Title: Rituals

Author: Lady Snowblossom

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Kai/Rei, Tala/Bryan, Oliver/Enrique, and Robert/Michael

Note: This fic is AU. Years into the future: mankind has split up into clans that identify themselves by scaring the body. Once a year, the elders of a territory hold a mating dance at which the new adults of their clans attend to seek a mate.

The sun was shining brightly on the men, who were busily hanging silk streamers in blue, green, red, white, yellow and black from wooden poles carved to represent the totems of the attending clans. From the north came the Wolves and the Dragons. From the South gathered the Phoenix's and the White Tiger's. From out of the rising sun came the Eagles and the Falcons and lastly, the Horsemen and Griffons from the west. Other men waited to hand them ropes from which gaily painted paper lanterns hung that would be lit at festival to provide light.

The poles clearly outlined a square that would figure prominently in the evening's festivities'. All around the square, seating made from logs planed smoothed and tiered, waited empty; their ends bedecked with flowers and ribbons.

Shielding his eyes against the morning glare, a young male with long black hair bound in a ponytail that reached the back of his knees, stopped and watched the men, as they laughed and joked, while they finished the task set them.

The boy sighed, and hugged himself nervously. He reached up to itch at the bandages that covered the upper half of his cheeks and only just stopped himself; when the words of the clan doctor rang in his mind. "Now mind, Rei! You mustn't touch those bandages until I take them off, you might damage the tissue and mar your scars, then you'll not be so attractive, and then where will you be come the ceremony?"

With another sigh, he lowered his hand and tried to ignore the burning under his eyes. Turning from the scene, he resumed his journey across the village. His normally sedate village hummed with activity. Merchants from some of the few remaining big cities were hawking their goods to giggling women, stoic men and wide-eyed children. Local farmers sold their excess produce to gain cash to pay taxes and dowries for their marriageable daughters, and in a few cases – sons.

All week long, the clans had been gathering for the yearly mating ritual, when the unmarried adults would perform their clan's mating dance and hope to attract a mate from the crowds that would attend the ceremony.

As he walked, he could smell the meat that the hunters had brought in - roasting. For the last two days, many women of the gathered clans had been cooking: preparing a feast to be held afterwards, to celebrate the new bond mates.

"Yo, Rei!"

Rei whirled and smiled as his friend; Tala, heir of the Wolf Clan came trotting toward him, his four Falcon Clan guardsmen at his heels. As Tala hurried towards him, the boy's flame-red braid bounced merrily on his chest.

"Where are you going?" Ice-blue eyes twinkled, as the wolf threw a casual arm across his friend's shoulders.

"I'm going to see Dr. Ling. And have these checked." Rei pointed to the bandages. "If they're healed, I'll be able to attend the dance this year and not have to wait until next year's." He narrowed his eyes and tapped his finger on Tala's chest.

"Hey! I thought you were supposed to be out helping to round up the camels that ran away earlier this morning; seeing how it was your cousin, Koga and his friends who scared them."

Tala laughed and tossed his braid over his shoulder. "Father decided that since Koga and his cronies had so much fun scattering the herd, they could have the joy of rounding them up again."

Rei snickered, "Serves them right!"

"So," Tala said casually as he scratched at the wolf's head cut into his chest, "seen Kai?"

Rei's eyes dimmed, Kai was the reason he wanted to be among the dancers tonight. Kai was heir to the Phoenix Clan and was six months; Rei's senior. And Rei had been in love with him, since they had spent the spring and summer together.

"No."

The sadness in the boy's voice had the redhead instantly embracing him. "Don't worry, Rei. I'm sure that Kai will remember you, it hasn't been that long since the Phoenix and White Tiger's shared summer quarters."

"I hope you're right, Tala."

"Have I ever been wrong?" The wolf demanded.

"Wait while I go get my list." Rei said dryly.

"Hey!" Tala yelped, then he laughed, "Ok, so maybe I do goof every once in a while." Then he sobered, "But, I'm not wrong about this." Tala put both hands on Rei's shoulders and stared deeply into his eyes. "He will claim you, then I'll be wishing you well at your bonding."

"I hope you're right. But, before you have me married and sitting at Kai's side, I have to go see if these damn scars have healed. If they haven't . . ." Rei shrugged, "I'll be sitting in the stands, as if I were a clan heir."

Tala winced; custom forbade the clan heirs from participating in the dance. They could only watch and choose from the dancers, as clan heirs were also forbidden to wed one another. Another custom had the heirs fostering with each other and Kai and Tala were foster brothers; Kai spending a year with the Wolf Clan and Tala with the Phoenix's, where he had met Rei and made friends with the neko-jin.

