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 28, 2006


Chapter Thirty-Seven

It was two hours past nightfall in the Ahaggar Range. Shichiroji groaned, feeling an ache in his head, as he woke up. Rubbing his temples, he eased himself up on an elbow, turning to the campfire in the hope of getting some warmth for his chilled naked body. Instead, what he saw caused his blood to run icy cold.

Kirara was dancing, completely naked, around the fire. She moved with sheer lewdness, swaying her hips around and around. Her hands fondled her breasts, fingers fluttering down to her crotch. Parting her legs, she let her fingertips caress her moist velvet lips and
explore the channel within. When the Oracle produced a blunt wooden stick, the Samurai's eyes flew wide with remembrance and shock.

Her sensuous dance... It was the same dance that Kanbei performed nights back. The steps, those obscene gestures, everything was exactly the same. The last time he had seen Kirara do it was in the privacy of his tower chamber years back, before Ukyo took her from him. So how could Kanbei know this dance?

The memory hit him with the full force of a simoom. It wasn't Kanbei at all! It was the demon, through its fiendish mind control spells, who made the concubine perform this grotesque dance in order to satisfy its base desires. But the question begged to be asked again -- How could the Odalisk know Kirara's dance? It would only know this dance if it had contact with the Oracle, if it had seen her actually performing...

"By the gods," Shichiroji blurted out in horror, "no, it can't be!"

The Oracle heard the Samurai's shocked exclamation. There was a feral gleam in Kirara's reddish brown eyes as she smiled, causing Shichiroji to reach instinctively for his spear.

"What's wrong, Shichiroji-sama? Don't you like my dance?" Kirara asked, grinning wickedly. "There was a time when you enjoyed seeing me do this dance."

"Kirara," Shichiroji asked breathlessly, "where did you learn this dance of yours? TELL ME!"

"Why I invented it, of course! A special dance for a very special occasion! You should consider yourself fortunate. You were the first person to witness my performance. The next time I danced..." Kirara burst into wild, insane laughter. "My prized audience...IT WASN'T EVEN HUMAN!"

~~~~~~~~~~

Except for Moeru's noisy chewing on his sweet bun, the Odalisk and Kanbei ate in silence, with the concubine listlessly nibbling on his food.

The demons' brows rose in curiosity as it looked at the human beside it. "You're very quiet tonight, Little Prince," it remarked. "Still thinking about your missing lover?"

"He is not my lover," Kanbei spoke with his voice flat. "At least, that's one less Master I have to consider."

"But you're obviously not happy about this."

"My lord and lady, you've been listening to my conversation with Kikuchiyo-sama. Please? I don't want to talk about this matter all over again."

"What shall we talk about then? I must admit, watching and listening to your tiny horse eat and chew his food is getting to be very boring."

Hearing this, Moeru lifted his head and stuck his tongue out at the demon, before resuming his meal.

Kanbei smiled sweetly at the Odalisk. "I was thinking of giving you some entertainment tonight. Would you like me to dance for you? I was thinking about performing a variation of the 'Dance of the Seven Veils.'"

The demon beamed at that suggestion. "Yes, it would give us great pleasure to see you dance. But it does not have to be the 'Dance of the Seven Veils.' We're afraid that this particular dance would try our self-control."

"What do you want me to perform for you?"

"Anything. Whatever you want. Why not simply let your mind and your heart guide your steps?"

The concubine stood up, fixing his robes. "I know. There are marvelous dances that I learned while traveling in Europe, like the waltz, ballet and so many others. They're different. I'm sure you would like them."

Waving its hands, the Odalisk leaned against the wall comfortably. "I am certain I will. Go ahead, Little Prince."

Closing his eyes, Kanbei envisioned the great ballroom of one of his 'clients', the Marquis De Sade. He could hear the delightful music being played by the musicians on their violins and on the clavichord. Lost in the enchanting vision, the whoremaster was
unaware that he was humming a merry waltz.

As the demon and Moeru watched the mortal, Kanbei stood on the tip of his right, left leg extended back, arms raised on top of his head forming an arch. He then launched into a series of sprite leaps and graceful movements of arms and body. At one point, he made a few running steps forward and jumped, forming a neat split in mid-air.

While twirling around and around on his toe, to the colt's surprise, the Odalisk got to its feet as well. Going towards the human, it stopped the concubine's movements by laying a hand on the small of his back. Kanbei let his whole body slump gracefully backwards over that arm, his long legs crossed, the tips of his toes barely touching the floor. Righting the whoremaster, the demon clasped Kanbei's left hand with his right, arms extended, while his right held the human's trim waist. Like the elegant ladies in Europe, the concubine held the robe of his caftan with his right hand.

Moeru looked on in amazement as demon and human danced the merry waltz. However, his charcoal orbs widened in growing alarm, seeing the Odalisk's eyes begin to glow a fiery red.

