The Blazing Tempest

DISCLAIMER: This story is a non-commercial work of fiction based on the anime/manga Samurai 7. Original copyright of Samurai 7 belongs to Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto, Hideo Oguni, MICO, GDH, GONZO. Absolutely no monetary gain has been made with this work.


THE BLAZING TEMPEST
By Rory V. Pascual (Edited by Saiyukihana)
© Original Version 2001; Samurai 7 Version June 23, 2006


Chapter Twenty-One

"He is mine, I tell you! MINE! Damn it, Kyuzo! I already paid you!"

"That is why I am returning every dinar you gave me! Take it, you Indian dog! Our deal is off! You cannot claim him because I intend to make him my wife...er...spouse!"

"I agree with, Sensei! You can't marry him! I asked for his hand first on behalf of my beloved teacher!"

"No one is marrying him, certainly not either of you two!"

"Why? Are you saying that you'll marry him, Samurai? No fool would want to marry you!"

"If I were Shinno, I wouldn't marry you either! You've got shifty eyes!"

"I have shifty eyes? For an idiot, you have all the nerve to insult me in this manner!!"

"How dare you call my student an idiot! Are you forgetting that you are in my camp? Maybe I should have you beheaded right now!"

Kanbei pressed the heels of his hands to his aching temples. Regaining consciousness in the Bandit Chief's tent, he had coerced a reluctant Heihachi to tell him where the men were. Although still a bit woozy, the concubine hastened to the meeting tent, fearing mayhem and bloodshed. Instead, he was subjected to over an hour of verbal tussling, unable to get even a word in. He squeezed his eyes shut and his lips trembled, ready to break into tears of frustration.

"Let's settle this once and for all!" Kyuzo declared sharply.

Dreadful silence followed. Kanbei opened his eyes, only to find the four men gazing expectantly at him.

The Bandit Chief said solemnly, "Shinno, you must choose."

"Choose? Me?" the whoremaster stammered. "But I can't! The Amanushi..."

"We are all in agreement on this," confirmed Tessai. "Whoever it is that you choose, he shall take you away from the Amanushi."

"No one can free me from the Amanushi!"

Shichiroji gazed sternly at the concubine. "Are you saying that you're going to do it yourself? Damn it! You cannot fight for your freedom alone! Shinno, we want to help you!"

"You want to help me? Bed me is more like it. If I marry either of you, I'll just be exchanging one master for another!"

"I know that my Sensei has his forthcomings but…" Katsushiro piped in. "You know that he loves you very much."

Kanbei gave the Bandit Chief's student a fond smile. "I know that you do not wish to see me hurting, Katsushiro. But marriage is not the solution to this problem." He looked at Kyuzo as well. "I could never be Merida."

"I know you're not my wife," argued the Bandit Chief. "I've learned to love you for who you truly are."

"Is that why you raped him?" Shichiroji said snidely.

Tessai stared at Kyuzo, aghast. "You bedded him? You damned desert bastard! I told you not to touch him!"

The Bandit Chief glared at the two Warriors. "Didn't you two rape him before me?"

That remark brought on another round of arguing.

Clapping his hands over his ears, the concubine muttered, "Shut up! SHUT UP! FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, BE QUIET!"

Preoccupied with their bickering, none of the men noticed at first the entrance of a tiny figure. What caught everyone's attention was the soft clip clop of hooves. As one, all four men frowned, watching Moeru as he trotted over to the concubine.

"Moeru?" asked Kanbei in surprise.

The foal had a cactus blossom in his mouth, which he laid on the whoremaster's lap. He then gave Kanbei a toothy grin, wagging his tail.

Groaning, the concubine declared, "Don't tell me you want to marry me too?"

In answer, Moeru's grin grew wider, his big black eyes glowing. To the shock of Kanbei's three human suitors, the foal nodded vigorously.

The whoremaster slapped his hands on his thighs. He picked up the foal as he stood. "That settles it then!"

"What do you mean?" the four men asked in unison.

"Haven't you guessed?" Kanbei said dryly. He bussed the foal lovingly on the nose. "I'm marrying Moeru! Farewell, gentlemen!"

There were shocked expressions on the faces of the four men as concubine and foal headed outside. Before they left, Moeru whinnied in victory, giving his human rivals a wicked sneer, wagging his brows up and down.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Kanbei-sama? Are you serious about marrying him?"

