nodded at that. "Then they are to be appreciated. We can always use more help, An'ya." She deliberately used the girl's name rather than calling her niece, showing that she held the girl as an equal. Her lavender eyes brightened slightly at the show of respect, then she gave Amir a slight smirk. "And besides, an old timer like you could probably use someone young and energetic to help out." He regarded her impassively for a moment. "Oh yes, child," he remarked dryly. "I'm positively arthritic. Can't move without a cane, you know." She nodded, giving him a sympathetic look as she patted his arm. "Practically bedridden." Then she chuckled, unable to keep a straight face any longer. He regarded her wryly. "Well, we'll see about that later." Then he blinked. Merciful gods, did he just flirt? "Mm... I'll keep that in mind," she said with a wink. He merely smirked back at her, making a mental note to immerse himself in work later. Zankoku chuckled softly. Shall we leave the two of you alone, little brother? Yami turned her head slightly to peer out the window, eyeing the position of the rising sun as she listened to them banter mentally. Gods, no, was his immediate reply, though he sounded more bemused than concerned. She's dangerous. But that's half the fun, his elder brother informed him with a mental wink. Just watch out for the fangs. Yes, well, just because YOU like the things that bite back. He couldn't help but to laugh. Duly noted, brother. "Well," Yami said, tone relieved. "Now that THAT'S over with..." She reached forward, unzipping the upper half of her body suit and shrugging out of it to reveal a red leather halter top. Zankoku finished the last of his tea, setting the delicate cup on the table and watching her from the corner of his eye. He rumbled faintly as she pulled the net from her hair, letting the white locks tumble down. An'ya blinked at the sound, eyeing Zankoku curiously. He frowned slightly, glancing over at Yami again. I think... I should be leaving soon, Yami. I do not wish to lose control here, he informed her, his mental tone a mix of annoyance and concern. We both will, she replied soothingly. It would seem to be about time for you to feed, hm? So it would seem, he nodded. Mm, all right then. She looked across the table at the other two. "If you two will excuse us, there's a matter that needs to be seen to." Zankoku nodded in agreement, rising to his feet. Yami nodded as well, rising to walk over toward her boots. Amir looked between them, then over at the girl who was regarding them curiously. "Shall we see you two on board, then?" "Indeed," Yami replied as she pulled on her boots. Keep the girl occupied for a few hours, Amir, came the mental suggestion. Go...see to our supplies or something, would you? All right, he replied. Shouldn't be too hard. Go, Zankoku, I will see to things here. He gave his younger brother a slight nod, then glanced over at Yami as she picked up the last of her things, taking her arm. She nodded as well as he slipped his boots on, then escorted her to the door. "I'm a bit peckish myself," she said as they walked out, her tone bemused. Amir watched them go, then looked over at An'ya. "Well, we might as well see to ourselves then." "Very well," she said, setting her teacup down. "What would you suggest we do?" She regarded him curiously, raising a snow white eyebrow. "I'm thinking dinner for ourselves, and then we can see to the supplies." He smirked slightly then shook his head. "They're going to be occupied for a few hours. The corner of her mouth turned up slightly. "Do I want to know?" "Well, part of it is what you think," he admitting wryly. "The other part is the Feeding." "Oh?" He rose to his feet, offering her a hand. "Do your appetites run like Yami's?" he asked as she placed her hand in his, rising to her feet. "High in protein and iron?" She nodded, leaning over to pick up her cloak. "He's essentially the same way. He just needs a willing source." "Ah..." she murmured softly, fastening the cloak around her neck. He nodded, noting that she was a bit slimmer than her aunt. Svelte, he though to himself, that was the word to describe her. They both walked to the door to slip their footware back on. She wore boots as well, but hers were more practical than Yami's, the heels being platforms rather than stilettos. "So my dear guest," he said, offering her his arm. "What would you like to consume?" "Mmm... I'm thinking... meat," she said with a wry smile. "Perhaps a salad for some greens." She glanced over at him. "And perhaps you could bring me up to speed while we eat?" Fate's Crucible "Zankoku," Amir frowned slightly. "That was three hundred years ago." Yami didn't say anything, silently watching them, but her stance was tense and her talons were digging into her arms. It's just a phase, she thought to herself. "Father hasn't left the clan's territory in years. And you... have been gone from home for quite a while. The war's been over for centuries." Zankoku coughed again, his head turning to the side as Yami watched. "Tell