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 24, 2006


Chapter Twenty-Four

Before he could go and visit his patient, a guard came to Shichiroji's chamber to escort him to the Throne Room. Despite his reluctance to be meet with the depraved ruler and his generals, he feared that they might discover that he had been with Kanbei last night.
Only through Masamune's shrewd thinking that his visit to the concubine was kept a secret.

Pausing before the doors of the Throne Room as the guard hastened to announce his arrival, a deep frown furrowed Shichiroji's brow. As Masamune had told him, he could not sense the presence of the warriors whom he knew waited for him within. This strange quirk of the Palace disturbed him greatly. Dark magic was involved; he was sure of it.
Perhaps, if he were to learn more about the Palace, he would be able to unravel the mystery surrounding this place.

Shichiroji snapped out of his musings when he heard the guard declare, "Your guest, my Lord."

"Show him in," was the cool reply.

The Samurai entered the room, as the doors were closed behind him. Hyogo and Kikuchiyo stood on either side of the throne, on which sat the smiling form of the Amanushi of Ain Mehira, Ukyo. Seeing him, broad smiles formed on the faces of the two generals.

"After so long..." Hyogo whispered. "Shichiroji!" The Samurai could never forget that smirking warrior who had plundered his body many times fifteen years ago.

"Shichinoji, it is you!" Kikuchiyo declared happily. The mechanical samurai strode towards the Warrior and crushed him in a bear hug.

"It's so good to see you too, Kikuchiyo!" Shichiroji could barely hide the happiness in his voice, even if this boisterous warrior had betrayed them. Among their comrades, he liked Kikuchiyo the most.

A heavy hand patted his shoulder. Turning, Shichiroji saw that it was Hyogo, giving him a grin that was not exactly sane. The warrior was mentally unstable. He remembered Kyuzo barely tolerating the samurai's sudden mood swings.

Still, the Samurai managed a smile, saying, "You haven't changed a bit, Hyogo."

"It is you who have changed," Hyogo noted. "You seem to have lost some of your edge."

Ukyo, at last, stood up and remarked, "Love and domesticity can do that to any man." There was a hint of a smile on his lips as he approached the three men. "It's been a long time, Shichiroji. I thought you had forgotten us. All those wonderful nights we shared…"

"How could I forget my former…Master, although you seem to have changed a lot over the years. Not only have you grown taller, you've lost that foppish demeanor. Besides, I've been...preoccupied."

"I heard you got married."

"That wasn't all you've heard. Otherwise, you would never have sent for me, even if you knew I was your sworn enemy."

"I just thought I'd give you a little distraction from your grief." Ukyo crossed his arms over his chest and grimaced. "I never figured I'd give you more than you bargained for."

Shichiroji simply shrugged. "It certainly proved very interesting, and it had a few rewards."

"From your words, I could see that you enjoyed the company of my concubine."

"You could say that. He's full of surprises, your little prince, Shinno."

Ukyo burst into laughter. "Is that what he's calling himself now? Nice name -- 'Shinno.'
Never did I imagine that my sweet whore would be able to get training in the martial arts. That is your doing, isn't it? I watched his duel with Tessai from the plateau. Very impressive. I've noted that he has inculcated your style as well."

Another shrug. "You know there's nothing I won't do for money and other services. Shinno offered me both. It made for quite interesting evenings."

"But he has taken to wearing that damned veil again. From that, I supposed you've never seen his face."

"Unfortunately, no." It was partly a lie. If it were not for the journal with Katsushiro's corrections, he would never have known what Kanbei looked like. Shichiroji did not even get a good look at the whoremaster's face last night in the Royal Chamber. The Samurai went on, "It was one of his conditions -- that only you are privileged to view his beauty.
Besides, what need have I for a pretty face when I have the inner heat of his nether orifice to sheathe my blade into."

There was a fiendish grin on Hyogo's face. "Too bad you haven't seen his face. You would've been very surprised."

