Ronin Warriors Fan Fiction ❯ The Kaf ❯ Part Four ( Chapter 4 )

The Kaf - Part Four
By Djinn Hashiba-Maxwell

Almost done!! ^__^

NOTE NOTE NOTE:
Someone sent me a letter saying I was misstating Islamic lore in this fic. NOT ALL THE MYTHOLOGY IS ISLAMIC!! The majority of it is plain Arabic and a lot of the names (like yazatas and amesa spentas) are Zoroastrian in origin. Islam does NOT worship Ahura Mazda, that's Zoroastrian. The djinn were originally Arabic, they were brought into Islamic lore. The way I portray them is closer to their Arabic origins. Do NOT look at this fic as a factual source for info on Muslim beliefs, as I said, most are NOT Islamic and please... DON'T ASSUME STUFF I DON'T SAY! Please, it only get me in trouble... *sighs* Geez, I feel like a bitch now...

Author's incessant ramblings:
Someone asked me if the bit I said about casting out the djinn was mythologically true, and here's what I said: Oooh Tal you shouldn't have asked me about mythology! *grynns and pulls out 40 lb myth encyclopedia* Now let's see... *ahem*

"In Islamic lore the djinn were intermediate creations, coming between man and the angels. Those that refused to believe in Islam became demons, whereas others became beautiful and good spirits."

Okay, I took a little artistic license with the facts but as you can see, there is a basis. It's just that when I read that passage it sounded like.... mean, to me. The djinn are spirits of nature so they can't be inherently evil, yet they were cast away from the angels for refusing to believe in Islam? I didn't make sense to me then and it doesn't make sense to me now... Oh, and as for that bit about enslaving fravashi, I totally made that up. It's not fact, but it sounded good. *shrugs*

*~*~*

Shuten paced angrily, looking at the three mats belonging to his comrades. Rajura, Anubisu and Naaza had never returned from the dance last night.

Damn it, he'd told them not to go! That Kayura couldn't have wanted anything good...

He was still pacing when someone knocked softly against the frame of the door, before pulling the curtain aside. A familiar laughing face set with tiger-blue eyes grinned in at him. "Shuten! How are you?" Ryo called.

He growled. "What do you want, Ryo?" He snapped.

"Eh... well, it seems our darling friend Kayura has decided to be a little more aggressive over Toumawashi." Ryo responded with a shrug.

Shuten froze. "Meaning...?"

"Meaning that Touma is missing and Ibilis will be severely pissed if we don't know where he is when he wants him." Ryo replied. "And from the looks of it... maybe your buddies had something to do with it?"

Shuten paused, considering, then shook his head. "Kayura came here yesterday and invited us all to join her in the dance. I could tell she wanted something but her and that girl Nasutei..."

"Nasutei?" Ryo repeated, then glared. "Never trusted her." Then, shaking his head, he continued. "So anyway, I guess I was right then? Kayura managed to... er... 'convince' your allies to help her?" Shuten nodded gravely. "In that case, can't you locate them? That way we can find Touma."

Shuten paused, thinking about that. "Yes... yes, I can find them." he replied.

"Great!" Ryo grinned. "Then let's get going!"

*~*~*

"Touma-chan?"

Touma had to decide between rolling his eyes and growling. He went with the latter, turning his head away with the low, rumbling sound of discontent. Kayura giggled at the response.

"Oh really, Touma-chan, why don't you just give up the 'righteous indignation' bit? I definitely doesn't suit you and besides, it's really not doing you any good. I'm a patient person." Kayura giggled, tucking a finger under his chin and forcing him to look at her. "Oh Touma, really. How can you hate me when I love you so? No one loves you but me. Ryo has not come to your rescue, and don't you recall those horrible things that blonde boy-toy of yours said?"

"Seiji is not my toy!" Touma hissed, and Kayura giggled.

"Well, not anymore, certainly. He was quite relieved to be gone, between you and me." She responded. "And here I thought that you had been rather nice to him. But I suppose he didn't see it that way." She shrugged.

He turned his head away once more.

"Oh tsk tsk! That's rude." And a hand smacked his cheek sharply, forcing his eyes towards her once more. "Ah, now that's infinitely better. Hello love."

"Don't call me that." He growled.