me this is a phase, Amir," she said softly. "Please." He frowned slightly. "I would assume so. After being in that drawer for so many years, he's probably having to shift memories." Their conversation was interrupted by a plaintive request. "...water?" Yami turned to him immediately, touching his shoulder lightly. "Zankoku?" Amir nodded, glancing over at her and she nodded in return, retrieving a cool glass of water. She stuck a straw in it, then offered it to the prone male. He sucked the water down thirstily, his eyes finally beginning to drift open. She watched as he drank it down, one arm under her chest. His usually vibrant crimson eyes were dark and dull, almost black and she blinked, struck by how odd it was. He looked up at her and she smiled slightly, pulling the glass away. "Hey," she said, white hair spilling over her shoulder. He gazed at her blankly, showing no sign of recognition at all. Her talons clutched her side, though she showed no outward agitation. This was what she had been dreading. He then shifted his eyes to Amir, and there was a notable reaction, the surprise plain. "What...?" Amir arched one eyebrow, wondering at his brother's reaction. "Yes?" "What...happened?" Zankoku asked, honestly startled. "That's a long story," Amir replied, his tone dry. "You're...older," came the dazed observation. "Mm-hm." Amir said, looking down at him. "I told you, it's been three hundred years. You've been gone from home since the end of the wars. Once you got off planet, you pretty much just wandered around the galaxy." Yami watched silently, her jaw set. She was surprised by her unusual calm, it was unlike her to be this cool. Her earlier good mood was leaking away bit by bit, like liquid through an IV drop. "You'd have to ask Yami about the bulk of your goings-on." Zankoku frowned slightly, listening to his brother's words. "Who...?" "The young woman beside you," he said, tilting his head toward her. "Me," she replied, her tone quiet. He looked over at her, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. Her head tilted slightly as she debated on telling him the not so pretty truth. "Essentially, you're a sociopathic megalomaniac. I don't know what caused it, or how it happened. But I do know that for a while you indulged yourself with whatever came your way. You never exactly spilled a lot to me." He looked at her blankly. "A wha...?" "Sociopathic megalomaniac," she repeated wryly. "A more or less selfish bastard that killed for his own pleasure." He chuckled softly. "Sure y'haven't been talking t'our father?" "I've never met your father," she replied. "I've never been to your planet, for that matter." "Sounds like somethin' he'd call me," he said, eyes closing again. "We met elsewhere," she continued. "In some little podunk port about twenty-five years ago." She closed her eyes briefly. "And I pretty much followed you around after that." She opened her eyes, glancing over at his younger brother. Amir, this isn't working, she told him mentally. I know, Yami. Give it time, he replied in the same manner. He just got out of hibernation. Right...she said, falling silent. "You really ought to be thankful," he said aloud, looking down at his older brother. "Everyone else considered you dead. We were the only two that actually decided to go search for you." "Mm... M'sure they did," Zankoku muttered, slightly disgusted. "Carrion birds." "I didn't mean our family, Zankoku," Amir retorted, a bit of bite in his voice. "They could care less." He shook his head. "I meant the authorities." "Why?" "Your name's been associated with twenty-six known homicides. And I'm sure that there are countless others you've hidden from the authorities," he smirked wryly. "I'm your lawyer, I would know. It's been my job to make sure that you were never even brought up on suspicion in any of the cases." Zankoku chuckled softly, eyes closing. "I think I'm going to lie down, Amir," Yami told him softly. "I feel sick." She turned on her heel, padding out of the room silently. "As you wish, Yami," he replied, watching her go. "Interesting girl," came the comment from the bed. "Where'd y'find her...? He looked down at his older brother. "She's not mine, she's yours. I didn't find her, so much as we teamed up to find you." "Don' remember..." was the mumbled reply. He shifted restlessly, shaking his head, confusion flitting across his face. "Yes, we know," Amir said softly, hiding his own concern. They both fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Amir was just about to leave and turn off the lights when his brother spoke again, voice a confused murmur. "He... did make it back to the stables... didn't he, Amir...?" He sighed, pulling the thermal blanket back up. "Yes, he did." The response to that was a soft sigh, then silence. Amir checked his brother, finding that he was unconscious again. He watched him for a moment longer, lips pressed together tightly, leaning back against the counter with his arms crossed. "I'm beginning to wonder if we should have just left you in there," he