"Not to worry," said Kikuchiyo in reassurance. The mechanical samurai had always been perceptive of the ominous undercurrent beneath Shichiroji's sudden lapses into silence. "We have all the time to now enjoy Ukyo's whore. It's going to be like old times, Hyogo. Not only shall we share this delightful concubine's lovely flesh, but also the great rewards that his skills as a whore could give us."

Shichiroji frowned at that remark. "I don't understand."

Ukyo laid a heavy hand on the Samurai's shoulder. "All will be explained in due time." He slowly led Shichiroji towards the door. "For now, as Kikuchiyo said, it shall be like old times. Let bygones be bygones, my friend, for you are now one of us. All that I own shall also be yours, including my whore. I will also allow your continuing his training in the martial arts as well. I do agree that it would make for very interesting nights to bed a whore who knows how to give a good fight."

Pausing at the door, Ukyo pulled Shichiroji into his embrace and gave him a heated kiss. Shichiroji tried hard not to show his revulsion, going so far as to return the Amanushi's kiss and embrace with equal ardor.

Ukyo broke the kiss, a smile forming on his flushed lips. "I've completely forgotten how good you were at this, Shichi-kun. Such a pity that we have important...business...to attend to for the next five days. The matter of the kingdom and a few..." The Amanushi gestured wildly, waving his hands in the air. "A little abracadabra and that kind of stuff. Like I told you earlier, I'll explain everything to you when the time comes." Opening the door, Ukyo requested, "Please take care of my little concubine for me. After five days, it would please me greatly if we were to catch up on old times."

Shichiroji gave the evil ruler a courteous bow. "It would please me as well. Send for me when you are available."

"Yes," Ukyo nodded. "I'll do that."

As the Samurai stepped outside, Kikuchiyo accompanied him. Before he closed the door, the mechanical warrior whispered hastily, "I will look for an opportunity to speak with you."

With long strides, Shichiroji walked the hallway, but his mind whirled with the memory of his exchange with the Amanushi.