~~~~~~~~~~

Shichiroji was shaking his head in disbelief. "Kirara, you? You were a sacrifice to the Odalisk!"

"Yes," the Oracle confirmed. "It was shortly after you escaped from the Amanushi's stronghold. Shimada Kanbei was not the only person you abandoned that day. You never knew that the reason why Ukyo sent me to you to begin with was in order for you to…train…me as a sacrifice for the demon. As you know by now, the demon has the power to grant wishes, as long as someone will be sacrificed to it, someone who could sate its infernal lusts. It was this sacrifice who shall ask the wish on behalf of her Master. Oh, I was very willing! I wanted the demon to grant me MY wish, not Ukyo's. And I wanted to see the world destroyed, with you and the damned Amanushi along with it. But it wasn't easy I tell you. That damned Odalisk was insatiable! But after…everything, that infernal demon told me that it could not grant the wish. Why? Because it said, I was …impure." Kirara spat out the word in disgust. "Ukyo would have had me killed for what I had done, but the damned demon gave me a gift, if you could call it that. He gave me immortality. Ukyo ran his sword through my breast, but I did not die. After all, as the demon had said, only the man I love could take my life." The Mikumari grinned smugly, seeing the horror on the Samurai's face, as he realized that she was referring to him. "I escaped in the end and hid out here, waiting for my chance to avenge myself upon those who had used me like a trollop. And that especially means you!"

From out of nowhere, a sharp sword appeared in Kirara's hand, "For years, I waited in this God-forsaken place, waiting for the time when I could have my revenge. The wheel of life has turned and it has brought you back to me, to die by my hands after the way you had abandoned me." An insane light shone in her eyes. "How ironic, isn't it, that your precious male whore is in the same position I had been. Even more ironic is the fact that your lover is the only person who could stop the demon from destroying all humanity."

"You're talking about the prophecy!" Shichiroji exclaimed. "Tell me what it means, Kirara, and I won't kill you. I'll spare your life."

"But prophecies may or may not come true. You know that. You know how my visions are."

"Kirara, for the love of God, tell me what you know!"

"I'll tell you what I know for certain. In three days time, when the sun is swallowed by darkness, your lover shall die, and the demon shall destroy the Earth, and you won't be able to stop it. You won't even see the death of your beloved because..." Kirara pointed her blade at the Samurai. "YOU SHALL DIE NOW!"

With a shrill cry, the Oracle charged at Shichiroji, determined to kill him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Kanbei was feeling faint. The Odalisk was guiding him through the waltz, spinning him around and around at an ever-increasing pace.

"Please stop!" the concubine cried in increasing alarm. "I'm feeling dizzy!"

But the demon would not stop.

As Moeru looked on in horror, the dancing pair was being shrouded by a cloud of red mist, until they were no longer visible to his sight. He wanted to charge inside to save his Master, but he was too afraid to actually do so.

Within the mist, Kanbei felt eager lips kiss his face, cold hands caressing his entire body. His caftan was slowly sliding down the length of his form, leaving him almost half naked.

"No, please!" the whoremaster whispered hoarsely, trying desperately to push the Odalisk off him. "Please not yet!"

