Kine met Yeli at the Bubbling Gardens, where they first met. It was a natural spring water park; it sparkled, in clear blue and green, as the flowing water created a calming sound. Kine saw Yeli standing near the fountain where they first kissed. Yeli, with the sun reflecting off her long golden hair, looked dazzling standing in the garden with colors reflecting from her multihued dress. They greeted, Yeli looked at him with her amber eyes that always seemed to peer into his heart, hugged him tightly, but said nothing.

"Our fathers arranged for us to stay on Desp Mountain tonight. I hear it has amazing views of the entire Cerri plain, it's very pleasant there". Yeli nodded and said, "Yes, it sounds nice" in a low voice while looking away and blinking to refrain from crying. Seeing Yeli so sad brought a gnawing pain of contradictions into his mind, the conflict between love and war was unsettling, and created an uncertainty he had never felt before.

The Transcraft ride was quiet and comfortable. Yeli, tired and emotionally drained fell asleep. As Kine gazed out the window the scenery quickly flew by, in no time the craft descended, as the sun began to set and landed near the beautiful mountain resort. The opulent room was a Pairing Suite, which made them both feel nervous and awkward. A fine dinner had been prepared for them and it tasted wonderful but Kine could not enjoy it as they sat close together, in a thoughtful silence, eating. Yeli, having barely touched her food, dropped her hands, buried her face into his soft tunic, and began to weep. "Kine, what will become of me when you leave? This war will kill you… and everything we love!" "I don't know Yeli", he said while hugging her tightly. "All I know is that we need to fight the Nian before they can make it here to Ycerri, this is why I must go. I need to do something." If there is anyone who can make a difference it is you, Kine, you are courageous and strong." Her encouragement belied the fact he felt afraid and lost in the sea of uncontrollable circumstances that the war had thrust upon him. They sat in the quiet of the evening, holding each other as the sun disappeared under the ridge plain. Kine, knowing that this might be their last day together, gathered his courage and kneeled before Yeli to do what he came to do. "Yeli you are my joy, and the reason I go away to fight for our future, there is no time for us to have a formal Pairing Ceremony, but please accept my Life Mark upon you to signify, to God, that we are a paired by his Will. Tears in her eyes, Yeli replied "It is my delight to accept your Mark, Kine, even if we are apart, you will always be with me, you are mine". Kine smiled and cut a lock of his long curly black hair inserted it into a skin crystal and placed it in the middle of her bare back, it melted in place like a tattoo. They kissed and forgot their sorrow in the passion of their first and only night together.

When Kine woke the next day, Yeli was not there. The Transcraft still sat on the landing pad; she'd walked off onto the mountain trail to be alone. She'd refused to say goodbye, he understood it would be too painful for her. She left her Life Mark on him, in the quiet of the morning light, with a soft kiss she placed the delicate skin crystal with a lock of her beautiful hair around his left arm like an emblem of honor. Kine caressed the Life Mark with pride as he examined it in the mirror before he dressed.

Kine called for another transcraft to take him to the Ambu temple where his father was waiting. The temple sat enclosed in a large white dome, with seven open sides. Inside it was warm and bright, with a shiny illuminated floor, which surrounded an elegant altar where water naturally sprung from an underground well. Comfortable wooden seats formed a half circle behind an altar where the Order of the Ambu knelt and prayed in simple blue and white robes. One of the ministers approached him and his father. "God continually renews us with his water of life, I am his minister". Kine and his father replied, "As are we and all those who choose to follow God’s ways". The minister replied, "I tend to you by God’s grace". They replied again, "As we do to you by God’s grace". The Minister asked, "How may I help you today?" Kine's father answered, "As a witness to the blessing of my son". The Minister replied, "So be it well as a father blesses his son, I will bear witness". His father turned to him, kneeled and cupped water in his hands, then stood to pour it over Kine's head. "As I have been blessed, I so bless my son Kine, who I’ve trained in the Ways of the Ambu Warrior to carry the edicts of God in his heart for his time, and all time, so be you blessed my son". Kine replied, "The blessing of my father is upon me".

The Defense Force terminal was full of teary-eyed friends and family. As Kine walked to his terminal of departure, he looked back a final moment before boarding the ship. Seeing his mother and father there, not knowing if he would ever see them again, and thinking of Yeli and what should have been, his tears too began to flow.

The ship lifted off on a course to the nearest moon base where the recruits would commence their training. The commercial ship was comfortable. Each recruit had his own isolated chamber to relax in; this was considered the last luxury before the Spartan life of a space soldier would begin. The emotional drain of the previous day had left Kine tired and he fell asleep. When he woke and exited his isolation chamber most of the recruits were silent except for those who were weeping. Kine turned to the recruit beside him, and asked, "What’s wrong?" The recruit stared at him for a moment; "the Nian invaded Ycerri. Cerri, the capital city was destroyed, the reports are that no one inside the city survived". Kine's eyes hardened and his heart went cold as he thought, "The Nian will perish for what they have done" bowing his head into his hands. His hatred for the Nian deepened, and a relentless desire for revenge stirred up within him.