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 30, 2006


Chapter Forty-Four

"Kanbei-sama? Kanbei-sama!" A soft groan. "How could you sleep at a critical time like this? Kanbei-sama! Wake up, Kanbei-sama!"

Hearing that insistent voice, Kanbei frowned, but did not open his eyes. // That's a woman. But how could a woman still be here? I had Liamina escape with the others. Unless I am… //

Suddenly, there was a bloodcurdling scream, causing the startled concubine to sit up and look around his mist-covered surroundings. A dark, hulking figure lumbered out of the fog and trapped him in its strong, muscular arms. Kanbei found himself screaming as well, discovering that he was in the clutches of the insane warrior, Hyogo.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, YOU LITTLE BITCH!" Hyogo roared in his face, shaking the whoremaster roughly till his teeth rattled. "BECAUSE OF YOU, I LOST MY COCK! BECAUSE OF YOU, I'M DEAD!"

"OH, SHUT UP, YOU OLD FOOL!" a familiar, exasperated voice declared. "GET A GRIP!"

Before Kanbei could push the crazy man off him, Hyogo was hauled away. As he stared, wide-eyed, in shock, he saw that the warrior was struggling, kicking and screaming in Tessai's arms. Seeing that Hyogo was uncontrollable, the Amanushi's adviser clenched his right hand in a tight, hard fist and gave the fighting figure in his arms a fierce wallop at the top of the head. The force of that blow caused the evil samurai to drop like a light.

Tessai breathed in relief. "I thought I could never get him to shut up!" He poked a finger in his ear. "The gunk in my ear has come loose!" It was then that he noticed the stunned expression on the concubine's handsome face. Grinning, he turned to the shadows behind him, "You can speak to him now. I'll keep Hyogo quiet."

From the shadows, a beautiful woman emerged, giving him a tender smile. Bowing, she said, "It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Kanbei-sama. My name is Kirara."

"Where am I?" Kanbei asked in confusion. Remembering Hyogo and Tessai, he added, "Am I…in Hell?"

"Hell? You mean this smoky place?" Waving her hands to disperse the mist, Kirara burst into laughter. "This isn't Hell!"

Kanbei did a double take at that reply. "It isn't? If this place isn't Hell, what's Hyogo and Tessai doing here with us?"

"Tessai and I were permitted to stay in the place between the earthly plane and the afterlife, so that we could make amends for what we had done while we still lived," Kirara explained. "As for Hyogo, his destination has already been determined. But he will not move on until he has retrieved that…part…that was taken from him."

"Then, I'm dead. I really am dead."

Kirara shook her head. "No, you are not dead yet. In fact, we're inside the Amesha Spenta Stone."

"WHAT?" Kanbei exclaimed in shock. "But how...why..."

"When the Odalisk took the Stone from your body, the crystal brought your soul along with it. You should have seen how upset and furious the demon was. It thinks you're truly dead, but you're not. You're still alive, and you will come back to life in the real world...once the Stone decides to let you go."

"Are you saying that the Stone did this? What does it want with me? Kirara?"

When Kanbei turned around to face his friend, however, Kirara had disappeared. To his astonishment, his surroundings have also changed. Instead of the thick mist of his earlier environs, the concubine was inside a deep dark forest.

Sensing the concubine's fear, Tessai's reassuring voice spoke out, echoing and ethereal in quality. "Don't be frightened, Little Taisho! We're here with you. The Stone wants to show you something."

"But what?" Kanbei's words mirrored his growing alarm. "What does it want to show me?"

Kirara chuckled. "You were right about the Odalisk, Kanbei. Let the Stone show you who they truly are."

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the brush, and a huge snorting bull burst through. With a terrified cry, the whoremaster swiftly got to his feet and started to run. As he ran and ran through the forest, he tried to force himself to think that this wasn't real. That this was just a vision created by the Amesha Spenta Stone. But if this were a vision, why could he heard the sound of the bull's thundering hooves getting closer and closer? Why could he feel the rabid animal's warm breath against his legs?

Overcome by terror, Kanbei cried out, "HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

The concubine ran on and on, the bull in hot pursuit. Already, he was tiring. As he all but stumbled, Kanbei wondered what it felt like to be gored by a raging bull. Then, in the distance, he saw a small pond. If he could only reach the water in time...if he could only jump in….