Being aroused to a fever pitch, Kanbei barely heard the demon mutter, "Tell me, Shichiroji! Are you so willing to surrender your sweet lover to me?"

~~~~~~~~~~

Shichiroji exchanged furious swipes and thrusts with the Oracle, but his moves were nothing more than half-hearted attempts. He had to admit that he still felt something for Kirara. His greater intent was to subdue, not to kill her.

Kirara must have sensed his reluctance. "FIGHT ME! FIGHT ME, YOU BASTARD!"

"We don't have to do this!" the Samurai declared.

"Oh, yes you do!" the Oracle exclaimed, the quality of her voice suddenly changing.

Suddenly, their blades locked with a loud clash, their faces close. Shichiroji's bright blue eyes flew wide, seeing Kirara's face transform into the overlapping visage of the two leering faces of the Odalisk.

"Now is your time to choose, Samurai!" the face of the male head appeared clearly.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shichiroji demanded.

"You cannot be a slave to two loves," the female head said insidiously. "Who do you love -- this witch or your sweet whore?"

"I cannot kill Kirara! She doesn't deserve to die!"

"Are you saying that it's your lover who must forfeit his life tonight? Or perhaps I should take his tender flesh now that he came to me willingly and is in my grasp?"

Shichiroji found himself staring into those red eyes, his jaw dropping at the frightening vision within them.

To his horror, Kanbei was indeed in the Odalisk's arms. The concubine was naked, leaning against the wall, arms seeking purchase on the marble, as the demons' faces were pressed to his milk-filled chest. His legs were parted wide, the Odalisk preparing to sheathe his enormous member into the helpless man's channel.

"Tell us, Shichiroji!" the demon queried, giggling. "Are you so willing to surrender your gentle lover to me?"

Then, probably sensing the Odalisk's geas upon her body, Kirara broke free from the spell. With a maniacal laugh, she raised her sword above the Samurai's head and screeched, "YES! HE IS YOURS! FUCK HIM TILL HE'S DEAD!"

"NOOOO!" Shichiroji cried out in rage, pushing the Oracle away. In a swift turning motion, the Samurai let his sword fly out in a sweeping arc and cleanly severed Kirara's head from her shoulders.

Tears began to fall from Shichiroji's eyes as he saw peace and relief form on the Mikumari's face. "Thank you, Shichiroji-sama. Thank you for freeing from this hellish madness."

As Shichiroji screamed in despair, he heard the Odalisk whisper in his head, "Excellent choice, Samurai! Excellent choice!"

~~~~~~~~~~

In his mind's eye, the Odalisk smiled in satisfaction as it 'watched, from that great distance, as the Warrior grieved over his former lover. It was never interested in that witch right from the beginning. Ukyo had corrupted her with his greed. There was too much guile in her that it found unappealing. Certainly not like this man who has captured its mind and cold heart and filled its loins with searing heat.

What brought it back to the here and now was the sound of soft sobs. Its eyes focused upon the weeping, terrified concubine. Kanbei was seated before it, his lovely caftan now torn to shreds. He was clinging to the colt, who was equally looking at him with fear.

"Why?" sobbed the whoremaster. "Why did you do that?"

"We haven't taken you yet, Little Prince," the Odalisk told him point blank.

"True. But you know that you don't have to take me by force, like what you almost did a few minutes ago. I would go to you willingly if you need me and if it is the right time."

"Unfortunately, it is still not the right time. That is why we are unable to take you yet."

There was reproach in Kanbei's voice as he said, "To think I was slowly beginning to trust you."

The demon burst into laughter at that remark. "Our sweet, naive Little Prince! Hasn't anyone ever told you to never trust a demon from Hell?"

Kanbei embraced Moeru, who was licking away the tears from his face. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I am so naive. This has always been a fault of mine. I give my trust too easily and too quickly. It was because of this that I lost my...innocence. But I can't help NOT being this way. I know there is evil in this world, but I also believe that there is always some measure of goodness even in the darkest of hearts."

"And do you believe that we have this tiny spark of goodness inside our hearts?" the Odalisk asked incredulously. "My Little Prince! It is not in the nature of demons to be good."

"Then...why do you always heal me of my wounds?"

"Perhaps it's because that we don't want to see your beauty marred in any way."

"But even when I was not marked with a whip, you healed my aches and pains. Could you find an explanation inside you why you would do this service for me? You're not obligated to do this for me. Why should you care about a whore that will be sacrificed to you? And there's this…memory…something I am having trouble remembering." Kanbei stubbornly shook his head. "No! I refuse to believe that you are completely evil! Ukyo is the demon. Not you!"

Before it knew it was doing so, the Odalisk wrapped its arms around the concubine and the colt, giving both a tender hug. When it realized that it already had the mortal in its embrace, it was too late to take back the affectionate gesture.

Feeling Kanbei's ragged tears wet its sarong, the demon whispered in awe, "You think to highly of us, do you know that, Little Prince?"

