Tah'kath was told as a pup that the eyes were a doorway leading to the soul. While responding to a kiande-amedha (xenomorph) attack on a human farming settlement, Tah'kath finds a surviving child whose eyes seem to hold the stars themselves. Against...
"SILENCE!!" The Ancient One boomed the command with a force and tenacity that seemed impossible for a being as old as he, and the stadium fell eerily quiet. "I did not drag myself out to this pup rally to watch the likes of you all create this half-wit protest! Now get on with the ceremony!!
"Ancient One, with all due respect...to blood the soft meat is to go against the wishes of the clan..." He looked to the training master with fire in his amber eyes, the younger of the two fighting hard not to squirm beneath the heated gaze.
"So you would disobey a direct order given to you by an Ancient?" The master said nothing, and O'stba stepped in front of the young warriors before turning to face the crowd. "These younglings have rested their skills against our most revered enemy..! They have risked their lives against the kiande-amedha, and they have returned victorious!" The room was silent, and the Ancient continued. "Young T'ahrou did as we all have in our lives. He was bred and born to fight, to hunt, to take his place in our clan. He has proven himself beyond words." O'stba turned his eyes on Dhadtoudi now, moving to circle her slowly as he spoke. "This female...she is different. She is not of our planet, not of our clan, not of our blood."
Numerous cheers rang out again, but the Ancient drowned them out with a warning growl. "Young Dhadtoudi was found in precarious circumstances, just as another of our clan." Zaiyu sat stood taller alongside his father. "That Warrior was not of our clan, nor of our blood...yet we welcomed them when they earned their mark in the great chiva. Dhadtoudi has worked her entire life to learn our ways, to honor our traditions, to bring pride to our race...she has excelled in the science programs, and she has matched many of our offspring in feats of battle despite the disadvantages that pyode-amedha hold when they meet our kind."
O'stba stopped in front of the girl as he stared into her eye shields. "Dhadtoudi, remove your bio-mask." She did as directed, placing the device into the aged male's outstretched hand as she met his gaze with unwavering intensity. With his free hand, he retrieved the claw of a kiande-amedha from the training master and used a droplet of the acid blood to trace a triangle with three lines (one through the base of the shape and one through each side) into the forehead of the mask.
"You have proven yourself in the eyes of your clan, Dhadtoudi." He lifted his hand to trace the same symbol into the skin of her forehead, and her grey eyes glanced quickly at T'ahrou who was watching intently, his mandibles clicking with excitement. "Dhadtoudi, daughter of Tah'kath..." his words were loud for all to hear, "you have earned your mark in the Dark Blade Clan, while also leaving your own on the rest of us." He traced the symbol into her skin as the acid sizzled when it mixed with her blood, but she remained perfectly still until the process was through. He then repeated the process with T'ahrou, first his mask and then his forehead before the Ancient turned to face the crowd. "Behold, the newest warriors of the Dark Blade Clan!!"
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Zaiyu, Tah'kath, and T'ahrou's father were the first to roar in celebration, others soon following suit. Before long most of the present population was cheering, and O'stba took the young Warrior's wrists in his hands before lifting their fists up in victory. The cheers grew more intense, and T'ahrou joined in. Dhadtoudi did her best to mimic the action, but her own voice was easily drowned out by the deafening roar of the others. The Ancient laughed in amusement but soon released his grip on the youngsters and turned to face the two of them once more. They bowed low at the waist simultaneously, something that made O'stba click in amusement.
"I thank you, Ancient One." He could barely hear the female, but he was able to make out her words.
"We both do." T'ahrou chimed in, neither of them rising from their submissive positions. The Ancient clicked again, the sounds of the clan finally beginning to die down behind him.
"Do not take it lightly, young ones. And above all else, do not make me regret it."