Despite how tense the situation was, Kanbei could not suppress his smile as he watched Katsushiro and Moeru exchanging heated glares. The whoremaster thought he could see lightning bolts streaking in the space between their eyes. However, he turned somber, realizing how much the boy and the foal loved him. He had to tell the truth.

"To be honest," the concubine began in hesitation, "I have no intention of marrying anyone."

What sounded like a strangled squeak escaped Moeru's throat. Plopping down, the foal started to cry like a baby.

Kanbei was startled, seeing the reaction of the poor horse. Swiftly, he knelt down before the foal and hugged him. "Oh, Moeru! Please forgive me! I'm so sorry I did this to you."

There were soft sobs behind him and he saw that Katsushiro was crying as well.

"Katsushiro..."

Sniffling, Katsushiro exclaimed, "If you didn't want to marry anybody, why were you so willing to be with my Sensei. You also told me that you loved ME! If I were not young, I would've asked for your hand as well. Are you telling me that you've been lying to me this whole time?"

The concubine reached out to the boy and embraced him. "I never lied to you, Katsushiro. I DO love you. You AND your teacher." Kanbei pulled away. "But not in the way that you believe -- as lovers, as man and spouse."

"Then, why did you make love to me?"

"Because you were curious about the...act. I wanted you to experience it with someone who cares for you, not like what happened to me. It's also because you are..."

Katsushiro said in bitter self-deprecation, "Because no one would want to make love to someone like me. Because I am naïve, stupid. You only did it because you felt sorry for me. The person you really love is that damned samurai!"

The whoremaster looked at Katsushiro, stunned. "That's not true! How could I love someone who raped me! Katsushiro, listen to me! You don't have to hide the truth from me! I know that you love Kyuzo!"

The younger man, however, covered his ears with his hands. "I'm not listening to your lies any longer!" Tears poured from his eyes as he looked at Kanbei. "Go back to your ugly Amanushi! No, stay with Shichiroji! I wish they hurt you! I wish they hurt you really, really bad! I hate you, Kanbei! I HATE YOU!"

"KATSUSHIRO!" Before the concubine could stop him, the Bandit Chief's pupil fled from the tent, with an equally distraught Moeru at his heels. Kanbei was about to give chase, but he bumped into Kyuzo at the tent's opening.

The Bandit Chief grabbed the older man before he could get by. "Hold it! What is going on here? Why is Katsushiro crying?"

At those queries, Kanbei's fingers squeezed Kyuzo's arms hard, as the tears began to flow from his eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt his feelings! I swear I didn't!"

Kyuzo led the troubled concubine to the cushions and bade him to sit. He embraced Kanbei comfortingly, rubbing a gentle hand over his back. When his sobs were nothing more than soft sniffles, the Bandit Chief wiped away his tears.

Realizing who he was with, Kanbei lowered his gaze. All he could say was a quiet "I'm sorry."

"I think it is I who should beg for your forgiveness," answered Kyuzo. "I shouldn't have made that demand of you. You are in an extremely difficult situation as it is."

"I just don't want anybody to get hurt because of me. The Amanushi...he would do anything to get me back, even kill everyone I care for."

"It's not hopeless, and you know that. We're offering you a chance at freedom."

Kanbei shook his head. "You and Katsushiro perhaps. But not Tessai. He is the same as the Amanushi. All they want is for me to be their whore."

"And what about Shichiroji?"

"I don't know what he wants."

"But you want him."

"I don't want him enough to want to marry him."

"Kanbei," the Bandit Chief sighed, "you are a very poor liar. I've seen how you reacted when you found out what I've done to him."

The concubine said bitterly, "He raped me in the desert, thinking that it was I who ordered him flogged."

Kyuzo was stunned at this revelation. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter now. My greatest concern is the Amanushi. I fear what might happen if I do not return to his realm soon."

"Then we shall fight him, to the death if necessary. I will not let you fall into his hands."

"You do not know him like I do." The concubine cried out in despair, "No! It would be a mistake to go against him!"

"Kanbei, if you would only consider marriage... The Amanushi wouldn't dare to break a marriage bond."

"And, like I told you, I will not be marrying anyone. I belong to the Amanushi."