Rei shook off his somber mood and gave his friend a bright smile. "I've got to go, Tal. I'll see you later. Maybe at the dance I can help you pick someone suitable, since you have abominable taste in both sexes."

"Why you!" Tala took a swing at his neko-jin friend and missed as Rei ducked and scurried off toward a white and red tent. As the boy vanished into the darkness of the doorway, the wolf turned to his guards, "Come on, we're going to visit the Phoenix's."

Kai paced his tent, listening with half an ear to the drone of his scribe. 'What did he care about how many yards of cloth their sheep had provided, or how many crates of apples, peaches, pears, and cherries the orchards had provided. He was too keyed up for such nonsense right now! In just a few short hours, he would have to don his best robes, and sit at the head of his clan and choose a mate!

Damn his grandfather, for forcing this upon him! The old phoenix was tired and sick and wanted to step down, but couldn't as long as Kai remained unwed. So, he had ordered Kai to choose someone from this year's assemblage of dancers.

And once wed, the only way he'd be able to get rid of the unwanted mate would be to catch them being unfaithful; and since the punishment for infidelity was death, few risked it.

A commotion outside his tent caught his attention, and he strode to the flap and peered out. Finally, a way out of listening to that old man sitting there; going on about cattle! Turning to the half-naked scribe, who, oblivious to his master's ire, kept reading from the parchment in his hands.

"Get out!"

The sudden bark startled the old man, and he fumbled the scroll he had been reading. "M-master?"

"Get out, I said!" Kai snapped, "My foster brother is here, and we don't need you droning and mumbling in the middle of our reunion! Now, get out, before I have you flogged!"

The old man scrambled to gather his things and fled the tent, just as Tala walked in.

"My, you're in a fine temper. What did poor old Shio do to get you all riled up?"

"Droned at me all morning about: cloth, sheep, fruit, pigs, cattle and I don't want to talk about it!" Kai flung himself onto a pile of pillows and glared up at his foster brother. "Where have you been? We've been here for two days."

Tala walked across the carpet lying on the ground and went to a boxwood table sitting on folding legs, and poured two expensive glass goblets full of wine from the golden pitcher sitting there. Carrying the goblets over to his foster brother, he lowered himself to the ground and handed Kai one.

The bluenette took the offering and threw back half the contents, before eyeing his friend over the rim. "Well?"

"Oh, the usual. Following father around and learning how to govern, chasing my cousin Koga and his cronies and trying to keep them out of trouble."

"From what I hear, you aren't doing a very good job at that."

"Shut up."

Kai snickered, and Tala regarded him with injured dignity. "As I started to say, before I WAS so rudely interrupted." Kai flipped him off.

Tala sniffed, but refrained from retaliating, "I visited with Robert, Oliver and . . . Rei."

At that name, Kai's hand-unnoticed by its owner-clenched.

However, the redhead had noticed and he smiled inwardly with satisfaction, he had been right; Kai did want Rei. Now everything hinged on Rei's scars being healed and the proof of his adulthood being visible for all to see.

Wickedly, the wolf grinned. "Rei is looking very . . . nice. He's had his face marked and when I last saw him, he was heading for the doctor's to see if the scars were healed." He flicked a casual glance back at Kai's hands, his dear foster brother was capable of controlling his face, but his hands gave him away every time and right now, they had a death grip on the half empty goblet.

Slowly, Tala got to his feet and Kai gave him a questioning look. "I have to go check on Koga's progress." He explained and finished off the last of his wine, before returning the goblet to the table. As he set it down, he mused aloud, "You know, Kai, if Rei does participate in tonight's dance, I think I might offer for him. He would make a fine Wolves' mate."

There was silence behind him and he turned to find crimson eyes blazing fire at him. Pretending to not notice the barely contained rage, he went to the flap of the tent and waved, "Don't bother seeing me out, I'll just be on my way. See you tonight." He barely made it out of the tent, when he heard an audible snap and knew that Kai had broken something, most likely the goblet.

"Well, well, foster brother seems I've lit a fire under your tail." He grinned broadly and leapt astride his horse and waving for his guards; he headed out towards where the camel herd should be.

Kai rose to his feet, ignoring the spread stain on the hideously expensive rug and stomped to his tent flap. Sticking his head outside, he watched as Tala and his guards rode off towards the western end of his camp.

"If anyone is claiming Rei, it will be me, even if I have to defy my whole clan." He vowed, then he shouted for a maid to come and clean the carpet and went off to see if Rei would indeed be at the dance.