"Oh, don't be such a wet blanket! *I* love you, what more do you need?"

"Love?" Touma said with a raised eyebrow. "As if you even knew what that meant."

A voice from the front interrupted her reply. "Kayura? Come here."

She glared over her shoulder at the sliver-haired man that stood in the doorway, but obediently stood and walked over to him, yanking the curtain closed behind her. "What is it, Rajura? I was busy, in case you didn't notice!"

"I must leave." He said simply, and Kayura nearly jumped.

"Eh? What?" And then, using the flirtatious manner that served her so well, "But koibito, why? I so want you here..." she whispered, tracing a hand up his arm. He tactics did not work this time.

"Shuten is on his way here, Ryo is with him, and three others." His eyes went dark. "A human, another mala'ika, and a fravashi."

Kayura processed this information slowly, then glared. "What a motley crew. Very well, then go, you coward. I have no need of you."

"You'll have need of someone if you damage Ibilis' prize. He'll kill you so fast you won't have time to scream." Rajura reminded her, and then in a flash he was gone.

And Kayura just reached into her kimono to pull out a long, curved blade, then crouched by the door and waited.

*~*~*

Ryo had just finished telling Shin the true story of the alienation of the djinn, with some help from Shuten. Though young, Shuten knew of what really happened, and with Ryo's agreement, Shin was a little disturbed by what he'd heard.

"You're saying that the djinn were cast away because of some peculiar Islamic prophecy?" He asked his erstwhile lover.

"That's correct. They did nothing, in fact the mala'ika were the ones at fault."

"I never thought of myself as a slave..." Shuu murmured. "But things are different now. No one that ruled back at the fall of the djinn is still around. Perhaps they were corrupt, but the amesa spentas now are just."

"And you cannot tell me that Ibilis is a worthy ruler." Shin finished.

Ryo and Shuten shook their heads simultaneously. "No, he is evil." Shuten said before Ryo had a chance. "But really, he is powerful. No djinnee yet created could hope to stand against his power as the former Azrael. But he knows that Toumawashi..." he shook his head.

This was something that even Ryo had not heard. "What about Touma?" He prompted.

"You know that Ibilis is waiting for Touma's 18th year. Touma believes that this is because Ibilis wants him to become his warrior, his right hand man. However..." he paused. "Ibilis does recognize that when Toumawashi reaches his 18th year his full powers will come to him, and when they do, he will be more dangerous than even Ibilis himself. But he is wrong, Ibilis doesn't want to ally with him... he wants to control him."

Shin blinked. "When you say control him... how?"

"Touma has a permanent physical form, like a mala'ika, ne? So does Ibilis. Only Touma's is beautiful and Ibilis' is hideous." Shuten shrugged. "I'm sure you can imagine. Ibilis wants Touma's form and the power it contains - or will." He ran a hand through his red hair. "Ibilis is faced with a plight; he doesn't want Touma's form until he has reached adulthood, but once Touma possesses that kind of power, he will not be able to contain him. So..."

"So he waits until just before Touma's 18th, traps him then, and somehow steals his form?" Shuu asked, scratching his head.

"That's the gist of it, anyway. But I don't believe that anyone else realizes that is what he plans to do... certainly not Touma..." Shuten paused. "Rajura has moved. But he's too late... I know where he was. This way."

*~*~*

They approached the small mud brick house slowly, cautious, though Shuten told them that none of his allies were inside. But still as they pulled back the curtain and entered, no one let their guard down. The front room was empty, the candle burned almost to the brass holder, and the light it cast was dim. The curtains were drawn over all the windows, adding to the darkness. Seiji paled almost involuntarily.

He'd always been afraid of the dark.

Shuten went in first, Ryo behind him, then Shin and Shuu. Seiji entered last, ducking his head in and shooting his gaze around before walking through the doorway.

He didn't get far. A hand snaked out from the darkness by the door and snapped around his wrist, pulling him back as another swiftly snapped a knife to his throat. He let out a strangled exclamation of protest and the other four figures turned around sharply to see the violet haired woman looking demonic in the candlelight, Naaza's poisoned blade held to Seiji's throat.

"Make one move towards that door and blondie dies." She hissed.

