Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Of Legendary Creatures and Mystical Beasts ❯ Games ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5

I do not own Rorouni Kenshin, bla, bla, bla... (Ah…You already knew that…Good)

Notice: Be warned. It will include violence, some uses of it profanes language, and will include some extent of explicit sexual contend. So keep on reading at your own risk.

The story begins few month before the events of Kyoto Arc, so it will include spoilers and some elements from it as well as from the Revenge Arc too, although my fic will not follow neither the series nor the manga, and I will break some rules

Remember I'm not to native English speaker, so if you do have complains about my spelling, please, don't flame me, but help me to improve...

Note: This chapter could be a little boring, but it is necessary to read it if you want to understand the later plot, because some of the characteristics of "mystical/legendary/magical" beings are explained here, and the nature of each Kingdom or, Sphere or World that will be mentioned along the fic.

So I request from you to take note of the explanations. They will be useful in the future to understand the plot.

I want to thank those TOO KIND reviewers (Mara, Hana and Anna-neko, you are certainly spoiling me…) that made my day brighter with such undeserved comments. Anyway, some sweet talk is good for the soul sometimes…

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Well, this will be boring and here I'm…making it worse…Sorry… Go on with the fic…

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Asiyah had finished her business in Shanghai long days ago.

However, she was somewhat reluctant to return to Beijing.

Asiyah moved even closer toward the window.

She could not help but to look at him...

Her eyes followed Enishi's every graceful movement thoughtfully with undisguised fascination while he performed his katas from her room.

Actually, his true nature, hidden under that human shape, was revealed in the lethal elegance in which he carried them out.

She finally knew why she had surrendered to the crazy thought of saving Yukishiro Enishi from certain death in the desert, risking everything for a mere human she had never seen before at the precise moment she saw him stepping in the ballroom at the British Consul's reception.

The answer was so simple she was truly perplexed at herself for not discovering it at once, just before she did her election.

Yukishiro Enishi was not just another simple human being.

He was not even the half-breed she had believed he was when she discovered him dying on the desert.

In essence, Yukishiro Enishi was the Great Tiger walking among human kind.

That was definitely not a common sight on those eras.

She sighed to chuck lightly afterwards.

She surely hit jackpot when she found him.

Or maybe had it been her fate in first place?

The dynamics among the diverse Kingdom, worlds, or universes, was a very complex one indeed.

The Great Maker had created infinite diverse worlds or Kingdoms, in many different levels of existence, which was vastly unaware of each other's existence.

The nature of the beings that inhabited each one of these Kingdoms was different for each one of them.

Humans had been created of pure material substance, for what they grow attached to material things, being less sensitive. They possessed weaker senses with which they could not perceive the subtle phenomenon happening around them. They almost lacked magical knowledge or powers of any kind. Neither they had conscience of other worlds or beings that inhabited them or their visits to human realm.

Beings like her.

She belonged to the Kingdom of the Jinn[1].

Her kind was shaped from pure energy, and their creation preceded the human one by eons. Due their very nature, they could alter matter, transforming it into energy and modeling it to their desire. They cannot create anything anew, but they can reshape cosmic energy. The human myth about material wishes satisfied to no extent by Jinn for their supposed human masters had its origin in such abilities. They could also move as quick as the light and to travel to wherever they wanted, even among the diverse worlds. And although the use of magic was limited by Order of the Maker, they could also use it in situations that required it. It was their true right, and they used it.

Besides, once fully awakened their nature was as fierce and devouring as wild fire.

The other Kingdoms, which could be counted as certainly influencing human life, were those of the demons and the mystical beasts.

The Kingdom of the demons was basically made up of rebellious Jinn and other creatures (as humans themselves) that turned destructive and they suffered some degrees of chastisement in this level, although they were granted the power of interfering on human lives and other creatures that surrendered voluntarily to them.

They had little or non-existent influence in the golden past, but as millenniums went by they got more and more stronger.