In his desperation to get away from his pursuer, Kanbei did not see the rock that was jutting out of the ground. With a surprised cry, he tripped on the rock, twisting his ankle. Unable to move, he could only stare in horror at the wild animal that was bearing down on him.

All of a sudden, there was a strange sound, like the tinkling of bells and flapping wings. From out of nowhere, a winged man appeared, leaping down upon the bull's back, sharp dagger held in his hand. Furious, the animal tried to throw off its unwanted rider by bucking and kicking out. But the mysterious man held on. With a fierce war cry, the man plunged his dagger into the bull's neck again and again. At the final thrust, he severed the artery that blood gushed out in pulsating streams from its throat. The bull bucked once, twice. Then, with one last mighty bellow, it fell to the ground, a bloody carcass. The man casually reached down and yanked out his dagger. Wiping it on the grass, he then slid it inside its sheath. At that moment, he turned and looked at the astonished whoremaster, a gentle smile on his face, his blue eyes shining.

Kanbei blinked his eyes several times, but he knew he was not dreaming. His savior was indeed an angel. But his garb was different from the angels he had seen in the monk's prayer book. This angel's golden garments resembled more the clothing of the Persian gods. As the angel approached him, he gasped in shock. Devoid of anger and anguish, its face not yet ravaged by the spell of evil, Kanbei knew he was looking at the face of the male head of the Odalisk.

The angel knelt down before him, handing him a clean cloth. "You have blood on you. Please forgive me. Why don't you clean yourself up in the pond?"

Speechless, Kanbei could only nod in gratitude and take the clean cloth. Before he could dip the cloth in the water, there was another surprise. In the clear blue water of the pond, reflected back at him was not his own face, but the face of a very beautiful woman with red hair. The face of the female head of the demon.

"Are you all right?" the angel queried worriedly. "You're suddenly pale. Do you feel like fainting?"

Finding his voice at last, Kanbei stammered words that he knew came from the memory of the woman whose role he had now assumed, "No. The bull...it frightened me, that's all. I thought that I was going to die." Remembering himself, he fell down on hands and knees before the angel. "Thank you, my great lord Ahura Mazda! Thank you for saving your humble servant!"

Hearing him called by the name of the highest of the Zoroastrian gods, the angel raised both hands, waving them before him, as he shook his head.

"Oh, no! No!" he exclaimed, a blush forming on his cheeks. "I'm not the Supreme God. I am merely one of his yazatas."

"But you are a god in your own right, and your servant thanks you with all her heart for saving her life. I consider myself blessed that you came to my aid." Then, realization struck him. Kanbei cautiously dared to gaze into the flustered angel's face. "How did you come to be here, honorable yazata? Earth is no place for a god such as you."

"Ah, but what you do not know is that there could be a Heaven on Earth." The angel lowered his gaze. Bashfully, he admitted, "I've been watching you, your Highness, and in your eyes, I see the beauty of Heaven."

A small gasp of pleasure escaped from the concubine's parted lips. Except for Kirara, never had he heard such heartfelt praise. To hide the blush that suffused his face, he looked down into the pool once more.

"Your Highness," the angel had called him. A title for a member of a Royal Family. Indeed, the red veil he wore on his head was made from the finest silk and bedecked by an assortment of precious gems. There were jeweled bands on his arms and wrists. A teardrop-shaped ruby was pasted in the center of his brow.

"I'm but a mere mortal," he insisted. "Certainly I am not worthy of the affections of a god such as you."

The angel suddenly gripped his hands, holding them tenderly in his grasp. "Oh, but you are! Not only are you very beautiful, but you are also very wise, loving and a kind ruler to your people. Traits of a true goddess!"

"Be careful of your words. Ahura Mazda might punish you. No mortal could be a god. In the same vein, a god is forbidden to love a mortal."

"We shall see, your Highness, for why should Ahura Mazda create love if it were to be forbidden between a deity and a human." The angel gently kissed the whoremaster's fingertips. "I am Mithras, your Highness, begging you to give this minor god a chance to prove himself worthy of your love and affection."

"Mithras...the God of Light, the mediator between Heaven and Earth. You are also called the Judge and Preserver of the World." Kanbei could barely disguise the awe in his voice. "What have I done that you should seek out my love?"