// 'Abracadabra'? What the hell is that devil up to? // thought Shichiroji worriedly. // And what would this mean for Kanbei? //

~~~~~~~~~~

A very happy Moeru leaped on Kanbei's bed and cuddled close to him. Before the concubine could stop the enthusiastic colt, Moeru had nuzzled Kanbei's robe open, smacking his lips on a tiny nipple.

Groaning, the whoremaster gave the suckling colt a vigorous rub on the brow, which did nothing to dislodge Moeru from his tit.

"Moeru," Kanbei growled, "is it really this impossible for you to be weaned?"

"You're looking well," Masamune could not help but comment, grinning broadly. "A miraculous recovery!"

At that remark, the whoremaster gave him a wry smile. "If you're going to start again about my having an immortal's constitution, I'm sorry but you're wrong. Although the bruises have disappeared, I still feel a lot of aches in my body." Easing himself to a more
upright position, he winced at the pain in his side. "Please tell Gorobei thank you for his salves."

The scribe laid the tray with the bowl of soup and a cup of water on the table. Although Kanbei was capable of eating by himself, Masamune insisted on feeding him.

Giving the whoremaster a spoonful of soup, the scribe casually remarked, "It looks like all that tender, loving care last night did you a whole lot of good."

Kanbei gagged at that comment. He burst out coughing. Masamune gamely patted his back. When his throat was cleared, he scowled at the scribe.

"And what pray tell brought that comment on?" queried the concubine.

"You must admit Shichiroji did take good care of you. Gorobei and I could hardly send him away last night. He just wanted to stay at your side."

Kanbei let out a most undignified snort. "He's just guilty, that's all. Once I'm well, you'll see how quickly he would want to stick his rod inside my body."

"I don't think so," argued Masamune. "Shichiroji is...different...now." The scribe hesitated. "Heihachi told me that Shichiroji proposed to you."

"So what if he had? He just did it on the spur of the moment. Even if Shichiroji had been serious with his offer of marriage, just like Tessai, just like Ukyo, he would have made me his whore."

The scribe looked at Kanbei meaningfully. "Do you know that Shichiroji wanted to save you last night? If I hadn't stopped him, he would have gone crashing through the glass and killed his Ukyo and his men right on the spot."

The whoremaster's eyes grew round with alarm. "Did he see my face?"

"No, he didn't. And don't change the subject!"

"Why are you suddenly on his side, Masamune? Has Shichiroji cast a spell on you that you're now his staunch defender?"

"No!" Masamune shook his head. "It's just that...you haven't seen how furious he was, how helpless he looked that he couldn't rescue you. When he was tending to your wounds, Shichiroji wept, tormented by guilt."

"I'm glad his conscience is troubling him!" Kanbei exclaimed bitterly. "You tell me how much he wanted to save me, how he cares for me? You haven't seen the look on Shichiroji's face during the many times that he raped me. He would smile and laugh, happy to see me hurting and weeping. You haven't seen the look on his face when he
accused me of being a traitor. What does a loyal samurai know of betrayal, when he sacrificed himself, just so that the enemy would not hurt his beloved spouse? Tell me, Masamune! Why should I feel guilt when he had hurt me so much?"

For a while, there was silence between the two men. Kanbei had turned his face away, not wanting the scribe to see the anger on his face. He heard Masamune give a weary sigh as he picked up the food tray. The whoremaster thought that the scribe had already left him alone.

Then, Masamune spoke from the doorway, and his comment stunned him to the core of his being.

"Kanbei," the scribe began, choosing his words carefully, "I never said you should feel guilty about Shichiroji."

When Masamune was finally gone, Kanbei found himself holding his right hand, the same hand that Shichiroji held on to and kissed last night. Pressing his hand to his lips, the concubine gave in to his tears, his whole being in turmoil from the battle between his desire for revenge and the needs of his heart.

Suddenly, the subject of his troubled thoughts called outside his door. "Are you presentable, Shinno? May I come in?"

"Wait!" Kanbei hastily wiped the tears from his eyes and wrapped the veil around the lower half of his face. "All right. You may enter."

Opening the door, Shichiroji ambled towards the bed, his eyes widening in surprise, noting the absence of bruises on the concubine's skin. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed what Masamune had told me. I know you're a fast healer, but you didn't heal this fast when we were still in the desert. It's almost like the
healing of an immortal, or...magic."

Kanbei sighed as he hugged Moeru. "Like I told Masamune, I'm still not feeling very well. I could feel pain in the places where they hit me." The older man gestured to his lower belly. "The pain here...it still hasn't gone away."

Sitting on the bed, Shichiroji tapped the colt's rump. "Move over a bit, horse."

As the colt complied, the Samurai declared, more to the horse's benefit that the whoremaster's, "Maybe you should think about weaning him."

Kanbei pinched Moeru's nose playfully. "I tried, but he's hopeless." The concubine grimaced as Shichiroji pressed on his lower abdomen.

"I'm sorry," Shichiroji raised his hand abruptly.

"No, it's all right. Please continue."