On the other hand, the Kingdom of the magic beasts, which was before so influential on human fate on the long gone past now was almost closed for their intervention.

When the Maker decreed the limitation of the use magic and the establishment of the scientific development settled on the human conscience, the magic beasts had stopped gradually to walk the Earth, and their incarnations in humans grew more and more uncommon.

There were two ways so that these ancestral spirits walked among humans.

One of them was through the momentary possession of the body of a man, begetting a baby with a human female. Through this act, a dual creature was born, man or woman who maintained all the human characteristics, but under duress or exceptional circumstances they could use the abilities inherited from the magical spirit, which endowed them with great force and impossible capacities for a normal human being.

The other way the used to incarnate, less frequent by far, even in the golden old times, was the complete fusion of the mystical beast within the soul of the unborn child.

The resulting being was always a male and though he possessed the body of a human, he was in fact the mystical beast himself walking in the Earth, with all his fabulous powers and abilities, although he controlled them only by the moment of the complete awakening of the Beast.

The main difference between the actual mystical beast and the half-breed consisted in that the second could only partially access to some beast's characteristics and only during moments of extreme necessity.

On the other hand, the Mystical Beast could maintain the life of any common human, except for the fact he stopped aging once the conscience of the magical spirit of the Beast was fully awaken, and he could access to his powers fully at his complete will.

And most importantly, according to the nature their master or their consort, they became Protectors or Destructors.

The mystical beasts incarnated themselves only when a grave disturbance was about to rise into the spiritual forces of the human realm and their role was to reestablish the balance.

Anyway, they used to be very unpredictable and dangerous since they were bound to the influence of the one who first woke them up, this marking them as highly unstable.

Only a sorcerer, a wizard, a demon or a Jinn could control them, and not without taking high risks to their own safety or even their lives.

Since the risks they took were greater than the advantages they could derive from the bonding of a Mystical Beast, the witches used to expose the mystical beasts to deadly situations at early age, in order to exterminate them without allowing them to wake up.

This was a common place especially in the Clan of the Islands whose headquarters were at Japan. If they could not get the child slaughtered in the usual way, they used to turn some of them against others, in the rare occurrence that more than one Mystical Beast walked on the Earth at the same moment.

Managing the threads of other's fate they were exposed to a lesser level of damage themselves.

Demons and mystical beasts had a very complex relationship, if any.

Generally, the first ones could acquire absolute domain of the beasts if they were able to capture them and to wake them up before other made it, but never for long spans of time.

Magical beasts were natural enemies of demons and then the influence of these over them could only be a very brief one, although it was enough for the Beasts to cause big havocs, turning them into Destructors. The relationship between Demons and Beasts usually ended in mutual annihilation.

Lastly, Jinniyeh was the only ones able to maintain a Mystical Beast under absolute control of himself, becoming his perpetual mate. As both of them were pure magical beings, the relationship worked on equality basis with both in control, and none as the master. Jinniyeh awoke him up, in order to let him to reach his full potential as Protector.

As Jinniyeh usually lived inside the Clans, the union with a Mystical Beast was highly unlikely, but besides in the rare occasions in that it was allowed it was completely regulated, and it was allowed only for very, very, very specific reasons. Actually, it was known fact that such unions had not taken place during the past five hundred years.

Jinn society was a matriarchal one, due to a long war that almost annihilated their kind.

Males had brought their Kingdom into a bloody confrontation that had almost lasted three millennia. For that reason in the mind of the Jinniyeh, them were only the source of problems and wars

When males had been decimated till unimaginable limits, women took the control over society and government, changing the social order. From then on, the Jinn remained bonded into perennially confinement, maintained alive only on purely reproductive basis, locked far from the cities and urban centers, until they reached the age of thirty-four years. When they arrived to that limit, they were simply and swiftly exterminated, so that they didn't reach the maturity of their own powers, which happened when they come into their thirty five birthday.