The concubine was slowly being lulled into slumber by the Odalisk's spell. Still, he mumbled, "It's because I believe in you, my friend."

The Odalisk held on to Kanbei and Moeru until both fell asleep in its arms, rocking and humming a soothing song to them. It was near midnight when it cocked its head up, its bat wing-shaped ears hearing a welcoming sound despite the thick walls of its prison.

"Little Prince?" it gently shook the concubine to wakefulness. "Wake up! Wake up now!"

Kanbei eased away, wiping the sleep from his eyes. In his arms, Moeru yawned as well. Both turned bleary eyes to the demon.

"What is it, my lord, my lady?" the whoremaster asked drowsily. "Is it the right time now?"

"No," the Odalisk answered, pressing a clawed fingertip to the point between the human's eyes. "It's because you have a visitor."

"A visitor?" the concubine's brows knitted together in a frown. "Who would want to see me at this time of night?" Kanbei's eyes flew wide with fear. " Oh! Is it Ukyo-sama or Hyogo-sama? Do they require my services? Are they looking for me?"

"Neither the Amanushi nor his warrior is looking for you. Your visitor has traveled a
long way to see you."

"But who would..." Kanbei gasped as realization struck him. Swiftly, he got to his feet, about to run off, but the Odalisk grabbed his wrist.

"You wouldn't want to meet him looking like that," the demon motioned to the concubine's torn clothes. With a waved of its arms, a swirling cloud of red mist rose from the floor, spiraling up the human's form, repairing the caftan until it was brand new. Winking, it added, "Now, treat each other well, will you?"

Kanbei's face brightened at once. To the Odalisk's surprise, the whoremaster gave it a happy hug, whispering in its ear, "Thank you! After this, never call yourself an evil being, my dear friend, because I know otherwise!" He then ran through the catacombs,
with Moeru galloping at his side.

~~~~~~~~~~

Kanbei hurried through the empty hallways of the Palace, heading for the Main Doors. Sure enough, he could hear the sound of galloping hooves and the whinnying and snorting of a horse. Flinging the doors opened, the concubine emerged into the courtyard, just as the man in a white burnoose jumped from the saddle of his white Arabian stallion. As the man turned to the stairs, he paused, seeing the gorgeous vision standing at the top. For a moment, neither of them could move. With a sweep of his hand, the concubine's visitor pulled down the hood of his burnoose to reveal the handsome face of Shichiroji, a hopeful little smile on his face.

That smile was invitation enough for the whoremaster. With a happy cry and tears of joy streaming down his cheeks, Kanbei ran down the steps and literally flew into the Warrior's arms in a flurry of red silk.

"Shichiroji! You came back!" Kanbei caressed the Samurai's face, not believing that his lover has returned to him. "I'm so glad you came back!"

"And I'll never leave you alone ever again!" Saying this, Shichiroji eagerly pressed his mouth upon the concubine's lips, pulling him close to his body.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Odalisk stood at one of the porches, with Moeru at his side, watching enviously as the two lovers kissed.

"What is it about your Master, little one, that he is causing us to perform acts that are contrary to our evil nature?" it asked the colt, truly in a quandary.

Moeru looked at the demon, with head cocked to the side. He shook his head and mane in a gesture that said, "I don't know."

"We could see it in your eyes that he has done the same to your former Master as well."

Happiness lit up the colt's dark eyes, the closest thing to a smile that he could muster.

The Odalisk shook its head. "Such a shame that he is to be sacrificed to us. Hell is not a place for a soul as pure as his. But then...we've never wanted anyone so badly as we do him. Still, it would be such a waste." It patted Moeru's brow, a wistful smile on its faces. "We wish you could speak to him, dear colt. If you could only talk, perhaps you could
tell him to choose his Master wisely. This is the only way for him to get out of this...arrangement."

Moeru gave the demon a quizzical glance, whickering in reply.

Turning its head, it gazed once more at the two men, its eyes focusing upon the Samurai. "Take care of his heart, Shichiroji. Be sure that you do not break it. When the time comes for your lover to choose and you have done something to cause him grief, we shall
see to it that you die by our hands."

The colt looked at the Odalisk in surprise, hearing that remark. Without saying anything else, the demon turned on its heels and walked away.


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