"You are not a mere mortal woman. If only you had seen what I have seen as I watched you in the Heavens. You are a beautiful woman who embodies all that is good. Your Highness, all the gods have nothing but praise for you. Asha, the Goddess of Blessings never ceases to shower her abundant gifts upon you."

At these gushing words, the concubine's face could not get any redder. "'Your Highness...' Please do not call me that. I am a Princess in the Palace, but not out here. You may call me by my name, Devi Mari."

Mithras beamed at the princess Kanbei had become. "Oh my beautiful Devi Mari! 'Devi' means goddess, do you not know that? Devi Mari, you are indeed a goddess on Earth!"

~~~~~~~~~~

Within the past reality of the Amesha Spenta Stone had conjured up, Kanbei watched as the forbidden love between a Zoroastrian god and a human female unfolded before his eyes. Having assumed the role of the Persian Princess Devi Mari, it was easy for him to understand why the young god Mithras had fallen in love with her. She was the epitome of virtue, admired by all Persians because of her unwavering, unconditional love she has shown for them. Devi Mari was also a gifted healer, never refusing any man or woman, whether they be rich or poor, who knocked on the doors of the Palace, asking for her aid. She will go to anyone who needed her, regardless of their illness. But the Princess had another reason for choosing such a hectic life that was contrary to her royal station. Devi Mari was a very unhappy woman, finding comfort and fulfillment among the masses than her own kind.

Like now, Kanbei was in a small leper's camp, carefully applying poultices to an old man's leprous sores. It was a very arduous and risky endeavor, not just because of the possibility that she might contract the disease. Her father, King Cambyses, would be furious if he learned where his daughter was.

When he was through, the concubine emerged from the tent and into the sunlight. A sad little smile formed on his lips, seeing his otherworldly lover standing at the copse of trees. Wrapping his shawl around his shoulders, he approached the God of Light.

"Other women would have run into my arms," Mithras remarked with a wry chuckle.

Kanbei shrugged. "You know I'm not like other women."

"Yes, and that is why I love you very much." The god made to kiss his beloved, but the whoremaster took a step back. Mithras looked at his lover curiously. "Is something wrong, Devi Mari?"

The concubine turned his back on the young god. "After this, I cannot see you any longer. My father promised me to Prince Reza."

Mithras stared at him aghast. "But you can't marry him, Devi Mari! We love each other!"

"As you have your duties, I too have mine. As Princess of this realm, I must marry him whom my father chooses to be my husband."

"What about us? What about our love?"

Kanbei could feel anguished tears filling his eyes. "Right from the beginning, you know that we cannot be. If only I were not born a human AND a princess..." He turned to face the God of Light. "I dare not pray, I dare not hope for something I could never have."

Breaking into sobs, the whoremaster fled from his lover. Kanbei ran blindly through the forest. Suddenly, however, there was a lurching sensation in the pit of his stomach. To his surprise, he just found himself running through the torch-lit hallways of the Palace, heading for their small family temple for Ahura Mazda.

Reaching the temple, Kanbei heard voices talking within. Although he did not recognize the soothing baritone of the first speaker, he knew immediately who the second speaker was, and he was very, very angry.

"Mithras, my son, if you will only be patient... You must let things come to pass. Everything will work out to your benefit, I assure you."

"I cannot wait! I will lose Devi Mari if I tarry any longer! I love her, my Lord! It would break my heart to see her wedded to another!"

"Mithras..." the concubine whispered the young god's name. "You don't know how close you came to losing me."

Glancing to the side, Kanbei looked at the pitiful image of Devi Mari reflected back at him through the shiny bronze vase. Her shift was torn at the shoulder. There were bruises on her wrists. A dusky handprint marred the swell of her breast. Before he could check for the telltale signs of defloration, Mithras' furious voice broke the silence.

"If you will not help me," the God of Light declared, "then I shall go to someone who will."

As he emerged from the temple, Mithras immediately saw the disheveled whoremaster cowering behind the vase. Going towards him, the god placed strong hands on his trembling lover's arms.

"Devi Mari, what's wrong?" Mithras asked in grave concern. "Who did this to you?"

"Prince Reza..." Kanbei's voice shook with fear. "He would not wait until we are married. He almost... I was able to get my dagger in time. I told him that I would kill myself if he tried to take me." The concubine flung his arms around the young god's neck. "Oh, Mithras! I know it is my duty. But after this, I cannot marry him! I cannot marry a man who would treat me as a whore!"