As Magical Beasts were incarnated as men exclusively, Jinniyeh never trusted them and for that reason, although the association could be very positive, it was generally avoided.

Also, once the union was consummated[2], it finished only through death, especially for the Jinniyeh, since if the Magic Beast at some point died, she inevitably died along with him, On the contrary, the rule didn't apply to Magical Beast if the Jinniyeh died before him: they survived, but crippled till they could find another suitable mate.

As she no longer belonged to any Clan, and most importantly, she didn't have to obey none of their Laws, she would get the Beast for herself.

She wouldn't lose that incredible opportunity.

The Great Tiger would be hers.

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As every morning since Asiyah had accepted his invitation, she repeated the ritual during his early morning practice.

He pretended to ignore that she observed him to train, concealed behind her room's great windows, and she act as if she didn't know that he was aware of her careful observation.

He found the situation quite amusing, almost a cat playing with a mouse ... the only question on his mind was who was playing whom in that game, because the situation between both of them was in a sort of perpetual movement.

Neither Heishin nor any of their contacts had been able to uncover anything on her. She simply seemed to have arisen out of nowhere. Without family. Without friends. Without a past.

Common sense pointed him that it was pretty much a risky situation. She could very well be working for some government agency, for the police, for some enemy or even for some foreign power.

But after a thoughtful investigation, his men had only been able to discover was that she didn't have attachments to anybody, either friend or foe.

For the time being that was enough for him.

His efforts had been only focused till then into quenching his desire of vengeance.

However, his experience in the desert and his recent meeting with Asiyah had given him a new interest to pursue.

Firstly, he had an honor debt to pay to that woman hidden behind the appearance of a young girl (another mystery to add to her, because her behavior was that of a mature woman, accustomed to move with absolute ease into independence and authority. She surely was not a young little lady).

He had chosen to settle it in a convenient and mutually beneficial way for them.

The presence of a woman in his life was for him both helpful and opportune.

He had never had the inclination, the time or the necessity of pursuing romantic interests.

His mind, spirit and soul were completely devoted to satisfy his vengeance. That was the very reason that kept him alive despite all the pains, despite the living hell he went through. The others aspects of his life was subordinated to achieve that goal.

When some physical necessity arose (he was a man, after all), he simply made use of his resources to choose the right partner according to the situation.

However, it was expected that a boss, once secured into the position, had at least one or two concubines or permanent wives. It was a question related to the position inside the syndicate. It gave an air of reassurance, trust and stability to the subordinates. After all, Triads were meant to be a sort of Clan or close family, and it was expected that the boss himself shaped his life into the Confucian principles.

He made it to the top several years ago and he didn't even try to find a partner.

He was able to avoid the subject due to his youth, which had given him some freedom and an excuse, at least for a while.

She was his private property before the eyes of all Shanghai's society after the public encounter at the Consulate and her acceptance of his personal protection upon herself. Xian's comments on her to the other bosses turned her into a sort of untouchable being for everyone. She was to them his official consort now, a concept reinforced with her staying at his state.

On the other hand, it was crystal clear that Asiyah was too much aware of the social implications of his company and her permanence at his place, but she had made apparent that those things didn't troubled neither worried her. Besides nobody in their right mind would dare to bother her knowing their relationship.

And it was there where she benefited.

No official would try to blackmail her, her shipments of jewels would be safe of bandits and accidents, and although there would be comments at her back, nobody would dare to insult her in public.

On the other hand, he thought, none of those women that he used for pleasure was suitable for public meetings, no matter how high ranked in their profession they were.

They were no mere whores. They all were chosen by their abilities beyond their obvious sexual skills. They had to be able to keep a talk, to know how to play musical instruments and they were well educated.

However none of them possessed the appropriate stance, the grace or elegance of a true lady. Besides, they all lacked the intelligence he would require from any potential mate.

Asiyah was a true lady indeed, in that refined, delicate style his own sister used to be one. She was also extremely intelligent.