said quietly. Then he shook his head and sighed again, turning the lights down low before easing out of the room. She wasn't crying, nor was she throwing a fit. She sat on the edge of the wide bed with her hands in her lap, staring blankly at the wall. Snow white banks fell over her eyes, obscuring her expression. She felt so empty. Twenty years of searching and waiting, and he doesn't even remember her. A twisted little grin curled her lips up as she laughed softly. It figured, especially with her luck. The only upside to the whole situation was that he didn't remember that emerald haired bitch either. She had to admit, it'd be nice to NOT hear about that every five minutes. Though, and she hated to admit it, she rather missed his snide tone and his cutting sense of humor. She sighed softly, shaking her head as she rubbed a finger over the fading designs on her ebony skin. Maybe things would be brighter in the morning. She sure as hell doesn't want to deal with it right now. She slipped out of her robe and slid beneath the crimson silk sheets, burying her face into the softness of the pillow, even though she knew that sleep would be a long time coming. The lights obediently dimmed until the room was completely dark, the only illumination coming from her slitted crimson eyes as she stared into the darkness. He didn't have any idea what time it was when he woke. All that he was aware of was the excruciatingly painful sense of hunger that twisted in his abdomen like some sort of razor clawed creature. A low pained moan escaped as he curled, an arm pressed to his stomach. His fangs pressed against his bottom lip as he bit down, his other hand groping for the edge of the bed. The moan made two doors open immediately. Yami and Amir both peered out, blinking blearily. She reached for her red robe, flinging it around herself and tying the sash as she exited her room. Amir stepped out as well, dressed in the clothing that he had worn earlier. She yawned widely as they padded quickly down the hall, wondering what was going on. A dull thump came from the med bay, the sound of something heavy striking the metal flooring. "Zankoku?" Amir said, puzzled, breaking into a run. Yami was right beside him, both of them racing into the medic bay to check on him. He was curled on the floor when they entered, disheveled ebony hair falling into his face and down his back. His head lifted as they entered and he growled softly, his eyes once again their normal crimson, but there was an eerie glow to them. Yami paused, blinking, one hand outstretched to hold Amir back. "Zankoku?" His head turned in her direction. Amir moved her arm aside, watching his brother quietly. "Zankoku... It's us." Yami eyed the crouching male warily as his head came up slightly, nostrils flaring. He's scenting the air, she thought. "What the hell is going on, Amir?" she asked, her eyes slitting. Zankoku rumbled softly, his attention turning fully to her. "Fuck." The mildly spoken, yet uncharacteristic, epithet came from Amir as his nose wrinkled in annoyance. "He's turned feral." At the sound of the male voice, Zankoku's lips pulled back, baring his fangs. "How the hell can he turn feral??" she demanded, still warily watching the male on the floor. "Well," Amir said slowly, "remember those experiments I told you about?" "Ye-es," was her slightly drawled reply, keeping her eyes trained on the thing before her. He shifted into a low crouch, muscles rippling beneath the silver skin. "Along with the increased strength and agility," Amir explained, "comes increased metabolism. Which means the fastest source of energy and nutrition is..." "Blood." She shook her head as she finished his sentence. "And meat. Damn, seems like the two of us have more in common than you ever let on, buddy-boy." She smiled faintly as she addressed her former mentor. "So, what do we do?" "We lock him in," was the facetious reply. "And toss in a bloody steak." A faint growl interrupted him, as Zankoku prowled closer. "Sounds like a plan to me," she said, beginning to back away along with Amir. Crimson eyes narrowed when they moved and he began to stalk them, the growl growing louder. "Is he fragile?" Yami asked, taking another step back. Amir snorted derisively. "Has he ever been fragile?" "Good point." She glanced over at him. "I do plan on defending myself if necessary." "That makes two of us," he replied. Then he looked down at his brother, snapping out in their native language, trying to bring him out of his current mental state. "I don't think he's listening," Yami said wryly, eyes fixated on the crimson ones regarding her. And he wasn't in the least, all of his attention on the female before him. She bared her own teeth in response and he growled, the sound low and dangerous. "That's just going to encourage him," Amir warned her. He grabbed her arm, yanking her out into the hallway as he slammed the door shut. Zankoku snarled viciously, slamming into the door just as his brother locked it. He winced at the sound of flesh impacting on