[Flame]

Lucrecio ~*~*~*~*~ Serotina

The bitter cold winter wind howled mournfully as it whipped about the jagged mountain tops, sweeping eddies and clouds of snow in its wake as it leashed its fury upon the unfeeling peaks of ice. No sun could possibly penetrate the thick, ominous layer of clouds that blanketed the sky, occasionally descending to engulf the whole chain of mountains, swallowing them in a swath of impenetrable mist and gloom, pierced only by the chill wind that still persisted. Against the frosty white of the snow, one slim figure could just be made out, struggling against the forceful wind as it made its way towards the peak of the highest summit. Almost invisible against the ice, a white figure accompanied her, snowy fur interlaced with delicate swirls and eddies of black. Together, the pair of Lucain pressed on, defying the enraged forces of nature as they continued their seemingly endless trek.

As she walked, Serotina could feel her pads beginning to turn numb with the cold. She knew that she could not last much longer out here in these harsh conditions. Grimacing to herself, she pushed onward, not wanting to let her companion down. Suddenly though, she lost her footing on the slippery slope, and after a brief second's struggle, came crashing down into the snow, feeling the harsh solidity of rough stone beneath her snout as it collided. What little breath that was left in her lungs was knocked out of her, and she slid a few feet back down the sheer slope before a firm grip gently grabbed the scruff of her neck, stopping her frightening descent. Once she found her balance again, still crouched in the snow, she peered up to find a pair of light eyes staring concernedly back into hers. "Are you alright?" the smooth tones of Lucrecio's voice reached her ears through the howling gale. Still winded, she could only nod mutely, struggling to catch her breath again. A warm snout nuzzled her ear. "It's alright," the male murmured, "I've got you."

[Flame]

It was many long minutes in the harsh cold before Serotina was ready to travel again. With aid from Lucrecio, she managed to pull herself to her paws once again, and before long, the had once again resumed the long, strenuous trek up the ice-covered mountain slope. The two Lucain did not speak, for they needed to conserve their breath for climbing, and after what felt like hours, they were finally rewarded with a glimpse of what had to be their destination. Up ahead, still obscured by snow and distance, was a monolithical structure, towering from the icy stone of the mountainside. It had to be the place, for there was no other building in the surrounding area for miles around. The path now carved itself into weatherworn steps that ascended towards the spired structure. Glancing at eachother with a sort of wearied encouragement, they made their way towards the shrine, pace slightly faster with the promise of shelter ahead.

Finally, the pair of Lucain reached the pair of huge, worn doors. Pausing momentarily just to glance at the face of the building, two pairs of tired eyes took in a breathtaking wall of marble and obsidian-hued stone, but the cold bit ever more harshly through their pelts. Stepping forward, Lucrecio pressed his muscled shoulder against the door and it swung open, admitting the Lucain into the dimly lit interior.

[Flame]

Warmth welcomed Lucrecio and Serotina, and for a few moments, they basked in the heat, shaking the ice and wetness from their coats as they entered. In comparison to the storm brewing outside, candlelit chamber was bright and awash with light, and after waiting for their eyes to once again adjust to the flickering haze, a grand sight met them. The golden ceiling above rose ever higher, revealing a vast chamber of air above them. The walls were adorned with intricate designs that were indecipherable, yet gave each of the edifaces a awe-inspiring elegance.

"So," said Lucrecio, finally breaking the spell of chanting that echoed about the shrine from the monks stationed about the chamber. "This is where Flame wanted us to come..." He let his gaze wander about the interior of their sanctuary. "Do you think that we will find what she sent us for?"

"Only fate can tell what will come to pass," came the soft reply. Lucrecio glanced down at his companion, who was gazing, as if transfixed, at the three statues that towered ahead of them just on the other side of the hall. There was an aura of peace, tranquility, that permeated the air here, Serotina could sense it. Yet, there was something else too...a feeling of unease, sorrow, and foreboding washed over her inexplicably. She frowned slightly as the sensation passed. Must have been because of my fatigue, she thought to herself, yet strangely, she didn't feel tired at all: It was as if the warmth and energy that filled the shrine flowed through her now.

