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 20, 2006


Chapter Eight

"Ah, this heat!" Gorobei complained out loud as he plopped down under the lean-to beside the Samurai. "Truly this is hell!"

The caravan decided to make camp temporarily in a wadi. However, because there were only a few date palms in the area, they were at the mercy of the scorching heat of the desert sun. The only people living in relative comfort were Tessai, Shinno and Takeru, who were sheltered in a small tent. As Shichiroji surveyed his surroundings, he could see the bones of cattle and other creatures drying on the sand.

"That's the desert for you," said Shichiroji, brushing his hair from his eyes that had come loose from his braid. "Don't worry! We won't stay too long here. Just waiting for the others to finish their noon meal, and then we shall go."

"Thank heavens!" Masamune suddenly interrupted. The scribe was carrying a small stool, which he sat on. "I don't think I could survive in this inferno."

Shichiroji smiled thoughtfully. "You know? I've been wondering about you two, how you came to be involved in this little journey."

"What is there to say?" shrugged Gorobei. "Surely my life is not as interesting as yours."

"All life is interesting to me. Come now, Gorobei! I want to hear your story."

The moor sighed. "Like you, I was a samurai for another clan during the war. But soon, I became weary of all the bloodshed, so for a while, I became a traveling showman. My travels brought me to this land. I became the personal bodyguard of the Sultan. Although he has diplomatic relations with the Amanushi, my Master has no great love for him. It was the Sultan's domain that the Amanushi's caravan first went to when they arrived in this country, and he entrusted the two concubines into his care. My Master became very close to Shinno and Takeru and he was totally against the Amanushi's plans for them. It was because of this that the Sultan gave me his stern command -- to serve and protect, with my life if necessary, the Amanushi's concubines."

Shichiroji inquired, "Just how long have Shinno and Takeru been on the road?"

"I'd say around twelve, thirteen years. I've heard that the Amanushi had his concubines trained by only the best whores in the world."

"And how old were they when they started their travels?"

"In their late twenties, I believe. I overheard the Amanushi remark to my Master once that the sensual artisans he had hired to train the concubines were surprised that he had chosen men in their prime to be his whores and…"

Whatever else Gorobei was going to say was stopped by a swift kick to his back by Masamune.

A chill went up the Samurai's spine. He had thought that the two concubines were around his age. A quick mental calculation and Shichiroji turned pale. The twins would be older than him, just as old as…

Probably reading his mind, Gorobei stammered, "I could be mistaken about their age. I was just guessing. Besides, hardships have a way of aging a man prematurely." He quickly changed the topic. "You know, we nearly lost Takeru, after the Amanushi had him branded with his mark. Takeru was very ill when they arrived at my Master's Palace. With patience and love, my Master saved him, but Takeru never spoke a single word after that. In contrast, the Sultan saw the strength and determination to survive in Shinno. Unlike his meek twin, Shinno refused to be branded. My Master knew that it would be Shinno who will break the chains that shackle them. I also saw the great potential in him. Although my Master had also advised me on this, I had already decided to train Shinno in swordsmanship. It was difficult. Tessai always watched the concubines with eyes of a hawk. But I always found a way to sneak lessons to him. Shinno was a fast learner. Soon, I had taught him everything I knew. I could only thank Allah for the great teacher who had trained him before me."

"You're talking about Shimada Kanbei."

"So Shinno told you about him." The moor gave his fellow samurai a meaningful look. "It seems to me you and Shinno have gotten close these past few days."

There was a dreamy smile on Shichiroji's face. "Yes, it seems I have, and with Takeru as well."

"That's what I was afraid of," Masamune muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?" The Samurai could not hide his dismay at the scribe's retort.

"Let me be blunt. What kind of game are you playing with the concubines? First, you treat them like dirt. Now, you are...friends. I don't trust you, Shichiroji. If you hurt them in any way..."

"I swore to myself that I would never hurt them again."

Masamune shook his head. "How I wish I could be sure of that!"