In fact, he had not tried to seduce or do any move on her for those specific reasons, despite the fact he got her living under his own roof, and maybe she even expected such deeds from him.

If he got any chance, or she gave him any clue on being interested in him, then without a doubt he would claim and mark her as truly his.

And then their small game would come to an end to become a real fact.

Then he would truly have an appropriate mate to match his position inside the syndicate, a fact that would continue being useful for both of them...

However, no matter how pleasant the idea was, that was definitely not a high-priority issue in his life.

He had more important matters to think of.

The completion of his Earthly Vengeance for one was at the top of his list.

Anyhow, he couldn't let go the thoughts about her.

Of course, there were some other reasons to be obsessed with Asiyah: he didn't like mysteries. Mysteries meant danger and troubles, and then he always had managed to solve those who had arisen just before his eyes.

And the first name of Asiyah was "mystery".

He had to know about her.

From her solitary arrival in the desert, to the way she had left him and his men in Dunhuang, and the way she had settled down and moved herself into business' world, being a woman on her own, without any male sponsoring her in an age and a place where most women were subjected to arranged marriages from the cradle, everything screamed that he had a lot to discover on her if he wanted to know who she really was.

The satisfactory sound of his Shuugeki Tou Sei[3] rendering into tiny bits an old and rickety tree that was not in harmony with the rest of his garden drew a satisfied smirk on his face. And it also put an end to his musings.

It was enough for that day.

He sheathed his sword, and then raised his eyes for a brief instant to the window of Asiyah's room.

Suppressing a grin, he spun to return to the house, to take a bath.

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The mutual dislike between Heishin and Asiyah grew by the day.

She could smell the traitor laying beneath the polite surface.

He saw her like a potential distraction for Enishi's revenge, which would mean he would have to wait longer for his appointment as Number One in the organization.

Heishin wanted the position and the organization.

There were only two ways to obtain it: getting rid of Enishi, something he had just failed in or to speed up things to carry out Enishi's Earthly Justice as soon as possible, so that he could completed his promise of handling him the power.

He wanted Enishi completely devoted to his obsession. Without any distraction.

He had to convince the woman to leave.

He would send her away making use of the same methods his boss applied to his female "guests" after having enjoyed them, although Heishin was well aware of the fact she actually had not slept with Enishi.

Enishi had always been almost too traditional in his erotic pursues.

He only asked for young females. Very, very young ones, girls whose physical appearance never surpassed the eighteen years old. He never brought older women into the house or enjoyed them anywhere else. Or boys, as a matter of fact. He knew Enishi had never ever accepted those as presents, despite the fact most men in his position had enjoyed such pleasures at least once.

No, he only took young women.

Just like the one called Asiyah.

Heishin thought he understood his boss urgency in finding her when he saw the young, sophisticated beauty at Lord Berry's. It was only logical for Enishi to look for that gorgeous girl, though Heishin was quite shocked at first, since he had imagined her as a wild, slippery, untamed nomad and then he found that stylish creature in front of him instead.

But facts weren't always as they seemed and the situation was not as simple as he had believed it to be.

With each passing day his boss became even weirder, he thought.

Enishi had plagued him for two months with that woman's search, and now that he had her at his house, they had not shared a bed during any of the seven nights she spent there.

Was there any reason other to derive pleasure from a woman to look after her so obsessively?

He shook his head, a deep sigh resounding on the walls.

He had been given up to try to understand the reasons behind Enishi's acts long years ago.

He entered Asiyah's quarters with a subtle smile, determined to end the situation quickly and cleanly. He would trick the girl in believing she was treated as a discarded toy, adding to the insult whore's gifts. That definitely would get her out of there in a blink of an eye.

- Ah ...Good morning...Asiyah-san.

- Good morning, Mister Wu. May I help you?

