It took several days for Devin to become accustomed to the odd connections generated during the Choosing Ceremony. Renan had taken the time to inform Devin and Rukiya of their duties, and to show them the private realm restricted to the Guardians.

Now Devin worked off the lingering discomfort in a manner many of his fellow Fires found incomprehensible. He practiced the odd martial art known as Capoeira - more than half dance, the fast, acrobatic form suited him as the broadswords traditional to the Fires did not. Sweat slicked his skin as he moved with the confines of a circle traced on the ground. Light shorts did little to keep dust and grit from coating over the sweat. Shoes would be more hindrance than help, and were discarded.

There was no discomfort. Devin was wrapped in the fast rhythm - strike, counterstrike, evade and the flair and grace of each motion as important as the basic action. Better with a partner, best with a roda, a circle to clap and play the drum, still the exertion of the dance held him a centered place of calm tranquility. Rukiya was his acknowledged better with the broadsword, but in unarmed combat there were few Fires who could match him. The unorthodox martial art threw them, left them few openings. Devin was passionate enough about capoeira to master it.

Hand touched the ground as a pivot point, led into a twist in mid-air that launched him towards a kick back. That turned into a back flip without so much as a finger touching the gritty, firm sand. Pivot points and balance and flicker-quick thought that turned to action as fast. There was no room for doubt, no room for worries in the circle. One hour passed, two, before the dance finally drew to its natural conclusion. Devin finally stilled in the center of the circle, sweat tracing runnels through the layer of dust and sand that coated his body. There were no watching eyes to see when he bowed to thin air, no ears to hear the harsh rasp of his breath and voice when he spoke. "In Your honor. In Your name."