Shichiroji lowered his gaze. "As much as your mistrust pains me, I understand. I would probably react the same as you if I had been observing the passage of my life."

The scribe's head snapped to the side as he looked at the Warrior in startlement. "What..."

"What do you mean by that?" Gorobei asked curiously.

"Our friend Masamune here is a Shikimoribito," the Samurai explained, grinning at the scribe's discomfiture.

Gorobei gasped. "Those former samurai who now lead an ascetic life, constructing power batteries and simply observing the lives of their fellow warriors in the outside world? Those Shikimoribito?"

"Yes." Shichiroji grinned at Masamune who was as white as rice paste. "Although I used to see them hanging from the ceilings of caves."

The moor glowered menacingly at scholar. "Are you saying we have a spy in our midst?"

"No, not exactly. They only watch us, but they're not allowed to interfere."

"How do you know this?" Masamune demanded. "You're not supposed to know about us."

"That's because for a time I was one of you," was the Samurai's simple reply.

The scribe's jaw dropped. "You were a Shikimoribito?"

"The Shikimoribito's stronghold in Kougakyo was a perfect place to hide. They even gave me this metal arm. Forgive me, Masamune, but I have known you in the past when you were still with them. You would never have recognized me because of the thick clothes we used to wear. And I also used a different name back then."

Masamune snorted. "Now, I'm even more convinced that you're not to be trusted."

"But what about you?" Gorobei queried. "How could I be sure that I could trust you?"

"You've known me for a long time, Gorobei. Have I given you any reason to doubt me? True, I am a Shikimoribito. It was my task to watch Tessai, who was trading with us back then in the Amanushi's name. But after the terrible things I've seen, what they've done to Shinno and Takeru, it has become my moral obligation to help the twins in any way I can."

Shichiroji put in, "You do know that is interfering."

"I don't think so. I'm certainly not interfering with Tessai's business...as much as I want to cut off his head myself. Oh my lord!" the scribe exclaimed in shock that his identity was revealed. "Why do things have a way of getting so complicated?"

"It's not that complicated actually," said the Samurai. "Your being exposed as a Shikimoribito does not change anything. All we have to do is to continue with what we're doing now -- we watch over the concubines. I will still train Shinno in swords work. I agree that it is this that will help free them."

"However, I need to throw Gorobei's question to me at you. How could we be sure that we could trust you?"

Shichiroji answered simply. "You'd be a fool if you don't. Since you watch, why don't you observe my actions? After all, actions speak louder than words."

Before Masamune could say something else, delighted giggles interrupted him. The three men turned as one to find Takeru standing outside the tent. The concubine was avidly watching a dung beetle that was rolling away a ball of manure.

The Samurai shook his head, unable to stifle his laughter. "I never thought I'd see the day that someone would be so happy watching a dung beetle cart off a ball of shit."

Hearing that remark, Takeru threw Shichiroji a dark scowl. Snorting, he stomped his foot down on the sand, blocking the beetle's path.

"Well, don't look now," gestured Gorobei in a mixture of amusement and disgust, "But it looks like Takeru is driving said beetle in our direction."

Sure enough, Takeru was prodding the confused insect to go their way with sprite little leaps and impatient nudges of his toe. The Amanushi's concubine had even raised the hem of his robe a bit with his fingertips.

"Takeru!" Shichiroji warned, seeing that the industrious insect was being directed particularly towards him. "If that...thing...that beetle is carrying came from Tessai's ass, we don't want it here!"

Giggling, Takeru let the poor beetle go on its merry way. He then went towards the three men, plopping down on his butt behind the Samurai. Gorobei and Masamune looked on in amazement as the concubine started re-plaiting Shichiroji's hair.

"By the way, Masamune," the Warrior turned to the scribe, "would you happen to have an extra journal with you and a quill?"

Masamune looked at the Samurai curiously. "Why do you need them for?"

Shichiroji gave a casual shrug, causing his hair to come undone in the concubine's hands. Takeru grunted in disapproval, tapping the Warrior hard at the top of his head.