The Bandit Chief wearily stood up. "I want you to think about it very carefully. I do not believe that marriage is not an option open for us. Kanbei, I love you, and I will do everything I can to protect you."

"No, Kyuzo-sama. Marriage is not an option for me. Neither is it an option for you. If we get married, you will only hurt Katsushiro, and I will not see that boy hurt any longer."

Kyuzo fell silent at that last. "I have long known about Katsushiro's feelings for me. And, yes, I won't deny it. I feel something for him as well. What is stopping me is his youth. But…he understands the need to protect you. He will put your needs above his own desires."

Before the whoremaster could argue, Kyuzo went outside the tent.

With a groan, Kanbei clutched his aching head in his hands. "You don't understand," he muttered in frustration. "I'm cursed! I'm doomed to lose everyone I love!" Straightening up, a firm resolve formed inside his mind. // I cannot stay here any longer. I must escape tonight, even if I have to make the lengthy trek across the desert alone. //

~~~~~~~~~~

"What does Shinno see in you anyway that he loves you this deeply?"

Shichiroji blinked owlishly at the angry young man and foal who had barged inside his tent.

After what happened at the meeting tent earlier, the Samurai decided to cool his heels in his tent for a while. One did not need to have the wisdom of a sage Warrior to see how distraught Shinno was. Kyuzo, however, was right. Maybe marriage was the perfect solution to all their problems. It was the same solution that came to his mind earlier when he proposed to the whoremaster, before he was bombarded with proposals from the other men. The question was who would the concubine choose? The answer definitely was no one. Shinno obviously cared deeply for Kyuzo and his pupil. However, he had a much greater fear of the Amanushi's reprisal upon the Bandit Chief and his camp. Tessai...even a fool wouldn't marry that treacherous bastard. As for him, Shichiroji knew that he had hurt the concubine too many times for Shinno to want to marry him.

Rather than mull over this sticky issue, Shichiroji decided to bury his nose inside his journal. Strangely, however, instead of making any further attempts at drawing Shinno's face, he found himself making sketches of a dashing general in a uniform, with his cloak fluttering behind him. He had just finished his sixth drawing of the man when Katsushiro and Moeru made their heated entrance.

Shichiroji gave the Bandit Chief's pupil a sad little smile. "To be honest with you, Katsushiro, I didn't know that he did."

The brows on Katsushiro and Moeru's foreheads had joined to form a single arch.

"Come in, you two," Shichiroji waved to them in invitation. "We need to talk about this."

In a few minutes, Katsushiro and his foal were seated before him with hostile expressions on their faces.

The Samurai began, "You are saying that Shinno loves me. Katsushiro, why do you think that?"

"And I never knew you were stupid," muttered Katsushiro.

"Yes, I am stupid, aren't I? So stupid that I did not see that someone loves me…and that, up to now, I still continue to hurt him."

"You don't deserve him," the Bandit Chief's pupil said flatly.

"None of us do. If circumstances had been different, if Shinno were not a concubine, perhaps we wouldn't be in this position we are now. He would be free to choose whom to marry. But he isn't. Shinno is the whore of a very rich and very powerful man. He had seen good friends die, simply because they dared to help him escape his current plight. If the Amanushi could do this to his friends, what more to the man who desires to have him for his lover, his spouse."

"I'm not afraid of the Amanushi. I swore to myself that I would protect him, and I will do it. And Morrie too! Right, Morrie?"

The foal whinnied his assent.

"You cannot protect him, Katsushiro. It could get you killed."

"I don't care. I just don't want to see Shinno being hurt anymore."