Gently, the Warrior pressed down again and started to massage the whoremaster's belly with firm, circular strokes. Kanbei leaned on the pillows, relaxing at the younger man's touch.

"So what brings you here, Shichiroji."

"I'm concerned about you."

"What they did to me last night...it wasn't new to me. I'm used to that kind of treatment, because I'm a..."

"A whore. You always say that."

"That's what I am. Nothing's going to change that."

A frown formed on the Samurai's forehead. "That doesn't sound like the Shinno I knew."

"It's over. I'm back in this...this prison."

"Maybe not. Ukyo gave me permission to continue your training. He was very impressed with the way you defeated Tessai."

A bitter laugh escaped Kanbei's lips. "Impressed? He just wants a feisty whore. Nothing pleases him more that to see me fight him or his generals before they fuck me. The thrill of conquest! That's all it is!"

Shichiroji reluctantly nodded. "To them, perhaps, but not for me, and definitely not for you." The Samurai withdrew his hand. "Don't you want to be free, Shinno? What about your dream?"

Kanbei looked at the Warrior with suspicion. "Why would you want to see me free? Here, with Ukyo and his men, you could share my flesh, bed me any time you wish."

Sadness crossed Shichiroji's handsome features.

Noting the change in the younger man, Kanbei offered softly, "I apologize. I didn't mean to be rude."

"Do you know the words to the wedding vows, Shinno?"

That sudden, unexpected question caught the concubine off-guard.

"When I was about to marry Yukino, I never could remember the words. Wedding jitters I suppose. Let me see…"

Kanbei let out a startled gasp when Shichiroji placed his hand over his. He gazed into the Samurai's face to see if the move was deliberate, but Shichiroji's eyes were closed, lost in deep thought.

"I, Shichiroji," the Warrior solemnly intoned, "shall take you, Shinno, to be my lawfully wedded spouse, to have and to hold, to love and honor, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in his health, till death do us part."

"Shichiroji…" the whoremaster was unable to say more, his cheeks turned pale. // Did he just…Surely I'm not engaged to him! But the vows…that oath… //

A bright smile lit up Shichiroji's face that Kanbei felt his breath catch in his throat. The Samurai, however, caressed the brow of the still suckling colt.

"What do you say, Moeru?" Shichiroji teased the colt. "Would you like me to be your Papa?"

Moeru released his seemingly perpetual hold on the concubine's nipple to give the Warrior a toothy grimace of disgust.

Shichiroji laughed at that face. "Come now, Moeru! Surely you're still not considering marrying Shinno! I've already beaten you to it, and I didn't hear a single word of complaint."

At that last, Kanbei's lovely brown eyes grew wide in alarm. "You WHAT? But that wasn't real. You were just reciting the vows. You didn't mean it!"

But the Samurai simply ignored the concubine's startled utterances, as he continued speaking with the attentive horse.. "Think about it, Moeru! If I'm your Papa…well, since I'm not such a big proponent of weaning and I firmly support the need for breast feeding, I could let you suckle on Shinno every time you wish."

"Now, wait just a minute!" the whoremaster blurted out. "You don't have a say in this matter! It's my nipples you're talking about and…"

Before Kanbei could say anything else, his words were smothered by Shichiroji's passionate kiss. Despite his apprehensions over the Samurai's intentions, the concubine found himself succumbing once more to the call of his heart. Slowly, he placed his hands around Shichiroji's neck, about to lean into the kiss.

"OWWW!" Kanbei felt teeth nip on his other tit. Looking down, he saw that Shichiroji had actually pushed Moeru so close to the concubine, that the colt's head was tucked comfortably under the older man's robe.

Laughing, Shichiroji exclaimed, "Enjoy yourself, Moeru!"

Moeru pulled his head out of Kanbei's robe to give the Samurai a delighted whinny of gratitude, quickly pushing his head back in before the whoremaster could yank his robes close.

"SHICHIROJI!" Kanbei snarled at the younger man, who leaped out of his grasp and headed for the door.

Pausing before it, the Warrior turned around and looked the concubine straight in the eye. "Those vows I spoke…I meant every word, Shinno. I hope that I could regain your trust, so that I could hear those same vows from your lips."

"Trust…but what about love?"

Again, there was that sad little smile. "We both know what is inside our hearts."

Without saying another word, Shichiroji walked outside the door, closing it quietly behind him.

Moeru felt something wet drip on his coat. He gazed up to see tears streaming from the concubine's eyes.

With a soft sob, Kanbei embraced the colt's neck. "I'm so afraid, Moeru. Shichiroji is right. I DO love him, but how could I possibly give my heart to someone who has hurt me so many, many times? Who could hurt me again! But I love him, Moeru.! God, I must be crazy, but I love the man who will most certainly break my heart over and over again!"

~~~~~~~~~~

Unknown to the whoremaster, Shichiroji was still standing outside the door. The Warrior heard every anguished word that the older man said.

Tears welled up in his bright blue eyes as well, realizing how deeply he had hurt the concubine.

"It won't happen again, Kanbei. I swear I won't break your heart," Shichiroji muttered in determination. "Let the gods take my soul and condemn me to an eternity in Hell if I should hurt you again."

* * * * * * * * * *