"Sorry about that, Takeru," the Samurai said in apology, to which the concubine snorted in reply. Turning to the scribe, he answered, "I thought I'd write my memoirs."

"I'll bring them to your tent later." Masamune gazed at Takeru who was busy tying up the Warrior's thick golden locks into three ponytails. "Takeru, may I ask you something?"

The Amanushi's whore hummed in assent.

"Are...are you happy?"

Both Masamune and Gorobei were surprised by the concubine's answer. Takeru lovingly embraced Shichiroji, laying his chin on top of the Samurai's head, his lovely brown eyes twinkling.

~~~~~~~~~~

"You seem to be very happy these past few days, Little Taisho," Tessai whispered in Shinno's ear, trailing a finger along the whoremaster's sweat-sheened flanks. "Any particular reason?"

"Why?" Shinno asked in turn. "Is it also forbidden for me to experience happiness?"

"If the reason for it is forbidden."

"The Amanushi gave permission for other men to bed me. Am I to blame for finding pleasure in the arms of another man than in the embrace of the Amanushi and his trusted adviser?"

In a flash, Tessai dug his fingers hard into Shinno's cheeks, forcing the whoremaster to face him. "Yes," he hissed, "if that man happens to be Shichiroji."

Shinno spat back, "Then tell your Master not to be so free with his permissions. From your own mouth came the Amanushi's command for him to bed me, to tame me, if I heard right."

"But this does not include stealing your...affections...away from the Amanushi."

"I never had any affection for the Amanushi right from the beginning. Why don't you just admit, Tessai, that you don't want to share your precious whore with someone else."

There was a brief flash as Tessai pulled out his silken cord and wrapped it around Shinno's throat, slowly strangling the whoremaster.

"I should kill you right now!" the adviser declared in fury.

"Then do it!" Shinno gasped out, just as angry. "Do me this one kindness, Tessai! Put me out of my misery!"

For a moment, the cord tightened, cutting off all air. Suddenly, Tessai released him. Shinno turned onto his side, panting and choking.

"Do you think he feels something for you?" the Indian sneered at him. "He is just using you as the whore that you are. Don't delude yourself into thinking that he loves you. He could never love you, especially if he finds out who you truly are."

Shinno gave the adviser a sharp glance. "I hate you! I hate all of you for destroying my life!"

"I won't take all the credit for that. You and I know damned well who are mostly to blame for what happened to you -- you AND Shichiroji." Tessai got down on one knee and looked the whoremaster straight in the eye. "I only want to spare you the heartache, Shinno. I don't want to see you hurting like this. You know I'm the only man who could give you happiness. Just say that you love me, or that you could bring yourself to love me, and I will free you from this Hell."

"And how do you intend to do that – by killing Shichiroji? The Amanushi? Tempting offer, Tessai. But I could never love you." Shinno said bitterly, "I don't even know how it feels to love anymore."

"Oh, but you do! It's that tiny spark of happiness you feel whenever you're with that samurai. Watch yourself, my sweet Little Taisho. If there is one thing that I cannot stand, it's a rival for your heart."

Shinno stood up and, with measured slowness, donned his robes, wrapping the silk scarf over his face. "You have nothing to fear about this rival, for it is I who shall kill him."

Saying this, the whoremaster strode outside the tent, hoping to get away from the loathsome presence of the Amanushi's adviser. He squinted his eyes at the bright sun.

Shichiroji was forced to delay their departure after he heard that one of the female servants was suffering from labor pains. Shinno himself had gone to see her, a frail woman, bearing herbs that would help build up her strength. He could tell from the look on the Samurai's face that he feared she might not survive the childbirth.

Although he was concerned for her, Shinno had to admit that he was thankful for the delay. He was not looking forward to returning to the Amanushi's realm too soon.

The whoremaster's mind returned to the conversation he had with the Amanushi's adviser. He always knew that Tessai was dangerous, but now that his obsession towards him was revealed, it became clear just how great a danger he truly was. He would kill Shichiroji; there wasn't any doubt of that. And he had no intention of seeing that lovesick fool steal away the vengeance he had longed for.