metal. "Ow..." Zankoku's talons actually scored thin furrows in the metal of the door, an enraged howl echoing in the small room as Yami watched dispassionately from the outside. Seems you kept a lot of secrets from, Zankoku-koi. She glanced over at Amir, face cool. "What do we do now?" "We wait," he said quietly, watching as his brother snarled, doubling over as the hunger pangs intensified. "I heal faster than you do, Amir," she said. "Is it just blood, or both blood and meat?" "Blood, I think." Then his eyes narrowed. "Ah, shit..." He winced as his brother began digging his talons into his own arms in a futile effort to assuage the gnawing hunger. His eyes widen in surprise as Yami pushed him aside, opening the door and darting in, locking it from the other side. "Yami, what the FUCK are you doing?!" Zankoku looked up as she entered and she met his eyes. There was nothing remotely sane there, but she didn't let it stop her. "If he bloody doesn't remember me, that's fine. I'm still his fucking partner, and partners don't ditch out." She used a talon to cut a thin line across the meaty part of her forearm, blood immediately welling up. She let it, a drop falling to the floor. "C'mere, you bastard." His head came up at that, nostrils flaring at the scent of blood. "C'mon," she repeated. "S'alright." He was on her in a heartbeat and she brought her arm up as fast as she could, wrist out to keep him from her throat. They both slammed into the wall and she huffed softly, losing her breath for a moment. Her fangs bared as his talons dug into her arm, holding it as he lowered his head to run his tongue over the cut. Amir cursed under his breath as he watched through the small window in the door. "Godsdamn stupid insolent bitch." But, he was forced to admit that this was all they could do. There were no stores of blood aboard the ship, and it was true that he couldn't heal as fast as she or his brother could. She watched dispassionately as he drank from her arm, not even flinching as his talons curled into her flesh, drawing more blood. "S'alright, baby, go on," she murmured softly. "Just don't tear too big a hole, hm? I have no inclination to die in a ship's medic wing." He didn't seem to hear her as he bit down and opened the wound further, eyes half lidding in satisfaction as the blood flowed into his mouth, actually curling against her. She watched him quietly, wincing as they began to slide down the wall, but she opened her legs slightly, letting him settle in between as she curled an arm over his shoulders. He purred louder at that, an arm winding around her waist, talons lightly kneading. "You know," she continued in that low warm voice, "It's damnably scary to see you like this." She ran her free hand up his arm, then threaded it through the back of his hair. Watching this, Amir was suddenly struck with the explanation. Ah, damn, he thought wryly, no wonder. She's bloody well in love with him. He shook his head, looking exasperated. "When you get finished, unlock the door, hm?" "I will," she said softly, still threading her fingers through his silky jet hair. As he fed, the hunger began to fade, satiated, and he began to grow more conscious of the warm body against his. "Feel a bit better?" she asked, noticing that he wasn't drinking as deeply now. His talons ceased to knead and began to caress and her eyebrow raised. "Mm, apparently." Then she chuckled softly. "Don't take too much, hm? I've still got to have some too." He took a few more swallows, then began to lick the wound closed, his tongue slightly rough against her skin. Her eyes lidded at the feel and she relaxed a bit, her head tilting to the side as her hand continued to stroke the back of his neck. He rumbled softly, mouth beginning to move up her arm. She blinked at that, turning her head toward him, then shifted a bit in an attempt to curl her legs toward herself. His other hand began to slide up her back as he released her wrist, hand lowering to rest on her knee. She blinked at that, but rumbled faintly, idly watching as the wound on her wrist quickly healed to nothing but a very light scar. "Well, at least you're fed now," she said, reaching up to brush the air out of his face. She felt a bit lightheaded from the blood loss; he must have swallowed at least a pint, maybe two. He leaned into her hand, half lidded eyes focusing on her face and she watched him as well, her own eyes softly glowing, as was normal for her. He wasn't himself, so she didn't feel the need to guard her thoughts as closely as she usually did, and she brushed his face again. "You really should get some rest, you know. As should I." She smiled wryly. "S'just a pity you don't remember me." Her fingertips brushed the curve of his ear. "Ah, well..." He rumbled softly at that, his hand starting to travel up her leg. Meanwhile, Amir had been silently watching all this from the hallway, a speculative look on his face. He turned finally, walking back down the hall to his room. She wasn't going to die, so he wasn't overly worried. Anything past that was their