"And that is the reason why you wanted him to marry your teacher. I want you to be honest with me, Katsushiro. I know how much you love Shinno, but what exactly do you feel for him?"

Katsushiro made a shrug. "To tell you the truth, we made love, but…it didn't feel exactly right."

"In other words," Shichiroji said softly, "you think of him as more of a parent, or perhaps another teacher to be exact."

Reluctantly, Katsushiro nodded. "I just want him to be happy. I figured that it would be all right if he married Sensei. But it's not. I have to admit that it hurt…here…" The boy pressed his hand to his chest. "…When I made that proposal on my Sensei's behalf."

"Because you are in love with Kyuzo yourself."

Katsushiro did not make any denials. He added, "But then, I could also see how sad Shinno is. It's not just because he belongs to the Amanushi. He's keeping a lot of secrets and a lot of bad feelings inside him that he couldn't find happiness anywhere."

Secrets… The Samurai stared at the boy before him in startlement. "You are a lot smarter than you look, Katsushiro."

Another small shrug. "I just sense things that's all…the same way I could feel that he loves you. Do you love him too, Shichiroji?"

"Yes, Katsushiro. Very much." Shichiroji didn't see any reason to lie to Katsushiro. "However, there are so many things getting in the way of our love."

"What things?"

"Secrets…revenge…"

"Are those things more important than love? Aren't you going to hurt Shinno more if you put them above your true feelings for him?"

Shichiroji's jaw dropped at the astuteness of the Bandit Chief's student.

Katsushiro got to his feet. "Shichiroji, please think about what I've said. I'm willing to speak to my Sensei that I am taking back my suggested marriage proposal, if YOU would be the one to protect Shinno and make him happy. If you cannot promise me this, then I will fight you…to the death, if I have to."

"I don't want to be your enemy. If we ended up fighting each other, and one of us dies, it would surely break Shinno's heart, " said the Warrior. "Very well then, Katsushiro. I swear an oath to you. I will put my love for Shinno above all else. I swear that I will love him and, from this day forth, never give him even a single day of sorrow."

The Bandit Chief's pupil gazed at Moeru. "Does that promise sound all right with you, Moeru?"

The foal seemed to think for a moment. Then, he whinnied loudly, but not before baring his teeth at Shichiroji.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shichiroji cringed back from those teeth.

"Morrie said it's all right with him. But if you hurt Shinno in any way, he'll bite your butt."

Shichiroji laughed. "Oh, no! I certainly wouldn't want that."

Before he could leave, Katsushiro's eyes fell upon the open journal. "What's that?" He picked it up before the Samurai could stop him. "Who is this man?"

"It's…it's someone I knew a long, long time ago."

Katsushiro frowned as he gazed at that handsome face, although inwardly, he was feeling elated. "He looks like someone I know." Flipping through the pages, he commented, "I see you've been trying to draw Shinno's face, but making a terrible job at it."

Shichiroji gave the younger man a hopeful glance. "You've seen Shinno's face?"

"Of course I have!" The Bandit Chief's student stuck his tongue out at the Warrior and said in a singsong manner, "He he he! It looks like Shinno trusts Morrie and me more than you! HA HA HA! Shichiroji hasn't seen Shinno's face, but we have! WE HAVE!"

"That is why you and Moeru are so damned lucky!"

Granting the sketches a critical eye, Katsushiro remarked, "These are awful! May I borrow this?"

"Why?" The Samurai felt his heart pounding in his chest. "What are you going to do with it?"

"I'm going to do you a little favor. I know Shinno doesn't want you to see his face, but I'll help you."

"What are you going to do?"

Katsushiro gave him a conniving wink. "You'll see. It's going to be a surprise. Bye, Shichiroji!"

"Bye, Katsushiro!" Shichiroji watched as the fledgling warrior leave his tent with the foal. Already, he was eager to find out what Katsushiro's surprise to him will be.