However, the question was does he still crave revenge? Shinno could not deny that, during these past few days, he began to feel something towards the Samurai. An emotion he never thought he would feel again. He wondered if the Samurai shared this feeling.

"I swear I will never hurt you again," Shichiroji had told him. A promise he had kept. So far.

The doubt still persisted. A tiny voice inside his heart, however, urged him to believe. How he wished that he could believe!

Shinno was brought out of his musings by a soft clicking at his feet. Looking down, he saw a lizard peering up at him. For a moment, the whoremaster and the reptile just stared at each other.

Remembering that he had a small piece of bread in his pouch, Shinno took it out and started waving it before the lizard's beady black eyes. "Here you go, boy! I know you're hungry! Come on! Take it!"

The reptile hesitated. Then, it snatched the bread out of the whoremaster's hand. As Shinno looked on in astonishment, frills puffed out of the lizard's neck. Standing on its two hind legs, the reptile broke into a run, piece of bread hanging from his mouth.

"Hey! Where are you going?" cried Shinno. "Wait! Come back!"

Hitching up his robe, the whoremaster gave chase. Around and around the camp, Shinno pursued the frilled lizard, laughing as he did so. Engrossed in the chase, he did not realize that some of the servants and guards had walked out of their tents to watch the Amanushi's concubine running after a lizard.

Suddenly, the reptile came to a full stop. Shinno did the same. As they stared at each other once more, the lizard let the piece of bread fall from its mouth.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the whoremaster said in sincere apology. "You're very hungry and yet I ran after you." He picked up the bread again and offered it to the lizard. "Go ahead! Take it, little one! I swear I won't chase you this time."

For a minute, the reptile looked into Shinno's eyes. In the blink of an eye, it grabbed the bread again. With a few angry clicking noises, the lizard ambled away.

Someone started to clap and laugh behind him. Whirling around, Shinno saw Shichiroji approaching.

"I thought I'd seen everything," the Samurai declared. "First, it's Takeru with his dung beetle. Now, it's you and a frilled lizard. What is it between you twins and animals anyway?"

If he wasn't wearing a veil, Shichiroji would've seen the deep blush on the whoremaster's cheeks. "We've led a sheltered life -- Takeru and I. These animals...they are new to us."

"But do you have to scare the poor creatures to their graves?"

Not knowing what else to say, Shinno whispered, "I'm sorry."

Shichiroji simply shrugged it off. "No, it's all right. It just pleases me to see you two so happy."

Taking Shinno's hand, he led the whoremaster to the lean-to and urged him to sit down. From within his pouch, the Samurai pulled out a length of ornamental rope he had made from esparto grass, beads, crystals and feathers. Shinno was awe-struck as Shichiroji let him hold it for a minute. The whoremaster saw that the crystals were luminous stones.

"Is…is this for me?"

Shichiroji grinned. "What do you think?"

Sitting behind Shinno, Shichiroji started to braid the whoremaster's hair with it, coiling it into a loose bun at the back of his head.

Not knowing what else to say, Shinno said, "Your hair…it looks nice."

"Oh, this?" Shichiroji motioned to the three ponytails. "Takeru tied it up this way. I was surprised actually. I…someone used to help me tie my hair up into ponytails. Since our…painful…parting, I never thought of fixing my hair up like this again."

"Well, it suits you." A moment's hesitation. "Shichiroji?"

"Yes, Shinno?"

"I...uh...I have to ask. You...you won't hurt me?"

The Samurai said in mild exasperation. "Are we back to that again?"

"I just want to be sure. For Takeru's sake...and for mine..."

Shichiroji's answer took Shinno's breath away. The Samurai gave him a loving embrace. Kissing the crown of Shinno's head, he then laid his chin on top.

"You have my word, Shinno," Shichiroji whispered. "You and Takeru have nothing to fear from me."


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