business. He was many things, but he was no voyeur. If they were going to have sex, he didn't want to see it. The door to his bedroom closed behind him with a soft click, leaving the two of them to themselves. Yami put a hand over his, actually stopping it. "Not here," she said softly. He blinked at that, leaning forward to nuzzle her neck. She closed her eyes briefly, sighing as his tongue flicked over her pulse line. He seemed intent on what he was doing, so she figured she might as well make it comfortable for the both of them. "Come on, Zankoku," she said softly, curling her knees under and tugging on his arm. "The floor is cold." He pulled back slightly, looking over at her. "We'll get you a warmer bed, okay?" She smiled slightly and brushed her hand over his arm. She couldn't help glancing down as she started to rise. He was DEFINITELY interested, and since he wasn't wearing anything, it was pretty obvious. She reached down, curling the sheet over his shoulders, then put one hand on the counter to tug herself up. She wobbled slightly as she stood, noticing that he had risen with her and that he was tracking her every movement. She wasn't willow-weak, but she was unsteady enough to use the counter as a brace while her head settled. She closed her eyes for a moment as she caught her balance, then opened them. Once she had her bearings, she began walking toward the door with a hand on his arm to guide him. Her robe had fallen down one shoulder, baring the curve of ebony flesh and it seemed to draw his attention as he followed her. He slid an arm around her waist, still rumbling softly. She'd never seen him like this at all, and it was a bit disconcerting. But, by the same token, he hadn't hurt her; he had just needed to feed. She unlocked the door, walking out into the hallway and he followed her down the corridor and into her room. They had once shared the room, but she had taken it over when he disappeared. The decorations were unchanged, the furnishings as he had left them. All his weapons were still on the wall, untouched save for the occasional cleaning. The sheets on the bed were even fresh, done in black and red, her two favorite colors. He didn't even notice the room, attention fixated on the warm willing female beside him. She sat down on the edge of the bed, a soft sigh of relief escaping. He purred again, hand sliding up her side as he sat next to her, lips finding the length of her neck. "You don't take no for an answer, do you" she asked rhetorically, somewhat bemused. His only answer was a lick against the side of her throat. It wasn't the same, honestly, but she couldn't help but to wonder... He was quite willing, but would it be using him, since he didn't exactly know who she was? Zankoku wasn't have the same ethical dilemma, as he pushed the robe down off of her shoulders and leaned over to nip at her collar bone, drawing blood here and there. She regarded him with evident bemusement then a hand went to the sash of her robe, making her decision as she untied it deftly. For some reason a snippet of an old song, something she'd heard in a port long before she met him, ran through her head and her lips curved up in a wry smile. But will you still love me, tomorrow... He pushed her back down onto the bed as his lips moved lower and all extraneous thoughts disappeared from her mind, pulling her to the present. She leaned her head back, glad that she had shut the door and let her hands begin to travel up his arms. He purred softly at that, crimson eyes sweeping over her with an almost palpable force. His hands cupped her breasts, thumbs brushing slowly over the tightly drawn nipples and she arched upward. He pressed the full globes together, then his mouth closed over the right nipple, suckling slowly. Her eyes half closed at the contact, her talons scraping over his skin and he shuddered, shifting to straddle her hips. One of her hands drifted down, fingertips brushing over the plains of his stomach. He rumbled again at that, muscles rippling, then began to feast on her breasts like a man starving, alternating little nips and nibbles with deeper sucking. She smiled slightly even as she arched her back, pressing her breasts up to his willing ministrations. Fate's Crucible "Mmmmm..." he rumbled softly, nipping the top of her left breast, tongue flicking over the small dots of blood. She took advantage of his distraction and her hand moved further down, brushing over him lightly. He hissed at that, eyes closing. She made a small soothing sound, beginning to gently stroke her fingers up and down his length. He shuddered lightly, arching into her touch and she chuckled softly, her other hand sliding across his shoulders. He rumbled appreciatively at that and leaned down to lavish attention on her breasts again. Her head lolled back, white hair spreading across the black blanket and her fingers curled around him, stroking him slowly. He froze at that, a soft moan slipping from parted lips. "Enjoyed that, did you?" she murmured. "All right then." She repeated the