~~~~~~~~~~

Night had fallen and Katsushiro and Moeru still haven't returned to the tent. Kanbei was very worried about the intrepid duo that he decided to look for them, before he sneaked out of the camp and made his solo journey through the desert, heading back to the Amanushi's domain. However, as he was dressing up in the inner chamber, he did not notice the entrance of a dark, sinister figure. Turning around, the concubine literally bumped into Tessai.

"Tessai!" Kanbei gasped out. "What are you doing here?"

"We have no time to waste," the Amanushi's adviser declared. "I'm getting you out of here." His hand tightened around the concubine's arm.

"I'm not going anywhere with you! Let me go!"

"Damn it, you stubborn whore! Don't you know what's waiting for you at the Amanushi's realm? You will not just play whore to the Amanushi, but to the Devil himself!"

"Don't you think I know? The Amanushi IS the Devil Incarnate!"

But Tessai shook his head. "No, I'm not talking about the Amanushi, but someone else! SOMETHING else! For the love of Allah, Shinno, if you value your sanity and your life, you must come with me!"

"And I told you, I'm not going anywhere with you!" Kanbei repeated, clearly incensed. "Why should I trust you? Like the Amanushi, you have raped me brutally! You will just make me your whore!"

"Better that you be MY whore than the whore of a demon!" Before the concubine could argue, Tessai drove a fist into his belly, winding him. He hastily gagged the whoremaster and tied his wrists. Slinging Kanbei's limp form over his shoulder, the Indian hurried outside the tent. "Believe me, Shinno. You'll be thankful to me for this."

Silently, Tessai made his way through the camp, being careful to stay in the shadows to avoid detection. However, before he could reach the animal enclosure, his impending escape was halted by a sharp call.

"What are you doing?" That voice exclaimed. "Where are you taking Shinno?"

Whirling around, Tessai saw that it was the Bandit Chief's pupil and his pet foal. "Stay out of my business, if you know what's good for you, boy!"

The whoremaster gazed in fear at the younger man. He prayed so hard that Katsushiro and Moeru would have the common sense to go and ask for help. To his shock, however, he saw Katsushiro unsheathe his sword.

"LET HIM GO!" Katsushiro cried, as he and Moeru charged at the Amanushi's adviser.

Kanbei felt the breath knocked out of him as Tessai dropped him to the ground and unsheathed his scimitar in one graceful move. As he struggled to remove his bonds, he watched in shock as Tessai kicked out at Moeru, catching the foal in his soft parts. The foal whinnied in pain. With growing alarm and fear, the concubine saw the two men begin to fight. However, as they battled on, it was very obvious to Kanbei who the more experienced fighter was. Still, Katsushiro gave as good as he got, determined to save the man he cared for.

Removing his gag, Kanbei shouted, "NO! STOP!"

It was a crucial mistake because Katsushiro turned to look at him. That was the opening that the Indian was looking for. A horrified gasp escaped the whoremaster's lips, as Tessai thrust his sword into Katsushiro's belly.

Seeing the Amanushi's adviser slowly raise his sword, the concubine cried, "TESSAI, NO! DON'T KILL HIM!"

But the Indian did not listen to him. A scream was wrenched from Kanbei's throat as Tessai plunged the blade a second time into Katsushiro's chest. A similar cry escaped from the foal as Moeru made to lunge again at the killer of his Master, but the whoremaster held him back.

"Katsushiro?" Sobbing, the concubine crawled towards the boy's body and cradled it tightly in his arms. He caressed that cold, pale face. In desperation, he pressed his mouth to Katsushiro's lips, breathing air and some of his life energy into his lungs. But there was no response from the younger man. Tears falling down his cheeks, Kanbei pressed his hand over Katsushiro's chest, praying that he could still save the boy with his healing gift.

"BASTARD!" he barely heard Kyuzo's anguished shout. "You killed my student! I will have your head as well!"

Tessai swiftly assumed a defensive posture. "Come and try me, bandit!"

"No!" Shichiroji said sharply, unsheathing his spear. "Let me do this! Let me be the one to kill this dog!"

Even Moeru was snarling, eager to taste blood.

They did not notice that Kanbei had stood up, defeated, Katsushiro's body still in his arms. "No. Now is not the time for fighting. It would not be fair to have one man fighting against two."

Shichiroji gazed at the concubine in shock. "Do you call this a fair fight, Shinno? This is cold-blooded murder! Katsushiro was still a boy! Even with Kyuzo's training, he was NOT a warrior!"

"But all warriors follow a code of conduct. One fight at a time. No interference. Allah knows what else. Katsushiro fought him as bravely as any warrior. He earned a warrior's death." The whoremaster turned to Tessai. "I will give you an hour of rest, Tessai."

"And what happens after one hour, Shinno? Will you have your bandit lover or the Samurai fight me in a duel to the death?"

Shichiroji gasped, seeing the very sharp glint in Shinno's eyes. With Katsushiro's dead body in his arms, the concubine looked like Death personified.

"No, Tessai. It is I who will face you in a duel," said Kanbei, his voice as cold as ice.

"Hah!" the Amanushi's adviser. "What does a whore like you know of duels?"

"More than you know, Tessai. A lot more than you know." Kanbei gazed at the poor boy in his arms. In death, Katsushiro looked like he was merely sleeping. "Pray to Kali, thug, assassin! Your head, your life shall be mine!"

* * * * * * * * * *