Mithras embraced his beloved, his jaw hardening in firm determination. Clutching Kanbei's face in his hands, he said urgently, "Devi Mari, I want you to come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"Trust me, my love, when I tell you that there is a way for us to be together."

"But how? What about Ahura Mazda?"

"He has made it perfectly clear that he doesn't want to help us. Like I said, however, there is another way." Mithras held his hand out to the concubine. "Do you trust me, Devi Mari?"

Before Kanbei could reply, he heard a soft sound, definitely a whisper. But he could not understand what the voice said. By its tone, however, it was definitely a warning. Unfortunately, love for the God of Light won over rational thought. Gazing firmly into the god's sky blue eyes, he nodded.

"I trust you, Mithras," Kanbei answered, taking his lover's hand.

When their hands touched, again, there was that gut-wrenching lurch. This was followed by a disturbing sensation of falling from a great height. Thankfully, his descent gradually slowed and he was laid on a soft bed of what felt like dried grass. When an eager mouth pressed on his lips, the concubine knew what was about to happen next.

Making love with a god was not like anything Kanbei had ever experienced. Not only was it a joining of the flesh, it was a total union of their minds, hearts and souls. Neither one knew where the other's pleasure began and ended and rose again. They were simply one being -- not god, not human. It felt sinful to share in this ecstasy. Even he was lost in the scorching love and passion that Mithras and Devi Mari shared with each other.

Kanbei did not realize that tears were falling from his eyes as Mithras drove his aching length deep into his lover's virgin body. // What could be so wrong about this, Ahura Mazda? Why is it so wrong for them to be in love? //

As he abandoned himself to this unearthly bliss, it did not register to the whoremaster the place where they were at -- dark ruins of a long forgotten and forbidden temple. Their makeshift bed was made on top of a mysterious circle with smaller rings inside it. Ancient writing were inscribe within the rings. The circle pulsed with an eerie red glow that grew brighter and brighter as the movements of their bodies became harder and faster. When they reached the peak, just as rainbow-colored lights flashed before their eyes, beams of fiery red light shot out from the outer ring, striking a dust-covered statue standing against the wall.

At that impact, the earth began to shake, bringing the two lovers back to reality.

"What's happening?" the concubine exclaimed in fright, pressing close to his lover.

Instead of Mithras, someone else answered his question, its voice sibilant like a snake. It cackled heartily as it replied, "I never expected that it would be you who summoned me, Mithras. And such a unique summoning. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. It's not everyday that you see a god rutting with a beautiful mortal. Oh, the power that you have suffused within my body! I should thank you for this, little god!"

"You can give me your thanks later when we come to the business at hand. I have no time for idle chat," Mithras said sternly. "Angra Mainyu, SHOW YOURSELF!"

Kanbei's eyes flew wide in horror as the speaker stepped from the shadows. It was a most hideous being -- its face that of a feral, sharp-fanged beast, round eyes blazing with fire, a blood red ruby on its brow. On its back were two large bat wings. In its right hand, it carried a gigantic spear. So huge was this malevolent creature that it towered above their heads by a good two feet.

Angra Mainyu...that was the name that Mithras called this creature.

A terrified gasp was elicited from Kanbei's lips as realization struck him full force in the face.

"Angra Mainyu..." the concubine breathed out that name, his blood running cold. "AHRIMAN!"

"I'm so happy to see that you know me, little princess." Transferring his spear to his left hand, Ahriman reached out with his right to caress the concubine's cheek, but Kanbei shrank back from him.

// My God! // the whoremaster thought in growing panic, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. Ahriman was no ordinary demon. He's the Devil himself!

Pulling his hand back, the Lord of Demons grinned at the God of Light. "I could see why you are so taken with this lovely mortal. Her soul is so pure, and the love that pours out of her for you...it is so intoxicating."

However, the concubine noted the wicked expression on Ahriman's face, which clearly spoke, "How it would please me greatly to see this heart and soul destroyed."

"It is because of our deep love for one another that we have come to you, Ahriman," Mithras declared formally.

