Jyuuzou watched quietly as Kaleissa pulled out the small knife from behind her back in a flash. The glint of sharpened metal drew a few glances from their immediate surroundings, but these fellow tea drinkers simply went back to their own business; not only was it small as far as knives go, the blade itself wasn't even being pointed at anyone in particular. His eyes flicked upwards, focusing onto Kaleissa's face as she started to speak. Despite the slight, playful expression that she was toying with right now, her eyes told him that she was being completely serious about the subject at hand.<br/><br/><span style="color: violet">"The Jakuuzoku do not believe in promises, so let us do this the Sabakujin way."</span><br/><br/>Jyuuzou brows lifted slightly as he saw Kaleissa perform the simple and distinct motions of the Ritual of Brotherhood.<br/><br/><span style="color: violet">"To you, I pledge my bow, my blade, and my body. From the moment my blood flows in your veins, and your blood flows in mine, until the moment we have obtained the artifact we seek, when the third and final wish has been made…I will give you everything."</span><br/><br/>After a moment's pause, a small, appreciative smile formed on his lips. The Ritual was not a complicated one, and indeed, was commonly practiced by many non-Sabakujin as well; after all, the blood running through one's veins was recognized almost universally as powerful not only symbolically, but also literally, as the case was for certain mages and warrior Clans. However, the particular structure of the verse were distinct enough that one who knew of the varying Rituals could generally tell the participant's origins. Furthermore, the Sabakujin rarely shared their Rituals with those not of the United Territories. That she, as a Jakuuzoku, would know the verse was enough to let him know that she was certainly trusted enough by<span style="font-style: italic">someone</span>to have let her glean this amount of the Ritual.<br/><br/><span style="color: gold">"This one would never have have thought to hear a Sabakujin Ritual Verse from you, <span style="font-style: italic">'jou-chan</span>...Very well then -"</span><br/><br/>Jyuuzou took the well-worn knife in his hand, and drew it across his palm as well. Making a tight fist, he held his left arm out and squeezed a few drops of his blood into Kaleissa's cup of tea.<br/><br/><span style="color: gold">"From the moment your blood flows in this one's veins, and this one's blood in yours; and until our task is done, and our deserved rewards reaped; this one will consider you as Clan. To you, this one pledges his blades, his skills, and his body. This one will give you everything."</span><br/><br/>As Jyuuzou finished, the two simultaneously drained their cups of the remaining liquid.<br/><br/><span style="color: gold">"Now, about this...Super...Super..."</span><br/><br/>His brows furrowed furiously as he tried to recall the name of the artifact. Why did it have to be so damn long anyways?!<br/><br/><span style="color: gold">"...Super Dragon...Rising...Breathless Chair Leg of..."</span>