Shuten crossed his arms. "Give me a break, Kayura. What makes you think we really care? Humans are a dime a dozen."

She frowned. "Toumawashi will care."

"Toumawashi will be ALIVE, so I think he'll forgive us." Ryo put in his two cents, rolling his eyes. "Shuten, you go."

"I'll do it!" Kayura threatened, pressing the blade against Seiji's skin as hard as she could without cutting him. The already pale boy went white.

"Then do it." Ryo said, calling her bluff. "And if Toumawashi really will care, you'll be the one he hates for it, not us."

She blinked, then growled as she threw Seiji face-first to the ground. "You play dirty, mala'ika."

"That's what the mala'ika are know for, korybante." He replied.

*~*~*

Touma blinked uncertainly as the red haired man bent over him. "Shuten?"

"Hai. Hold still, this might sting." And Touma winced as the bindings around his wrists burned away, leaving slight red lines around his wrists. He sat up, rubbing at the burns.

"How did you find me?" He asked.

"I followed Rajura, of course." He responded.

"Rajura?" Touma repeated. If Rajura was here then... how much of what had happened had been an illusion? "Where is Kayura?"

"Right in the front room. Ryo is dealing with her, along with some friends of his. A mala'ika and a fravashi." Shuten responded.

Touma was about to say something about that, but then thought better of it. There must be a reason that Ryo is allied with a fravashi, he assured himself. Slowly he pulled himself off the bed. "Well then let's not keep them waiting, ne?"

Shuten held open the curtain as Touma walked through. Kayura stood against the wall, angrily staring down three much more battle-ready boys. On the ground between them lay a tall, thin blonde boy... Touma inhaled sharply.

"Sei... Seiji?" He whispered.

*~*~*

Before he could think, before he could question, before he could recall the things he'd heard Seiji say before, Touma was kneeling at the blonde boy's side. There was a small bruise on his forehead but no blood and no other injury. He let out an inadvertent sigh of relief, then glared up at Kayura.

"What they hell did you think you were up to?" he demanded, pulling the unconscious boy into his lap. "Did you really think you could keep me here?"

Kayura looked down on him with eyes that suddenly pleaded for conciliation. "Touma, all I wanted..."

"Was to have me. But you can't, Kayura, unless I want you." He glared. "And I don't."

"Then who DO you want?" Kayura cried, her voice rising to a shriek. "Ryo? That HUMAN? I am..."

"A slut." He said, and that shut her up quite effectively. He stood, pulling Seiji into his arms. "Ryo, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

Ryo blinked, surprised at how calm Touma could be after being tied up by an amorous korybante. He gestured beside him to the mala'ika and fravashi. "This is Shin, the angel of Trust, and Shuu, a fravashi."

Touma nodded. "I'd dearly love to know what you're doing in this part of the Kaf, but I'm afraid that I myself am probably the answer." He said. "I'd like to return home now, if that's all right. And Seiji seems to be injured." He moved the blonde boy in his arms so that his head rested against his shoulder. "Shuten... can I entrust Kayura to you?"

"Nasutei was also involved." Shuten commented.

"She obviously failed miserably, as she was supposed to keep YOU occupied." Kayura spat at Ryo.

"So is that why she was hanging around me? I ditched her." He responded with a shrug.

Kayura scowled.

"Forget her." Touma said. "Come on." He stepped outside and, impatient, called the winds to him. Sand swirled around him, lifting him into the air. Ryo and Shin blinked at each other, shrugged, and Shin took Shuu by the shoulders.

"You know where he's going, Ryo?" Shin asked as he lifted himself and his burden into the air behind Ryo.

"Hai. His place, of course." He said, taking to the air beside his love.

*~*~*

Touma arrived home long before the others and stepped inside, lying Seiji on his futon. His brushed away the blonde hair over his forehead with a frown, then fumbled through the drawers in his corner. He knew he had smelling salts in there somewhere... finally his hand closed around the small vial an he pulled it out.

It turned out that he didn't need it after all, as he turned, Seiji was already sitting up, a hand pressed to his forehead. "How did I get here...?" he wondered aloud, confused.

"Careful, you hit your head." Touma said, moving to held him sit up before thinking better of it and retreating. He still stung from the words Seiji had said while Kayura had him.