"Why?" Ahriman sneered at him. "Has Ahura Mazda abandoned you?"

Kanbei stared in confusion at the God of Light. "Ahura Mazda...did he forsake us? Would he not bless our love? Did you not try to make him understand how much we love each other?"

Mithras did not reply, but his bitterness and resentment towards the Supreme God showed on his handsome face.

In his own heart, the whoremaster felt the disappointment of Devi Mari well up within him. With it was a very strong surge of rebellion.

At that moment, a voice, the same male voice that Mithras' argued with earlier, whispered urgently in his ear. "Don't do it! Patience -- that is all that is needed. Everything will work out for the both of you."

But Devi Mari was deaf to those earnest pleas, her resentment towards the Supreme Deity overwhelming the clear danger to herself. Like Mithras, the only thing that she cared about was being with the man she loved.

Then, Ahriman asked, his voice tempting, enticing, "What do you wish from me?"

As the Princess' righteous indignation rose inside his heart, Kanbei cried out, "No, Devi Mari! Don't wish! It's a trick to get you to do what he wants!" To the God of Light, he begged, "Mithras, please don't do this! If you truly love her, you must not make this wish!"

To the concubine's dismay, the lovers held each other tightly. For a moment, they stared into each other's eyes before turning to the Lord of Evil.

As one, Mithras and Devi Mari declared, "We wish to be together...forever!"

The triumphant smile on Ahriman's face was unmistakable. He raised his spear and pointed it at the two lovers. "Your wish is my command."

Kanbei screamed in terror as red tentacles snaked out of the weapon. Two of those arms pierced their chests, enclosing their precious virtue in an impregnable cocoon, but leaving the hate and the little that was dark within them outside. The other tentacles coiled around their bodies, molding it into the shape the darkness inside their hearts desired. The pain was agonizing and the concubine thought he would go insane.

Strong hands, however, yanked the whoremaster's consciousness out of Devi Mari's body. Kanbei just found his ethereal form kneeling on the floor, crying, as he watched the birth of the demon -- the Odalisk -- that was to be his friend in the distant future. Tears flowing from his eyes, he raised his hands to embrace the Odalisk. Since this was an event that has already occurred in the remote past, his arms passed through the demon, who stood up to face its lord and master.

"You asked a wish of me, and I granted your wish," Ahriman declared, pleased at his infernal creation. "Now I give this same power to you -- to grant wishes, but with a great price. Only a human with a pure soul could make a wish. However, the wish must be that of his or her master. For this wish to be granted, this soul must satisfy the lustful cravings that neither of you could enjoy while in this hellish form. Then this soul must be sacrificed, and it shall belong to me in Hell for all eternity. Before I claim this precious soul, however, you could use its strength, culled from the sensual powers you have gained from it, for you to do what YOU wish. And what is your dearest wish, my dear Odalisk?"

The newborn demon answered eagerly, "To destroy this world that has caused our separation. And when it is in ruins, to destroy the Heavens and the god who has abandoned us and caused us pain."

"That is not true!" Kanbei sobbed broken-heartedly. "He begged you to wait! It was never his intention to cause you pain. All you had to do was be patient and have faith in his will!"

"Sadly, however, Ahriman used the pain inside their hearts to his end," someone suddenly spoke behind him.

Whirling, the concubine beheld the formal visage of the Amanushi's adviser, Tessai. This time, though, there was an uncharacteristic smile on his face. Standing at his side was Kirara.

Noting the frown on the concubine's face, Kirara reassured him, "It's all right, Kanbei. You know, Tessai is really not that bad a person. The Amanushi corrupted his soul. Besides, he really and truly loves you."

"You change people, Little Taisho, for the better," said Tessai in all sincerity. With deep regret, he added, "I am ashamed that I could not overcome the darkness that was inside me. Could you forgive me, Kanbei, for the terrible things I had done to you?"

A sad little smile formed on Kanbei's lips. "It's not a difficult thing to forgive. Yes, Tessai, I do forgive you."

"I may not have gotten what I wanted, but I am happy that I was given the opportunity to make my amends to you. As I have not done in life, as expiation for my sins, let me help you in some small measure to save these two lost souls."

There was shining hope in the whoremaster's eyes as he looked at Tessai. "Are you saying that my friends could still be saved? Please, Tessai! Tell me what I must do."