motion and his eyes lidded, hips shifting slightly. She smirked quietly and began a series of long slow strokes, her other hand brushing his cheek as she turned her head, lips brushing his arm. It didn't take long for him to start moving with her, soft pants escaping from parted lips. She used his body's own lubricants to slick her hand, her warm palm providing quite a bit of stimulation as she began to tug harder. He rumbled at that and she stretched up to brush her lips over his ear. His head tilted as he leaned into the contact and she smiled, letting him feel her lips curve upward. He purred softly, all the contact allowing him to easily sense what she was feeling. It was a myriad soup of emotions, everything from warmth to confusion, all of which overlay a rather rock-steady foundation of affection. He moaned softly, hips rocking, the combination of her emotions and warm touch stimulating him further. Her smile widened slightly; she rather enjoyed watching him enjoy himself and she was glad that she could be the cause of it. He responded to that buried affection unconsciously, hands beginning to move over her body. He slid a hand over her thigh, brushing her mound lightly just as she rubbed a thumb over the head of her erection. "Mm..." she made a small sound of enjoyment, her hips shifting just a bit. He cupped her gently, fingers starting to stroke up and down, tracing over the outer lips of her femininity. She began to move against his hand, though she didn't stop stroking him and he leaned over to nuzzle her neck again. She made that small sound again as his fingers parted her warm folds, one finger slipping into her hot wet opening. She hissed softly, back arching slightly, her own hand tightening around him. He rumbled at that, low in his chest, looking up at her. She tugged upward and he moved, his thumb brushing over a sensitive little spot as he shifted. Her body tightened at that intimate contact, a soft moan escaping. Her nipples tightened to hard little peaks, which he promptly sampled, running his tongue over them as he continued to rub that spot. She shuddered at the sensations, muscles contracting around his finger. He shifted it, finding a barrier of sorts which prevented any further entry. Her hand increased its pace and he rumbled again, hips twitching as he began to move his hand at the same pace as her strokes. She bared her teeth at that, skin rippling as her hips began to grind against his hand. He could feel her wetness increasing as her grip tightened on his shoulder, her talons digging into his skin. He took a taut nipple into his mouth, sucking hard and she arched up, eyes closing as he also increased the pressure on her clit. "Nice...to know... you haven't lost... technique," she gasped, curling her talons deeper into his skin, fangs baring as she felt the first slight tensing in her abdomen. He hissed at that, eyes flashing fiery crimson, enjoying the light pain. She continued to stroke him, not slowing her pace in the least. He gave her breast a last nibble then straightened slightly and she moved with him, not wanting to accidentally hurt him. He pulled his hand away from her, bringing it up to his mouth, eyes on her as he licked his fingers, savoring her taste. She panted lightly, unable to look away, her hand falling away from his erection to give her arm a rest. He scooted down the bed, kneeling between her knees with a hand on each thigh. She blinked at that, raising up on her elbows. His eyes were still on hers as he leaned in, giving her a long slow lick. Her eyes widened at that and she flopped back onto the bed with a rather startled look on her face. Damn... He rumbled smugly at her reaction and proceeded to give her a thorough going over. His pointed tongue moved up to flick her clit back and forth, then dipped lower to stab in and out of her wet tunnel. It only took a few rounds of this to make her careen over the edge, inner muscles tightening as her entire body spasmed. She snarled softly, head turning from side to side as the sensations rushed over her. He purred at that, eyes flashing as he looked up to watch her. She fell back onto the bed panting, and he purred to himself as he lapped up her juices. He gave her a final lick and straightened, rubbing his erection against her, the head slipping up and down her wet folds. Yami shuddered at that, but opened her legs a little bit more. She couldn't help but to be amused by the irony in the situation. She was about to lose her virginity to the one man she had ever fallen in love with, but he apparently didn't remember her at all. He seemed to have no complaints though, rumbling deep in his chest as he positioned himself. She felt the rounded head of his erection rubbing against her opening and she exhaled deeply, forcing herself to relax. She watched him intently, just boneless enough to be able to relax, despite her faint nervousness. Zankoku rumbled again, eyes closing as he began to slide into her hot depths, savoring the feel of her body enclosing his. She brought her arms up