"Touma? You're safe?" He asked, blinking.

That took him aback. "Yes... Shuten got me out."

"Good." Seiji said, leaning back. "When that woman took you, I didn't know what to think."

Touma was even more confused. "But... I thought..." He remembered Shuten commenting about Rajura and things started to clear. "You had no idea what had happened to me?"

Seiji shook his head. "Well... I had some idea. I was there when that Kayura woman came..." his brow furrowed. "I don't understand that. But Touma, that man - Shuten - he said some things about Ibilis you should know. And Touma... you're half fravashi, aren't you?"

Touma blinked. "Well... yes. Why did you THINK I had this form? But what does it matter?"

"Is it true that you are the most powerful djinnee?" He continued without replying.

"Well... I WILL be... Seiji why do you ask?"

"Shuten said Ibilis wanted your form." Seiji said in one quick breath, not even sure if he himself understood what he was saying.

Touma blinked, as if her had misheard. "Say that again?"

Seiji took a deep breath and spoke slowly, with precision. "Shuten - the man who helped release you? - told Ryo that Ibilis wants to steal your form when you reach adulthood."

Touma blinked again, and then laughed. "Oh, is that all? I figured that all along. It is nothing to worry about."

"But..."

"Seiji, you do not understand the way this works. In order for Ibilis to take my form he must trick me into exchanging it for something. And he won't be able to do that, trust me." (AN - that is not true myth, I'm making it up, don't kill me!! *cowers*)

"Oh." Seiji realized there was very little he understood about this.

"You are still injured. I am sure I can get some ice for you to put on that bruise." Touma said suddenly, turning away. He turned back when Seiji suddenly grabbed his wrist. "...Seiji?"

"When you were gone... it wasn't long, but I was worried... I really don't know why..." He murmured, holding Touma's wrist. Touma blinked and sunk down onto the futon beside him.

"Really?" He whispered, and Seiji hesitantly nodded. "Seiji... when I found you in the desert... I didn't mean those things I said. I didn't want you for a pet or a possession... I wanted you for YOU." He would not have the things that fake Seiji had said to him be repeated by the real one, he would NOT.

Seiji laughed at that. "Oh, I know. You said that, but your manner did not. After being around people as long as I have, you know who to fear and who not to fear."

Touma smiled, letting out a soft sigh of relief. It was too perfect, that this beautiful creature would say something so kind to him... unable to resist, he reached out to lay fingertips feather-light against Seiji's cheek. Encouraged when the other did not pull away, he leaned in closer, to brush his lips over the other boys.

"Touma!" Ryo called from the front room, and almost by reflex the two jumped apart at the black-winged mala'ika leaned through the doorway. "Ah good, your human is awake."

"His name is Seiji." Touma growled darkly.

Ryo chuckled nervously. "Hai, hai, I know! I was only joking! Listen... Shin wants to talk to you about... some women named Haurvatat and Sraosha?"

Touma tensed visibly. "Ah. They want me back, do they?" He muttered, standing. He turned to Seiji. "Rest, you need it."

*~*~*

Touma listened patiently while Shin and Shuu explained the reason for their arrival, but at the end he merely shook his head.

"I cannot." He said. "I cannot return. They would not accept me, all the more now. They only want me back because they fear what I might do if allied to the djinn..." He shook his head again.

"But Haurvatat and Sraosha will accept anyone." Shin insisted.

"If they welcome me, they must welcome every other djinnee, druj and korybante there is. I will not return any other way." He crossed his arms. "And when you return, you can tell them I said that."

"When they return, Touma, I will be with them." Ryo said to his friend, but Touma did not look surprised.

"Is this the man you'd left when you first came?" he asked, sizing Shin up with his gaze.

Ryo blushed. "Hai."

"Than you're lucky to be reunited, and I do not blame you for returning to the land of your birth. But it is not for me." He turned back to the inner chamber. "There is nothing more to say. Shin, Shuu, you know my conditions. I suggest you deliver them to my aunt... to Haurvatat."

Shuu looked to Shin, who nodded, and they turned to leave, knowing that to force him would do them no good whatsoever.

~*~*~*~

Please someone said something mean to me about this fic so you have to send me good feedback or I'll get disheartened... *sniffles* please?