[Flame]

Lucrecio nudged Serotina gently, stirring her out of her seeming trancelike state. "Let's take a look around here first before we continue on, shall we?" he asked, more of a statement than a question as he guided her towards the side of the shrine, pacing calmly in measured steps. He studied the designs on the wall carefully, his stride slowing as he regarded the carvings in the marble wall. Serotina trailed him silently, glancing about the shrine, taking in the whole picture. After a few minutes, Lucrecio was content with his perusal of the carvings, and padding alongside his mate, made their way back towards the stone figures again. As they approached the statues, they came upon a monk, probably the head of the small group that now presided in the shrine's main hall. "We should probably pay him our respect," Lucrecio murmured to Serotina, recieving her affirming nod. Together, they approached the robed man, who's eyes were shut as he chanted to himself in meditation. In turn, they bowed to the monk, inclining themselves over one bent and another extended foreleg. Though he never lifted an eyelid, the monk returned the gesture by bowing back to them, hands clasped before him as he inclined his head and torso to the Lucain. This having been done, they padded back to the stone guardians. "Flame sent us here to find and free a Hunter..." Serotina nodded again. "I have a feeling that she didn't tell us everything about them though," she finally replied. "I think that this task will probably be more difficult than we may have imagined." The male Lucain stared at his companion, slightly bemused. "I fail to see how much more difficult this job could be," he said uncertainly, his gaze searching as he tried to find an explaination in Serotina's features. She shook her head lightly. "I know no more than you do about our mission, but something tells me that there is more to this shrine than meets the eye."

[Flame]

As Serotina spoke, Lucrecio could only look on, worrying, hoping for the best. After all, how hard could it be to get a Hunter? He trusted his mate with all his heart, after all, they had been together for their whole lives, and there was nothing that could seperate them, but he truly could not understand the message she was trying to convey. "We should get moving if we're going to find anything," he finally said, breaking the awkward silence that had built between the Lucain. He glanced at her again, but she didn't answer. Her expression was unreadable, slightly unnerving for Lucrecio. Perhaps she was just weary from the trek up the side of the mountain, he concluded, but he could not brush the worry from his mind. "Where to first?"

Serotina stood before the center entrance, studying the features of each stone being before her intently, as if they would give her the answers to here burning questions. After Lucrecio's last question, she allowed silence to fall once again for a few minutes, the chanting of monks ringing softly in her ears. Finally, she broke from her perusal and looked up at her mate, slightly surprised to see the worry in his features. She smiled lightly at him, nuzzling the bottom of his jaw affectionately to reassure him. "Don't worry, we'll get through this okay," she said quietly. "We always do, don't we?"

Lucrecio grinned back down at Serotina, reassured by her ministrations that she was alright. "Yes, we always do," he said. "And this will be no different."

Giving her mate one last smile, Serotina turned her gaze once again to sweep over the stone entrances, her features sobering slightly as she regarded each one with a piercing gaze. "This one first, alright?" she inquired of Lucrecio, motioning towards the opening on the left with a flick of her tail.

"Fine by me." With that said, the femme led the way into the dark, cold tunnel.

{5}

[Flame]

The hallway seemed to stretch for a long distance, or perhaps it was just a trick of the darkness. The whole passageway was shrouded with shadow, and though it was still warm, a slight chill seemed to run through the air as it eddied gently in the corridor. The two Lucain walked side by side, pelts brushing slightly as they remained close together, each comforted by the thought that the other was beside them. Finally, after an eternity, the passageway seemed to widen slightly as light washed the exit of the tunnel and Lucrecio and Serotina stepped once again into the light. It was just about as bright in this room as it had been in the main chamber of the shrine, for the whole room was lit by hundreds of thousands of candles that danced and flickered tranquilly in the half-light. Another monk stood near the entrance of this room, and the Lucain greeted him the same way that they had greeted the first back in the main chamber of the shrine. "Let's take a look around," Serotina whispered to Lucrecio, as if not to disturb the aura that dictated the room. Walking silently on padded paws, she and Lucrecio made their way slowly about the chamber, pausing here and there to look more closely at something or pay their respects to another.

[Flame]

Padding along the extremities of the small room, the faces of the Lucain were awash with the soft light of the candles that surrounded them, casting flickering shadows about the chamber as they slowly made their way around. Finally, they reached the entrance once again. Walking forward, Lucrecio dipped his proud head to the monk that stood like a sentinel at the mouth of the marble passageway. For a few moments, he merely regarded the man with an indifferent, yet respectful gaze, then concluding that he would not strike up the conversation, took it upon himself to make the initial move.

"Excuse me, but could you tell us what this place is?"His voice was strong, echoing, and strangely hollow in the empty silence. Without turning his gaze, the monk replied in a calm, level tone, his voice sounding as if he were still chanting. "This room is known as the Hall of Amnesty and Remembrance."Lucrecio frowned slightly at the lack of detail provided by the monk, but he knew better than to pester him for it. Giving up on trying to figure out anything else from him, he glanced behind to suggest to Serotina that perhaps they should go now, only to find that she had vanished. He peered about the room worriedly, and sighed a breath of relief when he saw her, this time, on the far side of the room. He padded over to her, following her gaze to symbol carved into the wall. "What does it mean?"she asked him softly, but he could only look on and shake his head in bewilderment. "Come, perhaps if we traverse the other rooms, it will shed some light on this mystical place,"he finally said, flicking the femme lightly with his tails to encourage her.