The Amanushi's adviser, however, shook his head. "It is not for me to tell you what you need to do. It is you who must figure it out for yourself. Only you know the answer to it."

Before he could ask another question, Kanbei was suddenly enveloped by darkness. His ears immediately caught the soft, echoing sounds of weeping. A spot of light appeared before him. Lying in the center of that light, crying miserably, was the Odalisk, particularly the head of Devi Mari. Cuddled close to her breast was the rag doll her Little Prince was forced to leave behind. Although silent, Kanbei could see the tears flowing from Mithras' eyes as well.

Ahriman's taunting figure circled the despondent demon. "What is the matter, my Odalisk? What troubles you?"

"I do not want to live like this any longer," was Devi Mari's straight answer. "I help people, heal them, not destroy their lives."

"You did not have this problem before."

"Because we needed to have a pure soul to show us that our hearts could still care, could still love," Mithras put in. "This is not what we are, Ahriman. We know that poor warrior is to be the sacrifice, but we cannot kill him! We love him as though he were our own son!" Taking a deep breath, the erstwhile God of Light exclaimed, "We take back our wish! Restore us to our true forms!"

The Lord of Demons strode to where Kanbei was standing, oblivious to the presence of the spirit in their midst. With a low growl, it muttered, "Damn those magicians and their gods for putting my Odalisk's essence inside that Stone! Damn them for hiding it in the pure soul of a samurai! The power of his goodness has loosened my hold upon Mithras' and Devi Mari's true nature!"

The concubine's hand flew to his chest where the Amesha Spenta Stone once lay in his unwitting safekeeping.

"You change people for the better," Tessai had told him.

Is it possible that he could defeat the Ultimate Evil?

That wicked smile formed once more on Ahriman's lips. "So you want to be brought back to your true forms. But what about you? I thought you loved each other, that you wanted to be together for all eternity."

"The love has not died. We understand now what Ahura Mazda was trying to say," Devi Mari replied. "Our love would have remained strong inside our hearts, no matter how long it would take. If we had only waited, if we had only allowed nature to take its course, I would have been rejoined with my beloved in Heaven. But now, our love for the warrior is much stronger than the love we have for each other. Though he is not of our blood, he is our son, our precious Prince. We shall not sacrifice him to you."

"Ah, but unfortunately for you, that same courageous samurai is the key to your salvation."

Mithras gave Ahriman a suspicious glance. "What do you mean?"

"You wished to be restored to your true forms, right? Then that wish I shall grant you. Many years will pass and your powers will be restored to you. At that same time, your Little Prince shall return to Ain Mehira." With a wave of his hand, the Lord of Darkness conjured up an image of Kanbei as a concubine. An evil smirk quirked up his mouth, sensing the rise of desire within the beating hearts of his Odalisk. "Beautiful, is he not? Just the mere sight of him is enough to stir up the heat in one's loins."

The God of Light shook away the unwanted sensations. "We do not want him in that way!"

"That is what you say, but he will return as the greatest whore in the entire world, and you will partake of his sweet flesh! You would want to own him forever and ever! Ah, but we have not come to the best part. The demon known as the Odalisk has always been intended to be a very sensual creature, something I find lacking in the two of you. What better person to become this demon than this sweet little whore!"

Devi Mari's eyes widened in shock, realizing what Ahriman was insinuating. "NO! NEVER! We would rather die than allow our precious Little Prince to take our place!"

"WE WILL NOT DO THIS!" Mithras strongly insisted.

"Then you shall stay in this form forever!" Ahriman said smugly, pleased at the expected answer of his prized creation. "Let me remind you, my Odalisk, that even if you have saved your gentle Prince from your fate, with the sacrifice of his life, his soul shall be mine. Either way, he will be condemned!"

Bursting into laughter, the Lord of All Evil vanished, leaving his poor minion, sobbing in anger and helplessness.

Willing one of his hands to rise, Mithras wiped away the tears from Devi Mari's face. "My love, forgive me! This is all my fault! I should have listened to Ahura Mazda!"

"Both of us are at fault," wept Devi Mari. "We were so blinded by our love for each other that we did not see the trap that Ahriman had set for us. I take this punishment willingly, Mithras. But our Little Prince! Our dear Kanbei!"