- Ah ... Well, it's rather difficult to me, you know, but it's my job…I'm sorry if I disappoint you…Yukishiro-san has instructed me to give you these gifts and to communicate to you he will be very engaged in his business to see you for the next few days. He also commanded me to receive your instructions to assure your safe return to Beijing with the maximum protection and comfort.

Asiyah was hearing dumbfounded while she received a red silk dress with embroidery and some golden bracelets.

He was discarding her for any unknown reason (maybe she has bored him to death…), and he not even had the courtesy of making it personally.

He had the nerve to send his lap dog instead.

And to add to the offense he sent him with typical courtesans' gifts.

It is not that he had any obligation toward her. As far as human standards were concerned, he had already paid thoroughly his supposed "debt" he thought he had with her for his rescue in the desert.

However, she was infuriated at after such a fuss he made over her search, as she had heard from Heishin's mouth himself and others, and after almost forcing her to accept his hospitality, he almost was throwing her to the road to Beijing. That was a spoiled brat behavior, a spoiled brat bored of his newfound toy that threw it after getting it.

Mystical Beast or not inside him, that day he would receive a lesson that he would not easily forget. She started to walk to the door. She would find him and would say two or three things in his face. And maybe, just maybe, he would have a brief glimpse of a Jinniyeh's anger…

As he had planned, she got mad at his boss. It was time to go for the kill…

- I'm so sorry, Miss, but it's my job... You should not get angry ... He always behaves this way therefore he won't understand why you get angry at him... And you would put me in a hell of a trouble if you go to him to make any scene - these were precise tips to increase the young girl anger and to facilitate her departure

- Good morning, Asiyah...- Enishi had just gone into the room, drying off his wet hair with a towel. Asiyah always marveled at how his hair could stand defying gravity, even then…

Enishi glanced distrustfully at his associate. He was no longer comfortable with him around, after the Silk Route incident. He had his suspicions, but he couldn't prove them yet. But he was thinking in disposing of him anyway. After finding any suitable substitute, of course. He still needed someone who took care of subtleties…

- Heishin, should you not be in the yards? Why are you here yet?

Heishin turned visibly pale at the moment he noticed his boss's look resting in the dress and the bracelets, and he began to shiver uncontrollably when Enishi moved forward his hand toward the gifts. Enishi knew them well enough to recognize them for what they were meant. He knew exactly to whose those things were given and why.

Curious to where the events would turn to, Asiyah decided to wait the first movement of any of those two men standing in front of her to make her own move.

- What the bloody hell are doing these things on Asiyah's quarters?

- Ah ...Enishi... I... Let me explain you…

If Asiyah had any doubt concerning Wu Heishin's duplicity, now it was clear to her that he was playing his own game against Enishi, and he tried to drag her into it.

For any unclear reason he tried to get rid of her, out of Enishi's knowledge.

She was pretty sure seeing Heishin reaction to Enishi's probing gaze, that if he ever knew what his subordinate had just attempted, Heishin would had a very, very, very bad time.

The signs of complete terror in Heishin's face and his arm hanging from the sling suggested it to her.

And then she got the idea...

It was safer to wrap him into his own trap, binding him to a truce in exchange for her silence…

- Mr. Wu wanted my advice concerning some gifts he was considering giving to a dear friend of his. - Asiyah found herself staring at Heishin's astonished face with a glint of amusement in her emerald eyes- While the dress could be considered somewhat... acceptable, the bracelets are... mmmm, how could I put it? They certainly are not fitting enough…for a friend, I mean. Yes... that is the definition... They seem an extra payment for a cheap slut, instead of a gift to a dear friend. What do you think Enishi?

- Oh… Do you think really this about those things? - Enishi did look at her surprised and his attention was now focused in her words. That was a fact that she should keep in mind for future reference.