around his shoulders, still forcing her body to relax, especially when he pushed against her barrier. He paused at that and she purred, lips finding his ear. He purred as well, then thrust forward, tearing though and seating himself fully inside her. She arched hard at that, talons digging into his skin, her only sound a muffled huff. She shook just a bit, but the tremors soon tapered off as her body adjusted to the intrusion. He snarled softly, his own back arching then he buried his face in the side of her neck. She blinked slightly at that, not exactly used to this...whatever it was that he was showing to her. She wasn't complaining though, her hand coming up to thread into his hair as her body relaxed and adjusted to the new sensations. He exhaled against her skin and began to move, slowly withdrawing from her tight grip. She made a small sound as he began to shift and let her body follow him so that as he thrust down, she arched up, curling a leg over his as she moved with him. He rumbled in approval at that, nipping her earlobe. This would be perfect if you just knew who I was, she thought. But then again, maybe it wouldn't be. Her eyes closed for a moment as she turned her head to nip along his ear, flicking her tongue at the lobe. He purred at that, hips moving faster. He could feel his own tension building and instinctively knew he wasn't going to last much longer. She tightened down on him and nipped his ear with a slight smirk. He growled at that, eyes closing as he jerked slightly, causing him to thrust unsteadily. "C'mon, lover," she purred, murmuring into his ear. "Make me yours. I've waited too bloody long for this." He nipped the side of her neck in response, talons digging into her hips as he found his pace again, a faint hint of sweat beginning to bead on his skin. She moved right along with him, meeting him thrust for thrust and arching hard when he hit one particular spot. Her inner muscles clenched down on him and he moaned softly, eyes closing as he moved faster. "C'mon," she continued, urging him on as she tightened her legs around him to draw him in deeper. Her hands brushed down his chest, passing over a flat nipple and giving it a very light tweak. He purred, talons digging in more as he thrust even harder. She arched at that, a soft growl escaping as she literally became a vice. She could feel herself closing in on a second orgasm and her head lolled back. He snarled at that and pulled her closer as his movements became more erratic. She wound around him like a dark vine, clutching him as close as possible and whispering softly into his ear. Her breasts rubbed against his chest as she ground her hips into his, her eyes half closed. He shuddered at the onslaught of sensations and a strangled cry burst from his throat as he began to tense. He moved without warning, burying his fangs in her bared throat right as he climaxed. She hissed at that, shuddering against him as his climax prompted her own. She clutched him closer, a growl rumbling out of her chest which tapered into a sharp moan as he shuddered against her, filling her with his warmth. His tongue lapped up the blood from her throat and her talons dug into his shoulders tighter. Her eyes closed tightly as she curled around him, holding him to her. "Love you..." she murmured under her breath. He probably couldn't even hear it, and what harm could it do to say it? He wouldn't even remember anyway. He collapsed against her, giving that bite mark one last lick. "Mmm... satisfied now?" she asked softly, opening her eyes to look at him with evident amusement. He purred faintly, almost asleep, eyes half lidded in what was indeed satisfaction. "Typical male," she said teasingly. "Food then sex." The corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile as he responded to her feelings of amusement. She sighed quietly, a hand brushing over his head. "Go on and rest, you asshole. M'gonna be right here, just like I always am." He sighed sleepily and curled against her, arms holding her against him as he fell into an easy sleep. She swallowed lightly at that and sighed again. A gentle mental presence then made itself known. How is he...? Sated, she replied. And happy, I think. Good. Just continue whatever you're doing for him. It's contenting him and he's not clawing down the door, so it's a good thing. ...right," she said. Sure thing, Amir. Is he asleep? came the soft question. Mm-hm, she told him. Dead to the world. A soft chuckle followed. All right then. I'm going back to bed. Good night, Yami. A faint click signaled the end of the mental conversation. She looked down at the black haired male slumbering against her and shook her head wryly. You're going to kill me, I swear to God you are. Heart first... He shifted slightly at that, a faint frown creasing his forehead and she pushed away her gloomy thoughts, projecting contentment and peace as she lowered her head to his shoulder, closing her eyes. He purred softly, slipping back into a deep sleep and she closed her eyes, soon following after him.