"We will do everything we can for our Little Prince. Knowing Ahriman, even without our willingness to go along with his schemes, he would do everything in his power so that Kanbei would become the new Odalisk. Now that we have regained a small measure of our souls -- our conscience and a little of our healing gifts, we are no longer of use to him. I only pray that, while our Little Prince is far from our reach, Ahura Mazda would watch over him and give him strength to survive the terrible and degrading ordeal that lies ahead of him."

"I have no doubt that he will survive, Mithras. His soul is strong and pure. His goodness shall prevail. But...but I fear for what might happen when he returns to Ain Mehira."

"I'm certain Ahriman will try to transform him into a demon. I don't know how he'll do it, but with the meager healing power that we possess, we could stop him before he succeeds. And we shall guide our Little Prince in the wish that he will make."

"It's not only that. You felt it, didn't you, when Ahriman showed his image to us as a whore. Those...urges... If he should come, I don't know if I could resist."

"Ahriman remade us in this loathsome form, Devi Mari. It is useless to fight it." The God of Light added sorrowfully, "Although we are together, we could never consummate our love for each other. That is one of our curses. All that is left to us is the desire, the lust."

Devi Mari shook her head. "No, Mithras! I will not use our Little Prince in this abhorrent manner!"

"But we have no choice. I'm hoping that he would understand, that when the time of the sacrifice comes, it is not our intent to hurt him. If it should happen."

The former Princess of Persia gazed hopefully at her lover. "Do you think he would understand? Do you think he'll forgive us?"

"I pray that he will, my love," whispered Mithras, but the uncertainty was there. "He is our Little Prince after all."

As the vision of his poor friends faded away, Kanbei wept, "There is nothing to forgive. You never hurt me. It was an honor for me to give you happiness."

Then, a strange sight appeared before him -- a revolving orb with a thick, angry red mist swirling around it. But as the concubine looked closer, he saw that there were minute gaps in the mist through which white light shone. The mist closed around the gaps. The light, however, persisted in piercing through its prison.

Before the mist could seal it in once more, Kanbei heard the plaintive cries of the captive souls of the two lovers.

"Help us, Little Prince!" Devi Mari begged him earnestly. "We have suffered so much! We have caused so much pain to so many innocent people! Free us from this torment!"

"Little Prince!" exclaimed Mithras. "You're the only one who can save us all!"

The whoremaster stared intently at that spinning ball of chaos and imprisoned goodness. He knew now why the Amesha Spenta Stone had taken him into its heart -- to see the truth and to do something about it. His jaw hardened, hands clenching into fists, as righteous anger filled his entire being.

Tessai went up beside him. "Do you know now what you have to do, Kanbei?"

"I think so," the concubine replied. However, there was a touch of hesitancy in his voice. "But what if I'm wrong? What if I make a mistake?"

"Lose the doubt from your mind and heart," Kirara advised him sternly. "Ahriman will use this against you. Believe that you will free Mithras and Devi Mari. Believe that you will win!"

A hand was laid on his right shoulder. There was a confident smile on Tessai's face. "I know you can do it, Kanbei. Don't be afraid. All of your friends are here to help you. Including your beloved Shichiroji."

"When you return to the land of the living," Kirara began, "please tell Shichiroji that I am sorry for what I have done to him. And I beg your forgiveness as well. I tried to steal him away from you. But his love for you is much stronger. I should never have gotten between you."

"I understand, Kirara-dono," the concubine said in reassurance. "We all make mistakes because of love. I forgive you."

Kanbei then smiled and nodded at the two souls. At that assent, the Amesha Spenta Stone released his soul, sending it back into his body. With a ragged gasp, the whoremaster returned to the land of the living, putting on his robe, just in time to see Shichiroji kneeling on the floor before the demon, his hand pressed to the Stone in its chest. As the Odalisk towered above its helpless adversary, with sharp blades raised, Kanbei acted immediately. He dashed down the stairs and across the room, picking up his taisenshatou along the way. Insinuating himself between the ancient and the demon, he lifted his katana and blocked the fatal descent of the Odalisk's swords.

At his feet, the whoremaster heard Shichiroji gasped out his name. "KANBEI!"

Kanbei would have laughed at the stupid, slack-jawed expression on his lover's face. Instead, he grinned and casually remarked, "I guess it's my turn now!"


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