- Definitively. That it's my specialty, don't you remember? - Asiyah turned to Heishin, a wide smile spread in her face indicating him that she had him at her mercy - Ah, it seems that there are other occupations that require you Mr Wu, then I believe that we can finish our business later. I believe I have the right thing for your friend. Come to see me later and we will discuss a reasonable price, since you are the associate of Enishi-san. I guarantee a very, very, very convenient price just for you…

- I would like a piece of advice too, if you don't mind, Asiyah- said Enishi in a flat intonation.

Enishi knew that something was going on under his nose. He could smell Heishin's fear and Asiyah's enjoyment in torturing the guy. He was not somebody who could be fooled easily. Never mind, he thought. He would find it eventually.

- Ah... I see... Do you also have dear friends to whom you want to give some gifts to?

Both men look at her bewildered. Enishi raised a brow at the evident double meaning of those words and the bold insolence of the youth when pronouncing them

- Is any Festival approaching? I wonder just because out of a sudden everybody wants to offer gifts to their friends… Had I knew of this in advance, I would had brought a larger stock with me .Ah, it's a pity...- she mocked a pout, but the mischievous glint in her eyes was evident for both men. She was making fun of them both… and they all knew it.

- Mind you, now that we are talking of business I was considering to have a chat with you about some future investments I was planning you may be interested with... and that it is the reason I have come to see you so early...

Enishi made a clear gesture to his second-in-command, so that he left them alone. However he could hear their boss's words, just before leaving, words that made him groan, putting an end to his hopes of getting rid of the woman easily.

- Have you ever considered the possibility to move your operations to Shanghai? I think it could be very profitable for both of us. I could provide you with…

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N of the Author:

The characteristics of the magical or mystical beasts, although they are drawn here including some aspects of traditional legends and beliefs of many ancient cultures, taking in the concept of the ancestral protective animal spirits, are mostly adapted to my vision and reinterpretation of those beliefs

As for the nature of the Demons and Jinn (geniuses), this based on general lines in the Islamic conception of these beings, with some important modifications. The Jinn according to the Islamic religious tradition is beings that live in kind of a parallel universe (Surah (Chapter) Al Fatihat (the Opening) of the Book says about God: Lord of the Worlds (or of the Universes) in one of their ayats (verses)),. They are created of pure fire (it could be interpreted as energy). According to the Islamic tradition and the Noble Koran, they live, they have an own social system, their laws, marry, they reproduce and they die, although seemingly the rules of both universes are different, and perhaps the time elapses in a different way in both. They are subtler beings that the humans, and their universe crosses with ours, for that that, while they can perceive the humans, the humans for its material nature, they cannot perceive them to them, unless they themselves decide to be seen.

Regarding the Demons, Iblís (or Shaitán, the king of the Demons) was a Jinn that rebelled against God, and those Jinn that follow him, as well as the humans that submit themselves to his suggestions, are considered themselves as demons. As the Jinn, they have the power over handling energy, but on the contrary of the Judeo-Christian conception of the demons, they don't have any power over believers, and they are allowed to seduce the sinners only, tempting them, but they can NEVER force them to carry out anything against their own free will.

Jinn, human and demons possess free will, unless the angels who were made to obey and can't chose by themselves. Angel's nature discourages the disobedience in them.

According to the Islamic faith (and the same can be said of almost all the traditions of the East), the magic exists and is painfully real sometimes.

According to the Islamic conception (since the character of Asiyah is a Jinn, an exclusive creature of the Muslim tradition, I base myself in the concepts of this faith), the magic was taught to the men and the geniuses by the angels, but due to the wrong use of it made by men, it was prohibited expressly from the advent of the Islam. However, the fact that the last two Surahs of Qur'an al Karim, called the Surahs of the Incantation, are generally used as protection against the charms, this indicates that magic is real for Muslims, and that they believe in the existence of sorcerers (those "that blow over the knots" like they are defined in these Surahs or chapters, since to blow over the knots chanting spells was a common form of magic among pre-Islamic women), sorcerers who still practices magic.

Anyway, look at the notes, the first one, to see a larger article on Jinni

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